Friday Bolts – 3.6.09
Evidently, there’s some big comic book movie coming out today. The only way you wouldn’t know that is if you were
trapped in a coffin the past month.
How D.J. White is dealing with his lost season: “The three-inch scar on the left side of D.J. White’s neck, nestled just below his swollen jaw, might someday fade away. For now, the mark left by the doctor’s incision serves as a daily reminder of the Thunder forward’s lost rookie season. White, the 29th overall pick in last year’s NBA Draft, has been sidelined all season after undergoing surgery to remove a benign growth in his jaw. And with 21 games remaining, it’s beginning to look like White will miss the entire year, turning what should have been a dream come true into an unimaginable nightmare. White has a doctor’s appointment scheduled for March 16. Only then will he know if he’ll be cleared to resume full-contact practice and possibly be able to join his Thunder teammates for the home stretch.”
I’ve been avoiding the NBA financial situation because frankly, I just don’t want to think about it, but Shoals writes a really interesting piece about five signs of the NBA Apocolyspe: “Granted, some version of these dire pronouncements has been with us since last summer. But seeing them together all at once, with little or no mitigation, or appreciation for the finer points of, say, Detroit’s search for a new identity, did what it was supposed to do: Scare me and make me believe that really, anything could happen in the NBA as the economy continues to bring us all down to our knees. With that in mind — or rather, going on the possibility that I’m missing the forest for the trees — here are Five Signs of the NBA Apocalypse we should all watch for. Or expect, if you’re the WSJ:”
James Roth from the Oklahoma Daily talking about potential teams for Blake Griffin: “In OKC, Griffin would be teamed with Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook. That is a big four who with a few years of seasoning and some playoff experience could be a dynasty-type team. In Los Angeles, Griffin would be playing with Baron Davis, who when healthy, is arguably the best scoring point guard in the league. Griffin and Davis together could be a two-man game similar to the Phoenix Suns’ Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire. In Memphis, Griffin would be with former college standout O.J. Mayo and up-and-coming guard Rudy Gay. Just like with OKC, give that team a few years to gel and progress, and it is a championship-quality team.”
Dime power rankings: “Of course they win three in a row as soon as Kevin Durant gets hurt.”
Someone is calling for a Most Outstanding Player award in the NBA (and if it were there, KD would be in contention): “Thus, I put forth that the NBA should adopt an Most Outstanding Player award, or an award with some definition recognizing overall performance over value to one’s team. Again, it is not that I have a problem with the way the MVP award tends to be given out, it is that the award itself is denigrated by the debate surrounding its definition, and the addition of an M.O.P. award could aid that problem.”
Though he doesn’t play here anymore, help Chris Wilcox help Jasmina: “Chris Wilcox has a new friend named Jasmina. She just turned 6 years old [on Thursday] and aside from being adorable, she has leukemia. She has a rare and aggressive form of it, which was diagnosed on Jan. 20. Her doctors say she needs a bone marrow transplant now or Jasmina will die … To help Jasmina’s cause and, hopefully, find that perfect donor she so desperately needs, Wilcox is promoting a Bone Marrow Donor Drive that will be run by DKMS Americas this Saturday (March 7) between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at PS 41 on 116 West 11th Street in Manhattan. Fixers, especially those of you who are African-American, please take time out of your day and possibly save another human life.”
Scott Brooks on the winning streak to thunder.nba.com: “Our foundation of this team going forward is defense,” he said. “We understand that if we compete on the defensive end we’re going to improve and we’re going to get better as a team. We’re not a team that’s going to try to outrun teams. I know when we play these faster teams we get caught up in their games but we’re going to have to continue to work on that and have some better understanding of who we’re playing and how they play and just stick to how we want to play. We want to be a defensive team that’s scoring off our defense. We have some offensive talents. We don’t want to restrict our guys but we want to focus on defense and bust out after we get a stop.”
The Scores Reports is picking up on Russell Westbrook’s ROY push: “Still, Rose jumped out to a quick start this season in the ROY race, so it’s interesting to see someone close the gap. I suspect Thunder fans are feeling pretty good about the possibility of having two straight ROY winners. That’s a good way to build a franchise. Westbrook needs to work on his jumper, but other than that, he looks like the real deal.”
Bill Simmons in his new mailbag about the greatest non-trades ever: “There’s a bigger one: After Seattle picked Robert Swift in the 2004 draft, the Celtics offered the Sonics the 13th pick (basically, the rights to Al Jefferson) and their 2005 No. 1 pick for Swift’s rights … and Seattle said no. Three years later, the Celts turned Jefferson, the 2005 pick and other stuff into Kevin Garnett and a 17th title. So that’s right up there. I mean, have you SEEN Robert Swift? My buddy House called me last week just to ask me that question, and he asked it exactly like that: I answered, there was a pause, and he said, “I mean, have you SEEN Robert Swift?” Who knows — maybe the Sox win with A-Roid, er, A-Rod. But there’s no way the Celtics get Kevin Garnett for a package headlined by Robert Swift. None.”
The Ricky Rubio rumors are picking up steam again: “The leagues in Europe can’t dream of that kind of security because basketball isn’t a profitable enterprise. Now there are rumors that 18-year-old Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio, the top European prospect should he choose to enter the NBA draft, could be moved for cash to a wealthier European club because current employer DKV Joventut of Spain is in trouble financially. Two insiders have shot down the rumors, suggesting that Rubio will remain with Joventut for the rest of the year. For NBA fans, here is the real question: Does the recession in European basketball increase the chances that Rubio will enter the draft to cash in on a multiyear NBA rookie contract assuring him $3 million next season?”
