Andrew Wiggins Says It’s Unfair to Compare Him to LeBron and Durant

All eyes were on freshman phenom Andrew Wiggins at the 2013 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Media Day that took place at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, MO yesterday.

This comes as no surprise seeing as the 18-year-old Ontario native is the number one recruit for the class of 2013. With all the hype surrounding him one has to wonder will he be able to live up to it? With comparisons to high profile players like Lebron James and Kevin Durant, Wiggins is facing an immeasurable amount of pressure and he has not even suited up for the Jayhawks yet.

Of course Kansas head coach Bill Self did his best to diffuse the situation and alleviate the some of the pressure his star player is facing via ESPN.

“Well, he hasn’t asked for any of it,” Self said. “If you talk to him, he’s humble and a low key guy that deflects attention as much as anybody I’ve been around. But when you hear those things, it’s not fair. … He’s just Andrew“

Sorry Thomas Robinson, but you’re mad at the wrong people

Sunday night, Thomas Robinson of the Portland Trail Blazers took on the Sacramento Kings, a vastly different organization than the one who drafted him fifth overall in in the 2012 NBA Draft, who then traded him just months later.
But that didn’t stop Robinson from feeling slighted by his former team:

“It got to a point where I had to calm myself down before the game and remind myself that it’s just a game,” Thomas told CSNNW.com. “I just needed to relax and tell myself that it’s just business. It’s not personal. But at the end of the day, if I get the chance to go up against them, I’m not going to hesitate to give it to them.”

So, let me get this straight – it’s nothing personal, but he had to calm himself down before the game as he was too ramped up? Riggght.
Robinson’s ‘not personal’ thoughts continued:

“I use that trade and the negative articles that I got saved from last year where people were writing me off. I use that as motivation,” he said. “It’s all good, though. It’s not how fast you do your business, it’s how long.  And as long as I’m still here 10 years from

New York Knicks Cant Afford to Cut Toure Murry

Most of the roster spots are filled for the New York Knicks. However, who will fill the last few is still in question. Many thought that Ike Diogu and Josh Powell would simply be camp bodies. After all, they're both natural power forwards and the Knicks have plenty of those. However, with Cole Aldrich disappointing the Knicks' staff with his performances it's looking more and more that Diogu's rebounding prowess and Powell's shot-blocking ability will land one of them a job in New York. However, it's the battle between rookies C.J. Leslie and Toure Murry that may be the most intriguing.

Baring and change it seems that either Ike Diogu or Josh Powell will earn a spot on the New York Knicks. Whichever makes it will likely share time with the rest of the power forward depth filling in behind Tyson Chandler when he needs a few minutes of rest. It also seems that Jeremy Tyler is destined to land a roster spot despite his injury keeping him out of training camp. He has too much promise and the Knicks see too much of a bright future for Tyler to let him go.

However, it's the last roster spots that seems to be the most intriguing.

Detroit Pistons will be fun to watch, but is that enough?

USA Today ranked the Detroit Pistons as the No.6 team in their countdown that’s been ranking NBA teams based on their watchability.

The Pistons have to be elated by this No. 6 rating considering the utter lack of watchability their teams have had in recent memory, and especially the team a season ago.

The Pistons made radical and much-needed improvements to their roster and coaching staff this offseason. Many of the moves though were controversial and came with questioning:

Can Josh Smith improve as a shooter, or is he in a situation now where he doesn’t have to take as
many bad shots? Is Brandon Jennings going to grow as a point guard and finally utilize the weapons around him? Was Maurice Cheeks the right coach to guide this completely retooled and eclectic lineup?

It’s much too early to answer any of these questions, but the city of Detroit and fans worldwide are certain of one thing: They’re excited to watch Pistons basketball again.

The Pistons have been cellar dwellers in terms of attendance for the past half decade. It’s rather disheartening when recounting all the sellouts and raucous crowds that flooded the Palace when the team was dominating the Eastern Conference year after year. Yet, nothing lasts forever.

Bad signings, bad drafting and no stability have rattled this once proud franchise.

But, things should definitely be on the upswing for this upcoming season.

Carmelo Anthony Says He’s Going Nowhere, Wants to Stay with the New York Knicks

One of the stories gaining traction over the summer concerning the New York Knicks was in regards to Carmelo Anthony, and if he will opt out of his contract at the end of the year. Suffice to say, the story has caused many Knicks fans to wonder what will Anthony do? And what exactly are Anthony's thoughts on this matter?

Well, Anthony put some fears to bed this week when he shared his feelings at the annual charity day hosted by Cantor Fitzgerald and BGC.
From Al Iannazzone of Newsday:

Carmelo Anthony can become a free agent after the upcoming season, but he gave the strongest indication yet that his plan is to re-sign with the Knicks.
"I'm not going nowhere," Anthony said during an interview Tuesday with Bloomberg Television's "Market Makers."

The rumor mill hit overdrive this summer when it was suggested that if Anthony were to opt out after this season, he would be wooed by the Los Angeles Lakers. On top of that, the Lakers were also pushing to package Anthony with LeBron James. Safe to say, that news spun quickly across the blogosphere and social media platforms.

FBI Believes 1980's New York Knicks Fixed Games

Ever hear of the Black Sox and the 1919 World Series scandal? "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and the other seven Chicago baseball players banned for life after throwing the World Series? Perhaps Pete Rose is more familiar to you? Rose was banned for betting on baseball during his time as a manager. Well that's baseball. Fixing games couldn't possibly happen in the NBA could it? The FBI believes that New York Knicks players shaved points during the 1980's.

Most believe there's just too many moving parts in the NBA for games to be fixed. However, in 2007 the FBI investigated disgraced referee Tim Donaghy for allegedly betting on games that he officiated. It was fairly easy to understand how a referee could affect a point spread by either making or failing to make a call here or there during a games. When Donaghy pled guilty and served time it was believed it was an isolated incident.

For the most part it's believed that most referees follow the NBA's orders, not a bookies. However, twenty years earlier that was another scandal the NBA was forced to deal with. At that time, the FBI alleged there were New York Knicks involved with shaving points. To this day, the federal bureau of investigation believes those Knicks are guilty.

Doc Rivers Continues to Discuss “old Stuff” During His Latest Visit to Boston Saying That Kendrick Perkins Trade was a Mistake

The Boston Celtics will spend a lot of time reflecting and answering questions about the team's recent success over the past six season. As they rebuild and find a new identity, fans and media will Doc Rivers have already commented on the missed opportunities of the 2008-2013 era, particularly the 2010 Game 7 loss to the Lakers.
constantly compare this team with the teams of the last six years. Danny Ainge, Kevin Garnett, and

This week, Doc Rivers spent some time in Boston, did an interview on WEEI's Dennis and Callahan morning show, and also did an appearance at his old home, the TDGarden raising money for the Action for Boston Community Development. Thanks to Green Street for highlighting this.

Tyreke Evans didn’t want to go through changes in Sacramento again?

The loss of former Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans hit many hard.

Evans, though quiet, was a relatively loveable player. Sure, at times he was frustrating, but Evans was the first sign of hope for the Kings franchise in a long time. Yes, the numbers from his rookie season were artificially inflated but Evans looked amazing during his rookie year regardless. Poor coaching, injuries, lack of a team around him, whatever you want to blame, Evans wasn’t ever able to recapture the magic of his freshman season sadly.

The following years were marred with whispers of unhappiness, both from Evans himself and the fan base who were growing frustrated with his inability to stay on the floor.

Despite that, when he signed elsewhere, it left a hole in the hearts of many.

Tracy McGrady wishes he stayed in Toronto

Everyone says hindsight is 20/20. You always think about what choices, whether good or bad, that you made in the past and how it might have went if you made the opposite choice.

Former NBA star Tracy McGrady thinks about it now that he's retired.

McGrady teamed with his cousin Vince Carter with the Toronto Raptors as a high flying, athletic duo that could have wreaked havoc on the NBA. The team had made it's first playoff run and were poised to become an Eastern Conference contender. Instead, McGrady wanted to get out of Carter's shadow and signed with the Orlando Magic in the summer of 2000. The Raptors eventually fell a Carter jump shot short of knocking off the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals the next season in which McGrady would've made the difference in the seven game series.

Now reflecting on what could have been a legendary NBA career if injuries didn't rob him of his athletic gifts, McGrady says he wishes he stayed in Toronto as told to the Toronto Sun's Dave Feschuk.  

Chris Mullin suggests Sacramento Kings need to play unselfish, praises DeMarcus Cousins

Today the Sacramento Kings introduced former Golden State Warriors great Chris Mullin as their ‘consultant’, complete with owner Vivek Randadive sporting some nasty road rash from a cycling accident that happened this past weekend.

Mullin, who will be used in a role similar to that of Jerry West for the Warriors, was pressed on what he felt the Kings’ biggest issues were, citing both their selfish play and lack of defense as the two main culprits.
Per Jason Jones:

Mullin’s role will be similar to what Jerry West does for the Warriors. Basically he’s a source of knowledge/experience that’s available
Mullin cited the Kings’ need to play unselfish ball/defend as priorities. You could call that a recording. The changes to roster could help.
Or at least the Kings need the changes to help with that. Mullin said selfish play makes it hard for all guys to stay engaged in long season

That was a pretty obvious suggestion from Mullin, though, he is correct considering how woeful the Kings’ defense was the vast majority of the time and how bad the lack of ball movement would become.

J.R. Smith says New York Knicks will win NBA title

In addition to J.R. Smith dyeing his hair blonde and red, it has been a very colorful offseason for the New York Knicks.

The Knicks reigning sixth man of the year may be mercurial when it comes to his play on the court, but he is always consistent when it comes to making headlines off the court.  Last week, while attending a PGA Foundation golf clinic at Chelsea Piers, Smith said he was, “100 percent” positive the Knicks would win it all this year.

It would be the Knicks first title since 1973.
Smith has reason to be optimistic.  The Knicks acquired more talent in the offseason while keeping their core players intact.

Should the Los Angeles Lakers Sign Michael Beasley?

Now that the Phoenix Suns have waived Michael Beasley due to his recent off-court issues, the former 2nd overall pick is looking for a new home.

The Los Angeles Lakers have expressed interest in Beasley during the 2012 NBA trade deadline, and
now they finally have the chance to sign him.

With the recent additions of forward Shawne Williams and shooting guard Xavier Henry, the Lakers' roster is composed of 14 players. L.A. could certainly use another combo forward to finalize their roster.

However, while they can only offer Beasley a veterans minimum contract, the 24-year-old agreed to a $7 million dollar buyout with the Suns, so money shouldn't be an issue for him.

The Lakers can entice Beasley with Mike D'Antoni's open-court offense, which should be a nice fit for him. With Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol's leadership, the 6-foot-10 forward will have the chance to mature as a player on and off the court.    

Report: LaMarcus Aldridge Wants to be Traded to the Bulls

According to a report by Ben Golliver of SB Nation via Mike Mcgraw of the Daily Herald, Portland Trailblazers power forward LaMarcus Aldrige, wants to be traded to the Chicago Bulls, where he would have an opportunity to contend.

Word is, Aldridge wants to escape from Portland’s rebuilding project and has made it known that he’d like to land in Chicago.

Deng for Aldridge won’t get it done. The Blazers want Joakim Noah in return and the Bulls don’t want to give up the superior defensive big man.

Here’s one way to get Portland’s attention: Offer Deng and Charlotte’s future No. 1 pick. The Bulls are counting on that Bobcats’ pick (acquired for Thomas, ironically), to pay off big, because it’s unprotected in 2016.

Aldridge, whose name has been bandied about in various trade rumors leading up to the NBA Draft, said in April exit interviews that he thinks it’ll be roughly two years before the current Blazers team is ready to contend.

Nerlens Noel Says He Can Be The Best Defender In The NBA

Well Noel was called to be the next Bill Russell… yeah.

With the Cleveland having the number 1 pick, Nerlens Noel feels like he should take that top spot. Not only does he want to go number 1, he also feels like he can be the leagues best defender.

“I’m not dodging the pressure,” Noel told USA TODAY Sports last June. “If I tried to dodge it, I wouldn’t feel good about myself. This opportunity gives me a chance to establish myself as a great player rather than just a good player. It’s a lot of pressure but that’s something I live for.”
“At the beginning of the season at Kentucky, I definitely felt pressure coming in with them,” Noel said. “I definitely feel that will help me a lot in this process. It made me have a whole different attitude. I’m used to it now, more than I was last year.”
“I definitely feel that way,” Noel said. “I know it will take a lot of work, but I definitely want to put the time and work in to be one of the top players in the NBA. That’s a dream come true and I’ll definitely take advantage of it so I definitely feel that I can become one of them and reach my full potential.”

Chris Smith not in New York Knicks Plans

Previously, Knicks 101 reported a proposed package deal with Chris and J.R. Smith returning to the New York Knicks. The desire by the Knicks to have J.R. back is obvious. He's not only a dynamic player but the Knicks cap situation keeps them from signing anyone close to his skill level other than him. Chris on the other hand was pretty much only given a try out last season as a favor to his brother. However, Chris' athleticism and explosiveness at the point guard position is something the Knicks certainly need. That being said, do the Knicks have true interest in Chris' basketball skills or do they just want to use him to help them re-sign J.R.?

Even if the New York Knicks are able to keep both Pablo Prigioni and Jason Kidd this off-season they could certainly use more athleticism and explosiveness from the point guard position. In theory, Chris Smith seems to fit that bill. Not only can he play defense, he's athletic and only 25 years old. However, it doesn't sound like the Knicks see Chris as a viable option.

It’s Time The Portland Trail Blazers Get This Right

June 4^th, 2000, an ill-fated day in Portland Trail Blazers history and the last day you as a fan watched them play a playoff game beyond the first round.

That’s right, it’s been nearly 13 years since the Blazers were outscored 31-13 in the fourth quarter, shot just 22% from the field, and squandered a 15-point lead in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals to a Los Angeles Lakers team on the verge of 3 consecutive titles.  Since then, they’re 7-22 in the postseason, tallying 6 first-round exits amidst 7 playoff-less years … and I’ve had it.

Many of you are quick to point out the freakish injuries responsible for this subpar stint, with your finger aimed squarely at the ghost of Greg Oden and sheepishly towards the cartilage – or lack thereof – in the knees of one Brandon Roy. But the time for self-pity is no more, and it’s time to start holding this franchise accountable for the mediocrity it’s been providing us with for the better part of this century.

Warriors season comes to an end on but greater things remain on horizon

And so the big red curtain closes on another Warriors season. Or maybe it was a big yellow curtain. At any rate, the Warriors’ stirring 2012-2013 campaign and an equally thrilling postseason run came to an end as the Spurs took Game 6, 94-82, and the series, 4-2, Thursday night in Oakland.

On a night the Spurs didn’t get much from Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili (combined 4-of-22 from the field), the Warriors got even less from Klay Thompson and Andrew Bogut (stats? You’re better off looking at Kevin Ware’s broken leg).

Stephen Curry did all he could to will his team toward somehow forcing a Game 7 in San Antonio on Sunday.

He shook off a dreadful Game 5 by scoring 22 points on 10-of-25 shooting. Jarrett “Jared” Jack added in 15.

Harrison Barnes contributed nine points but wasn’t the same after he probably sustained a concussion at the end
of the first half on a scary fall that resulted in blood being spilled on the court and having to get stitches over his right eye.

But all night the Warriors couldn’t get over the proverbial hump. They’d make a run and come within striking distance, only to fall backward. This is was none more painfully evident when the Warriors were down by as little as 3 with 2:20 left in the ball game, only for the Spurs to wield daggers with back-to-back 3?s.

It was a game in which the Warriors could have gotten something, anything from Bogut, who played only 20 minutes and was clearly being limited by his hobbled ankle. Golden State really could have used his presence down low to disrupt all the problems Tiago Splitter and Tim Duncan were causing. But as was the case all season long, his body wasn’t willing to cooperate.

Tons of credit goes to the Spurs, though. Sure, they were fortunate the Warriors had their own seven-game series with the injury bug. But they much better team. They eventually figured out the Warriors. No adjustment they made was more devastating than putting Kawhi Leonard on Klay Thompson and effectively neutralizing him the rest of the series after his 34-point rain dance in Game 2. That the words “eventually figured out” had to be used is still a compliment to the Warriors for their feisty, stubborn effort against this veteran, playoff-tested, championship caliber Spurs unit. The warriors put up a respectable fight, but this just wasn’t their time. Yet there’s plenty to build off of.

James Harden vows to help the Houston Rockets recruit free agents

The Houston Rockets have found the face of their franchise.

Despite not being able to take advantage of the weaker-than-usual Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs, the Rockets feel that they are a team on the rise.

Last off-season, the initial thought was that Jeremy Lin was imported to Texas to give the Rockets a brand to anchor their logo on.

That did not exactly work out as James Harden rode into town and took over both on and off the court.

Harden’s combo platter  of charisma and skill have rendered him a big time player.

As Houston moves on to seek new pieces to their puzzle, Harden told ESPN that he is ready to recruit free agents to help their cause.

“Hell, yeah,” Harden said when asked if he will be active in the free agent process. “There’s a lot of good options out there.”

Brooklyn Nets let head coach P.J. Carlesimo walk

The Brooklyn Nets NBA basketball team has decided to head in a new direction regarding the team’s head coach. The Nets announced on May 5 that interim coach P.J. Carlesimo will be leaving the club since they won’t be offering him the full-time job. Carlesimo was let go just a day after Brooklyn was eliminated from the playoffs and the franchise will now begin searching for a new head coach.

Billy King, the club’s general manager, said the organization would like to thank Carlesimo for everything he’s done for the team as both an assistant and head coach over the years and for the way he represented them on and off of the basketball court. He also wished the former coach and his family success for the future.

The 63-year-old Carlesimo became the club’s interim head coach last December after being promoted from his
position as an assistant coach. He took over from Avery Johnson, who was let go by King after the Nets struggled to a 14-14 record at the start of the season. Carlesimo helped turn the team’s fortunes around when taking over behind the bench and led Brooklyn to a 35-19 record for the rest of the season. The Nets finished in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, but were eliminated from the postseason in the first round by the Chicago Bulls in seven games.

AAU Coach Was Paid Thousands To Convince Ben McLemore To Enter Draft

A former AAU coach for Kansas guard Ben McLemore says he was paid thousands of dollars by prospective agents to convince McLemore to enter the 2013 NBA Draft.

Darius Cobb, a AAU coach based out of St. Louis, told USA TODAY Sports that he accepted two cash payments of $5,000 during the regular season from Rodney Blackstock, the founder and CEO of Hooplife
Academy, a sports mentoring organization based in Greensboro, N.C.

Cobb said he received three all-expense paid trips to Los Angeles, and that Richard Boyd, a cousin of McLemore, traveled with him for meetings in January and February with sports agents and financial advisers.

Those said agents reportedly wanted to represent McLemore if he entered the draft. McLemore,  declared for the NBA draft on April 9.