NBA Columns

Losing Childress an astonishing mistake by Hawks
0 Speak Out
July 24
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
 columnist Mark Bradley
"This summer was the test. The Hawks flunked. Are we surprised? They couldn’t persuade the lesser of their two prized free agents to stay. They got outspent and outhustled by a team from Greece. Think about that. An NBA-caliber player in the flower of his youth has chosen to play somewhere other than the NBA. It’s unprecedented, yes, but it’s also fitting. After this ham-handed non-negotiation, the Hawks should forfeit all claim to being big-league. They allowed something to happen that simply cannot happen. Josh Childress isn’t a star — Rick Sund, the Hawks general manager, characterized him Wednesday as “a utility player” — but he’s precisely the sort of multi-tasker found on great teams."
Nuggets' logic all over the board
0 Speak Out
July 24
Rocky Mountain News
 columnist Dave Krieger
"In NBA circles, Nuggets vice president Mark Warkentien has a new nickname. Actually, he has two. The sophisticated -- the ones who can name the year and the president -- call him Garry Kasparov. The rest go for Bobby Fischer because they don't know who Garry Kasparov is. In either case, the joke is the same. It is a reference to Warkentien's self-congratulatory declaration that he's playing chess, not checkers, when he trades center Marcus Camby to the Clippers for two rolls of athletic tape and a box of laundry soap. This is a deal that makes the much-criticized Grizzlies' giveaway of Pau Gasol to the Lakers last season look balanced by comparison. At least the Grizz got bodies and a ..."
The good doctor explains the Warriors
0 Speak Out
July 24
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Got a question about the Warriors or about a pebble-grain rash? Ask Dr. Hoopz. Q: Doc, Chris Mullin, the Warriors' executive vice president, talked Wednesday about the team's "vision," which I assume means its master plan. What is that vision? A: What the Warriors are doing is shuffling the deck so furiously that it will be November before anyone notices Baron Davis is no longer around. It's an old casino trick. Some dealers actually toss the deck into the ceiling fan. Barring a monumental run of good luck, there's no way the Warriors have covered the loss of Davis. Q: So you're saying the Warriors made a mistake by not offering Davis what the Clippers gave him? A: Lord, no. There is a 1 ..."
Warriors' VP Mullin endorses Kings' pick
0 Speak Out
July 24
Sacramento Bee
 columnist Martin McNeal
"Jason Thompson likely would be a Golden State Warrior had the Kings not selected him 12th in the NBA draft. Golden State took skinny but skilled 6-foot-11 forward-guard Anthony Randolph out of LSU with the 14th choice. Randolph can handle the ball like a guard, and if he gets into the physical condition required to play in a Don Nelson system, the 19-year-old could contribute this season. Thompson, however, brings similar versatility, along with 250 pounds and the maturity of a 22-year-old (Monday was his birthday). Thompson can rebound, dribble, pass and shoot. As with all rookies, defense will be a work in progress. Golden State vice president Chris Mullin had his eyes on him for several ..."
Veteran to bring that immediate kind of help
0 Speak Out
July 24
New Orleans Times-Picayune
 columnist Peter Finney
"Here's what took place Wednesday in your world of sports. While 81 Saints were up in Jackson, Miss., sweating profusely as they lined up for training-camp physicals, one member of the Hornets was dining in air-conditioned comfort as he sat down to a bowl of gumbo at Emeril's Delmonico. In case you haven't paid attention, here's the story. With their first, and only, pick of the 2008 NBA draft, the Hornets selected James Posey of the Boston Celtics. At least, that's what you can say. Instead of using the 27th selection in the first round last month, the Hornets decided to exchange it for $3 million (courtesy of the Portland Trail Blazers) and turn part of it into a ready-now free ..."
With great deal comes greater responsibility
0 Speak Out
July 23
Washington Times
 columnist Tom Knott
"Gilbert Arenas promised to hang an NBA championship banner in the seasons ahead during his get-together with the local press Tuesday. That promise came to $111 million, a genuine bargain by NBA standards if the championship comes to pass on Abe Pollin's Fun Street. Arenas has not demonstrated he is made of championship stuff. He merely has shown he is a high-scoring guard with a magnetic disposition."
Okafor a test for Bobcats' regime