The honeymoon is over for Paul Westphal and DeMarcus Cousins

 

here were unending warning signs surrounding DeMarcus Cousins as he left Kentucky and declared himself NBA eligible last spring, but a whole bevy of us NBAniks declared everything fine and dandy with the talented forward/center as the Kings selected him fifth overall last June. Mainly because, speaking for myself, we didn't know any better.

But the note that began, can also destroy. The same rumors and uneasiness that led Cousins to drop to fifth in the draft are now finding a home at the professional level, as it's become clear that Cousins and beleaguered Kings coach Paul Westphal just aren't getting on at all. While the Kings slide back into the lottery rankings, yet again.

FanHouse's Sam Amick has the story:

After two incidents in mid-October led to a $5,000 team fine and the revelation that Cousins had been living up to his reputation for unpredictability, he was kicked out of practice on Monday, according to the Sacramento Bee.

Kings coach Paul Westphal disclosed his decision to the newspaper but didn't disclose his reasoning. Yet three sources with knowledge of the situation told FanHouse that Cousins was booted for having numerous arguments with Westphal during practice.

The situation, according to one team source, is hardly anything new in what has been a frustrating start for the 20-year-old and his 4-11 team.

"They always fight," the source said. "They can't get along."

Magic want to trade for Carmelo Anthony or Chris Paul?

The Orlando Magic would love to add Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul or maybe even Monta Ellis, and are willing to trade anyone on the roster except Dwight Howard to make it happen, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

"The Magic are no fools," the paper notes. "They want to win a title and they know they need either a big-time scorer or playmaker to get past the Celtics or Heat, and then the Lakers."

So teams can take their pick: Vince Carter, Jameer Nelson,Mickael Pietrus, Marcin Gortat, Brandon Bass, J.J. Redick,Ryan Anderson, whomever they want.

The Sentinel notes that the chances of getting Anthony or Paul are "slim," but that the Magic "have the assets to take part in the board games and definitely will listen."

Video: Crossover of the year, so far!

Video: Derrick Rose crosses over Tyreke Evans

Derrick Rose has been killing the competition this year with moves like this. He got a great combo of speed and quickness. His crossover works so well because he can drive right past you at any time and finish at the rim. In this video, he decides to stop on a dime and change directions leaving Tyreke Evans looking like a fool as he gets spun around.

It’s not your fault Tyreke. I know that feeling, and that’s a helpless feeling on the basketball court, no one likes to get crossed over. I’m just glad I never have to see myself embarrassed like that on SportsCenter.

Antoine Walker is set to join the D-League

A 34-year-old tweener forward with ball-handling skills, obvious on-court smarts, and a sometimes-there touch from long range should still be able to contribute in this league, especially if the 6-8 tweener in question is "as fit as he has been for some time." Then you read that the tweener in question is Antoine Walker, and you step back a bit. Like NBA teams have for the last few years.

Which is why Antoine Walker is making a comeback in the D-League, according to Scott Schroeder of FanHouse, and not the NBA. He's hoping his comeback will allow him one more chance at the big league, but until then, Walker is going to have to ply his trade amongst all the other NBA hopefuls, most of whom are a good decade or so younger than the former All-Star.

If everything goes right, this could be the smartest move Walker has made in years. We mentioned his "obvious on-court smarts" above, but he chose to only utilize those smarts judiciously, mixing one drive and kick or quick post-up and score with a litany of poor ball-handling maneuvers and an obsession with the 3-point line that was as destructive as his off-court habits were to his NBA career.

Those off-court habits often ended up with Walker showing up to camp bloated and out of shape every year. As his quickness deserted him as he hit his 30s, Walker (who never bothered to put on the sort of muscle tone needed to bang with the big boys and keep up with the kids) faded quickly. Once you factor in pace, shot attempts, minutes played and his inefficient shooting marks, Walker was an average player from age 26 onward. Despite averaging around 16 points per game, GMs in Dallas, Boston, Miami and Memphis never really bothered to ask how he got those 16 points -- often on nearly as many shots per game.

Tracy McGrady: LeBron and Wade look 'terrible' together

Like most people,Tracy McGrady thinks there is something badly wrong with the Miami Heat.

Unlike most people, he doesn't think it's ever going to get any better.

The Pistons swingman and former All-Star sees an unavoidable contrast in the similarly styled LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. And he points out that the ball-dominating, one-time franchise players just can't share a court together because neither one is comfortable playing off the ball.

Quoth Tracy, to the New York Daily News.

"That's why when they're on the court together, they're terrible. They're rhythm players that need the ball. I'm like that. I can't stand out there and catch and shoot. I've never been a guy that sits out there waiting for the ball to come to me."

McGrady wasn't done there, however. The one-time prize of the 2000 free-agent pool, who famously spurned the Chicago Bulls after a recruitment visit, says that LeBron should have signed with Chicago instead of the Heat.

Tracy?

"It was a better decision, a better place for him," said McGrady, who scored a season-high 13 points off the bench for the Pistons Sunday, but was 0-for-3 after intermission. "You can't just go somewhere and have that type of chemistry he had in Cleveland."

I wasn't aware that LeBron had much chemistry running in Cleveland, working in one of the league's most predictable offenses. But I suppose compared to the freak show in Miami, those Cavalier teams must look like the 1969-70 New York Knicks.

Faisal Aden #11 Washington State is killing in the Pac-10

Aden Leads Cougars Over Fresno State, 66-55

Faisal Aden

FRESNO, Calif. - Washington State University men's basketball took advantage of a 10-minute Fresno State field goal drought in the second half as the Cougars defeated the Bulldogs, 66-55, Friday in nonconference action at Save Mart Center.
Junior Faisal Aden, playing his first true road game for the Cougars, scored a team-high 28 points on 6-for-12 shooting from beyond the 3-point arc. He added three rebounds, three assists and two steals in 37 minutes of action.

STATS/SUMMARY   

GP-GS ---- 4-4   

Min   ---- 32.0

FG%  ----- .522

3PT% ----- .412

FT% ------ .875

R/G ------ 3.5

A/G ------ 1.8

STL ------ 10

BLK ------ 1 

PTS/G----- 23.3

Iguodala Doesn’t Expect To Stay With Sixers

Iguodala’s one of the most talented players in the game, and his time in Philly seems numbered. Que the trade offers. Via FanHouse: “Getting traded now almost sounds inevitable. ‘I would love to stay in Philadelphia, but if I’m playing somewhere else, I definitely understand how that could happen. I know how the business works,” he told FanHouse Friday night before his Sixers lost to the Heat, 99-90. ‘You have to be prepared for anything in this league. And I am. It’s one of the first things you learn when you get here. Guys get traded on draft night.’”

Memphis Grizzlies Center Hamed Haddadi & Girlfriend Charged With Domestic Assault

Hamed Haddadi

There were only two games on the NBA schedule last night, so most players in the L spent the day stuffing themselves with turkey. Hamed Haddadi was the only one who spent it inside a jail cell. I don’t think they serve turkey there.

The Grizzlies‘ back up center was taken into custody (along with his girlfriend) by Memphis police after what appeared to be a fight took place at their apartment.

The Commercial Appeal has the details:

Hamed Haddadi, a backup center from Iran, got into an altercation with his girlfriend, Goolnaz “Asal” Karbalaeinematmoeeney, at about 5:35 a.m. Thursday, police said. Upon arrival at the 12th-floor apartment, police found Karbalaeinematmoeeney — who was “extremely intoxicated,” according to the affidavit — bleeding from her head and hand. She had a cut near her right temple, another on her hand, a black eye and bruising around her neck. It’s uncertain exactly what happened, as both involved gave conflicting testimony, police said.

Goolnaz “Asal” Karbalaeinematmoeeney

Karbalaeinematmoeeney told police that Haddadi was upset after he saw her talking to another man. He choked her and shoved her against a wall, she said. A witness also told police that she saw Haddadi choking the woman. When police questioned Haddadi, they found him with several scratches on his face and a wound on his hand. According to Haddadi, however, the dispute arose after an amorous attempt went awry, with the woman falling out of the bed. Haddadi said that prompted her to throw a soap dispenser at him, but that he deflected it back into her head, causing the laceration.

An unfortunate situation all around.

Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace released the following statement: “We are aware of the situation involving Hamed Haddadi. We will have no further comment until the legal process has been carried out.”

Refurbished Madison Square Garden to include spectator bridges

Madison Square Garden is undergoing an upgrade that will eventually feature spectator bridges, suspended above the courts during both hockey and basketball games. Now while this might not seem like a lot to you right now, consider the possibilities.

It's 2013. You're 3 1/2 years removed from finishing your advertising degree at Arizona State, and you're now working for, say, a chic Manhattan ad agency. Finished with a day's work designing flying bus advertisements (because it's 2013) for flying Segways (because it's 2013), you head to your hover-laptop to check your fantasy league starters for that night.

Gotta move Andrew Bogut into the lineup because it's 2013, and he's finally healthy. And then you notice, whoa, "@ NYK" is right next to Andrew's name. Your beloved Bucks are in town to play the New York Knicks in a game that could decide the fate of that year's Eastern Conference (because it's 2013).

President Obama takes shot to lip playing hoops and needs 12 stitches

You can say what you want about his politics, his style of execution (or lack thereof), or the ideology his political party tends to represent. But boy howdy, do I much prefer my President's nagging injuries coming in the form of an elbow to the grill while playing basketball than grabbing a nasty boo-boo following a fall after choking on a pretzel, or getting stuck in a bathtub.

President Barack Obama was in the middle of one of his regular pickup basketball games this afternoon, working off that second helping of Thanksgiving everything, when he reportedly sustained an elbow shot to the lip, breaking it open and requiring 12 stitches.

A White House press release says pretty much the same thing I just wrote:

"After being inadvertently hit with an opposing player's elbow in the lip while playing basketball with friends and family, the President received 12 stitches today administered by the White House Medical Unit. They were done in the doctor's office located on the ground floor of the White House."

That's a shot of our President leaving the court after taking the ‘bow, which is fine and all, but I much prefer this soon-to-be-internet-meme/picture of a forlorn President, looking out of the White House window with an ice bag over his mouth.

Video: LeBron James' new Nike logo? Nike 2nd Jordan

We're as LeBron'd out as the rest of you, believe me, but people keep buying his wares and spinning his tales, so we feel it a capitalistic duty on this Black Friday to inform you that LeBron James has a new Nike logo.

And, yes, he's sticking with that "King James" thing. This is the part where you roll your eyes, and then look at the picture CNBC's Darren Rovell took yesterday:

Nike confirmed to Rovell, CNBC's sports business analyst, that this was indeed James' new logo. Because he's a king, y'all.

Here's also the part where we present to you the mashup between both LeBron James and Michael Jordan's latest Nike commercials:

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO WATCH NIKE NEW COMMERCIAL

Maybe You Should Rise (Michael and Lebron) NEW NIKE COMMERCIAL

How should we judge the NBA's most overpaid players?

There are a lot of really horrendous contracts in the NBA, and new ones pop up with each passing year. Remember last summer, when Darko Milicic got $20 million and Joe Johnson became a multi-billionaire? I may have that last figure a bit wrong, but the point is that lots of players make way too much money. This is part of why owners want new terms for the next collective bargaining agreement, since it is obviously the players' fault that the owners always give them way too much money.

Here's the problem, though: Once you've noticed that lots of players are overpaid, how do you decide who are the most overpaid? Let's find out from Tom Van Riper at Forbes.com:

Sports economist David Berri, author of the book Stumbling on Wins, has crunched the numbers to determine the collection of stats typically found on winning teams. What he found: Taking a player's major stats -- points, rebounds, turnovers, steals, assists and blocked shots, along with field goal and free throw percentage -- and weighing them against the average number of possessions a team gets per game (the more possessions, the more chances to score, etc.) -- goes a long way toward determining a player's contribution to the outcome of the game. So negatives like turnovers and missed shots are equally counted against points and rebounds on the win-building scale.

Is the economic-style analysis perfect? Probably not, but it certainly goes a long way toward including a player's total game in determining his value on the floor toward winning. Berri calls it "Wins Produced," which we measured for each NBA player for 2009-10. On the pay side: adding up team payrolls shows that a typical NBA club spent $1.7 million for each win in 2009-10. So figuring players' contributions vs. their pay comes down to comparing the value of the wins they produced to the value of their contracts. To distinguish between players that just didn't produce from those that were hurt, we included only those that played in at least 75 percent of their team's games last season.

Here are the top five (or bottom five, I suppose) for last season, in order: Rashard Lewis, Jermaine O'Neal, Elton Brand, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Brad Miller.

Welcome back RUN-AWAY JAMES: The Cavs plan to beef up security for LeBron James' Dec. 2 return to Cleveland

Since the moment he took his talents to South Beach last July, citizens of Cleveland have ramped up their hate for LeBron James to amazing levels. There have been websites, organized merchandise bonfires, and enough videos to clog up the YouTube servers, all to announce the Cleve's hatred for their one-time savior.

Yet all this righteous anger is little more than a run-up to LeBron's first game back in Cleveland on December 2. Anticipating an ornery crowd, the Cavs have decided to take new measures to ensure James's safety. From Chris Broussard on ESPN.com:

To ensure James' safety, there will be dozens of extra police officers on hand, both uniformed and undercover. Officers will be stationed inside and outside the arena, and many will be positioned by the Heat bench and at the tunnel where the Heat players will enter the court.

"Honestly, I'm a little bit afraid," one member of the Cavs organization said. "Some people don't care. Their mentality is '‘I've got to get this off my chest.' There's so much negative energy around this game. People aren't excited about the game itself. They're just like, '‘I can't wait to do something.' " [...]

The team has done research on the various crude and offensive James T-shirts in circulation locally, and officials will be stationed at entrances to make sure no fans enter with such shirts or signs that disrespect James or his family members. They'll also be in the stands, authorized to take away inappropriate apparel. Fans who have such shirts will be required to remove them and then will be given a Cavaliers-branded T-shirt to wear instead. All inappropriate signs also will be confiscated and officials will be on the lookout throughout the game for inebriated fans or fans who are preparing to throw things onto the court.

Kudos to the Cavs for not saying to hell with their former star and skimping on security. That would be irresponsible, of course, and a terrible thing for any franchise to do. But in the wake of Dan Gilbert's Comic Sans rant on the night of The Decision and various other attempts to say the franchise now won't sell out its morals for one player, any instance of the organization acting with maturity should be met with applause.

Then again, I can't help but think that Gilbert and Co. helped stoke the fires of LeBron discord this summer. Changing their mind is fine and a positive development, but the Cavs still justified and condoned the hate by acting like James was a no-good jerk who doomed the franchise with his greed and bad attitude. The reality is obviously more complicated: he helped put the Cavs back on the NBA map after years of wandering through the lottery.

Increased security measures are a necessary precaution for this game. But if something bad happens during the game, the Cavs shouldn't act as if they did everything possible to protect LeBron. If that were the case, they would have handled the post-Decision fallout much differently.

Dunk of the year, by far

Kobe Bryant's Grinch-styled shoes on X-Mas Vs Miami Heats

For an entire generation, Kobe Bryant has been appearing on national TV on Christmas afternoon or evening while an entire generation of fans has muttered under their breath while complaining about a family that has chosen the wrong words to describe (an entire generation's) choices in life, as it was for the entire generation that proceeded it, and the one that proceeded that one, and so on.

Kobe Bryant's latest choice in life? Via Trey Kerby, from The Basketball Jones? It's an Ecto Cooler-styled sneaker based around the brilliance of Theodor Geisel's "How The Grinch Stole Christmas!" fable. And he'll wear it on Christmas, in a game against the Miami Heat (natch) for all of us to behold.

Video: Injured McGee waves BYE BYE to ejected Brand after Brand knocks him down HARD

By Kelly Dwyer

We witnessed a major collapse from the 76ers Tuesday night, and perhaps the biggest surprise from the meltdown came late in the fourth quarter of Washington's overtime win, when all-time nice guy nearly sent Javale McGee three feet into the hardwood with a needless shove.

Brand was immediately tossed, handed a "flagrant two" foul which carries with it an automatic ejection.

Click this link >>>>>>>>>  VIDEO on Youtube

Billy Hunter: ‘In all Probability There’s Going to be a Lockout’

Just two months ago, both the Players’ Association and the owners characterized their meetings as cordial and productive. Today, however, things are considerably less jovial and optimistic.

Billy Hunter sounds like a man who’s ready to throw in the towel. The Union chief says that a lockout is all but guaranteed.

The NY Times has the quotes:

“I’d be 99 percent sure as of today that there will be a lockout,” Billy Hunter, the executive director of the National Basketball Players Association, said in an interview at his Harlem office. “I’ve said, ‘Save your money because in all probability there’s going to be a lockout.’ ”

It was the most dire prediction that Hunter has issued since the league and the union began discussing a new collective bargaining agreement to replace the deal that expires in July. Negotiations have been almost nonexistent. Each side has effectively rejected the only proposal made by the other. No meetings are scheduled, although the two sides have discussed meeting in late December.

Hunter, in full-court press mode, added that NBA team owners are being unreasonable in their demands. So, there’s that.

This is all just part of the negotiating gamesmanship between the two sides, of course, but should things reach a critical point and a lockout does indeed take place next summer, Hunter said the union has set aside a $175 million war chest to assist players in need.

Kentucky, Washington will settle recruiting rivalry on the court

Six months before Washington and Kentucky even arrived in Maui, Isaiah Thomas had already started campaigning for Maui Invitational organizers to put the Huskies and Wildcats on the same side of the bracket.

"I hope we play KENTUCKY nxt yr n the Maui classic," Washington's all-conference point guard tweeted in late-May. "All I gotta say is ITS BOUT TO GO DOWN ... A BARK over a meow ne day."

Video: Rising up, throwing down

Click this Link>>> Double Dose of Insanity - Griffin vs Knicks Video

Griffin's double-double debut put him in rare company with Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard. Though it's technically his second year in the NBA, Griffin is still considered a rookie because he missed all of last season with a knee injury, which means he's eligible for the Rookie of the Year award.

Who would you pick as franchise player B-Griff or Stat??

Memphis Miracle

Memphis' Rudy Gay hit a buzzer-beater as the Grizzlies handed the Dwyane Wade-less Heat their fifth loss

Ron Artest wants a shot at the NFL when his NBA career ends SMH!!!!

Man, you go, Ron Artest. Dig this enthusiasm:

"... It's a fantasy of mine. It's an opportunity because I'm athletic. So if that fantasy can be fulfilled, and if it's something that can really be reached as far as a goal, I'm going for it."

That's right. You take that ball, and you run with it. More power to you.

Although, Ron, I should ask what you're actually talking about, here. Certainly not literally taking a football and running with it professionally, I'm hoping. What's the rest of that quote?

(From CBSSports.com:)

"God willing, after my NBA career, God willing I'm still athletic enough -- which I'm trying to take care of my body as best as possible and be prepared for this day, for this tryout of an NFL team," Artest said. "... It's a fantasy of mine. It's an opportunity because I'm athletic. So if that fantasy can be fulfilled, and if it's something that can really be reached as far as a goal, I'm going for it."

Ooh, boy.

Outside of, perhaps, Craig Smith, Glen Davis or Kris Humphries, Ron Artest probably has the most ready-made NFL body in the entire NBA. But there isn't a whole lot of precedent for good athletes in their mid 30s (Ron will be nearing 35 when his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers expires in 2014) who didn't play college football to strap on the pads and make an NFL team.

Though, it should be noted, Ron Artest on an Arena League team would just about be the greatest thing ever. Ken Berger nailed the original interview behind Artest's plans over at CBSSports.com, but if Ron Ron joins the San Jose SaberCats, I'm calling dibs on writing the book.

Fretting over Portland's depressing outlook

By Kelly Dwyer

Anyone who caught last night's press conference detailing Greg Oden's season-ending microfracture surgery clearly caught wind of just how beat to hell the Portland Trail Blazer franchise is, right now. Nate McMillan looked a ghost. Trainer Jay Jensen had to catch himself several times as emotion nearly got the better of him (and what an awful turn of phrase that is), while GM Rich Cho had little to offer in terms of answers and/or insight.

How could he? The Blazers, as we know them, will probably fall apart. Before we even got a chance to know them.

Cho's time at the press conference was best served answering a question about Oden's impending restricted free agency next summer:

"Greg is still a part of the team. He is going to be a restricted free agent this summer. I expect him to be a part of the team. He will be restricted, he will be able to look at other teams. As Jay mentioned, his right knee came out strong. If you ask Greg, his knee that he had microfracture surgery on is stronger than it was before he had microfracture surgery on it. So we expect him to still come back."

Yes, yes, of course. I was nodding my head while hearing this, looking forward to Portland eagerly matching some sort of four-year, $20 million deal next summer, or a three-year $19 million deal with two years guaranteed. Why wouldn't they? Even though Oden (at best) will likely miss nearly half of 2010-11 as well as this season, the payoff could be so, so huge.

Greatest Brawls Ever? What was NBA.com thinking...SMH

Hornets acquire Jarrett Jack in a five-player deal

By Kelly Dwyer

Sat Nov 20 05:30pm EST

Hardly a blockbuster, and certainly not a deal that will have fan bases on either end spinning with glee, but Saturday's deal between the Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Hornets does make sense on a few levels.

Just a few. Because the deals (two separate deals, to ensure cap legality) that sent Peja Stojakovic and Jerryd Bayless to the Toronto Raptors and Jarrett Jack, David Andersen, and Marcus Banks to the New Orleans Hornets could be a seen as a missed opportunity of sorts for the Hornets, and a miscalculation by the Raptors. To me, the swing behind this move lies in what the Raptors can do with Peja's massive expiring contract in a further deal. Because there will be another deal, right?

Until then, the Hornets save a little cash initially (Toronto saves more, in the long run) and take in a sound upgrade in the reserve combo guard position in Jack. I'm not entirely keen on any team paying five million a year for a guard that won't start and will have to find minutes relieving both the league's best point guard (that you want to keep on the court as much as humanely possible), and an already-crowded shooting guard rotation (with the reborn Marco Belinelli and the still-potent Marcus Thornton), but Chris Paul and Jack have been friends for years, and Hornets GM Dell Demps is being proactive in trying to make life as tenable as possible for CP3, who semi-floated a trade demand last summer.