Chauncey Billups Doesn’t Need Anymore Stars On His Knicks Roster!

 

Knicks veteran point guard Chauncey Billups knows a thing or two about team chemistry and now the former Finals MVP is opening up about how his Knickerbockers can achieve just that.

During a recent interview with Chris Tomasson of Hoopshype, Billups expressed his reasoning on why he believes  the NY’s powers -at-be don’t need to add another superstar to help balance out the roster :

“It’s not about names, how many people on your team can make the All-Star Game. It’s not about that at all. It’s about putting the right pieces together. You got to have a cohesive unit. You got to have guys that know to play off of one another, guys that are going to be unselfish on both ends of the floor. Those are things that win championships, and we’ve seen that clear as day in the Finals.’’

“It’s not about that,’’ Billups said of collecting big names on a team. “We got two of the biggest names in basketball already (in Anthony and Stoudemire). It’s not about that. It’s about getting somebody that can play with the talent that you have… You look at the Mavericks, and they just share the basketball every time down the floor… Dirk is one of the best the game has ever seen. But he couldn’t do it by himself… So it’s all about the team.’’ Source

Billups is absolutely right! In fact, the Knicks were actually a pretty good team before they made that blockbuster trade for Carmelo Anthony back in February.
Jim Dolan better listen to Chauncey and focus on BUILDING A TEAM rather than building the next “Big Three”. Look at how well that worked out for Miami.
I’d take a championship over an All-Star anyday.

Michael Jordan Reinvigorates Corey Maggette’s Passion For the Game!

During this current NBA off season, NBA legend Michael Jordan and his young Charlotte Bobcats ball club are currently enduring quite the grueling rebuilding process, and as a result, traded away team captain and lead scorer Stephen Jackson to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange received NBA veteran Corey Maggette who is excited for a new chance at a fresh start.

Maggette insists he was thrilled to be traded to Charlotte for three reasons: He’s about to start again, play his natural position and, most importantly, suit up for Bobcats owner Michael Jordan.

“If you understand Michael Jordan’s game — and I’m from Chicago — you know that he’s a winner,” Maggette said Wednesday in a conference call with reporters.

“And eventually he’s going to get to that point where he’s winning.”-Source

Maggette’s career has been like a roller coaster, up at times and then low. I hope he has enough left in his tank to help MJ and the Bobcats become a contender in the East. Good luck Corey.

Shots Fired: Dwight Howard Takes Aim At LeBron James!

 LeBron James has been the butt of all basketball jokes since losing yet another shot at winning an NBA Title after claiming that he would bring the Heat multiple of them last summer.
Not only have folks gone after his lack of  heart down the stretch of ball games,  but now they’re going after his lack of hair on his head as well.  The latest jab at King James’  retreating hairline comes from none other than Orlando Magic superstar Dwight Howard.

Dwight Howard, Gilbert Arenas, Donte Green & More Show Off Their Planking Skills [Photos]

Yesterday afternoon the Twittersphere was overtaken by a barrage of tweets surrounding a new trend entitled “Planking”.
Planking as defined by Wikipedia:

The lying down game (also known as planking,^[1] or face downs) is an activity, popular in various parts of the world, consisting of lying face down in an unusual or incongruous location. The hands must touch the sides of the body, and having a photograph of the participant taken and posted on the Internet is an integral part of the game.^[2] Players compete to find the most unusual and original location in which to play.

Fresh off their grueling NBA Season, NBA vets Gilbert Arenas & Dwight Howard decided to partake in the moronic and completely disturbing craze.
Dwight started it off by tweeting the following.

 

Dwyane Wade & Gabrielle Union Hit The Red Carpet For Transformers 3 Premiere [Photos]

Dwyane Wade and his Lady Love, Gabrielle Union  were out in New York at the premiere of Transformers 3: Dark of the moon. While Dwyane was in Madrid and Paris for fashion week, Gabby was shooting a film in the woods of the northeast somewhere.

 

 

Boston Celtics Danny Ainge Has An Answer To An Issue In J.R. Smith

The fact remains that Doc Rivers has said that the Boston Celtics need more shooters to contend next season. They already have Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. However, after that the shooting situation gets dicey. Jeff Green will probably be back. The hope is Green will be more comfortable and thus be a more consistent shooter with a training camp and last seasons’ valuable experience with the team. The team also hopes to resign one Delonte West. A healthy West also is a great scorer that can stretch the floor. These guys are a nice start, but he team could use another shooter off the bench to make the bench more productive. The Celtics are unfortunately burdened by the salary cap. For the sake of this article, we will assume the new CBA for the NBA will have much of the same rules. This means the team will have to work with the mid level and the bi annual exceptions. This does limit the team’s ability to go after a player. This means the Jamal Crawford to Boston talk must die. However, Danny Ainge does have options. One is quite intriguing. His name is J.R. Smith.
Yes, the same J.R. Smith that has as many mental issues as tattoos is someone that Danny AInge should consider adding to the Boston Celtics. Smith is volatile and can just as easily tear a team apart as he can shoot his team into the game. He has had issues with coaches, teammates, fans, and of course the law. However, as bad as this sounds, it is actually a good thing for AInge. This is why a talented player like Smith might be had for the right bargain price.
Smith is an ultra talented player. He is a shooting machine. When he gets hot, he gets scorching hot. The man can a shoot a team to victory by himself. He has great range as he shot 39 percent from three point range. His mid range shot is great and he can drive to the basket. His defense was considered average, but who in Denver really played defense? In Boston his defense would probably be a lot better. However, does his scoring really make up for all his issues?

Report: Lawrence Frank a Possible Target for New York Knicks

Celtics top assistant coach Lawrence Frank has been linked to multiple coaching positions for next season, but the latest could have him hitting the Big Apple to coach alongside Mike D'Antoni.
The defensive-minded Frank is "high on the list" of assistant coaches that the New York Knicks are targeting, according to Newsday reporter Alan Hahn's Twitter.
As reported by the New York Post earlier this month, D'Antoni admitted that he could be looking for a defensive-minded coach after years of feeling that one would be an affront. All of the Knicks assistant coaches' contracts expire June 30 -- the same day as Frank's.

Finally, A Close/Accurate NBA Top 20 Players of All-Time list

Editor’s Note: Over the last week, MSF writers have been presenting their personal lists of the top 20 NBA players of all-time. Jon Washburn presented his very controversial list yesterday, and we also compiled everyone’s votes into one aggregate list a few days ago.

In this post, Kevin Luljak provides his list and backs up each pick with statistics. He definitely goes out on a limb that no one else did with some of his later choices.

Picking the top 20 players ever to play in the NBA is all a matter of opinion. It’s a topic that could be brought up after each season and a person would change their mind each year.

The measure of who the greatest is is also a debate that would change. Being a casual observer of the NBA since the late 80’s, I know what a great player consists of. Sure, the statistics are important, but it’s the overall importance to a team that measures a truly great player.

So, it’s with that in which I will rate the top 20 players of all time, in my opinion.

(1) Michael Jordan has to be on the top of the list.
He is 3rd all-time in points with 32,292 and is 2nd all-time with 2,514 steals. “MJ” also grabbed 6,672 rebounds and dished out 5,633 assists. He won 6 NBA Championships with the Chicago Bulls and was MVP of all six of those. Other awards included 5 League MVP’s, 14 All-Star appearances, 11 time All NBA selections, 9 All-Defensive first team selections, 10 Scoring titles and was named Rookie of the Year.
To me, Jordan was the complete player; he could take over a game at any time. Even after teams created “The Jordan Rules”, he still found a way to win.

(2) Kareem Abdul-Jabar was not one of the most well liked players of his time by his peers, many of whom thought him to be aloof and unapproachable, but his accomplishments speak for themselves.
He is 1st all-time in points with 38,387, 3rd all-time with 17,440 rebounds and 3,189 blocks. Kareem also won 6 NBA Championships (1 with Milwaukee, 5 with Los Angeles) and was named MVP of the Finals 2 times. The man with the undefendable “Sky Hook” also was named League MVP six times, played in 19 All-Star games, Named to the All NBA first team 10 times and was Rookie of the Year in 1970.

 

(3) Wilt Chamberlain was considered to be a man ahead of his time.
He is 4th all-time with 31,419 points and 1st all-time with 23,924 rebounds. He is the only NBA player to average over 40 and 50 points in a season (44.8 in 1962-63, 50.4 in 1961-62) and score 100 points in a game (1962). Wilt won 2 NBA Championships, was named League MVP 4 times, Played in 13 All-Star games and was named to the All-NBA first team 7 times. Before playing in the NBA Wilt was a Harlem Globetrotter. Because of his size and dominance he earned many nicknames like “The Big Dipper”, “Wilt the Stilt” and “Chairman of the Boards”.


(4) Oscar Robertson is 10th all-time with 26,710 points, 5th all-time in assists with 9,887 and grabbed 7,804 rebounds.
Oscar was named Rookie of the Year in 1961 and was named League MVP in 1964. He won his only NBA Championship in 1971 with the Milwaukee Bucks. Other accolades included being a 12 time NBA All-Star selection and made the All-NBA First Team 9 times. In the 1961-62 season he became the only player in league history to average a triple double for an entire season.

In 1970, Robertson was obviously an integral part of the Oscar Robertson Suit, which led to an extensive reform of the league’s strict free agency and draft rules. This in turn led to higher salaries for all players.

(5) Bill Russell is 2nd all-time with 21,620 rebounds, scored 14,522 points and dished out 4,100 assists.
In his 13 years with the Boston Celtics he won 11 NBA Championships and played on 12 All-Star teams. He was named League MVP 5 times and named to the All-NBA First Team 3 times. Bill Russell was never the focal point of the Boston offense, but his shot blocking and defense were major reasons the Celtics were able to dominate in the late 1950’s and through most of the 1960’s. His defensive abilities inspired those on the court with him to become better defenders.
The NBA Finals MVP now wins the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award, which the NBA announced in 2009.


(6) Shaquille O’Neal is 5th all-time in points with 28,596, 7th all-time with 2,732 blocks and 12th all-time grabbing 13,099 rebounds. In “Shaq Daddy’s” 19 year career he won 4 NBA Championships, was a 15 time NBA All-Star, NBA Rookie of the Year in 1993, League MVP in 2000 and was named to the All-NBA First Team 8 times.
Shaquille is one of the league’s most recognizable characters, starring in movies, creating four rap albums and taking part in many memorable post and pre game interviews throughout his career.


(7) Earvin “Magic” Johnson is 4th all-time with 10,141 assists and 15th all-time with 1,724 steals.
Magic also scored 17,707 points and grabbed 6,559 rebounds. Johnson won 5 NBA Championships, played on 12 All-Star teams and was named to the All-NBA First Team 9 times. He was named both League MVP and NBA Finals MVP 3 times, getting his first Finals MVP in his rookie season. In game six of the 1980 NBA Finals Earvin started at center due to an injury to Kareem, and scored 42 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, made 7 assists and had 3 steals, giving them a win. He is one of three players in league history to total 700 of each points, rebounds and assists in one season.
Magic was forced to retire during the 1991 season due to testing positive for HIV in the 1991 season. He did return to play in the 1992 All-Star game, winning MVP of the game. After several player protests he retired again for four years and returned to play in 32 games in 1996 at 37 years of age. Since his retirement he has been an advocate for HIV/Aids prevention and safe sex, an entrepreneur, philanthropist and motivational speaker.


(8) Moses Malone is 7th all-time in points with 27,409 (also scored 2,171 in ABA), 5th all-time with 16,212 rebounds (1,622 in ABA), and 22nd with 1,733 blocks (156 in ABA) and also had 1,796 assists (140 in ABA). Moses played 2 seasons in the ABA before joining the NBA in 1976. He won one NBA Championship in 1983, was named League MVP 3 times and played on 13 NBA All-Star teams. He also was named to the All NBA First Team 4 times.

He was the most successful prep-to-pro player in his era, going straight to the ABA from High School in 1974. After 19 seasons in the NBA he was the last ABA player active and held numerous records in both leagues.


(9) Larry Bird is 27th all-time in points with 21,791, had 5,695 assists and 8,974 rebounds.
“Larry Legend” won 3 NBA Championships, 3 League MVP awards and played on 12 NBA All-Star teams. “The Hick from French Lick” was also named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1980 and was selected to the All-NBA First Team 9 times. Birds’ career was cut short due to chronic back problems and he retired in 1992.
After 5 years away from active basketball, he was named Head Coach of the Indiana Pacers and was named NBA Coach of the Year in 1998, his second season as coach. In 2003 he became President of basketball operations, a position he still holds.


(10) Hakeem Olajuwon is 9th all-time with 26,946 points, 11th all-time in rebounds with 13,747 and is 1st all-time with 3,830 blocked shots. He finished second to Michael Jordan for Rookie of the Year in 1985, the only other rookie who received votes that year. Known as “Akeem the Dream” early in his NBA career before changing his name to Hakeem later, he won 2 NBA Championships and was named League MVP in 1994. He also played for 12 NBA All-Star teams, was named to 6 All-NBA First Teams and was NBA Defensive Player of the Year 2 times.
Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, he is the only player in NBA history to win MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Finals MVP in the same season. His patented move was known as “The Dream Shake”, where he would spin and leave defenders wondering what happened.


(11) Karl Malone is 2nd all-time with 36,298 points, 6th all-time with 14,968 rebounds and is 10th all-time with 2,085 steals. “The Mailman” also dished out 5,238 assists and 1,145 blocked shots. Malone played 18 seasons with the Utah Jazz and played one season with the Los Angeles Lakers, where the team was favored to win the NBA Title and get Karl his first Championship ring. He won 2 NBA MVP awards, played on 12 NBA All-Star teams (was named to 14) and was named to 11 All-NBA First Teams.


(12) Julius “Dr. J” Erving scored 18,364 points (also scored 11,662 in the ABA); Grabbed 5,601 rebound (4,924 ABA) and dished out 3,224 assists (1,952 in ABA). Dr. J revolutionized the way the game was played with his jumping ability and his capabilities to play above the rim. He is well-known for his dunks in which he took off from the free throw line and using his long arms to avoid defenders. Julius won 3 Championships (2 ABA), was named League MVP 4 times (3 ABA) and was a 16 time All-Star (5 ABA). He also was named to the All-NBA First Team 5 times and an additional 4 in the ABA. Dr. J made the “slam” dunk become part of the game, kind of like the “cross-over dribble” and the “no-look” pass.


(13) Elvin Hayes is 8th all-time with 27,313 points, 4th all-time in rebounds with 16,279 and also blocked 1,171 shots. In his rookie season in 1968 he led the league scoring with an average of 28.4 points a game, and remains the last rookie to accomplish that feat. “Big E” won an NBA Championship in 1978, was named to 12 NBA All-Star teams and was named to 3 All-NBA First Teams. In 1974 he averaged 18.1 rebounds a game, which is the third highest average of any NBA player since Wilt Chamberlain retired in 1973.


(14) Charles Barkley is 18th all-time in points with 23,757, 17th with 12,546 rebounds and 19th in steals with 1,648.
“Sir Charles” also had 4,215 assists. Though considered short for a power forward and 6’6”, he used his strength and aggressiveness to become one of the game’s best rebounders, which earned him the nickname “Ground Round of Rebound.” He never was able to win an NBA Championship but did get named the League’s MVP in 1993. Barkley played on 11 All-Star teams and was named to the All-NBA First Team 5 times.
Charles Barkley has continued to be part of the NBA as a color commentator for TNT. Like Shaquille O’Neal, Barkley was one of the best on camera, where he always had something to say.


(15) Jerry West is 15th all-time in points with 21, 592 and is 25th all-time with 6,238 assists.
He also grabbed 5,366 rebounds playing his entire career as point guard after being a small forward during his college playing days. Jerry West’s silhouette is currently used as the NBA logo. He won and NBA Championship in 1972 and is the only player in NBA history to win a Finals MVP playing for the losing team in 1969. He played on 12 All-Star teams and was the NBA scoring champion in 1970. “Mr. Clutch” was named to the All-NBA First Team 10 times and the NBA All-Defensive team 4. West also holds the record for points-averaged during a playoff series at 46.3.
After he retired he continued to be a part of the game, holding a head coaching position in Los Angeles. He was also General Manger in LA and Memphis and is currently a head consultant in Golden State.

LeBron & D-Wade skip Chris Bosh’s bachelor party

A bachelor party is one of the last bashes for any man who will be married in the near future.
It’s an exciting time to spend with close friends, and make some memories that will be shared between those friends for many years to come.

Evidently LeBron James and Dwayne Wade aren’t close enough “friends” with Chris Bosh to both attending his bachelor party last weekend in Las Vegas.

According to the New York Post, neither James nor Wade were present for any of the four-days worth of partying at various casinos and hotspots along the Vegas strip.
It’s easy to sense the tension between these three as it never really appeared that they gelled together throughout the course of the 2010-2011 regular season, and more importantly, during the playoffs.
James and Wade had an opportunity here to do the right thing and show up for at least some of the festivities–whether they felt like it or not–to avoid any further controversy being drummed up or bad feelings being exacerbated.

For that matter, maybe Bosh didn’t even bother inviting them, or, didn’t want them there? No one will know for sure. It should surprise few that Wade and James seem to have again chosen the path of most resistance. This has become the modus operandi of this strange collection of talent. Sure, the Miami Heat may compete for a few championships down the road, but it certainly won’t be because they are best buddies.
It will be because they just have more talent than their opponents.

Chris Bosh and Wolfpack Head to Vegas for Bachelor Party

Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh got his Wolfpack together and headed to Vegas for a four day bachelor party dubbed “The Hangover 3″ Bosh is set to marry Adrienne Williams in Miami this July…On Saturday Chris and crew played paintball, partied at Tao in the evening, before capping off the weekend on Sunday with a “Rat Pack” casino night at Caesars, and a Mark Curry comedy show…My guess is Bosh stayed far away from any real debauchery…and women all weekend long.

Carmelo and Lala at BET Awards

New York Knicks Carmelo Anthony and TV Personality LaLa Vazquez arrive at the BET Awards ’11 held at the Shrine Auditorium this past Sunday in Los Angeles, California…Looks like Melo is loving life as a Knickerbocker.

Is Yao Ming Tall or is Michelle Kwan short?? Debate people

Basketball star Yao Ming of China and figure skater Michelle Kwan meet up for the the Athens 2011 Special Olympics Opening Ceremonies over the weekend in Athens, Greece…There’s over a two foot difference between them…Looks like Michelle feels more comfortable with someone her own size…

Shaq Enjoying His Retirement With Hoopz, Getting Their Sugar Fix

Shaq looks like a happily retired man…Here he is with his girlfriend Nicole Alexander licking on Couture pops at the Sugar Factory at Paris Las Vegas…While he’s obviously enjoying his Summer, my source tells me Shaq is looking to get right to work, trying to secure a commentating job with TNT…I’m not sure if there’s enough room for both Shaq and Sir Charles…

Larry Bird Is Ready To Call It Quits As Pacers President

 

According to the people who actually know him, one fact that we should all be aware of when it comes to Larry Bird is that he’s a man of his word.

Donnie Walsh, who gave Bird his first coaching job in the NBA and currently works as a consultant with the New York Knicks, said:

“He tells you what he wanted to do, then he went out and did exactly what he told you he was going to do. I wish all people were like that.”

Well, now Bird is saying he’s only sticking around as the Indiana Pacers President of basketball operations for one more season as a favor to their owner, Herb Simon:

“It’s at a point now in my life where I think it might be time to really reconsider and see how long I want to do this,’’ said Bird, now 54. “They asked me to stay another year through the lockout season, the owner did, for a favor. I was leaving, but he asked me to stay, and I will and I’ll get the job done.

“I just think the franchise is in a good position right now, and I want to leave it in a good position for the next guy to do some good things. Sometimes you just look at it and say, ‘Hey, I’ve done enough. I’ve got it in the position I want to get it in,’ and you move on. I’ve got another year here and I’m going to try to do the best I can to get this team back to winning.’’

Bird must be tired of Indiana’s losing ways. As a player he was used to winning championships or at least making the playoffs – — so his disappointment filled tenure with the Pacers organization must have hit the NBA legend pretty hard.
As far as his decision to walk away from the game Larry had this to say:

“It’s tough after a while to not be involved, but I’m a little bit older now,’’ he said. “I’ve been in this league for 31 years, so it’ll be tough, but we’ll see what happens.’’ -Source

Shaq Has No Advice For LeBron James, Just Simple Words Of Wisdom

Shaquille O’Neal is retired from the NBA and he’s not about to give any advice to one of his former teammates. Shaq played with LeBron James in Cleveland for a season before he departed to the Boston Celtics two seasons ago, but he has no advice for the highly criticized star.
Instead, he just offered up these wise words while in Las Vegas for his retirement party:

“Experience is the best teacher,” he said, adding, “Michael (Jordan) told me ‘You must fall before you can stand.’?” -Source

That’s not very helpful, at all. I could have told LeBron that.

Warriors buy Dakota Wizards of D-League

NEW YORK (AP)

The Golden State Warriors have bought the Dakota Wizards, becoming the fourth NBA team to own and operate its NBA Development League affiliate.

Golden State will fully control the team's business and basketball operations beginning with the 2011-12 season. The Warriors will be the sole NBA affiliate of the Wizards.

The Lakers (Los Angeles D-Fenders), Oklahoma City Thunder (Tulsa 66ers) and San Antonio Spurs (Austin Toros) also fully own and operate their D-League affiliates.

The Warriors are the eighth NBA team to have an exclusive affiliation with a team in the D-League, the official minor league of the NBA.

Dakota was affiliated with the Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards during the 2010-11 season. Their D-League affiliates will be announced later.

Magic Johnson and Daughter Shop in France

Magic Johnson and his daughter, Elisa tote shopping bags while sightseeing along the harbor in France. At one point the pair stopped to watch a group give a  Capoeira demonstration…I would much rather watch Magic give them a  passing presentation..

 

 

Delonte West Rides Solo at BET Awards LOL

Everyone’s favorite Mother-Lover Delonte West arrives at the BET Awards ’11 held at the Shrine Auditorium this past Sunday in Los Angeles…Since LeBron became America’s # 1 villain, Delonte has become sort of a cult hero…He’ll always be on top of LeBron…or at least his mom.

Memorable Year for Blake "Poster Child' Griffin

Fight Breaks Out at D Rose MVP Party

Last week I reported on Derrick Rose’s MVP Party hosted by Floyd Mayweather and Bulls teammate Taj Gibson…My eyewitness at the party tells me it was a complete disaster…Here’s the scoop: “The d rose party was a complete mess…First Mayweather didn’t show up , then a fight broke out…It was Taj Gibson’s girl who started it…People were throwing couches and then Taj got kicked out and D. Rose got out of there as soon as he could…John wall showed up so did a  couple of Chicago Bears players including Tommie Harris and Devin Hester… Overall the party sucked” Wow, sounds like a disaster…D Rose deserves better than that…

Jimmer Fredette Makes Vegas Marquee at Palms Hotel

Playing for the Sacramento Kings and the Maloofs has its advantages…Like having your name up on a Vegas marquee…and of course going to Vegas anytime you want to party at the Palms ..Which I doubt Jimmer will do considering he’s a Mormon..Still, a pretty cool honor.

Spurs Guard Tony Parker Gets His Own Cartoon Called High 5

Spurs guard Tony Parker now has his own cartoon called “High 5.” The 24 episode series will be airing only in France for now…The cartoon revolves around Parker coaching a team of five children that are traveling the US, trying to qualify for a national street basketball tournament…Sounds like a pass…(pun intended)

Stay Dwight Neckties Popping up Everywhere

Floridians are starting to get real serious about keeping Dwight Howard in Orlando…and Stay Dwight fever is spreading…Here’s Assistant State Attorney Jeff Ashton, who’s known for wearing wild ties, sporting the Stay Dwight necktie…As you may remember, staydwight.com, is national campaign dedicated to persuading NBA star Dwight Howard to stay with the Orlando Magic, who say he’s planning to file for free agency. The website is part of a grassroots campaign started by, Magic fan, friend of Terez, and celebrity booking agent Ryan Totka. According to Totka, these neckties are selling like hot cakes…They are for the sophisticated Dwight Howard fans…Hope they work.

Shawn Marion Gets Wet With New Reality Show

Dallas Mavericks champ Shawn Marion is getting his Matrix on in the world of reality television…Shawn began filming his new show, “The Ladies in my life” with a big poolside blowout at his mansion…The soiree was  invitation only and was sponsored by Belvedere, Red Bull and Budweiser…Just what we need right, another reality show…

The Knicks’ Free Agency Options Are Hilarious

The New York Knicks made a bold move when they shipped half of their active roster to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. Now the franchise’s front office will be paying for that as it tries to fill out a roster without spending much money.

You see, the Knicks owe roughly $50.94 million to just three players. Anthony ($18.52 million), Amar’e Stoudemire ($18.217 million) and Billups ($14.2 million) take up quite a bit of cap space. Add in Ronny Turiaf ($4.36 million), Renaldo Balkman ($1.675 million), Tony Douglas ($1.145) and three guys making less than $1 million (Bill Walker, Andy Rautins and Landry Fields) and you’ve got a total salary balance of $64.972 million for just nine players (that number does not include 2011 first-round draft pick Iman Shumpert, who has yet to sign a contract).

That would be fine and a workable situation if the Knicks didn’t have major holes to fill, but they do. They desperately need a center and more inside depth overall. The problem? If the Knicks want to be in the mix for any big free agents next summer, they need to keep any free agent contracts they dole out this summer cheap and short. The franchise will be looking for post depth but will reportedly only be offering one-year deals. Obviously that will limit the team’s options. And those options are looking hilarious.

Marc Berman of the New York Post wrote the following sentence without any sense of irony or humor: “Kwame Brown is on (New York’s) radar after having a serviceable season with Charlotte.” Nice to know the Knicks are aiming so high in their search for a center. They should just re-word Madison Square Garden’s slogan to “The World’s Most Famous Arena…Where Serviceable Is Acceptable!”
And since when is averaging 7.9 points and 6.8 rebounds in 26 minutes per contest “serviceable” for a guy who started 50 games?

The other options for the Knicks aren’t much better. Those names include Tony Battie (who averaged a robust 2.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in 9.9 minutes per game for the Philadelphia 76ers), a 38-year-old Kurt Thomas (also known as the NBA’s ultimate retread), Aaron Gray (3.1 points, 4.1 rebounds in 13 minutes per game for New Orleans) and Theo Ratliff, who was last seen rapidly decomposing on the Lakers’ bench.
That’s the best the New York freaking Knicks can do?
I guess when you hitch your wagon to a horrible defensive post player like Amar’e Stoudemire, you need to fill out your roster with awful, cheap depth.

Still, this has to be depressing for Knicks fans. Bringing Anthony in was supposed to make the team a destination for other players looking to chase a title. Instead, it’s looking like the same old Knicks with a two great players and a bunch of misfits.

World Peace, er, Lakers Ron Artest Headed to Finland to Play Ball

Yes, you heard correctly. Reported in a Finnish Newspaper, the man now known as the Lakers Ron Artest will travel to Finland in September to play as Metta World Peace in Finland's top league, Korisliiga. There could be complications in the deal as Artest still has 3 years left on his NBA deal, which could conflict with FIBA, but with the expected NBA Lockout, Artest could be free to play anywhere he'd like.

This would be the same finnish league that brought over Dennis Rodman in November 2005 and Scottie Pippen in November 2008. Maybe it's a love affair with former Chicago Bulls?

Knicks Pick Josh Harrelson Wants to Be Team "Bodyguard"

via New York Daily News

"I am going to protect my star players, Amar'e and Melo, and not gonna let them get roughed up, gonna be there and have their back," Harrellson said. "I am just going to be a role player and be a banger inside."

Second round selection Josh Harrellson, whom the Knicks acquired from the Hornets, is preparing to provide the Knicks with exactly what the team is lacking. He was drafted for his very physical play and 6'10", 275 pound frame.

While Harrellson is certainly not a scoring machine, as is the case with fellow draftee Iman Shumpert, he won't need to be. Donnie Walsh and the Knicks clearly drafted these two with specific roles and team needs in mind. Though Shumpert is expected to receive more minutes playing alongside Chauncey Billups and Landry Fields, Harrellson's impact is still going to be felt even in limited playing time, should he make the team going into next season. His ability to bump and chump opponents down in the low post is certain to ease the pain for the Knicks' two superstars, as the new Knicks rookie so appropriately noted.

Current NBA TV analyst and former head coach Mike Fratello praised Harrellson's play at Kentucky, citing him as a big reason for Kentucky's success last season. Fratello went on to say the prospect otherwise knows as "Jorts" finds other ways to contribute besides scoring the basketball.

In addition to calling himself a garbageman type player, Harrelson joked he was already getting used to his role in New York, as he played "bodyguard" to Shumpert as the two attended the New York Liberty game on Sunday.

Video: Sacramento Kings Fans Catch ‘Jimmer Mania’

Just a few short months ago, the basketball fans in Sacramento didn’t know if they’d even have a team to root for by the time the NBA Draft came and went.
Now after learning that they’ll have their Kings around for at least one more season, they were ready to show their support for their new draft picks when they arrived in Sacramento.
Watch as Kings fans welcome Jimmer Fredette, Tyler Honeycutt, and Isaiah Thomas at the airport:

The Champ Dirk Notwitzki Shows Off His Throwing Arm

This past Friday (June 24), The Dallas Mavericks’ 2011 Finals MVP, Dirk Notwitzki, was at the Texas Rangers ballpark throwing out the first pitch before the Rangers inter league match-up with the New York Mets.

Shaquille O’Neal Celebrates His Retirement In Las Vegas

On Saturday June 25th, Shaquille O’Neal and his lovely wifey, Nicole “Hoopz” Alexander, hosted his official retirement party at the George Maloof’s Moon at the Palms in Las Vegas.
That’s a pretty classy move by George considering Shaq used to play for the L.A. Lakers while they and the Sacramento Kings, owned by the Maloof’s, were heated rivals.
Check out some pics below:

Shaq’s miniature wifey

Shaq’s Superman cake

(Pauly D from Jersey Shore)