J.R. Smith or Marcus Fizer?

You thought the glory days of Marcus Fizer were over? Nope. Fizer appeared on the espn.com home page on Thursday for a short time, masquerading as J.R. Smith. Fizer's days of making headlines are far past him as he has been relegated to Chuck Nevitt status, lucky to get off the bench in any game. And lucky to be on a NBA roster. But,thanks to a mistake by an espn editor, Fizer made the home page. Kudos! Update on Fizer's summer league play via DraftExpress. - farfel

He's Back!

No, not him, I am talking about Jay Williams who is said to be close to signing with the Philadelphia 76ers. And good for him. I don’t know anyone who thought he would ever play in the NBA again. Most wrote off his optimism as the arrogance associated with professional athletes or the psychological realities that inevitably beset those who fall from greatness. A number of years ago, I opened up a couple boxes of 1989 and 1990 Hoops cards and some random other years, because that’s what qualifies for fun for me these days. Something about ripping open those packs that is just addicting. I highly suggest you try it. Besides getting 14 Kevin Willis cards, I came across some guys who didn’t have the privilege of having the same longevity, like Drazen Petrovic. From this I decided to make an all-tragedy team. Keep in mind I only had cards from the late 80’s and early 90’s. I came up with Petrovic, Bobby Hurley, Reggie Lewis, Roy Tarpley and Danny Manning. That’s a pretty good team, albeit undersized (maybe Sharone Wright can step in). Kudos to Jay Williams for extricating himself from the updated all-tragedy team. - nutlow

The Last True Scout

I've read many Wikipedia articles and none as critical as the entry for Jerry Krause. We learn that Krause was "portly and unathletic" as a youth and "nicknamed "Crumbs" for his poor nutritional and grooming habits." He also made a major mistake drafting Brad Sellers, worthy of a full paragraph alone. Discussion of the piece here. Krause is criticized most often for his comment that "Players don't win championships, organizations win championships." But this isn't what he said. Krause stated that "players and coaches alone don't win championships; organizations win championships" according to flakmagazine. It's a minor, albeit important distinction between the two statements. It is great to see the Bulls well on their way toward a 7th title with the signing of Ben Wallace and other acquisitions. John Paxson deserves credit for these moves. And it's time for Krause to receive credit, and not solely criticism, for putting together teams that won 6 NBA titles. - farfel

My Guy

I absolutely love Tyson Chandler and think he'll develop into a 10-10 guy with 3 blocks per game. He'll be a difference maker on the defensive end and a layup/dunk guy offensively who can occasionally score on his own a la Horace Grant. He's 23 years old and has legitimate near major upside. He had a terrible 05 because he was out of shape (unwise to work our when you don't have a contract because you can get injured like Willie Green and blow out your knee, lose the huge contract). Chandler had to go with the Wallace signing so I cannot be too disappointed with the trade. But I'll miss him. He was interviewed on the Score, the Chicago sports radio station where I interned and said the organization was first class and he'll miss the people, while always being a fan. He was asked about Skiles and said he didn't have much of a relationship with him and was disappointed by that. He was asked if Gordon had the same problem with Skiles and nicely said he'd let Gordon speak on his own. I think Gordon will also be traded at some point soon, the Bulls are relucant to go over the cap and with Hinrich, Nocioni, Deng, Thomas, Wallace, and others, it'll be tough to stay under with Gordon, too. I'd expect he wants to start and I don't know if that's feasible on any team. He's a 2 trapped in a 1's body. He doesn't dribble well and plays paltry defense. He can light it up like a Vinnie Johnson which makes him very valuable. Deng is a pure 3 and has a sweet corner jumper. He tore a wrist tendon late in the 04 season and was still recovering from that last season. He has enormous length and collects rebounds that few, if any other players would be able to catch. They've talked about moving him to 2 but it's more of a 10 minute per game thing. PJ is a starter most likely. Hinrich, Gordon, Nocioni, Wallace and PJ. Unless Songoila re-signs which is a possibility. Darius is a very nice, underrated player and an asset for any team. He had a stress facture late last season which sidelined him for the playoffs. He has a solid free throw line jumper and a big body, though not a great rebounder. Considering the defense the Bulls play, scoring is not a major concern. With Hinrich, Gordon, Duhon, JR Smith (I expect him to be traded, he and Skiles won't get along, he is a major talent), the Swedish rookie, Deng, Nocioni, Thomas, Krypya, PJ, Ben, Sweetney, and maybe Malik Brown/Songaila. That's potentially 14 right there with Schenser also a possibility. The Bulls have a nice roster. I'd like another post and a solid guard to be added. I watched JR Smith play in last year's summer league and last season. He has major offensive skills, awesome range, great athleticism, and limited interest on the defensive end. I love his game and expect him to develop big-time in coming years. PJ is a starter most likely. Hinrich, Gordon, Nocioni, Wallace and PJ. Unless Songoila re-signs which is a possibility. Darius is a very nice, underrated player and an asset for any team. He had a stress facture late last season which sidelined him for the playoffs. He has a solid free throw line jumper and a big body, though not a great rebounder. Considering the defense the Bulls play, scoring is not a major concern. With Hinrich, Gordon, Duhon, JR Smith (I expect him to be traded, he and Skiles won't get along, he is a major talent), the Swedish rookie, Deng, Nocioni, Thomas, Krypya, PJ, Ben, Sweetney, and maybe Malik Brown/Songaila. That's potentially 14 right there with Schenser also a possibility. - farfel

Iverson to the Hawks? Not Gonna Happen

Toddy phoned in an Allen Iverson sighting today. AI was seen at two Wachovia branches in Atlanta. Toddy suggested that AI is on his way to the Hawks via trade. I've told Toddy this will not happen and today's events confirmed it. Per a Rockville, MD court order, the Hawks are "not to sign free agents to multi-year contracts or to make trades for players who have multi-year contracts." With 3 years and $60m left on his existing contract, there is absolutely no way Iverson can legally be traded to the Hawks. - farfel

These People are PAID for their Insight?

Check out the comments from these 3 columnists on the Bulls signing of Ben Wallace. Chris McCosky, Detroit News: The Pistons in 2000 gave Wallace, an unknown journeyman at the time, a six-year deal worth $30 million when nobody else would have paid much more than the minimum. Now, the Pistons are offering him another $50 million. That would be $80 million for 10 years of service to a great defensive player who has never averaged more than 9.7 points a game. It's hard to view that in total and say the Pistons are being cheap...He was essentially not a factor in the last two playoff rounds this season. He never looked older than he did against the Heat. Dumars had to throw that into the equation. Drew Sharp, Detroit Free Press: The Bulls' offer of four years for about $60 million -- according to the Free Press -- is financial suicide for a player with special gifts but lacking in some important areas to merit such a long-term investment. In their minds, they strengthened themselves by weakening the Pistons. Chad Ford, ESPN.com: Adding Wallace to the mix doesn't help that. He may be the only center in the league that's worse than Tyson Chandler offensively. While he adds defensive grit and shot-blocking, the Bulls used almost all of their cap space to get him. They overpaid big time and will have to live with that contract for the next four years. - farfel

Waste Management

Jo Jo Bubblehead asked me to list the worst current contracts in the NBA. Here's my shortlist. Note: Contracts must have 3+ guaranteed years remaining. In alphabetical order by team, rounded figures: Erick Dampier. Dallas. 5 years, $50m. Kenyon Martin. Denver. 5 years, $70. Oh my god, is this a waste of money. Nene. Denver. 6 years, $60m. Vastly overrated. Adonal Foyle. Golden State. 4 years, $40m. This sickens me and I'm a huge Adonal fan. Derek Fisher. Golden State. 4 years, $25m. He's got 2 good years left, another Chris Mullin special. Mike Dunleavy. Golden State. Whatever's he's paid is a disgrace. The worst starter in the league. Jamaal Tinsley. Indiana. 5 years, $35m. A total headcase. Eddie Jones. Memphis. 1 year, $16m. Can't resist including this. His agent is a genius. Michael Redd. Milwaukee. 5 years, $80m. How is Michael Redd worth $80m? Bewildering. Steve Francis. New York. 3 years, $45m. If his last 2 years are an indicator, his last even decent years are far behind him. Zach Randolph. Portland. 5 years, $73m. Why? Why? Why? How does this happen? Kenny Thomas. Sacramento. 5 years, $45m. Yes, Kenny Thomas. Source - farfel

Watch out for the Hawks!

I've busted on them repeatedly, each time well deserved. Mike Woodson is one of the worst coaches in the league and Billy Knight is 2nd worst, better than only Isiah Thomas. Nevertheless, with the acquisition of Shelden Williams via the draft and the Speedy Claxton pickup today, Atlanta is a much improved team. My early prediction is to take Atlanta over next year, though I need to see the exact number before making that official. Presently, Atlanta's roster includes Claxton, Lue, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Childress, Za Za, Shelden, Marvin Williams and Salim Stoudamire. That's 9 at least decent players, barring injury. More bigs are needed to ensure a 35-win season. I'm jumping on the Hawks bandwagon early. - farfel

Dutch wins his 1st WSOP bracelet

Check out this post on Terrance's blog and the comment regarding Dutch. - farfel