There are two games on tonight on NBA League Pass. Both games are emanating from the state of California. I am not going mention team names for posterity sake. I will say though that two teams seem destined for the playoffs. The other two teams are destined for the lottery.
There is a former Husky starting at point guard for one team though. There are no former Maryland Terrapins playing in either game.
Greivis Vasquez continues to be underrated for the New Orleans Hornets though. Could be an excellent role player for a certain team in a certain future location.
If that doesn’t tickle your fancy in any manner, The Walking Dead and Finding Bigfoot both have new episodes tonght.
If Monta Ellis isn’t one of the five worst defensive guards in the league, I don’t know much worse. He is absolutely dreadful. Makes Isaiah Thomas look like Isiah Thomas.
Cousins is engaged and involved tonight. Has 8 points, couple boards and a block.
The one time we do a game thread is the one time I’m out of town with no tv…
Funny though, I was some guy was ranting to another guy at the hotel bar saying how annoyed he was and tired of hearing about the Kings- and the guy was from Sac. Got a kick out of that….. “We’ll take them off your hands buddy!”
LOL
Yeah he was really upset that they *may* be staying…..
I’m sure we had those people around when the Sonics left. I’m sure there are some who are banging their head on a brick wall at the thought of the Sonics coming back.
One of the Bucks tv guys was wondering aloud about Ellis possibly opting out of he contract this summer, leaving $11 million on the table. It was laugh out loud comedy, but, you never know if the logic of the situation gets overridden by the ego of the person making the decision.
Was responding to a few emails and wasn’t paying as much attention to the game as I should. Kings were up 4, now they’re down 10.
Oh Jimmer is on the floor. That explains it.
I’m sure he could get $15M a year in Minnesota. David Kahn loves shoot first point guards to play at the 2.
Very true. Just really funny timing, and I’m not even really all that close to Sac, the one conversation I happen to eavesdrop on is a guy from Sacramento complaining the Kings may stay……
Bar in at doesn’t have NBA on but watching Buffalo vs Flyers makes me really want NHL
Also, playing around with some stats sites and checking things out.
David Wingate had a +64.2 +/- total as a Sonic. Which means Sonics garbage team was better than the other teams garbage team when he was on the floor.
I hope you all remember that stat for the rest of your lives.
I’m getting around to watching video at draftexpress and nbadraft.net.
Oladipo has skills that will translate well to the NBA. He is a guy I would consider strongly.
Ive posted a few times about an “escalator” clause that could kick in if someone local in Sacramento matches the bid of Hansen (BIG IF).
I sent that question if that would even be something that could happen. Michael McCann (sports lawyer dude) and he is said that it is possible but he doubts that Hansen negotiated for it just because he is spending a crapload of money.
Interesting since Mitch Levy has said that Hansen has some cards to play just in case. I wonder if this could be one of them. hmm
Btw the Bucks owner is in Sacramento this evening. Not that is unheard of for an away owner to go to his teams games but I wonder if he would talk to KJ about the Bucks moving there since Milwaukee wont pony up money for a much needed new venue
His projections are off the charts too. He has the potential to be a top 5 defender, top 10 scorer and top 15 rebounder. I wonder how he’d translate to being a straight up point guard in the NBA?
I think the bullets may be things like here are our preliminaries on a tv deal or here is our guaranteed corporate support that completely trumps Sac’s $10 million/year. At least that is what I suppose. Plus Hansen could probably get some sort of proxy PR strategy going if he really thought it necessary.
In regards to Herb Kohl laying the ground work for some sort of Bucks move, I say no way at all. I just don’t see him selling out the fans in Wisconsin.
Really like Oladipo. He has the potential to take over games and is great athlete and great defender. Ive heard him compared to d-wade by more than one analyst, not sure about that but seems to be that same type of player.
There seems to be alot of mixed feelings towards IT on here. I really like watching him play. I know he isnt a good defender but he is only in his second year. I think with time and the right coaches/mentors(GP) he could turn into a good defender and I really like his offensive game. I understand the want for him to come off the bench as a 6th man, spark player but saying he cant even do that or that he may not even be a 3rd pg off the bench isnt fair, in my opinion.
Agreed on both points.
Here is Bruski’s analysis. You know if you limit your analysis to just King County and ignore Snohomish and Thurston, Sacramento County doesn’t look too bad. And, no mention of ad rates, but wet blanket Art Thiel gets a mention.
Lots of “sources” say and a straight up “assume” to round out that story.
Attendance figures and cherry picking just King County, geez, what a joke.
http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/09/comparing-markets-attendance-and-ownership-in-sacramento-and-seattle/?utm_source=dlvr.it
To be fair the amount that Sacramento says that is pledged for corporate sponsorship for 5 seasons is 50 million per year or 250 million. Not a small amount but I assume Hansen has rounded up more and for a longer term if necassary.
One of the big kickers could be a prospective RSN since Sacramento has like a 11 million a year TV contract as we speak. Hansen could probably get something like 2-3 billion Im guessing. I base that off the fact that it sounds like the Mariners are looking at a 4 billion plus payday in the next couple of seasons.
I agree though Hansen probably doesnt use an escalating clause in the PSA but I wouldnt put it past him as a contingency plan
@zakk
I do like IT, he has good composure and handling skills just don’t think he’s a starter. GP said he was planning on working with him in the off-season, hopefully he can help him out a bit
Sounds like Cousins got ejected after a flagrant 2. When is this guy going to grow up?
Um DeAndre Jordan just did THIS
http://www.nba.com/video/games/clippers/2013/03/10/0021200942-det-lac-play4.nba/index.html
That Pistons player just got himself owned
Wow that is crazy!
Rigoddamnediculous!
Elbowed mike denleavy in the back of his head.
Miami is really good
I Ike how NBATV has a “previously recorded” icon in one corner and then the final score in the other. Kind of defeats the purpose eh?
That was freaking awesome
Yeah. If he was looking to screw over Wisconsin he wouldn’t have agreed to an extension of the lease. His family would be more willing to sell to the highest bidder, but he’s looking for any way to assure they stay in Milwaukee after he gives up control of the team.
I’m not really an advocate for IT as a starter, but if you were going to start cherry-picking the things a backcourt mate would need to maximize IT and make him starter level, Oladipo is that guy.
People need to realize that Bruski doesn’t work for NBC. He works for ProBasketballTalk, which is partnered with NBCSports. NBCSports basically bought the site or partnered with it mainly for ProFootballTalk. Mike Florio started it out as mostly a rumor mongering factory. But over time became an actually respected news source. In it’s early stages, PFT links were mocked and dismissed by most football fans. But it grew into something much bigger. So Bruski doesn’t work for NBC. He works for a blog that is partnered with an NBC subsidiary ofshoot cable channel.
It’s still beyond ridiculous how Bruski masquerades as a journalist on there. What he’s doing would be fine by me, but sad still, if he worked in Sacramento or on a Kings blog. But what he’s doing given his audience and title is just wrong. Like I said yesterday, the fact that his booses allow him to get away with it just goes to show how little attention people outside Seattle and Sac are paying to this story.
While Sac fans can be annoying, and them twisting the facts and trying to make us look bad is aggravating, what they’re going through makes it understandable. We really must leave them alone and should feel sorry for them more than anything. But Bruski can bite me. I don’t feel sorry for that prick one iota.
What a difference 90mins makes!
Seriously, these two posts are DMC in a nutshell - plays awesomely, only to make some boneheaded decision that gets him taken out of the game.
Trolltossin, Do you have a source for this? It was my understanding that it was $50 million over 5 years ($10 million/year) not the way you stated it. I have no good source on that, other than talk here and other forums, so your statement got me curious. It’s a big difference between the two….
I like oladipo too.. if you want win games you need a SG with defense mentality like Manu Ginobili, sefolosha, harden, tony allen… A backcourt with oladipo-trey burke could be dangerous. IT is a good sixth man
True, then again, who hasn’t elbowed Mike Denleavy in the head, am I right?
(Working on my homer excuses)
Meanwhile, back at the league offices. . .
Are the Lakers really going to pay $100 million in luxury tax next year?
If we pick Oladipo probably our starter PG next year would be Isaiah. I don’t see many chances to get a trade for a top PG. So IMO our movement in that case should be get a bench PG with experience to help Isaiah to improve. He’s not a good defender, it’s true, but I think that issue is about the entire team, not just about Isaiah. With some changes in the sistem and in the roster we should see an improve. I am more worried about him ball distribution. He’s giving few assist, but I think he can improve in this point. But we should get veteran players to supervise the evolution of our youngs.
So IF we pick Oladipo and we need a bench PG with a good ball distribution (and a good defense if it’s possible) who would be your man? Bring back Luke Ridnour? lol
I say just let the Sacramento people live in their fantasy world. They are so misinformed about Seattle it is just unbelievable. So, just enjoy their lack of information and common sense. They believe that Stern is leading Mastrov to the leading “bid”. They think that Stern is determined to mess with Seattle one more time. Maybe he is doing just that, but there is no reason to completely destroy the future of the NBA in Seattle by undermining the Hansen offer. I just don’t think he is that stupid. Vengeful, but not stupid.
I was watching the draft express video, very exciting, then the blooper reel at the end explained why he is where he is in the draft, he drives into trouble, his jumper might not be good enough for the NBA 3 point line, and his gather and shoot motion is a little slow. Other than that, I like his footing on defense a lot, he doesn’t shy away from contact, looks great on the break.
You are correct. It’s $50 million in total over the 5 year period.
Oh ok I concede that point. I just figured that it was 50 million per for 5 years. Bragging about 10 million a year over a 5 year period probably isnt a great idea. Just my opinion but in terms of the NBA and trying to sell it to the NBA thats not the greatest talking point. I mean Hansen can probably not lift the phone and get that much in sponsorships.
Ballmer has committed to squeaking out a 50 million dollar fart in the new arena already.
I think that corporate support quote is essentially the same thing he took to the NBA two years ago. I could be mistaken, however.
I think a lot of people would want to be farted on by Ballmer if that were the case
Bruski is the new Sam Smith.
They think that Stern is determined to mess with Seattle one more time.
Hey, I worry about that too. If I were in Sacramento’s position, my best hope would be the fact that he’s always coddled them and treated us completely the opposite. Even now he’s giving them more of a chance to save the team than he gave us.
George Carlin said that the last 3 inches of a house that falls down is farts. Ballmer must have a huge house.
Maybe he feels sorry for them because they are trying to undermine a business deal made by Hansen and Ballmer. Sacramento’s city council has very little business prowess. Their City Manager who has helped mitigate a stadium project before completely hosed the city with the Bengals home.
from what I’ve seen of any draft prospects is a finished product. Otto Porter, is a player that intrigues me and I want watch him play, he averaged 22 points the last five games, with 2.6 steals and 6.6 rebounds per game not bad…
I worried about that too, until he showed up in person on Friday to tell them in person and in public that their offer wasn’t worthy of consideration. That’s not hand holding, that’s hand slapping. There wasn’t one direct word that was really positive for Sacramento, even the comment about the financial strength appeared to accent the fact that the offer was so short.
My personal feeling is that the owners are sick of the public show, and the weak offer just pissed them off. I can’t think of any other logical reason that Stern would a) speak in public, and b) be fairly pointed in his critism.
I think when Stern said that they have “very strong financial people behind it but its not quite there,” was Stern saying that yeah you guys have the money I dont want your excuses as to why you cant step up to the plate. Guess what Mastrov you have until April 3rd and we are moving on with this relocation w/out you even having a say. Stern is telling them that if you think Im going to tell Hansen and Ballmer thanks but no thanks on their purchase because you made an offer, think again. Step up to the plate or leave the ball park.
It was about as big of smackdown as I have seen Stern make since 2008
Ouch!
Jason Thompson from the Kings locker room post-match, on DeMarcus Cousins: “You can give a person as much advice as you can, from us, to coaches, to Hall of Famers, to whatever, but at the end of the day, you’re in this league because you are a grown man and you’re going to do what you want to do.”
As usual, good points. As I said before - Bruski, Schmooski, Who gives a Rooski. He is just Noise. Not at all relevant to this transaction.
Yes, Stern gave them a very Public Scolding. However, I wish he would have just kept his mouth shut and let it go the Vote. The public admonishment allows Sac to regroup and rebid. That being said - Sac/Mastrov/Burkle know the reported Hansen bid - so what was their point ?
http://q13fox.com/2013/03/10/commentary-david-puppeteer-stern-pulling-more-strings/#axzz2NCxJcmsO
No one feels sorry for that prick. We shouldn’t give him any keystroke time. Noise - nothing but annoying noise. Let’s all move on from Bruski - - Stern & the NBA don’t care about him - so why would we ?
Its paragraphs like these that make you realize how GMs convince themselves into drafting some guy really high in the draft. I’m pretty sure a guy who could likely be a top 15 scorer and rebounder and top 5 defender at SG would easily be the #1 pick in this draft…and he’s not
If you’re drafting Oladipo you’re hoping he becomes some sort of taller version of Russ Westbrook
The thing that makes me laugh about that article is when you go to the comments and people list how silly the thing like Sports per HH is and then the SAC fans say “look at all these Seattle fans who can’t even show what he is doing wrong.
As a UW alum I am trying to figure out “which kind of HH” I am…I mean I watch every Seahawk and Husky football game. I watch a decent chunk of Mariner games (I probably watch more Mariner games but a lower percentage) and I watch almost every Husky hoops game….decisions decisions decisions.
Final point…I think it is funny that people act as if the NHL and NBA coming here would make it harder to find corporate sponsors. If you were wanting to be a corporate sponsor in the arena…wouldn’t you want more events in the Arena for people to see your advertising?