Big Baby Forever Linked To Andrew Bogut
I’m probably reaching here with this post over any of the other “Forever Linked To” posts but I’ve been racking my brain on trying to think of any other million dollar moment for the former number overall pick.
I keep coming up empty in that department so maybe this is Milwaukee Bucks Andrew Bogut first ever. Its quite a nice one plus anytime you send the Baby to the floor sure adds a little a flavor.
Jodie Meeks & Franciso Elson Traded For Primoz Brezec & Royal Ivey
Moving Day
The Philadelphia 76ers have traded Primoz Brezec, Royal Ivey and a 2010 second round pick to the Milwaukee Bucks for Francisco Elson and Jodie Meeks.
The Sixers originally wanted to draft Meeks this past summer, finally get the player they coveted. Meeks, a big-time scorer at Kentucky, could fill the roster gap that the Sixers need.
Royal Ivey will be looking at his second go-around in Milwaukee, where he played a career-high 75 games with 20 starts during the 2007-08 seasons.
76ers: Winners/Bucks: Losers
John Salmons Traded For Joe Alexander & Hakim Warrick
Moving Day
The Chicago Bulls have traded guard John Salmons within their own division to the Milwaukee Bucks for forwards Joe Alexander and Hakim Warrick.
Warrick has played in 48 games for Milwaukee this season, averaging 10.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Alexander, whom the Bucks took with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2008 draft, has struggled to make the jump to the NBA and currently is playing for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League.
The Bulls have been they’re trying to clear as much cap space as possible and where scared that Salmons would not opt out of his player option next season that stands at $5.8 million. The move brings the Bulls salary commitments next season for just under $32 million. As the contracts of Warrick and Alexander both expire at the end of the season, potentially freeing up space for the Bulls to bid for marquee free agents in the offseason.
For the Bucks, it’s a no-lose. After Michael Redd went down, they needed a 2/3 that could score, and Salmons will probably help in that department. If he opts out, great, more cap-space. If not, he’s a movable expiring they can use to build on what they do this summer.
Another thing to consider is that the Bulls are currently in the eighth spot, but they just traded an offensive weapon to the team in the 9th spot that could knock them out of the playoffs.
Bulls: Losers/Bucks Winners
New Jersey Nets Play In Front Of 1,016 Fans
Embarrassing
The New Jersey Nets at home to the Milwaukee Bucks 97-77 in front of 1,016 fans. Granted their is a huge snow storm effecting the east coast but these are still the same Nets that are running a promotion for a lucky fan to be head coach for a day and on record to match the leagues worst record, 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers 9-73.
The Nets where playing their final home game before the All-Star break and the loss dropped them to 4-48 on the season. Swingman Chris Douglas-Roberts whose name has been the subject of trade rumors and didn’t play at all in Tuesday 104-97 loss to Cleveland sat for the majority of the game with a towel wrapped over his head embarrassed for what he was seeing and not being a part of it. With 3:35 left in the game 12 people started the CDR chants once he final entered.
So sad.
Jerry Stackhouse Signs With Milwaukee Bucks
2 Time NBA All-Star
The Milwaukee Bucks have signed Jerry Stackhouse for the remainder of the season. He could see action as early as Wednesday.
Coach Scott Skiles says he will be activated for Wednesday’s game against Toronto Raptors. The Bucks are in need of a scoring threat after guard Michael Redd suffered a season-ending knee injury last Sunday.
The 35-year-old Stackhouse played in only 10 games for Dallas Mavericks last season. He was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in July, then became an unrestricted free agent the next day.
Now with Stackhouse on pretty much of a farewell tour of his career, did he ever really live up to the North Carolina hype and the number three selection overall.
Twitter Fight Between Brandon Jennings & Fake Jordan Farmer
Twitter Fight
Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings got into a Twitter Fight with whom he thought was Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmer after the Lakers defeated the Bucks 95-77. It turns out the Twitter Fight Jennings was having was with a Farmer impostor.
After the Bucks where defeated Jennings tweeted to one of his contacts to hit on his phone and he would tell him all about the real on that “Farmer thing.” It is not sure what Jennings was referring to, but the fake Farmar quickly replied, “What you gonna say Buck (Jennings nickname)? Heard there is some ish talking on here…”
The conversation started to escalate from there.
Jennings (YUNGBUCK3) tweeted: “nah i was just telling the homie how thirsty you are. That’s all. But I’m not going to make this a big thing.”
Fake Farmar (JFarmar1) tweeted: “Am not here to start nothing. You were talking smack on here wanted to clear some air. Look at the bling, done proved myself”
Fake Farmar: “You started with the smack talking, and I ended it with the 2 threes. We even? Cool.”
Jennings: “but I’m not going to beef with you. See you should be worried about your spot. Shannon Brown??? That’s all imma say.”
Shannon Brown scored 19 points against Milwaukee on 8 of 12 shooting. Farmar posted 17 points in 22 minutes on 5 of 8 shooting. And Jennings connected on just 4 of 17 field goals for 10 points.
Fake Farmar later Tweeted to his fans, “People need to realize that I am not here to beef with Buck or extend it. Here to simply communicate with the Laker fans. Repeat!”
He then tweeted, “On a side note, Tyreke Evans really doing his thing. My pick for Rookie of the Year, no doubt. No one comes close.”
Who doesn’t like a Twitter Fight? Especially with an impostor.
Hair Wars: Brandon Jennings
"Yo Chill, don't bump the table!"
It’s been awhile since there’s been a Hair Wars post but there just been nothing walking the streets except regular wackness, Michael Beasley’s fro is nothing new since he was featured back on November 10th, until Milwaukee Bucks rookie Brandon Jennings brought back the Kid ‘n Play do he used to rock in high school. Jennings is got game on the court and game in the barber chair.
(Good Look)
Another Game Winner For KOBE!!!
Down by one with 5.4 seconds left, Kobe Bryant hits another game winner this time coming against the Milwaukee Bucks sending the Lakers off victorious 107-106. Two things you gotta love in this video is the Bucks announcer begging for a miss, 0:07 mark, and the home crowd in the Bradley Center going crazy after Kobe does what Kobe do.
I know I’ve posted the Nike MVPuppets commercials but is LeBron James really in the same league as Kobe?
BLOCK CITY: Your Victim-DeMar DeRozan
Carlos Delfino, you have been charged with the crime of Representin.
And the verdict is Guilty.
BLOCK CITY: Your Victim-Mickael Pietrus
Carlos Delfino, you have been charged with the crime of Representin.
And the verdict is Guilty.
Milwaukee Bucks Joe Alexander Wants To Be Traded
Fraud
Could a new city and team be what the former 2008 No. 8 overall draft pick Joe Alexander needs to jump start his career or could the former West Virginia standout be a player that could never play on highest level in the first place? I’m going with the latter and I consider myself an Alexander fan.
The Milwaukee Bucks decided two weeks ago not to pick up his third year option on his rookie contract, and that has lead Alexander to say he wants to be traded. Alexander’s 2010-11 option for $2.76 million was not picked up by the Nov. 2 deadline, making him an unrestricted free agent next summer.
It has lead Alexander to say if they don’t want him than they should trade him. But in fairness to the Bucks decision Alexander is hardly healthy and when so he isn’t making himself into a force during practice that he should command playing time.
The Bucks and I had high hopes for the 6-foot-8 Alexander when they selected him and they did so ahead of players such , selecting him ahead of players such as Brook Lopez, Jason Thompson, Anthony Randolph, and JaVale McGee. Instead, Alexander became the highest first-round pick ever to have his rookie contract option declined after his first season.
Such high demands for a player that hasn’t given anything back.
NBA Attendance Only Down 2% Despite Economy
Est. 1946
It’s fairly earlier so don’t shoot the messenger but the numbers are out for early attendance in the NBA and despite the economy and the earliness of the season they are only down 2% from this point last year. Also the statistic is skewed by two teams, the Philadelphia 76ers and Memphis Grizzlies, who are drawing less than 70 percent.
The 76ers averaged 15,802 in 2008-’09, in five home games this season they’ve averaged 11,377, and are down more than 20 percent of capacity from last year. The Memphis Grizzlies ranked 29th in attendance last year only filling 70 percent of their arena are now only filling 66 percent, only outdrawing the 76ers. The Detroit Pistons have cause for concern, dropping from first in average attendance to 16th, falling 19.6 percent. The Spurs, a team retooled and trying to avenge their first round playoff exit rank 12th but are down 8%
Not all is doom and gloom as the Chicago Bulls are up over 100 percent of capacity after filling 97.7 percent of the United Center last season. The Cleveland Cavilers are in a similar boat, selling out each home game so far after drawing 97.3 percent last season. The Atlanta Hawks have seen significant gains, rising from 89.4 to 95.4 percent. Even the Minnesota Timberwolves fans are showing support no that Kevin McHale is ruining their team by filling their stadium by 8% more than last season.
Source: SportsBusiness Journal
Average attendances and percentage for each team:
| Rank | Team | Average Attendance | % (+/-) from year prior |
| 1 | Chicago | 21,111 | +3.3% |
| 2 | Cleveland | 20,562 | +2.7% |
| 3 | Portland | 20,350 | -.8% |
| 4 | Dallas | 19,823 | -1.4% |
| 5 | New York | 19,625 | +1.7% |
| 6 | Utah | 19,611 | -1.5% |
| 7 | LA Lakers | 18,997 | (no chg) |
| 8 | Boston | 18,624 | (no chg) |
| 9 | Toronto | 18,131 | -3.2% |
| 10 | Denver | 18,039 | +4.3% |
| 11 | Washington | 17,975 | +6.7% |
| 12 | San Antonio | 17,957 | -.8% |
| 13 | Oklahoma City | 17,882 | +.5% |
| 14 | Atlanta | 17,862 | +6% |
| 15 | Golden State | 17,827 | -5.7% |
| 16 | Detroit | 17,541 | -19.6% |
| 17 | Orlando | 17,541 | +2.4% |
| 18 | Miami | 17,421 | -4.1% |
| 19 | Houston | 17,130 | -2% |
| 20 | Phoenix | 16,771 | -9% |
| 21 | Minnesota | 16,088 | +8.2% |
| 22 | New Orleans | 15,156 | -10.5% |
| 23 | New Jersey | 14,919 | -1.4% |
| 24 | LA Clippers | 14,748 | -7.4% |
| 25 | Milwaukee | 14,636 | -4% |
| 26 | Charlotte | 14,633 | +.4% |
| 27 | Indiana | 14,439 | +1.4% |
| 28 | Sacramento | 12,422 | -.9% |
| 29 | Memphis | 12,095 | -3.5% |
| 30 | Philadelphia | 11,377 | -23.7% |
The Goon Presents 83 Players From 36 Countries
Est. 1946
David “The Goon” Stern’s 2009-10 NBA season starts tomorrow night with 83 international players from 36 countries and territories on official rosters (active and inactive), matching the record of international players on opening night rosters (2006-07). Twenty-seven of the 30 teams have at least one international player. Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, and the Los Angeles Clippers are the only teams without an international player.
The Milwaukee Bucks roster features the most international players with seven. The Charlotte Bobcats, Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors each feature five international players. Omri Casspi (Israel) of the Sacramento Kings, Jonas Jerebko (Sweden) of the Detroit Pistons, and Hasheem Thabeet (Tanzania) of the Memphis Grizzlies are representing their countries for the first time on an NBA roster. France has the strongest representation with a record ten players.
At the end of the 2008-09 regular season, the NBA featured 77 international players from 33 countries and territories on team rosters (both active and inactive). In comparison, the NBA had 36 international players from 24 countries and territories in 1999-2000.
“Godfather” can try and take his game to London but when talking global “The Goon” is got that talk on lock.
Hoops Under The Stars
Shooting For The Stars
The league’s first outdoor game was played in September 1972 at a baseball stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Phoenix Suns, featuring Connie Hawkins and Dick Van Arsdale, scored a 116-103 preseason victory over a Milwaukee Bucks team featuring Kareem Adbul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson.
Last year’s inaugural outdoor game at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden was hampered by winds that impacted shooting and cold temperatures that had players complaining they couldn’t stay warm on the bench. That was the case last year as the Phoenix Suns beat the Denver Nuggets 77-72. The weather dropped into the 60s and the wind picked up late in the game. Both teams were cold from the field, combining for 34 percent shooting, including 3-for-27 from 3-point range.
This year 14,979 saw the Golden State Warriors beat the Suns 104 to 101 in the desert. This years temperatures were mostly in the 70s after sundown and the idea to push tip off up to 6:40 help. The game estimates to be worth $3 million for the local economy in everything from hotels and restaurant spending for visitors to stadium use.
As for the players taking it in for the first time it was very different.
Warriors guard Monta Ellis hasn’t played basketball outside since he was a kid playing pickup games at Mary C. Jones Park in Jackson, Mississippi. Guard Anthony Morrow said he’s only played once outside and that was when the gym to Georgia Tech was locked.
On the other hand Warriors rookie Stephen Curry said he can’t even remember ever playing outside.
“I always played in the gym,” Curry said. “I grew up in the suburbs. We really didn’t do the blacktop thing.”
In related Warrior news Golden State played without Stephen Jackson, who is suspended for two games for cursing at coach Don Nelson during the previous preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Minnesota Timberwolves Acquire Former Spur
1998-2002
The Minnesota Timberwolves took another step to add depth at the guard position once it was clear Ricky Rubio would stay in Spain. Coming down to the eleven hour it looks as if the Milwaukee Bucks are not going to match the offer sheet made on Ramon Sessions but just in case the Timberwolves took extra precautionary measures. They completed a trade with the New Orleans Hornets that sends former San Antonio Spur Antonio Daniels to the Wolves and forward Darius Songaila and guard Bobby Brown to the Hornets. The trade also sends a 2014 second-round pick to Minnesota.
The Wolves David Kahn’s activity in his short amount of time is a stark contrast from former general manager Kevin McHale who spent most of the off season fishing in the land of 10,000 lakes.
“Antonio has the ability to play both guard positions and will provide a veteran presence and added flexibility to our back court,” said Kahn, the Timberwolves’ president of basketball operations.
The financial components of the deal favor Minnesota, with the Wolves shedding their $4.8 million salary obligation to Songaila in 2010-11 to create an estimated $13 million in salary-cap space for the summer of 2010.
Songaila entering his seventh season out of Wake Forest, should nonetheless be a useful addition to the Hornets’ new-look front court rotation additions of Emeka Okafor and Ike Diogu.
A deal that won’t grab the headlines but does make each club better.
No Rubio, No Problem
He Got Game
To the true NBA junkie Ramon Sessions is already a household name because he has game to the casual fan they probably don’t know he even plays in the NBA. The Minnesota Timberwolves do and proceeded to move forward with their plans for next year after Ricky Rubio showed them the curb. The Timberwolves signed restricted free agent point guard Ramon Sessions of the Milwaukee Bucks to an offer sheet. The Bucks have seven days to match the offer. Sessions averaged 12.4 points per game and 5.7 assists for the Bucks last season.
The kid can play.
San Antonio Spurs Iron Man Bruce Bowen Retires
Lock Down
The No. 12 should one day hang in the rafters of the AT&T Center for former San Antonio Spur small forward Bruce Bowen. Bowen was an integral part of the Spurs winning three NBA championships in his tenure with the team and established himself as the premier perimeter defenders of the decade,is retiring at 38.
After going undrafted Bowen set out on his journey to be an everyday player in the NBA. He first made stops overseas playing for French teams Le Havre and Evreux, then back to the United States for the Rockford Lighting of the CBA and back to France to play with Besancon. Bowens first taste of the NBA came with the Miami Heat in 1997 when he signed a 10-day contract and he was in the NBA to stay.
In the 1997-98 NBA season Bowen was playing for the Boston Celtics appearing in 61 games, he’d stay in Boston until the 1999-00 season.That year he signed with the Philadelphia 76erd,then was traded to the Chicago Bulls and immediately waived,once he cleared waivers he was reclaimed by the Heat. In that season, he wore jersey #12 instead of #30 and appeared in 69 games.
In the summer of the the 2001-02 NBA season Bowen found his home, with the San Antonio Spurs. Bowen established himself as a starter, an accomplishment he would hold onto for 500 consecutive games between February 28, 2002 and March 12, 2008. The Spurs won ballgames because Bowen frustrated, upset, hurt or angered the opponents top scorer every night. He just played tough, physical defense, that wasn’t afraid to get in someones grill.
Bowen made the NBA all-defensive first team five times, from 2003-04 through 2007-08, and was a three-time second-team selection from 2000-01 through 2002-03. Bowen ends his career with 5,290 points, 1,089 assists and 712 steals in 873 games. He was a career 39.3 percent 3-point shooter and led the league in 3-point field goal percentage in 2002-03.
On June 23, 2009, Bowen was traded along with Kurt Thomas to the Milwaukee Bucks for Richard Jefferson and was eventually released on July 31, 2009. But he will forever be a San Antonio Spur, a defensive stopper, and a smile on the sidelines.
