Addicted2TheGame

Los Angeles based daily NBA blog. 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1,443 posts

[addicted2thegame-blog]

Los Angeles Lakers Need to Be Smart, Draft Marcus Smart

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The Los Angeles Lakers will have plenty of options with the seventh pick, but only one prospect makes sense.

[addicted2thegame-blog]

Los Angeles Lakers Need to Be Smart, Draft Marcus Smart

The Los Angeles Lakers will have plenty of options with the seventh pick, but only one prospect makes sense.

[addicted2thegame-blog]

Los Angeles Lakers Should Pursue Patty Mills This Offseason

The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to maintain their financial flexibility and should look into acquiring Patty Mills. See why here.

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[addicted2thegame-blog]

Los Angeles Lakers’ Future Rests On Results Of 2014 NBA Draft Lottery

The NBA Draft Lottery will have a huge say on whether the Lakers will be competing for a title anytime soon.

[addicted2thegame-blog]

Los Angeles Lakers Should Hire Byron Scott As Next Coach

The best Lakers coaching candidate may just be a former player.

[addicted2thegame-blog]

With the signing of Elijah Stewart, Andy Enfield Has USC Going In the right direction

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Here is a list of the top-5 #ucla #basketball players in the #NBA

[addicted2thegame-blog]

A New Era for the Sacramento Kings?

 According to Adrian Wojnarowski the Kings and Cousins reached an agreement on a 4-year, $62 million dollar extension. Cousins now join former Kentucky teammate John Wall and Paul George as members of the 2010 draft class to get max contract extensions.

If the Kings and Cousins did not agree on an extension by October 31st  Sacramento would have been able to match any offer that Cousins would have received as a restricted free agent next summer. The Kings are long removed from their success in the early 2000’s and are looking for some stability. The Tyreke Evans experiment failed in Sacramento so now the team now belongs to Cousins.

 Last year Cousins averaged 17 points per game, 10 rebounds per game, 2.7 assists per game and an interesting 1.4 steals per game. Cousins has shown that he has an ability to be one of best big men in the league if he does not let his emotions get the best of him.  Shaquillle O’neal, yes THAT Shaquillle O’neal is now in tow as a minority owner of the Kings and is expected to help Cousins better his game and play as franchise player. For the first time in his young career  Cousins now has a team and a mentor that both believe in him.

 Shaq had this to say about Cousins:

 "You hear people say all the time that he's probably the most talented big man in the league, so now if you've got that behind your name, then everything else must follow,"O'Neal said, "I'm going to teach him a few things to add to his game."

 Lets just say that Shaq doesn’t waste any time…

The Sacramento Kings have always had talented rosters but have failed to put it all together. With Greivis Vasquez, Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Thornton, and rookie Ben McLemore in the backcourt and stacked front court led by Cousins, maybe this is year the Kings make significant progress. 

                                               -Stay Addicted2TheGame 

[addicted2thegame-blog]

Antelope Valley Stand Up!!!

Immediate details have not been released, but according to NBC sports and ESPN the deal is a five-year max contract believed to be in the ballpark of $80 million not including $10 million in incentives if he makes the All-NBA team again. George can also earn more money if he is named MVP next year because of the “Rose Rule.”

George was named a first time All-Star last year and was also named the league’s Most Improved Player averaging 17.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.8 steals per game for the Pacers. Last year George was called a “Great One” by the "Great One" LeBron James who’s Miami Heat beat the Pacers in 7 games in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals.

 George had this to say about the contract extension:

 “I want to thank the Pacers for believing in me when they drafted me. To continue my career with the Pacers was a very easy decision. We have great ownership, a great front office, great fans and I’m blessed with great coaches and great teammates. I use great a lot because that is what this franchise is and I’m hopeful we can be part of great things in the future.”

 George also mentioned that staying in Indiana was a no brainer and did not once think  about leaving the Hoosier State.

 Larry Bird, President of basketball operations for the Pacers had this to say about George:

 “Paul represents not only what our team and franchise is about, but what a professional athlete should be. He strives every day to be the best he can be, as a player, as a teammate, as a person and as a representative of this franchise.”

 George will remain in Indiana with Roy Hibbert, who signed a 4-year $58 million deal with the Pacers last year and David West who re-signed with the Pacers this summer.

 The only question remaining is what happens with Danny Granger? Granger when healthy is a dynamic scorer who can easily put up 20 plus points per game. I honestly think that the Pacers will shop Granger and try to move him before February’s trade deadline. I like George Hill a lot but I think the Pacers need a strong lead guard who can take them to the next level. Moving Granger might just do it.

This video should answer any questions about whether George deserves all this money or not.

 Regardless, congrats Paul George, you definitely deserve everything bro! 

                                           -Stay Addicted2TheGame

[addicted2thegame-blog]

The Social Media "beef" Between Kevin Durant and Dwayne Wade.

I may be a little late but I wanted to chime in on the perceived social media “beef” between Kevin Durant and Dwayne Wade.

 Everything started on Tuesday when Kevin Durant was making round to promote Degree deodorant. Durant had appeared on numerous programs to conduct interviews, but it was his interview with CineSport Noah Coslov that stood out. 

 Sports Illustrated recently published their Top 100 players of 2014 and during the interview Durant was asked for his opinion on the top 10.

 Here are SI’s top 10 players:

LeBron James

Kevin Durant

Chris Paul

Tony Parker

Russell Westbrook

Tim Duncan

Dwight Howard

Dwayne Wade

Kobe Bryant

10. Carmelo Anthony

 Durant was then asked if anyone was missing from the list and he replied with saying that James Harden, his former teammate was missing. Coslov then asked Durant who Harden should replace from the list and without even taking time to think Durant said Wade.

 Of course things got back to Wade and he went to Instagram to speak his mind.

  It was only right that Durant respond and had this to say:

 It is only normal that KD feels a certain type of way about the Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat because his team lost to them in the 2012 NBA Finals. During that series Durant was caught calling Wade too small after scoring on him in game 3 of the Finals. It is well known that Wade's teammate LeBron James and Durant are really good friends and work out during the offseason. Obviously Durant doesn't feel the same about Wade. 

 Let’s just be honest, there was a time when Dwayne was easily a top-5 player in the league. That time however is long gone now due to the all the injuries he has sustained even though he has games where he reminds us of past greatness.

 Was Durant wrong for what he said? HELL NO! James Harden is on the brink of superstardom and definitely deserves a spot in the top-10. Honestly the bigger travesty in my opinion was SI having Dwayne Wade over Kobe Bryant but I will save that conversation for another day. 

                                                  -Stay Addicted2TheGame

[addicted2thegame-blog]

The Lamar Odom I Remember.

 As we all know Odom did not have an ideal childhood with his father being a heroin addict and his mother dying of colon cancer when he was 12. Despite this, Odom excelled at basketball as a senior high school and was named the 1997 Parade Magazine player of the year and an USA Today 1st Team Player of the Year in 1997.

Odom was one of the most sought after recruits during his senior year and decided to go to UNLV. Questions surfaced about Odom’s test scores and he was later released by UNLV. Odom eventually ended up at The University of Rhode Island where he averaged 17 points a game his freshman year and led the Rams to their first ever tournament championship.

Odom left Rhode Island after one season and was selected 4th by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 1999. Odom’s first stint with the Clippers was marked by brilliance on the court and disappointments off of it. Playing alongside Darius Miles, Elton Brand, and Quentin Richardson the Clippers began a small resurgence which led to them contending for playoffs spots which at the was unheard of. Despite this, when Odom became a free agent in 2003 the Clippers refused to match an offer sheet for $63 million by the Miami Heat.

Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley was extremely happy to have Odom and went so much to say:

He was one of the most unique players that I have ever seen,” said Riley. “He had great speed; he was a great passer with an incredible seven-foot wingspan. He also had the ability to handle the basketball. He just reminded me of Earvin Magic Johnson. In fact, he is the only player to come into this league that had the ability to play like Earvin. So I was very excited about the possibilities of getting him and we did in fact consummate a trade that didn’t go through, but was agreed upon, the night of the draft, that wasn’t followed through on by another team. Or we would have had him. But I always felt that he was a great player.” 

Despite leading the Heat to a playoffs birth alongside a young Dwayne Wade,  Odom was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers along with Brian Grant and Caron Butler for Shaquille O’Neal.  Odom was definitely shocked to be going back to Los Angeles but playing with Kobe Bryant and being coached by Phil Jackson proved to be exactly Odom needed. Odom honed his skills as a point forward and was a very vital piece in the Lakers making it 3 consecutive NBA finals and winning 2. It is also as a Laker where Lamar Odom would go on to win the 6th man of the year award as well.  

Many argue that Odom’s trade to the Dallas Mavericks was the beginning of his demise and I to an extent agree. Odom was comfortable in Los Angeles and was playing the best ball of his career. Odom would go on to have a disastrous season with the Mavs and eventually was traded back to the Los Angeles Clippers where he was merely an afterthought. Odom’s career has been marked with highs and lows but now he faces a different type of challenge. If what is being reported is true Odom is dealing with an addiction to a drug which many media outlets are reporting as crack cocaine. Odom’s best days as a basketball player are behind him but he now has an opportunity to win at the greatest level. We all have issues and stressors that make us do things that are outside of ourselves but it is how we rebound that says a lot you as a person. Let’s just hope that Odom who has been through a lot in his 33 years of living have one more rebound left in him.   

                                                              -Stay Addicted2TheGame 

[addicted2thegame-blog]

Russell Westbrook had himself a terrific, unstoppable Game 4, scoring a game-high 43 points on 20-of-32 shooting in over 45 minutes of play. But as brilliant as he was in the first 47 minutes and 46 seconds of the game, his crucial foul on Mario Chalmers with 13.8 seconds left all but ended any chance for the Thunder to pull off a last-minute comeback.

The Thunder were down three with a jump ball about the commence on the Heat’s offensive end of the floor. 17.3 seconds were left in the contest and Miami had just five seconds to shoot. The ball bounced around before Chalmers finally secured it. Almost instantly, Westbrook swooped in and inexplicably fouled Chalmers, leading Jeff Van Gundy to squeal on the broadcast, “Why are they fouling!?” With the shot clock ticking down and the game still very much in reach, it was the question we all had.

“Just a miscommunication on my part,” Westbrook said after the game. “Nothing I can do about it now.”

Chalmers went on to nail both ensuing free throws, effectively sealing the game. The Heat held on for a 104-98 win and now have a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.

                                                            -Stay Addicted2TheGame

[addicted2thegame-blog]

Phil Jackson says he did not want to coach ‘clumsy’ Knicks.

So much for those rumors that Phil Jackson wanted to coach the Knicks.

In an interview set to air next week on HBO’s “Real Sports,” the Zenmaster said he never had any interest taking over the sidelines at Madison Square Garden, contrary to popular belief.

Jackson didn’t confirm he was definitely coming out of retirement but did concede “there might be” a team out there he’d love to coach. As for the Knicks, a team his name had long been linked to, he’s glad they never even bothered giving him a call.

“I wasn’t going to take the job, that’s for sure,” Jackson said.

“There’s just too much work that has to be done with that team. It’s a little bit of a clumsy team.”

And by “clumsy,” he doesn’t mean the Knicks are a bunch of stumbling bums out on the court (that would be the Bobcats), but rather they lack the chemistry essential to productively coexist, especially at the top of the lineup.

“They don’t fit together well,” Jackson explained. “Stoudemire doesn’t fit together well with Carmelo. Stoudemire’s a really good player. But he’s got to play in a certain system and a way. Carmelo has to be a better passer. And the ball can’t stop every time it hits his hands. They need to have someone come in that can kind of blend that group together.”

So, good luck with all that, Mike Woodson.

                                                      -Stay Addicted2TheGame 

[addicted2thegame-blog]

Dwyane Wade concedes hatred between NBA stars is lacking.

If you watched the documentary shown on NBA TV about the 1992 Dream Team that won gold at the Olympics in Barcelona, one thing that stood out was how competitive the players were. The players didn’t want to stop when they were scrimmaging because they wanted to beat each other, and there were big rivalries among players on the team.

Charles Barkley wanted to prove he was a better power forward than Karl Malone, ditto for David Robinson and Patrick Ewing, and Michael Jordan wanted to show he was better than Magic Johnson. That competition created a heated environment, and it seemed to bring out the best in the players.

Dwyane Wade watched the documentary and talked about it with the media on Thursday.

The Heat guard, who has played in the NBA since 2003 and participated in two Olympics for the national team, conceded that the hatred between stars isn’t the same as it was.

“I’m not going to say it’s missing,” Wade said and then smiled. “It’s missing . . . It’s a different time. Now it’s not as much hatred. It’s still competitiveness, guys want to beat other guys, but it’s a different world, it’s a different time where guys have an opportunity to be around each other more and be closer.”

There aren’t many people who followed the NBA during both eras who would disagree. The Heat’s big three came together in Miami because of friendships the players forged. And outside of guys like Kobe, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, and Derrick Rose, how many star players strike you as super competitive to the point they’re not friendly with a lot of opponents? LeBron James and Kevin Durant, who are the biggest stars in the NBA Finals, worked out together over the summer. Chris Paul and Tony Parker stay at each other’s houses and do dinner before they square off. Things have definitely changed.

                                                      -Stay Addicted2TheGame 

[addicted2thegame-blog]

At some point I'm going to hit my James Harden beard saturation point, but I'm not quite there yet. We’ve seen his beard made into a cake, and put on the front of a building in OKC. Now we’re seeing it as a fruit salad made of pineapple, blueberries, blackberries, kiwi, strawberry, and an orange slice. I don’t know about you, but I certainly see the resemblance.

                                                         -Stay Addicted2TheGame 

[addicted2thegame-blog]

The Thunder erased a 13-point deficit to come back and beat the Heat in Game 1 of the NBA Finals Tuesday night, andRussell Westbrook’s monster second half was a big reason why. After scoring a modest nine points in the first half, Westbrook went off for 18 in the second.  He appeared to be playing with a purpose, and the Thunder guard said his exchange with Shane Battier that you see above is what led to that.

“That’s all I need every once in a while,” Westbrook said after the game according to Yahoo! Sports. “I don’t know what he was thinking. I needed something. We needed something.”

Westbrook finished with nearly a triple-double, as he also added 11 assists and eight rebounds. Durant scored 36, but you could argue that it was Westbrook who was the difference maker in the game.

As for whether or not Battier tried to “punk” him, it doesn’t really appear that way. If anything, it was Westbrook who was acting out of line while Battier was trying to get to the baseline to inbound the ball. But if that’s what it takes for Westbrook to turn into an animal, I’m sure Thunder fans will gladly welcome it.

                                                          -Stay Addicted2TheGame