RJ: The Next Scottie Pippen?

By Guichard Cadet


I have often wondered why no player is referred to as “the next Scottie Pippen”. The man has 6 championship rings with the same team and served as the complement to one of the NBA’s greatest of all-time. Perception is the problem; and it states that if Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were a sandwich, they would be a BLT. In that type of setup, Michael is the meat and Scottie can be no more than a complement – a mere vegetable.

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Stern Warning

Societal Implications of the NBA Dress Code

By Guichard Cadet

This past week NBA Commissioner David Stern put on his “throwback” thinking cap and legislated a dress code for the league. Opinions ranged the gamut, with personal preference dictating which side of the issue one took.

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Big Man Hunting

by Guichard Cadet


Fast forward to the 2004 off-season and nearly everyone is lambasting Isiah for overpaying to acquire Jamal Crawford. On its own merit, the signing is not as bad as some have made it out; but coupled with getting Eddy Curry, the Crawford signing is simply pure genius.

The Eddy Curry signing can be broken down to this simple equation. If a close friend moves to a city and tells you life is lovely there, and you've been itching to move away from home – What do you do? You find a way to move there. I am not saying Bulls GM Paxson did not overplay his hand in dealing with Curry’s heart injury and contract negotiation. It’s just that he may have joined the card game a bit too late to know who was in cahoots with whom.

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Nothin' But Nets: In-Vince-Ability

It is sad to say but Vince Carter is truly the piece that will get move to acquire such a big man.Carter fills the one major void that any floundering team looks at when willing to trade a superstar level big. He has drawing power and the offensive skill-set to bring most teams to playoff contention – provided the teams has a solid plan.

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Nothin' But Nets: The Battle for New York (part 2)

Back in April I wrote an article on how sports teams jockey for position in the New York / New Jersey area. Yesterday, the New Jersey Nets took the next step in their quest to enhance their presence in this battlefield.

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Nothin' But Nets: Nets Get Physical!!!

At the 4 & 5 the Nets have offensive talent (Krstic), bangers (Collins and Jackson) and outside threats (Robinson, Padgett and Murray).

Still not convinced? Why make all these moves when the team could have simply signed SAR? SAR at the mid-level or slightly above for 5 years would be impossible to trade, whereas any of the recent acquisitions can be packaged for what will eventually be Thorn’s biggest move.

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Alternate Side of the Streak Hitting

by Guichard Cadet

In mimicking this city regulation, the Mets only hit for a few games or series at a time. In the month of August, they had 140 runs scored while giving up 104, but only earned a record of 16 wins against 12 losses. They ended up winning only 4 out 9 series.

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Willie, Mets Chase: Wild Card or Wild Goose

by Guichard Cadet

It really is time for an adjustment or else the progress the rest of the team has made will result in a Wild Goose chase instead of a Wild Card spot.

Everyone wants Aaron Heilman as a starter next year. The best thing to do would be to use him as the closer instead. If we can't get rid of Looper, then he could be the setup man.

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Lastings Effect

Although fame is often fleeting, for some it has a lasting effect as to how they live the rest of their lives when the glare of the spotlight disappears. Lastings Milledge is the product of a faded glow, one which has not only disappeared for his father, but also his older brothers – all of whom had MLB aspirations.

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Mets Reach Breaking Point

by Guichard Cadet

This year they should not be fooled by their record. The Mets must go into a selling frenzy, and take back prospects in exchange to dumping the salaries of 3 specific players: Braden Looper, Kaz Ishii and Kaz Matsuii.

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Isiah’s Q: Trading Ariza the High-Riser?

by Guichard Cadet

Individually all three draft picks were solid, as was the acquisition of Quentin (Q) Richardson. Yet, except for Frye who is expected to log in minutes at the center position, the new pick-ups were a replication of filled positions. Unless Thomas pulls the trigger on a trade involving Trevor Ariza, the Knicks have a log jam at four positions.

Ariza’s rookie season has raised the expectations of Knicks fans. He is a swing player whose upside could be equal to that of The Truth, better known as Paul Pierce. Or, he can become another high-riser without a consistent jumper or handle to dominate at either the Shooting Guard or Small Forward position.

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2005 NBA Playoffs: Face The Music

by Rob King

Renowned poet and musician Gil Scott Heron said that Black people never die in scary movies because they can hear the music that forecasts imminent danger. As soon as they hear the ominous melodies they respond accordingly.

As we all know a series does not begin until the home team loses. After watching four games where only the home team bothered to show up, fans and viewers were finally treated to competitive contests in games five and six. Game 5 featured Horry’s heroics, while Game 6 turned into Rasheed’s redemption.

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Being Mike Tyson

by Guichard Cadet

But this past Saturday night, Tyson went from Iron Mike to becoming the major irony confronting people of color worldwide. He gave up fighting a white opponent, though he was ahead in points. Stating that he was too old for this, he validated the major socio-political stance of today’s youth. Fighting racism is a meaningless battle, especially when it is against an invisible opponent, or one who has no clue of your history.

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Larry Brown and American Basketball On Trial, Again

by Guichard Cadet

Oddly enough right after the first loss in Greece, Larry Brown had begun separating his coaching and reputation as the reason for the team’s losses. LB is a great coach who has won in various situations, and on so many levels. He is to American basketball, what management consultants, in their heyday, were to American business. These specialists are change agents, charged with correcting a particular process that has either gone awry or failed to produce the desired result. LB and other consultant-types have generic systems they apply to all problems.

The problem with American basketball is one that can never be fixed. It is part of the sport’s evolutionary process. Larry Brown either did not realize or respect the types of weapons he had at his disposal – the combination of Speed and Power. Two players – Amare Stoudemire and Emeka Okafor - epitomized this change, and they received the least amount of playing time.

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Canadian Sun Set, or Miami On Ice?

by Rob King

Dr. James Naismith would be proud to see the remarkable run of his fellow country man and regular season MVP Steve Nash. Over the past four games Canadian son, Steve Nash surpassed Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan, becoming the first player in NBA history with four consecutive playoff games of at least 25 points and 10 assists. The nasty Nash show recorded this feat in the final two contests of the Dallas series and the first two games of the Conference finals against San Antonio.

Nash’s run will conclude quickly unless Phoenix can rise from the ashes and get back into their Western Conference series with the Spurs that resumes tonight. After dropping the first two games on their home floor, the Suns are confronted with the challenge of having to win tonight to prevent the Spurs from putting a stranglehold on the series.

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2 Err On The Side of Crushing

It is easy to play ‘Chicken Little’ and exclaim the season over, because these past losses are a stark reminder of last year’s lost season when the infielders committed errors at inopportune moments. When starting pitchers rarely went past five innings, often spotting opponents early runs. When relievers failed to provide reassurance that the other team will not get another insurance run.

The stark difference between these recent losses and last year’s: one really felt the Mets would win these games with late inning heroics. Though manager Willie Randolph sees the errors as growing pains, some of the plays are signs the young infielders are not throwing caution to the wind, and have instead adopted a reckless streak in their approach to the game.

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Playoffs Wrap-up: Three The Hard Way

by Rob King

It’s now obvious where the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion obtained their brain, heart and courage. All items came courtesy of the Washington Wizards who played the Miami Heat without all three. Now they’re off to the Land of Oz after melting under intense playoff Heat.

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sunday wrap-up: Deuces Are Wild

When it comes to what plagues the NBA, many point to the lack of fundamentals exhibited by the league’s new entrants. If either of these teams wins the Western Conference or the championship, this series is the precursor to a pint-sized defensive style of play that will afflict the NBA for decades.

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NBA Playoffs First Round Wrap

by Rob King

For authentic hoop heads the 2005 playoffs have been entertaining. Personally I have been rolling with the Wildcats as former University of Arizona point guards wrapped up their first round playoff series - Jason Terry of the Dallas Mavericks, and Gilbert Arenas of the Washington Wizards.

Up in Boston, the Celtics hoped to emulate their New England neighbors in the NFL and end the title hopes of another team from Indiana. They tried beating the Pacers in game seven and putting Miller time on ice forever. But, the Indiana Pacers showed they could handle “The Truth” and beat Boston for a Game 7 road win.

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Phil’s Texas Ten Spot

by Rob King

A playoff series loss to the Mavericks would further cement the Rockets M and M boys’ reputation for melting in the playoffs. McGrady has never advanced past the first round of the playoffs in his career, while Ming seems to be folding in the postseason under pressure like a bad poker hand. Add Phil Jackson to the mix and the Rockets will not only easily move past the first round but become instant threats to dethrone the winners of this year’s championship. Phil’s reputation alone assures this outcome.

When Jackson peruses the current NBA landscape, coaching Houston is the only position that provides a real opportunity to get his record breaking 10th NBA title. The Rockets’ star players Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming along with role players like David Wesley and Scott Padgett are well suited to execute “Chief Triangle’s” offense.

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Sunday wrap-up: Series Business

With one week of NBA playoffs done, it is rather easy to discern the trouble spots for a team’s losing ways.


3 & 6 match-ups – The Truth: it’s Miller time ‘cause He Got Game

In both conferences, there was a common theme of the three lower echelon teams wanting to finish as the 6th seed in order to face Seattle or Boston. Even if you’re not religious, Sunday night, you had to give praise to Ray Allen doing his best ‘Jesus Shuttlesworth’ impersonation, as he torched the Sacramento Kings for 45. Allen could have easily gone for 55, had not the team decided to involve Jerome James and Rashard Lewis.

The most up & down series to date features two teams with short fuses. Game 2 and 3 was about Reggie Miller’s range, while in Game 4 Paul Pierce showed why he was dubbed ‘The Truth'…of the matter, Antoine Walker - getting suspended for Game 4 - gave credence to Danny Ainge’s concern, and why this team’s core (Pierce and Walker) need to be traded, unless they reach the Conference Finals.


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Phil’s Not My Father

In contemplating a return to coaching, Phil Jackson has placed himself in the unenviable position of being seen as a weary, wayward traveler always in search of greener pastures. Jackson’s prior success with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers places him in the pantheon of coaching greats. Detractors are quick to point his success lies in his choosing teams where superstar players reside, bemoaning the fact that Phil may know Zen but he’s no master of the X’s and O’s.

When it comes to winning NBA championships, even Larry Brown, the great re-builder, had to go where the players were. Many label the Detroit Pistons as a team void of superstars, evidently using the label to mean “media darlings” and not players with well-rounded offensive and defensive prowess.

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