Bulldog

My vote - Rudy Gay. i think this guy has all the tools to be pretty special.

Pavel Podkolzin had so much hype coming out of the draft a couple of years ago and we have heard virtually nothing since the Mavs drafted him.

Does anyone know if he is going to play any time soon?

He dropped 100 points in a high school game, played a year at Memphis, gets chosen #6 in the draft by Cleveland, plays for 3 years and is injured most of the last 2 and then dropped of the face of the earth this year...

Is he still playing? It would be interesting to see if he is over his injuries as he would be a cheap pick up for the Hawks at Guard with a ton of potential.

Bryant, Duncan, Garnett, Iverson, Wilkins are in

Dave Bing, Nate Thurmond, Dave Cowens, Sam Jones, Dave DeBusschere are out...

Channing Frye is averaging 17 minutes per game on court over his last 5 games. I just dont understand what Larry Brown is doing there. Frye has been one of the few high points of the Knicks season and should be starting at center over Curry. He has the potential to be an all star and carry the team, but he needs court time to gain experience and savvy. Bad move from Brown...

i hope this happens so that we can finally see whether darko is a bust or not. I dont think he will "do a Jermaine O'Neal" but he might get to somewhere near Zaza Pachulia type numbers next year

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_spor...all/4660700.stm

It was an evening that answered those people who ask "Is there any basketball in Britain?"

Well yes, there is, and, for one night at least, we had multi-tattooed, multi-pierced former NBA rebound-machine Dennis Rodman playing in our league for the Brighton Bears.

Tickets were gold dust. Bears coach Nick Nurse reckoned they could have sold 10,000 tickets for Rodman's debut against Guildford on Saturday.

They squeezed 1,800 fans, reporters, photographers and cameramen into the Burgess Hill Triangle.

Dennis is still a big draw!

Now it seems that the Boozer to the Wolves rumours are dying down after Glen Taylor said they were not trading KG, so the Boozer to the Lakers rumours are starting instead:

Sam Smith/Chicago Tribune - One hot rumor more than a year ago was that Utah power forward Carlos Boozer was going to the Lakers. Boozer was criticized last season by team owner Larry Miller, who had signed him to a $68 million deal.

He hasn't played this season because of a hamstring injury.

Last week there was a note in the Los Angeles Times that Boozer had purchased a 5,600-square-foot home with 10 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms, a guest house, elevator, racquetball court and tennis court in L.A. for $8.6 million

Sports Illustrated - According to Sports Illustrated's 'Truth And Rumor's section, the St. Paul Pioneer Press is reporting that the Timberwolves may talk trade with the Utah Jazz , with the discussions focusing on Minnesota big man Michael Olowonkandi and either Troy Hudson or Marko Jaric, and disappointing Utah forward Carlos Boozer.

'Don't be surprised if the Timberwolves talk trade with the Jazz, with Michael Olowokandi going to Utah for Carlos Boozer, and with either Troy Hudson or Marko Jaric of the Wolves as part of a deal,' the piece states.

The move, if it ever comes to fruition, would indictate the Jazz are giving up on the oft injured Boozer, whose bloated contract runs through 09/10. Olowonkandi would come off the books after this season while both Hudson and Jaric are signed to long term deals

Minny would have to get an all star in return, not just expiring contracts.

Shawn Marion and Raja Bell...? Andre Miller and Nene...? Paul Pierce...?

I see a deal more along those lines than simply cap space. But maybe I will be wrong. Minnesota's management have not done a great job since they drafted KG...

anyone heard anything concrete on this rumour..?

For me Mehmet Okur... He is averaging 21 points and 11.3 rebounds per game leading the Jazz to a 3-1 start - he has stepped up.

Honorable mention - Gerald Wallace - 20 ppg, 7 rpg 3 apg

I think there were a few suprises - I thought the Hornets would win 20 games this year. They showed promise to do better than that. PJ still has life in his legs and heas Claxton, Smith and Paul to pick up some slack. Lets be honest the Kings have Bibby, Peja, Miller, Abdur Rahim - thats a quality side. This victory was a surprise and has to lift the Hornets.

The other big surprise for me was Webber - awesome performance from someone who was meant to be finished

I would say at the end of the season the starting 5 will be Jasikevicius, Jackson, Artest, O'Neal, Foster.

Tinsley, Jones and Granger will all come off the bench. Maybe next year Granger will crack the starting 5 and Artest will move to the 2 spot.

I do agree, but nevertheless he was a disappointment at college (relative to his hype) and he has been fantastic in the pre-season against NBA and fringe NBA talent. I hear what you say about playing against lesser opposition, but he is still playing against guys that have made it to an NBA pre-season roster. Lets see what he does in the regular season.

I am amazed by Villanueva so far. I know it is only pre-season, but if he has anything like the production he is showing into the regular season a lot of people will be eating their words about this pick.

I was one who thought he would be a bust, so maybe Toronto are not quite as stupid as we thought...!

I think that Danny Granger could be the most slept on rookie. At 6-8 he can play both forward spots and as he is probably competing for minutes with Jeff Foster, Croshere and maybe Bender to be first off the bench behind O'Neal and Artest. As O'Neal will no doubt play some center he is probably going to get around 25 minutes a night and as his 19 point 15 rebound display against the Spurs shows, he can play. I think he will probably get around 10ppg and 6 rpg for the season with steady improvement throughout. He looks like he will prove to be a great choice at #17.

Garnett shouldnt need some trash talk to bring that sort of game every night though. That is what is missing from him...

I think he might go the other way and turn up in pimp suit type threads...

I dont really thin it is a lot. Tim Thomas are gone in a year. There is a remote possibility that Sweetney may stick around at a cheap price. Jackson is a throw in. The second round choices - you rarely get a find who will really contribute and make a difference in the second round. and one conditional first round pick - so it will probably be low.

None of those assets are particularly good taken on their own. The Knicks got a good veteran in a position they need to improve with Davis. and they got a potential perennial all-star in Curry. All this deal hinges on is risk factor. If Curry is healthy the Knicks hit a big home run. Curry has weaknesses but he is still in the top 10 centers in the game already. If Curry doesnt pass the medical they can rescind the trade.

The only bad scenario is Curry passes the medical and then has problems down the road. Then they have given up some cap flexibility and a 1st round pick. I dont see that as giving up too much at the end of the day.

I would go for Corrales again. He has the biggest heart in boxing and will not give in. I think it will go the distance this time though...

anyone agree?

I agree with everything you say. Isaiah is betting that Curry can become Patrick Ewing, because if not there is no real plan B...

Marbury, Crawford, Richardson, Taylor, Curry. That's a pretty good starting 5. Maybe Channing Frye will see time at the 4 too.

I think this team makes the playoffs at 7 or 8. I dont see them challenging Miami, Indiana, New Jersey or Detroit. So I probably see them going out in round one to one of these teams. I think they will compete with the 2nd tier of the East with Chicago, Washington, Philadelphia, Boston and Cleveland.

Anyone agree?

He is going to be on his jock in a big way... His defense better shape up or he will be in a world of pain...!

I agree. Their drafting has been appalling the last 2 years too, Araujo and Villanueva? Maybe its too early to say on Villanueva and he could surprise, but a lot is resting on Chris Bosh. That guy needs some help and if Jalen Rose loses interest they may as well mail in the season and go for Rudy Gay or Tiago Splitter or whoever is the consensus number 1 pick..

Houston on the other hand went a long way to challenging for rings with this move. PG has been a problem position for them since Vernon Maxwell left, and now they have a guy who averaged 6.4 assists per game to get the ball to Yao. He can also hit the 3 which is a nice complement to Yao down low and McGrady slashing to the hoop. Houston look real strong. If Swift can become a 10 rebound, 3 block guy and add say 10 points per game they are looking very good. They just need to sort out the small forward position. But with Derek Anderson, Dikembe and Juwan Howard on the bench, they are also deep.