Le Basketbawl

New York Vinnie wants to wish a Happy And Healthy New Year to all my new friends who have made 2009 so fantastic for Le Basketbawl! New York Vinnie was really not sure if this was a world that I would fit into. Judging by your responses those concerns have long been erased! You have shown New York Vinnie that  You Can Handle The Truth and You Do Want Some One To Tell It Like It Is!  

New York Vinnie told you from day one that I don’t play Nicey-Nice and I will not pull my punches. New York Vinnie has kept that pledge to you and you have responded with Frickin Killer support! New York Vinnie can not thank you enough; for if you are not  there than I am not here!

Things will only continue to get bigger and better at “The House That New York Vinnie Built” Le Basketbawl in 2010. Thanks for your continued  support!

Go take a look at the NBA Draft for 2003 and New York Vinnie guarantees that your Frickin jaw will drop in Frickin amazement of all the talent that entered the NBA that year! Here is a great example; All-Star forward David West was taken with pick number 17 by the New Orleans Hornets. Dwyane Wade  who is on just about every body’s top five list as the one of the NBA greats was taken number 5 by the Miami Heat.

You want to talk about a Frickin Treasure Chest  this was the year! It was really tough to mess up that year; however one team did and they may have set the Frickin wheels in motion that made a young man’s time in the NBA seem like a Frickin nightmare. And unfortunately this player has been so badly burned by his experience that he will leave the NBA and head back to Europe at the end of this season.

Out of the top six players picked in the 2003 NBA Draft; four have already been named to NBA  All-Star Teams and in New York Vinnie’s opinion a fifth player Chris Kaman should make it this year. But what about that sixth player? Why  has he not been as successful as LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh or D-Wade? Quite possibly because the team that picked him took him with far too high a selection and then allowed him to rot on the bench.

If you have not figured out by now New York Vinnie is referring to current New York Knicks forward Darko Milicic who was taken with the second pick by the Detroit Pistons.  He then spent the next two and a half years collecting splinters on the bench as he was used in limited games and given incredibly limited minutes. You know the old saying;  “Use It Or Lose It.” If you are not playing your skills will Frickin decline and even more importantly your confidence will suffer.

“Mlive.com” spoke with the player now in his seventh season in the NBA and asked him if he thought that the Pistons had lied to him during his time with the team. Milicic responded “Yes, they did. “They lie to everybody. It’s the NBA. The NBA, all around the league, same (stuff). ‘Your chance is going to come.’ All that kind of (stuff). (Forget) that! I’ve got enough of that kind of stuff, so I decided I’m going to Europe. I don’t know why they took me with the second pick if you’re not going to play me. I never understood that, you know. I was happy being the second pick and all that kind of stuff, but I never knew what I got myself into. I never knew I was coming here not to play. Nobody was telling me anything.”

Darko told reporters he was now looking at his situation realistically. He said “I’ve got to be real. There is no team in the league that is going to give me the chance that I’m looking for. My only chance is back in Europe. I’m going to do that. I want to be happy. I want to play.”

A couple of weeks ago when Milicic told the press he was going back to Europe New York Vinnie was pretty Frickin hard on Darko. New York Vinnie called him a quitter and a baby and I was wrong! This young man was sold a Frickin bill of goods with every team he went to. He wants to play so he is heading back home to do that rather than just sit on the bench for an NBA team and take their money! New York Vinnie has nothing but respect for that!

We will never know what would have happened if Darko was taken with a team he could have played for. What we do know is this young man was given a Frickin bum ride for seven Frickin years and he wants to go home!

New York Vinnie was about to come out here and tell you that Minnesota Timberwolves Team President is possibly the stupidest most incompetent man in this Great Nation of ours and possibly the entire Free World. However New York Vinnie then realized that there is a man that is even more stupid and more incompetent than Kahn and that would be the man who hired him Minnesota Timberwolves Majority Team Owner Glen Taylor.

Maybe New York Vinnie watched too many medical TV shows growing up but this phrase keeps running through my head. David Kahn is just a Frickin Symptom it is Glen Taylor that is the Frickin Disease. Glen Taylor has taken a team that once captured the hearts of people from the state of Minnesota and burned it to the Frickin ground. David Kahn is just doing a whole bunch of nothing in trying to rebuild the team.

The “Associated Press” reported Monday night that a deal that the Timberwolves sent out a press release on never went down. The T-Wolves had issued a press release that they had acquired veteran shooting guard Devin Brown from the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for journeyman point guard Jason Hart.

There was only one problem; the Frickin trade was never made! So Minnesota then had to Frickin scramble and worked  out a trade with the Phoenix Suns and got forward Alando Tucker  and a second round pick in next June’s NBA Draft for Hart.

Here is the press release that the Timberwolves sent out on the trade that never happened. Kahn wrote “Jason has been the consummate professional during his time with us, but it was a rare opportunity to add a proven player with 3-point shooting capabilities that will help our offense. Devin should be a nice addition to our team defensively, as well. He has a reputation as a tough kid and hard-nosed defender.”

Brown would have been a nice addition to the Timberwolves as the veteran has played in 24 games for the Hornets and is averaging 10 points per  game and is shooting 41% from three point range. Now Tucker has played in 11 games for the Suns this season and has averaged 3.9 points per game and is shooting 14% from three point range. Just a tad different in the bottom line.

Here is the press release that Kahn issued after picking up Tucker. Kahn wrote “I want to thank Jason Hart for being a consummate professional with us. This was a very hard trade to make precisely because Jason has been so helpful to our team both on and off the court. We wish him well. We are eager to have Alando join us this week. Everything we know about him is that he is a hardworking young man who has not had the opportunity for significant playing time. Finally, this was an opportunity for us to acquire a second-round pick in next year’s draft which is another asset for our team.”

What a Frickin bunch of Crapolla and this Frickin moron still has a Frickin job! The reason that he does is the PUD he works for is a bigger Frickin Imbecile! Kahn is like Frickin the Bizarro version of King Midas; everything he touches turns to Crapolla.

T-Wolves fans New York Vinnie feels your pain all too Frickin well as we have our own Frickin Einstein in “El Douche” James Dolan that owns the Knicks. So you may be Frickin miserable but you are not alone and it could be worse! You could be a Nets fan.

New York Vinnie has never  joined any “Fantasy Leagues” in any sport. New York Vinnie has nver quite grasped the concept of rooting for players that do not play on your own favorite team. If Red Sox catcher Victor Martinez is on my “Fantasy Team” I would have to root for him when plays the Yankees?

Are you out of your Frickin mind? That like goes against Frickin laws of nature; it’s like mating a dog with a cat. Its just Frickin wrong in New York Vinnie’s opinion to root for any player not on the team that you are a fan of. But a whole lot of people think differently and that is why “Fantasy Leagues” are so popular.

New York Vinnie roots for “New York Teams.” The World Champions the Bronx Bombers in MLB; the New York Giants in the NFL and of course “MY BOYS” the New York Knicks in the NBA. There is no divided loyalties in New York Vinnie’s head. Well at least until this NBA season there wasn’t.

You see your Old Pal New York Vinnie made a prediction back in the summer that the Boston Celtics would win the NBA Finals next June. So now New York Vinnie’s reputation is on the line; and I don’t back away once I make a prediction. You read guys all the time making predictions at the beginning of the year they come up wrong and they never mention it again. New York Vinnie is not like that; if the Celtics win or lose you will know whether I was right or wrong. Now as a fan I never want to see Boston win; but as the man who runs “The House That New York Vinnie Built” Le Basketbawl I now do have mixed loyalties.

Last year on Christmas Day the Boston Celtics were 27-2 on Christmas Morning before they took on the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center that day. Los Angeles defeated Boston 92-83 and the Celtics would start a long slide down as they would go 2-7 and were 29-9 on the season after losing to Cleveland on Jaunuary 9.

Boston played this year on Christmas Day beating the Orlando Magic 86-77 and get their record to 23-5. The Lakers lost that day to the Cavaliers so both teams had the same record. The Celtics  then traveled to the West  Coast and on Sunday they were back in the Staples Center however this time they faced the Clippers a team that is truly in the have-nots category in the NBA. The Celtics lost that game as Baron Davis hit an outside jumper at the buzzer to give his team the 92-90 victory.

Monday night Boston traveled up  the coast and took on another bad team the Golden State Warriors and once again they lost 103-99. The Celtics are now 23-7 and will  take on the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday in the last game of the road trip. Phoenix defeated the Lakers on Monday night and the Celtics lost to the Suns in Boston on November 6, by a score of 110-103.

New York Vinnie could never in my wildest Frickin imagination conceive writing the following words but I am concerned about the Celtics! Now granted the team is playing without one of their key players as Paul Pierce is out after knee surgery. However even without Pierce they should have beaten both of the stiff teams they lost to.

So Boston despite New York Vinnie’s disgust in admitting it this year I do have a rooting interest in you. Now don’t go and make it Frickin worse and prove New York Vinnie wrong.

New York Vinnie truly likes visiting the West Coast because there are some Frickin incredible cities there. New York Vinnie loves Seattle and San Francisco; outside of New York City they may be the two best cities in this Great Nation of ours. San Diego is Frickin beautiful and Los Angeles is Frickin whacked but it is a fun town.

However New York Vinnie would never want to live on the West Coast even if they somehow could duplicate New York City and put it there. The reason is the time zone; everything in the USA is based on EST. You who live on the West Coast unfortunately get the short end of the stick. Yes we follow the Lakers and the Dodgers and Giants when they are hot but for the most part the rest of the West Coast teams do not get a lot of play on the Eastern Seaboard.

The last couple of years the Portland Trail Blazers have started getting a little East Coast Love due to the play of Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. They thought they had the third part of a trio in “MR.RICKETS” the number one pick in the 2007 NBA Draft center Greg Oden but he physically falls apart every year.

The Golden State Warriors had a taste of success a couple of seasons ago upsetting the Dallas Mavericks but other than that they have not had real good teams since the Chris Mullin years in the nineties. The Sacramento Kings had a good run a few years ago now they are trying to rebuild if they can ever keep Kevin Martin Frickin healthy. New York Vinnie still does not understand why they traded Miller and Salmons to Chicago last year.

And then we get to the other team in Los Angeles; the homely step-sister the Clippers. However the Clippers did not look like a two-bagger when they defeated the Boston Celtics Sunday night at the Staples Center by a final of 92-90. The team pulled the upset basically due to the efforts of two men; point guard Baron Davis and Los Angeles center Chris Kaman.

If you are a regular here at “The House That New York Vinnie Built” Le Basketbawl you may be familiar with a couple of columns I have written. Who Is The Biggest White Stiff Of All Time In The NBA? and Even More Of The Biggest White Stiffs To Have Played In The NBA! When Chris Kaman came into the NBA in the 2003-2004 season New York Vinnie was certain he would eventually end up on one of those lists. The first few years of his career in the NBA looked like that was the Frickin route he would end up taking. But things started to turn around in the 2007-2008 season.

That season was the best of his NBA career as he showed he had the ability to be a legitimate force in the middle. Kaman averaged a double-double for that season with career highs 15.7 points and 12.7 rebounds per game. Things looked like they were finally coming together for the big man but an injury last season allowed him to play just 31 games and he averaged just 12.0 points and 8 rebounds per game.

This season would be the telling season for Kaman; was his career year a fluke or was he the real deal. Well 30 games into this season and Kaman has been one of the few bright spots on the Clippers roster. The center is averaging 20 points and 9.2 rebounds per game and was a key reason that the Clippers beat the Celtics on Sunday.

New York Vinnie is a guy who likes to see people rewarded for dedication and hard work and Kaman’s numbers are certainly a reflection of that. Now he will not get voted in by the fans; however does Chris Kaman belong on the NBA West All-Star Team in Dallas this February?

As far as New York Vinnie is concerned he does. Kaman did not allow himself to stagnate and just get by. He dedicated himself to being a better player and eventually that will pay off either with the Clippers or as a Free Agent for another team. But in New York Vinnie’s mind Kaman should be picked by the coaches and get his propers in February.

Growing up in the Seventies one of New York Vinnie’s favorite TV shows was “Happy Days.” Well little Opie Cunningham who is actually named Ron Howard was at Madison Square Garden on Christmas Day attending New York Vinnie’s BOYS loss to the Miami Heat. MSG has provided us with a little info on what Howard is doing these days.

The Toronto Raptors shot 33-63 from the floor on Sunday and Raptors forward Chris Bosh had a double-double as the Raptors defeated the Detroit Pistons by a final of 102-95. The Raptors now have their last four games the longest winning streak they have had all season. Detroit’s season is going in the other direction; namely down the sewer as the club has now lost seven straight. Pistons forward returned to the starting line-up as he was activated from the injured list but he was not much of a factor in the game.

Bosh was the game’s leading scorer as he had 25 points while Richard Hamilton and Ben Gordon coming off the bench each had 15 in the loss for Detroit. The Pistons last victory was over 2 weeks ago when they defeated the Golden State Warriors on December 12 by a score of 104-95. That game would be Detroit’s fifth straight win; and that is one the team’s problems is their lack of consistency from game to game.

The first half looked like it was going to be a blow-out for the Raptors but Detroit would climb back into the game in the third quarter. Toronto would be on top at the end of the first with the score 29-22. In the second the Pistons looked like they were extras from “Dawn Of The Living Dead” and the Raptors hit half-time leading 60-41.

Somebody must lit a fire under their bench in the third as Detroit looked like a whole different team and got themselves back into a game at the end of the quarter as Toronto’s lead was down to 74-69. The Pistons had one more run left in them and cut the Raptors lead to a single point at 85-84 with 5:47 left in the game as Tayshaun Prince put the rock in the hole from 7 feet away. However they could get no closer and Toronto would  pull away and hang on for the victory.

Chris Bosh had a double-double as he put 25 points on the scoreboard while grabbing 15 rebounds off the backboard, he would also have 3 blocks and 1 assist. Jarrett Jack  scored 17 points while Andrea Bargnani had 16 points and  Hedo Turkoglu added 14 in the win.

Richard Hamilton and Ben Gordon both would led the Pistons as each player knocked down 15 points.   Jonas Jerebko and Rodney Stuckey would score 14 points apiece while Ben Wallace added 10 points in the loss. Toronto sees their record improve to 15-17 and will have the Charlotte Bobcats in town on Wednesday. Detroit is now 11-19 and will be at MSG Tuesday night as they take on the New York Knicks.