Tommy Beer of Hoopsworld checks in with more video of dunking madness. This time it's French Algerian Kadour Ziani. My word. Three or four times watching that video I said to myself "yup, that would have won this year's NBA dunk contest." He has one real advantage over other dunkers: he's immune to gravity. More video here.
I got a lot of email from people who were not impressed with how bitter the Knicks were about losing to badly to the Bulls last night. 3ManLift is on the case, as is Basketbawful, with some helpful advice: "The bottom line is this: the real problem is that the Knicks suck. So my message to the Knicks is that, if you don't like getting blown out by 20 or 30 points every night, just stop sucking." Even Knick fans can't find anything to get excited about. Knickerblogger writes: "A Mike Sweetney sighting! If Frank Williams and Cezary Trybanski had been signed to 10-day contracts, I could have just dusted off a 2004 KnickerBlogger post and I don't think anyone would have noticed." Posting and Toasting (PG-13) adds: "From here on out I will try not to discuss specific events of the game, in an attempt to completely erase it from my memory."
In November, my friend Kelly Dwyer of SI.com emailed me to point out that referee Jess Kersey gets knocked down in the course of play. A lot. Last night he e-mailed an update: "Kersey got rocked again tonight, Corey Maggette ran right into him. He seems ok, though."
Go here and click on "Set Shot Blues" for a little ditty about Rasheed Wallace's 62-foot game-winner against Denver.
Fear not, Blazer fans. LaMarcus Aldridge has already had an ablation procedure to correct his heart problem (as have both Meat Loaf and Joey Harrington). Translation: the show goes on. Brian Meehan has all the details.
ESPN Insider Chad Ford: "UCLA's Arron Afflalo decided he was through playing college ball on Tuesday. Afflalo declared for the draft, and since he's already declared once before, he's no longer eligible to return to school if he doesn't like what he hears from NBA scouts. So ... will he like what he hears? Not if he's talking to the same GMs I'm talking to, all of whom have him rated between the second round and undrafted."
One of the most intense battles in the NBA right now is for those last spots in the West. The Clippers lost a doozy in overtime to New Orleans last night, and here's how smaller, faster Hornets secured the key rebounds in the extra session.
Jackie MacMullan writes a must-read piece for ESPN.com about the future of Al Jefferson, who some speculate could be on the move: "Team sources confirmed that if the Celtics end up with either the No. 1 or 2 pick (which would land them either Ohio State's Greg Oden or Texas' Kevin Durant, in that preferred order), they will not trade it. That would leave Jefferson, who was averaging 15.8 points and 10.9 rebounds a game before being sidelined with a bruised knee, as the major bait for a major veteran. Big Al, meanwhile, consistently has chafed at the incessant talk of Oden in Celtics green. 'We don't need a big man,' he sniffed recently. 'We already have one. I just hope and pray Danny believes that me and Paul are the ones who can get us to the playoffs.'" It's working great so far, Al.
The Air Force Academy needs a coach. Jake Schaller reports for the Colorado Springs Gazette, and wonders if class of 1970 alum Gregg Popovich might consider it: "Asked if he would ever consider coming back to the academy to lead the program, Popovich laughed. 'I'm not good enough for that job,' said Popovich, who has guided the Spurs to three NBA titles. 'That job's way, way, way too tough for me. I need to stay where I am.'"
So much bad news for the Heat these days! Udonis Haslem is hurt. Gary Payton is out two to three weeks. Dwyane Wade lacks explosiveness. Shaquille O'Neal is out grieving. Antoine Walker has been unreliable. It's unclear who will play small forward. And how about this, from Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel: "Alonzo Mourning appears to be running on fumes, with 0-for-3 shooting and just two rebounds in his 18 minutes."
Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle on Bonzi Wells: "A day after Wells skipped Monday's game in Seattle, the Rockets decided he will not play again this season, a person with knowledge of the team's decision-making said Tuesday. Wells left the team Tuesday to return to Houston. He will be fined for the "unexcused absence" from the game he missed. He will not be suspended or released. But after returning to the court Friday and Sunday after 18 games on the inactive list, he will be back on the inactive list for the final four regular-season games and the playoffs."
Dan Steinberg of the D.C. Sports Bog: "I swear, my brave mission to cheer up Wizards fans grows more treacherous by the second. Next week, you can expect me to be pointing out that the hot dogs at the VC are, by all accounts, fully cooked."
The Blazers say a lot of nice things about Jamaal Magloire except, you know, here's your big contract. They have several centers (LaMarcus Aldridge, Joel Przybilla, Raef LaFrentz) and Magloire + Zach Randolph = slow interior defense.
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