If getting up early makes you a better basketball player, the Chinese are favorites for the gold in 2008. Actually, don't joke. In the current DIME Magazine, Nike's China Brand Initiatives Director Gerry Erasme tells Patrick Cassidy: "Just do the math and work the percentages; the odds are in their favor. So, in 10 years time, you will have a good percentage of NBA players coming from China, guaranteed." Trainer Brian McCormick, who remains on a mission to fix American basketball development, agrees and says the key is investment in basketball development: "Basketball is a billion dollar industry in the United States; some of that money needs to filter down and fund programs which develop players at the youth levels."
FreeDarko on Kevin Martin: "If you would've told me the next Reggie Miller would be a biracial hick with a haircut straight out of 1989.....I would have said that sounds about right, actually." (via Sactown Royalty)
Watching the Blazers play without Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Zach Randolph, Darius Miles, Joel Przybilla etc., is hard for everyone, including Dave from BlazersEdge: "Right now almost every player you see out there has a decent chance to be gone next year or fits squarely into the 'If They're Playing Much For You It Means You're In Trouble' category."
Very interesting Michael Lewis article, in that new magazine Portfolio, about buying real stock in real athletes. Part of me thinks "that's terrible for a million reasons" and another part of me thinks "show me where to sign up!"
The Chicago Tribune's Sam Smith says Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant have become buddies, and argue about who faces tougher defense: "Jordan wonders how Bryant would do against the better talent he (Jordan) played against and the rules he played under, including hand-checking that allowed a strong defender like Mitch Richmond to affect his movement. Jordan, though, didn't have to face the zones Bryant now sees."
The Nets are going to open a model of a luxury suite in Manhattan, so prospective buyers can put their money down before there's even an arena in Brooklyn. Yes, the Nets are competing against the Knicks on their own turf.
The Heat really want the Bulls to beat the Nets so they can play the Cavaliers. Confused?
PG-13 Basketball Jones wrap up of the season. Bad predictions: Mike Dunleavy, Jr. will be amazing, look out for Milwaukee's back-court. Plenty of amazingly good predictions, too. Skeets looks smart, and he also makes an impassioned plea for Kevin Martin as most improved.
Joe Dumars talking to Krista Jahnke of the Detroit Free Press: "I'll say this about his season and free agency: in my eyesight, he had a great season and we will re-sign Chauncey Billups. I promise. We'll sign Chauncey. Unless something's wrong with his hands that he can't sign, no, we're committed to keeping him here."
Mark Cuban, super bitter: "I've given up writing in this blog about the NBA because my number one rule of blogging is that if you cant offer an honest opinion, say nothing."
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