在ESPN的前500倒计时,前运动夹克PG Andre Miller comes in at #89. The guy he was traded for, Raymond Felton, has not been mentioned yet, so it's safe to assume he's anywhere between #1 and #87. (#88 has been announced at the time of this writing, and it's Chris Kaman).
Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus AldridgetweetedWednesday evening: "I thank God my mom is cancer free now!" Aldridgefound outthat his mother, Georgia, was diagnosed with breast cancer just before the start of the 2010-2011 NBA season. Thanks toOh. Em. Gee.who had this in the FanShots simultaneously. Bear with us as our system is churning a bit tonight. -- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com |Twitter
Here are video highlights of Portland Trail Blazers rookie guard Nolan Smithdropping 30 pointsin the recent Jimmer Fredette exhibition game in Provo, Utah.Video uploadedby YouTube userlockouthoops.Update: Molly BlueofThe Oregonianshot some video of Smith at Adidas on Wednesday. Linkhere. -- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com |Twitter
FUNNY!!!! Make sure to watch video! p.s. Hope this hasn't already been posted...didn't see it...
Ric Bucher of ESPN is reporting that the Owners have presented some new proposals to the players that would relax their demand on a hard salary cap under certain conditions. Those conditions would include: 1) The Bird exception (which allows teams to go over the cap to resign their own free agents under certain conditions) could only be used on one player per team per season. 2) The mid-level exception would be reduced in $ amount and length in years. 3) The luxury tax would become more severe than the current $1 tax for $1 over the limit. Bucher also reports the owners raised their offer to 48% of BRI (basketball related income) for the players, up from 46% last week. The players currently get 57% of BRI. It is also reported that the owners want to slice all player salaries by 5% this year, 7.5% in 2012-13 and 10% in 2013-14. The sides agreed to meet again on Friday and perhaps through the weekend to try to come to an agreement in time to save a full season of play. ----- Item 1) is the most interesting. Would contract extensions for players coming off the 4th year of their rookie contracts be a separate salary cap exception or not? i.e. could the Blazers extend Batum in October and still use the Bird Exception on someone else (Greg Oden) this year? Presumably matching an RFA offer would be a separate exception, but the Blazers also will want to make a long term offer to Oden under the Bird exception as well. Looking ahead to summer of 2012, the Blazers would have Felton to resign, Oden if he signs the QO, Batum if he is not extended in October, Camby (who will probably be gone by then or would just walk away), and Wallace if he doesn't exercise his player option (he probably will since its $9.5M). So eliminating Camby and Wallace as problems, that still leaves Felton and possibly Batum and Oden to resign. Batum could be resigned by matching a RFA offer (which hopefully doesn't count as a Bird exception) if not extended this year or traded during the season, but Oden and Felton would be Bird Exception candidates unless Oden is signed before then. This proposal has some very interesting complications, which could change the strategy on how to deal with Oden and Batum before the season starts this year (if it does).
Portland Trail Blazers guard Wesley Matthewschecks inat spot No. 100 inESPN.com'sTop 500 NBA players list.ESPN.com's True Hoop Networkalso discussed which teams should have the most players in the Top 100, andone votewas cast for the Blazers.Link via BrandonFormer Blazers guard Rudy Fernandezchecked in at No. 142and former Blazers center Channing Fryechecked inat No. 160. Previous Blazers listed arehere,hereandhere.ed: bumped to front page, links added
Sounds like they're making some progress. Either that, or Stern is good at faking a happy face.
Lithuanian news siteDelfi.ltreportsthat former Portland Trail Blazers center Arvydas Sabonis suffered a heart attack while playing basketball Tuesday night. Spanish websiteCadenaSer.comreported soon afterthat Sabonis did suffer a heart attack but quoted Arturo Ortega, a representative for Sabonis, who said the center was "out of danger."Lrytas.ltreportsSabonis已经“稳定”。LTBasket.comreportsthat Sabonis' life is not in danger but that he "will still spend the night in [the] hospital."Updates: Sportalas.comreportsthat Sabonis will "spend at least one week in the hospital." The Blazers issued the following statement Tuesday afternoon: The Portland Trail Blazers have confirmed that Arvydas Sabonis has been hospitalized after suffering a heart attack in his native Lithuania. His condition is believed to be non-life threatening. Our thoughts are with Arvydas and his family at this time. We wish him well in a speedy recovery." Further updates will be passed on as soon as they become available. Sabonis, 46, was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in August. Here's a link to video of hisinduction speech. Portland Mayor Sam Adamshonored Sabonisby proclaiming August 18 "Arvydas Sabonis Day" when the Lithuanian center made a return visit to the Rose City.ed: bumped to top-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com |Twitter
