|
|
By Matt Soldano  January 7, 2010, at 1:12 am  It was the final straw for NBA Commissioner David Stern. The photo (see below) that was taken pre-game of the January 5th 2010 matchup between the Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers, showing Gilbert Arenas using his fingers as guns to “shoot” his teammates, proved that his time in the NBA, for the moment, had as much worth as a Sun Yue autograph. Now that Agent Zero has been suspended, what is his future?
Here is what Stern had to say yesterday about his decision to suspend Arenas:
“Although it is clear that the actions of Mr. Arenas will ultimately result in a substantial suspension, and perhaps worse, his ongoing conduct has led me to conclude that he is not currently fit to take the court in an NBA game. Accordingly, I am suspending Mr. Arenas indefinitely, without pay, effective immediately pending the completion of the investigation by the NBA.”
He also went on to say he felt “taunted” by Arenas, due to Arenas’ joking perspective on the entire situation and endless tweets on his Twitter account in which he really took no responsibility for the matter at hand. Sources are saying that several Wizards teammates and people close to Arenas advised him to shut up and let the process take its course but of course, that was not a realistic option in Gil’s mind. Although his actions over the past week will have no effect on what the legal system in D.C. decides to do, they will have everything to do with how long the NBA decides to keep Arenas off the court.
Remember, this all started on a team flight back on December 19th. Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton got into an argument about a card game that ended up with the suspended guard owing Crittenton money. Two days later, on the 21st, the two were reportedly shoving their guns in each other’s faces, creating one of the most bizarre stories in recent sports memory. Arenas admitted to placing his guns on a chair by Crittenton’s locker in what was supposed to be a playful joke. A couple of days before the incident, Arenas admitting to bringing his unloaded firearms to the Verizon Center in hopes of keeping them away from his young children. After realizing he did not need the firearms anymore, he handed them to team security to give to the police.
As of last night, the Washington Post unveiled some new emerging details about the December 21st incident, that after reading have people in utter shock.
“According to two first-hand accounts of the confrontation, Crittenton responded to Arenas’s action — which included laying the four unloaded weapons in Crittenton’s cubicle with a note that read, “Pick One” — by brandishing his own firearm, loading the gun and chambering a round.
Two of the five people in the room that morning, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Arenas had originally not disclosed Crittenton’s action to protect the little-used guard from prosecution and had told Crittenton he would assume full responsibility for the actions of both players that day.”
Crittenton loaded his weapon and cocked it? In the words of Martin Lawrence from Bad Boys II:
Many were left wondering why the Wizards were letting Arenas play after the reports had come out. The team was directed by the league to hold still until the legal process was complete and they had made a thorough investigation. However, Arenas’ inability to take the matter seriously forced the hand of David Stern and now the guard’s future is up in the air.
I have said on air all week, I think the suspension Gilbert Arenas faces will probably be for the rest of the season. After today’s comments by David Stern, it is not out of the realm of possibility we see him out even longer, although I think some people’s notion that he should be banned from the game and expelled from the league are little unrealistic. Also, do no be surprised if the Washington Wizards decide to terminate his contract. Arenas is currently in the second season of a six year $111 million contract. He has about 9.5 mill remaining this season.
This controversy is just another black eye for a league that tries its hardest to keep its image clean. First it was the dress code, than they had to deal with the Malice at the Palace, than it was the Donaghy scandal. Gilbert Arenas and his guns have now tarnished the league and have sent them back to their “thuggish” identity. Firearms have no place in any person’s work or anywhere outside of ones’ home in which they should be legally registered. Yes everyone makes mistakes and this if true, is as bad as it gets, but Arenas’ inability to take personal accountability for anything makes it a very real possibility that he might not see an NBA floor for a long long time. It was his actions after the incident, that could lead to his own personal demise.
By Anthony De Franco December 2, 2009, at 11:45 am Ladies and gentlemen, I don’t even know where to begin. I’m flabbergasted. Rotoworld:
Lakers forward Ron Artest admits he used to drink alcohol during games while he was on the Bulls.
“I used to drink Hennessy … at halftime,” said Artest, who played with the Bulls from 1999-2002. “I (kept it) in my locker. I’d just walk to the liquor store (near the stadium) and get it.” This is very shocking news and it will be interesting to see what David Stern has to say about this one. Owners should hope that Artest is not disciplined so long after the fact.
David Stern just passed out and died in his office. I can’t believe that Artest is this stupid. It’s one thing for an athlete to have an alcohol problem, as we’ve seen that way too many times in the past. I don’t think that’s the problem here. The problem is that he is just far too dumb for his own good.
Is it bad that I have nothing more to say? That should show you the kind of esteem that I hold Artest in.
Maybe he was drunk for the brawl. That would at least be some kind of explanation.
By Matt Soldano December 1, 2009, at 3:40 pm I love it when there are some really obvious moves in the world of sports that general managers should make and they flat out ignore it or make up some BS reason as to why they choose to no longer pursue a certain athlete. I might not be like Jason, who thrives at mixing and matching players’ contracts or figuring out team’s salary cap situation, but a move like this makes me believe that maybe becoming a General Manager is not as difficult as people make it out to be.
A day after Philadelphia 76ers Head Coach Eddie Jordan and GM Ed Stefanski met with Free Agent Allen Iverson in Dallas, no deal is in place and both parties seem to be “non-committal” at the moment. Despite the fact that several sources are reporting “there is no doubt” he will be coming back, I remember hearing the same sort of reports when the Knicks were targeting AI. Yet, it never happened and to me the Knicks did a huge disservice to their fans, a fan base that has suffered nearly a decade through uneventful season after uneventful season.
The Sixers need the future Hall of Famer more so than New York and it makes even more sense! Look at the injuries that Philly is battling through:
- Lou Williams: Jaw Injury – Out 8 weeks
- Mareese Speights: Knee Injury – Out 6-8 weeks
- Elton Brand: Hamstring Injury – Came back last night, though admitted not 100%
With Speights and Williams out until after the new year, the Sixers are missing 30 points and are struggling to find a cast of characters to shoulder the load. Andre Iguodala (the other AI) has struggled shooting the ball (42%, compared to his career 47% FG) and Thaddeus Young has not become fully comfortable with Eddie Jodan’s offensive style. Iverson becomes the scorer of the team and most of all a closer, something the Sixers have desperately lacked. The team is 5-13 and falling fast in the Eastern Conference but 7 of those losses have come by six points or less. Iverson knows the big stage and can show up brightest in those spots.
Yes, the roster is young, and the question will always center around would Iverson stunt the growth of the team. A playoff birth is not out of the question with Iverson. He could keep them afloat just enough so when Lou Williams and Speights come back healthy, they could push for that 7th or 8th seed. Milwaukee, Charlotte, and Indiana (the current 6-8 seeds) are anything but locks for a playoff bid and it would not shock anyone if they fell off the map.
So Philadelphia, let’s look at the pro’s here. You generate local/national buzz, you are able to sell tickets and jerseys, and gain some sort of national relevance. The con’s you deal withanother AI fallout at the end of the year since he will be on a one-year deal. This does not even need to be thought about! I could have told you all of this in three words but I thought 509 would make my argument more convincing.
SIGN ALLEN IVERSON! Armsleeve night would be one hell of a promotion.
By Jason Comack November 30, 2009, at 7:53 pm Imagine a “Doomsday Summer Of 2010″ scenario Knicks fans. LeBron resigns with Cleveland, Brandon Jennings has become a megastar, the cap comes in at the lowest expected number, and Eddy Curry/Jared Jeffries are both still wearing orange and blue. All hope is lost and Donnie Walsh is a failure….right?
Wrong. Even in a worst case scenario the Knicks still have a lot of hope. While fans and the media will anoint any Non-LeBron team a failure the truth is there are still a ton of ways the Knicks can make it work.
So lets say the Knicks can’t make any roster moves between now and next summers free agency. Here’s their commitments (rounded to the nearest million):
Eddy Curry (12), Jared Jeffries, (7) Danilo Gallinari, (3) Jordan Hill, (3) Wilson Chandler, and (2) Toney Douglas (1) =$28 Mill
Now since the Knicks only have six players under contract the NBA, under the salary cap rules, would add six placeholder players who would make the league minimum. In other words roughly $3 million worth of additional salary.
Keeping with the worst case scenario theme let’s say the NBA salary cap comes in at $50 million. With the Knicks committed to $31 million in payroll they would be $19 million under the cap.
What could the Knicks do with that money?
Offer Rudy Gay, a restricted free agent, enough money Memphis can’t afford to match it. Gay is a guy who will re-energize NY. He’s a borderline all-star right now but will thrive in an uptempo offense. He needs to refine his defense to take his game to the next level but at only 23 and already showing signs of taking the leap.
- Of the players of the 2006 draft class only Rondo, Roy, Aldridge and Bargnani got extensions. If Memphis was prepared to pay Gay big time money wouldn’t they have offered him an extension?
- If the Knicks offered Gay the same contract Rondo got; 55 million over 5 years, starting at 9 million, would Memphis financially be able to match? Memphis already has $47 million committed to their ‘09 payroll. That number doesn’t include their three first round picks, including one that will likely be in the top 5. Let’s say those draft picks add up to $7 million. That takes the Grizzles cap number to $54 million. Paying Gay $9 million would top them off at $63 million, dangerously close to a potential luxury tax line.
- Have the Grizzles ever demonstrated that they are willing to spend money? Furthermore O.J Mayo is due to hit restricted free agency in 2012, eventually he’ll command a near max deal as well.
So now the Knicks have Gay and still have $10 million left to play with. As currently constructed NY would still lack a floor general PG who could run the Seven Seconds Or Less Offense. They could turn to free agency to fill this void.
- Ray Felton: Unrestricted free agent. Would be pricey and might never be better then a third guard on a great team.
- T.J Ford: Has a player option, at $8.5 million, if he opted out he would be looking for big bucks. Ford has the speed to run an offense but since joining Indy his assist numbers have dropped dramatically. Health is also a big question mark for the undersized Ford.
- Kyle Lowry: Restricted free agent. A tenacious defender whose great at pushing the pace on both ends. He drives to the lane like few PG’s can and has a knack for drawing fouls. His long range jumper is improving but still has a long way to go. He’s also never been asked to play starter minutes and hasn’t consistently dished out assists. Lowry might be the best fit for the Knicks but he’s a restricted free agent and he’d be hard to pry away. The Rockets love him
- Randy Foye: Also a restricted free agent. Foye seems to have fallen out of favor in Washington. He’s a bit of a tweener but for a PG he’s solid defensively. Foye has a solid range on his jumper, but is a shoot first point guard.
The Knicks best option might be to hit the trade market. Being under the cap the Knicks are the perfect match for a team looking to shed salary.
- Chicago is a team that will be looking shed salary entering the Summer Of 2010. The Bulls, blessed with Derrick Rose, have Kirk Hinrich eating up $9 million and not playing major minutes. While Hinrich doesn’t carry name value he’s a very solid jump shooter, distributor and defender. The Knicks could essentially trade nothing (cap space) for Hinrch. Hinrich is owed $17 million over the next two seasons. A reasonable short term commitment for the Knicks.
So now the Knicks have added Gay ($9 million) and Hinrich ($9 million) to their 2010 payroll. That would pretty much put them up against the cap. With their remaining money, and mid level exception, the Knicks could go bargain shopping.
- Wouldn’t Raja Bell, coming off an injury, take a 2 million dollar contract to reunite with D’Antoni in the Big Apple?
- Wouldn’t Marcus Camby take a 3 million dollar contract to come back to the Garden?
So now, having spent all the Knicks money here’s their hypothetical roster:
Starters: C: Camby, PF: Gallinari, SF: Gay, SG: Bell, PG: Hinrich.
Sixth Man: Wilson Chandler; SG/SF
Bench: Jordan Hill; PF/C, Toney Douglas; PG/SG, Jared Jefferies; SF/PF, Eddy Curry; C.
In a weak East isn’t that easily a playoff caliber team? Are you telling me that this group is worse then the Pacers (currently the 7 seed) or the Bobcats (currently the 8 seed)?
And here’s the best part. In 2011 the Knicks would have $20+ million coming off the books and primed to be major players in free agency. Maybe it isn’t as loaded as 2010 but take a look at some of the 2011 free agents.
- Tony Parker, Yao Ming, Pau Gasol, Caron Butler, David West, Josh Howard, Jason Richardson, Richard Jefferson, Tayshuan Prince, John Salmons and Andrei Kirilenko.
Just because Donnie Walsh’s 2010 Plan begins with LeBron James doesn’t mean it ends with him. There are plenty of other ways to make the Knicks relevant again. Even if the sky comes falling.
By Jason Comack November 18, 2009, at 5:51 pm At first this sounds absolutely crazy. So bear with me.
On Bill Simmons most recent podcast he suggested that Kobe and LeBron want to play together. I told you this would sound crazy. Now while it’s obvious neither man would want to play second fiddle to the other consider these things.
- Both are obsessed with winning.
Playing together would give them the best chance of winning many many rings over the next 10 years.
- They generally like each other.
They played on the Redeem Team together and LeBron even picked up some of Kobes work ethic.
- Kobe got his ring without Shaq.
He got the monkey off his back so to speak. He proved he could carry a team to a championship being the alpha dog. What does he have left to prove?
- Kobe is 31, but an old 31.
He’s played in 959 games, logged 35,000 NBA minutes and that doesn’t even take into account playoffs or the Olympics. Is it that far fetched that Kobe would be willing to share the limelight with LeBron in order to extend his career?
A whole lot of hypotheticals but let’s say LeBron decides he wants to be a Laker and Kobe approves. Under the cap the Lakers couldn’t outright sign LeBron however they could pull off a sign and trade with Cleveland.
A max contract for LeBron would start at between 15-18 million or so. What if the Lakers in a sign and trade sent Andrew Bynum (14 million in 2010) Lamar Odom (8 million in 2010) and Jordan Farmar (3 million in 2010) and 3 first round picks for LeBron and cap filler (think Anthony Parker/Jamario Moon.)
Who doesn’t win in this scenario?
- LeBron gets his max money (and the extra year on his deal only the Cavs could offer him) the opportunity to play in a major media market all without sacrificing the ability to win it all (both in the near and short term.) Gasol, LeBron, Artest, Kobe? Are you serious? Is anyone else even coming out of the West for the next five years?
- Really this is the only way the Cavs can save face. If they lose LeBron for nothing it kills them. Getting Bynum doesn’t equate to keeping LeBron but it helps soften the blow. Anyone notice Bynum finally seems to be getting it this year? He’s quietly averaging 20 points, 12 boards and nearly 2 blocks per game. Without Gasol out he’s stepped up big time. And although it feels like Bynum has been around as long as Kwame Brown he’s only 22.
It’s an incredibly far fetched idea at first glance. But, when you put the pieces together it actually seems like a solid fit.
By Zach Schiff November 16, 2009, at 11:57 pm Coming Tomorrow on The Rivalry!
* * Alex Ovechkin’s return is imminent, and what better way to do it than against the Rangers! (See: Kovalchuk; Atlanta; 11/12/09)
* * Bryan thinks the Islanders might be “for real” this year. His prediction is 85 points, putting them exactly where I predicted in September: 10th place.
* * Matt Moulson is to 2009 fantasy hockey as Steve Slaton was to 2008 fantasy football: Best Waiver Wire Pickup of the Year.
* * Chris Drury and Brandon Dubinsky still not playing for the Rangers. Don’t worry, even if they were, they wouldn’t score.
* * Wade Redden returns to glory on the power play. (Webster’s Dictionary defines glory as: “non-scoring, non-shooting, can’t keep the puck in the zone, overpaid, and got Tom Renney fired.” Weird.)
* * John Tortorella says Redden is “playing decent.” Glen Sather agrees. Sather then states that “All decent players should received $6.5M for 6 years.”
* * Blair Betts makes $600,000. Does more than Drury. Sather preemptively refuses to offer him a deal next year, saying “I will make mistakes, but I will never admit them.” (See: Betts; Moore; Drury; Redden; Rozsival; Orr; Brashear)
* * The guy behind me at the Ranger games is constantly a dick to everyone. Will he yell at the large people I sold my tickets for tomorrow’s game to? Will he live to tell about it? Why does he put a belt around his sweatpants and still think he’s a tough guy?
Stay Tuned!
|
|
Tags: 
