Pau Gasol's Comments Mis-Quoted But The Damage Is Done

Kevin Garnett and Boston may be annoyed by Pau Gasol's comments on Garnett's diminishing game.  Gasol discredited the quotes, and said they were taken out of proportion.

Gasol's controversial quote, "He's more of a jump shooter now, you could say, comes off the lane. Before, he had a really, really quick first step and was getting to the lane and was more aggressive then. Time passes and we all suffer it one way or another, but he is still a terrific player, a terrific competitor and he's going to bring everything he's got. You can count on that."

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NBA Finals: Celtics Down, But Not Out

      Game Two is must win for Boston tonight.  Don't expect them to back down after being dealt a beat-down in L.A. in Game One.  Expect a more physical Boston team in this one.  Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett were dominated on both sides of the floor.  Garnett played his age, and Rondo lost the confidence that he's showed throughout the playoffs.

      Both will need to get back to the level they have played in the playoffs to get here.  If they do, and Boston finds a way to slow down Kobe and Gasol, the Celtics would take home court advantage back to Boston.  If they don't, the series is likely over.  History does not mean everything, but no team has ever come back from down two games to none in the Finals.

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THE Mock Draft: Does John Wall Deserve To Go #1?

Talent runs deep in the 2010 NBA draft.  It's no surprise John Wall will jump off the board at number one, but is Wall a better player than Evan Turner?


2010 NBA Mock Draft:



1. Washington Wizards - Point Guard, John Wall, Kentucky.  The man with the most upside in the draft is the near unanimous selection here.  Wall will give Washington a pure point guard, and will blend smoothly into the current roster.  The Wizards will probably slide Gilbert Arenas to shooting guard to make room for Wall.


2. Philadelphia 76ers - Point Guard/Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Evan Turner, Ohio State.  The 76ers lost out on Wall, but landing in the second slot will work out nicely as the 21 year old Turner is the most polished player in this draft.  Turner won the Naismith Player Of The Year award, and will continue producing in Philly.

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Jozy Altidore's Status For World Cup Opener Remains In Doubt

The U.S. sustained a devastating blow when the star striker sprained his ankle in a drill on Wednesday.  Altidore was held out of on-field activities again today, and his status for the opener remains in doubt.  The U.S. will face England in its opener on June 12th.

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Danny Ferry Out As GM In Cleveland

Well, this one was a surprise.  GM Danny Ferry is done with Cleveland after five years.  Ferry led the Cavaliers to an NBA Finals appearance in 2007 and back-to-back 60 win seasons.  The General Manager position will be assumed by Chris Grant, who worked closely with Ferry throughout his time there.

Ferry's personnel moves with the team included Mo Williams, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Shaq, Anthony Parker, Leon Powe, and Antawn Jamison.  He didn't surround James with a wealth of talent, but it is probable that the move resulted from the Cavaliers disappointing exit in the playoffs.

There was no apparent displeasure on the decision on either side as both Ferry and Cavaliers owner, Dan Gilbert, praised each other for the work they were able to do in his time there.

Rumor:  There is speculation that Ferry could not remain with the team after Mike Brown's firing, and stepped down.  Some say the Cavaliers made the move in an attempt to send a message to Lebron that they are dedicated to winning.  Maybe it's a combination of both.

Statements given by Dan Gilbert and Danny Ferry via the Cavaliers Twitter page:

Gilbert's comments, "We didn't do what we were supposed to do.  All you can do is try to learn and get better."

Ferry, "I know how important winning is to this area.  You can trust this organization will always have the thirst to bring it."

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Game One? Game Over - Thoughts On The NBA Finals Opener

       There's no other sports venue capable of filling an arena with celebrities like the Lakers' Staples Center.  Jack Nicholson, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Kevin James, David Spade all were in attendance for Game One.  The list goes on and on, and those names were just tonight.  Maybe it has something to do with the arena being located in the center of Hollywood-land, but when is the last time you watched a Clipper game and thought: "I know that guy.  What movie was he in?"  That's right.  Never.

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L.A. Times Writer Jokes About Pierce's Stabbing In A Distasteful Attempt At Humor

The Finals don't need any more drama but it added some as L.A. Times writer, Ted Green, dealt Paul Pierce a backhanded slap in joking about Pierce's stabbing a few years ago.

Green wrote, "Pierce's idea of a fun night is going clubbing and getting stabbed. Good times!"

I'd love to see this guy locked in a room with Pierce, and see if he still would have the balls to say something like that.  Hmm..probably not.

For The Record:  I don't like Pierce or the Celtics as much as the next guy, but a life-threatening incident is NOT funny.  EVER.

The L.A. Times post is here - http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2010/05/ted-green-your-guide-to-hating-the-celtics.html

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Armando Galarraga Robbed Of A Perfect Game, So He Gets A Corvette?!

Check out Armando Galarraga's new ride(above).  Yesterday, Jim Joyce robbed Galarraga of a perfect game when he wrongly called Jason Donald safe at first.  But even more bizarre, GM presented Galarraga with a Corvette behind home plate today as a consolation prize.  Galarraga could buy one of those a week..but he can never have too many cars, right?

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NBA Finals Preview: 1 LA Lakers vs 4 Boston Celtics - 5 Things You Need To Know

        The NBA Finals begin tomorrow night.  It could be a series the NBA faithful look back on for a long time to come, but as I said in a recent post(maybe I spoke too soon), it could be another one-sided win in favor of the Lakers or Boston. Kobe's drawing comparisons to MJ, while Paul Pierce is proving doubters wrong in leading the Celtics to another Finals appearance.
        Bryant's poured in 30 or more points in nine of the last ten games.  Lamar Odom's thoughts on Bryant's dominance - "Kobe is so good, he makes the incredible normal for us."  Pierce helped to close out the Magic in a Game Five win.  The Celtics have been damn good, too.  The Lakers downed a resilient Phoenix Suns squad, four to two, while Boston took a 3-0 lead, before coming dangerously close to handing the series to Orlando.  The media is hyping the rematch, and they should, due to the two most prolific franchises going head-to-head with a championship on the line.  There's not much more an NBA fan could ask for. (Besides a Lebron-Kobe finale)

Alright, here we go:

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Inside A GM's Tough Decision; Will The 76ers Select Derrick Favors Or Evan Turner?

        Enter the mind of 76ers' General Manager, Ed Stefanski.  Highlights of Derrick Favors and Evan Turner alternate and scramble through, while voices of a mildly apathetic fan base echo for Turner.  But others cry "mistake" and scream for Favors.  The fan base knows they are about to endure a rebuilding process and acceptance is coming along slowly, but Stefanski knows that with rebuilding, he may jeopardize his job.  He knows he could be near the end of his tenure in Philadelphia. He knows that he lucked out drawing a tough, but envious spot in the 2010 NBA draft.  So who will save his job - Turner or Favors?

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NBA Finals: Kobe Bryant and LA Lakers Will Continue To Roll Over Boston Celtics

       Kobe Bryant's clutch performance and Ron Artest's 25 points shut down Phoenix and lifted Los Angeles to the NBA Finals.  The Lakers were tested for the second time in this postseason, but with a calm approach, they moved on.  Boston, you're next. Get over it.  Just like the Lakers did with Oklahoma City, Utah, and Phoenix, they will squeeze the life out of Boston, because Bryant and the Lakers are simply the better team.  Los Angeles will bring home its fifth trophy in 11 years, while Boston's title run will come to an abrupt end.

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