Yi Should Have Stayed Home

International players wanting to move up to the NBA may need to re-evaluate those possibilities. While there will always be a place for those athletes, the political climate just changed with respect to the hoops necessary to sign Yi Jianlian to the Bucks from the draft.
I can see future draft candidates needing to prove that they can enter the draft without any strings attached.
No buyout clauses from European leagues. No promises of play time to be used as a training ground for competitive Olympic teams. No guarantees that you will get to play in the location of your choice. If you refuse to sign to those wavers, you should forfeit your eligibility to play in the NBA for at least three years.
Teams shouldn’t be blindsided to the risk of drafting someone because their dictatorship government refuses to play in a democracy. The trick China just pulled on the NBA is nothing short of the Communistic behavior and culture of that nation. If you want to play with the best, you have to earn it.
Personally I’m a little disgusted that Stern would let this happen. I understand he wants into the China market REALLY bad. But he shouldn’t be playing puppet to the demands of a country with ‘Peter Pan’ syndrome-like behavior. But I can imagine that this was the least of his worries when he has to deal with the internal corruption from his vaunted and protected referee situation. But that’s another story.
I think in the future you will see teams much more reluctant to draft players where the risk is too great that a holdout by a high draft pick can hold the team ransom.
So Yi, you better be ready, because you allowed the target to be placed on your jersey. You had no place making those demands. So when Shaq lowers his shoulder into your chest (and we know he will) and you end up three rows deep into the stands, you’ll finally have been welcomed into the NBA. This league humbles prima donnas pretty fast.

Stern brought the NBA officiating problem on Himself

In the wake of the NBA officiating scandal, it is hard to say that this is a surprise.
Over the past five years or so, NBA Commissioner David Stern has done everything in his power to try and shelter the officials from any and all criticism. He has not tolerated any derogatory remarks in post game interviews from both coaches and players. He has fined all of coaches, players AND owners if what he deems as excessive or repetitive criticism of officials are apparent. Players have been assessed technical fowls for giving officials dirty looks, clapping and even ignoring officials.

His apparent purpose has been to “protect” the image of the NBA in favor of any discussions which would promote the league.

In essence, if at any time, an official is not held up on the most highest of regard, David Stern is quick to swoop in and shield his officiating crews from any attempts to discredit or otherwise question the performance of an official.

Even in the event when calls are blantantly incorrect, post interviews with Stern will find him defending the officials outright. His management of officiating performance is that the officials are always correct and should not be challenged.

Finally, we now know that his purpose has been misguided. Stern’s blind overprotection actually affected this and possibly other cases where officiating results are found not to be as legitimate as Stern would profess. It’s near time to face the possibility that Stern’s grasp on the needs of the league is fading.

To most it would seem that Stern should remove the “black box” that is the NBA decission makers, and become more transparent. There should be criticism of officiating where called for.

Stern should take this opportunity to reverse his stance that questioning officials is off limits and create a mechanism which would show how officials are graded and how they are fined when gross negligence is observed.

The NBA got it right this time

Short, sweet and to-the-point; the NBA got it right this week by announcing that Al McCoy would be inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame.
I posted a few weeks ago that Al deserves a big “Thank You” before he retires. This will do just fine. I’m sure the Phoenix Suns organization will do its part to ensure Al is awarded his deserved recognition in their own way as well. I can’t wait to be there to participate.

Shazzam Al! You are the best!

http://makeapoint.wordpress.com/2007/06/14/shazzam-thank-you-al-mccoy/

The Asterisks is right here

You can call it sour grapes. You can call me bitter. Or, you can agree that the 2007 NBA Champs are champs in their own minds and nobody else’s.
Just for the sake of spite, I’m not even going to mention the name of “The Team Who Shall Not Be Named” (TWSNBN) throughout this blog entry.
While there are some players on the TWSNBN who I do respect, the team in general seems to be in the right place at the right to win.
Out of protest, I didn’t watch a single minute of the finals and it paid off because many others sent the same message to Stern that the fans didn’t like what was transpiring. I don’t think he recognizes the real reason of the low ratings, but it’s there if he wants to look for it.
The point is, the officiating was atrocious throughout all of the playoffs. There were some very shady rules enforced which, like-it-or-not/admit-it-or-not, had an impact. To that end, the 2007 NBA Champions have an * in this record book. And I’m sure the fans in that region of the country don’t care, but the rest of the world doesn’t care who won the trophy this year.
How do you like them apples S.A.?

Shazzam! Thank You Al McCoy

Let me just start off by stating that Al McCoy hasn’t retired, nor is there a rumor that he will.

With that said, Thank you Al McCoy! Thank you for being such a great piece of Pheonix Suns history. You will be remembered as a respected icon even amongst your peers.
I will always remember and appreciate your unique approach to announcing game play and respect toward players of the opposing team.
I love the tradition that you seem to be the final word when it comes to giving Phoenix Suns teammates their nick name.
Thunder Dan (Majerle), Socks (Elliot Perry), The Matrix (Shawn Marion), (Steve) Nash Rambler; just to name a few.
I thought you deserved to hear some fan appreciation and I can’t wait to see your place in The Ring of Honor at the Purple Palace.
Shuh-Zamm!!!