Watched the Nuggets-Bulls last night on NBA TV. The game came down to the final play. Bulls were down one point with three-tenths of a second remaining; (I always have flashbacks to Trent Tucker in 1990 vs the Chicago Bulls in these types of situations) side out for the Bulls. Somehow Brad Miller got open at the top of the key and caught a pass, flung it to the goal and made it. (You have to communicate on defense; switch all screens!) After instant replay, the refs declared the shot, “No Good”. It was very close but the ball was clearly in Miller’s hands as the backboard lit up. It took the refs close to 5 minutes to decide if the shot was good or not; we watched it on replay over and over from every angle and it was still tough to tell. Next time you want to scream at an official, just think how hard of a job they have because the play happens so fast; and to me they get it right most of the time.
Earl Smith is back with the Nuggets after serving a 7 game suspension…Oops, I mean J.R. Smith is back in the line-up. He better get on that early bus to the arena and get some shots up with Coach Grg; he shot 1-9 last night. But on the bright side he had 5 assists.
USA Today on former NBA player Tim James serving his country. This is courage! This is a guy fighting for his country and most people probably don’t even remember him as a player.
“I could understand him playing with the All-Army basketball team,” Capt. Curtis Byron said via e-mail. “But a situation like this is somewhat unheard of. He’s set a great example as a former NBA player representing those in his former profession through his transition to a soldier and leader of others. We’re all very proud of him as well as every single one of our soldiers for their personal and family sacrifices.”
More from USA Today, today on new Virginia Men’s head basketball coach Tony Bennett and his task of building the Cavs program.
“Right now, I’m looking forward to it. I don’t know if I’ll be able to say that in January and February,” he says. “But that is one of the reasons that drew me to Viginia. An opportunity to coach in a league like this, among coaches in this (conference), where nothing but your best will give you a chance. I am realistic where our program is at, but also hopeful and optimistic about the opportunity that’s in front of us if we can get things going.”
Bennett is a good dude; I recall meeting him 10 years ago when he was a student-assistant for his father at Wisconsin and I worked at Michigan State. I can still see the left-handed point guard back in the early 90’s pushing the ball up the floor for the Charlotte Hornets and getting them into their offense.
Kevin Ding of the Orange Country Register on Kobe Bryant, the Plumber. This guy’s work ethic is incredible. He’s got so much gas in his tank.
Bryant compared himself to a plumber with a track record of fixing the toilet – a laborer who will get the job done again and again, one way or another, even if no one outside the business can truly grasp all that goes into him doing it.
“If my toilet is jammed up and this guy has a track record of fixing the toilet, I’m not going to come in and say, ‘He can’t do it,’ because I don’t know how he’s going to do it,” Bryant said. “I just know he does it. The (stuff) is gonna get done.”
Even more from USA Today: Seems like Ron Artest, former LaSalle Cardinal and former NBA player Charles Barkley have had an exchange of words as of late. Barkley stated on air that Artest should concentrate on basketball rather than pursuits such as doing rap music. Ron-Ron shot back on Twitter, “What’s worse: Rapping or driving drunk?” Come on Charles, Artest has a following, he needs to stay in touch with the people!
Isn’t it weird to see the Suns at 7-1 and the Knicks 1-7? No you say, well Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni used to coach the Suns. Steve Nash is doing a great job. Who said he was washed up?
I’m juiced for the Cavaliers-Magic game tonight. I hope they ‘mic’ up Stan Van Gundy…
-Coach Finamore
Hoops135@hotmail.com
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