By H. Jose Bosch
I can’t say I was shocked when I first learned ex-Pistons coach Michael Curry was fired. But the first thought that went through my mind was, why now, especially with the free agency period looming?
Then it dawned on me: Joe Dumars knows exactly what he’s doing and he probably already has a new coach lined up. At least I can only hope. I mean I did trust the man when he drafted Darko and that didn’t turn out too well. But that’s beside the point.
So, who will replace Curry? I’ve put together a list of who I think are the four best candidates, each with some pros and cons:
Bill Laimbeer
Pros
–Former Bad Boy who knows what it takes to win at the NBA level. He can also demand respect from a team.
–Has head coaching experience and won three championships. Stifle your laughs boys, the WNBA is still a professional basketball league.
Cons
–Even though his WNBA coaching is a plus, zero coaching experience in the NBA is a concern.
–We’ve already seen what a former Piston/rookie coach has done. I’m not sure the city wants to see another one.
Doug Collins
Pros
–Eight years of NBA coaching experience gives him the most experience out of the four candidates I’ve listed.
–His work as an NBA commentator has kept him close enough to the game that he can hit the ground running.
Cons
–Despite gradually [More …]
Soxman and Paul M. Banks
Alas the dynamic duo of White Sox blogging returns. With the NBA draft complete and the Chicago Blackhawks on ice for the summer, “Sports Ace,” Paul M. Banks returns to wrap up the Cross-town Classic, discuss the White Sox chances in the AL Central, and to dive into the latest MLB trade rumors involving the southsiders.
(SM) Welcome back, Sports Ace. Since you’ve been gone, we’ve seen the White Sox rise and fall several times. Winning 10 of our last 12 games, we are creeping back into contention. I think our dramatic win on Saturday, followed by the thrashing of the Cubs on Sunday may have been the spark we’ve been waiting for from this team. Gordon Beckham has been on fire since delivering the game winning hit on Saturday (hitting .350 in his last 20 Abs), and the team appears to be playing with a little more passion albeit still playing sloppy defense. Your thoughts?
(PMB) Thanks man, it’s great to finally be back. I’m glad you brought up “Bacon” because he’s just been a joy to watch lately, going 3 for 3 last night and playing a key role in the win that finally brought the Sox back to .500. I understand why people compared him to Robin Ventura early on, as they played the same position and both were highly touted first-round draft picks who struggled mightily at the plate and with the glove when their careers first began. [More …]
By Cleyana Mayweather
It’s the second week at Wimbledon and a five-time Wimbledon champ is still in it. And, I’m not talking about Roger Federer. I’m talking about the women’s two-time defending champion Venus Williams. The world’s No.3 player has dominated the All England Club winning five of the last eight championships, reaching seven of the last eight finals, and winning 30 consecutive sets dating back to 2007.
One might think that dominating the most cherished major would transfer to success at other majors as well, but that hasn’t been the case for Williams. Williams hasn’t won a major other than Wimbledon since the 2003 Australian Open and has only advanced once during the last six years past the quarterfinals of a major. It seems that Williams goes into hibernation for most of the year and comes out only to play Wimbledon.
Why has Williams been so successful at Wimbledon? 
Is it because she shares the same name with the trophy?
Or maybe she feels lucky in white?
These are superstitious reasons, but there are definitely technical reasons to answer this question. Williams’ game is suited for grass court play. Williams’ serve on grass gives her a huge advantage. Her serve was once clocked at 129 mph making it the fastest women’s serve in history. Williams stays low to the ground on her groundstrokes moving around the court with grace and style. Oh, and don’t dare leave a shot [More …]
Paul M. Banks has an exclusive interview with Dave Zirin discussing the past, present and future social issues at the heart of sports
On a recent episode of “The Simpsons,” Mr. Burns bought a basketball franchise (Mark Cuban made a guest voice appearance). On that episode, Burns opened up a new arena by telling the crowd “Welcome to the American dream: a billionaire using public funds to finance a private playground for the rich.”
This joke had a lot of painful truth to it, as that’s exactly what happens in each one of our cities when a new billion dollar stadium is built. Our hard earned tax payer dollars go towards financing a private building that each one of us must pay $50 every time we want to go see the inside of it. That money could be going towards solving the health care or climate crisis; or towards our badly under-funded infrastructure, public transportation and school systems. As a sports fan and journalist, I have to put these awful truths aside in order to enjoy watching the games I love so much. I asked Zirin how most sports fans do this. Is it cognitive dissonance? How come there have been no protests or organization against these heists of public funds? 
“Huge percentages of people, according to polls like Rasmussen oppose public funds for stadiums, so the sentiment is there. I think people get that they’re being screwed, but [More …]
Paul M. Banks has an exclusive interview with Dave Zirin discussing the past, present and future social issues at the heart of sports
As I continued my interview with Zirin, I asked him about how/why some athletes are able to overcome the “just shut up and play” principle set forth by the status quo. “The great political athletes of the ‘60s were, you could argue, the best basketball player Bill Walton, the best football player Jim Brown, the greatest track and field athlete in a generation Tommie Smith, people often forget how many insane records Tommie Smith had, his 200 meter record held for 20 years, the best college basketball player in history, Lew Alcindor, maybe the second best college player of all Bill Walton. So these guys all had the cover of their greatness,” Zirin said.
It’s true that if you’re really good at what you do (no matter what field you’re in) than you have more leeway in expressing your true viewpoints. If you’re mediocre or worse at your craft- then you more like have to just acquiesce.
“Now Adam Morrison is trying to survive in the league, hanging on by his fingernails, J.J. Redick, believe it or not has a more secure place in the NBA. And I think if Adam Morrison was the kind of guy, a 20 point a game scorer, he would have been somebody who would have shaken things up in the [More …]
by: David Kay
The Timberwolves got their man on draft night. When they traded Randy Foye and Mike Miller to the Wizards for the number five pick, Minnesota was targeting Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio, even trying to move up to the number two spot to assure that they landed him. As it played out Rubio fell right into their laps at five and the T-Wolves couldn’t have been any happier. But the wedding may be annulled quicker than Britney Spears’ brief matrimony to Jason Alexander (no, not THAT Jason Alexander.) Rubio is apparently pulling an Eli Manning/Steve Francis/Eric Lindros and is cold to the idea of living in ‘Sota, reportedly threatening to head back to Spain to play for a couple more years rather than suit up for the Wolves.
So what is new Minnesota general manager David Kahn to do besides try to convince T-Wolves’ fans that he is not the second coming of Kevin McHale? Kahn recently sent an e-mail to season ticket holders saying that he was willing to wait a couple years if necessary while Rubio played out his current contract in Spain. The two parties reportedly met face-to-face over the weekend, but that has yet to be confirmed.
The way I see it, Kahn has two options. He can play hard ball, call Rubio’s bluff, and insist that they are not going to trade him, eventually hoping the flashy point guard agrees to play with the T-Wolves whether it’s this season or three [More …]
By Paul M. Banks and David Kay
First off I’m from Canada, I live in Vancouver (Miss the Grizzlies)
NO ONE F***in Says “EH” in Canada
Everyone i know pronounces defense the same way the c makes no f**in difference to me
A-BOOT are you F***IN KIDDING ME
i know people who lived in toronto all their life then moved here and they don’t say f**in A-BOOT they say ABOUT not ABOOT
Did you get that s*** South Park or Some S***
F*** YOU
–Johnny Damon
WOW! With the exception of “The FSU Cowgirl” Jenn Sterger, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered someone online so filled with hatred and bitterness. It’s interesting you signed this email under such an obvious pseudonym, and your lack of syntax and sentence structure says quite a bit about yourself. Also, the prodigious cursing would make even Ozzie Guillen blush.
However, you’re barking up the wrong tree if you seek to extinguish bigotry and prejudice against Canadians. I literally had “O Canada” as my ring tone for a few months in 2006, and I plan to hopefully, have my bachelor party in Windsor, Ontario some day soon. 
If no one says “eh?” in Canada, how come they sell t-shirts with the phrase and a Canadian flag on it at tourist shops everywhere? You did succeed in destroying one Canadian stereotype: many of us Yanks believe your people to excessively polite. [More …]
<br /><br /> <a href=”http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/1741726/” mce_href=”http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/1741726/”>How Closely Did you Follow the NHL Draft?</a><span style=”font-size:9px;” mce_style=”font-size:9px;”>(<a href=”http://www.polldaddy.com” mce_href=”http://www.polldaddy.com”>online surveys</a>)</span><br />
By Paul M. Banks
If you’re still recovering from the NBA Draft and/or caught up in MLB interleague rivalry match-ups, you might have missed the NHL entry draft on Friday and Saturday. Now that hockey is now officialy back in the nation’s greatest sports city, I’ll fill you in on what happened. With the help of the Hawks media relations department of course. The following information is from the Blackhawks official press releases.
The Chicago Blackhawks completed the 2009 National Hockey League Entry Draft at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Saturday. On Friday, Chicago drafted defenseman Dylan Olsen from the Camrose Kodiaks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League with its first round selection (28th overall).
Blackhawks 2009 NHL Draft Recap:
First Round: Dylan Olsen, D, Camrose Kodiaks (28th overall)
The Chicago Blackhawks have selected defenseman Dylan Olsen from the Camrose Kodiaks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League with the 28th selection of the 2009 National Hockey League Entry Draft at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Friday night.
Olsen, 18, paced Camrose blueliners with 10 goals and registered 29 points and 123 penalty minutes in 53 games last season, his second in the AJHL. The Salt Lake City, Utah, native also collected four points (2G, 2A) and a +4 plus/minus rating in six games with Team Canada at the 2009 Under-18 IIHF World Championships.
Olsen (6-2, [More …]
By Sam Svoboda
Before I even begin, I’d just like to say that I fully expect to catch some flak for this- too many people have their opinions on the Cubs and the Sox and refuse to even think about modifying them. But with the “Crosstown Classic” again this weekend, it’s a perfect time to examine the possibility that maybe, just maybe, the city’s two baseball teams are not mutually exclusive. In other words, liking the Sox does not mean you have to hate the Cubs, and vice versa: you can actually (gasp!) like both teams.
If you haven’t already started typing out a comment degrading my sports intelligence, hear me out. I’ll start with my personal story: My paternal grandfather is a life-long Cubs fan and my maternal grandfather is a life-long Sox fan. I grew up going to games both at Wrigley and Comiskey, and listening to both Harry Caray and Hawk Harrelson. I can rattle off the names of completely forgettable Southsiders like Mike Caruso and Jorge Fabregas and Northsiders like Jose Nieves and Brant Brown (insert obligatory dropped fly ball reference here).
And when I was little no one ever told me I was wrong to grow up rooting for (aka suffering with) both teams. Maybe it was because I was a kid, and they figured eventually I’d pick one or the other. But I still don’t see the need to choose. And it’s not because I’m a “glory hunter”, thinking that supporting two teams [More …]
By Peter Christian
I’ve had more than 24 hours to digest the first round point guard smorgasbord that was the Minnesota Timberwolves draft platter. All I can still say is, “Ummm, OK?” and “Now what?”
I have run so many different theories as to the logic being dished in the Timberwolves draft room by the Anti-Brain Trust headed up by first time GM David Kahn (no, I know he was technically GM in Indiana a few years back, but that was in title only, he had absolutely NO SAY in the basketball decisions with Donnie Walsh and Larry Bird calling the shots) and honestly I think that I’m being far too generous with the optimistic spin I’ve put on the eyebrow raising decisions yesterday.
Before I get too far into my spinning and destroying, I want to go on record to say thank you to Chris Wallace, Sam Presti and Geoff Petrie for passing on a player that could become the best point guard on the planet:
Thank you fellas and see you back in the lottery next season, its decisions like that that ensure you will be counting your ping pong balls in early February rather than determining how you match-up against potential play-off opponents.
I was so happy that the Wolves were in a position to draft Ricky Rubio that I may have uttered praising words of David Kahn. For anyone that heard them, please disregard what you heard and continue believing that I am the [More …]
By: David Kay
Embarrased… Ashamed… Disappointed… I apologize for my poor showing with my final NBA mock draft. After tying ESPN’s Chad Ford last year (we each picked 9 first round choices correctly), Ford OWNED me this year getting 13 right compared to my pathetic showing of six. But like Teddy KGB in Rounders, I can admit when I have been defeated. “He beat me. Straight up.”
Anyway, with the craziness that was the 2009 NBA Draft in the books, it’s time to hand out some “grades.” I say “grades” because I think it is way too early to use the regular A, B, C, D, F scale to judge a draft. Plus, I’m all about straying from the norm. So my grading scale is as followed:
LOVE IT
Makes Sense
Meh
Don’t Get it
REALLY???
Chicago Bulls Grades:
16. James Johnson, F, Wake Forest
The Bulls need a physical player down low. I think Blair would have been a safer pick, despite the whole “No ACL’s in his knees” rumors. Johnson needs to work on his jumper if he is gonna stick around. (Pick Grade: Makes Sense)
26. Taj Gibson, F, USC
They already took James Johnson, a physical power forward at 16, so how does Gibson fit? The Bulls needed to get a wing player in case they don’t re-sign Ben Gordon. I can’t believe Blair has fallen past the Bulls twice. (Pick Grade: Don’t Get It)
Other Draft Grades:
[More …]
By Paul M. Banks
Did the Chicago Bulls send a message to incumbent starting power forward Tyrus Thomas Thursday night by drafting two power forwards? By using both of their first round draft picks on prospects who play the four, the Chicago front office seems to be telling us one of two things. Either a.) Coach Vinny Del Negro, GM Gar Forman and company are unhappy with Thomas (who desperately needs to develop a post move) and are attempting to motivate him, or b.) Ty is being aggressively shopped to other GMs in the league. Maybe we’ll learn more once NBA free agency starts on July 1, when more transactions are like to start happening around the association.
But we can worry about that later, for now let’s focus on who the Bulls did pick up with the 16th and 26th overall picks.
Wake Forest, Forward, James Johnson
In college, Johnson was able to muscle weaker defenders down low while also using his ability to drive and finish. His range from deep leaves plenty of room for improvement, but he did develop a more consistent mid-range game as a sophomore. “We love his versatility he can play the four, he can play the three, he can play inside, he can play outside, at his size 6’8” 250 he can put the ball on the floor, he can rebound and put it out in transition. He’s a very big passer for a big guy,” Forman said to the [More …]
By H. Jose Bosch
Every time a professional draft comes up, my least favorite word thrown around is “character.”
Many coaches and GMs love to wax poetic about the character of potential picks.
Guess what: you’re building a professional sports team, not the St. Gloira Men’s Chorus.
That’s not to say character is completely bogus. The Pistons are exhibit A in how low a team can fall when character falls by the wayside (*cough*Allen Iverson*cough*). But for every A.I., T.O. and Chad Ocho Cinco, guys who let their lack of character sink a franchise, there are plenty of athletes who can contribute to a winning team and still be a jerk.
I say this because Detroit’s first-round pick, Gonzaga forward Austin Daye, was picked “not only for what he could do on the court, but also for what he won’t do away from the court. He won’t show up late on game days or late to the airport for flights. He won’t show up authority if he disagrees with a coaching decision.”
That’s great. And if he ends up being an NBA burnout I’m sure he’ll wear a large smile when he asks, “Would you like fries with that?”
Hey, I’m not dumb. This draft was weak and the Pistons were picking at No. 15. The chances of getting an NBA-ready talent, with minimal flaws, at that position is as good as me dunking over Shaq. But if Detroit is already in a spot where [More …]
By Thomas Lea
Brandon Jennings took a chance when he bypassed a scholarship to the University of Arizona and the spotlight of Pac-10 basketball over a year ago in favor of playing professionally in Italy. So, I guess it makes sense that the former top rated high school product from Oak Hill Academy wound up with a team taking a chance on him during Thursday’s annual NBA Draft.
While many had Jennings slipping on their draft boards, the Bucks apparently were not drinking that Kool-Aid and took him with the No. 10 pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft. Though Milwaukee had former Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn at the top of its draft board, general manager John Hammond and coach Scott Skiles went with Jennings after Flynn was taken at No. 6 by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
With the pick, the Bucks have a high ceiling point guard with potential to be great. He is an absolute freak athletically and has the ability to utilize his superb quickness to get to the rim and finish or dish the rock to one of the multiple perimeter players the Bucks have in the lineup.
He possesses a decent shooting touch, although it will need to improve if he hopes to elevate his game to a higher level. He can be creative with the rock and get himself through sticky situations with above average ball handling skills that defenders will have to respect. And do not undersell the advantages Jennings will enjoy by playing [More …]
By The Soxman and Paul Schmidt
(Paul Schmidt) – It’s time for round two! The Red Line series shifts south to U.S. Cellular Field, where this Friday, Saturday and Sunday the Cubs and Sox will once again take each other on in a battle for city supremacy.
Now, that really sounds like I’m fired up about these games, doesn’t it? However I’ve always, as a Cub fan, felt like these games are nothing more than games against, say, the N. L. East in terms of importance – Sure, they are baseball games and they are obviously important to win, but nothing like games against your division-mates.
Just because we’re both in the same city doesn’t add any more drama to these games for me.
Is it the same for most White Sox fans, or am I barking up the wrong tree by bringing this up?
(Soxman) I think the rivalry means a great deal to most Sox fans because if it didn’t, the White Sox would not have a special 
ticket pricing bracket for this series only. Personally, I believe the depth of the energy and passion is relative to the season both teams are having. In 2006, the Cubs were playing with a chip on their shoulder. So I wonder why Michael Barrett threw that punch at AJ? This season the weather in Chicago has been about as extreme as both of our teams play, so I think fans are stoked, [More …]
By Paul M. Banks and David Kay
5:28 (PMB) Welcome to our 2009 NBA Draft Live Blog. Dave and I will be commenting all night on every pick as it comes through, we request, no require that you add your commentary in the threads below. There will be also be added commentary from time to time by my ESPN.com buddy West Lamy, who accompanied me to the Chicago Bulls practice facility in beautiful Deerfield, IL. Yes, this blog will indeed be brought to you live from the HQ of the league’s most dynastic franchises. I’m excited! I know a lot of people are bummed out about Farah Fawcett’s death, and the critical condition that the King of Pop Michael Jackson is reported to be in. But let’s not let that spoil our fun. Happy Draft Day everyone!
5:46 (DK) I’m nervous Paul… like butterflies in my stomach nervous… I just want to beat ESPN’s Chad Ford. That’s all. We tied last year each picking nine right in the first round… this year something crazy is going to happen and one of us will be broke with our picks… BTW, I am setting an over/under of 25,000 words for this exchange.
5:59 (PMB) I might have to take the over on that! I’m a little nervous about it too, but Christmas is here. I don’t want to be too much of a buzzkill, so I’ll just post the link to Michael Jackson’s “Jam,” the video he did in [More …]
by: David Kay
The Cavs just took their chips and pushed them all in. After a week of rumors, it finally became official late Wednesday evening as the Diesel will now join the King in Cleveland. The Suns dealt Shaquille O’Neal to the Cavs in exchange for Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic and the 46th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.
Why this makes sense for Cleveland:
Despite being on the down side of his career, Shaq is still Shaq. At times, he can dominate in the post like he did earlier in his career, pushing people around down low. More importantly, he adds that intimidating factor on defense that Cleveland lacked. If he can stay healthy during the postseason, Shaq will be another complement to LeBron who now has the big man he has lacked during his career. Imagine a Cavs-Lakers NBA Finals next year. Kobe vs. LeBron. Shaq vs. Kobe. The NBA has to be drooling at this possibility.
Cleveland came away major winners in this trade, ultimately giving up seven cents on the dollar as Wallace was becoming more and more worthless; Pavlovic was not a major part of the rotation; and a second-round pick is… well, a second-round pick. The Cavs also showed LeBron that they are serious about doing whatever it takes to win a title which may help keep the King in Cleveland after next season.
Why this makes sense for Phoenix:
This was a pure “salary dump” for the Suns who will likely [More …]
Peter Christian and David K. give their final predictions and thoughts on every first round pick in tonight’s NBA Draft.
The Deposit – Peter and David make their final picks for this year’s NBA draft.
Possibly Related Posts:
by: David Kay
All your NBA Draft needs including my Final Mock Draft, prospect profiles, position rankings, and NBA team off-season needs are just a click away.
1. L.A. Clippers- Blake Griffin, PF, Oklahoma, 6-10, So.
Poor Blake Griffin. This has to be the worst case scenario for him. The Clips are a destination where players just do not thrive. They already have some talented big man in Chris Kaman, Marcus Camby, and Zach Randolph. Maybe Griffin can be the spark and hard worker the Clipper franchise has been longing for for the past decade-plus.
Think: Amare Stoudamire
2. Memphis- Hasheem Thabeet, C, UConn, 7-3, Jr.
Since it appears the Griz are not trading this pick to Minnesota, Thabeet is the guy. He could be the defensive presence Memphis badly needs. I maintain Ricky Rubio is the second best prospect in the draft and the Griz will regret not selecting him or trading down to gain more assets.
Think: Ben Wallace, but six inches taller
3. Oklahoma City- Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain, 6-4, 1990
I get the feeling the Thunder GM Sam Presti is far too intelligent to let Rubio pass them. Drafting the Spanish sensation means Russell Westbrook shifts to the two which may not be the ideal fit, but is worth doing to land Rubio. P.S. Is it me or are the Thunder the best young team in the NBA if they land Rubio?
Think: [More …]
Be sure to stop by this very homepage tomorrow night as The Sports Bank.net NBA Draft gurus David Kay and Paul M. Banks will bring you a live blog while the draft unfolds. We invite you to please comment along with us in the threads below! We’re going to be making snarky comments, so we would love to hear yours as well. Banks will be live blogging from the Berto Center (the Bulls practice facility in Deerfield, IL)
Also, you can catch Paul M. Banks on the air in Chicago discussing the NBA draft at 10:30 A.M. Tune in to 1240AM “The Morning Break”, and call-in to the show. 773.792.1240 You can also listen online by clicking here.
Also we’ve once again updated our NBA Mock Draft, which you can check out here
Possibly Related Posts:
