andPOP » nba

Rob Kardashian Doubts Kim Will Marry NBA Star

Christian Allaire — Mon, 30 May 2011 15:24:56 +0000

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Kim Kardashian’s brother, Rob, has doubts that she will actually marry NBA star Kris Humphries.

The reality TV star and basketball player couple announced their engagement earlier this week, but Rob isn’t convinced the wedding will happen.

He told radio station Kidd Kraddick and Hyla on the Hollywood 5: “I just don’t feel confident because Kim has always been so like, you know, she’s, how old?

“She’s just been through a lot of relationships and she always gets hurt or never finds the right dude, but Kris is a really good dude.”

However, Rob believes the two are great for each other, and wishes them the best.

“They’ve had their own personal, private relationship a long time now and I feel like they are a really good match for each other.”

He also revealed how the family thought Kim and Kris, who have been dating for six months, were joking when they first told everyone about the engagement.

“We were having a family dinner and we didn’t know what it was for, we just thought everyone was in town, we were at my mom’s. She had a ring on and we didn’t know what it was for, and we didn’t believe her and we thought it was a joke, no one really, like, did anything, and it was like, oh wait, then it got crazy and there were ponies, it was really bizarre!”

“Congrats to her, it was pretty shocking in my mind.”

Ted Williams, Homeless Man Turned Announcer, Enters Rehab

RM Franks — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 22:08:23 +0000

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By now, you’ve probably seen the video of Ted Williams circling the web. He was the homeless man on the streets of Columbus who used to ask for change, carrying a sign claiming he had “the god given talent of voice.”

The sign did not lie. Ted’s voice is poignant, resonant, and sophisticated, and soon, after ESPN quickly picked up the video, he was offered a job as a radio announcer for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Magical stuff.

Unfortunately, the magic is on hold for a while so the reality can set in. TMZ is reporting Williams is entering rehab for drug and alcohol abuse. I guess he was homeless for a reason.

We wish Ted all the best in his recovery so he can come back to calling the most boring games in the NBA. The Cavs lost to the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday night 112-57. On second thought, take your time, Ted.

LeBron James Scheduled to Make Return to Cleveland

RM Franks — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 15:40:57 +0000

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Remember last August when LeBron James stuck a knife in the city of Cleveland’s back and announced on a live television special he would be abandoning them for the Miami Heat?

Well this Thursday night LeBron, Wade and the Heat are scheduled to return to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers and the hostile fans at Quicken Loans Arena. Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert has employed literally hundreds of cops to patrol the venue and make sure LeBron and his team-mates’ safety is looked after.

The question on everyones mind is whether this game is a good thing for the NBA. The actual game is proving to be secondary and reporters and media people everywhere keep insisting on how fans will be tuning in to this game to see how the fans react, how crude the signs are, and if anything over the top will actually happen.

This is just sports. If someone in Cleveland is stupid enough to take LeBron’s departure personally and do something irresponsible and dangerous, the city’s reputation will be tarnished forever. Fans should have their fun, be creative, and let LeBron know they’re upset. Anything more than that and I wouldn’t blame LeBron if he stopped travelling to Cleveland to play.

Kobe Bryant Wants to be Like Mike…Jackson!!!

RM Franks — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:48:51 +0000

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Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski penned a great article yesterday about how Kobe Bryant maintains dedication to his craft. The piece draws on the strange friendship between Kobe and Michael Jackson, and how it was Jackson, not Michael Jordan, that taught Kobe to be great.

I won’t bore you with the details, (even though they aren’t at all boring) because Wojnarowski illustrates the point beautifully, and the article is a must-read for anyone interested in how great minds work and how great human achievement is reached. In essence, it was the King of Pop who taught Kobe the pursuit of perfection and how to keep on course.

Jackson, like Bryant, was relentlessly obsessed with being the best. In an age when LeBron James is busy promoting books, movies, rap songs and TV specials where he announces where he will be playing, Kobe on the other hand is in the gym. Practicing. This is the stuff that makes Kobe what he is, and this is the stuff he learned from MJ. The other MJ.

Eva Longoria Splits with Tony Parker

RM Franks — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 21:51:09 +0000

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TMZ.com is reporting that Eva Longoria has filed for divorce from her husband, NBA star Tony Parker.

The couple originally tied the knot in 2007 after Parker had won his 3rd NBA Championship with the San Antonio Spurs and Longoria had become a superstar on ABC’s Desperate Housewives.

Longoria was often seen in the stands at Spurs games and commentators would remark on how rare it was that such a busy TV actress still made time to fly to Texas to see her husband play. This fact perhaps lends itself to the shocking nature of this news. It seems with these two, no one saw the split coming.

Parker’s Spurs are playing well right now, and as a basketball fan, one can only hope this doesn’t affect the team. As a Desperate Housewives fan, well, I think one housewife just got a whole lot more desperate.

LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade – “There’s Magic in the Number 3″

Jacob Morris — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:00:16 +0000

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Chris Bosh

The wait is over after months of speculation as to where free agents LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade would end up for the 2010-2011 NBA season. Basically, get ready for a dream team. All three of the basketball stars are headed to Florida to play for the Miami Heat.

LeBron made the most of his announcement, holding an entire special titled The Decision on ESPN Thursday night. After he made is choice public on the TV, LeBron put out a brief statement on his website saying, “Next year, I will be playing for The Miami Heat. I would like to thank all of my fans for supporting me and I am looking forward to seeing you guys next season as I chase the NBA Championship.”

LeBron also tweeted this morning after landing in Miami about his decision, saying that “The Road to History starts now!”

Toronto Raptors fans may be disappointed about losing the team’s franchise player, but Chris Bosh has had nothing but good things to say about the city. In a statement on his website he said, “I’ve loved every minute here and I just wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart”.

In a statement released by the Miami Heat, Dwayne Wade said, “there’s magic in the number 3. This is the beginning of new chapter in HEAT history and very exciting for both fans of the Miami HEAT and the NBA.”

With such amazing talent all in one place, there is definitely potential for a championship and it may also sway some bandwagon fans to get behind the Heat.

So, who are you going to be cheering for during the upcoming NBA season?

Cabbie Richards: The Man Without Fear In The Press Room

Jeremy Singer — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:16:16 +0000

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Exhibit A: a hefty roly-polly fellow in baggy jeans and a t-shirt, a fitted cap flipped backwards, a microphone in hand and a childish 1000 watt smile.

This is the uniform for one of Canada’s leading sports personalities. Hard to believe?

Meet Cabral “Cabbie” Richards, The Score Network’s animated icon, who has sent a loud message out to the media industry: traditional reporting isn’t always successful, and that his new-school style of interviewing can trump those old-school classroom methods.

In his interviews with star athletes on The Score’s Cabbie on the Street, it’s always a challenge to pint-point exactly the recipe for his success. But narrowing it down, there’s one key ingredient that differentiates the 31-year-old from Cambridge, Ontario, from the rest.

Exhibit B: his swagger.

Case in show, his interview with NBA commissioner David Stern at his press conference:

Surrounded by layers of thirsty sports reporters ready to lunge at Stern with questions relating to the league’s recent referee scandal or the pressing collective bargaining agreement in 2011, Richards scoots in and playfully asks the ‘el capitano’ of the organization… if he wins his bets in his fantasy basketball pools because of his knowledge of the players in the league.

Staying away from the typical post game interviews, Richards says he enjoys the guerrilla-style approach- keeping the scene light, animated, unpredicted, and delivering pure sports entertainment.

“I think the traditional forms of reporting are boring, and I think that most people would kind of follow that standard,” Richards tells andPOP. “When people come home, they just want to watch TV, be entertained and relaxed. I like to entertain and show humorous sides.”

His swagger can be described as his ability to go up casually to the best of the best, and put them on the spot with such simple and entertaining questions.

Part of his past repertoire includes Richards asking players at the 2008 NBA All-Star Game if they would agree to be his best man at his ‘fictional’ wedding. Or telling Wayne Gretzky that he’s about to launch a fake campaign to get Gretzky’s face on the currency in Canada- and asking the NHL legend whether he would rather the 50 or 100 dollar bill.

But that ability to confidently amuse didn’t just hit him suddenly one day on the job.

In fact, it goes way back before his days as an intern at The Score, or as a student at Ryerson University’s Radio & Television program. Technically, it all started back at Galt Collegiate Institute. Richards landed the lead role in the school play as the man eating plant in the “Little Shop Of Horrors”- which then sparked his career as a drama junkie.

That was the first time ever Cabral Richards worked an audience.

“Ever since then, I’ve always had a desire to make people laugh,” says Richards. “I love to entertain, so I guess it’s not a surprise that I was the class clown in school.”

And learning the face of rejection as an intern at The Score also helped. Originally assigned as a script writer, Richards was then offered to do five minute segments of interviews with the general public. It was just him and a camera crew in the middle of downtown Toronto, pestering total strangers about the topic of the day.

That was the authentic “Cabbie on the Street.”

“I wasn’t the entertaining guy right off the bat,” recalls Richards as we chat in a taxi, heading back to his office. “I was pretty quiet, but I got experience and began getting more comfortable. You have to remember that in the beginning, it was all just approaching random people on the street to interview, so I got used to getting shutdown multiple times. But I’ve learned to brush it off immediately and keep pushing.

“I take all the rough first times, and use it as not only experience but also confidence and I build on it.”

But after he got promoted to interviewing star athletes, Richards says he truly felt like he was validated in the business following his interview with MLB star pitcher Pedro Martinez. “We were competing with each other over who could throw the hardest with their weak hand. I threw 30 miles/hour, he threw 60,” Richards says laughing. “Everything just seemed to click at that point.”

Watching Richards work now definitely has you questioning your 20/20 vision. In fact, you might be inclined to double check if you really saw, what you just saw. He strips away all ice-breaker tension, no matter how high-status or stubborn the person is, and leaves viewers in total disbelief.

For example, how do you muster up the mentality to go up to legendary Hip/Hop rapper Jay-Z at the 2009 NBA All-Star Game, and ask the basketball fanatic if he hopes to somehow get some playing-time in today’s event?

Or present Michael Jordan at his charity golf tournament with a “thank you for being amazing” card- followed by a bear hug.

The knack of improvising and constantly allowing himself to be the butt of the joke may be part of it, but Richards says there’s definitely some hidden techniques behind his behavior.

“I always try to make people laugh,” says Richards. “The first time I meet these people, I definitely get a little nervous, but once I get through the initial smile, I’m way more comfortable. I guess the main goal is to make sure that those guys enjoy themselves and keep it entertaining.”

The most recent example of that success is his nice reel of jokes with Los Angeles Lakers global basketball star Kobe Bryant.

“He’s different,” says Bryant in the Globe and Mail in regard to Richards. “We play off one another; we have fun. It’s a break from the ordinary. He’s funny as hell. I look forward to him visiting in LA or when I come here. It’s always fun.”

As the taxi comes to a halt in front of The Score building, Richards gets out and hospitably nods me to follow. We walk briskly to the entrance, and enthusiastically, I scurry onto the sidewalk to keep up the pace. Carrying a camera-supply bag along-side is his producer and long time friend, Dave Krikst. Krikst has been working side-by-side with Richards since he began his days producing at the Score in 2005. One brainstorms the ideas, the other delivers. Together they remain to be an impressive duo. But Krikst keeps the answer simple when asked about Richards’s success in interviews.

“We call it going into this little head space,” says Krikst. “He just zones out and goes to work. If a guy like him can present those ideas the way he does it, it works out really well, he’s amazing at it. He’s always funny, loud. Of all my friends, he’s the most loyal.”

When Richards walks into the office, he takes over the place like Fat Albert meeting the gang at the schoolyard playground. Immediately, he’s going room-to-room, cubicle-to-cubicle, making sure to slap a high-five and a compliment to employees no matter their position in the company. The guy is like the Bees-Kneez. He does it with today’s most premiere athletes on-screen; and also with the co-worker in the stiff suit, buried in stress at his desk, off-screen.

But despite his success, Richards still thinks that he’s just a regular-joe, hard at work. “You gotta realize that there’s a lot of other people that are funnier and better out there,” admits Richards. “So knowing that, I just always strive to work that much harder and keep my job.”

“Gotta get my ‘Kevin Garnett’ on,” he says with a grin, in reference to the NBA’s hustle and hard-working former defensive player of the year.

True, but hundreds of other sports reporters across North America are hard at work too. So what separates Richards from the rest of the media community?

We’re going to keep it simple. Let’s leave it as his swagger. That’s it.

LeBron James On Entourage

Jeremy Singer — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 04:21:52 +0000

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It appears that Entourage is really reaching new heights with it’s cameos of athletes.

First Tom Brady- beyond awesome, then a brief Steve Nash- cool stuff, but now viewers should prep themselves to see one of the biggest global superstars on the planet, the King himself, LeBron James!

Not sure exactly which episode it’ll be, but Jeremy Piven -a huge fan of the NBA and James himself- took a little video of the guy on the set:

Totally New, Totally Downloadable, NBA 2K10: Draft Combine

Josh Salem — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:45:23 +0000

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Almost like a souped up demo, you can get a taste of NBA 2K10′s all-new gameplay and My Player career mode as an NBA hopeful dealing with the stress and intrigue of the NBA Draft Combine.

This download-only title gives ballers the action of pre-season fun leading up to the launch of NBA 2K10. Coming out this September for Xbox Live Arcade and PSN; NBA 2K10: Draft Combine will allow fans to create their own personal player and begin their career from the ground up going through the Draft Combine at the ATTACK Athletics gym in Chicago.

It's pretty intense trying to get a spot in the NBA.

“We’re giving our dedicated NBA 2K fans an incredible opportunity with NBA 2K10: Draft Combine,” said Greg Thomas, senior vice president of sports development for 2K. “Gamers will have exclusive access to online content and get to test drive NBA 2k10′s new gameplay features, advanced player progression system and the all-new My Player career mode before the game launches this fall.”

NBA 2K10: Draft Combine, developed by Visual Concepts is planned for release in North America, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and India this September for 400 MS points (on Xbox Live Arcade), and $4.99 (on PlayStation Network).

Now all I’m wondering is if we can create and customize a player, then transfer him over to the actual NBA 2K10 title when it releases.

NBA 2K10: Draft Combine Screenshots

andPOP Staff — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 23:58:06 +0000

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2K Sports has announced NBA 2K10: Draft Combine, a download only game for basketball fans to have some fun with the pre-season. The game drops in September for Xbox (400 points) and PS3 ($4.99).

NBA 2K10: Draft Combine will allow fans to create their own custom player with the utmost detail and, for the first time in the NBA 2K series, begin their career by experiencing the on-court life of an NBA hopeful going through the NBA Draft Combine at the world-renowned, ATTACK Athletics gym in Chicago.

We’ve got some screenshots from the game.

[Show as slideshow]

Features of NBA 2K10: Draft Combine include:

Building custom players by working with a mentor, the 2K Insider, and increasing their NBA stock through a variety of challenging basketball drills and 5-on-5 games.
Over 300 different signature customizations, including player-specific shooting animations, dunk and dribble packages and more to allow each created player to have his own unique personal style.
Ability to strengthen all parts of the created player’s game with a variety of drills, such as shooting, post offense and defense, attacking the basket, dribbling, challenging shots, boxing out for rebounds and more to progress through the NBA Draft Combine.
Organized games that will allow players to gain valuable skill points and offer a variety of specific in-game objectives that will need to be accomplished in order to gain them. At the end of each game, a full analysis will be available for gamers to review their player’s performance and strategize their further improvement.
All players created in NBA 2K10: Draft Combine will wear a special patch on their uniform throughout the rest of that player’s career to denote that they have completed the NBA Draft Combine.
Online leaderboards to track the highest ranking custom built players, and where a player stacks up against the competition.
Opportunity to unlock special achievements on Xbox 360 and trophies for PLAYSTATION 3 system.
Fans can take their custom built players from NBA 2K10: Draft Combine and use them in the all-new My Player career mode in NBA 2K10 launching this fall, allowing them to continue their journey of becoming an NBA legend.

More information is available on the 2K Sports web site.

2K Sports Announces NBA 2K Online for Asian Market

David Barmak — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:17:37 +0000

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2K Sports has got a new NBA game in the works, and it’s not just the yearly 2K10 entry. The company has announced a partnership to co-develop NBA 2K Online with Tencent Holdings Limited, an internet portal in China. This new team will be dubbed Take-Two Asia, and will also release the game in Taiwan, South Korea and other parts of Southeast Asia. Tencent has plenty of experience in the online world. It represents China’s largest virtual community with 411 million active user accounts. By comparison, Steam has a mere 1 million users. Yikes.

NBA 2K Online will be exclusive to the Asian market. Paul Thornton, a portfolio manger, and founder of www.investorbootcamp.ca says Chinese game companies face a unique challenge. “Online gaming is growing in China versus retail sales because there is a reputation of piracy in everything from music to movies,” he says. ”This way revenues can be controlled.” Tencent is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, where its shares are trading 30% higher on a year-over-year basis. With its market cap at a whopping $160.75 billion, Tencent is ten times larger than Activision Blizzard’s market cap of $15.68 billion. To be fair though, it is a holding company with diversified internet interests – Activision is focused on publishing games.

China experienced a huge spike in online gaming in 2008 — growing 61% from the previous year, and generating a revenue of $2.75 billion. Analysts at Nikko Partners project it could reach almost $9 billion by 2013. We’re talking big here. ”China’s online games market is at a nascent stage and we believe that opportunities are just beginning to unfold,” says Martin Lau, president of Tencent. His company currently operates 67 mini casual games, five advanced casual games and five MMORPGs.

The popularity of the NBA continues to grow in China. The basketball league is considering building 12 arenas in the country, where it estimates the fanbase consists of more than 500 million people. Paul Thornton puts it simply: “You have to think that an online NBA game in China is going to go gangbusters.”

Review: College Hoops 2K8

andPOP Staff — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 04:34:32 +0000

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College sports fans rejoice. It’s college basketball season again and that can only mean one thing. My Syracuse Orangeman jersey is coming out of storage and College Hoops 2K8 from 2k sports is available. Am I excited? Well… Kind of. For me the college basketball games always just seemed a little less fun than all those NBA games out there.

The die hard college hoops fans out there are probably thinking how could I possibly even compare NBA and college hoops games. They are two different animals; apples and oranges. In real life maybe, in the virtual realm of video games not so much. Just different arenas, different jerseys and no names, but we’ll get to that later.

The game itself is actually quite good. The graphics are smooth and clean, and are every bit as sharp as next gen gamers have come to expect. I found myself watching the pregame warm-up for a couple minutes, and I immediately appreciated the realism of it all. The digital fans looked more like a real crowd than I have ever seen. Usually the fans are constantly doing the same thing or doing everything in some unnatural looking unison, but not these fans. They really seemed to have a life of their own. Same goes for the players during cut scenes. During the warm-up some players would shoot, others lay up, some would miss, most would score. It did not feel like a preprogrammed act, it looked and felt real.

The game has all the typical features of sports games nowadays: Legacy mode, Coach mode, tournament options as well as some mini games. The in game options are all there as well, with the ability to control everything from substitutions to how hard you want your team to go for rebounds. A nice new feature for 08 is the ability to create your own play, which comes in very handy if you are not satisfied with your teams playbook. The controls are good, new additions like the maximum pass ability let you choose how your player passes the ball: chest, bounce, lob etc. Lock on D is another helpful feature for those of us, like myself, who are defensively challenged. Everything I wanted was there.

The most commonly overlooked aspect of a game is whether or not it is fun to play. Today’s games are so visually stunning that it is easy for designers to forget that they are, first and foremost, supposed to be fun. Case and point, I would rather play Pac Man than Superman Returns for 360. Fortunately, for college hoops fans, 2K’s offering this year is both fun to play and easy on the eyes.

When it comes to Sports titles the experienced gamer knows that there are really only two viable options: 2K or EA. Each company brings different strengths and weaknesses to the table and at the end of the day it is a matter of personal preference as to which game you will enjoy more. I found that the 2K titles are slightly more arcade-like while EA games are generally more life like.

College Hoops 2K8 follows this trend and is definitely a closer relative of NBA jam than EA’s NBA basketball offering. I don’t want to give the impression that this is an arcade game but sometimes it can feel that way. Fast breaks are fast and mastering defense will only take you so far, offense is definitely the priority. The addition of features like the “sixth man meter”, which when filled gives your team a boost, add to the fun but take away from the realism. In the end it is up to you to decide what type of game play you prefer.

My only gripe with this game, and really it is with every college sports game, is the lack of real player names. I understand the NCAA’s position but I don’t understand why the issue cannot be resolved. It is a lot more fun to play as Paul Harris (Syracuse guard) than it is to play as #11 SG. Unless you know virtually every player by number it can be hard to see who has the ball, which after the third failed 3 point attempt with my center thinking he was my point guard, can become quite frustrating. They do allow you to enter the names manually, but to do the entire league would probably take until 09.

All in all, College Hoops 2K8 is a great game that is fun to play. It has deep controls, awesome graphics and cool extras. I had a blast playing with my buddies, but if I was not a serious college basketball fan I would probably pass on this one. However, if you just have to represent your school (GO CUSE!) you can’t go wrong with this title.

Graphics: 4.5 / 5.0
Gameplay 4.5 / 5.0
Sound 4.0 / 5.0
Replay value 4.5 / 5.0

Enter the College Hoops 2k8 Contest

Review: NBA 08

andPOP Staff — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 16:12:05 +0000

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When EA releases a new sports game it’s rarely a surprise. That doesn’t mean, however, that I was any less excited to get my hands on NBA 08 and give it a try. I have found that recently EA, for their 360 titles at least, have tried to create game play which has a much more authentic feel than some of the previous arcade type games. This trend has continued with NBA 08.

All new EA Sports titles have a free roam mode which appears as soon as you pop in the game. I played around for a while as Gilbert Arenas, who appears on the cover, to try and get a handle for the look and feel of the game. The first thing anyone notices is how a game looks; and I am no exception. The game looks awesome. Players can be easily identified by NBA fans simply by their appearance, as virtually every detail was captured.

More difficult to achieve than accurate looks is accurate movements and it is here that NBA 08 really shines. Virtually every player has their own unique movements in the game. Shawn Marion shoots like Shawn Marion, Arenas fades away like Arenas and Lebron dunks like Lebron. Little things that had always been a little dodgy in previous versions of NBA, like quick break passes, have mostly been taken care of as well. If you watch the NBA than you will be sure to appreciate the depth of visual detail in the game.

The next thing you notice when picking up any new game is the game play. A game can look great but if it isn’t fun to play it will soon be gathering dust on the shelf. Fortunately for all of us I don’t think NBA 08 will be collecting dust bunnies anytime soon, or at least not until NBA 09 comes out.

The game play is really good, not great, not amazing, but really good. Before all the new movement options are mastered, like the complete dribble control and signature move ability, the game play can be a little choppy. After spending a few hours playing the game though the choppiness I had noticed earlier seemed to be disappearing with my increasing skill level. In the end, NBA 08 provides a very realistic feel, while still managing to provide smooth, fun game play.

NBA 08 offers the gamer a choice between quite a few game modes including a Franchise, Dynasty, Online, All-Star Weekend and the FIBA league.

I love playing games in Dynasty mode. Dynasties start with your choice of taking over an existing franchise, with their current rosters, or truly start from scratch and complete a fantasy draft. I really appreciate games that allow you to draft your own team. I find that I have a much stronger emotional attachment to created teams, and therefore enjoy the long 82 game season that much more.

The only thing more satisfying than sinking a buzzer beater against the computer is doing it against a real person online. In my opinion, the most fun can be had playing online and if thats all the game came with I’d probably still buy it. It’s that good.

As for the other modes, they are fun the first couple times around but they lose their appeal and grow repetitive quite quickly. But nobody really cares about the International League or the dunk competition, do they? I sure don’t. While it is nice to have the option, I don’t foresee too many 3 point contests in my future.

One of the few complaints I have with the game is that the cross over rating system must be changed. Every point guard who is good enough to play in the NBA is capable of performing a crossover. EA apparently does not agree. Bottom tier point guards, like Jose Calderon on the Raptors, frequently, too frequently, loses the ball while trying to perform a simple crossover. I am not saying those players should never lose the ball but they are clearly under rated. EA allows you to remedy the situation, however, by allowing you to edit anyone’s ratings. The obvious problem being that the newly rated Jose Calderon is now as good as Jason Terry at doing crossovers so it kind of throws everything out of whack, but to a very minimal degree.

Another minor annoyance that should be mentioned is the in-game play calling and substitution interface. It requires the use of the D-pad, which in turn forces your thumb off the main joystick. In time, I am sure that I will be able to efficiently call a play on the fly, but for the novice gamer play calling can be a handful.

The last negative aspect that is worth mentioning manifests itself in the form of the new Hot/Cold feature which, when a button is pushed, reveals where the current ball handler is either hot or cold shooting the ball. In theory this is a great feature, but beyond the marquee players the hot/cold zones seem to be arbitrarily selected. Only die hard NBA fans will notice this though.

I must say, however, the good definitely outweighs the bad. All in all, whether playing a season against the computer, a game against someone online or simply having a dunk competition with friends, NBA 08 is a must have for all basketball fans.

Graphics: 4.5
Gameplay: 4.5
Sound: 4.0
Replay Value:5.0

NBA ’08 to Feature Stoudemire on Cover

andPOP Staff — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:13:09 +0000

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Phoenix Suns forward Amare Stoudemire will grace the cover of NBA 08 exclusively for the Playstation 3, Playstation 2 and PSP consoles. Stoudemire has already been the cover athlete for NBA 06.

“Amare Stoudemire is one of the most dynamic players in the NBA, showcasing a range of power and finesse that makes him a favorite among the fans and a respected competitor among his peers,” said Scott Rohde, director, sports product development, SCEA. “We are elated that he has renewed his partnership with us and believe that with Amare back on our team, NBA ’08 will once again raise the bar for the franchise.”

The Playstation 3 version includes an all new progression system players can earn rewards that can be used to customize players and gameplay. Moreover, new controls allow gamers to become even more involved in the actual game. Finally, updated player rosters, animations and textures continue to increase upon the already realistic gameplay.

NBA ’08 will ship in October 2007.

Sports Column: Problems with the NBA’s All-Star Weekend

andPOP Staff — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 00:09:43 +0000

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Appetizer

The All-Star weekend began in its usual fashion with the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge on Friday. This exhibition pits the rooks against the sophomores in 48 minutes of knock-down, defence packed carnage… ok, maybe not. As with every year there were a ton of thunderous dunks, long range three point shots and crazy ball handling- with little to no defence.

Andre Iguodala was spectacular, hitting 13 of his 17 FG?s and drilling four three balls in the sophomores? victory. In total he had 30 points, 4 steals, 6 rebounds and the game?s MVP trophy. Not a bad day at the office. Of the top 10 picks in the 2004 draft, 6 were selected to play for the sophomores- Iguodala being one of them.

Other notable performances came from Toronto?s Charlie Villanueva who flooded the box score with 18 points and 12 rebounds and Houston?s Luther Head who added 18 points and 4 assists.

Sophomores over Rookies 106-96
MVP- Andre Iguodala
Thoughts: I wonder when the rookies will next beat the sophomores? Charlie Villanueva continues to make Stephen A. Smith look like a jackass (not that he needs much help).

Main Course

Saturday night began with the RadioShack Shooting Stars competition which saw the San Antonio team of Steve Kerr, Tony Parker and Kendra Wecker destroy all other competition in a resounding win. Considering the San Antonio team went first and set the bar so high, it was a pretty uneventful competition.

Winner- San Antonio
Thoughts: Why can?t these All-Star athletes hit a simple jump shot? I won?t say anything bad about Kelly Miller.

The Shooting Stars competition was followed by the PlayStation Skills Challenge. Canada?s own Steve Nash won the Skills Challenge last year and was heavily favoured to repeat this year. However, that was not the case as Nash couldn?t sink the near free throw line jump shot. Dwayne Wade ended up winning in what has to be one of the worst stacked events of the weekend. If you have a Skills Competition without Jason Kidd and Tony Parker, you might as well just not have it at all.

Winner- Dwayne Wade
Thoughts: Nash?s inability to hit that shot was embarrassing. What a snoozer of an event. Dwayne Wade is the most skilled player in the NBA? I think not.

Next up was the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout which featured a couple great shooters in Dirk Nowitzki and Ray Allen with a supporting cast of scorers, including Gilbert Arenas, Chauncey Billups, Quentin Richardson and Jason Terry. As the TNT analysts kept reminding us, most of these players are scorers, not shooters. Which, again, begs the questions- who picks these players?!

It looked through the first round as if Allen was going to pull out an easy victory, but the determined German, Nowitzki had other plans in mind. Nowitzki heated up in the second round and easily took the competition.

Winner- Dirk Nowitzki
Thoughts: Dirk Nowitzki?s stroke is as smooth as Scarlett Johansson?s naked rump. Fill the competition with pure shooters, not star scorers.

Now to the good stuff- or so we thought. The Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk contest is not only the longest name in the history of competitions, it?s also an eye-sore of an event when not stacked with the best dunkers in the league- this year?s dunk contest would be one of those times.

There were two great dunks in this competition. One by Andre Iguodala, who threw the ball off the back of the backboard, caught it in mid-air and threw it down with authority. The creativity, power and danger-factor (Iguodala nailed his head on the backboard on his first attempt) made it one of the best dunks in recent years. The other spectacular dunk of the eve belonged to 5 foot nothing Knicks guard Nate Robinson, who took a pass from Spud Webb and jumped over the 5?5? dunk legend Webb and slammed it home.

Those two dunks aside, it was the worst dunk contest in recent history. Not only were all the other dunks average and unexciting, but the two aforementioned ones followed a good 20 or so failed attempts. In fact, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James were visibly frustrated with the number of attempts Robinson took. Iguodala could also be seen shouting ?Come on!?

Winner- Nate Robinson
Thoughts: Nate won, but shouldn?t have. That dunk by Iguodala was something special. If Rob Babcock was still working for the Raptors, he?d be fired after this weekend?s Iguodala-fest. Rafael Araujo over Andre Iguodala? Give me a break. Araujo has a Trump?esque penchants for getting people fired.

Desert

The 55th annual NBA All-Star Game took place in Houston?s Toyota Center and featured a slew of memorable moments. The show started off with Juno winner Jann Arden butchering Canada?s national anthem, which, unfortunately for Arden, was followed by Destiny?s Child?s flawless rendition of America?s Star Spangled Banner.

The game began as most NBA All-Star Games do- Lots of turnovers, lots of dunks and lots of three pointers. The West started strong and took a big lead, but the East turned up the defence and pulled ahead in the fourth quarter behind LeBron James’ 29 points.

Other notable performances include: Houston?s Tracy McGrady with 36 points, Miami?s Dwayne Wade with 20 points and San Antonio?s Tim Duncan with 15 points and 10 rebounds

This year?s All-Star Game was actually one of the better in recent memory. It wasn?t as high scoring as past games, but was quite competitive in the second half. The Detroit Pistons? Rasheed Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton and B-B-B-Ben Wallace gave the East an edge on defence and a rare continuity that propelled their team to victory.

Memorable moments include LeBron James mocking physics with a gravity-defying lay in, Ben Wallace embarrassing Pau Gasol with two consecutive blocks, Vince Carter hitting back rim on two monster jam attempts, Kobe Bryant splitting two defenders and hitting a ridiculous shot in the last few minutes and, last but certainly not least, Eva Longoria?s exposed navel.

Winner- Eastern All-Stars
MVP- LeBron James
Thoughts: LeBron is the youngest All-Star Game MVP in league history. Who?s luckier- Tony Parker or Jay-Z? Those All-Star jerseys were the ugliest I?ve ever seen. You better believe Big Ben will be practicing his free throws after that air ball. Chris Bosh had no PT in the fourth. Just how many arm bands does Paul Pierce need? Shaq looks old. Tracy McGrady looks depressed. Nice Toronto connection with Bosh, Carter and McGrady playing. The All-Star game should decide who gets home-court advantage- like in baseball.

Sports Column: NBA Season Full of Surprises ? Playoffs Likely Will Not

andPOP Staff — Sun, 08 Jan 2006 02:51:32 +0000

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With most teams having played 30 or more of their 82 game schedule, the NBA landscape is becoming clearer. The good teams are separating themselves from the average and poor teams, and despite some interesting surprises, the outlook for the NBA Finals in June looks pretty much like what we predicted prior to the season. The San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons, and Miami Heat are still the clear favourites to win it all.

The Detroit Pistons are dominating the league and have many people not only talking about a Finals appearance, but also a regular season MVP award for their floor leader, Chauncey Billups. Some even see the Pistons challenging the record for most wins in a season. That record is currently held by the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls who won 72 games that year.

Miami is the only other legitimate contender in the East. They are still struggling with the transition from former coach Stan Van Gundy to new coach Pat Riley (who is also the team President and likely the reason for Van Gundy?s departure) and also with team chemistry after making significant roster moves in the off-season. Did Pat Riley tinker too much? After all, they would have beat Detroit in last year?s Eastern finals if it hadn?t been for key injuries to their star players, namely Shaquille O?Neal. Even if the moves were a good idea, will Riley be able to turn this club of self-centered players into a championship team? The regular season record doesn?t matter much for the Heat; as with most good teams, it?s all about preparing for the playoffs (in Miami?s case, preparing for the Pistons).

The Indiana Pacers have underachieved so far and are facing yet another media circus surrounding their troubled star wingman Ron Artest, who has publicly asked for a trade. Management has decided not to play Artest and have asked him to stay home until a trade can be arranged.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and New Jersey Nets have been positive surprises with their early season play and may be capable of a playoff upset.

The New York Knicks have been a huge disappointment this season after numerous questionable off-season moves to both their coaching staff and player roster. The Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards have also struggled much more than expected.

In the Western Conference the San Antonio Spurs continue to quietly and professionally go about their business of dominating the conference. Perennial MVP candidate Tim Duncan leads one of the deepest and best coached teams in the league. It is difficult to see anyone stopping a healthy Spurs team from reaching the Finals.

The Phoenix Suns have been a big surprise in the Western conference. The Suns have been without Amare Stoudemire the entire season and lost two key starters this summer. Reigning MVP Steve Nash is proving that award was well deserved by leading an entirely new club to third best record in the West. Yet surprisingly Nash has garnered no MVP buzz this year?

The second best record belongs to the Dallas Mavericks who are showing an astounding commitment to defense, along with their traditional high powered offense. Underachievers in the West include the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Seattle Supersonics, and Sacramento Kings who would all miss the playoffs if the season ended today.

Overall, it has been a very interesting NBA season to date? and we?re not even at the all-star break. The playoffs should prove to be worth the price of admission.

Sports Column: A Word Of Advice

andPOP Staff — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 14:43:48 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

It?s now 2006, and because everyone is either hung over or just really tired , I?ll give you a nice quick-hitter column. Instead of doing clich? new years resolutions, I?ll put on my Dr. Phil hat and dish out some advice for our beloved sports celebs.

? Mike Tyson- For the love of all that is good in this world, please do not appear in Playgirl (as has been rumoured for some time). You can imagine what a slippery slope that is…

? Phil Jackson- Next time you decide to come back into coaching, try not to do it with a player you called ?uncoachable.? Oh, and maybe you could learn a thing or two from Pat Riley? your chances of success greatly increase when you have a guy named Shaquille O?Neal on your team.

? Lenny Wilkins- It?s over Lenny. The only thing you should be allowed to coach now is an octogenarian bingo team.

? Rudy Gay- Thought by many as being the best prospect in the next NBA draft, Rudy Gay should consider changing his last name. Many NBA players have openly stated they wouldn?t be comfortable with a homosexual teamate, which sets the tone for a very anti-gay sport. This trickles down to the fans, many of whom have already laughed at the potential purple Raptors jersey with Gay across the back. A Nightmare for marketing. I?m not saying it?s right, but it?s a reality.

? Minnesota Vikings- Sea a Ho, Land ahoy. I don?t blame the Vikings for the notorious ?sex boat? incident. I blame the sea; there have been many tales of what the sea can do to weak-willed men. Stay on land me matees.

? Larry Brown- Who leaves the Detroit Pistons to coach the New York Knicks? Larry, my advice to you? seek professional mental help, something?s not right there.

? Ron Artest- Call Larry Brown and ask for his psychiatrist?s number ASAP.

? Latrell Sprewell- Call Ron Artest for Larry Brown?s psychiatrist?s number ASAP. Or just see a financial advisor and learn how to feed your family on only tens of millions of dollars a year. Poor Sprewells.

? Michelle Wie & Annika Sorenstam- Not that they can?t compete at a high level in the PGA, I just don?t think they should. If I?m not mistaken, there is a LPGA, is there not? This just reeks of reverse-sexism. If they?re allowed to play in the PGA, I think NBA bench warmers should be able to play in the WNBA. It?s only fair.

Sports Column: Canadian Media Bad For Basketball

andPOP Staff — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 14:43:12 +0000

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It seems, for whatever reason, that hockey will always be Canada’s dominant sport; as such, it demands a certain amount of attention from Canadian media outlets – which is something we non-hoser sports fans have come to accept. However, broadcasters, analysts, and sports writers alike can’t continue to overlook the other major sports; such as basketball.

Generally speaking, the basketball IQ of the Canadian media is terrible, at best. Their hockey-centric tunnel vision is compounded by the fact that this lack of knowledge doesn?t prevent them from sharing uninformed, ignorant opinions with their audiences about basketball.

Those in the know can discern a well-versed hoops-junkie from a hockey analyst who?s out of his element, but unfortunately fair-weather basketball fans are lured in to believing what these ?experts? have to say.

My solution? A modification of the old adage, ?if you don?t have anything informed to say, don?t say anything at all.?

Canadian television programs like Off The Record are problematic as, at some point, the guests must discuss things outside their Neanderthalic Ice Capades world. This is where the problems arise.

Case and point, a few days ago Rob Babcock, GM of the Raptors, was on Off The Record answering loaded questions posed by the host Michael Landsberg, while at the same time being berated by moronic small-talk that, in this context, passes for the majority of the show?s content.

Babcock kept his cool, toeing the company line and answering questions without even a hint of trepidation or anger towards the other guests. Commendable. He even got his own jabs in, most notably a funny dig towards Toronto sports writer and Raptor-hater extraordinaire, Dave Feschuk.

But why continue with the pattern? Surely someone must notice that in a show where basketball and Rob Babcock are the key topics, having more than one knowledgeable basketball mind is a good idea!

Zack Werner and Fred Patterson are the targets of this particular rant. They threw in some player names, some painfully obvious commentary — but nothing that went beyond the surface. Nothing that would lead any informed viewer to believe that these goons have watched more than one or two Raptors games this season (and that is me being nice; I?d be shocked if they have watched even one from start to finish). Yet there they were, arguing with Babcock, a man with more basketball knowledge than either could ever aspire to have; taunting him, telling him to his face that his team sucks, the Vince Carter trade was bad, he?s not handling the roster properly, his drafting is suspect, etc etc.

All of that might be accurate, but who are they to say? Where could they have possibly obtained this knowledge if they don?t follow the team regularly? The answer: from other uninformed sports analysts too busy listening to themselves talk to understand the damage they are doing to basketball in Canada.

This is not to say things are always rosy in Canadian basketball. Usually it?s far from. But I urge the Canadian media to leave the curling to the curlers, leave the hockey to the hosers and, for the love of God, leave the basketball to the ballers. Canada has enough intelligent basketball minds to discuss, analyze and critique the game – we don?t need help from you sub-zero saps.

NBA Season Preview

andPOP Staff — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 15:05:19 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

With the 2005/2006 NBA season ready to go in few weeks, prognosticators are in full swing forecasting the League’s movers and shakers. andPOP decided to get in on the action and provide our NBA predictions.

(EAST)

ATLANTIC

New Jersey Nets

The Nets looked as if they could be one of the better teams in the east when they “signed” Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Unfortunately for them, he failed his physical and they rescinded the deal. Marc Jackson will serve as Reef?s stand-in — but it won?t be the same. They?ll still be good enough to take the woeful Atlantic division, but expect a quick exit in the playoffs.

Key additions: Marc Jackson, Jeff McInnis, Antoine Wright
Key losses: Shareef Abdur-Rahim (sort of)

New York Knicks

The Knicks are an interesting team, especially with the inclusion of Larry Brown. They have all the talent in the world, but chemistry will be a big issue — after all, there?s only one ball. Should be interesting to see how Eddy Curry works out — or doesn?t.

Key additions: Eddy Curry, Nate Robinson, Jerome James, Larry Brown
Key losses: Jerome Williams, Tim Thomas

Philadelphia 76ers

I wonder if GM Billy King would make that trade for Chris Webber again? Either way, the 76ers are a talented team and could make some noise if they stay healthy. The key word being if…

Key additions: Steven Hunter, Lee Nailon
Key losses: Aaron McKie

Boston Celtics

Danny Ainge?s crazy vision is finally starting to take shape. The Celtics are a young, hungry team that will surprise if you let your guard down. Look for Al Jefferson to step up and average a double-double this season. The clock is ticking on Paul Pierce?

Key additions: Gerald Green, Dan Dickau
Key losses: Antoine Walker, Gary Payton

Toronto Raptors

Despite all the heat Rob Babcock has taken of late, the team has plenty of youth to build around. Look for the Raptors to finish in the bottom of the Atlantic this season, but gain more valuable ping-pong balls.

Key additions: Charlie Villanueva, Joey Graham, Mike James, Jose Calderon
Key losses: Donyell Marshall, Rafer Alston, Milt Palacio

CENTRAL

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons? stellar roster has, for the most part, remained the same. The biggest difference is, of course, the coaching swap that sent Larry Brown to New York and brought in Flip Saunders. Saunders will probably want to up the tempo and try some different zone defences. Can the Pistons acclimate fast enough? And who will warm Darko?s spot on the bench if he actually gets a chance to play?

Key additions: Flip Saunders, Dale Davis, Maurice Evans
Key losses: Larry Brown

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs will be one of the most improved teams this year. They added great talent, and cut some dead weight. LeBron will, no doubt, have another fantastic season — but what about the newly acquired Larry Hughes? Will he continue his stellar play, or relax now that he has a big, fat contract?

Key additions: Donyell Marshall, Larry Hughes, Damon Jones
Key losses: Jeff McInnis

Chicago Bulls

Considering the Bulls played much of last season without Eddy Curry, his trade shouldn?t affect them that much. However, if they don?t get Antonio Davis back,they?re front court is suspiciously weak. The Bulls are a deep team, whose young players are constantly improving.

Key additions: Tim Thomas, Darius Songaila
Key losses: Eddy Curry, Antonio Davis (maybe)

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers? roster didn?t change all that much, and Ron Artest is still out of his mind — same ol? in Indy. If Jermaine O?Neal can stay healthy and Ron Artest can stay out of jail, the Pacers should compete in the east.

Key additions: Sarunas Jasikevicius
Key losses: James Jones, Reggie Miller

Milwaukee Bucks

There are many questions in Milwaukee: Will Andrew Bogut?s post moves be as quick as his mouth? Will Bobby Simmons? new-found wealth go towards bail? Can T.J. Ford be as effective as he was before his big fall? One thing is for sure though; they?ll still be in the Central basemesnt.

Key additions: Andrew Bogut, Bobby Simmons, T.J. Ford (back from injury)
Key losses: Terry Porter, Zaza Pachulia

SOUTHEAST

Miami Heat
The Heat will win the east this year, unless J-Will and ?Toine don?t buy into being supporting cast members. Even with any personnel problems, the Heat will still be a top five team in the east. Throw it down big man. Throw it down!

Key additions: Jason Williams, Antoine Walker, James Posey, Gary Payton
Key losses: Damon Jones, Eddie Jones, Rasual Butler

Washington Wizards

The Wizards lost one of their best performers from last season in Larry Hughes, but picked up some nice pieces in Caron Butler and Antonio Daniels. I don?t think Washington can match last season?s performance without Hughes.

Key additions: Caron Butler, Antonio Daniels, Chucky Atkins
Key losses: Juan Dixon, Larry Hughes, Steve Blake

Orlando Magic

There won?t be anything magical about Orlando this season. Grant Hill will play around 30 games and Steve Francis will continue to make an ass of himself. The good news is Dwight Howard is a stud.

Key additions: Keyon Dooling, Bo Outlaw
Key losses: Doug Christie

Atlanta Hawks

Although very young, Atlanta has a terrible roster filled with duplication and one-dimensional players. They?ll be somewhat improved from last year, not that that?s saying much, but I still see them fighting Charlotte for last place in the Southeast.

Key additions: Zaza Pachulia, Marvin Williams, Salim Stoudamire
Key losses: Jason Collier (RIP)

Charlotte Bobcats

The Bobcats will play hard and develop their young talent. The Cats have a great core of talented players and good people. And of course, the more they lose, the more Tar Heels they can draft next year.

Key Additions: Sean May, Raymond Felton
Key losses: n/a

(WEST)

NORTHWEST

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets have played very well since George Karl took the reigns as head coach. The Nuggs will be improved this season, as they have much greater depth at the guard spots. However, success or failure is ultimately a result of Carmelo Anthony and how he plays. Time to grow up, Melo.

Key additions: Earl Watson, Voshon Lenard (back from injury)
Key losses: n/a

Minnesota Timberwolves

The T?Wolves will be better this year, if you believe in addition by subtraction. With headaches Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell gone, the Wolves should be a much more cohesive team. However, I have to question Kevin McHale?s decision to can Flip Saunders.

Key additions: Marco Jaric, Rashad McCants
Key loses: Fred Hoiberg, Sam Cassell, Latrell Sprewell

Portland Trail Blazers

Portland is finally starting to shake that ?jailblazer? image they earned a few a seasons ago. Portland is a deep team that is stacked, I mean stacked, at the guard positions. If Zach Randolph can keep his head out of the clouds (figuratively and literally) and play team basketball, the Blazers could make some noise in the Northwest.

Key additions: Jarrett Jack, Juan Dixon, Martell Webster
Key losses: Derek Anderson

Utah Jazz

Utah is talented, but just doesn?t have the guns to keep up with the best of the West. Jerry Sloan will be his same long-winded self, which guarantees at least 20 wins regardless of what kind of team he has to work with.

Key additions: Devin Brown, Deron Williams
Key losses: Raja Bell, Kirk Snyder

SOUTHWEST

Sacramento Kings

The Kings aren?t as talented as they used to be, but with Phoenix?s off-season struggles they should be good enough to win the Southwest. Mike Bibby and Brad Miller will be solid. Is this the year they finally trade Peja?

Key additions: Bonzi Wells, Jason Hart
Key losses: Cuttino Mobley

Phoenix Suns

Last season the Suns tore up the League, but this season they?ll be lucky to win the Southwest. Amare is out for a while, Q-Rich is gone and Joe Johnson is gone. Phoenix is going to be a very different team. Will they be able to run as much with the inclusion of Kurt Thomas and Brian Grant?

Key additions: Briant Grant, Kurt Thomas, James Jones
Key losses: Quentin Richardson, Joe Johnson

Los Angeles Lakers

Reunited and it feels so good. Kobe and Phil Jackson are back together and seem to be on the same page. But can Phil really work with a guy he said was uncoachable? Either way, the Lakers aren?t going to be very good this season. Who?s going to play the point?

Key additions: Phil Jackson, Kwame Brown
Key losses: Chucky Atkins, Caron Butler

Los Angeles Clippers

What can you say about the Clippers? They stank last year and they?re going to stink this season. Elton Brand is a stud, but he can only do so much by himself. They?re somewhat improved from last season, but I just don?t believe they?re capable of making some noise.

Key additions: Cuttino Mobley, Sam Cassell
Key losses: Marco Jaric

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors we?re a good team towards the latter part of last season. Baron Davis, when healthy is a devastating offensive player. Troy Murphy is proving to be a good NBA player. Even with last season?s improvements, I don?t see the Warriors making it out of the Southwest basement.

Key additions: Ike Diogu, Monta Ellis
Key loses: n/a

PACIFIC

San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs will win the title again this season. You heard it here first. Not only did they get Nick Van Exel, but they also picked up Michael Finley! If Tim Duncan stays healthy, David Stern can start polishing the rings tomorrow.
Key additions: Michael Finley, Nick Van Exel
Key losses: Devin Brown

Houston Rockets

The Rockets are deep at the guard spots, maybe even too deep. Rafer Alston was an interesting acquisition. Can he accept his role as a pass-first point guard and get it down low to Yao Ming? We could see an all Texas Western final with Houston and San Antonio.

Key additions: Derek Anderson, Rafer Alston
Key losses: Mike James, Clarence Weatherspoon

Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizz were part of that huge trade that sent Jason Williams and James Posey to Miami. In return, they picked up Eddie Jones, who is a nice player, but not nice enough to dramatically improve the team. They lost Earl Watson, but picked up Damon Stoudamire and Bobby Jackson. They?ll be a good team, but not good enough to make much noise in the West.

Key additions: Eddie Jones, Damon Stoudamire, Bobby Jackson
Key losses: Earl Watson, Jason Williams, James Posey

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavs are sliding and have been for the past few seasons. The Mavs didn?t make much noise this off-season, but they will be good if Dirk can step up his game. How long before Mark Cuban blows it up?

Key additions: Doug Christie
Key losses: Michael Finley

New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets

Even with the drafting of Chris Paul, the Hornets aren?t much improved this off-season. It?s just a matter of time before the Hornets are relocated again. Can?t wait to see Chris Andersen in the dunk contest this year!

Key additions: Chris Paul, Rasual Butler
Key losses: n/a

Pack mentality; Raps open training camp in Toronto

andPOP Staff — Mon, 10 Oct 2005 18:12:34 +0000

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The Raptors opened the Toronto portion of this year?s training camp at the Air Canada Centre on Sunday.

All Raptors — new, old and hopeful — were honing their skills as Coach Sam Mitchell and GM Rob Babcock surveyed the situation. Among those hopefuls looking for a roster spot is Robert Pack.

Pack, a 13-year NBA veteran, had a good shot of making the team just over a week ago, but that was before Toronto?s volatile point guard, Rafer Alston, was traded to Houston for the steady-handed Mike James.

With Alston at the helm, the Raptors were in desperate need of veteran leadership at the guard position. Even though James? inclusion would appear to fill the role Pack was looking to man, Pack has remained positive.

?I haven?t let the trade affect how I?ve gone out and worked,? he said. ?I?m here to fight for this job and that hasn?t changed.?

Fighting for survival is something he is indeed used to. In one of the greatest moments in NBA history, Pack?s eight-seeded Denver Nuggets upset Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton?s first-placed Seattle Sonics in the 1994 NBA playoffs. Making the cut this time around might prove to be as difficult an undertaking.

With age comes a reduction in one?s ability to play professional sports, but it also brings valuable insight. Pack?s seen it all in the NBA, and he likes what he sees in Raptors? star forward Chris Bosh.

?Chris has the potential to be one of the better forwards to ever play the game,? he said, without a moment?s hesitation.

These are strong words from a man who has played alongside many great, big men in his time, including Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Webber, Kevin Garnett and Dikeme Mutombo (his front-court ally in the toppling of the Sonics in those memorable ?94 playoffs). To include Bosh with the all-time bests of the NBA speaks volumes about how much Bosh?s game has developed in his two short years.

Pack also spoke highly of Toronto?s rookie tandem, Charlie Villanueva and Joey Graham.

?They?re good players,? he said. ?They are adjusting to the level of intensity (that comes with NBA competition), but the ability is definitely there, and it?s showing. It showed all last week in practice and (it showed) in the scrimmage.?

With cuts on the way, Pack?s fate with the Raptors remains to be seen. But with hurricane Katrina having ravaged his hometown of New Orleans, he?s willing to go wherever it takes in order to help his loved-ones get back on their feet.

?(Whether in the NBA) or overseas, I still want to play the game,? he says, ?and I?ll fight for it.?

Other notes:
- Despite dropping 20 pounds, Rafael Araujo has looked very unimpressive thus far. Infact, Toree Morris has looked as good, if not better, than Araujo.
- Corey Williams is walking a thin line between confidence and cockiness. He thinks he can be a starting point guard on this team. Also quoted as saying, “I’m as talented as anyone on this team”
- Pape Sow pulled a groin muscle the other day, but is fighting through it
- Joey Graham and Charlie Villanueva are looking good. Chris Bosh is looking great
- Jose Calderon is adjusting well and threw a really nice alley-oop in the scrimmage
- Mike James is shooting the ball well
- Toree Morris had a nasty spill comming down from a rebound, but has battled through and continues to work hard

Photo Credit: Joe Murphy, NBA