Hi, I’m Danny Ferry and I’m A Recovering NBA GM

Yahoo Sports’ Marc Spears just reported via Twitter that Stephen Jackson is headed to MJ’s Bobcats, meaning help is NOT on the way for the Cavs.  I cannot stress enough how much of a blow this is for Danny Ferry.  Had he acquired Jax, it’s highly probable in my mind that the Cavs move into that prized Celtics-Lakers camp and compete for a championship.  If you’re LeBron James, it’s fair to say you’re legitimately pissed off at the front office.  In the last five years, you’ve had to deal with the incompetence of such luminaries as Larry Hughes and Mike Brown, as well as endure the continuing failures of Danny Ferry (see his inability to trade for Shaq at the deadline last year/ sign Ariza in the offseason).  LeBron has plenty of reasons to be upset, and a good number of them originate with Mr. Ferry.  Suffice to say this might be an overreaction to the present moment, but I’m thinking this may be the final straw for the King.

I’m assuming Ferry was hesitant to pull the trigger on this one because Jax no doubt is a headcase with a big contract.  While he could have pulled Jackson from G-State for Delonte and Wally (how many times have these guys been packaged together in the last several years?  Must be some kind of record.  Strangely, they could not be more different), it would have limited the team’s financial flexibility for the foreseeable future.  If LBJ jets, Ferry will look to build around JJ Hickson and Draft Pick X; they need all the cap space they can get.  Still, I’m not sold on the fact that acquiring Jackson was significantly risky enough to warrant this kind of detrimental hesitancy.

More NBA stuff as the week goes on.

Courtney “I Am Not” Paris is a WNBA Outsiders contributor.  His first book “Remembrances of EA Sports Past” is due next summer.

Barnes to Europe

Harrison Barnes obviously will commit to some institution of higher education tomorrow, but in my mind, the kid should be going to Europe.

Yes, this clearly is a patented case of “Overreacting to Brandon Jennings Early Success” disease.  I’m well aware of that.  My raging mancrush for Jennings aside, I think you could easily forward an argument that Barnes owes it to himself to go to Europe.

The guy clearly has a sense of culture, if what we’re reading is true.  Armed with a bunch of AP credits, he actually has an interest in graduating in three years.  He grew up right around Iowa State, where his mom is secretary of the music department.  He has a clear interest in majoring in business and finance.  If you look at the first comment in this NY Times blog post, you’ll see a Bill Bradley comparison.  So, the natural conclusion would seem to be that he should go to a college/university where he has the academic freedom to be the autodidact he is.  Right?

Wrong (transition copyright Rick Reilly).  Say Barnes commits to UNC or Duke tomorrow.  It’s going to be four years of partying with privileged 19-21 year olds who are pseudo intellectuals/privileged assholes at best.  He’ll likely get put in a system that limits his stunning athleticism.  Barnes will pass up all commercial/marketing opportunities.  Campus will inevitably treat him like Jesus, and it’s easy to see the whole thing going to his head (a la Beasley and Melo, and it took Melo half a decade to recover).  The college process in general I would argue can cause athletic and academic regression (the glaring exception to this is the hard core Christian types like Durant who will continue to kill themselves in the weight room/court regardless of location).  If Barnes plays a year+ NCAA, there’s a strong chance it’s going to hurt him character-wise and even basketball wise.

Now, consider the alternative: Europe.  In a WSJ feature a while ago, Brandon Jennings describes how he had to run for hours on end leading up to the start of the season.  Jennings had to scrap for every minute he got in Europe, and then had to play far more taxing minutes than Barnes would against Coastal Carolina.  He had to learn fragments of another language (the experience clearly did not entirely suck.  I can guarantee the European girls Jennings was boinking on a regular basis were certainly hotter than the Duke soccer moms, and likely marginally hotter than the UNC women.  UArizona?  Maybe). To the point, Jennings got completely pulled out of his comfort zone and is now seeing the dividends (ROY anybody?).

The weirdest thing about Jennings is that everyone assumed he was a primadonna (which I admit was justified at the time).  He bluntly claimed Ricky Rubio was overrated and showed up late for the obligatory David Stern handshake.  He also suffered through a pretty shitty pre-season.  That all seems in the distant past now.

Sure, Barnes will get a degree if he goes to Big Name U, but quite honestly he doesn’t need it.  He already has a budding interest in finance; I’m sure that first multi million Euro contract will go 33% savings, cut up 60% stocks and 40% bonds.  We’ll get the Rubio-Barnes match up on NBA-TV.  We’ll get Barnes coming back as the well-traveled, rugged, worldly Kobe Bryant type (without the Kobe like arrogance).   It’s a win win for Barnes and everyone who likes basketball.

So, for what it’s worth, I hope next semester “HB40″ (nickname really needs a drastic overhaul…sounds like something out of Soviet Russia) goes abroad.

The long-awaited return…

We’re back, small-but-devoted fan base.

Why?  To be honest, I don’t know.  A couple reasons (although I only speak on behalf of CP):

-The publication I [currently] write for is pretty conservative and censors a lot of what I want to write (for good reason).

-The NBA season is just starting to gain some steam.

-I’m starting up a podcast with another Outsiders guy, and it’s convenient to post the audio on an already established site.

In related news:

As much as I liked writing about the WNBA, it did indeed get tiresome.  I don’t know the direction this website is headed, but we’re definitely expanding.  Are we doing sports?  Pop culture?  Satire?  At this point, I’m unclear on the details, but we’re going to be posting on a hopefully daily basis.  If you want to read it, great.  If you don’t, then, to quote Mark Titus and Journey, we’ll go our separate ways.

-CP

 

Oh, that other All-Star game…

By CP

In case you missed it, the WNBA released its starting lineups for the All-Star game today.  Taurasi is nowhere to be found, presumably because of the DUI charges that are shaping up to be pretty nasty.  Additionally, gotta say I’m surprised Leslie and Hammon made the team considering Leslie’s off year and Hammon’s anti American disposition.  We’ll just assume the 88 thou + that voted for her are in Moscow.  Courtesy ESPN:

All-Star Starters

Eastern Conference

Player	Votes
Tamika Catchings, IND	94,316
Candice Dupree, CHI	59,949
Sylvia Fowles, CHI	71,487
Katie Douglas, IND	65,911
Alana Beard, WAS	64,237

Western Conference

Player	Votes
Lauren Jackson, SEA	88,685
Swin Cash, SEA	78,477
Lisa Leslie, LA	80,748
Becky Hammon, SA	88,991
Sue Bird, SEA	88,591

Sue Bird: Reporter?

By Southern C

Check out Sue Bird interviewing her Olympic teammates.

Courtney “Pine Rider” Paris

By LD Thornton

Not even an endorsement via a pseudonym in her honor among the Outsiders could save Courtney Paris. The former college start is having an issue with her playing time—or, to put it better, a lack of time on the floor.

“It’s definitely different for me, not being one of the key players but taking a role position and a learning position,” said Paris, a member of the Sacramento Monarchs. “It has been frustrating at times.”

According to The Oklahoma News:

“It’s definitely been a process, a learning process,” Paris said. “But at the same time, it’s a process I need to make.”

Paris needs to keep reminding herself of that. She has the potential to become a great pro player. She has the body. She has the tools. She has the skills. She just needs to tone that body, refine those tools and expand those skills.

The change is happening. Already friends have told her that she looks different than she did in college. More tone. More fit. It’s no secret that Paris has always been a big girl. She is probably never going to be thin, but Sacramento has a strong track record of getting players into shape.

It's a hard knock life for Paris.

 

Candace Parker: Dunk Contest Winner

By Southern C

Yeah, in High School she beat JR Smith AND Josh Smith (NBA Slam Dunk Champion) in a Dunk Contest.

Haha and Carmelo Anthony at the end.

Around the Horn Panelists Bearish on Bill Laimbeer’s NBA Coaching Career

By Courtney “I Am Not” Paris

Bill Plaschke in particular seemed to believe there was no chance in hell.  I’m paraphrasing here of course, but he said something along the lines of, “The NBA players don’t respect the WNBA.  The GMs don’t.  He’s not getting that coaching job [on the Pistons].”  I haven’t even heard Laimbeer’s name seriously thrown out as a coaching candidate for the Detroit job (yet, Avery Johnson’s name has.  So having your players quit on you in the NBA is more impressive than winning a few rings in the WNBA?).  I’m sorry WNBA faithful; you’re all going to have to wait on someone making the WNBA to NBA jump.

I personally vote we let Laimbeer replace Mariotti.

John Daly Used To Do The Same Thing

By White Spot (On Rasheed Wallace’s Head)

According to the Los Angeles Daily News, Candace Parker, prior to her return back to the floor from maternity leave, had to pump breast milk in the locker room for her daughter’s dinner after the game.

The baby reportedly dunked on a three foot goal after drinking the milk.

Parker, who received a partial standing ovation from the 9,000 plus crowd, had six points and four rebounds in a 104-89 loss against the Phoenix Mercury.

Mmm... that's fine Cambodian breast milk! (Sorry, this whole article reminded me of Chappelle's Show.)

Candace Parker: Motherly Love (Updated)

By Southern C

Tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET Candace Parker returns as the Los Angeles Sparks take on the Phoenix Mercury.