Category Archives: Featured
Dwight to the Lakers… Really, It’s A Done Deal
During the hubbub of the United States winning their fourth gold medal in women’s football (it’s really soccer), the Lakers and 10% of the NBA were ironing out the details of easily the biggest trade in this NBA’s offseason. Call him a crybaby, or Superman, or anything in between, Dwight Howard finally is moving out of Orlando to the team that ironically enough defeated the Magic in the 2009 Finals, the L.A. Lakers. A four-team deal was just finalized that sent Howard, and 6 other players packing their bags and heading to a new city.
The table below shows who each team is receiving in the deal. Also to add on to that, the Magic will
NBA To Columbus Gaining Momentum
After a few quiet months in the Columbus sports buzz about the NBA, the discussion has heated up again talking about bringing the National Basketball Association to our beloved city. The thought of Columbus getting an NBA team would something exciting and new for the city, a city ruled by Ohio State football in the fall, and on occasion the Buckeye ballers in the winter. The desire to have a major sports team that would dominate the winter would be a great step up from the current state of being forced to watch our beloved Blue Jackets find new and heartbreaking ways to lose game after game. Minus the 2009-10 playoff season, the CBJ have struggled to succeed in the NHL, and with the trade of Rick Nash, popularity of the Blue Jackets will dwindle.
That’s just my minor take on the need to push the NBA to Columbus, but if you are looking for a place that is directly about bringing the NBA to Columbus, check out their site, coincidentally named www.NBAtoColumbus.com.
George Mikan? New York Knicks looking elsewhere for talent
As “Linsanity” began it’s route southwest, New York Knicks coach Mike Woodson received a call from Knicks owner James Dolan about a possible acquisition the team could make for the upcoming season. “George Mikan! Can you believe he is still on the market?” exclaimed Dolan early this morning, interrupting a massage Woodson was receiving while on vacation in Mexico. “But James, George has been dead for seven years,” said Woodson, who was visibly confused by what was happening. The call would develop into an intriguing conversation for Coach Woodson, because James Dolan actually believed the blasphemy exiting his mouth.
JD- “I know Mike, but look, we could probably get him for the veteran minimum, and with Amar’e's injury history, we can’t take any chances. Also, have you seen all the fire hydrants outside the locker room? It’s not safe for Amar’e at MSG.”
MW-”Mr Dolan, HE IS DEAD! He can’t play.”
JD-”That’s what the critics said about Jeremy Lin too, and look what he did for us? Do you not remember Linsanity, it was crazy! MSG sold out, my wife put out, and Jersey Shore wasn’t even on tv for two weeks!”
MW-”I think you’re missing the point, Mr Mikan passed away in 2005. It is not physically possible for him to wear a Knicks jersey.”
JD-”Mike, have you not seen his stats? He averaged 27.4 points per game as a rookie in 1949! His rebounds aren’t listed, so you know he had to average like 54 a game, that’s what all the big men did back in the day, right?”
MW-”No, only Wilt Chamberlain, and before you ask about him, he is dead as well.”
JD-”Woah, nobody told me about Wilt being a free agent! I mean, we’ve already signed Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas, can’t go wrong with another old head.”
MW-”You know what? We should sign both of them! That’d be a great idea. Let me know how it goes.”
Following the successful conversation, Dolan would contact several members of the Mikan family to see how the former center was doing these days. As Woodson had already indicated, the Mikan family alerted Dolan that the Hall of Famer passed away seven years ago. Finally realizing that there really were no other options for the Knicks, Dolan would contact the Philadelphia 76ers and ask about newly signed Kwame Brown, who ironically had as many impressive plays in the post as George Mikan did last year. Maybe Willis Reed can suit up for the Knicks this upcoming season, he’s only like two years older than Camby right?
OTHER SPORTING NEWS
- Los Angeles Sparks F Candace Parker was named the Western Conference’s Most Impressive Player for the past week. Parker averaged 24 points in two games, and only dribbled the ball of her knee four times, a WNBA low.
- Washington Wizards rookie guard Bradley Beal had 18 points in a 77-75 summer league victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Beal and former Butler guard Shelvin Mack led Washington in scoring, and more importantly, made Bucks’ F Shavlik Randolph feel even worse about the downturn of his career than he already does.
- The Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers are in trade talks again. In the proposed deal, LA would send Andrew Bynum to Cleveland, Orlando would send Dwight Howard to LA, and Cleveland would send Anderson Varejao, several first round picks and an overjoyed Comic-Sans letter directly from Dan Gilbert to Orlando.
- Authorities in Dallas say the mother of Cowboys WR Dez Bryant was involved in a domestic assault, ironically involving her son. Bryant’s mother accuses her son of “trying to kill her,” by hitting her in the face with a ball cap, pulling her clothes and smacking her arms. And we all thought Marshawn Lynch‘s DUI arrest the same night was bad.
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After re-signing Matt Forte, Chicago fully committed to pursuing Dwight Howard
Following the contract extension agreement that the Chicago Bears reached with star running back Matt Forte earlier in the afternoon, Bears GM Phil Emery has made it clear that his team’s number one goal is to now pursue Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard. Howard, who has been the center of trade talks since March, has changed his mind numerous times on what he wants to do with his future. After telling media members that the Brooklyn Nets were the only team he would commit to long term, Howard has now been forced to deal with wherever he might land. Various trade offers have reached the desk of Orlando GM Rob Hennigan, including an offer from the Saskatchewan Rough Riders of the CFL, whom offered to give up $40 million in Canadian dollars, six seasons of Friends on Blu-ray, and an autographed Brian Adams hockey stick in exchange for the 6’11″ center. Hennigan would politely decline a few days later after intense deliberation. Now, Hennigan will have another excruciating decision to make.
Finally reaching an agreement with Forte was a huge step in the right direction for the Bears. With their franchise running back secured for another four years, Chicago is one superstar away from championship contention. Adopting the Micky Arison formula for success, Emery is willing to unload the “motherload” of trade offers for Howard. In an interview with Behind the Box Score yesterday, Emery guaranteed that Howard “would don the orange and blue next season. And no, I’m not referring to the 2006-07 Golden State Warriors.” When BtBS asked Emery what the offer would entail, he gave us a sneak peak of what Chicago would be giving up. “Look, I’m just going to say this. I learned from the legendary Mike Ditka, and that guy was crazy. He offered to give up his entire 1999 draft class for a pothead who just happened to play running back. With Dwight, we have one of the best athletes in the world, and if we can get him in Chicago, everyone will forget that our favorite baseball team here hasn’t won in 104 years.”
Our interviewer, whose name is not going to be used for safety reasons, tried to remind Emery that Howard doesn’t even play football. With that being said, Emery said he is still focused on nabbing Howard for the 2012 season. With the addition of Brandon Marshall, the Chicago offense hopes to explode onto the scene, especially in a high scoring NFC North. Emery didn’t reveal what position Howard would play if he were to land in Chicago, but finished trade talk with this, “In Chicago, we have had a history of winning. Whether that be the most homicides in one year, or the best rapper to schmash Kim Kardashian, Chicago isn’t happy with second place. Rob Hennigan, I’m speaking directly to you. I’m willing to give you the best trade offer you’ve seen in your short career as a GM, and if you don’t accept it, well, we will have problems. Let me remind you that I resided in the same cell as Tookie Williams. I c
an get you touched.” These are very strong words from a GM pursuing a player who doesn’t even play in the same league as the Chicago Bears, but nonetheless, at least this Chicago franchise is trying to improve.
Heat Index: Rashad’s “The Return”
Rashad’s back like he never left. In his first official video for the upcoming album, “Museum,” Rashad gives us a glimpse of his past in this golden music video. Showcasing a glowing background, reminiscent to many of a Nevada/California type region, Rashad is starring right at home in a location somewhere near Alum Creek. Take a look for yourself and prepare for euphoria.
((Elev8TheGame))
If you were starting an NBA franchise, who would you choose with your first pick?
LeBron? Kobe? Durant? Rose? Say the NBA was initiating a fantasy draft for all teams, and your franchise had the first pick, who would you take to lead your team to glory? Here at Behind The Box Score, we have been pondering this question for some weeks now and decided to pose it to all of our readers. We will give you a list of possible candidates, and leave it up to you to decide in the comment section. So let’s get it started.
Sports Tidbits for the Week (February 20-26)
After nearly two weeks of Linsanity, Jeremy Lin and the Knicks will get their true test in the Eastern Conference, as New York travels to Miami to play LeBron and the Heat on Thursday. Following a 100-92 loss at the hands of Deron Williams and the Rocafella Nets, oops, I mean, New Jersey Nets, Lin and the Knicks hope to upset the surging Heat. Miami, at 25-7, have won 14 of their last 16 games, with the previous six coming by 10 or more points. The ironic aspect of the Heat’s success this season is the incredible amount of undercoverage the team is receiving. As James continues to have arguably his best season thus far in his career, the successes of LeBron and Miami have been minimized due to Lin’s comet like crash on the scene, taking the entire world by storm. It will be interesting to see the outcome Thursday in Miami when these two meteors collide.
In other news…
- Retired slugger Manny Ramirez has come to an agreement with the Oakland Athletics. The contract is set for one year, at $500,000, a tremendous pay cut considering Ramirez was making $20 million in each of his two years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ramirez, who turned his back on the Tampa Bay Rays following a second positive test for banned substances, was slated to serve a 100 game suspension for the 2011 season. With his retirement, league officials have reduced his suspension to 50 games for this season, saying the retirement was virtually “a 140 game suspension.” ESPN’s Pedro Gomez, who has been around Manny all offseason, says the Manny the A’s signed, is “a changed man.”
- The New York Yankees have handed all of their troubles on the mound over to the Pittsburgh Pirates. New York dealt overpaid pitcher AJ Burnett to Pittsburgh in exchange for two prospects and a signed Terry Bradshaw helmet, according to multiple sources. Burnett, who was 11-11 last season with a 5.15 ERA, has $31 million remaining on his contract, in which New York will pay $20 mill.
- In the NHL, the Detroit Red Wings look to extend their record home winning streak to 24 games on Thursday against the defending Western Conference champion, Vancouver Canucks. Detroit is fresh off a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks, who have lost six straight. All is well in Detroit sports at the moment.
- Boston Celtics PG Rajon Rondo has been suspended for two games following his ejection Sunday night in a 96-81 loss to Detroit. Rondo, who received his second technical foul late in the third quarter after throwing the ball at an official, was upset over a foul not being called. The timing of Rondo’s suspension is detrimental to the Celtics, as the talented point guard will miss games at Dallas and a rematch vs Oklahoma City.
It Was All a Dream: The 2007 NBA Draft Revisited
Prior to the 2007 NBA Draft Lottery, the Portland Trail Blazers were a promising franchise. Coming off a 32-50 season, 12 games better than the 2005-06 campaign, the Blazers led by Brandon Roy and LeMarcus Aldridge were in desperate need for a game changer, someone who had the potential to bring them multiple championships. With only a 5% chance of securing the top pick in a presumably deep draft, the Portland front office was hoping for a mid to late lottery pick. But with the NBA, anything can happen.
Just a few hours north, the Seattle SuperSonics were a franchise going in the opposite direction. With obvious talent in 20 point scorers Ray Allen, and Rashard Lewis, the Sonics finished the 2006-07 campaign with a 31-51 record, one game worse than the year before. Hoping to start fresh, obvious changes were going to be made by the front office, and with their lottery chances, Seattle liked what the future had to offer.
On the college landscape, Ohio State C Greg Oden was dominating all draft chatter, and right up there with him was Texas SG/SF Kevin Durant. Oden and Durant were the obvious top two prospects for the draft, and rightfully so. As both players were leading their teams to successful seasons, each represented a different style of play. Oden, averaging 15.7 ppg, and 9.7 rpg was an obvious force to be reckoned with. Causing havoc for any defender opponents tried to throw his way, most NBA scouts saw the next great big man in the making.
In the Big 12, Kevin Durant was the catalyst on an explosive Texas offense. Averaging 25.8 ppg and 11.1 rebounds, Durant was of a different breed. Measuring in at 6’9″ and 225 pounds, the forward showed remarkable shooting touch along with incredible ball 
handling skills for someone his size. The only knock against Durant among scouts was his frail frame, which many thought would be an obvious determent to his development once he reached the NBA.
As June 28th approached, fans in each city were anxious to see how their respective teams’ futures were to be changed for the better. Portland would go on to draft the consensus #1 pick, Greg Oden, and Seattle had an even greater day, as the Sonics not only drafted Durant, but in the process, traded star player Ray Allen to Boston for the rights of the fifth overall pick, Jeff Green. With the move, Seattle initiated an obvious youth movement, and the Celtics after acquiring not only Ray Allen, but Kevin Garnett that day, became one of the premier forces in the league. As we reflect on the monumental moves made that day, one can only wonder how the league’s landscape would have been changed had Portland changed it’s mind. Let’s take a look at what could have been.
June 29, 2007
NEW YORK, NEW YORK- With the first pick in last night’s draft, the cellar dweller Portland Trailblazers drafted Kevin Durant. Durant, with his superior shooting ability and versatility looks to pay dividends for the Blazers offense, only adding to the length of LeMarcus Aldridge and Channing Frye. With Roy at the point, and Durant on the wing, the Blazers look to have one of the youngest and most talented offenses in the league. With an adequate balance of inside and outside scoring, the future is bright in Portland.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK- Selecting second in last night’s NBA Draft, the Seattle SuperSonics were blessed to acquire the talented center out of Ohio State, Greg Oden. Oden, who brings obvious length to the Seattle front line, hopes to return the Sonics to the glory days of Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp. Along with Oden, Seattle looks to rely on F Jeff Green to bring more scoring to an offense that looks to be depleted following the departures of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis.
November 16th, 2007
PORTLAND, OREGON- Squaring off against the West perennial power and defending champion San Antonio Spurs, the young Blazers took down the defending champs, 108-94. Led by rookie Kevin Durant’s 27 points and 6 rebounds, the Blazers did a great job at containing Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. With the victory, Portland improved to 4-3 on the young season. Durant is off to a wonderful start in his career, averaging 17.3 ppg, while Brandon Roy (19.4 ppg) and LaMarcus Aldridge (15.8 ppg) are each averaging double digits.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON- In a 94-78 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, the Sonics suffered an even greater loss Friday night. Midway through the 2nd quarter, rookie big man Greg Oden went down with an apparent knee injury. Oden, who had injury problems in his only season at Ohio State, is waiting on x-ray results to see whether or not his season is in jeopardy. For Seattle, Oden’s injury is threatening to not only the team’s immediate future, but the long term future as well. Coach PJ Carlesimo said following the loss to Atlanta, “Greg’s a strong kid, and we hope he can get back on the court very soon. We need him out there if we want to make any moves this season.”
February 23rd, 2008
CLEVELAND, OHIO- In a 104-99 loss to the defending Eastern conference champ Cleveland Cavaliers, the Blazers saw significant contributions out of their young stars. Led by Kevin Durant’s season and career high 34 points, the Sonics fell just short to LeBron James and the Cavs. James, who earlier in the week was asked about the remarkable season Durant was having, was quoted as saying, “Kevin reminds me alot of myself. He has really put that team on his back, and I’m excited to play against him.” Cleveland jumped out to an early 56-38 halftime lead, but a surge in the final period led by Durant and Brandon Roy evened the score at 94 with three minutes to play. Cleveland would rely on James for scoring in the 4th, and a 10-5 run proved to be the final nail in the coffin. James, who finished with 41 points and 12 rebounds, had his way all night in the lane, getting by Durant and LeMarcus Aldridge. With the loss, Portland falls to 24-20, while Cleveland improves to 28-16.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON- Brutally outmatched by the size and scoring of the Los Angeles Lakers, the league worst Sonics fell to a 10-36 record Wednesday night, after a 110-88 loss. Greg Oden’s season ending injury is excruciating for the Sonics, as the young and inexperienced team has looked for more contribution out of Nick Collison and Jeff Green. The Sonics struggled to score in the paint, as newly acquired Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum dominated Seattle on the boards. Green led Seattle with 20 points, but Kobe Bryant’s 38, and Gasol’s 32 proved to be too much for the home team. Along with the apparent struggles on the court, Seattle fans have been even more troubled lately, as reports are surfacing that team owner Clay Bennett has been exploring options to move the team to Oklahoma City. Bennett had been adamant about the deteriorating Key Arena, and unless a new arena is in the works, odds are the team’s bags are packed. This is the team’s 41st season in Seattle, and many fear it will be their last.
April 17th, 2008
PHOENIX, ARIZONA- Although the Portland Trail Blazers were on the wrong end of a 100-91 loss to the Phoenix Suns, the young team is on their way to the playoffs. Finishing the season with a 50-32 record, Kevin Durant is the consensus pick for Rookie of the Year. Behind Durant’s 22 ppg, the Blazers featured one of the league’s best offenses, ranking sixth in points per game at 103. Coming in to the playoffs as the sixth seed, Portland will be squared off against these same Suns. Coach Nate McMillan likes his chances against Phoenix and it will be interesting to see how this inexperienced squad responds to the pressure the playoffs tend to bring.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA- The Sonics wrapped up a horrendous 2007-08 campaign and their history in Seattle with an embarrassing 103-70 loss at the hands of the mediocre Sacramento Kings. With the loss, the Sonics finished the season with a 17-65 record, including a 14 game losing streak to end the year. Without rookie Greg Oden in the post, the Sonics suffered on both sides of the ball for the majority of the year. The fans in Seattle were visibly distraught as the year progressed, as the rumors in February became truth regarding the team’s future. Watching your team lose 65 games is one thing, but to watch your team leave your city on such terms is another. Maybe someday a franchise will return to the great state of Washington.
Back to the present day….
It’s quite interesting to think about how one draft could have changed the fortunes of two franchises. Portland, who has been competitive for years, is still lacking a franchise game changer to become a contender. With Durant, that certainly would have happened, and it’s crazy to think just how good that team could have been. Barring injury, Greg Oden’s presence in the paint could have also paid huge dividends for Portland, who is still to this day searching for a true center. Seattle’s selection of Durant is arguably the best draft pick the team has ever had. Durant, a two time scoring champion, has led the now Oklahoma City Thunder, along with Russell Westbrook, to the best record in the Western Conference. This was only a sneak peak at what we could have seen in the NBA had Portland chosen Durant ahead of Oden. It is also difficult to predict that Oden would have had the injuries that he has suffered from. What do you think would have happened in the league had Portland been given the chance to rethink their decision?
Jilted Lovers Meet Again: LeBron scores 28 in third return to Cleveland
CLEVELAND, OHIO-In LeBron James’ third return to Cleveland Friday night, the place where the King once dominated court, hatred and animosity stilled loomed over the 20,500 seat Quicken Loans Arena. But this time, the hatred didn’t feel as real. In a drama filled week from a media standpoint, LeBron, who was quoted on Thursday saying he wouldn’t “rule out returning to Cleveland” felt no love from his hometown crowd.
While the boos and occasional rants from hecklers still remained, the outcome was eerily similar to that of LeBron’s first return to Northeast Ohio on December 2nd , 2010. After Miami jumped out to a 11-0 lead early on, all energy that was pent up prior to the start of the heavily anticipated game, was instantly gone. And from that point on, Miami never looked back. Scorching the Cavs for points inside and out, the Heat were literally on fire, shooting over 70% from the field midway through the second quarter. Unable to get anything going offensively, the only impressive part of the game Friday from a Cleveland fan’s perspective, was the half time show, in which two acrobats tumbled each other in the air using only their feet. Leading by 25 after the first half, Miami would roll to a convincing 111-87 victory.
The Cavaliers, shooting 39.5% from the field, were led in scoring by rookie Kyrie Irving, who totaled 17 points, including a few eye opening drives to the hoop. Outside of Irving, Antwan Jamison, Ramon Sessions and Tristan Thompson each scored double digits. For Miami, LeBron James finished with 28 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, Dwyane Wade racked up 22 points, and Chris Bosh recorded a double double, collecting 16 points and 12 rebounds. With the loss, Cleveland drops to 11-17, while Miami continues a strong push to a number one seed in the East, improving to 24-7 during this lockout shortened campaign.
Following the win Friday, James was quoted as saying, “It’s always special coming back here. I know these fans, they know me. They know how competitive I am. I just try and lead my team to victory every night. It’s definitely special every time I come back here.” For someone who is as hated as he is in Cleveland, those are humble words from James. While Cavs fans continue to belittle James for his decision from over a year ago, it’s clear LeBron has moved on, and so should Ohio. In December 2010, there was no chance of seeing a James jersey in the crowd, but tonight, there were dozens of LeBron supporters prevalent throughout the Q. As the boos dominated the environment, the fan base almost seemed confused when James finished multiple buckets with thunderous dunks. When lovers conclude a relationship with a brutal breakup, in order to find love again, each person needs to move on and forget the past. For Cleveland to ever have a clean conscience, it’s clear they need to just let LeBron be. I understand he left Cleveland on national television and ran a franchise into the ground, but everyone needs to be broken in order to grow stronger. And with the comments from earlier this week, there is a possibility the confused fans might find love again, this time in the essence of a rekindled flame. Until then, Cleveland should focus on this team, and the progression the city has to look forward to. Even after a bitter loss Friday night, the future is still bright in Northeast Ohio, regardless of whether or not the King finds his way back home.
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Westerville South knocks off state ranked Olentangy Liberty at buzzer
In a year full of improbable comebacks and finishes, a new chapter was added tonight by Westerville South. Trailing by 11 with 4 minutes to go, the Wildcats used a 9-1 run to cut the lead to 57-54. With the three point lead, Liberty’s Jake Bischoff missed the first of a one-and-one, giving South a chance in the game. With 5 seconds left, South’s Stephen O’Daniel makes a free throw to cut the lead to 2 at 57-55. After a Patriot timeout, O’Daniel purposely missed the second free throw, and was