So, Jameer is out, and I should feel "damn sorry" for this young point guard whom were about to made his debut alongside "Superman" Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis at the NBA's mid-season showcase in Phoenix, Arizona. And Ray Allen has been serving as the replacement for the second straight time for the beasts of the East.
And also, it's too bad that the recipient for the 'worst news' during the early days in February are now the best team in the central division. Hey, I'm talking about the Cleveland Cavaliers. as Mo Williams was snubbed which could be the reason why this team are upset.
LeBron just got stripped by a rebound short of his 21st career triple double at the Garden, which barely means he also failed to follow the footsteps of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar three decades ago as the only player to have a 50-point triple double game at the stats sheet.
And they even lost to the Andrew Bynum-less (with Kobe being struck by a flu) Los Angeles Lakers. This time, their home-game winning streak snapped; following that 23-0 record at the Quicken Loans Arena, and also, the 27 straight home games dating back to the playoffs. (They only lost to the three-time playoff rivals Washington Wizards; speaking of the which, where the hell are they? sans Arenas; they just had their downfall at the standings, too.)
Anyway, let's go to the side events. Perhaps I noted some of them since I was lacking time to post this. It's Kevin Durant, who will lead the parade for the sophomores; while Michael Beasly and company takes the shot for the first-year players. Here are the lineups courtesy of nba.com
The Participants
Rookie Team Roster
Player (Team) Position Height Weight School/Country
Michael Beasley (Heat) F 6-9 245 Kansas State
Rudy Fernandez (Trail Blazers) G-F 6-6 185 Spain
Marc Gasol (Grizzlies) C 7-1 265 Spain
Eric Gordon (Clippers) G 6-3 222 Indiana
Brook Lopez (Nets) C 7-0 260 Stanford
O.J. Mayo (Grizzlies) G 6-4 210 USC
Greg Oden (Trail Blazers) C 7-0 285 Ohio State
Derrick Rose (Bulls) G 6-3 190 Memphis
Russell Westbrook (Thunder) G 6-3 187 UCLA
Head Coach -- TBD
Assistant Coach -- Dwyane Wade
Sophomore Team roster
Player (Team) Position Height Weight School/Country
Aaron Brooks (Rockets) G 6-0 161 Oregon
Wilson Chandler (Knicks) F 6-8 220 DePaul
Kevin Durant (Thunder) G-F 6-9 215 Texas
Jeff Green (Thunder) F 6-9 235 Georgetown
Al Horford (Hawks) F-C 6-10 245 Florida
Luis Scola (Rockets) F-C 6-9 245 Argentina
Al Thornton (Clippers) F 6-8 220 Florida State
Rodney Stuckey (Pistons) G 6-5 205 Eastern Washington
Thaddeus Young (Sixers) F 6-8 220 Georgia Tech
Head Coach -- TBD
Assistant Coach -- Dwight Howard
Perhaps, the sophomores will win this showcase, like the way how Cavs' Daniel Gibson set a record with 11 3-points. And take notice, Boobie was just a 2nd round pick by this Ohio-based squad in 2007 when he also took charge in its post-season run.
Let's go to everyone's favorite: the slam dunk contest (Unless you're not a fan). I think one from these three challengers could possibly dethrone Dwight Howard; unless a sudden change took place (that's a big IF though). The contenders were Rudy Fernandez (Trail Blazers), Rudy Gay (Grizzlies) and the 2006 slam dunk champ Nate Robinson.
For the three-point shootout sponsored by Foot Locker, Jason Kapono will aim for the three-peat championship. However, he will contend against Daequan Cook (Miami Heat), Mike Bibby (Atlanta Hawks), Danny Granger (Indiana Pacers), Rashard Lewis (Orlando Magic), and Roger Mason (San Antonio Spurs). And I think, out of his five enemies, either Lewis or Mason will be the toughest one to face coming Saturday night in the valley of the sun.
And before we move, here's an update: Gay was injured, and Denver Nuggets' JR Smith replaces him. And it's a good news for the fans in Ohio: Mo has been selected as the all star player; replacing the injured Chris Bosh. At least, it could motivate (even for a little) the team that has been starving for the prize and fame since the last time they entered the finals... hmmm... 2 year ago!
Okay, many side-dishes are about to be served this coming Saturday; and one of them is h-o-r-s-e, with OJ Mayo of the Grizzlies going mano-a-mano against Kevin Durant and Joe Johnson. So it's like the classical one-on-one-on-one!
And perhaps you could check out the website of the league at www.nba.com
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