http://www.sportsnipe.com NBA news headlines from all sources http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3448780/feds-donaghy-bet-on-100plus-games-he-worked.html Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy bet on more than 100 games that he worked, federal prosecutors said in a court filing Friday, the New York Daily News reported. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3448284/around-association-presented-by-tmobile-may-16.html Go Around the Association for a recap of Friday's playoff action. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3448156/lakers-108-jazz-105-quick-studies-learn-to-rely-on-bryant.html Kobe Bryant is a bona fide star, but he could not lead the Lakers to victory in Salt Lake City on his own. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3448118/cavaliersceltics-postgame-presser.html Watch players and coaches address the media after the Cavs' Game 6 win over the Celtics. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3448117/kb24s-34-help-la-move-on.html Kobe Bryant scored 34 points Friday to oust the Jazz from the postseason and boost the Lakers into the West Finals. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3448116/lakers-108-jazz-105-f.html Check out highlights of the Lakers' series-clinching win over the Jazz, including some strong play from Pau Gasol. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3448115/lakersjazz-postgame-presser.html Watch players and coaches address the media after the Lakers' Game 6 win over the Jazz. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3448114/nba-tv-top-10-may-16.html Check out the top plays from Friday's action, including an off-balance prayer thrown up by LeBron that ends up going in. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3447697/as-on-wall-street-kobes-selfishness-be-good.html Selfish? Kobe Bryant might act like that sometimes, but Gregg Doyel says 'good.' Kobe's self-reliance instead of involving shaky teammates late is why the Lakers are Conference final-bound with a 108-105 win over Utah. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3447696/haier-play-day-fishertobryant.html Check out the unflappable Derek Fisher dishing off to Kobe Bryant for the easy dunk Friday in Utah. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3447642/bryant-lakers-hold-off-jazz-reach-west-finals.html Kobe Bryant scored 34 points and Los Angeles held off a furious rally by the Utah Jazz for a 108-105 victory Friday night, putting the Lakers in the Western Conference finals for the first time in four years. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3447641/lakers-prove-speed-athleticism-beat-power.html A road team actually won a playoff game. It was the Lakers, who ousted the Jazz thanks to their great speed, Charley Rosen says. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3447640/nba-tv-sundays-playoff-preview.html NBA TV's Ron Burke checks out Sunday's Game 7 showdown between the Cavaliers and the Celtics. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3447591/lebrons-3212-force-game-7.html No pressure for LeBron James as he hits for 32 points and 12 boards to help the Cavs top the Celts in Game 6. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3447590/game-notes-lakers-jazz-6.html by Marcel Mutoni I didn't get nervous. Not once. Not when the Jazz cut the lead to single digits midway through the fourth quarter; not even when they sliced it to three with under a minute remaining. Like any fan who invests way too much emotionally into their team, I have my rituals. They're personal, and a tad too embarrassing to discuss in such a public forum, so I'll spare you the details. Just know this: I didn't need them prior to Game Six. Maybe it's that I was resigned to the fact that we would have a Game Seven in this series; why not, it certainly seems to be theme these days. The Lakers had no intention of playing a decisive game. None. They came out scorching, took it to the Jazz from the beginning, and never let up. Utah, God bless them, scratched and clawed its way back in the fourth quarter, but it was too late. The damage had been done. Their season was effectively terminated in the first half of the game. The difference, in the game and in the series, quite simply, was Kobe Bryant. The League MVP played beautifully, and kept knocking in daggers whenever Utah looked like it might really make things interesting - the most memorable being a long three, followed by an absolutely unfathomable fadeaway triple-pump jumper (plus the foul), with just over four minutes remaining in the game. The shot was impossible in every way, and it was the kind of thing that no team can recover from. The truth of the matter is that this win was a complete team effort. Game Five had provided all kinds of hints that the Lakers were ready to make the leap (so to speak) as a team, and completely outclass a worthy opponent - sorry, but Denver doesn't qualify - and it all came together in Utah. The ball moved effortlessly, guys played with unflinching confidence, and the defense (for the first time in the series) was world-class. As a result, Utah shot terribly (save for a few miraculous threes during the final desperate seconds), they relied on the refs to bail them out (didn't happen), Boozer fouled out, the crowd was a non-factor for much of the night, and the Jazz never had a chance. And so now, L.A. moves on to the Conference Finals for the first time since 2004, and they seem perfectly capable of going even further still. As for the decisive game of the Spurs/Hornets series, do me a favor, gentlemen: I don’t really care who wins at this point, just go into quintuple overtime or something. © Marcel Mutoni for SLAM Online, 2008. | Permalink | 5 comments Add to del.icio.us Search blogs linking this post with Technorati Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under NBA, Mutoni's Spot, Columnists, Game Notes, Playoffs 2008. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3447209/cavaliers-74-celtics-69-f.html The Cavaliers forced a decisive and fitting finale to this home-sweet-home playoff series with a 74-69 win Friday over the Celtics. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3447082/nba-tv-prospects-around-world.html NBA TV's Andre Aldridge and Simone Sandri check out some of the international talent under scrutiny by NBA scouts. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3447081/nba-tv-historic-international-rookie-classes.html NBA TV's Andre Aldridge and Simone Sandri look back at some of the best rookie classes from around the world. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3447080/nba-tv-quiet-play-ime-udoka.html NBA TV's studio crew checks out the contributions of reserve Ime Udoka in the Spurs' Game 6 win over the Hornets. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3446776/special-summer-games-pacers-obrien-to-chair-indy-olympics.html Pacers coach Jim O'Brien has accepted an invitation to serve as Honorary Chair of the 2008 Special Olympics Indiana Summer Games. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3446775/spurs-99-hornets-80-f.html Manu Ginobili scored 25 points, Tim Duncan had 20 points and 15 rebounds, and Tony Parker added 15 points in the San Antonio Spurs' 99-80 victory over the New Orleans Hornets in Game 6 on Thursday night. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3446693/live-visiting-kobe-lakers-eliminate-jazz.html Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3446692/lebron-lights-up-celtics-pushes-series-to-limit.html Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3446691/cavs-stave-off-elimination-in-game-6.html The Cavaliers fought off the Celtics, extending the dominance of home teams in the playoffs and forcing a Game 7 Sunday. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3446690/halftime-highlights-celticscavaliers.html Check out highlights from the first half of Game 6 at Quicken Loans Arena. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3446568/firstquarter-highlights-celticscavs.html Check out highlights from the first quarter of Game 6 between the Celts and Cavs in Cleveland. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3446238/bulls-add-brian-shaw-tyrone-corbin-to-coach-candidate-list.html DAILY HERALD reporter Mike McGraw writes that Chicago Bulls GM John Paxson has plans to interview Jazz assistant Tyrone Corbin and Lakers assistant Brian Shaw for the team's head coaching position. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3446237/ben-couch-celticscavaliers-game-6-live-blog.html Follow the action of the Celtics' Game 6 clash with the Cavs at The Q as NBA.com's Ben Couch blogs throughout the second-round matchup. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3446236/nba-cares-join-relief-efforts-in-china.html Yao Ming asks you to join the NBA Family and the Red Cross in the emergency relief efforts in earthquake-torn China. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3446235/laker-rising-gasols-playoff-success.html Check out Pau Gasol's highlights as the newest Laker struts his stuff in the 2008 NBA Playoffs. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3446234/best-wireless-magicpistons-game-5.html Get an all-access pass behind the scenes as the Magic clashed with the Pistons in a decisive Game 5 in Detroit. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3445877/suns-spot-rocketsampamprsquo-assistant-turner-as-next-interview-candidate.html The Phoenix Suns will interview Houston Rockets assistant Elston Turner as a replacement for former head coach Mike D'Antoni. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3445876/suns-to-interview-rocketsampamprsquo-assistant-turner.html The Phoenix Suns will interview Houston Rockets assistant Elston Turner as a replacement for former head coach Mike D'Antoni. The interview will be next week, the team said Friday. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3445875/ready-for-beijing-dwade-feeling-no-pain-in-workout-sessions.html For the first time in more than a year, Dwyane Wade feels no pain in his surgically repaired left knee. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3445874/spurs-hornets-to-get-rest-before-game-7-ap.html The last thing the New Orleans Hornets wanted was to give the defending champions the whole weekend off before Game 7. "You're playing with fire," coach Byron Scott said before the San Antonio Spurs beat the Hornets 99-80 Thursday night. Too late now. It's back to New Orleans for a winner-take-all matchup Monday night. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3445774/aging-spurs-injured-hornets-wait-for-game-7.html The last thing the New Orleans Hornets wanted was to give the defending champions the whole weekend off before Game 7. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3445425/plaisted-signs-agent-forgoing-byu-eligibility.html Brigham Young center Trent Plaisted has agreed to sign with an agent, giving up his option to turn to school for his final season of eligibility. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3445424/cavs-try-to-stave-off-elimination-in-game-6.html "A LeBron James team is never desperate," LeBron said about tonight's Game 6. Playing in Cleveland, the Cavs should be confident. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3445423/vecsey-warriors-may-buy-out-don-nelson.html Filed under: Warriors, Western, NBA Rumors, OaklandPeter Vecsey presents a handful of interesting theories about Don Nelson and the Warriors today. In the span of several paragraphs, he suggests the following theories, all of which need to be taken with a bowling-ball-sized grain of salt: The Warriors are thinking of buying out Nelson rather than risk player mutiny next season; Nelson benched Baron Davis in the pivotal second-to-last game of the season because he was angry Davis "partied" the night before; Nelson benched Davis in a passive aggressive attempt at getting fired so tha he can retire while still collecting his salary; Nelson benched Davis with the Warriors "unspoken blessing" in a passive aggressive attempt to anger Davis enough to opt-out of his contract and leave. Obviously a lot of these theories contradict each other, and even a careful examination of his column makes it difficult to figure out what's based on actual reporting and what's pure conjecture (a frequent problem when it comes to Vecsey). But assuming Nelson is on the way out, it'll be interesting to see if he becomes a candidate for any other job or simply (finally) retires. Pretty much every team that had even a passing interest in Mike D'Antoni would have to consider Nelson, right? His teams won't play a lot of defense, but they'll score a ton points, put butts in the seats and do wonders for the local mock turtleneck economy. That has to count for something, right? Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3445422/yellowbook-future-faces-ronny-turiaf.html TNT's David Aldridge talks with Ronny Turiaf about playing with the Lakers. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3445421/four-questions-about-recruiting-oj-mayo.html Can we admit now that, for NBA-bound players, most universities are not the chaste playgrounds of amateurs? I know, this O.J. Mayo thing is but one set of allegations, about one player. But stick that on top of every other story you have ever heard about high-stakes college recruiting, like David Falk's assertions on TrueHoop: It's not competition based on merit. It's competition based on improper inducements. I think it's an abomination. Add what a GM recently told ESPN's Chad Ford: "If we started eliminating prospects based off of accusations that they've taken money or gifts, there wouldn't be anyone left to draft." Put it all together with a big pinch of salt, and ask yourself: At what point do we stop assuming that more time on college campuses means more good influences on elite athletes? Yes, education is great. But when a big part of that education is in in under-the-table dealing, at some point it's better for your character just to move on into the world of the honest paycheck. Also, I think it's important to realize that there has been a shift. It used to be that if you were talking about people giving athletes special treatment, you were talking about people giving athletes special treatment on behalf of a school. You know, boosters, alumni and all that. For all I know, that's as rampant as ever. Really not an NBA issue, and I don't hear much about it. But the stories I hear these days seem to be more and more about agents and financial advisers cozying up to young players. In many cases, these people probably don't care much about where or if players go to college. Let's assume for a moment that Louis Johnson's version of events is gospel, and that Rodney Guillory was, as alleged, paid to steer Mayo to BDA Sports. So long as he winds up at BDA Sports, he could spend the intervening year in Australia, or on the moon, and the agent's investment would still be worth it. It's a new day, and from where I'm sitting, the corruption that's a concern now isn't even necessarily a story about college basketball anymore. It's a story about the culture of basketball generally -- from junior high to retirement from the NBA. What can anyone do about this? I don't really put much stock in trashing the likes of O.J. Mayo. Poor teenagers, offered cash, a TV, a phone, or whatever will often take some. I'm not sure that's indicative of any great cultural failing. However, I am very worried that a lot of people surrounding impressionable young athletes are not there for the right reasons. And I think it does affect the state of our game. How many top athletes "get on the wrong track" and never pan out? How many of those people had the best mentors and role models in their lives -- some math teacher perhaps, a friend, parent, whomever -- crowded out by someone deadset on being close to the kid to make a buck? The quickest fix is not likely. But athletes could do themselves a big favor, I'm convinced, by listening to Marc Isenberg. He's the guy who wrote the book Money Players, on how athletes should manage their your own business affairs. Isenberg says on his blog what a lot of the smartest NBA people say -- don't take the money: I tell athletes, hypothetically, if the NCAA said tomorrow it was no longer a violation to take extra benefits from agents and runners, I would still argue strongly that they absolutely should not accept their money. The reasons have been discussed ad nauseam on this blog. Most important, when it comes time to select an agent, I want athletes choosing the best agents based on merit, not illicit relationships and benefits. Give up a little cash up front, and over time the basketball world gets a market of solid agents, financial advisers, and experts who are lining up to deliver players the best possible services. Good trade. A longer fix, I think, is for there to be a real minor league system where top players can be developed while being legally paid something that might come close to approximating their value. (It might seem like blasphemy to your typical college coach, but maybe removing elite, NBA-bound players from the educational system would be helpful to colleges too; they'd be left with the players who wanted to go to college and weren't as interested in being paid.) If such a minor league never really emerges, if I were a top graduating high-schooler, and the NBA kept up its ban, I'd sign a short-term deal to develop under a top coach in Europe while being paid handsomely. Will Sonny Vaccaro help us understand? There are various investigations underway from the media, the NCAA, and whoever else. Everyone is trying to piece together this and that. But you could probably do worse than to talk to one of the most powerful men in sports. If I could dump truth serum into anyone and get them to talk to me about this whole O.J. Mayo story, I'd pick Sonny Vaccaro. He's not close to every top basketball player. But he's close to this one. He's in Kelly Naqi's article a little, seeming close to all involved. For instance: [Louis] Johnson added that Guillory and Mayo were supportive of him while his troubles with the law were adjudicated. During that time, he said, their friendship was truly validated at a dinner at the Calabasas home of Sonny Vaccaro, the former shoe company executive. There, seated at the table along with Guillory, Mayo told Vaccaro, "Lou is family." Vaccaro didn't respond to an interview request. Dan Patrick did talk to Sonny Vaccaro (or here) and Vaccaro used his airtime to savage the NBA's age rule that forces elite players into the NCAA. I'm with him on that one. But other than that Vaccaro was vague, beyond saying a few times that he had to believe "the girl" -- reporter Kelly Naqi -- had done her homework. If Vaccaro's serious about cleaning up the game -- and he talks at times like he is -- I wish he would come clean about his knowledge of the inner workings of this Mayo deal, and how it relates to the broader industry. First of all, let's take the birds' eye view. What you have, in the big picture, are agents who need some way to get into the hearts of players who are scattered all over the country, and are generally prohibited from even talking to those players. So they need intermediaries. People who will take the time to get to know the kids, and to befriend them, while seeing to it that when it's agent-choosing time, the kid chooses the right agent. Those people are called runners, and there's a whole industry of running players here, there, and everywhere. Now, if I wanted to know all about the relationships between alleged runner Rodney Guillory, Mayo's agent at BDA Calvin Andrews, and O.J. Mayo, I'd want to talk to the powerful insider who is close to everyone involved: Sonny Vaccaro. What kind of relationship do Sonny Vaccaro and Mayo have? They described each other two years ago in a Thayer Evans New York Times article: "Vaccaro said he had a 'very close' relationship with Mayo. ... 'Sonny's kind of a man in the back,' Mayo said. 'He handles a lot of business for me that I don't really know about, not just as a basketball player.'"Runners are typically people who live near the player they court. Makes sense, right? But Guillory and Mayo lived far from each other. Mayo is from West Virginia. Guillory is from Southern California. So, where would two people like that meet? According to Naqi's report on ESPN.com, the two met at Vaccaro's ABCD camp in the summer of 2003.In Vaccaro's interview with Dan Patrick, Vaccaro says that he was present with Guillory and Mayo when BDA sports made their presentation. Vaccaro says "we" met Duffy's firm. As in, Vaccaro put himself in the group with O.J. Mayo and Rodney Guillory.Before he became an agent, Calvin Andrews was an AAU Coach in California. The Slam-N-Jam program he founded has featured high-school players from all over the country like Chauncey Billups, Drew Gooden, Leon Powe, and LeBron James. When Vaccaro was at Adidas, Adidas was a key sponsor of Slam-N-Jam. (A small related point: When Vaccaro retired from Reebok -- which was acquired by Adidas -- complicated huh? -- Vaccaro was replaced by Chris Rivers, who has identified both Sonny Vaccaro and Calvin Andrews as key mentors.)That picture above, of Sonny Vaccaro and Carmelo Anthony, was taken at a BDA event at this year's All-Star Game. It happened to be one of the first pictures that popped up. But it's relevant, because all kinds of people saw Vaccaro and Rodney Guillory together that weekend. Calvin Andrews' most prominent client, of course, is that very same Carmelo Anthony. O.J. Mayo got in a little bit of trouble for taking NBA tickets apparently from Anthony. Don't we all just want to know what really happened here? Just seems to me that when you talk about Rodney Guillory, Calvin Andrews, and O.J. Mayo, you should also talk about Sonny Vaccaro, who would appear to be in position to be extremely helpful in connecting some dots. Given the opportunity, I, for one, would be happy to talk to him. Is anyone going to get in real trouble here? Do agents and the like ever really get in serious trouble? I'm no expert on this, and would generally tend to assume not. Naqi says: "It is a misdemeanor in California for sports agents or their representatives to provide cash or gifts to student-athletes." Isenberg and other experts have weighed in, and none of that sounds too scary. Not to mention, at this point, I have seen no real indication that law enforcement is even all that interested. However, I have talked to some people who actually know about the law, and they point out that the allegations of charities being abused could make this an atypical case. Speaking generally, when people abuse charities, potential charges like money laundering, tax evasion, wire fraud, and oodles of other legal unpleasantness can enter the discussion. Also, when it comes to state law, it's not clear that California is the state you'd be worried about. If you read that Naqi report closely, Louis Johnson says that the money allegedly from BDA dried up about the time that Mayo left high school. That means the alleged violations occurred when O.J. Mayo was still in West Virginia. And West Virginia law is pretty harsh on sports agents. In that state, it is a felony for an agent to provide anything of value to an athlete or anybody else, as part of an attempt to lure that athlete to sign with you. From the West Virginia Uniform Athlete's Agent Act: §30-39-14. Prohibited conduct. (a) An athlete agent, with the intent to induce a student-athlete to enter into an agency contract, may not: (1) Give any materially false or misleading information or make a materially false promise or representation; (2) Furnish anything of value to a student-athlete before the student-athlete enters into the agency contract; or (3) Furnish anything of value to any individual other than the student-athlete or another registered athlete agent. Later it says the penalty for violating this section is a fine of up to $50,000 and one to three years in a state correctional facility. (Photo: Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE/Getty Images) Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3445338/wade-working-hard-to-overcome-injuries-ap.html For nearly an hour Friday morning, Dwyane Wade was in constant motion, shooting jumper after jumper. His red tank top was dripping with sweat, his chest was heaving and fatigue was clearly starting to set in. Finally, he was down to his last shot, a 20-footer from the right side. When it swished, he whooped and shimmied. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3445337/prince-helping-pistons-at-both-ends-ap.html In some ways, Tayshaun Prince seems like the same player he was when he suddenly went from the bench to playing for the Detroit Pistons during the 2003 playoffs. Prince slows down opponents with his lanky 6-foot-9, 215-pound frame and basketball IQ. He scores on an array of runners and spin moves around the lane, and from the outside with an awkward stroke. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3445336/heatsacircnbspwades-working-hard-in-offseason.html CHICAGO (AP) -For nearly an hour Friday morning, Dwyane Wade was in constant motion, shooting jumper after jumper. His red tank top was dripping with sweat, his chest was heaving and fatigue was clearly starting to set in. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3445335/5-things-to-keep-eye-on-lakers-at-jazz-game-6.html Filed under: Lakers, Western, NBA Playoffs, Jazz, Los AngelesIn another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Lakers-Jazz Western Conference Semifinals Game 6 this evening. Be sure to stop by later tonight for FanHouse's signature LiveBlog of this game. It'll be Vujacissimo!1. Over The Back, Against The Wall: Regardless of your feelings on the Pau Gasol put back that clinched the game for the Lakers (and I personally think Okur flopped and am glad the refs didn't call it), the onus comes back on Mehmet Okur. It's not so much a one sided, "Okur has played badly" as it is that he hasn't been able to put it all together. If he scores, he struggles on the glass. If he rebounds, he can't put the ball in the hole. In the one game where he did manage to have a complete game, the Jazz won convincingly. If Utah wants to extend this series back to Staples for a shot to steal what they couldn't in Game 5, Mehmet Okur has to step up tonight. 2. Odom Overdose: Lamar Odom had a simply spectacular Game 5. He's been a joy to watch for the last month and even as Lakers fans have to be wondering when the joyride stops and the old Lamar returns, he's been a major contributor to them winning. He's making smart decisions, being aggressive with openings, playing with confidence, and getting the ball to Gasol and Kobe when he needs to. The Jazz have bad matchups for Odom outside of Andrei Kirilenko. They want to maintain their edge on the boards so they're not willing to switch AK to the 4. But their power forwards are too slow to guard him and Ronnie Brewer has his hands full with that Kobe Bryant fellow you've heard so much about. If Odom keeps playing the way he has? This series ends tonight.3. The Long Painful Demise Of Jordan Farmar: He hit a three in the 2nd quarter against Utah in Game 5 and I thought he was finally awake. No go. Farmar is mentally a wreck, and what's worse, Deron Williams knows it. Everyone talks about the dark side of Chris Paul, but Williams has just as much of an edge and will go after your wound time and time again if you give him the opportunity. Farmar has neither the size nor speed to match Williams, and offensively, he's so rattled he can't shoot straight. Phil Jackson needs to work some mind games to get JFarm back in his zone. 4. Waiting On Sasha: Sasha Vujacic has been surprisingly quiet in this series. A lot of it has to do with Andrei Kirilenko and the Jazz's terrific defensive rotations, but there's also something clearly off with the hot shooter. He doesn't seem to have the swagger he did in the regular season, and seems especially timid in Utah. The Lakers need some daggers to pour into the hearts of the Utah faithful to quiet them down, and with Vlad Radmanovic gone cuckoo for Coco-Puffs, I think Vujacic needs to be the guy. Some off the ball screens would probably benefit him, but that means taking Odom out of the immediate offense. And that's been working pretty well. Mostly Vujacic needs to make the most of his time in Gasol's side of the triangle when the double comes. 5. Visa: For Everywhere AK Wants To Be: It's all well and good that AK had a family trip to plan and was gone for Thursday's practice before tonight's game 6 to take care of his visa. These things happen. Except, if AK stinks up the place, Jazz fans are going to attribute his absence to it. Andrei Kirilenko needs to have a big night if only to quell a tide of criticism the sensitive young man does not need. We'll see if he can snap back into playoff mode after what was probably a really, really boring day of paperwork. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3445334/links-im-candice.html by Lang Whitaker You may not know about this, but the WNBA season tips off tomorrow. If you weren’t aware, don’t feel bad — I didn’t know either, at least until about an hour ago when I was chatting online with WNBA star rookie Candice Wiggins. A four-year starter at Stanford and a four-time All-American, Candice leaves as the all-time leading scorer in both Stanford and Pac-10 women’s hoops history. She was recently selected third overall in the 2008 WNBA Draft by the Minnesota Lynx, and now she’s joining the SLAM team, too. Candice and I are going to chat it up every few days and I’ll post it here on The Links. (Hey, it’s The Links with a Lynx! OMG! LOL! ROTFLMAO! Sorry, been on iChat too long.) Anyway, Candice and I will talk it up about the WNBA, the Lynx, anything and everything hoops-related, and if this first chat is any indication, I need to catch up on Gossip Girl and Mariah Carey news if I’m going to keep up with Candice… Lang Whitaker: Candice? Lang Whitaker: It’s Lang from SLAM. Candice Wiggins: Hello! Candice Wiggins: Yep its me Lang Whitaker: Hey, so you know about this column, right? Lang Whitaker: I’m gonna try and chat you up occasionally and let people get to know you Candice Wiggins: Yes I do Candice Wiggins: Ok tht sounds great! Lang Whitaker: Are you on your Sidekick now? Candice Wiggins: Yes I am…..I’m at this television station Lang Whitaker: My Sidekick is hurting. The M key only works like half the time. Lang Whitaker: Are you in Minnesota yet? Candice Wiggins: Yep! We have a game on sunday so I’m here… Candice Wiggins: How are u? Lang Whitaker: I’m good. Lang Whitaker: So how’s Minny compared to Cali? Candice Wiggins: Well……I don’t kno if there’s any place tht compares to cali….but its been ok! I feel like these minnesota springs are like san diego winters lol Lang Whitaker: I know, right? Lang Whitaker: I heard you’re big into TV/movies. Lang Whitaker: What’s your shows? Candice Wiggins: Yes! Television….right now top chef. But I looove project runway, gossip girl, and antm Candice Wiggins: Americas next top model Lang Whitaker: Gossip girl? OMFG! Lang Whitaker: Kidding, I don’t watch that. I watch all the other ones, though Lang Whitaker: Top Chef is my joint Lang Whitaker: How about The Hills? Candice Wiggins: Hmmm….haven’t really gotten into the hills… Candice Wiggins: But I kno about it. Candice Wiggins: Wait. What’s wrong with gossip girl???? Lang Whitaker: I just didn’t get into the first season, so now I feel like i’m too behind to start watching. Lang Whitaker: The Hills is the dumbest show on TV, so that makes it fun to watch. Candice Wiggins: Tht show is soooo good! Have u seen it? Lang Whitaker: seen gossip girl? Candice Wiggins: Hahahaha yess! Thts 1 thing I looove to do is analyze dumb tv Lang Whitaker: I need to catch up. How do you keep up with these shows? Do you Tivo everything? Candice Wiggins: Yeah gossip girl Candice Wiggins: Its the greatest show on tv…. Lang Whitaker: come on Candice Wiggins: Have u also listened to the new mariah album? Thts good too Candice Wiggins: Track #10 is my favorite Lang Whitaker: i can’t get over you calling Gossip Girl best show on TV Candice Wiggins: Haahhahahaha Candice Wiggins: It is!! Itunes store helps me keep up Lang Whitaker: I’m waiting for the new 90210 to start Candice Wiggins: Wow thts great…..I think this is gonna be the next oc….90210 I’m not sure…yet. But I love the show. I thinks its so entertaining Lang Whitaker: Cool. Nick Cannon and Mariah. Thoughts? Candice Wiggins: OMG. That tattoo!! Lang Whitaker: I know! Candice Wiggins: Whyyyyyy Lang Whitaker: I think she’s Wild’n Out Candice Wiggins: Why did he do tht. Candice Wiggins: Hahahahha. And I’m so sad tht there was no prenup Lang Whitaker: I’ll be watching your games this season. I need to make more of an effort to watch the WNBA. Lang Whitaker: Can I expect great? Candice Wiggins: Yessssss Candice Wiggins: You can! And u should Lang Whitaker: thanks! I’ll hit you up next week at some point Candice Wiggins: Ok great. And can u please watch an ep of gossip girl?? Lang Whitaker: OK. You watch The Hills, I’ll watch Gossip Girl. Next week we’ll compare notes. Candice Wiggins: Yes! Agreed! © Lang Whitaker for SLAM Online, 2008. | Permalink | 22 comments Add to del.icio.us Search blogs linking this post with Technorati Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under The Links, NBA, Womens, Columnists. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3445216/torontos-nesterovic-exercises-200809-option.html The Toronto Raptors announced Friday that centre Rasho Nesterovic has exercised the player option on his contract for the 2008-09 season. Per team policy, financial terms were not disclosed. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3444838/rockets-assistant-joins-suns-list-candidates.html Read full story for latest details. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3444724/suns-to-interview-rockets-assistant-turner.html The Phoenix Suns will interview Houston Rockets assistant Elston Turner as a replacement for former head coach Mike D'Antoni. The interview will be next week, the team said Friday. The 48-year-old Turner has been an assistant to coach Rick Adelman for 11 years with Portland, Sacramento and Houston. Turner joins Terry Porter and Mark Jackson as candidates. Porter, a Detroit Pistons' assistant and former head coach at Milwaukee, was interviewed by Suns general manager Steve Kerr on Tuesday. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/3444723/suns-to-interview-rockets-asst-turner-ap.html The Phoenix Suns will interview Houston Rockets assistant Elston Turner as a replacement for former head coach Mike D'Antoni. The interview will be next week, the team said Friday. The 48-year-old Turner has been an assistant to coach Rick Adelman for 11 years with Portland, Sacramento and Houston. Turner joins Terry Porter and Mark Jackson as candidates. Sport Snipe - NBA News From Everywhere