HalfCourtHeave

How To Lose Games And Alienate Fan Bases (Starring: Chris Wallace)

Zach Randolph is Poised to Murder Another Franchise. This Time, There's An Accomplice.

I don’t even know a rational starting point for this article. And maybe it’s fitting that it’s content doesn’t deserve any sort of balanced judicial discussion. But if you’re a fan of the Memphis Grizzlies, or the NBA, or even logical decision making, Chris Wallace just gave you a gigantic middle finger.

Again.

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Three’s Company In Milwaukee?

Ramon Sessions Leads A Crowded Milwaukee Backcourt

When the Milwaukee Bucks selected Brandon Jennings with the 10th pick in the 2009 draft, it created what stands to be right now, a cluttered conundrum in an already-divided Bucks backcourt.

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Knicks Trade Quentin Richardson For Darko Milicic

Not to be lost in the shuffle of last night’s draft, the Memphis Grizzlies traded Darko Milicic to the New York Knicks for Quentin Richardson and cash considerations.

Milicic, as everyone remembers, is one of the most famous busts in NBA history. He was selected ahead of superstars like Dwyane Wade, Carmello Anthony, and Chris Bosh.

His potential as a great player in the league has passed, despite being just 24 years old. But one can’t help but wonder his potential in Mike D’Antoni’s system. He’ll be asked to play more of the “Euro Center” role of run the floor and hit jumpers, as opposed to playing back to the basket. He also provides the Knicks with interior shotblocking, something they severely lacked last season.

The Grizzlies get a perimeter shooter, albeit an oft injured one. The cash sweetens the pot for simply jetting a player who didn’t fit into their system.

2009 NBA Draft Awards

The Best of Your 2009 NBA Draftees

The 2009 NBA Draft occurred last night! And what a fun watch it was. Surprise picks, players who fell very far, and some usual potentially bonehead moves. A lot of teams helped themselves last night, and as weak as the draft seemed, it appeared to me that most teams did their homework and produced a smart-looking draft.

Now I’m in no position to grade each teams performance (and who is really? The notion that teams have done well before their picks have played a game is all speculation, especially considering when their based off of mock drafts, also all speculation), and I don’t particularly care for that sort of discussion. Grade these picks in a couple years, when players get the minutes and transactions shake out.

That being said, I threw out some quick awards that are somewhat pretentious in their own right, but hey, it’s my blog. Here they are…

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Vince Carter: Now A Member Of The Orlando Magic

The Further Vince Goes South, The Closer He Gets To A Title

Vince Carter, he of the New Jersey Nets, has been traded along with Ryan Anderson to the Eastern Conference Champion Orlando Magic for Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee, and Tony Battie.

The trade only strengthens Orlando’s offensive output, as Carter adds another three point shooter into the mix. If the Magic can reel in Turkoglu for a reasonable price, which I don’t see as being very likely, they’re clear favorites to win the Eastern Conference, if not the Finals. If they’re unable to, they still have a very good shot at making it back to the championship. The Magic aren’t going to match a wild offer that some team may lay on Hedo. They have to pay Carter a lot of money and are just under the cap now. Despite claiming they’ll pay the luxury tax with a smile on their face, they don’t desperately need Turkoglu. They can slide Pietrus into a starting role and pretend like he was never there.

I love all the jockeying for title position in the East right now. It excites the hell out of me.

Orlando can move Alston, who would’ve served a back up role behind Jameer Nelson. Nelson will be 100 percent ready to go by the start of next season. Tony Battie played as the Magic’s 3rd string interior player and while Lee was a nice  wing player who will always have a place in this league, Carter is a serious, serious upgrade at shooting guard position. Pair his talent on offense with Orlando’s elite defense and this team will be right there come May.

The Nets are dumping 32-year-old Carter’s enormous contract ($51.6 million remaining!) and continuing their rebuilding plan. Alston and Battie are in the final years of their contracts and presuming the Nets don’t resign them, which they obviously won’t, New Jersey saves $16.5 million. The Nets save an astonishing $40 million over the course of all the contracts involved. A core of Harris, Lopez, Lee and whoever they select with tonight’s #11 looks quite attractive going forward.

Love this deal for both sides.

Knicks “Purchase” 29th Pick From Lakers

Sources report the New York Knicks have bought the 29th pick from the Los Angeles Lakers for $3 million. (UPDATE: League rules mandate that L.A. cannot “sell” their pick. Instead they select with the #29 pick and sell the rights to NY for the same price).

L.A. doesn’t need the pick at 29, but they need the money to resign Trevor Ariza and/or Lamar Odom. Maybe it’s compensation for the Knicks for indirectly handing the Lakers Ariza himself.

The Knicks? They need players. Preferably good ones. So the move makes sense for them too.

6 hours until draft time.

Shaquille O’Neal Headed to Cleveland

These May Be Your 2010 NBA Champions, Folks

Gas up the Diesel. Shaquille O’Neal will be switching conferences again, this time moving east to the Cleveland Cavaliers to join Lebron James.Cleveland and Phoenix are finalizing talks that send The Big Aristotle to  the Cavs for Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, the 46th pick, and half a million.

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