The video is already a few days old, but it's still relevant considering Ramon Sessions set another career-high by scoring 25 points to go along with 14 assists in Milwaukee's season finale against the Timberwolves. Now, I imagine most of you probably just asked yourself, Ramon who?
Well, in case you haven't been paying attention (and I understand if you haven't been -- the Bucks did end the season on an eight-game losing streak), Sessions is Milwaukee's rookie point guard who's come out of complete obscurity to average a double-double the last month of the season (11.3 points and 11.3 assists), including an obscene 20 point, 24 assist performance earlier this week. For more, read up on BrewHoop.
You want to know the crazy part? He didn't even make his NBA debut until March 9th, instead spending most of the league terrorizing the D-League. Seriously, Larry Harris, you deserved to be fired just for that. Needless to say, but I'm guessing the first order of business for new GM John Hammond is putting Charlie Bell squarely on the trading block.
After dismissing Larry Harris from the role of general manager yesterday, Herb Kohlspoke to the press about Harris' limitations, or at least the implied notion that Kohl did not give Harris much leeway for making roster related transactional moves. Specifically, Kohl stated that he did veto a Zach Randolph to Milwaukee deal; but also said that he and Harris were on the same page all along.
"Larry has no difficulty or animosity with me over the right I had to say, 'Let's not do the Zach Randolph trade,' " Kohl said. "He would not bring that up to you as any point of contention. He would say, 'Yes, he had the right to do that, whether I agree or not.' "
Nothing smells finer on an early Thursday morning than a little politician double talk. Am I right? What Kohl essentially is saying, at least to me, is that he told Harris he was not going to trade for Randolph (purportedly for Charlie Bell, Dan Gadzuric and Bobby Simmons). And Harris won't contend that Kohl's veto power was outside any scope of normal behavior. Go figure.
Kohl's also discussed his reasoning for not wanting Z-Bo, which, not so shockingly, came down to character issues. Bear in mind that Randolph has a large contract and has had personal issues on/off court, but at least he's better than Gadzuric and Simmons combined.
With the NBA trade deadline looming, Trade Machinations rounds up real rumors (and creates fake ones) of moves that'd make the NBA a better, brighter place.
Also, a league source told The News that the Bucks' owner, Milwaukee Sen. Herb Kohl, yesterday rejected a trade that would have sent Randolph and either Fred Jones or Jared Jeffries to Milwaukee for a package including Bobby Simmons, Charlie Bell and Dan Gadzuric, who all have long-term contracts.
Milwaukee GM Larry Harris, who may be let go at season's end, is eager to make a deal to help his struggling team and presented a similar package to Kohl in January. However, Kohl is reluctant to approve any trades Harris brings to him. The Knicks and Bucks have tried to orchestrate several trades this season, including one that would have featured Stephon Marbury.
Now, getting back Z-Bo and Jones wouldn't be anything that the Bucks should consider a "prize haul", but if you can get a player as talented as Randolph and in the process free up a huge chunk of salary, well, don't you want to make that deal, regardless of how much of a lame duck Larry Harris is? Don't get me wrong -- I'm the biggest Chuck Bell fan on the planet, and Simmons scored a bunch of points for the Clippers one time ... but you gotta make this deal. Bell's contract is great because he's locked up cheaply for a long time, but the Bucks don't start him. And Gadzuric averages less points and rebounds per game than millions he makes per year (five something). Simmons can't stay healthy and he's fairly one dimensional anyway (plus, he makes NINE million this year!!). Look, Randolph is crazy, but not this crazy.
B-Ball, B-Fast is a weekdaily look at last night's NBA action from a fantasy perspective. Bookmark it and visit often.
Cup of Coffee It was pretty obvious that the return of Ron Artestwas going to sink the fantasy value of other Kings playing the role of erstwhile fantasy star. But it's also easy to forget amongst the crazy and more than occasional injuries that he plays like a fantasy second rounder when he's "good". Like last night, as the Kings routed the Nets and Artest blew up for 27 points (two threes, nine of 14 from the floor), six boards, four dimes, one block and a silly five steals. I'm going to say ride it out while you can, but this is Ron Artest we're talking about, folks -- don't be scared to sell high, especially if you're in a head to head league and have playoffs.
Hot Cakes Grant Hill made his return from an appendectomy and started again last night. He tallied eight points in 27 minutes. Meanwhile, Boris Diaw put up a Domino's like 5/5/5 in just 24 minutes off the bench while tacking on two blocks and a steal. Looks like Diaw's value will take a hit for as long as Hill stays healthy. (Read: Buy low.)
With Mo Williams out, Royal Ivey started. 10 points, no dimes and five fouls in 28 minutes? Guh. Against the Suns no less. Charlie Bell was far more effective with 11 points and eight dimes. He's the energy filled, versatile sixth man that the Bucks like to use off the bench, but if Ivey can't crank out some decent production, Bell will get most of the minutes. Williams is questionable for Thursday with a sprained pinkie, so it should not be anything major or debilitating enough to warrant making a major fantasy roster move.
The Lakers have a promotion going at their home games that ensures fans will stay in their seats until the final buzzer, even if the home team is up big. If the Lakers win and hold their opponents to under 100 points, each fan receives a coupon for two free tacos from Jack in the Box, retail value of which is a whopping 99 cents. Big effing deal, right? You'd be surprised.
There's really no other way to describe it: the fans go absolutely bonkers for this promotion. This weird sort of collective consciousness takes over the building in the waning minutes of a Laker blowout, where everyone becomes rabid for free tacos. Check out this footage from the cheap seats from a win over the Nuggets earlier this season, and listen to the insane screaming and "WE WANT TACOS!!" chants from the fans.
Then again, maybe they should get in line. The article's got a list of the other NBA players assumed to be available before the deadline, and it's kind of mind-boggling:
B-Ball, B-Fast is a weekdaily look at last night's NBA action from a fantasy perspective. Bookmark it and visit often.
Cup of Coffee Or perhaps you prefer "nighthorse"? Either way, Kevin Durant leaving in the third quarter because of an ankle sprain is bad. Kevin Durant not returning to the game because of an ankle sprain is worse. Worstest of alls? That's he has dealt with this injury most of the season and will deal with the rest of the way home. Yes, the Sonics are phoning in their season, but Durant looked primed for a monster 2008, coming out hot with 23.5 points per game after a mildly disappointing December. I don't want to tell you to trade the next big thing, but if you can convince someone to give you full value on a guy who does not seem intent (as we originally thought) on raising his field goal percentage and who is dealing with an ankle injury, well ... go for it. Just don't do anything all crazy like.
Hot Cakes Don't look now but one of my favorite players and erstwhile mancrushes, Charlie Bell, has ripped off two straight 20 point games. Michael Redd, not coincidentally, missed his third straight game with a bruised thigh. Redd could miss a few more, so Bell is a superb play for the near future in daily leagues. If Mo Williams or Redd miss any significant time, snatch Bell up immediately.
The Bucks have not lived up to ultimately mild expectations; they are sort-of an anonymous Miami. Be glad they drafted Yi Jianlian, so we have something nice to write about them, no? From (I assume) a pool report in the Morning Journal, via Kelly Dwyer:
Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak was conducting his pre-game press conference outside the team's locker room and rookie forward Yi Jianlian was returning from the court. He opened the door next to the locker room and began to enter when teammate Charlie Bell yelled, "Yi, you're going the wrong way." Yi was about to enter the Nuggets dance team's dressing room. "I was going to follow him," Bell whispered to a reporter after he had pointed Yi in the right direction.
Perhaps Miami should count its blessings. The Heat hotly pursued Milwaukee back-up Charlie Bell this summer; Bell, angry with Milwaukee's offers, flirted with a Greek team before signing a five-year, $18 million offer sheet with Miami. Milwaukee, of course, matched, further angering Charlie. (Dwyer notes this is likely the most contract drama a back-up point guard has ever engaged in.)
What'd all the fireplay amount to for the Bucks? Possibly the worst NBA season for a player ever, as The Bratwurst tells it.
Bell is now shooting .267 this year, and has managed to play 594 minutes. He is on pace to play over 1600 minutes for the season, and should his shooting not improve dramatically it will be the worst performance in the near-60 year history of the league.
The Bratwurst lays out some players Larry Harris should've targeted instead, as well some solutions now. Charlie Villanueva has to figure into this -- Bell has played more minutes than V this season. The Bucks defense reeks anyway -- why not stick Charlie at the three? He can't possibly be worse than Bobby Simmons (who is building his case for 'Worst Free Agent Contract of the Oughts').
Restricted free agency is a wonderful thing for team executives, and a terrible thing for restricted free agents. It might sound good for the players -- being able to 'test' the open market, but it's a mirage. Right now, players from Anderson Varejao to Sasha Pavlovic to Mickael Pietrus are on the verge of being forced to play for a pittance after a failed market test. And that seems to be the norm... look at Charlie Bell's lesson. He tried to decide where he wanted to go, and now he's stuck in Milwaukee for five more years.
Teams have all the power, especially considering the lack of cap space around the league. Few teams have even their mid-level exceptions left over; for all intents, that's the most a fellow like Varejao or Pavlovic could command by way of offer sheet at this point. No less a talent than Gerald Wallace had to take his qualifying offer last summer, and that might as well be an extension of the rookie contract (in other words, it's a far cry from market value). The collective cap is too bloated with the leftovers of early millennium excess and recent wonton mid-level spending. So in reality, many above-average first-rounders get locked to low wages for five years, unless their agent gets them in early come their restricted summer or they work out a long-term deal with their scared team after Year Four in the league.
Pavlovic and now Varejao have threatened Europe, like Bell before them. If these players have any designs on returns to the NBA, though, that threat will ring empty. Why? Because players who flee the NBA as restricted free agents retain their restricted status upon re-entering the league. So if Pavlovic plays a year in Europe and decides to come back next summer, Cleveland would still have the right to match any contract he signed. In essence, it puts off unrestricted free agency one more year. So the best bet for these disgruntled restricteds, again, is to play for chump change one more time and pray they have a good year.
After dismissing 
With the NBA trade deadline looming, 
Okay, so the Bucks 
B-Ball, B-Fast is a weekdaily look at last night's NBA action from a fantasy perspective. 
The Bucks have not lived up to ultimately mild expectations; they are sort-of an anonymous 
Perhaps Miami should count its blessings. The Heat hotly pursued Milwaukee back-up 
Restricted free agency is a wonderful thing for team executives, and a terrible thing for restricted free agents. It might sound good for the players -- being able to 'test' the open market, but it's a mirage. Right now, players from 
