FanHouse Joe Alexander

San Antonio needed a major infusion of offensive talent this season, and it appears the team has found it. Multiple league reports indicate the Spurs have traded for Milwaukee's Richard Jefferson, sending away only bit players Bruce Bowen (age 38), Kurt Thomas (age 36) and Fabricio Oberto (age 34), according to Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Jefferson has been in Wisconsin for one year, following last June's draft day trade which sent Yi Jianlian and others to New Jersey. Jefferson has always been a moderately efficient scorer, and he should provide some relief for Tony Parker and Tim Duncan in the Spurs starting line-up. He's not quite an ace defender, but he played hard for Scott Skiles last season and hasn't missed a game in two seasons.

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Three of the four spots in this year's Dunk Contest field have been decided, but the fourth one, as you may recall, will be decided by a vote from the fans. After reviewing a few of the promotional videos put together by Russell Westbrook, Rudy Fernandez, and Joe Alexander, I can tell you that my vote is going to Alexander at this point. Still undecided? Then watch this video and be convinced.


Sure, the other candidates have videos of their own; there's Westbrook playing the trumpet, and Fernandez pronouncing the word "donk" due to his accent. Yawn. Give me the humor of Alexander's videos any day. Besides, do Westbrook or Fernandez get warmed up by hitting their head on the rim? I didn't think so.

This just in: the Chinese kinda/sorta dig basketball. Especially that Kobe Bryant character. But just like Americans, The Chinese aren't too fond of watching mediocre NBA teams.

This pre-season, the league sent the Warriors and Bucks to battle it out during the league's annual NBA China showcase. Well, the let's just say the Chinese were not too excited to see the two particular NBA teams play:

According to a public poll by leading Internet portal Sina.com, 34 percent of respondents paid no attention to the games. For those who bought tickets or watched on TV, 26 percent described the games as "boring", 23 percent bemoaned the lack of Chinese players and only 17 percent commented positively on the experience.

The resulting attention was a mere shadow of the success and praise heaped on the 2004 China Games, billed as Yao Vs Sacramento Kings, or the 2007 Games featuring LeBron (Cavs) and Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic).

In contrast to those past efforts, many media seats in Guangzhou were embarrassingly empty last Wednesday and even scalpers suffered as ticket prices nosedived from 2,800 yuan ($410) to 500 yuan ($73)on the black market.

So if the NBA wants to keep the Chinese excited, they need to send stars or Chinese players. And no, sending a team with a white player that is fluent in Mandarin doesn't help much. I know some of the teams and their players hate travel that far for the pre-season, but the league really should make sure that they send players and teams over there that the Chinese are familiar with. I'm sure throwing a little bonu$ the players way could help the cause a bit.

This little tidbit comes from the New York Post, so by all means, take it with a grain of salt. But the word on the street is that Richard Jefferson isn't very happy about being traded from the Nets -- a hop-skip from possibly the most happening city in the entire country, NYC -- to the frozen tundra of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Behold:

"He didn't seem very happy," said [Nets team president Rod] Thorn, who emphasized yesterday he had not yet spoken to Jefferson. "I spoke to his agent, I called him, texted him. I like Richard. He was here for a long time and I'm sure he still expected to be here. Unless you are the one pushing for it, it's always difficult when you are traded. You are going to a new place, have new teammates. It's hard at first."

So, Rod Thorn didn't speak to RJ, yet through his telepathic connection with him just knows that he doesn't seem happy. That's fine I guess, because the Post isn't exactly making a huge leap here. To say that Jefferson -- who, after the Kidd trade, was basically the face of the franchise -- wouldn't be pleased to pack up and start things over again in freaking Milwaukee of all places, is really just common sense, isn't it?

I don't think any All-Star caliber player would be happy about leaving the New York area for Wisconsin. But if there's a bright side for RJ, it's of the basketball variety: the Bucks might be pretty decent next season, and if healthy, should contend for a playoff spot. Michael Redd, Mo WIlliams, Andrew Bogut, and (possibly) rookie Joe Alexander could be rounding out the Bucks' opening day starting five. Looks pretty good to me, although I said that last season too. Maybe you should take what I say with a grain of salt as well.

Heading into Thursday's NBA Draft, one question that's on everyone's mind is who will be taken with the top pick, Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley? Should the Bulls, who draft at No. 1, pick a future star who can run their offense in Rose, or should they go after a forward who can dominate the glass and score from anywhere on the floor in Beasley?

Well, strong cases can be made for both players. And they have. From GM's to coaches to writers to bloggers to fans, everyone has weighed in on the decision.

Everyone, that is, except for the guys who are going to be in the green room with Beasley and Rose tomorrow night. So during Wednesday's media availability here in New York, I talked to the Class of '08 about who they'd draft with the first pick if they were the Bulls. Read on to see what Kevin Love, D.J. Augustin and others had to say about the Beasley vs. Rose debate.

An NBA player's marketability is determined by a combination of their talent, location and personality. Talent, of course, usually wins out (see: James, LeBron and Cleveland, Ohio).

But in the case of Joe Alexander, location might somehow be more important. And only if he is drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks, which seems to go against everything that should be right. No offense, Milwaukee. Darren Rovell explains.

Here's the deal. Alexander grew up in Taiwan and Beijing and speaks Mandarin. If he is on the same team with Yi Jianlian and plays at all, he'll instantly become popular in China, which could have more basketball fans than the U.S. population.

Alexander told me that he's well aware of the marketing opportunities that arise from playing with a Chinese player.

"Playing in Milwaukee would allows things I do on the court to resonate with the Chinese people," Alexander said.

I'm not sure what's more fascinating: that someone could make more money in Milwaukee or that Alexander is fluent in Mandarin.

Jeff Goodman posted the list of NBA Draft green room invitees today, and you best believe that there is gonna be some heartbreak going down on this list. After all, there are 16 players invited ... and only 14 lottery spots. Mu-ha-ha.

Actually, there's a decent chance that no one on this list will get Quinned (read: fall too far), mainly because NBA teams are much more likely to draft based on "best available" than positional need if someone starts to drop, but draft day can always be surprising. Anyway, here's the list of who will be hanging out back while the cameras catch every instance of shock, surprise and tearful regret.

Crystal Ballin' takes a team-by-team look at what should, could, and probably will happen in the June 26th NBA Draft.

The Clippers' 2008 season was derailed before it even got started. Injuries to Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston, along with the mid-season defection of Sam Cassell (ring-chasing bastard) left the Clips with a lot of holes in their roster.

Picks: #7, #35.

Needs: Guards. Dan Dickau was running the point for most of last season, and it was painful to watch. Fortunately, the Clippers seem to know this, and have been working out guards like crazy the past couple of weeks.

Best case scenario: That the team trades up and gets someone like O.J. Mayo or Jerryd Bayless. The Miami Heat are said to be open to trading their number two pick, and the Clippers "secretly" worked out Mayo last week.

More likely scenario: If they stay at seven, then Russell Westbrook or Eric Gordon should be on the board. Either would do fine and provide some immediate help, though I would prefer Westbrook as he seems slightly further along in his development.

Please don't take: Joe Alexander or Brook Lopez. The Clips probably won't do this, considering how depleted they are at guard. But both are thought to be legitimate NBA players, and, well, the Clippers have done stranger things over the years.

Trade possibilities: Working out O.J. Mayo last week makes you think the Clippers are considering trading up, and would have a sign-and-trade player in Corey Maggette to deal. Is that along with the Clippers' seventh pick enough to entice the Heat? Stay tuned.

With the NBA Draft coming up on Thursday night, FanHouse's Tom Ziller took a friend's advice and unilaterally decided what teams ought to do in the first round. Think of it as a shorter version of our ongoing Crystal Ballin' series.

1. Chicago -- Michael Beasley, Kansas State. Fan consensus would have the point guard from Memphis here, and it looks like John Paxson will swing that way, too. It looks like a whole lot of Chris Paul-induced "pure point" fervor to me. Beasley, though, is the rare unassailable post presence who also boasts great perimeter skills and extraordinary tenacity on the court. With a team so desperate for points on something other than jump shots, Beasley fits right in.

2. Miami -- Derrick Rose, Memphis. The Heat, on the other hand, has some firepower in the paint, between Dwyane Wade's irrepressible slashing and the alternating efforts of Shawn Marion and Udonis Haslem. But Wade needs help running the show. Rose would provide the right engine to push Miami's offensive abilities while offering some backcourt defensive support.

3. Minnesota -- Brook Lopez, Stanford. Like any other basketball aesthete, I have cracked some Brook Lopez jokes. But behind the Cheetah Girls t-shirts, he's a good prospect. The biggest thing he can offer Minnesota in some interior anchorage on defense. Al Jefferson got abused routinely in the paint last season, with nary a partner to help stunt the opponent. Lopez immediately fortifies the effort, maybe not creating a good defense by himself, but at least helping out. Oh, and he can score too.

27 more picks of questionable logic after the jump.

Crystal Ballin' takes a team-by-team look at what should, could, and probably will happen in the June 26th NBA Draft.

The Bucks' have a lot of issues heading into this off-season, and most of them revolve around below average talent (Bobby Simmons and Dan Gadzuric) receiving above average dollars ($16M next season). The team needs to begin getting its roster in better shape for the coming seasons, and the draft may be able to help them do that via trade.

Picks: #8, #37.

Needs: Small forward is the glaring need, but some roster cohesiveness would be nice too.

Best case scenario: That the Bucks use the eighth pick to entice a team to take back one of their bad contracts.