"(Stephen) Block, a longtime New York-based gambling treatment counselor who interviewed Donaghy in January, traced his problem to 1994, when he started betting up to $500 a hole and playing card games at various golf clubs in his home state of Pennsylvania."
I have some buddies that would bet on anything from who hits the most trees in a round to which portion of the cart girl's shirt will be stained and even they don't toss $500 around the links.
"His gambling history demonstrates the need to gamble to fulfill the underlying need for 'action,"' Block said. "He continued to gamble despite the consequences and the fear of disclosure of his activities."
With Donaghy just being sentenced to 15 months in prison, I guarantee the need for "action" will indefinitely be fulfilled. "Hey Timmy, wanna bet on which guard I paid off to conveniently disappear for the next eight minutes?"
He better hope they send him to a jail near San Antonio, it might be the only place he's safe.
"(Stephen) Block, a longtime New York-based gambling treatment counselor who interviewed Donaghy in January, traced his problem to 1994, when he started betting up to $500 a hole and playing card games at various golf clubs in his home state of Pennsylvania."
I have some buddies that would bet on anything from who hits the most trees in a round to which portion of the cart girl's shirt will be stained and even they don't toss $500 around the links.
"His gambling history demonstrates the need to gamble to fulfill the underlying need for 'action,"' Block said. "He continued to gamble despite the consequences and the fear of disclosure of his activities."
With Donaghy just being sentenced to 15 months in prison, I guarantee the need for "action" will indefinitely be fulfilled. "Hey Timmy, wanna bet on which guard I paid off to conveniently disappear for the next eight minutes?"
He better hope they send him to a jail near San Antonio, it might be the only place he's safe.
The Kobe/Raja Bell rivalry is one of the NBA's most fascinating. Kobe's ostensibly the villain, but it was Bell who unleashed a totally unsportsmanlike clothesline in last year's playoffs. It's supposedly Raja's grit against Kobe's flash, and yet it's Bryant who plays for a hustle-based team. And strangely, it makes both of them more likable.
According to the Riverside Press-Enterprise's Lakers Blog, the two have an unexpectedly civil relationship off the court:
Grudgingly, it seems, Bryant will offer praise to Bell. More so, they try to make nice when they see each other. After the game, while Bryant was in the hallway talking to his wife and two daughters, Bell walked by. Both Bryant and Bell smiled and spoke to each other. Actually, it wasn't even strained, even if it wasn't a warm feeling.
Kobe still told the press that Bell "likes to flop ... I like to play physical." But all this means is that they're not animals--they're professionals, who can ramp up their emotions when it's necessary and effective, and take things personally only when they have to. And just because this isn't Kings/Lakers, doesn't mean that there can't be another level of ugliness added later this month.
Unless something changes drastically -- like Steve Nash being kidnapped or Tim Duncan suddenly retiring before Greg Oden takes his title as the most expressionless basketball player alive -- Phoenix and San Antonio are going to meet in the secound round of the playoffs. This game tonight matters. Consider it a prologue ... Game 0.5 of their impending playoff battle.
For starters, home court advantage in the series could hinge on this game (though it likely won't). San Antonio's three games back of Phoenix, and they can cut it two and earn the tiebreaker tonight. Making up two more games on the Suns in the 7 games remaining isn't impossible, but it's not likely ... especially if Phoenix knows that they actually need the Ws.
But it's about more than that. It's a measuring stick, and in a lot of ways, Phoenix still needs to prove that they can put on the big boy pants. For all their success and their much-deserved accolades, they still haven't proven that their gun-threes-and-ask-questions-later strategy can win a championship. Tim Duncan and the Spurs, however, have proven everything that they possibly can prove, and despite their #3-spot in the standings, a lot of people, John Hollinger and his PER-ty numbers among them, still feel like they're the biggest mountain to climb.
Said Tim Duncan:
"It's good to have them coming into our house here and be able to measure up a little bit."
They get out the rulers tonight at 9:30 on TNT, and we'll see who's packing what.
Tonight's Suns/Spurs game is a big deal, no doubt. But don't let the massive playoff implications distract you from the real prize: this year's race for Six Man of the Year. With most of the season over, it looks to be between the Suns' Leandro Barbosa and the Spurs' Manu Ginobili. Stackhouse is a distant third, in part because his 11.9 per game can't mess with Barbosa's 17.9 or Manu's 16.6.
The real question, though, is whether either of these two is actually a sixth man. Both play tons of minutes, and both have made their share of starts. Good thing for Manu that Pop's got his back. From the East Valley Tribune:
Ginobili will be ineligible for the Sixth Man Award if he starts one more game (36 so far) than he comes off the bench (33). So with starter Brent Barry out with a back problem Tuesday, Popovich gave Michael Finley the start, and would likely do so again if Barry is still out.
Umm, okay. That doesn't exactly strike me as the epitome of basketball honor and dignity, but like I can question anything Greg Popovich does. My haircut has nothing on his.
Each week I'll look at the players who would have the best shot at the league MVP award if the season ended today. Why? Because we're bound to disagree and fight each other with chain whips ...
1. Steve Nash, PG, Suns: The Suns beat the Mavs, again. Steve Nash did exactly what makes him a viable MVP candidate, Dirk didn't. Somehow, though, this makes Nash seem less convincing, too. He didn't really prove himself, he just didn't hurt himself--unlike last time these two met, when Mr. Two-Time went above and beyond our expectations. Shouldn't that be part of what makes an MVP: the ability to surprise even his biggest supporters?
2. Dirk Nowitzki, PF, Mavericks: I wish I could demote him, I really do. Nash at least has an excuse for not taking over on Sunday, since anything dominant that team does counts as him taking over. Unfortunately, no one else is pushing hard enough to unseat that "best player on best team" logic. I also will only ever say this once: point guards and traditional post players can hide behind the team, freak scorers like Dirk can't.
3. LeBron James, SF, Cavaliers: Ladies and gentlemen, your Eastern Conference Player of the Month. This humble horse from out of Cleve-town averaged 30.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 7 assists, leading the Cavs to an 11-5 record. He stepped up immensely in getting a win against the Pistons. And unlike the front runners, whose teams are stacked, or Kobe, whose team is lousy with him, he's a unquestioned alpha dawg whose squad responds to his magnificent example. I wonder if a whole season of this would be enough to leapfrog Nash or Dirk. Oh well. He'll get his three MVP's before it's all over.
The Dirk/Nash MVP race might well be the storyline of the season, what with the Mavs historically good and Nash looking to join the pantheon. Everyone has an opinion, and I know that mine changes depending on the weather. If only there were some authoritative take that could set the record straight, once and for all.
"He's playing unbelievable, and Dallas has been unbelievable," D'Antoni said. "I think at the end of the day that's what it's all about. Not to take anything away from Steve and how he's playing. Sunday is another chance, another test for him in this year's race. But I think you have to look at the best team and whoever on that team is having a phenomenal year.
Well, there it is. Nash's own coach would vote for Dirk. Now, let's not take this at face value; DMB suggests that a three-peat for Nash might heighten the pressure, whereas this would make the Mavs sole owners of the postseason bull's eye. Still, is this high-stakes PR campaign really the time to play mind games in the press? Plus D'Antoni's known to be a straight shooter, making it less unbelievable that he'd outright endorse the enemy.
You want to know why Stoudemire matters? He makes it so the Suns can have "enemies" without it sounding goofy.
The most shameful 43 points in NBA history. But the Lakers have now won five straight. And last night's 115-113 outcome was most definitely a team efforts, with Odom, Turiaf, Shammond Williams, and Andrew Bynum all noticeably chipping in. On the Golden State side, Monta Ellis is quickly becoming that franchise's best player.
Not so invincible anymore. When the nation is used to your team rattling off double-digit win streaks like it's nothing, dropping three out of 11 is a problem. So maybe they're thinking past the regular season, but the Suns' 107-100 loss to the Kings is cause for concern. While the Mavericks grow all the more steady, the Suns have proven that streakiness can be a cruel mistress indeed. Bibby had 37, and a Kings-record 9 three-pointers; Amare managed 23 in the loss.
LeBron vs. Melo, anyone? Pretty much anyone with League Pass was busy watching Kobe, so you can be excused for not knowing that this "marquee match-up" took place last night. Anthony and company ran the Cavs out of the gym, resulting in a 105-93 final. Melo had 28, LeBron has held to 18, and the former is now 5-2 lifetime against the latter. Proof that either the East still sucks, the Nuggets are the ultimate wild card, or Anthony still doesn't get the respect he deserves.
NOOCH's last stand. As Big L told you this weekend, it's do-or-die time for the Hornets. Well, they came through last night, overcoming the Rockets to the tune of 106-94. Chris Paul, who is both the league's most overrated and most underrated player, had 28 points, and the team just generally did its thing. McGrady had 31, Yao shot terribly, and the Rockets continued to try and get their groove back in time for late April. Personally, I think the Hornets would be better off not making the playoffs. Add a lottery pick in this year's draft to this team and you've got a future monster on your hands.
Good is the new bad. Two nights ago, the Suns lost to Eastern beasts Detroit. On Saturday, they were spanked by Denver, 131-107. Now, the Nuggets are certainly on a roll, with this being their fourth win in a row. But the Suns are in a serious rut. The once unbeatable juggernaut stumbled from the get-go, and are now looking shockingly vulnerable. Iverson had 44 and 15 assists, and Meloa added 29. Not much happened in the Suns quadrant of the box score.
Or is bad the new good? In our last fearless installment, we reported on Boston's near-upset of Dallas. Second time a charm indeed, as they pulled off a 91-85 win over recently-noticed heavyweights San Antonio. Pierce went off for 30, Al Jefferson continues to blossom, and tonight the third man was Delonte West, who had 23. The enigmatic point guard Rajon Rondo snagged 14 rebounds. TP had 30 points for the Spurs.
The Booze gets his comeuppance. Carlos Boozer came back to Cleveland for the first time since the treachery, and it wasn't pretty. Loud, angry crowd, and a LeBron out to prove Carlos's error led to an 82-73 Cabs win. James had 24 and 17 boards. Boozer lead the Jazz with 19 and 14, and for his part thought that the fans "could have been more creative with their chants." He also missed two key free throw down the stretch, as if by script.
Pacers win at last. Beating the Hawks is hardly cause for celebration, except for when it snaps an eleven-game skid. Duns, Jr. had 21, while Josh Smith had 16 and 11 for Atlanta. Which one of those stat lines is an accurate predictor of the player's future?
It's well-documented that Suns have made some questionable draft day moves. In fact, they've made a host of un-moves, getting rid of the rights to Luol Deng, Sergio Rodriguez and Nate Robinson. Of course, they've struck gold with Joe Johnson, Barbosa, and Diaw, so no one's calling their scouting department incompetent. Still, to some this is a major sign of organizational weakness.
If you're one of those people waiting for the other purple and orange cap to drop, this year could be your chance. From the San Antonio Express-News:
[T]he Suns are happy the Hawks have improved over the last month and gotten some wins (one of them over the Suns, in Phoenix) because they own Atlanta's first-round pick unless it is one of the top three in the draft. It was part of the sign-and-trade deal the Suns worked out that made Joe Johnson a Hawk. With this draft one of the deepest in years, Phoenix is praying the Hawks don't get lucky on lottery day.
Granted, a good team landing a high pick is hardly unheard of. Most dramatically, we've recently witnessed Detroit's Darko pick and Tyrus Thomas to the Bulls. But Detroit wasn't set up to allow a young player to flourish, and the Thomas draft was the worst one ever. A top ten pick for the Suns in a draft that could give 2003 a run for its money...that's the kind of thing that could allow this team to start thinking beyond the Nash Years.
Atlanta is currently the third-worst team in the East. If they make the slightest late-season run, which young teams are prone to do, the Suns could wind up with Julian Wright or Brendan Wright as part of their rotation. And if there's one thing we know about Phoenix, it's that they have no problem making talent fit in.
Never has a guy playing a "friendly" Nassau got himself in so much trouble.
Never has a guy playing a "friendly" Nassau got himself in so much trouble.
The Kobe/Raja Bell rivalry is one of the NBA's most fascinating. Kobe's ostensibly the villain, but it was Bell who unleashed a totally unsportsmanlike clothesline in last year's playoffs. It's supposedly 
Unless something changes drastically -- like Steve Nash being kidnapped or Tim Duncan suddenly retiring before Greg Oden takes his title as the most expressionless basketball player alive -- Phoenix and San Antonio are going to meet in the secound round of the playoffs. This game tonight matters. Consider it a prologue ... Game 0.5 of their impending playoff battle.
Tonight's Suns/Spurs game is a big deal, no doubt. But don't let the massive playoff implications distract you from the real prize: this year's race for Six Man of the Year. With most of the season over, it looks to be between the Suns' Leandro Barbosa and the Spurs' Manu Ginobili. Stackhouse is a distant third, in part because his 11.9 per game can't mess with Barbosa's 17.9 or Manu's 16.6. 
Each week I'll look at the players who would have the best shot at the league MVP award if the season ended today. Why? Because we're bound to disagree and fight each other with chain whips ... 
Reminding you why you cared before this week...
Friday, it was drama. Yesterday... 
It's well-documented that Suns have made some questionable draft day moves. In fact, they've made a host of un-moves, getting rid of the rights to Luol Deng, Sergio Rodriguez and Nate Robinson. Of course, they've struck gold with Joe Johnson, Barbosa, and Diaw, so no one's calling their scouting department incompetent. Still, to some this is a major sign of organizational weakness. 
