New Atlanta Hawks owner Alex Meruelo recently said he intended to bring a chip to Atlanta under his reign. He didn’t give an ETA on his claim what with the lockout on top of the team’s current makeup. At any rate, his statement isn’t off the norm. Lofty goals are often championed by new owners impassioned with their brand new club. Read the rest of this entry »

We all know that hindsight is 20/20.  But for Chicago Tribune columnist Rick Morrissey, it also tastes like salsa.

Joakim Noah could not play. He was soft, had the shooting form of a fourth-grader and simply didn’t have game.

Of this, I was certain on Draft Day 2007. I couldn’t have been more certain if the late Wilt Chamberlain had called from his water bed in the sky to tell me Noah was a 6-foot-11 fraud.

Above my column the next day was a photo of Noah in a bow tie and a seersucker suit, his tangled hair sticking out Bozo-like from the sides of a Bulls cap as he shook hands with NBA Commissioner David Stern. The instant-classic headline: “You must be Joakim.”

Well, who’s joking now?

I stand before you a humbled man, having been set straight by a Bull who possesses energy, heart and, yes, ability.

I was wrong.

Joakim Noah can play.

In that ill-fated jumble of words from June 29, 2007, I wrote that if in three years I realized I was off-target about the University of Florida center, I would drizzle salsa on the column and eat it. I wrote it never expecting to do it. On Monday, I showed up at the Berto Center with the offending column and some hot sauce, and ate my words, with Noah watching at my side and rookie James Johnson looking on. – Rick Morrissey

I can’t front, Noah was extremely annoying in college, but at no point did I ever think he’d be a bust.  I mean even while he was in college, Anderson Varejao was a poor man’s Joakim Noah.  Head to three minute mark to see things get under way.  Noah’s in attendance and is doing all the goofy dances and outbursts that may have distracted some people from recognizing his abilities on the court.

I never thought Joakim would become a perennial All-Star, but I assumed he’d have a nice 10+ year career.  And for that (along with keeping my mouth shut on draft day) I get eat my salsa with tortilla chips.

[TrueHoop]

How do you push USA’s upset of Spain to the back burner? 

Trade Shaq to the Cleveland Cavaliers of course. What started as a rumor in February & picked up immediate steam the second LeBron left the court of the Eastern Conference Finals has now become reality…at least in principle.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns have come to an agreement on a blockbuster trade that sends Shaquille O’Neal to Cleveland to team with LeBron James, according to sources.

The deal has been agreed to in principle and is expected to be finalized Thursday, according to sources.

Cleveland will send Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic to Phoenix for the future Hall of Famer. Sources said the Suns will also receive the 46th pick in Thursday’s NBA draft and $500,000.

This is all contingent on both sides finalizing the deal, but is pretty much a lock to go through.  Cleveland is desperately looking to appease King James & Phoenix is looking to dump salary as they come to grips with looking at an upcoming rebuilding project.  Not a bad way to lead up to the draft. Read the rest of this entry »

This was kinda lost in the shuffle last week with the playoffs & NFL Draft going on, but 17-year-old Jeremy Tyler has decided to forgo his senior year of *drumrolls* high school to play pro ball in Europe.

Jeremy Tyler, a 6-foot-11 junior, has dropped out of San Diego High School and says he will skip his senior year to play professionally in Europe, The New York Times and Yahoo! Sports reported on Wednesday.

Tyler, 17, will become the first player born in the United States to leave high school early to play professional basketball overseas. He is expected to come back in two years, when he is eligible for the NBA draft.

I was a little skeptical at first, but I say good for him. Read the rest of this entry »

Pic Property of AP News

“…And I skipped college.”

Well, that’s not exactly applicable any more since the rules change. As a result, many college have switched to the “one & done” professional development plan before becoming first-rounders.

The odds-on favorite became just that when Memphis’ Derrick Rose was selected first by his hometown Chicago Bulls. A record 10 underclassmen were drafted in the first round, as the likes of Michael Beasley, O.J. Mayo, Russell Westbrook, & Kevin Love filled out the top five picks. With everyone after Rose & Beasley viewed as options 3a – 3z, this draft is viewed more as one that will produce solid veterans instead of breakout stars like the past few drafts have. Read the rest of this entry »