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Game On: On the =
Hardwood
MSG.com|Madison Square =
Garden|Radio City Music =
Hall|WaMu Theater at =
MSG|Beacon Theatre|The Chicago =
Theatre|MSG =
Insider|NY =
Knicks|NY Rangers|NY=20
Liberty
Filed Under: Basketball=
=20
, Derrick=20
Rose , Joe=20
Alexander , Jon=20
Rothstein , Kevin=20
Love , Michael=20
Beasley , NBA =
, NBA=20
Draft , New=20
York Knicks , O.J. =
Mayo=20
, On the=20
Hardwood , Russell=
=20
Westbrook
1. Chicago Bulls=E2=80=94Derrick Rose, =
Memphis THE SKINNY:=20
The hometown product revitalizes the franchise he grew up =
rooting=20
for, forming a lethal 1-2 punch for Luol Deng.
2. Miami Heat=E2=80=94Michael Beasley, Kansas =
State THE=20
SKINNY: Pat Riley wants to trade this pick, but whoever =
winds up=20
with Beasley will get production, charisma, and a major dose =
of=20
nastiness.
3. Minnesota Timberwolves=E2=80=94O.J. Mayo, =
USC THE SKINNY:=20
Originally the pick was Brook Lopez, but Mayo=E2=80=99s =
scoring ability and=20
high ceiling make him bound for Minnesota.
4. Seattle Supersonics=E2=80=94Jerryd Bayless, =
Arizona THE=20
SKINNY: The prototypical hybrid, Bayless should be the spark =
needed=20
to ignite more easy baskets for Kevin Durant in Seattle.
5. Memphis Grizzlies=E2=80=94Kevin Love, =
UCLA THE SKINNY: A=20
clone of Brad Miller, Love gives the Grizzlies polish inside =
and=20
out.
6. New York Knicks=E2=80=94Russell Westbrook, =
UCLA THE=20
SKINNY: Combo guard should excel under Mike =
D=E2=80=99Antoni.
7. Los Angeles Clippers=E2=80=94Eric Gordon, =
Indiana THE=20
SKINNY: Gordon=E2=80=99s skills make him a candidate to =
start right away for=20
the Clippers.
8. Milwaukee Bucks=E2=80=94Joe Alexander, West =
Virginia THE=20
SKINNY: Alexander=E2=80=99s best trait is what Scott Skiles =
wants from all=20
his players; toughness.
9. Charlotte Bobcats=E2=80=94Brook Lopez, =
Stanford THE=20
SKINNY: Larry Brown will love Lopez=E2=80=99s defense and =
rebounding. At=20
least until January.
10. New Jersey Nets=E2=80=94Danilo Gallinari, =
Italy THE=20
SKINNY: The Italian gives Lawrence Frank insurance if New =
Jersey=20
doesn=E2=80=99t resign Bostjan Nachbar.
11. Indiana Pacers=E2=80=94D.J. Augustin, =
Texas THE SKINNY:=20
The little general has been better than almost everyone so =
far in=20
workouts. He might not last this long.
12. Sacramento Kings=E2=80=94Anthony Randolph, =
LSU THE=20
SKINNY: How good can someone be whose team lost eight games =
in a row=20
in the worst year in the history of the SEC? The likely bust =
of the=20
first round goes to Arco Arena.
13. Portland Trailblazers=E2=80=94Deandre Jordan, =
Texas=20
A&M THE SKINNY: The Blazers have the same chance =
of=20
keeping this pick as I do of winding up with Jessica Alba. =
If they=20
do keep it, look for them to go after a wing like Brandon =
Rush,=20
although I really believe it should be Chris =
Douglas-Roberts.
14. Golden State Warriors=E2=80=94Darrell Arthur, =
Kansas THE=20
SKINNY: The best player in the NCAA title game, Arthur has a =
fluid=20
offensive game but needs to become a better rebounder.
MORE:
Russell=20
Westbrook Struts His Stuff=20
O.J.=20
Mayo: "The Big Apple. It's the Mecca"=20
The=20
Danilo Gallinari Code
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This
On the =
Hardwood:=20
Manhattan College Looks to Rebound
I had a great dinner with Manhattan coach Barry Rohrssen at the legendary Giulios =
in South=20
Yonkers on Thursday night. Between the appetizers and =
lengthy=20
entr=C3=A9e, =E2=80=9CSlice=E2=80=9D as he=E2=80=99s known =
in most basketball circles, told me he=20
feels the Jaspers can,if they improve their defense, be =
successful=20
next season.
Manhattan showed flashes last year, including a dramatic 73-72 win over Siena, but need =
to buckle=20
down defensively if they hope to play above-.500 basketball. =
The=20
offense should be set as Rohrssen has a nice nucleus =
returning in=20
Antoine Pearson, Chris Smith, and Devon Austin. Darryl =
Crawford of=20
All Hallows is also a nice 6th man off the bench.
Siena should be favorite to win the MAAC as they return =
Edwin=20
Ubiles and Kenny Hasbrouck, but watch out for Niagara and =
Iona.=20
Niagara has two major transfers in Rob Garrison (UCONN) and =
Bilal=20
Benn (VILLANOVA), while Kevin Willard and Iona have a =
top-flight=20
recruiting class, in addition to a healthy Alejo Rodriguez, =
and=20
transfers Jonathan Huffman (LOUISVILLE) and Kashif Pratt =
(SETON=20
HALL).
THIS AND THAT:
Listen to 1050 ESPN Radio Sunday morning from 10 AM to =
1 PM as=20
I host a special NBA Draft preview show.=20
Several people around the NBA have told me that Texas =
point=20
guard D.J. Augustin has been lights-out in workouts. If =
he=E2=80=99s on=20
the board at No. 6, Donnie Walsh might find it tough to =
pass on=20
the =E2=80=9Cpurest=E2=80=9D point guard in this draft.=20
Look for the Toronto Raptors' Bryan Colangelo to be =
more=20
active than any other GM during the draft. Colangelo is =
anxious to=20
upgrade the personnel in Toronto and could package T.J. =
Ford, the=20
expiring contract of Anthony Parker, and the 17th overall =
pick in=20
the draft for an impact player.
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This
On the =
Hardwood:=20
Next Year's Best College Teams
Posted on June 16, 2008 by Jon Rothstein
Filed Under: Basketball=
=20
, Jon=20
Rothstein , MSG =
, NCAA , NCAA=20
Basketball , NCAA=20
Tournament , On the=20
Hardwood , Tyler=20
Hansbrough , University=20
of North Carolina
Now that all the entrants are in for the 2008 NBA Draft, =
I can=20
finally dissect the Top-5 teams in college basketball for =
next=20
season.
1. NORTH CAROLINA
Tyler Hansbrough's senior year will undoubtedly be his =
best=20
chance to win a national championship. The reigning national =
player=20
of the year is one of five Tar Heel starters that return to =
Chapel=20
Hill. Tywan Lawson and Wayne Ellington comprise college=20
basketball's best backcourt and Danny Green seems poised for =
a=20
breakout season.
2. UCONN
Stanley Robinson's absence could leave =
the Huskies=20
missing some athleticism on the baseline, but Jim Calhoun always reloads and freshman Nate Miles =
and Ater=20
Majok have NBA-type potential.
Rice High School's Kemba Walker will be a nice complement =
to=20
guards AJ Price and Jerome Dyson, while the frontcourt is =
anchored=20
by three-year starters Jeff Adrien and Hasheem Thabeet.
3. UCLA
Can Ben Howland reach a fourth Final Four in four =
seasons? You=20
better believe it. The Bruins have a solid core of seniors =
in Darren=20
Collison, Josh Shipp and Alfred Aboya, plus the nation's best recruiting class =
highlighted by=20
dynamite two-guard Jrue Holiday.
4. LOUISVILLE
Team volcano could do some serious erupting in 2008-09. =
Rick Pitino has the Cardinals primed for =
a run to=20
the Final Four after adding burly big man Samardo Samuels. =
No team=20
in America will have better forwards, as both Earl Clark and =
Terrence Williams will be first round picks in 2009.
5. GONZAGA
I love this team. There I said it. Jeremy Pargo is one of =
best kept secrets in college basketball =
and the=20
Bulldogs will be a load up front with Austin Daye and Josh=20
Heytvelt.
MORE:
Memphis=
=20
Minus One More=20
UConn's=
=20
Price is Rising=20
Seton=20
Hall's Busy Off-Season
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This
Memphis reserve guard Doneal Mack has asked for his release =
from the=20
University and hopes to transfer immediately.
Mack, a lefty with deadly range, never got major minutes =
with the=20
Tigers and was often stuck behind Derrick Rose, Antonio =
Anderson,=20
and Chris Douglas Roberts.
In addition to Anderson's return next =
year, John=20
Calipari will bring in highly-touted perimeter threats, Tyreke =
Evans and=20
Wesley Witherspoon, which could leave Mack again struggling =
for=20
major minutes.
The southpaw only played eight minutes total in the Final =
Four,=20
but should be able to contribute at a high level with =
another=20
program. All teams need a sniper from the outside and Mack =
is one of=20
the best in college basketball, shooting over 40 percent =
from beyond=20
the three-point line last season.
NOTE: I won't be unveiling my Top-5 for next year's =
college=20
basketball season until all names are finalized for the NBA =
Draft=20
next week.
THIS AND THAT:
I hope my buddy, Don LaGreca from 1050 ESPN Radio, =
believes me=20
now that James Posey was a major addition to the Celtics. =
LaGreca,=20
the most underrated on-air person in New York, gave me =
hell last=20
summer when I said Posey could be a key piece for the =
Celtics.=20
Last night in Game Four, he went off for 18 points, including a =
key=20
three-pointer late in the fourth quarter.
Take that =
Don!=20
And tell Greg Buttle I said what's up.
Josh Shipp's return to UCLA gives the Bruins a =
solid backbone=20
of seniors in himself, Darren Collison, and Alfred =
Aboya.
Are people serious about LSU's Anthony Randolph being =
a Top-10 pick in the NBA Draft? How =
good can=20
this 6-foot-10 guy be? After all, his team lost eight =
games in a=20
row in one of the worst years in the history of SEC =
basketball! Oh=20
yeah, their head coach got fired during the season =
too.
MORE:
UConn=20
Guard Ahead of Schedule=20
Seton=20
Hall's New Recruits=20
Who=20
Should the Knicks Draft?
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This
On the =
Hardwood:=20
Lakers Fight Back
Posted on June 12, 2008 by Jon Rothstein
Filed Under: Boston=20
Celtics , Jon=20
Rothstein , Kevin=20
Garnett , Kobe=20
Bryant , Los=20
Angeles Lakers , MSG =
, NBA =
, NBA=20
Playoffs , On the=20
Hardwood , Ray=20
Allen
The Celtics started out the NBA Finals defending their home court, taking a 2-0 =
series=20
lead. But as the series shifted to LA, Kobe Bryant and the =
Lakers showed why they deserved to be there, =
dropping=20
Boston in Game 3.
Los Angeles, though, still has some "soft" trouble =
lurking ahead,=20
especially in the front-court.
=20
MORE:
Keys=20
to Lakers and Celtics=20
Can=20
Beasley "Rile" Up Heat?=20
Price=20
Is Right?
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This
On the =
Hardwood:=20
Riley's Nuts If He Doesn't Draft Beasley
Pat Riley has won five NBA titles, was recently =
enshrined in the=20
Basketball Hall of Fame, and has a =
legacy as one=20
of the greatest coaches who's ever roamed the sidelines. =
He's a=20
basketball deity that we may never see replicated, due to =
his=20
presence, aura and motivational tactics.
With that said, Riley is on his way =
to making the=20
biggest mistake of his basketball life. Bigger than walking out on the Knicks after four =
short seasons=20
in Gotham. Bigger than forcing Stan Van Gundy from his post =
as Heat=20
head coach after 11 short games in 2005.
Passing on Michael Beasley at No. 2 in the =
NBA Draft=20
will be more than an oversight. It will be a monumental=20
disaster.
The southpaw from Kansas State just completed one of the greatest statistical seasons =
of any=20
college player ever. In his freshman season, Beasley =
averaged 26=20
points and 12 rebounds per game and also grabbed more than =
15=20
rebounds in seven games.
People who watch Beasley from the periphery don't =
get it.=20
They don't get his creativity, his lack of a supporting =
cast, minus=20
talented forward Bill Walker.
He's done this practically all by himself, dominating in =
the low=20
post while refining a polished face-up game that saw him =
shoot 37=20
percent from behind the 3-point line. He had no distributor, =
no one=20
to facilitate.
A year ago, Greg Oden and Kevin Durant went =
No. 1 and 2=20
overall in the NBA Draft. It was considered the year of =
the=20
freshman big man. It should have been the year of the =
beneficiary.=20
Both Oden and Durant had talented point guards to get =
them the=20
ball in ideal places to score. Oden had Mike Conley, who =
went fourth=20
overall last year. Durant had DJ Augustin, who won the Cousy =
Award=20
this past season and is a likely lottery pick in a few =
weeks.
Beasley? Well, he had Jacob Pullen and Clent Stewart. You =
do the=20
math. The kid has it all and more.
If Riley takes OJ Mayo to appease Dwyane Wade, South =
Beach may=20
never recover. Nobody wanted to be remembered as the guy who took Sam Bowie. If Riley =
passes on=20
Beasley, he might make people forget that idiot in Portland =
in=20
1984.
MORE:
Knicks=20
Try Out Top Prospects=20
Who's=20
That Italian Sensation?=20
With=20
the No. 6 Pick ...
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On the =
Hardwood:=20
UConn's Price Ahead of Schedule
Posted on June 8, 2008 by Jon Rothstein
Filed Under: Big =
East=20
, Jon=20
Rothstein , MSG =
, NBA =
, NCAA , NCAA=20
Basketball , On the=20
Hardwood
A.J. Price, UConn's star point guard, is =
about a=20
month ahead of schedule in rehabbing his torn left ACL.
Price, who suffered the injury in the first half of the =
Huskies'=20
70-69 loss to San Diego in the first =
round of the=20
NCAA Tournament, will likely be a preseason first team=20
All-American.
UConn assistant coach, Patrick Sellers, informed =
me that=20
Price has already started shooting and should begin=20
running-and-cutting in about a month.
Along with Louisville, the Huskies should be the favorite in the Big East and will be in =
the mix=20
for a National Championship.
Keep checking this space this week as I'll unveil my =
Top-5 teams=20
for the next college hoops season.
THIS AND THAT:
Terry Porter should be a nice match with the Phoenix =
Suns. Porter's=20
people skills are an asset, and unlike his tenure in Milwaukee, he will have =
the chance=20
to work with legitimate stars like Steve Nash and Amare=20
Stoudemire.
Keep an eye on sophomore point guard Jabari Hinds from =
Mount=20
Vernon High School. A lefty with uncanny poise, Hinds =
could be the=20
best player to come through the Knights' program since Ben=20
Gordon. He was recently offered a scholarship by=20
Virginia.
Pitt's Orlando Antigua leaving for =
Memphis=20
should keep the Tigers locked into recruiting in the =
Tri-State=20
area. John Calipari still has one vacancy to fill on his =
staff=20
after losing assistants Derek Kellogg (UMass) and Chuck =
Martin=20
(Marist).
MORE:
NBA=20
Finals Prediction=20
Motown =
Shake Up?=20
Who's=20
Fit for Knicks 6th?
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This
On the =
Hardwood:=20
Dumars Makes Bold Claim
Posted on June 5, 2008 by Jon Rothstein
Filed Under: Detroit=20
Pistons , Joe=20
Dumars , Jon=20
Rothstein , NBA =
, On the=20
Hardwood
The most passionate performance of the NBA Playoffs may =
have come=20
at the hands of the league's most talented executive. Days =
after=20
being ousted in the Eastern Conference Finals for the third=20
consecutive year, Pistons general manager Joe Dumars fired head coach Flip Saunders and gave =
the=20
Detroit media a provocative press conference lamenting his=20
disappointment at his team's performance in two specific =
games=20
against the Celtics.
"I was disgusted," Dumars said of the =
performance=20
by his Pistons in Games 3 and 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. "By the time =
I left=20
that arena Friday night, I had seen enough."
"I'll make a significant trade," he added. "We have a =
core group=20
of guys here that for the first time in six years I'm =
letting teams=20
in the league know I'll do a deal. I'm open for =
business."
The anger in Dumars' voice resonated over the television =
and=20
throughout the NBA. The man is not happy, and it's not a =
secret that=20
the competitive edge and grit Detroit showed in years past =
was=20
missing.
The question is, which Pistons could be on the move? The =
most=20
logical choice would be Rasheed Wallace, whose $13.68 million =
will come=20
off the books at next season's end. Rodney Stuckey's =
emergence might=20
encourage some pundits to believe that Chauncey Billups =
would be=20
available, but I think that would be a grave mistake.
While this wasn't vintage Chauncey we saw in the last =
series, he=20
was no doubt held back by injury and is still the =
unquestioned=20
leader of this team. The bond he and Rip Hamilton have are =
the=20
backbone of this squad. Tayshaun Prince is a keeper and =
needs to=20
display more of the offensive arsenal he showed in the =
team's second round series win over =
Orlando.
The player most likely to be moved is Wallace, and I'm =
not so=20
sure there is much of a market for him other than teams =
looking get=20
cap relief next summer. At 34, he's developed into a =
pick-and-pop=20
player who relies too much on his outside game. He's never =
had the=20
nastiness needed to truly take a game by the throat and =
demand the=20
ball every time down the floor.
Dumars has been bold in saying he wants to shake things =
up in=20
Detroit.
Will he find any takers?
MORE:
Supplem=
entary=20
Parts Rule Finals=20
Who=20
Should the Knicks Draft?=20
Walsh=20
Will Helps Knicks Thrive
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This
Welcome =
to "On the=20
Hardwood"
Posted on June 4, 2008 by Jon Rothstein
Filed Under: Basketball=
=20
, Boston=20
Celtics , Jon=20
Rothstein , Los=20
Angeles Lakers , NBA =
, NBA=20
Playoffs , On the=20
Hardwood
With the Lakers vs. Celtics NBA Finals starting =
Thursday=20
night, why not make a little history of our own?
Here, by popular demand, is the very first installment of =
"On the=20
Hardwood," where I share my thoughts and reveal which team I =
think=20
will be taking home the title.
MORE:
NY=20
Knicks' Future is Now=20
Donnie =
Walsh Era Has Begun=20
Knicks =
New Prez Meets the Press
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![](3D"http://www2.msg.com/mediaStore/s/spacer.gif"=20){kind=spacer}
![](3D"http://blogs.msg.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/21/westbrook_062= "3D\"Russell")
![](3D"http://blogs.msg.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/21/augustin_0621= "3D\"D.J.")
![](3D"http://blogs.msg.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/20/pearson_06200= "3D\"Antoine")
![](3D"http://blogs.msg.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/16/hansbrough_2.= "3D\"Tyler")
2. UCONN![3DMack061308=20](3D"http://blogs.msg.com/gameon/images/2008/06/13/mack061308.jpg"=20 "3D\"Doneal")
In addition to Anderson's return next =
year, John=20
Calipari will bring in ![3DBeasley061008=20](3D"http://blogs.msg.com/gameon/images/2008/06/10/beasley061008.jpg"=20 "3D\"Michael")
With that said, Riley is on his way =
to making the=20
biggest mistake of his basketball life. Bigger than ![3DPrice=20](3D"http://blogs.msg.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/08/price.jpg"=20 "3D\"A.J.")
UConn assistant coach, Patrick Sellers, informed =
me that=20
Price has already started shooting and should begin=20
running-and-cutting in about a month.![3DDumars060508=20](3D"http://blogs.msg.com/gameon/images/2008/06/05/dumars060508.jpg"=20 "3D\"Joe")
"I was disgusted," Dumars said of the =
performance=20
by his Pistons in Games 3 and 6 of the
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