Some stuff from around the league as the preseason schedule opened last night:
* The Lakers lost their preseason opener to Utah, 99-90. The story, though, is that despite Andrew Bynum's monstrous physique, Tex Winter says the big-man tandem of Bynum and Paul Gasol isn't working out -- which could mean a trip to the bench for Bynum.
* After 22 years and lots of futility, Elgin Baylor is out as the Clippers' G.M. Coach Mike Dunleavy will assume his duties. Mark Heisler of the L.A. Times says Baylor deserved a better sendoff. Nothing wrong with Dunleavy, who has been the de facto G.M. for four years. But I have two thoughts: 1) The coach-G.M. thing hardly ever works out (see Isiah Thomas), and 2) Dunleavy and Donnie Walsh are best of friends. Could Dunleavy's official ascent grease the skids for some dealing between the Knicks and the Clips? (This theory assumes that Donnie Basketball holds no grudges against Mike D for blindsiding him by acquiring Marcus Camby instead of closing the deal with the Knicks for Zach Randolph.)
* Wizards center Brendan Haywood is seeing a specialist in New York today and could need surgery on his wrist. The Wiz also lost Antawn Jamison to a sprained right knee in a 108-82 loss to the Mavericks.
* The new-look Cavs got thumped by the new-look Raptors, 104-84, in their preseason opener. But Brian Windhorst and Terry Pluto liked what they saw from the suddenly-faster-than-glacial Cleveland offense.
* Success all around for the Ron Artest-led Houston Rockets, who beat Memphis, 96-93, with 15 points from the Tru Warier.
* Greg Oden announced his arrival to the NBA in precisely the fashion you would expect: With a dunk. Oden had 13 points, five rebounds, two blocks, and two assists in 19:44 as the Blazers beat the Kings, 110-81. Spanish rookie Rudy Fernandez also impressed with five assists, inspiring chants of "Ru-dy! Ru-dy!" in the Rose Garden.
* The Bulls' Tyrus Thomas credits David Thorpe if IMG Academies for fitting him with an attitude adjustment this summer. Even TT admits it was much needed.
* Tune in to the Knix Fix for tonight's preseason debut in Toronto.
Comments (1)
Baylor tarnished his legacy by working for Sterling for so long and then just being dumped aside as a side not. This guy is one ofthe greastest basketball players to ever play and gave everything he had to that organization (which is joke not because of Baylor, but because Sterling's doesn't care about the product). He deserved so much better as one of the first and few black executives in the NBA and probably the longest tenured.
That being said the Clippers are a joke and have been for as long as I can remember. I hope they don't turn it around either because I have always made myself feel better by saying "well at least the Knicks are better than the Clips"!!