Brandon Jennings is the latest prep-to-pros star. Yep, you heard me right, prep-to-pros...not just in the NBA. Brandon Jennings decided to skip college and go pro in Europe. As many of you know, the NBA doesn't allow high school players to go straight to the NBA without "attending" at least a year of college. So Brandon Jennings decided to take his game to Europe.
It remains to be seen whether or not Jennings made a good decision. But it seems that he did. Instead of playing against "kids" in the NCAA, Jennings will be bangin' with professionals who have bodies of professionals. One thing Jennings will have to develop sooner than later is his body. He needs to put up some mass if he wants to keep up with the big boys in the Euro league.
One more thing that Jennings will learn in Europe is how to play team ball. The NBA "one-on-one" style would not be able to win you games in Europe. If Jennings could adapt this style of play, he will be able to compete with point guards such as Steve Nash, Deron Williams, and Chris Paul. Jennings will be able to run a team smoothly, which is one quality teams are looking for right now.
A quality point guard has been a hot commodity right now in the NBA and Jennings might be the next hot stuff for the 2009 Draft.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Did Brandon Jennings Make The Right Move?
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Gilbert Arenas Will Represent Himself
According to the Washington Times, Gilbert Arenas will represent himself in free agent negotiations. This means that Arenas will be talking with teams himself when time comes to sign a new contract. Arenas will also save some money since the agent's fee will be going to his pockets now.
Arenas is now officially a free agent since he opted out of his contract.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Old School Michael Jordan Shoes
In the mid-80's, Shoe Manufacturer Nike made a special shoe for a young, up-and-coming superstar named Michael Jordan and called it the Air jordan. These "Old School MichaelJordan Shoes" of today were probably the biggest rubber shoes fad of that time. These shoes were so big that it evolved into a sub brand today -- The Jordan Brand.
Click Here for Air Jordans
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Kevin Garnett Gallery: The Early Years
Now that THe Big Ticket is in the Finals for the 1st time in his career, I've created a Kevin Garnett Gallery to look back at his early days in the League.
More Kevin Garnett Gallery Photos to come!
Niko's Sports Blog
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
NBA TRADE RUMORS: Wade and No. 2 Pick to Bulls For No. 1 Pick
There are NBA trade rumors circulating that the Bulls are swapping the 1st pick overall and a combination of players to the Heat, for Dwyane Wade and the No. 2 pick. Usually t
hese kinds of news are just another NBA trade rumor. But there have been a few blockbuster deals that started like this. The latest NBA trade rumor was the Kevin Garnett trade to Boston which started with Kevin Garnett saying he'll never play in Boston, but ended up leading them into the Finals.
Wade grew up in Chicago as a Michael Jordan fan, and being traded to the Bulls wouldn't be that bad. "I have a lot of history with the Bulls," Wade said. "And for them to come out with the first pick like that (with a 1.7 percent lottery chance) ... it was fitting that they would do something like that. Nobody thought that would happen. To be in that position and sit back and listen to anything and go back to a team and say: 'How about this? and 'How about that?' ... If [the Bulls] don't make any big moves like that, they're still going to have a great player."
Whatever happens in the trading arena, the Bulls would either get Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose come draft day.
hese kinds of news are just another NBA trade rumor. But there have been a few blockbuster deals that started like this. The latest NBA trade rumor was the Kevin Garnett trade to Boston which started with Kevin Garnett saying he'll never play in Boston, but ended up leading them into the Finals.Wade grew up in Chicago as a Michael Jordan fan, and being traded to the Bulls wouldn't be that bad. "I have a lot of history with the Bulls," Wade said. "And for them to come out with the first pick like that (with a 1.7 percent lottery chance) ... it was fitting that they would do something like that. Nobody thought that would happen. To be in that position and sit back and listen to anything and go back to a team and say: 'How about this? and 'How about that?' ... If [the Bulls] don't make any big moves like that, they're still going to have a great player."
Whatever happens in the trading arena, the Bulls would either get Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose come draft day.
Friday, May 23, 2008
NBA Mock Draft 2008
I'm going to join the bandwagon and create my own NBA Mock Draft 2008. The NBA Draft 2008 is going to be held at the Wamu Theater in Madison Square Garden on June 26. Here I will try to predict which players lottery teams will pick in the upcoming draft.
1. Chicago - Derrick Rose - A lot of people are telling me that the Bulls have been longing for the ultimate post guy that will lead them to being a contender. But when you have a point guard who can orchestrate your offense in masterful way, passing up on Beasley wouldn't be so hard. Rose can create wide open shots with his dribble penetration, as there is no player he couldn't beat off the dribble. Rose is an excellent shooter, rebounder and defender.
2. Miami - Michael Beasley - Adding a talented big man into the Miami roster would help take the pressure off Dwyane Wade. With the presence of a big man, the floor can open up more for Dwyane Wade. Heat fans won't miss Shaq as they will be having a young dominant big man in a Heat jersey soon.
3. Minnesota - Brook Lopez - Lopez isn't in the same league as Rose or Beasley, but if paired with Al Jefferson, he could be a headache for other teams. Lopez has an amazing touch from the outside which can be a weapon if Al Jefferson would be double-teamed a lot. One of Lopez's strengths is his amazing conditioning.
4. Seattle - Jerryd Bayless - Bayless reminds me of Ben Gordon. He isn't that tall for the average shooting guard in the NBA, like Gordon. If Seattle picks him, he might see some time as a point guard, a position he proved he can play at. But his natural position would be shooting guard especially with his high-elevating jump shot.
5. Memphis - O.J. Mayo - I picked O.J. Mayo at this spot mainly because I don't see him not being in the top 5. Rudy Gay is the Grizzlies' main wing man, and Mayo may be in the same position as Gay. But Mayo's one-on-one game is far superior than Gay's. O.J. Mayo may end up being one of the great one-on-one players in the NBA. Whether its taking a shot off the dribble or backing his opponent up, Mayo can definitely score at will. He just has to control all the off-court distractions that are happening to him.
6. New York - Danilo Gallinari - Now that Mike D'Antoni is the head coach, I think Danilo Gallinari fits the New York Knicks. Gallinari is an open-court type of player and can be a weapon used by D'Antoni. For a 6-9 player, he has great ball handling skills. We may see him be used as a point-forward at times.
7. L.A. Clippers - Eric Gordon - Gordon is also like Mayo is terms of creating his own shot. But Eric Gordon is undersized for his position which can be a problem on defense. The Clippers would need a tall point guard (Shaun Livingston) to compensate with the height mismatch on the defensive end.
8. Milwaukee - Anthony Randolph - Randolph is a very skilled and athletic power forward. The only problem is, he is still very raw and young, something I'm not sure the Bucks would want. Randolph needs time to develop in the NBA before he can be a force. One aspect of his game that is amazing is how he creates plays of the dribble.
9. Charlotte - DeAndre Jordan - Like Randolph, Jordan is still very young but has a lot of promise. He reminds me of a not so stable Dwight Howard. When Jordan goes for dunks, he is amazing. But sometimes, he looks like he doesn't have a strong core or lower body. He needs to develop his body in order for him to become a threat in the low post.
10. New Jersey - Marreese Speights - Speights isn't one of those talked about prospects but is one of the more solid power forwards in this draft. The Nets are loaded with wing men and shooters, so drafting Speights could be a great addition.
These are my predictions for the 2008 NBA Draft this coming June. Let's see if my NBA Mock Draft 2008 would be accurate or not.
Niko's Sports Blog
1. Chicago - Derrick Rose - A lot of people are telling me that the Bulls have been longing for the ultimate post guy that will lead them to being a contender. But when you have a point guard who can orchestrate your offense in masterful way, passing up on Beasley wouldn't be so hard. Rose can create wide open shots with his dribble penetration, as there is no player he couldn't beat off the dribble. Rose is an excellent shooter, rebounder and defender.
2. Miami - Michael Beasley - Adding a talented big man into the Miami roster would help take the pressure off Dwyane Wade. With the presence of a big man, the floor can open up more for Dwyane Wade. Heat fans won't miss Shaq as they will be having a young dominant big man in a Heat jersey soon.
3. Minnesota - Brook Lopez - Lopez isn't in the same league as Rose or Beasley, but if paired with Al Jefferson, he could be a headache for other teams. Lopez has an amazing touch from the outside which can be a weapon if Al Jefferson would be double-teamed a lot. One of Lopez's strengths is his amazing conditioning.
4. Seattle - Jerryd Bayless - Bayless reminds me of Ben Gordon. He isn't that tall for the average shooting guard in the NBA, like Gordon. If Seattle picks him, he might see some time as a point guard, a position he proved he can play at. But his natural position would be shooting guard especially with his high-elevating jump shot.
5. Memphis - O.J. Mayo - I picked O.J. Mayo at this spot mainly because I don't see him not being in the top 5. Rudy Gay is the Grizzlies' main wing man, and Mayo may be in the same position as Gay. But Mayo's one-on-one game is far superior than Gay's. O.J. Mayo may end up being one of the great one-on-one players in the NBA. Whether its taking a shot off the dribble or backing his opponent up, Mayo can definitely score at will. He just has to control all the off-court distractions that are happening to him.
6. New York - Danilo Gallinari - Now that Mike D'Antoni is the head coach, I think Danilo Gallinari fits the New York Knicks. Gallinari is an open-court type of player and can be a weapon used by D'Antoni. For a 6-9 player, he has great ball handling skills. We may see him be used as a point-forward at times.
7. L.A. Clippers - Eric Gordon - Gordon is also like Mayo is terms of creating his own shot. But Eric Gordon is undersized for his position which can be a problem on defense. The Clippers would need a tall point guard (Shaun Livingston) to compensate with the height mismatch on the defensive end.
8. Milwaukee - Anthony Randolph - Randolph is a very skilled and athletic power forward. The only problem is, he is still very raw and young, something I'm not sure the Bucks would want. Randolph needs time to develop in the NBA before he can be a force. One aspect of his game that is amazing is how he creates plays of the dribble.
9. Charlotte - DeAndre Jordan - Like Randolph, Jordan is still very young but has a lot of promise. He reminds me of a not so stable Dwight Howard. When Jordan goes for dunks, he is amazing. But sometimes, he looks like he doesn't have a strong core or lower body. He needs to develop his body in order for him to become a threat in the low post.
10. New Jersey - Marreese Speights - Speights isn't one of those talked about prospects but is one of the more solid power forwards in this draft. The Nets are loaded with wing men and shooters, so drafting Speights could be a great addition.
These are my predictions for the 2008 NBA Draft this coming June. Let's see if my NBA Mock Draft 2008 would be accurate or not.
Niko's Sports Blog
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
BULLS WIN NBA DRAFT LOTTERY!!!
BULLS WIN NBA DRAFT LOTTERY.
Sorry for the all-caps title! this is gonna be a biased blog for my favorite team. The Chicago Bulls won the NBA Draft Lottery and has a chance to get back to the playoffs as early as next year. For me, I think the Bulls should go for Derrick Rose. Michael Beasley might be the best playe
r in the draft, and is almost sure to win Rookie of the Year honors, but with the emergence of the phenomenal point guards and how it affects the team (Chris Paul, Deron Williams), I think the Bulls should go with Rose in this year's NBA Draft.
Derrick Rose carried the Memphis Tigers to the National Title and I think he can do the same with the Bulls, especially with Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, and young prospects Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas in the line-up.
I hope this is the year the Bulls will legitimately come back to being a contender. Luck in the Lottery is the first step, but the Bulls would have to work hard to get back into shape.
The 2008 NBA Draft will be held at the Wamu Theatre in Madison Square Gardens, NY on June 26th, 2008
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