'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 38

[nasty daddy]

http://www.motownstringmusic.com/2009/5 ... d-terrence

This has nothing to do with Pistons basketball, but if you're interested in a Swagtastic Eminem giveaway then Natalie Sitto at Need4sheed has your fixing. I'm a big fan of Eminem's music (and loyalty to the city of Detroit) and am excited that his new CD came out Tuesday. I've already bought it and listened to it in its entirety. Trying to make this somewhat relevant is a funny video of Eminem playing 1-on-1 basketball with Jimmy Kimmel donning a Rip Hamilton jersey.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.motownstringmusic.com/2009/5 ... d-terrence

Around the NBA, congratulations to the LA Clippers for winning the Blake Griffin, er NBA Draft Lottery. They will select first and have almost but guaranteed they will take Blake Griffin, thus making their next six weeks fairly easy. A tidbit you may or may not have known, but Will Ferrell is a Clippers fan in the movie Bewitched (and probably real life). Also, it's funny the Clippers representative had a No. 1 Clippers' jersey inside his blazer. Good for them.

[nasty daddy]

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/05/21/unsu ... as-issues/

Unsurprisingly, Memphis Has Issues
On Tuesday night, fortune finally smiled on the Memphis Grizzlies. After constantly finding themselves on the wrong end of an errant heel from Lady Luck's rumba, they got their turned to dance with her and ended up with the No. 2 overall pick. Finally fortune smiles on the downtrodden. Or did it? Mike Dunleavy doesn't appear to be bluffing regarding the Clippers "obviously" drafting Blake Griffin. Which means highly touted Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio would fall to Memphis. Their other option is UConn big man Hasheem Thabeet. On the surface, this looks like a win-win situation for the Grizzlies. But if we dig deeper, it may turn out to not be so great after all. Par for the course for the Memphis Grizzlies.

First is the Rubio Conundrum. Ricky Rubio has great handle, terrific length, great instincts, and tremendous basketball for his age. You know, a kid his age, being just old enough to vote and buy dirty magazines in this country (18. I'm not up to speed on adult publication restrictions in Spain, sorry). He very well could have gone first overall if another team had gotten the lotto bounce. So this is an easy decision, right? Except take a look at Memphis. The attitude of the city, the demographics, college mentality of the city. What about this situation makes you think drafting an underdeveloped, Euro-style, Spanish kid is going to be the answer for revitalizing a franchise on or off the court? And haven't the Grizzlies kind of committed to Mike Conley after trading Kyle Lowry to the Rockets? You could argue this makes Conley expendable enough to trade for a forward, but who else are they going to get? The addition to Rubio falls in the same vein as hinging their hopes on Pau Gasol. Pau Gasol was a world class player who led the team in several categories and even helped get them to the playoffs before being bounced in the first round. But if you ask many Memphis fans, he wasn't going to fill the seats. Sure, winners fill the seats regardless, but since the Grizzlies are looking for a longterm development into a winner, they need someone to sell tickets now. Rubio is likely not going to do that, no matter how much he makes basketball geeks freak out.

OK, so let's say the Grizzlies decide to pass on Rubio. Nice kid, not for them. So say they decide to go with Thabeet. Can't teach 7-3, after all. Great athleticism, tremendous size, natural shot blocker. OK, that's great. And since the Grizzlies have Darko Milicic, they can afford to be patient with Thabeet, who's so raw your butcher thinks the dude's pink. Except, the way it looks now? Darko won't be returning. So the Grizzlies will be replacing an offensively limited, big body with natural athletic talents who needs years to develop for ... an even more offensively limited, bigger body with more nautral athletic talent who needs even more years to develop. Got it. The Grizzlies have finally managed to land a top three spot in the draft, when they've already got something resembling a talented core. An offensive big man who can score and complement Marc Gasol could be the missing piece to get them to progress (Jordan Hill, stand up, say hi!). But the way the "best player available" argument breaks out, the Grizzlies are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

[nasty daddy]

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/05/21/wolv ... -heard-of/

Wolves Hire a General Manager You've Probably Never Heard Of
In fairness to our friends in Minnesota, most NBA general managers these days are anonymous before they become NBA general managers. But David Kahn, the Wolve's new man-in-charge, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, is particularly unglamorous.

That's fine -- glamorous doesn't win championships. Ask the Michael Jordan-led Bobcats, or even Jerry West's six-year reclamation project in Memphis. But to say Kahn has not inspired local fans is ... well, an understatement. Self-nominated candidate Bill Simmons offered up a cannonball, too. Kahn has worked for the Pacers and in the D-League.

As a reminder, Kahn is at best Minnesota's third choice to lead the franchise's front office. Spurs exec Dennis Lindsey and Blazers assistant GM Tom Penn were reportedly offered the job, but ended up staying with their incumbent teams. Former Heat GM Randy Pfund pulled his name out of the running, though it's not clear whether he had been offered the job.

[nasty daddy]

http://postingup.2dogs.com/member/blogt ... q=1&page=0

Magic take close win IN CLEVELAND!!!
The Magic had no chance of winning that game! And they came back and took it! That last three by Rashard Lewis really helped them. Cleveland will probably still take the series though.

[nasty daddy]

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/05/21/the- ... y-problem/

The Cavs Were Rusty, But That's Not Their Only Problem
Were the Cavaliers rusty or simply overrated? Anyone who watched the Magic go into Cleveland and steal home court advantage by winning Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals is pondering that question today. The answer, as unsatisfying as it may be, is likely somewhere in the middle. Coming into the game, most of the talk centered on whether the Magic would be fatigued after their grueling seven-game series with the Celtics that ended only after the Magic staved off elimination in back-to-back games. In hindsight, more attention should have been paid to the fact that the Cavs had played a grand total of four games in 24 days entering Wednesday evening, which didn't seem to affect them early but clearly messed with their conditioning late.

Sure, the Cavs had all the energy in the world jumping out to a 14-point lead in the first quarter, but NBA playoff games are a marathon, not a sprint, and the Magic slowly chipped away at Cleveland's lead in the second half until ultimately taking control in the fourth quarter. Despite four lead changes in the final minute, the Magic held on to win the game. LeBron James was simply brilliant -- he scored a playoff career high 49 points on 20-30 shooting with eight assists and six boards -- but it was obvious he overexerted himself, literally doubling over with cramps moments after the final buzzer. In hindsight, it seems likely he was feeling the burn for several minutes, which might explain why he settled for jump shots late in the game instead of continuing to attack the rim. It's hard to critique a guy who finished with the type of numbers that James did, but Cleveland's offense obviously grew stagnant in the final minutes as James repeatedly held onto the ball on the perimeter as his teammates stood flat-footed waiting for him to heave a long jumper. Attacking the rim would have resulted in higher percentage shots, or at the very least free throws, stopping the clock and allowing the Cavs more time to take the lead.

That said, the Cavs were far too good over the first 82 games of the regular season and eight games of the playoffs to get too worked up about a single loss. It was never supposed to be this easy in the first place, and a night like Wednesday's was bound to happen sooner or later -- better now against a potent club like the Magic than against a weaker opponent, which would have caused everyone to panic. But while the Cavs can rely on their conditioning (and, subsequently, their late-game ball movement) returning over the next few days, they must also ready themselves for the likelihood that the Magic will get better, as well. Orlando chipped away at Cleveland's lead over the course of two quarters, and that was without completely unveiling their vaunted three-point attack -- the Magic finished with just 20 attempts from beyond the arc, or six fewer than they averaged in the regular season.

[nasty daddy]

http://postingup.2dogs.com/member/blogt ... q=1&page=0

Nice Job Rip!
Sue that bastard who stole ur hard earned money. And dont hire anyone to take care of ur bills anymore. i would sue for 3 million if I were u Rip.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/hc- ... picgallery

Former UConn Guard Richard Hamilton Sues Nochimson
Detroit Pistons guard Richard Hamilton, who helped UConn win its first national championship in 1999, has filed a federal lawsuit against former friend and business partner Josh Nochimson, accusing Nochimson of stealing about $1 million from him. In the lawsuit obtained by The Courant Thursday, Hamilton contends Nochimson used a credit card belonging to Hamilton to purchase airline flights, game tickets and other items. The lawsuit was filed in Pennsylvania. Hamilton is from Coatesville, Pa.Nochimson, 34, is at the center of recruiting allegations against UConn involving former recruit Nate Miles. Nochimson has been accused of helping guide Miles to UConn by giving him lodging, transportation, meals and representation. The school and the NCAA are investigating.Joshua Nochimson At UConn Hamilton told The Courant before a game against the New Jersey Nets in April that he learned of Nochimson's dealings when going through his credit card bill. "When I checked my American Express bill, they wouldn't let me into my account because my security information didn't add up to what they had on file," Hamilton said in April. "[Nochimson] changed everything ... just changed it. So my American Express account was, like, his. ... When I looked at all my statements and stuff, he was doing it since like 2003-04 to '08."

The lawsuit claims Nochimson used 1.4 million of Hamilton's American Express frequent flyer miles; failed to pay back $80,000 he borrowed from Hamilton to repair a Maryland house; improperly transferred at least $3,000 from Hamilton's bank accounts into his private account; and wrote about $112,000 in unauthorized checks from Hamilton's bank account. The suit says Hamilton is seeking compensatory damages, pre- and post-judgment interest, attorney's fees, costs of suit and other relief as the court determines is due. "It's not like Mr. Hamilton is desperate for the money," Alan Milstein, Hamilton's attorney, told The Associated Press. "Money isn't what's motivating him. It's more just a sense of betrayal and justice."Hamilton signed a seven-year, $62 million deal with the Pistons in 2003 and agreed to a three-year extension last November. He reportedly made more than $10.5 million this season.

Nochimson's attorney, Matthew Leitman, told the AP he has not seen the lawsuit and could not comment on it. Milstein said that Nochimson has told Hamilton the allegations are true but he has indicated he doesn't have the money, according to AP. The relationship between Nochimson and Hamilton, 31, began at UConn when Hamilton was playing and Nochimson was a student manager with the men's basketball team. Hamilton told The Courant that he brought Nochimson along with him as a personal assistant after the Washington Wizards made him the seventh overall selection of the 1999 draft. Hamilton said Nochimson was interested in the sports and entertainment industry, and Hamilton sad he viewed this as an internship. In exchange, the suit says, Hamilton provided Nochimson a place to live and expenses. Later, the lawsuit continues, Hamilton paid Nochimson $25,000 a year for his work. That amount ultimately reached $50,000 and carried the title of business manager. That title allowed Nochimson access to Hamilton's bank accounts and credit card to pay his bills, the suit said.

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/stor ... AHeadlines

In suit, Hamilton alleges $1 million theft
Detroit Pistons basketball star Richard Hamilton has filed a federal lawsuit accusing his former business manager, already at the center of recruiting allegations at the University of Connecticut, of stealing about $1 million from him.

The lawsuit was filed Monday in U.S. District Court in eastern Pennsylvania against 34-year-old Josh Nochimson of Glenview, Ill. It accuses Nochimson of using Hamilton's credit card to buy airline flights, game tickets and other items. It also accuses Nochimson of using 1.4 million of Hamilton's American Express frequent flyer miles; failing to pay back $80,000 lent to Nochimson to repair a Maryland house; improperly transferring at least $3,000 from Hamilton's bank accounts into Nochimson's private account; and writing about $112,000 in unauthorized checks from Hamilton's bank account.

Hamilton is seeking more than $1 million in restitution, but his attorney, Alan Milstein, said the lawsuit is about more than that. "It's not like Mr. Hamilton is desperate for the money," Milstein said. "Money isn't what's motivating him. It's more just a sense of betrayal and justice."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi- ... 1305.story

Pistons star sues former business manager
Detroit Pistons basketball star Richard Hamilton has filed a federal lawsuit accusing his former business manager, already at the center of recruiting allegations at the University of Connecticut, of stealing about $1 million from him.

The lawsuit was filed Monday in U.S. District court in eastern Pennsylvania against 34-year-old Josh Nochimson of Glenview, Ill. It accuses Nochimson of using Hamilton's credit card to buy airline flights, game tickets and other items.

It also accuses Nochimson of using 1.4 million of Hamilton's American Express frequent flyer miles; failing to pay back $80,000 lent to Nochimson to repair a Maryland house; improperly transferring at least $3,000 from Hamilton's bank accounts into Nochimson's private account; and writing about $112,000 in unauthorized checks from Hamilton's bank account.

[nasty daddy]

http://detroit4lyfe.com/articles/random ... today.html

Eminem Relapse CD Released Today
Today Eminem's Relapse CD was released. As I said in an older post, I've been anxiously waiting for a new Eminem CD since his last one came out nearly four years ago. So naturally, I bought Relapse on iTunes as soon as I woke up today and listened to it from start to finish; I thoroughly enjoyed it. Typically, it takes me a couple times listening to a CD before liking it, so that speaks some volume. I am about to take a burned copy out and see if it sounds good while riding in my whip. If it passes that test, I'll highly recommend you go out and buy it (or sit on your ass and go on iTunes and buy it as I did).

To honor the CD's release, I found a great (older) video of Eminem playing Jimmy Kimmel one-on-one in basketball while the Kimmel show was in Detroit. It's pretty hilarious, so watch it. Thanks to Zoner Sports (ironically, a Chicago sports blog) for bringing this to my attention. I remember watching this video a couple years ago and laughing my ass off. No different now.

Video clip of Jimmy Kimmel and Eminem playing one on one in the link above^.

[nasty daddy]

http://lifeondumars.com/2009/05/21/the-next-movement/

The Next Movement?
If Richard Hamilton is traded, I will understand the reasoning. With the good days of contending all but over, the direction of the team I would hope would be headed towards youth and freeing/avoiding hefty contracts. In three, four, even five years from now when Detroit could be back in the upper echelon of the East, Hamilton will not be around anyway. Cut your losses now—full blown rebuilding mode here we come. Though maybe Joe D has some Danny Ainge magic up his sleeve and can make something drastic happen without parting ways with Rip. I’d be on board with that. After all, it’s a very safe bet you know what you’re getting game-in- and-game-out with Rip. He’s like a reliable, comfortable, practical pair of running shoes.

Maybe a little worn around the edges, after all, they got tons of miles on them, but they do the job and sometimes the chance of acquiring another pair that may or may not just as endearing is too risky. But sometimes starting fresh is better for everybody involved. But if Stuckey and Hamilton go into next season as the backcourt, perimeter shooting would still be a major weakness. No consistent three ball threats on the team this past year (Sheed doesn’t count, I’m talking about pos.1-3) –that has to change. All 4 teams still currently in the playoffs have multiple outside weapons. Detroit has not one player whose speciality is knocking down threes. And when a 6′11 vet is your best threat from deep, well, you got problems. A Stuckey-Hamilton backcourt might not cut it, now or ever.

Where I’m possibly going with all of this is quite simple, at least from my point of view: Go young and cheap this offseason, take flyers on players needing a change of scenery, don’t sign guys like Ben Gordon, Carlos Boozer, or even Paul Millsap. What good is a 6th or 7th seed anyways? And don’t tie any money up either. Shop Rip around, maybe New Orleans would be interested. Julian Wright has floundered there, Hilton Armstrong is still young, Tyson Chandler is only 26 (though not cheap). Just an example of what I’d be thinking about for next season.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/chat_mailbox ... ilbag.html

George (Alma, Mich.): There is some blogging going on that Flip Saunders and the Wizards are interested in Rip Hamilton and the Wiz are disgruntled with their lottery pick. Do you think it’s possible to trade Rip for the Wizards’ first-round pick and expiring contracts, then turn around and offer our fifth and 15th picks to the Clippers to get Griffin?

Langlois: It would take something else to entice the Clippers, I’m guessing. Griffin is seen as head and shoulders above the crowd, so offering No. 5 and 15 – in an uncertain draft, those players might not even become NBA starters – wouldn’t represent the type of value a prudent team would demand. Then again, “prudent” and “Clippers” have rarely appeared in the same sentence.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/chat_mailbox ... ilbag.html

Phil (Macomb Twp., Mich.): Why is it people think Stuckey will be the next Billups? They aren’t even in the same stratosphere. The Pistons need to bring in a real point guard who can direct the team and give Stuckey a few more years to understand how to lead a team and not be selfish. Who do you think Joe Dumars can steal away from another team to fill that void?

Langlois: Go back and look where Billups’ career was at 23, Phil. And who’s said Stuckey is “the next Billups?” The Pistons have deemed him their next point guard, understanding his style isn’t going to replicate Billups’. That’s OK. And whatever you want to say about Stuckey, selfish isn’t in the equation. Michael Curry prodded him for a good part of last season to be more aggressive, understanding the dilemma confronting him, surrounded by veterans who needed their share of touches to stay effective. The Pistons are not in the market for a starting point guard.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/chat_mailbox ... ilbag.html

Josh (Hsinchu, Taiwan): What are the Clippers going to do with this Zach Randolph/Blake Griffin situation? Do you think they’d try to give away Chris Kaman to make room for him since his contract would be easier to move than Randolph’s?

Langlois: All eyes will be on the Clippers, Josh, to see what they’re going to do with their suddenly crowded frontcourt. The easiest one to “give away” would be Marcus Camby – he’s only got a year left at under $8 million. Kaman and Randolph both have around $33 million due them, Randolph over the next two years and Kaman over three. Another option the Clips might explore is moving Baron Davis back to Golden State for Jamal Crawford, which would save them more than $30 million in the long term. That wouldn’t do much for their frontcourt situation, but it would help their cap. I think somebody will bite on Randolph by next year at the trade deadline if he stays healthy and is reasonably productive, because by that point he’ll have just a little over a year left on his deal and becomes attractive as an expiring contract. But there’s not much use in trying to project what the Clippers will do. They usually blaze their own trail.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/chat_mailbox ... ilbag.html

Donna (Southfield, Mich.): I’m looking forward to the summer to see how the “new” Pistons shape up. Chad Ford suggested we might draft Austin Daye. Is he on the radar at all? What are the chances we’ll see one or more of our draft picks from the past in Pistons’ gear this year?

Langlois: Daye is definitely on the radar, Donna – but so are about eight or 10 other players. Daye is one of the dozen prospects we’ll be profiling on Pistons.com over the next month who’ll be a possibility at the 15th pick. Daye is maybe a little like Lamar Odom – an extremely lanky yet skilled player who can swing between the three and the four. Right now, he might not have the ballhandling skill to be an effective three or the bulk to be a four, but he’s young enough that both of those could be fixed within a few years – and then he might have an All-Star ceiling. As for last year’s second-rounders playing overseas, I’d say Deron Washington might have a better shot at cracking next year’s roster than Trent Plaisted simply because Plaisted lost the season with a back injury. Much will depend on Washington’s time in Las Vegas at the Summer League and what else the Pistons do with their roster this summer.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/chat_mailbox ... ilbag.html

Ryan (Cary, N.C.): If the Pistons deal Rip to get Bosh, do you think there’s a possibility of moving Stuckey to the two spot as opposed to signing Ben Gordon. That way they have cap room left to still sign Boozer?

Langlois: One little problem: Who plays the point? The Pistons like Will Bynum a lot, but that leaves that position dangerously thin without the resources left to adequately address it. Your cap space would be virtually gone. Even though the draft is deep in point guards, I don’t know that the Pistons would feel good enough about anybody at 15 to think they’d be capable of starting as a rookie.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/chat_mailbox ... ilbag.html

Jason (Jamestown, N.D.): How do you think Joe D will feel if Chauncey leads Denver to a championship?

Langlois: If anybody thinks Dumars is privately rooting against Denver because he’s afraid of the backlash that might come with it, think again. However the Denver end of the trade equation works out has no bearing on the reasons he made the trade on this end – and those reasons are the same today as they were in November as they were last June when he declared he’d “seen enough.” Joe D was convinced the Pistons as constituted weren’t going to win another NBA title. Trading Billups was the fastest way to facilitate a makeover that can put them in position to contend again. End of story. I’m certain the only rooting interest Joe D has it motivated by what’s best for the Pistons. And I don’t know that it much matters to the Pistons who wins. I suppose you could argue that a Cleveland title would make the Cavs a more attractive destination for other players, but I don’t know that it will really have much sway one way or the other.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/chat_mailbox ... ilbag.html

Chris (Madison Heights, Mich.): I think Prince is the guy who should be traded. Look what Hedo Turkoglu did to Boston in Game 7. Prince hasn’t been able to do that against elite teams or elite small forwards.

Langlois: That’s a tough call. I’d dismiss Prince’s lackluster 2009 playoff performance because of his back injury. He also had dips in production in the conference finals of the previous seasons. In his defense, he’s never been really featured offensively in the days when Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton generated most of the offense with healthy doses of Rasheed Wallace. Would Turkoglu have fared any better given those cirumstances? That’s why I say it’s a tough call. Especially with Jameer Nelson out, Orlando consistently puts the ball in Turkoglu’s hands; Prince rarely had that responsibility – or opportunity. Turkoglu’s Game 7 performance sure doesn’t hurt his standing as a potential free agent, though.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/chat_mailbox ... ilbag.html

Corey (Taylor, Mich.): If Joe Dumars finds some impact players (Carlos Boozer, Ben Gordon or perhaps Trevor Ariza), I would like to see Prince and Hamilton remain on the team. I know it’s a risk either way, but I feel it may have the Paul Pierce effect and light a fire under them.

Langlois: You raise a good point, Corey. People look at Pierce much differently today than they did two years ago. It now appears the Pistons will have a little less cap space than originally projected – best guesses now are somewhere between $16 million and $17 million, not $20 million – and that might make it tough to acquire two free agents the caliber of Boozer and Gordon. Trades are another way of acquiring impact players – but the only two players making the kind of money it would take to make a deal like that work in most instances are Prince and Hamilton. I think there’s a decent chance one or the other gets traded this summer, and an outside chance both of them do.