BasketBloggin

BasketBloggin is now CDStarrBBlog

2009-07-23T16:29:00.002+10:00

Hello....sorry for the change of venue but my blog is now at: http://cdstarrbblog.blogspot.com

I had a few pesky layout problems but now will get back to what I do best at the new location.

2009-07-18T16:15:00.001+10:00

Bit of Housekeeping!!!

2009-07-18T15:31:00.003+10:00

Finally I am able to catch up and do a bit of housekeeping!!

In the latest from the NBA today, Zach Randolph has been traded from the LA Clippers to the Memphis Grizzlies for former teammate Quentin Richardson. Though Randolph had been the leading scorer for the Clippers last season, the addition of #1 draft pick Blake griffin saw his role with the team disappear. Richardson returns to the Clippers, a team he left as a free agent after the 2003-2004 season. He will provide the team with a swingman that can add depth to the rotation.

Catching up on the Free Agent Market:

Name: (Position) From: To:
Trevor Ariza (F) LA Lakers Houston Rockets
Ron Artest (G/F) Houston Rockets LA Lakers
Brandon Bass (F) Dallas Mavericks Orlando Magic
Jamal Crawford (G) Golden St. Warriors Atlanta Hawks
Channing Frye (F/C) Portland Trailblazers Phoenix Suns
Ben Gordon (G) Chicago Bulls Detroit Pistons
Dahntay Jones (G) Denver Nuggets Indiana Pacers
Shawn Marion (F) Toronto Raptors Dallas Mavericks
Antonio McDyess (F) Detroit Pistons San Antonio Spurs
Anthony Parker (G) Toronto Raptors Cleveland Cavaliers
Quenton Ross (G/F) Memphis Grizzlies Dallas Mavericks
Hedo Turkoglu (F) Orlando Magic Toronto Raptors
Charlie Villanueva (F) Milwaukee Bucks Detroit Pistons
Rasheed Wallace (F/C) Detroit Pistons Boston Celtics

That is the up to the minute report, will be looking at the effect of signings on teams as the season draws closer. Aussie ABA, NBL, WNBA and EuroLeague...I'm getting there, will look at these soon.

Final Report from U19 World championships

2009-07-14T15:09:00.005+10:00

Courtesy of www.fiba.com, here is the final table and games report from the now completed Under 19 World championships.

Report:

AUCKLAND (FIBA U19 World Championship) – The ninth FIBA U19 World Championship have been run and won, and the USA have claimed the gold medal for the first time since 1991.

The US faced a tough battle in the gold medal game, but survived a second half comeback from Greece to record an 88-80 victory, after leading 46-30 at half time.

As with the USA’s semi final, they could not match their opponents after half time, as Greece won the third quarter 21-14. They could have been much closer after missing 7 free throws in the term.

A spectacular alley-oop finish from Arnett Moultrie capped a 5-0 USA run in the first 74 seconds of the final period to extend the lead to 14, and although Greece challenged on numerous occasions and closed to 8 points with 7:51 to play, the USA had the answers.

When Klay Thompson and Ashton Gibbs hit back-to-back triples the lead was 73-61 and the gold medal decided.

Leading scorers for the USA were Tyshawn Taylor (18 points, 6 assists, 5 steals), Gibbs (13 points), Thompson (10 points, 3 blocks) and Moultrie (10 points, 9 rebounds).

For Greece, Kostas Sloukas (17 points, 4 assists, 4 steals), Nikolaos Pappas (16 points), Leonidas Kaselakis (15 points, 6 rebounds) and Kostas Papanikolaou (12 points, 5 rebounds) all tried gallantly.

It is the USA’s fourth triumph at the FIBA U19 World Championship, while for Greece, their silver medal joins the gold they won in 1995 in Athens, and the bronze they secured in Thessaloniki in 2003.

The USA and Greece were joined on the podium by bronze medallist Croatia. Tournament MVP Mario Delas scored 24 of his 28 points after half time as his team held off a desperate Australia, 87-81.

Delas scored 9 points in the gripping last quarter, including a big offensive rebound and two free throws with 1:11 remaining when Australia had drawn level, 79-79, after trailing by as much as 9 points.

Australian captain Matthew Dellavedova (14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals) was almost the hero for his team, but his fifth and final foul with scores tied and just over a minute to play was a key moment.

From there Croatia scored 8 points to 2, including a huge three pointer from Ivan Batur, his first field goal since 6:44 to play in the first quarter.

Delas (28 points, 12/15 fg, 5 rebounds) received outstanding support from Toni Prostran (21 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists) and Tomislav Zubcic (16 points, 6 rebounds).

For Australia, Cody Ellis was outstanding defensively and finished with 9 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks. Mitchell Young (15 points, 6 rebounds), Ryan Broekhoff (11 points, 7 rebounds) and Brock Motum (10 points, 5 rebounds) were also strong contributors.

In the day’s first game, Canada proved too good for France, taking 7th position with a 82-74 win.

Mangisto Arop (16 points, 7/12 fg) and Cory Joseph (18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists) again led Canada, who used an 11-4 run to begin the third quarter, and a 15-7 streak at the start of the last period to create their final 8-point margin.

For France, who claim 8th position in the tournament with a 3-6 record, Nicolas Lang (19 points, 5/10 3pfg), Alexis Tanghe (16 points) and Christophe Leonard (15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists) led the scoring.

Argentina celebrated claiming 5th place enthusiastically with their supporters, after extending an 11-point half time lead to defeat Puerto Rico, 92-70.

Argentina were led by Andres Landoni (17 points), Juan Fernandez (12 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists), Mateo Gaynor (14 points) and Luciano Gonzalez (12). The South Americans finish the tournament with a 5-4 record.

Puerto Rico’s best were again Jio Fontan (19 points, 6 assists) and Mike Rosario (21 points), as their team finished the tournament in 6th place with 5 wins and 4 losses.

So the 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand has come to an end, with the USA, Greece and USA the medallists. As a confederation, the Americas were the big winners with four teams in the top 7.

The tournament returns in 2011, and if it has the drama, skill, speed and athleticism of this championship, basketball fans are once again in for a treat.

Awards:

AUCKLAND (FIBA U19 World Championship) – The ninth FIBA U19 World Championship have been run and won, and the USA have claimed the gold medal for the first time since 1991.

A panel of accredited media representatives covering the 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship have selected the MVP and the All-Star Five of the Tournament.

>MVP: Mario Delas (Croatia).
>All-Star Five: Toni Prostran (Croatia), Nikos Pappas (Greece), Tyshawn Taylor (USA), Gordon Hayward (USA) and Mario Delas (Croatia).

The US faced a tough battle in the gold medal game, but survived a second half comeback from Greece to record an 88-80 victory, after leading 46-30 at half time.

As with the USA’s semi final, they could not match their opponents after half time, as Greece won the third quarter 21-14. They could have been much closer after missing 7 free throws in the term.

A spectacular alley-oop finish from Arnett Moultrie capped a 5-0 USA run in the first 74 seconds of the final period to extend the lead to 14, and although Greece challenged on numerous occasions and closed to 8 points with 7:51 to play, the USA had the answers.

When Klay Thompson and Ashton Gibbs hit back-to-back triples the lead was 73-61 and the gold medal decided.

Leading scorers for the USA were Tyshawn Taylor (18 points, 6 assists, 5 steals), Gibbs (13 points), Thompson (10 points, 3 blocks) and Moultrie (10 points, 9 rebounds).

For Greece, Kostas Sloukas (17 points, 4 assists, 4 steals), Nikolaos Pappas (16 points), Leonidas Kaselakis (15 points, 6 rebounds) and Kostas Papanikolaou (12 points, 5 rebounds) all tried gallantly.

It is the USA’s fourth triumph at the FIBA U19 World Championship, while for Greece, their silver medal joins the gold they won in 1995 in Athens, and the bronze they secured in Thessaloniki in 2003.

The USA and Greece were joined on the podium by bronze medallist Croatia. Tournament MVP Mario Delas scored 24 of his 28 points after half time as his team held off a desperate Australia, 87-81.

Delas scored 9 points in the gripping last quarter, including a big offensive rebound and two free throws with 1:11 remaining when Australia had drawn level, 79-79, after trailing by as much as 9 points.

Australian captain Matthew Dellavedova (14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals) was almost the hero for his team, but his fifth and final foul with scores tied and just over a minute to play was a key moment.

From there Croatia scored 8 points to 2, including a huge three pointer from Ivan Batur, his first field goal since 6:44 to play in the first quarter.

Delas (28 points, 12/15 fg, 5 rebounds) received outstanding support from Toni Prostran (21 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists) and Tomislav Zubcic (16 points, 6 rebounds).

For Australia, Cody Ellis was outstanding defensively and finished with 9 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks. Mitchell Young (15 points, 6 rebounds), Ryan Broekhoff (11 points, 7 rebounds) and Brock Motum (10 points, 5 rebounds) were also strong contributors.

In the day’s first game, Canada proved too good for France, taking 7th position with a 82-74 win.

Mangisto Arop (16 points, 7/12 fg) and Cory Joseph (18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists) again led Canada, who used an 11-4 run to begin the third quarter, and a 15-7 streak at the start of the last period to create their final 8-point margin.

For France, who claim 8th position in the tournament with a 3-6 record, Nicolas Lang (19 points, 5/10 3pfg), Alexis Tanghe (16 points) and Christophe Leonard (15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists) led the scoring.

Argentina celebrated claiming 5th place enthusiastically with their supporters, after extending an 11-point half time lead to defeat Puerto Rico, 92-70.

Argentina were led by Andres Landoni (17 points), Juan Fernandez (12 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists), Mateo Gaynor (14 points) and Luciano Gonzalez (12). The South Americans finish the tournament with a 5-4 record.

Puerto Rico’s best were again Jio Fontan (19 points, 6 assists) and Mike Rosario (21 points), as their team finished the tournament in 6th place with 5 wins and 4 losses.

So the 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand has come to an end, with the USA, Greece and USA the medallists. As a confederation, the Americas were the big winners with four teams in the top 7.

The tournament returns in 2011, and if it has the drama, skill, speed and athleticism of this championship, basketball fans are once again in for a treat.

Semi Finals:

AUCKLAND (FIBA U19 World Championship) - It was semi final night at the FIBA U19 World Championship, and the near capacity crowd at the North Shore Events Centre in Auckland were given a treat.

The USA dominated the first half of their semi final against Croatia, taking a 46-33 lead into half time.

With the USA seemingly cruising to the gold medal game, Mario Delas sparked his team with three interior baskets early in the third quarter. Tomislav Zubcic then nailed two 3-pointers, and when Toni Prostran scored a driving basket Croatia led 55-53.

The final quarter was a classic, with both teams trading baskets throughout. But it was the USA that kept its nose in front, and with Shelvin Mack hitting a tough pull up and Gordon Haywood hitting 4/4 free throws and pulling in a crucial offensive rebound, the USA secured their 81-77 win.

Haywood was again outstanding for the USA with 15 points and 8 rebounds, while Seth Curry (10 points) was crucial in a first half that set up the USA’s victory. Ashton Gibbs (11 points) and Terrico White (10) also scored in double figures.

Prostran led Croatia with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, and along with Delas (17 points), Tomislav Zubcic (15 points, 8 rebounds) and Dino Butorac (15 points, 5/7 3pfg) almost led the Croatians into the final.

In the other semi final Greece made an emphatic statement that it plans to win the world championship, dismissing Australia, 84-69.

Greece’s 46-33 half time lead was soon out of Australia’s reach. When Kostas Papanikolaou and Vlantimir Giankovits hit big threes the score was 64-43 and the European champions were into the gold medal game.

Australia were troubled by the size, strength, speed and athleticism of Greece, who were led by Pappas (19 points, 4 rebounds), Giankovits (16 points, 9 rebounds), Papanikolaou (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Leonidas Kaselakis (13 points, 13 rebounds) .

For Australia, only Matthew Dellavedova (12 points, 3 assists, 2 steals) and Jorden Page (15 points) scored in double figures.

Puerto Rico will play off for 5th position after Jio Fontan hit the game winner against Canada with 2.6 seconds remaining.

When Kevin Young dunked in style to start the last quarter, Puerto Rico led 57-47 and seemed on their way to victory before Mangisto Arop stepped in to almost steal the game for Canada.

Arop finished with 20 points and 9 rebounds, and was helped by Tristan Thompson, who recorded 13 points and 11 rebounds in 26 minutes. For Puerto Rico, Fontan was superb with 16 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Their other game winners were Young (9 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Carlos Lopez (7 points, 10 rebounds , 4 blocks).

Puerto Rico will face Americas rival Argentina, who came from 14 points down to defeat France, 92-84. France now play Canada in the playoff for 7th position.

Little used Argentine guard Nicola¡s Laprovittola was his team’s hero, nailing three triples in 1:20 and two important free throws to lead Argentina from a 73-75 deficit to a 85-78 lead.

Matias Nocedal (20 points), Andres Landoni (15 points, 6 rebounds), Laprovittola and Juan Fernandez (both 14 points) were all strong contributors for Argentina. Andrew Albicy (24 points, 6 assists, 4 steals) and Christophe Leonard (17 points, 7 rebounds) were the best for France.

Ninth place belongs to Lithuania, who led Spain from the first whistle to record an easy 88-64 victory.

Vytenis Cisauskas was the class player on the court, recording 20 points and 6 rebounds by half time, and finishing with 22 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Gediminas Orelik had his most productive game of the tournament, nailing 6 three pointers in the second half on his way to 30 points and 9 rebounds.

For Spain, who didn’t come closer than 11 points after half time, Toni Vicens (12 points, 10 rebounds) and Daniel Perez (11 points, 5 assists) continued their consistent world championship campaigns, but received little help, with only Julio Sosa (11 points) joining them in double figures.

And Egypt celebrated heartily after their 86-78 defeat of Kazakhstan earned them 11th position.

Amro Sherif Abdelhalim was again the star, collecting 32 points, 14 rebounds and 3 assists as the African champions picked up their second win of tournament. Big man Omar Oraby (24 points, 11 rebounds) was also a strong contributor.

Alexandr Tyutyunik (20 points), Pavel Illin (17 points) and Omirzak Akhmet (14 points, 5 rebounds) led the way for Kazakhstan.

The line-up for the final day of the FIBA U19 World Championship at Auckland’s North Shore Events Centre is as follows:

Sunday, 12th July 2009:

Classification:
Game 59 (11:00 hours): France vs. Canada (7 – 8)
Game 60 (13:30 hours): Argentina vs. Puerto Rico (5 – 6)

Finals:
Game 61 (17:00 hours): Australia vs. Croatia (3 – 4)
Game 62 (19:30 hours): Greece vs. USA (1 – 2)

Jawai on the move

2009-07-11T14:21:00.002+10:00

Aussie big man Nathan Jawai was part of a four team mega deal recently completed in the NBA.

The trade saw Shawn Marion go to Dallas, Jerry Stackhouse go to Memphis where he has been waived, in addition to Jawai forward Kris Humphries went from Toronto to Dallas. Additionally, Greg Buckner went from Memphis to Dallas with the Mavericks sending Antoine Wright and Devean George to Toronto.

Rounding out the deal, Memphis received a second round pick and cash from Toronto while Orlando recieved cash from both the Raptors and Mavericks.

World Under 19 Championships Report

courtesy of : www.fiba.com

AUCKLAND (FIBA U19 World Championship) - Australia, Croatia, Greece and the USA will battle it out for the medals after an absorbing quarter final day at the FIBA U19 World Championship in New Zealand.

The game of the day was played between Australia and France. When Ryan Broekhoff nailed a three with 2:08 remaining in the third quarter, Australia led 58-49. But baskets to Nicolas Lang (17 points) and Christophe Leonard (22 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists) ensured Les Bleus were within striking distance at three quarter time.

The final quarter was a classic, with Australia extending their lead to 7 points, but France charging back behind Leonard, who scored 11 points for the quarter. When Lang (17 points, 5/10 3pfg) nailed a tough three from the corner they led 71-66 with 4:37 to play.

Then Matthew Dellavedova (18 points) hit from the perimeter, Jorden Page hit two tough shots, and Cody Ellis (14 points, 10 rebounds) nailed a long three to give Australia a 79-73 victory, and a place in the semi finals.

Greece also had to work hard to beat Puerto Rico and book their place in the semis, where they will meet Australia.

The game seemed all over shortly after half time when Croatia jumped to a 54-33 lead. But an 11-0 run in two minutes had Puerto Rico within 10 points, and back to back threes from Jio Fontan left the game in the balance at three quarter time, 64-57.

Mike Rosario threatened to take over the game early in the last term, as Puerto Rico closed to 71-68 half way through the period. Tomislav Zubcic then stepped up and put the game finally out of reach, scoring 7 points in just 75 seconds.

Zubcic finished with 27 points and 8 rebounds, with strong support from Prostran (20 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds) and Mario Delas (19 points, 10 rebounds). Rosario (25 points, 7 rebounds) and Fontan (20 points, 4 assists, 3 steals) were outstanding for Puerto Rico.

Greece made a statement that they are finding their best form at the right time, demolishing Argentina 86-60.

Greece extended their 25-17 quarter time lead to 41-32 at half time, and continued to suffocate the Argentine offence in the third. When Epameinondas Papantoniou nailed a three pointer with 1:30 remaining to three quarter time, and Nikos Pappas hit a buzzer beater to finish the period, the score was 59-42 and the contest effectively over.

Leonidas Kaselakis was outstanding for Greece with 20 points on 8/13 shooting and 8 rebounds, and was well supported by Kostas Papanikolaou (17 points) and Georgios Georgakis (11 points, 6 rebounds).

For Argentina, only Fabián Ramírez Barrios (10 points) reached double figures, as his team coughed up 21 turnovers and shot just 32% from the field.

In the day’s last quarter final, the USA blew Canada off the court with an 11/16 three point shooting clinic in the first half. The US won the second half 42-37 to record a 93-73 win and move on to face Croatia in a mouth-watering semi final match-up.

For the USA, Gordon Hayward (20 points), Howard Thompkins, Seth Curry (both 12), Tyshawn Taylor and John Shurna (both 10) all scored in double figures. The Canadians were led by Tristan Thompson (18 points, 8 rebounds) and Kelly Olynk (14 points, 7 rebounds).

The semi final line up at the North Shore Events Centre is as follows:

Australia v Greece; 6:15pm

USA v Croatia; 8:30pm

Limited tickets are still available, and both games will be shown on FIBA TV.

In the classification games for positions 9-12, Lithuania made light work of Kazakhstan, scoring the biggest score of the tournament in their 113-79 victory.

For Lithuania, Eimantis Bendzius (21 points, 5 rebounds) , Dovidas Redikas (19 points, 8 rebounds), Adomas Drungilis (16 points, 10 rebounds), and Vytenis Cizauskas (14 points, 4 assists, 4 steals) all enjoyed a day out.

Alexandr Tyutyunik again led the way for Kazakhstan, scoring 20 points and grabbing 6 rebounds. The strong 200cm forward is third in tournament scoring with over 19ppg. Shooters Pavel Illin (12 points) and Anton Arsenyev (11) also scored in double figures.

Egypt came out determined to upset Spain and move into the top ten at the tournament. The African champions led by 4 points at quarter time, and refused to lie down for the full 40 minutes.

Ultimately it was the class of guards Alex Hernandez (16 points) and Daniel Perez (15) that made the difference. Amro Sherif Abdelhalim (17 points, 7 rebounds) led the way for Egypt, while Toni Vicens (18 points, 8 rebounds) and Egyptian seven footer Omar Tarek Oraby (13 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks) enjoyed an entertaining battle in the low block.

The classification games for Saturday at the North Shore Events Centre are as follows:

Kazakhstan v Egypt; 9:00am (for positions 11 and 12)
Spain v Lithuania; 11:15am (for positions 9 and 10)
Argentina v France; 1:30pm (for positions 5-8)
Puerto Rico v Canada; 4:00pm (for positions 5-8)

Day 6 Under 19 World Championships

2009-07-10T16:11:00.001+10:00

Courtesy of: www.fiba.com

AUCKLAND (FIBA U19 World Championship) - The games just keep getting better at the FIBA U19 World Championship, and now the quarter finalists have been set. Friday at the North Shore Events Centre in Auckland, New Zealand will see the eight best U19 teams in the world battle it out for a place in the medal rounds.

The match-ups for the knockout quarter finals on Friday, 10 July are:

- Greece v Argentina – 1:30pm
- Australia v France – 4:00pm
- Croatia v Puerto Rico – 6:15pm
- USA v Canada – 8:30pm

All times are New Zealand time, and all quarter finals will be screened on FIBA TV.

On day 6, Australia remained undefeated and claimed top spot in Group F with a stunning 79-74 win over Croatia in the game of the tournament to date.

A large and vocal crowd saw Matthew Dellavedova score 15 final quarter points as the Australians extended a one point lead at the last change to win by 5. Dellavedova scored 17 for Australia, and was helped by Cody Ellis (14 points), Mitchell Young and Brock Motum (both 10).

For Croatia, Toni Prostran and Tomislav Zubcic both scored 14, while Ivan Batur (12 points), Dino Butorac (11) and Leon Radocevic (10) all contributed.

The USA took out top spot in Group E with a hard fought 76-69 win over Lithuania. With only 4 points the margin at three quarter time, Tyshawn Taylor scored three acrobatic scoop shots in the final four minutes to give the US the margin they required.

He finished with 13 points and 4 assists and received support from Klay Thompson (10 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists), Darius Miller (10 points) and John Shurna (9) in a once again even spread for the Americans.

For Lithuania, Donatas Montiejunas (12 points) and Dovydas Redikas (11 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists) joined the outstanding Tautvydas Slezas (21 points) in double figures. Slezas also secured 12 rebounds as Lithuania won the rebound count 45-31, but missed out on a quarter final spot.

Greece narrowly avoided elimination when they nailed four crucial free throws to hold off a fast finishing France. Greece led 60-40 at three quarter time before France unleashed a furious 13-3 streak to close the gap to 10 points.

Jonathan Bourhis nailed his fourth 3-pointer for the game to reduce the margin to 67-72 with 0:32 to play, before Greece secured the win from the free throw line.

Stars for Greece were Nikolaos Pappas (20 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists), Leonidas Kaselakis (18 points, 9 rebounds) and Kostas Sloukis (17 points, 5 assists). For France, Bourhis collected 18 points and 5 rebounds and Christophe Leonard recorded 13 points and 8 rebounds.

Canada showed great composure down the stretch to defeat Argentina 67-57 and set up a quarter final match-up with their North American rivals, the USA.

In the decisive third quarter, Mangisto Arop (18 points) and Cory Joseph (20 points, 9/15 fg) led the way for Canada, with a long range buzzer beater from Typhoon Nurse making the score 54-45 at three quarter time.

While Argentina repeatedly challenged in the final term, Canada ran down the clock intelligently and recorded an impressive victory. Lisandro Rasio (14 points, 7 rebounds) and Luciano Gonzalez (12 points) were solid for Argentina.

Puerto Rico did as expected and defeated Egypt, 99-71, to move through to the final eight. Mike Rosario bounced back from a poor game against the USA to score 22 points in 20 minutes of court time, while Raymond Cintron had his best game of the tournament with 17.

For Egypt, Adham Mohamed Elsayed (17 points, 3/6 3pfg) and Amro Sherif Abdelhalim (22 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists) put in strong performances, and will be looking to do so again as their team competes for positions 9-12 on Friday and Saturday.

While Spain recorded a comprehensive 101-71 win over a depleted Kazakhstan, the European power will also be playing off in the classification round, with their 17-point defeat to Argentina on Monday leaving them last in a three way tie with the Spaniards and Canada.

Against the Kazaks, Jorge Santana was the star of the day, nailing 6/6 from the perimeter on his way to 26 points, while Toni Vicens continued his strong tournament with 11 points.

While Alexandr Tyutyunik, Pavel Illin , Rustem Tuleu (all 12 points) and Alexandr Zhigulin (13 points, 8 rebounds) all enjoyed productive offensive moments for Kazakhstan, the Asian runners up were never at home against the Spanish pressure defence.

With six games on Friday, including four quarter finals on FIBA TV, the FIBA U19 World Championship is building towards a dramatic conclusion.

Paulo Kennedy
FIBA

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Day 5 Under 19 World Championships

2009-07-10T16:06:00.003+10:00

From www.fiba.com

AUCKLAND (FIBA U19 World Championship) - Australia, Croatia and the USA remain undefeated after day 5 of the FIBA U19 World Championship, while powerhouses Greece, Lithuania and Argentina stand of the brink of elimination with one day to go in the second round.

The USA powered to victory over Puerto Rico, subduing day 4 star Mike Rosario and executing a punishing transition game to win 82-61.

Howard Thompkins (14 points, 9 rebounds) and Gordon Hayward (11 points, 7 rebounds) led the way for the USA, while Lio Fontan (16 points, 6/15, 4 assists) and Rosario (11 points, 4/15 fg) both scored in double figures, but struggled mightily with the tough US perimeter defence.

Puerto Rico must defeat Egypt tomorrow to guarantee passage through to the quarter finals.

Croatia survived a strong challenge from Spain, who won the third quarter 28-21 to draw within one of the Croats. But Dino Butorac scored 10 of his 16 points in the last quarter to keep Croatia’s perfect record intact.

Leon Radosevic was a powerhouse inside for Croatia, scoring 22 points and grabbing 8 rebounds, while Spain were best served by Toni Vicens, who nullified Croatia’s height advantage by compiling 18 points and 9 rebounds.

A win over Kazakhstan on day 6 will see Spain through to the quarter finals, while Croatia play Australia to determine top spot in Group F.

Australia stunned Argentina by taking a 34-10 lead midway through the second quarter, but Luciano Gonzalez led surge saw the Americas champions draw within 6 points at three quarter time.

Australia held their nerve in the last quarter to record a 76-65 win, with Cody Ellis, Jason Cadee and Brock Motum all scoring 16 points. Gonzalez (14 points, 4/7 fg) was the only player in double figures for Argentina, whose offensive struggles in the first 14 minutes cost them victory.

Argentina must beat Canada on day 6 to guarantee a quarter final berth, otherwise they will be relying on other results going their way.

France provided the performance of the day, hitting 8 first half three pointers on the way to a 57-34 lead at the main break. While Lithuania closed to within 14 points a three quarter time, the French were never seriously challenged and ran out 95-78 winners.

Christophe Leonard collected 22 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals and steadied his team when the Lithuanians made their run. Jonathan Bourhis nailed 6-three pointers on his way to 18 points.

Big man Adomas Drungilus scored 24 points and pulled down 9 rebounds for Lithuania, who were out-rebounded 27-40.

Greece made short work of Egypt, but must beat France on day 6 to move to the knockout stage of the tournament. The European champions led 37-17 at quarter time, 59-22 at half time and 76-36 at the last break before winning 100-59.

Nikolaos Pappas (18 points), Leonidas Kaselakis (12 points) and Ioannis Angelopoulos (11 points, 4 rebounds) enjoyed the day out for Greece, while for the overmatched Egyptians, Adham Mohamed Elsayed (16 points, 4 rebounds) and Osama Shawki Mohamed (12 points, 7 rebounds) reached double figures.

Kazakhstan lost no respect in their 108-70 loss to Canada, but the North Americans did what needed to be done, and now can possibly secure a place in the knockout round by defeating Argentina.

Against the Kazaks, Cory Joseph finished with 20 points on 9/14 shooting and 6 rebounds, and received excellent support from Typhoon Nurse with 25 points and 5 rebounds, and captain Kelly Olynk (24 points, 9 rebounds).

Kazak forward Alexandr Tyutyunik was again outstanding with 19 points.

In the classification games, New Zealand claimed 13th place in their first ever FIBA U19 World Championship with a 62-54 win over Angola. Brook Ruscoe (20 points, 3 assists) and Rob Loe were again New Zealand’s best, while Angolan Miguel Kiala dominated the paint to record 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Iran recorded their first win of the world championship, easily accounting for Syria, 93-53. Mohammad Amjad finished with 29 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals in 28:47. Amazingly, he had scored just 26 points in the first four games of the tournament.

Captain Arsalan Kazemi also farewelled the tournament in style, recording 23 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks. For Syria, who finish in 16th place, only Tarek Al Jabe put up any stern resistance with 14 points and 5 boards.

Stay tuned to www.newzealand2009.fiba.com as the quarter finalists are decided at the FIBA U19 World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand.

Paulo Kennedy
FIBA

Round the Globe

2009-07-07T15:16:00.004+10:00

In the hoop world toaday it looks like Jason Kidd will stay in Dallas, Rasheed Wallace may go to Boston and Hedo Turkoglu will go to Toronto.

From FIBA here is the Day 4 report of the Under 19 World championships as reported on: www.fiba.com

AUCKLAND (FIBA U19 World Championship) - Day 4 of the FIBA U19 World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand belonged to Puerto Rico guard Mike Rosario.

The 191cm guard, who attends Rutgers University, scored a remarkable 54 points, including 17 final quarter points to carry his team back from the brink, after France had taken an 83-76 lead with 3:20 remaining in the game.

Rosario hit three key baskets down the stretch, including a two pointer to tie scores at 89-89 with 40 seconds to play. Andrew Albicy (28 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steal) was outstanding for France all night, but missed an open three point shot to win the game with three seconds to play.

Raymond Cintron grabbed the rebound and rushed down the court, finding Kevin Young under the basket, who was fouled with 0.6 seconds remaining. Young missed the first but made the second and, fittingly, Rosario stole the inbounds pass to secure an incredible win for his country.

Egyptian Amro Sherif Abdelhalim also had a day to remember, recording 26 points, 9 rebounds and 6 steals. Unfortunately for him, his team went down 94-73 to Lithuania after leading 17-8 after five minutes, and trailing just 40-42 at half time.

Gediminas Bertasius (24 points, 9/1 fg, 5 rebounds, 5 steals) was excellent for Lithuania, as were Donatas Motiejunas (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Gediminas Orelik (14 points).

The USA outlasted Greece, who impressed in the first half put could not maintain their intensity for four quarters, losing 85-69.

The chief destroyer for the USA was Howard Thompkins, who relished the physical battle in the paint to collect 22 points on 10/14 shooting. The USA out-rebounded Greece 38-26 and scored 34 points in the paint to Greece’s 18, thanks largely to Thompkins.

For Greece, only Nikolaos Pappas could break the Americans shackles in the second half, scoring 7 of his 11 points. Pappas grabbed 4 rebounds and handed out 4 assists, but received scant support down the stretch, with only Kostas Sloukas (10 points) joining him in double figures.

The host nation New Zealand finally claimed its first win after three heartbreaking losses, defeating Syria 93-75. Centre Rob Loe was outstanding with 25 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks, and drew 8 fouls on Syria.

Richie Edwards collected 17 points and 7 rebounds for New Zealand, while Tarek Al Jabe scored 15 points and Orwa Al Shatti 14 for Syria.

In the other classification game, Angola won their first game of the tournament, coming from 12 down at quarter time to overrun Iran, 62-53. Forward Eduardo Ferreira led the way with 19 points, and Miguel Kiala continued his excellent form inside with 14 points, 20 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Captain Arsalan Kazemi with 19 points, 20 rebounds and 4 steals for Iran.

Argentina claimed an emotional win ion the ‘Latino derby’, with an 11-4 Argentinean run late in the third quarter and an unsportsmanlike foul by Spaniard Marcos Molina the keys to the result.

Molina fouled Matias Nocedal heavily on a fast break lay-up with 4:11 remaining in the game with Argentina leading 69-64. Nocedal made both free throws and nailed a three point shot on the ensuing possession to extend the lead to 10 and effectively end the contest.

Nocedal finshed with 22 points, Gonzalez with 17 points and Lisandro Rasio 13 points and 13 rebounds. For Spain, star point guard Daniel Perez finished with 19 points, 3 assists, 3 steals but 5 turnovers.

Guard Cory Joseph led Canada to a winning position against Croatia, but Croat Dino Butorac nailed three triples in a tense final quarter to seal an 83-77 win, and keep his team’s unbeaten record in tact.

Despite both being subdued by the Canadian defence in the second half, Mario Delas (26 points, 10/16 fg, 10 rebounds) and Toni Prostran (29 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists) were clearly Croatia’s best players.

Joseph finished with 24 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 0 turnovers, and received scoring support from Mangisto Arop (22 points, 5 rebounds).

Australia made light work of Kazakhstan, rotating their bench from the first quarter and running out easy 87-54 winners. Reserve guard Jason Cadee led the scoring with 17 points, along with star forward Brock Motum.

For Kazakhstan, the dependable Alexandr Tyutyunik performed well with 20 points, and he was joined in double figures by big men Omirzak Akhmet (11 points, 7 rebounds) and Alexandr Zhigulin (10 points, 7 rebounds).

Paulo Kennedy
FIBA

Update from NZ

2009-07-05T15:24:00.005+10:00

The up to date info on Under 19 World Championships from www.fiba.com:

Day 3 Round Up - Second round awaits for 12 teams

AUCKLAND (FIBA U19 World Championship) - The first round of competition has been completed, and 12 teams - Argentina, Australia, Canada, Croatia, Egypt, France, Greece, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Puerto Rico, Spain and the USA - have advanced to the second round.

Angola, Iran, New Zealand and Syria will play off for positions 13-16 in classification games.

Kazakhstan surprised everyone in the host nation by shooting an impressive 53% from long range to defeat New Zealand, 90-83, and move into the second round.

Anton Arsenyev was unbelievable for Kazakhstan, nailing 9/13 field goals and 5/7 three pointers on his way to 27 points. Alexandr Tyutyunik continued his strong tournament with 20 points and 8 rebounds.

For New Zealand, Brook Ruscoe (20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists) and Rob Loe (20 points) continued their outstanding tournaments.

Lithuania overran old rival Greece with a 27-10 final quarter to run out 85-70 winners and claim top spot in Group A. Donatas Motiejunas was the star with 28 points on 11/17 shooting, 15 rebounds and 7 assists.

For Greece, Kostas Sloukas and Evangelos Mantzaris both scored 14 points, and Kostas Papanikolaou scored 13 points.

Croatia came from 10 points behind at quarter time to run over the top of Argentina and claim top spot in Group D. Buoyed by a large contingent of supporters, captain Mario Delas was again superb for Croatia with 27 points and 8 rebounds, while Tomislav Lubcic was also excellent with 12 points and 9 rebounds.

For Argentina, there were few highlights after quarter time, with only Matias Nocedal (11 points), Lisandro Rasio (11) and Andres Landoni (10) reaching double figures.

Spain claimed second spot of their pool, Group C, fighting off repeated comebacks from Canada to record a 82-75 win.

Daniel Perez was outstanding for Spain, nailing 5 three-pointers on his way to 29 points. Shooting guard Jorge Santana finished with 15 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, and centre Toni Vicens recorded 14 points and 5 boards.

Canada were led by forwards Mangisto Arop (17 points), Marc Trasolini (14 points, 8 rebounds) and Tristan Thompson (12 points, 6 rebounds).

The USA kept their unbeaten record with a spectacular 112-55 victory over Egypt in front of a packed house at ASB Stadium. The stars of the day were the USA guards, with Ashton Gibbs (18 points, 6 assists) and Shelvin Mack (14 points, 4 assists) leading the way, while forwards John Shurna and Howard Thompkins scored 13 points.

Omar Tarek Oraby (15 points, 8 rebounds) Motaz Pellah Okasha (11 points) and Karim Eldahshan (10 points) were Egypt's best and showed promise for the future.

After a disappointing first 15 minutes Australia has kept their unbeaten record in tact with a comprehensive 96-54 victory over Syria. Syria closed to 26-40 with 5:14 remaining in the second quarter before Australia finally clicked into gear.

Reserve big men Matthew Hodgson (17 points) and Mitchell Young (14) led Australia, and Syria received excellent service from Mahmoud Osfira (20 points), and Tarek Al Jabe (18 points).

France survived an early scare to claim second place in Group B. Iran led 23-21 at quarter time, but the French turned the defensive screws in the second quarter, holding Iran to 9 points and scoring 20 of their own, and running away with a 86-68 victory.

Puerto Rico finished their strong group performance with a comprehensive 86-49 defeat of Angola. Mike Rosario finished with 28 points, while Carlos Lopez has his best game of the tournament with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Paulo Kennedy
FIBA

Rumours and Ramblings

2009-07-03T14:57:00.003+10:00

On the NBA front, Ron Artest is rumoured to be heading to LA to be a Laker with Laker Trevor Ariza heading to Houston.

The FIBA under 19 World titles are in full swing, here is the very latest of results from New Zealand as it appears on the FIBA website at:

Thursday, 2 July 2009

Group A:
Puerto Rico defeated Lithuania 80-73
Greece defeated Angola 101-58

Group B:
USA defeated Iran 106-55
France defeated Egypt 102-56

Group C:
Spain defeated Syria 79-53
Australia defeated Canada 88-77

Group D:
Croatia defeated Kazakhstan 104-74
Argentina defeated New Zealand 66-64

So far today:

Group B:
USA 71-France 55
Egypt 95-Iran 91

Group C:
Canada 99- Syria 53

Group D:
Argentina 98-Kazakhstan 69

That is as up to date as it gets, back tomorrow with more.

It's All Going On!!!

2009-07-02T14:08:00.004+10:00

Around the hoop world today there is plenty of activity. The NBA free agent market opened with the Detroit Pistons getting right to business by coming to agreements with forward Charlie Villanueva and guard Ben Gordon. the move reunites former University of Connecticut. The Pistons also released recently acquired Fabricio Oberto.

In a trede the LA Clippers traded underachieving Zach Randolph to the Memphis Grizzlies for Quentin Richardson.

Elsewhere, the FIBA Under 19 World championships are underway in Auckland New Zealand.

Also directly from the Basketball Australia website, here is a story on the Boomers recent tour of China:

Jawai shines but Boomers fall

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 8:46 AM

By Basketball Australia

Emus Ready for the World

2009-06-30T15:25:00.004+10:00

Australia's Under 19 team finished off preparations for the upcoming FIBA Under 19 World Championships by winning the Four Nations tournament held in Melbourne recently. In the first game of the tourney, Australia ran out to an impressive 96-74 win over Greece. Brock Motum lead the way with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Ample support was provided by Ryan Broekhoff who scored 17 points while Cody Ellis chipped in with 13 points and 4 assists. Jorden Page scored an additional 13 points for the Emus.

In the final match, Australia was again lead by Brock Motum who scored 18 points and grabbed 7 rebounds as the Emus narrowly defeated Spain to win the trophy. Cody Ellis with 13 points 9 rebounds, Jorden Page, 11 points and Ryan Broekhoff 10 points, 9 rebounds, lead the supporting cast for Australia.

The other final day result went to Greece with a 84-65 defeat of France.

In the first round, Australia barely defeated France 85-83 thanks to 20 points from Brock Motum, 12 points and 10 rebounds from Mitchell Young, 15 points from Cody Ellis and 14 points/4 assists from Matthew Dellavedova.

The other first round result saw Greece bounce Spain 95-71. In the other second round encounter, France held off Spain 74-71.

The Final Ladder for the tourney stacked up as:
Australia 3 wins, 0 losses
Greece 2 wins, 1 loss
France 1 win, 2 losses
Spain 0 wins, 3 losses

All four teams will be participating in the World finals in Auckland New Zealand starting on July 2.

Draft...the day after, Speculation time.

2009-06-27T15:43:00.008+10:00

With the NBA Draft over and done with albeit hugely overshadowed by other world events in the last day, we can now take a look at who came out winners and who stuffed it up.

Winners:

Denver Nuggets-Ty Lawson was a steal with the 18th pick draft and trade deal. He will provide solid backup to Billups and Anthony and eventually become the teams leader from the point.

LA Clippers-Taylor Griffin was the stud of this years draft and the Clippers were right in taking him. He will have time to adjust and will have a healthy Kaman and Camby up front to help shoulder the load. Will this be enough for the Baron to return to being a productive team first player?

Memphis Grizzlies-Drafted well and could get immediate help from Carroll and Thabeet will be a dominant defensive force in the years to come. Young was also a second round steal.

Orlando Magic-though they had no draft picks, the trade to bring Vince carter back to the Sunshine state will make all parties happy. The loss of Tukoglu may not be as tough as it once seemed.

San Antonio Spurs-No first round picks, no worries!! The Spurs made out like Bandits whether or not they keep or trade Blair, Jack McClinton can score with the best of 'em and the acquisition of Jefferson helps the team transform itself into more of a threat.

Philadelphia 76ers-The Sixers got a still when a lottery pick Jrue Holliday fell into their hands at pick 17.

Losers:

Chicago Bulls-Questions surround Johnson & Gibson.

Minnesota Timberwolves-Either a bad Chemistry experiment or stocking the shelves for a fire sale?? They are building, but what are they building??

Other Notes:

Shaq will again don the number 33 for the first time since his college days for his Cleveland debut next season.

Rubio did not show up at a Wolves press conference.

Turkoglu opts out of Orlando contract.

Next week I will start looking at the upcoming Under 19 World Championships, the WNBA, the local Aussie scene and a few other things.

Nelson says the Warriors will not trade Curry.

'til then ... shoot 'em if you're open and if not, drive and dish!!

The Diesel pulls into Cleveland, hooks up Championship train!!

2009-06-26T14:55:00.004+10:00

Shaquille O'Neal has left the building in Phoenix and headed for Cleveland in hopes of winning another title before hanging up the big boots. In a Draft Eve trade O'Neal was sent to the Cavs in exchange for Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic and a 2010 second round draft pick. The combonation of the big Diesel with King James has Cav fans rejoicing in the streets.

In another big trade, Vince Carter has gone home to Florida after a trade by the New Jersey Nets sent him to the Magic along with Ryan anderson for Rafer Alston, who will return to the NYC/Mix Tape area where he is a cult figure, Courtney Lee and Tony Battie. A healthy Carter could be the slasher the Magic are looking for in their quest for finals glory next season.

I will have a complete wrap up of todays draft and other trades in tomorrows blog...'til then, happy speculating.

Back to the Prospects

2009-06-25T12:10:00.005+10:00

After yesterday's trade excitement, I will get back to having a look at more of the drafts top prospects.

Look for:

DeMar DeRozan (SG): Following O.J. Mayo's footsteps as a one and done from USC to the NBA, could follow his lead as a prime rookie performer in say...Toronto.

Jonny Flynn (PG): A fearless leader from the point will go to the hoop, pull up or dish with the best of them from this years draft, may become a Buck.

Stephen "Son of Dell" Curry (G): Definitely has the curry DNA though a bit shorter than his dad, could end up playing in Charlotte which would be friendly hometown confines.

Chase Budinger (G/F): Yes, white men can jump as this former volleyballer will prove, look for him to stay local and hop onto the roster of the Suns.

Eric Maynor (PG): A true floor general who has unquestionable floor leadership skills and smarts to bring to the table. May become a Philly favourite.

Biggest Bust:

Austin Daye (F): While intriguing with height for a big guard/small forward and with pedigree, should have taken another year or two to bulk up and hone his skills at 'Zaga. With that said look for Detroit to possibly be the ones to take a chance on him.

'Til tomorrow fans, we wait anxiously for the results and unpredictable outcomes of this years draft, while it is said to be a weak one, it is rather strong for back court players and deep at the PG position. As for Australia's own Patrick Mills, another year in the NCAA would not have hurt but look for him to go anywhere from late first round to not drafted at all. thus is the nature of the beast of Draft day 2009.

Stop the Presses...There's tradin' afoot!!!

2009-06-24T15:30:00.003+10:00

Before I write about more prospects today, I first must report there has been trading activity over the last 24 hours. The Minnesota Timberwolves have sent guards Randy Foye and Mike Miller to the Washington Wizards for the number 5 pick of the Wizards and Etan Thomas, Darius Songaila and Oleksiy Pecherov. The Timberwolves now own four first round picks and are in an excellent position to wheel and deal even more before draft time.

Also in the last 24 hours, the San Antonio Spurs have gotten younger by trading for Milwaukee's Richard Jefferson. The Spurs sent Bruce Bowen (38), Kurt Thomas (36) and Fabricio Oberto (34) to the Bucks in the deal. The move is seen as a Bucks ploy to clear salary cap room for 2009-2010 as all of the players received have a short time left on their current contracts.

There is sure to be more activity between now and draft day so stay posted.

Two Shopping Days 'til Draft Day!!!

2009-06-23T17:14:00.007+10:00

For NBA General Managers and die hard fans around the globe, the time is nigh, draft day is upon us!! On Thursday, Friday morning for us in Australia the suspense will build to a crescendo. So far all is quiet but expect moves to be made leading up to the draft in the form of trades. There are several rumours around with Shaq, Yao Ming, Chris Bosh and , Josh Smith being the hottest. As for what your team gets under their tree, here is my look at the notables.

Blake Griffin (PF): raw power and attitude, a pure NBA power forward, don't see the Clippers going past him, needs to develop mid range game.

Hasheem Thabeet (Goes On) (C): I have already given him the addition to his name because now that Matumbo has retired, "Thabeet goes on", get it!! Seriously though he may develop a vit more of an offensive game than Matumbo had. Along with the next few names could end up anywhere from pick 2-7. Oklahoma City widely predicted to take him at number three.

James Harden (SG): he shoots well, he handles well and he's athletic. Could be bound for New York if not taken sooner.

Ricky Rubio (PG): may continue the Spanish invasion of Memphis.

Jordan Hill (PF): another power forward of note, he may be a King for more than a day in Sacremento.

Tyreke Evans (PF): a tall athletic point guard who will cause nightmares for defenders and coaches in a few years time, could be off to mystify them in Washington.

DeJuan Blair (PF): a smallish power forward but a big dog in any fight under the basket, could be roughing them up on the Jersey Shore.

I will mention more in my next edition tomorrow as the time nears, until then, happy speculating!!

Emu's announced

2009-06-19T15:15:00.003+10:00

Basketball australia has released the Emu's squad for the upcoming FIBA Under 19 World Championships in Auckland from the 2-12 July.

The squad consists of:

Bryce ARNOTT / Dandenong / VIC
Ryan BROEKHOFF / Frankston / VIC
Jason CADEE / Bankstown / NSW
Matthew DELLAVEDOVA / Maryborough / VIC
Cody ELLIS / Sterling / WA
Hugh GREENWOOD / Hobart / TAS
Shane HARRIS-TUNKS / Liverpool / NSW
Matthew HODGSON / Ipswich / QLD
Brock MOTUM / Brisbane / QLD
Jorden PAGE / Maroochydore / QLD
Christian SALECICH / Southern Districts / QLD
Mitchell YOUNG / Logan / QLD

Listed by player, Association played in and State.

The coaching/administration staff consists of:

Head Coach: Marty CLARKE
Assistant Coach: Tim MALLON
Assistant Coach: Damien COTTER
Manager: Bob McGUGAN
Physio: Peter SUFFOLK
Doctor: Dr Graham LEE

The emus will play in a Four Nations tournament in Melbourne on 26-28 of June along with teams from Spain, Greece and France.

If you are in the area, get out and support the Emu's in their preparation for the Championships.

Did Dwight Howard really have a terrible Finals series??

2009-06-16T15:34:00.005+10:00

After taking time to digest my humble pie and assess what went wrong with the Magic, I went no further than young Dwight Howard initially. Some may say that his game needs more work? That he misses too many free throws? That he is not a leader?

All of the above are relevant questions, but now ask yourself, how many other 23yr olds have taken teams to this position? True Kobe Bryant went but there was the "Big Aristotle" to show him the way along with the "Zen Master" on the sidelines.

Some of the more glaring press slants are Dwight misses two free throws down the stretch in Game 4 and suddenly he is an offensive liability, Kobe misses four free throws down the stretch in Game 3 and he is considered "just tired".

In the Eastern Finals Game 6, LeBron James had a shocker, no one writes about the fact that he had a bad game, just that he needs more help. Howard still gets criticised even though he actually averaged 15.4 points and 15.2 rebounds in the finals. True he shot only 60.3% from the line but other great big men through NBA history--Bill russell and Wilt Chamberlin--have shot worse while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was probably the best foul shooting big man in the finals over the years.

Remember most big men Howard's age are only one year into their NBA careers or 2-3yrs at most if they spent at least one year at college whereas Howard's has been on the job training. He will be back again and the league will have to deal with a more determined, polished young buck the next time around.

Fat Lady sings in Orlando!

2009-06-15T13:50:00.005+10:00

Yes it is over! The Magic have fallen in Game 5 of the NBA Finals losing to the LA Lakers by the score of 99-86. After falling behind by nine points early the LA outfit regrouped in the second and third quarters to put the finishing touches on their 15th Championship.

The Lakers were again led by Kobe Bryant with the support of Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. Bryant can now claim ownership of a crown without the "can't do it without Shaq" hoodoo as he was also the Finals MVP. Once again the Orlando backcourt was non existent putting in another horrible shooting performance.

Finally, in conclusion, I put forward this closing statement. I am not a Laker Basher per se, I have always been an admirer of the franchise over the years. I have always appreciated the way the game was played by Magic, Jabbar, Worthy and company along with the more recent contributions from Shaq in the late 90's - 2001. Recently I feel too much of the focus/hype surrounding the team has centered on one person while the likes of Gasol, Odom, Bynum and the rest of the supporting cast went unheralded. Now all of those gentlemen can enjoy and savour the spoils of a true team effort. Congrats!!

Orlando in six prediction dead!!!

2009-06-12T14:55:00.003+10:00

My prediction of the Orlando Magic winning the NBA title in six games fell by the wayside with todays 99-91 overtime loss to the LA Lakers. Kobe Bryamt returned to form for the Lakers who survived early foul trouble and more hot shooting by Orlando to go ahead in the third quarter and eventually pull out the win after trailing by double digits at half time. The game marked the first occaison since 1984 that two finals games have gone into overtime. Bryant finished with 32 points while Hedo Turkoglu led the Magic with 25 but missed several key free throws late in the game.

Game 5 of the series will be Sunday night (Monday Aussie time). The Magic need a win to extend the series while the Lakers can claim championship number 15 with a victory.

Has the power been restored??

2009-06-11T11:48:00.003+10:00

Good Question as the Orlando Magic simply shot the lights out in their 108-104 win over the LA Lakers on Tuesday night (Wed Aussie time). Even with the great shooting performance, the Lakers will have to look at missed freethrows and defensive lapses as contributing factors in letting aan opportunity to go up 3-0 in the series slip away. Kobe Bryant who shot only 50% from the line missed a crucial attempt in the last minute that would have cut the Magic lead to one. The Lakers poor foul line performance came after a Game two performance where they made 14 in a row late in the game.

The Lakers shooting aside, the Magic set an NBA Finals record in shooting 62.5% from the field. It was the first Finals win for the Orlando franchise and got them back into the series with Game 4 scheduled for Thursday (Friday Aussie time). Will this be Miami-Dallas redeux?? If the Magic can eek out another home win, it will be game on!!

Guards from Orlando lose Magic!!!

2009-06-09T14:48:00.000+10:00

So far in the NBA Finals series the Orlando Magic backcourt has been lacluster at best. Only Mikeal Pietrus in Game 1 has scored in double figures for the beleagured title contenders. Did anyone else notice that at times on Sunday the Magic went with a no point guard lineup? Rafer Alston did not play in the fourth quarter and Jameer Nelson only made a cameo appearance. No guard is shooting better than 38% and the group of backcourt players are shooting a combined 29%! Not championship contending stuff! Does anyone else think the early return of Nelson may have thrown a spanner into the chemistry of the guard group? Will the return to familiar turf for game 3 result in better performances?? Is there really a finals jinx for the Magic? Until Tuesday, we are left to ponder.

Prediction in trouble!!!!

2009-06-08T15:05:00.000+10:00

My forcast of a Macic win in the NBA finals looks to be in trouble!!! After losing again to the Lakers in LA today, Orlando finds themselves in a 2-0 hole. The Magic put forth a much better effort but fell short in overtime as Pau Gasol came up huge in the extra period.
Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu showed vast improvement in their shooting efforts over game one. dwight Howard had a better all around game but committed a costly seven turnovers.
Maybe the hoodoo of having never won a Finals game is keeping the Magic from getting over the hump, we will find out on tuesday as the Finals shift to Orlando. There is still a slight chance of my 4-2 prediction surviving!!!!

Under 19 World Championships

2009-06-07T15:17:00.000+10:00

The FIBA Under 19 World Championships will be held from 2-12 July in Auckland, New Zealand.
The groups are set as follows:

Group A: Angola, Greece, Lithuania and Puerto Rico
Group B: Egypt, France, Iran and USA
Group C: Australia, Canada, Spain and Syria
Group D: Argentina, Croatia, Kazakhstan and New Zealand

Some of the worlds finest young basketballers will be competing in the tournament so if you are in the area get out and have a look before they become famous!!
There will be team previews forthcoming in the next few weeks so stay tuned.

Also have a visit to : fiba.com where you can find more on the international game.

Local Scene

2009-06-07T15:06:00.000+10:00

The Australian National Basketball League (NBL), is set to tip off its revamped competition on 24 September 2009. The season opener will see the New Zealand Breakers hosting the Cairns Taipans at the North Shore Events Centre. The eight team league will have its season conclude on Valentines Day 2010 with post season play to follow. The eight teams for this season's competition are:

Gold Coast Breakers
Cairns Taipans
New Zealand Breakers
Melbourne Tigers
Adelaide 36ers
Perth Wildcats
Wolloongong Hawks
Townsville Crocodiles

By all means get out to matches as often as possible to keep the game alive in Australia. Also visit nbl.com.au, the offical website of the NBL.

Game 1 NBA Finals

2009-06-05T15:28:00.000+10:00

Ouch!! Maybe Kobe can do it all!!! but will he be able to do it for the entire series?? Perhaps this will be a wake up call for Mr. Howard and the rest of the Magic?
Clever as ever, Zen Master Jackson used a smothering at times triple teaming strategy to keep Howard to 12 points with 10 of those coming on free throws. Bryant to his credit showed no signs of the "Me Kobe" selfishness that has been known to surface in the past and was nothing but a pure team player getting 8 assists and 8 rebounds to go with his 40 points for the night. The Magic's outside shooters were non-existent.
The excellent game by Bryant overshadowed the return on Magic point guard Jameer Nelson. Will his prescence matter in the rest of the series?? Stay tuned, game two is on Sunday.

NBA Finals are here!!

2009-06-01T13:05:00.000+10:00

The finals of the NBA season are upon us with the Orlando set to face Los angeles in the best of seven series starting Thursday June 4. This promises to be an interesting championship series featuring the brute inside force of Orlando's Dwight Howard seemingly pitted against the will to win it all of Kobe Bryant from LA.

After the surface is scratched look for the undertones of the battle to boil down to Orlando's outside shooters and play of point guard Rafer Alston against the role players of LA getting their job done. Throw in a sidebar of the possibility of a big game or series from Derek Fisher of LA and the wisdom of "Zen Master" turned coach Phil Jackson in LA's corner.

Will the Magic be able to frustrate Kobe or will he get his way?? Can the Lakers stop Howard inside?? Hmm...stay tuned.

For opening predictions I'll say look for the Magic to win it all in six games. In finals basketball, I think ultimately the big men decide outcomes and I see Howard as the biggest man stepping up to the challenge.

Opening Blog -- Just one to get me started.

2009-05-29T16:05:00.000+10:00

Allo All:

I was recently asked who I thought was the best basketball player to ever play in the ACC? Note this is to be for their collegiate career, not accomplishments afterwards.
First and foremost, I say that you can't go past one David Thompson from NC State. For a 6'4" Small forward/Shooting guard, he garnered unprecedented attention from other teams. None other than Michael Jordan was in awe of his unreal leaping ability. The lob pass was brought into vogue by the Monte Towe (a 5'4" point guard) to David Thompson connection. The Thompson led State teams also eventually brought an end to the awesome UCLA dynasty which at the time was lead by one Bill Walton.

Note: there will be more to come on this subject, just getting the opening comments out there for a start.

Further from yesterday, Wikipedia goes on to say that the lob pass was "invented" by Thompson/Towe, amazing. Thompson had a 48 inch vertical leap that put his game constantly above the rim.

The rivalry between NC State and UCLA during the 1973-1974 seasons is legendary but even more memorable is the in conference rivalry between State and Maryland. The 1974 ACC Championship game, a 103-100 overtime victory by NC State over the Terps is considered by some one of the greatest ever collegiate games. State went on to finish that season with a perfect record on the way to an NCAA title.

The gentleman who posed this query of the best ACC player ever has put forward Art Heyman from Duke (1960-1963), as the best ACC player ever, sorry bud you have to put aside the local hero worship and look to the facts. Among the learned, Michael Jordan, Ralph Sampson, Tim Duncan, Christian Laettner, and Len Bias along with Thompson are truly the greatest to pass through the ACC when considering just their college careers. Often at his camps, Jordan points to Thompson as the player he watched and admired most when he was growing up.

Thompson's Accomplishments:

Collegiate

Three-year letter winner (1973–1975)
The Sporting News national Player of the Year (1975)
USBWA College Player of the Year (1975)
Consensus First-Team All-America (1973, 1974, 1975) by Associated Press (AP), United Press International (UPI), Eastman Kodak, The Sporting News
AP National Player of the Year (1974, 1975)
UPI Player of the Year (1975)
Eastman Kodak Award (1975)
Naismith Award (1975)
Adolph Rupp Trophy (1975)
Coach & Athlete Magazine Player of the Year (1975)
Helms Foundation Player of the Year (1974, 1975)
National Association of Basketball Coaches Player of the Year (1975)
United States Basketball Writers Association Player of the Year (1975)
Dunlop Player of the Year (1975)
Sullivan Award finalist (1974, 1975)
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Player of the Year (1973, 1974, 1975)
ACC Athlete of the Year (1973, 1975)
All-ACC First Team (1973, 1974, 1975)
North Carolina State retired his jersey number 44 (1975)
Led North Carolina State to the 1974 NCAA championship (30-1 record), 76-64 over Marquette University
In national semi-final win over UCLA, scored 28 points
In championship game, scored 21 points against Marquette
Most Valuable Player (MVP), NCAA Tournament (1974)
Led Wolfpack to a 79-7 record during his final three season (freshmen were ineligible then) including 57-1 during his sophomore and junior seasons (27-0, 30-1), the best in ACC history. His senior year record was 22-6.
Scored 2,309 points (26.8 ppg) in 86 varsity games; including highs of 57 points as a senior, 41 as a junior and 40 as a sophomore
Averaged 35.6 ppg, including a 54-point high on the North Carolina State freshman team
Grabbed 694 rebounds (8.1 rpg) in 86 games
World University Games MVP (1973)
Enshrined in North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame (1982)
NCAA All-Decade Team of the 1970s
Named to the ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team as one of the fifty greatest players in ACC history.

Information gathered from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Thompson_(basketball)#College_career

Ok, look for more in the next few days as I tackle more history and current happenings in the Hoops Universe.