NBA Off-season thread

Jason Williams is still in the league?

 

Not sure if this was a serious comment or not, but he had retired after signing a deal with the Clippers last offseason. He was recently allowed back (he tried to get back in during the later part of last season) and now seems all but headed to NY by most accounts.

 

Half snark, half curiosity. I thought he was still "in the league" in the way that Allan Houston, Keith Van Horn and Raef Lafrentz were still in the league. As in, a dead contract on the roster, and the team has no actual interest in having the player play.

 

Rashard Lewis to be suspended 10 games for using steroids.

Let the outrage begin!

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_bianchi/2009/08/magics-rashard-lewis-tests-positive-for-steroid-suspended-for-first-10-games-of-next-season-.html

 

Guess there will be an asterisk next to that Eastern Conference title.

 

Rashard Lewis test positive for elevated testosterone level and will be suspended 10 games.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/9902258/Magic's-Lewis-fails-drug-test,-must-sit-10-games

 

Did anyone hear about Rashard Lewis?

 

He did this, why? He's a 6-10 jump shooter for goodness sakes.

 

Looking to put a lock on the lottery for the next couple of seasons, the Pistons re-sign Ben Wallace.

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090807/SPORTS0102/908070425/Pistons-re-sign-Big-Ben

For -- you guessed it -- his "leadership ability."

yah yah yadda yadda blah blah. What is much-needed on the Pistons roster is not "leaders," it is guys who are good at "playing basketball."

: :

 

FEAR THE FRO!

I'm fine with him in a leadership role. Maybe he can get Rip to control himself.

 

"Leadership" and "mentoring" are complete bullshit.

They're almost always used as excuses/rationalizations for keeping around old washed-up has-beens who can't play no more.

Rip Hamilton is 31 years old; if he hasn't learned to control himself by now, a washed-up has-been Ben Wallace ain't going to teach him to do it. And remember, Ben Wallace was a senior member of the Pistons' screeching brigade too.

 

And it seemed like Wallace pouted through the last three seasons with the Bulls and Cavs. He didn't exactly come off as Willis Reed.