Splash - Brooklyn Academy feat Killah Priest

New joint from Brooklyn Academy featuring Killah Priest, off of Brooklyn Academy's Bored of Education album. I also included a bonus joint from Brooklyn Academy featuring Keith Murray.

Splash - Brooklyn Academy feat Killah Priest

Bonus: Hide - Brooklyn Academy ft Fresh Jones & Keith Murray

More: New Joints

The Truth - Jake One feat Freeway & Brother Ali

This new joint from Jake One is pretty goddamn tight. I suggest you check it out, this is going to be on Jake One's debut album, White Van Music. If you don't know, Jake One is a producer, not an MC.

The Truth - Jake One feat Freeway & Brother Ali

More: New Joints

MLB MVP Race - Update

If you remember earlier this month, I did a post on the system I created to rank the MVP candidates for each league. I went into more detail on how it works in that post, so if you missed that one I suggest you check it out before looking at the results here.

Here are the American League MVP Rankings through August, 29th:

If you have trouble seeing the rankings, then just click on the picture and you can get a larger view of the list. As you can see, Carlos Quentin has taken over the lead for AL MVP according to my rankings but it is real close race between Quentin, Justin Morneau, Josh Hamilton, and Kevin Youkilis. Right now if I had to go with my gut feeling, I think that Kevin Youkilis might end up winning the MVP, especially if the White Sox don't make the playoffs and the Red Sox do. I think Grady Sizemore would be the MVP if Cleveland had the type of season everyone expected them to have, but of course they haven't, so I don't see him winning it. The only other wild card as possible MVP would be Francisco Rodriguez if he breaks the saves record but I can't see the voters picking a closer for MVP when closers have a hard time winning the Cy Young, nevermind the MVP award.

Here are the National League MVP Rankings through August, 29th:

In the National League, Albert Pujols continues to be the front runner for MVP and I have no beef with that at all. Pujols is having a monster season, hitting .356 with 28 HR and 87 RBI, while having a .464 OBP and .632 SLG. Lance Berkman ranks second in the MVP voting but he is really no threat to Pujols. I think the biggest threat to Pujols is himself, because he is so good that he often gets overlooked in MVP voting, since everyone just expects him to be great every season. However, if Pujols doesn't win the MVP this year, it would really be a crime because he is having a great season on a team that has been in the playoff race all year. Ryan Braun could have a small case if he turns it up down the stretch but I think this is Pujols award to lose.

Previously: MLB MVP Race - Part 1 & MLB MVP Race - Albert Pujols & Kevin Youkilis

Real Hip Hop (Pete Rock Remix) - Das Efx

This remix is one of my favorite remixes from Pete Rock but there also are two other remixes of this joint that you may not have heard. When Pete Rock does a remix and the original is produced by DJ Premier, then it's no surprise that the other remixes might get overlooked, so check them out below.

Real Hip Hop (Pete Rock Remix) - Das Efx

Original Version:
Real Hip Hop (Produced by DJ Premier) - Das Efx

Bonus Joints:
Real Hip Hop (Solid Scheme Remix) - Das Efx

Real Hip Hop (PMD Remix) - Das Efx

More: Remixes

My Boston (Produced by DJ Premier) - Big Shug feat Singapore Kane & Termanology

New joint from Big Shug produced by DJ Premier, reppin' the city of Boston.

My Boston (Produced by DJ Premier) - Big Shug feat Singapore Kane & Termanology

More: New Joints

The Glow - Mos Def

He's an older joint from Mos Def that just popped up today.

The Glow - Mos Def

More: Rare Joints

Bars Segment 16 - Donny Goines & Jon Hope

Had to post this dope freestyle video from Donny Goines and Prov-City repper Jon Hope. Hope kills this once again.

Drama - DJ Muggs & Planet Asia

Got my hands on the clean version of the DJ Muggs & Planet Asia album, Pain Language. Here's one of the better joints off the album and the beat sounds like some vintage Wu-Tang that coulda been on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. I also included two bonus joints below.

Drama - DJ Muggs & Planet Asia

Bonus Joints:
Lions In The Forest - DJ Muggs & Planet Asia ft B-Real
Triple Threat - DJ Muggs & Planet Asia ft The Gza & Chace Infinite

More: New Joints

Money On The Ave - Reks ft Skyzoo (Video)

Here's the video for Money On The Ave by Reks featuring Skyzoo. I've been bumpin' this joint a lot in the whip lately.

Audio: Money On The Ave - Reks ft Skyzoo

Minor League Prospect Watch - Kyle Blanks

This week I chose to highlight Kyle Blanks in the Minor League Prospect Watch. Blanks is in the San Diego Padres system and is a 6'6", 270 pound first baseman, who not only mashes the ball but he also has some nifty footwork around the bag at first.

Kyle Blanks has been crushing the ball all season in Double-A, including a 9 RBI game this past Monday. He definitely has a Frank Thomas like build to him and while he doesn't walk as much as The Big Hurt, he still gets his fair share of walks with 51 on the season. His .403 on-base percentage is certainly impressive for a man of his size and proves that he is more than just a slugger. The one problem right now for Blanks is that he is blocked at first base in the majors by Adrian Gonzalez, so it wouldn't surprise me to see the Padres trade either Blanks or Gonzalez at some point in the next couple seasons. My guess would be that they trade Blanks, unless they don't want to spend money on Gonzalez when he becomes a free agent.

Here are Kyle Blanks stats for the season to date:

.324 AVG/18 HR/ 104 RBI/.403 OBP/.506 SLG/.909 OPS/51 BB

You can check out Kyle Blank's up to date stats on his Baseball Reference player page and his First Inning player page.

Here is where Kyle Banks ranks among minor league prospects:

Ranking in ScoutingBook (8/29/2008): #182
Ranking in Baseball America 2008: n/a
Ranking in Baseball Prospectus: Unranked
Ranking in MiLB.com Season Preview Unranked
Ranking from the Sporting News: Unranked
Ranking from ESPN: #68

Banks was not ranked that highly at the beginning of this season because he had not shown great power for his size but I think he may be ranked higher when next seasons rankings come out.

Here is everything you need to know about Kyle Blanks:

A nine-RBI performance on Monday, not to mention hits in nearly half his at-bats, was enough to keep the massive first baseman stationed near the top of the Hot Sheet. Blanks has reached a new gear in the second half, hitting .335/.399/.578 with 12 home runs and 13 doubles in 218 at-bats. He ranks second in the Texas League in RBIs (104) and hits (155), fourth in average (.324) and fifth in on-base percentage (.403). That's a heck of a year for the second-youngest regular position player (Elvis Andrus is 20) in the league. (Baseball America)

Kyle Blanks drove in so many runs on Monday, he literally lost track. Blanks went 5-for-6 with a homer and a career-high nine RBIs as the visiting San Antonio Missions totaled 28 hits in a 21-3 rout of the Corpus Christi Hooks on Monday. "I knew I had a few, but I thought I was somewhere around five RBIs," Blanks said. "I didn't know I had nine, but it was nice to know I did that well. It's definitely one of the best games I've ever had, by far." The 21-year-old Blanks drew a bases-loaded walk in the third inning, lined an RBI single in the fourth, singled again in the sixth, hit a two-run double in the eighth and did serious damage in the ninth with a two-run homer and a three-RBI double. "It felt good, I was just swinging the bat and had people on base for me," said Blanks, who's batting .318 with 18 homers and 101 RBIs this year. "Everyone did real well for me tonight, so it felt real good." Blanks drove in a previous career-high six runs in his first professional game back on June 22, 2005 for the Rookie-level Arizona League Padres. "It's nice to know I've got another number to aim for," Blanks said. A lofty goal, although nothing seems out of reach considering the way the Texas League All-Star has been swinging lately. It was the second five-hit effort in the last six days for Blanks, who, after his latest performance, has 21 RBIs in his last 11 games for the Missions. "I definitely think I've made some good adjustments to both the pitchers and parks," Blanks said of his fourth season. "I've played a little more this year, some more first base than DH, and I think I've made some pretty good adjustments. Hopefully I'll continue to do it." Blanks went 5-for-7 with a pair of homers and six RBIs on Aug. 20 against Frisco and said the secret was in his hands. "My hitting coach, Terry Kennedy, has been working with me over the past two weeks, and he gave me a little something he'd seen. Ever since than I've put that to work, things have just clicked," said Blanks. "He told me to get my hands up a little higher, so I brought them up and I started hitting again." The Padres' 42nd-round pick in 2004 has been an All-Star in each of his four seasons in San Diego's system. He was named the best power hitter in the organization by Baseball America in 2006, only to follow up the honor with 24 homers and 100 RBIs for Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore in 2007. That power Storm lineup is now in San Antonio, and Blanks said it felt like old times Monday. The Missions batted around four times. "We actually last year had a 30-0 game with 28 hits," Blanks said of the Storms' May 18 win over Lancaster last season. Blanks had six hits and scored six times that night. "This is virtually the exact same squad. A lot of the same guys are here, so we've put together some good games here as well." With four RBIs heading into the ninth, Blanks was just looking to stay on the roll. "I was just looking for a good pitch to hit. I was getting a lot of fastballs, and I looked for another," he said. "I got it that time and put a good swing on it." The Missions loaded the bases for Blanks a second time. There would be no bases-loaded walk in this inning. "I really just wanted to keep it rolling, just get a hit and keep everything going," Blanks said of the bases-clearing double that gave him 101 RBIs on the season. "And hopefully we'd keep going from there." Blanks is 13th Texas League player to have nine RBIs in a game. J.J. Clark holds a seemingly unbreakable record of 16 RBIs, set on June 15, 1902. But Blanks was just a piece of the puzzle. Jose Lobaton went 3-for-4 with two homers and three RBIs, Josh Alley had three hits and three RBIs, Craig Cooper added a pinch-hit two-run double and Gabriel Lopez went 4-for-6 and scored twice. The Missions' 28 hits were the most by a Texas League team since they tallied 28 on May 8, 1999 to beat the Midland RockHounds. Craig Monroe was the last player to total nine RBIs in a Texas League game on April 8, 2000 for the Tulsa Drillers. "It really just seemed like everyone was locked in," Blanks said. "Even the pitcher [Stephen Faris] had two hits." (MLB.com)

It may be a lost season in San Diego, where the Padres have long been out of contention and unloaded Greg Maddux up the street to the Dodgers. But in the Padres system there are some encouraging storylines and they begin with Blanks, the 6-foot-6, 281-pound hoss who was a 2004 draft-and-follow from Yavapai (Ariz.) JC.Blanks' big week was highlighted by his 6-RBI, 5-for-7 showing Wednesday against Frisco. In that game, he ripped a double and two home runs, including the walk-off winner in the 12th inning. Just 21, Blanks owns the eighth-best average (.313) in the Texas League as he has shown he is not a think-homer-first kind of basher. And look at his 91 RBIs. They are second, behind 25-year-old Tommy Everidge's 108 and ahead of three others who are in their mid-20s. His 140 hits also are third-best in the league and, cementing his status has to be his home average. It's .328, in a ballpark hardly known to be kind to hitters. Blanks' defense also has not been lost on Texas League managers, who like his nifty foot work at first base (he's committed five errors). (Baseball America)

Kyle Blanks and the San Antonio Missions showed no ill effects, one night after being no-hit for 5 1/3 innings by the Frisco RoughRiders. The 21-year-old slugger smacked his second homer of the game in the bottom of the 12th to give the Missions a wild 14-12 victory over the RoughRiders at Wolff Stadium. Needing a triple for the cycle, Blanks followed Chad Huffman's leadoff walk with his 17th homer of the season to give the Missions (28-29) their third win in four games. "It was great to get the win. We fought back all night and it was nice to get off the field with a win after five hours," Blanks said. The 6-foot-6, 270-pound first baseman went 5-for-7 and tied a career high with six RBIs. He had run-scoring singles in the first and fourth before launching a two-run homer in the sixth. In the eighth, he hit his 20th double to plate another run and, one batter later, Seth Johnston tied the game at 10-10 with a sacrifice fly. The teams traded zeros in the ninth to force extra innings and give Blanks another shot at the triple he needed for the cycle. He struck out in the 10th with the Missions trailing, 12-10, but Colt Morton tied the game with a two-out double. "[The cycle] definitely crossed my mind," Blanks said. "I heard someone say something about it on the bench at some point. I just wanted to get on base and keep the wheels moving and hopefully have someone drive me in." It was Blanks' fifth career multi-homer game and the third time he has driven in six runs. He homered twice and collected six RBIs for Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore on May 12, 2007. That was part of a season in which the New Mexico native batted .301 with 24 homers, 31 doubles and 100 RBIs to earn California League midseason and postseason All-Star honors. The six RBIs moved him into second place in the Texas League with 91. A starter in the Texas League All-Star Game, Blanks had a monster July, batting .307 with six homers and 26 RBIs in 26 games. He is 17-for-33 (.515) with three homers and 14 RBIs in his last nine contests. "I'm just being more patient," said Blanks, San Diego's 42nd-round pick in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft. "When I get those good pitches to hit, I'm hitting them and not missing them." Drew Macias homered, drove in two runs and scored five times, while Johnston homered and drove in three runs. One night after Frisco's Neftali Feliz and Trey Hodges combined on a rain-shortened no-hitter, Macias, Johnston and Blanks combined to go 10-for-17 with four homers, 11 RBIs and nine runs scored. "It's never fun to get no-hit," Blanks said. "They pitched well yesterday, but we wanted to come out and swing the bats and take that away. It seemed like everyone had some kind of part in it and we just had that never-say-die attitude." (MILB.com)

Kyle Blanks is the biggest thing in the Midwest League--literally. If he keeps hitting like he is, he will be the biggest thing figuratively as well.The 6-foot-6, 290-pounder was 3-for-4 last night with two doubles for Fort Wayne, and on the season the Padres prospect is 6-for-16 with five extra-base hits. He also has only one strikeout, a promising sign for a player who fanned 49 times in 164 at-bats in the Rookie-level Arizona League in 2005.The 19-year-old signed as a draft-and-follow after the Padres took him in the 42nd round out of Yavapai (Ariz.) JC. Despite his size, Blanks is graceful around the bag at first as he was named national juco defensive player of the year. (Baseball America)

Blanks batted .440 with 85 hits in 193 at bats, scored 45 runs, drove in 47, with 25 doubles and eight homer runs, leading the team in each of those categories. He also added five triples and 23 stolen bases in 25 attempts while walking 14 times and striking out 38 times. The Padres ended up signing the prospect just prior to the May 30 deadline for $260K.

How is it possible that a Kyle Blanks, a 6-foot-6, 270-pound athlete, can steal 23 bases?

Coach Smeltzer: Actually he is 280 pounds. Kyle is an amazing athlete, not just for his size, but for anyone’s size. He runs a 6.90 sixty-yard dash which is an average Major League time. He is a very intelligent baserunner. I think because of his size he gets ignored a little bit by opposing pitchers until they figure out that this kid will steal a base on me. He is a very good athlete. A very smart baserunner and obviously for his size he can really run.

Kyle won Player of the Year for the league and helped you guys immensely, what does he bring to the table as far as his all-around game?

Coach Smeltzer: Kyle is a kid that can hit for average right now and as time goes on he will develop more consistency with his power. He has a lot of power in his swing and it is not something he showed in high school. He only hit five home runs with the metal bat. What is more impressive about his offensive numbers is we play with wooden bats in our league. Kyle has already had 200 wood at bats which will put him ahead of the game. He ended up hitting ten homers, including playoffs, with a wood bat and that power consistency is going to continue to come and a lot of the average hitting he does comes from the pure strength of being able to pull balls through the six-hole and fighting balls off to the right side. He will continue to hit for average but we will see that average drop as he continues to become more of a power hitter. He has a good approach offensively, even when he gets two strikes. Right now he is about putting the ball in play with two strikes as opposed to what the Padres may try and have him do, air it out through the whole at bat and really learn how to develop that power.

As a right-handed, first baseman with his size, how is his fielding and work around the bag?

Coach Smeltzer: Defensively, agility-wise, his feet work well around the bag. He does tend to get a little bit top-heavy when he is fielding ground balls. I think that is still growing into his body. His feet, for being size 16, they do move well. He will continue to get better. He got a lot better for us as the year went on from a lot of his hard work and being coachable. He was a high school shortstop, if you can believe that. It is really a new position for him and it is continuing to become an everyday learning experience for him. Footwork and athletically he is getting very good at it.

Given his large frame, does he also carry a long swing and what types of pitches give him trouble?

Coach Smeltzer: His strike zone is big but his swing is very short and compact. You have to when you use a wood bat and face the caliber of pitching we face on a day-to-day basis. He has faced plenty of 88-to-92 arms on a regular basis in our conference. You can't have a long swing and have success with a wood bat in your hands facing those kinds of arms. His swing is very short but his strike zone is very big. That is something he has to fight through and he struggles with at times. Those balls down a little bit below his knees are a long reach for him. I think mentally it works in his favor because the pitcher sees that it is a large strike (Padres Scout)

More: Minor League Prospect Watch

The Art Of Disrespekinazation - Heltah Skeltah

New joint from Heltah Skeltah that came through my email today, plus some other Heltah Skeltah related goodies below.

The Art Of Disrespekinazation - Heltah Skeltah

Bonus Freestyle: Shade 45 Freestyle - Heltah Skeltah

More: New Joints

Barack Obama's Acceptance Speech (Video)

Now you know I had to throw up the video for Barack Obama's acceptance speech. Let's hope he wins because I'm scared to death to see what happens if McCain is the next president.

Fantasy Football League

I'm in another Fantasy Football League but we don't have enough teams right now, so if anyone wants to get down then drop me an email: antone2382@gmail.com

The draft is Sunday night at 9:30 PM Eastern Time and it's a free online draft through Yahoo. We have up to 5 spots available.

Updated Links

It'ss been hectic around here lately, so I haven't had the time or motivation to update some of the older links but here's the updates for today. Also, if you have any links you need updated just drop me an email and let me know.

A Fair One (Fat Joe Diss) - Papoose

Jon Hope Various Joints

Rising Down - The Roots feat Styles P & Mos Def

Big Dreams - The Game

I Don't Care - Nefew ft Torae

Gangsta Boogie - Pete Rock ft Slum Village

I'm A G - Pete Rock

Invincible (Produced by DJ Premier) - Capone N Noreaga

Black President - Sha Stimuli ft Skyzoo

Go Crazy (Remix) - Young Jeezy ft Jay-Z & Fat Joe

I'm Back - Rakim ft Lil Fame

Royal Flush - Outkast ft Raekwon

Skew It On The Bar-B - Outkast ft Raekwon

Heavy In Da Game - AZ ft Consequence

Stay Away - Rob-O, De La Soul, & Pete Rock

Section 8 - Royal Flush

More: Updated Links

Dearly Departed - DJ Babu feat MOP

It's always good to hear new MOP and this new joint does not disappoint. Got some nice sounding horns on this joint too.

Dearly Departed - DJ Babu feat MOP

More: New Joints

To The Top (Stick 2 The Script) - Statik Selektah ft Cassidy, Saigon, & Termanology (Video)

Peep the new video for the first single off of Statik Selektah's upcoming second album.

Audio: To The Top (Stick 2 The Script) - Statik Selektah ft Cassidy, Saigon, & Termanology

NBA Weekly

2008-2009 NBA Overview: Last week I took a look at what happened in the offseason in the Eastern Conference, so this week I'll take a look at what happened in the offseason in the Western Conference:

Los Angeles Lakers: The biggest move for the Lakers is getting Andrew Bynum back from injury. Once he returns, it will be interesting to see if he picks up where he left off last season or if he struggles. If he plays as well as he was last year, then the Lakers might be pretty tough to beat out West, but if he struggles then I think the Lakers would have a good chance of getting knocked off. The Lakers also added Chinese star Sun Yue but who knows how much he'll help them out this season.

New Orleans Hornets: This team is probably my favorite to win the West if the Lakers don't. I think the addition of James Posey will really help them out, especially when they go up against Kobe. Of course he'll also help them against Ginobili and McGrady and any other wing player they go up against in the playoffs. No other big additions for the Hornets, but Julian Wright should see some more playing time this year and could make a solid impact.

San Antonio Spurs: This is a team that I think could be in a little bit of trouble because Manu Ginobili seems like he is breaking down. He was not 100% healthy in the playoffs last season and now he just got hurt at the Olympics as well. He plays such a hectic style and throws his body all over the place, so I'm not sure he is going to be able to stay healthy. I think the biggest mistake the Spurs made was not adding another wing player, like Corey Maggette this offseason. If Ginobili goes down again, they will certainly be in trouble, but even if he doesn't, they might have a hard time making it out of the West.

Houston Rockets: The Rockets are the team that everyone is going to be talking about coming into the season because of the addition of Ron Artest. I like the move and think the Rockets will be a much improved team but you just never know for sure until they play some games together. McGrady, Artest, and Yao have all been injury prone throughout their careers too, so that is also something to think about. I like the additions of Brent Barry, D.J Strawberry and Joey Dorsey as well. This team could win the West if everything goes right for them but I want to see them play some games before I'm ready to declare them a Finals contender for sure.

Utah Jazz: The Jazz didn't do much this offseason to improve their team. Their biggest weakness is at SG and while Morris Almond played well in the Summer League, I don't think he is the answer there. Maybe Ronnie Brewer will develop some more. I still don't see how this team will be able to stop Kobe if they have to face the Lakers again and I don't think they improved all that much from last season. I see them being a 4 or 5 seed and getting knocked out in the 2nd round at best.

Phoenix Suns: The Phoneix Suns should be an interesting team to watch all season. They are definitely a playoff team but I don't see how they can compete with the better teams out West as long as they have 3 flawed defenders in Nash, Shaq, and Stoudemire. The addition of Robin Lopez should help them defensively when Shaq isn't on the floor but it's still not enough. I think Nash is on the decline as well, which makes their offense less potent and makes it harder for them to beat teams without playing great defense.

Portland Trailblazers: This team should be fun to watch this season with their young core of talent. Greg Oden will be the story early on and I'm interested to see just how good he is. Even if he struggles, this team should still be in the playoffs, because they have plenty of talent. Jerryd Bayless looks like the real deal offensively and we know what Brandon Roy can do already. I think Portland is at least the 7th best team out West and should make the playoffs easily.

Dallas Mavericks: You know, it seriously wouldn't surprise me if the Mavericks didn't make the playoffs this season. They didn't add anything to their team and they still have Jason Kidd as their PG. Kidd is pretty much worthless right now and it looks like the Mavs made a big mistake by trading Devin Harris. If teams like the Clippers, Nuggets, Warriors, and Kings play well this season then Dallas could be in the lottery next season. If Dirk Nowitzki has an off year or gets hurt, then it could be a long season for Dallas.

Los Angeles Clippers: Despite losing Elton Brand and Corey Maggette this offseason, I like what the Clippers added to their roster to make up for those losses. Marcus Camby should help ease some of the loss felt from Brand's departure and I think DeAndre Jordan will be solid off of the bench. Baron Davis will make a big impact on this team and should help out Al Thornton and Eric Gordon. The problem with this team might be the defense though. They are going to have to play an uptempo style of ball to be successful enough to make the playoffs.

Denver Nuggets: I really don't like the Nuggets chances without Marcus Camby but I'm not sold on Dallas or the Clippers 100% and any team with Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson is going to have a chance to win every night. The Nuggets didn't do much to try and replace the defense of Camby, so that is going to be their biggest issue. They don't have much down low at all and that will keep this team from making the playoffs if Dallas doesn't falter.

Golden State Warriors: The Warriors just lost Monta Ellis for 3 months, which would put him out until December probably. They should be able to stay afloat without him and it's possible this team could sneak into the playoffs. They added Corey Maggette in the offseason and he should thrive in the Warriors offense. I expect him to put up big numbers while Ellis is out. Brandan Wright and Anthony Morrow could give the Warriors some unexpected solid play this season as well.

Sacramento Kings: There's just something about this team that makes me think they could have a good year but then when I look at the roster I'm not sure anymore. They played well last season but now they have lost Ron Artest and got a lot younger in the process. Jason Thompson played well in the Summer League and I'm interested to see what he brings to the table during the regular season. Beno Udrih was solid at the end of last season and he'll join the underrated Kevin Martin in the back court, but I'm not sure the added enough in the offseason to build upon last seasons showing.

Minnesota, Memphis, and Oklahoma City should be fun to watch this season but I don't think they have any chance at the playoffs. They all should be more competitive than last season though and they all have good young talent and could develop into playoff caliber teams over the next 2-3 years if everything works out.

Other NBA News:

- Some sad news in the NBA world as Portland Trail Blazers center Kevin Duckworth died when his enlarged heart failed and former NBA player Wayman Tisdale had part of his right leg amputated Monday because of bone cancer. Duckworth and Tisdale were both solid players in their day. Duckworth was two time All-Star who averaged 11.8 points and 5.8 rebounds a game and was a key member of the late 80's - early 90's Trailblazers teams that featured Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter among others. Tisdale shot over 50% for his career and averaged 15.3 points and 6.1 rebounds. His best season was 1989-1990 when he averaged 22.3 points and 7.5 rebounds, while shooting 52.5% from the floor. Hopefully Tisdale will be able to beat cancer now that he has had his leg amputated.

- Monta Ellis will be sidelined for at least 3 months after severely spraining his ankle. As I stated above, I think the Warriors will remain competitive without Ellis and should be in the hunt for the 8th playoff spot out West by the end of the season. Marcus Williams looks to be the guy who will get the bulk of the minutes with Ellis out but the Warriors will also be taking a look at PG Shaun Livingston, who remains unsigned. All bets are off on the Warriors playoff chances if Ellis is out longer than 3 months though.

- The Celtics signed troubled forward Darius Miles and I think this is a good move for them. The Celtics didn't have the money to sign any big free agents, so they need a player like Miles who they can get cheap as a low risk, high reward signing. They probably hope that being around KG will get him to play up to his full potential.

- The Denver Nuggets re-signed shooting guard J.R. Smith. Smith averaged 12.3 points a game last season and shot 40.3% from 3-point land.

- The Lakers signed 2nd Round pick Joe Crawford, who I still think can be like a poor man's Chauncey Billups off the bench for the Lakers.

- The Suns and Kings swapped guards D.J. Strawberry and Sean Singletary. Both players should be able to help their teams out this season but I think Strawberry will have more of an impact for the Rockets than Singletary will have for the Suns.

More: NBA Weekly