Toronto Raptors: The Toronto Raptors fired head coach Sam Mitchell after what they deem to be a disappointing 8-9 start. To be honest, I really don't know if Sam Mitchell was a good coach or not, but I've been saying this since I started this blog that the Toronto Raptors are SOFT and are a flawed team. They probably thought they addressed their toughness by acquiring Jermaine O'Neal in the offseason, but as I've mentioned about 5 billion times in the past, O'Neal just isn't injury prone, he also isn't that good anymore. I'm not surprised one bit that the Raptors are a .500 team. Sure Chris Bosh is playing like a beast and Jose Calderon is great on the offensive end of the floor, but Calderon is basically the Spanish version of Steve Nash on the defensive end. The Raptors rank 24th in defensive efficiency and I'm not sure any other coach can get them to improve defensively with the way their roster is currently constructed.Cuttino Mobley: Cuttino Mobley is close to retiring because of an enlarged heart condition:
Cuttino Mobley is strongly mulling a medical retirement because of an enlarged heart condition and could make the announcement tomorrow, according to a person familiar with the situation. Mobley, 33, still has one more heart test left today in Minnesota. It had been reported that Mobley had signed a waiver with the Clippers to release them of liability if he had heart problems. If Mobley, obtained in the Zach Randolph trade from the Clippers, retires, it would free open a roster spot and save the Knicks about 75 percent of the $18. 9 million left on his pact because of insurance. Mobley, who gets all the money, was obtained more for his contract that expires after next season than for his game. According to the source, Mobley helped initiate the extra testing following his failed physical. "He's not really focused on basketball, his main concern is his health," the source said.
I definitely wish Mobley the best with dealing with his enlarged heart condition. It is probably best for Mobley to retire rather than risk putting his life in jeopardy. Throughout his career, Mobley has averaged 16.0 points a game and in his prime was one of the better 3-point shooters in the game, where he ranks 73rd all time at 37.8%. Mobley is also known for stepping his offensive game up when facing Kobe Bryant, since they are familiar with each other with both of them being from the Philadelphia area. Mobley attended the University of Rhode Island, which also happens to be my alma mater. So you know I'll be rooting for Cat Mobley to stay in good health.
NBA D-League: If you've been reading this blog for a while now, you probably know that I love to follow up on former college stars who aren't lottery picks coming out of school. Well, a lot of these guys end up in the D-League, so I thought I would take a look at some of them and see how they are performing:
Joe Crawford: Crawford has been destroying the D-League and has made it quite evident that he doesn't belong there through just 3 games. Crawford is averaging 29.0 points a game while shooting 52.7% from the floor. Too bad he's on the Lakers or he'd probably be playing some decent minutes for another NBA team.
J.R. Giddens: Celtics fans will be happy to learn that Giddens is also lighting up the D-League averaging 23.3 points a game, 7.7 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and 3.0 blocks. Giddens is also shooting an impressive 54.0% from the floor. He won't get much of a chance to play with the Celtics this season though.
Bill Walker: Giddens' temmate Bill Walker is also playing well in the D-League. Not as good as Giddens, but he is averaging 22.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.0 steals a game. Walker has a little turnover problem though, because he is averaging 5 of those a game.
Malik Hairston: Hairston continues to show off an all around game averaging 19.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals a game. Hairston is with the Spurs and is another guy who probably won't see much playing time.
Gary Forbes: Forbes is playing some decent ball down in the D-League with averages of 17.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.3 steals a game. He also is shooting the ball surprisingly well from deep hitting 8 of his 16 three point attempts.
Richard Hendrix: The Golden State Warriors' draftee is averaging 17.0 points and 11.8 rebounds a game, while shooting 55.3% from the floor.
Other NBA News:
- Surprise, surprise: Tracy McGrady is out for three weeks with a sore left knee. The Rockets won't be affected too much by the loss of McGrady for a few weeks, but this does nothing to answers the questions that many people have about the Rockets being able to stay healthy throughout the season. I have my doubts as well and even if they do stay healthy, I'm not sure they would make it past the Lakers anyway.
- The Orlando Magic have been hit by the injury bug and their body part of choice seems to be the thumb. Both Mickael Pietrus & Keith Bogans are out with thumb injuries. In other words, it's thumbs down for the Magic right now, who are forced to play J.J. Reddick in an extended role.
- Timberwolves forward Corey Brewer is out for the season with a torn ligament in his right knee.
- Some sad news for former NBA player Rodney Rogers, who was recently paralyzed after having an ATV accident. Best wishes to Rodney in dealing with this situation.
More: NBA Weekly
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