All-Star game 2010 roster changes

Kobe's out. So is AI. Chris Paul's on crutches. So who exactly is playing in Sunday's game? Starting for the Eastern Conference will be Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard and recent addition, Joe Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks. On the Westside of the equation, Dirk Nowitski gets the start in place of the injured Kobe Bryant (sprained ankle). He'll be the hometown hero since the game is to be played in Dallas, Texas. Joining Dirk will be the familiar All-Star faces: Carmelo Anthony, Steve Nash, Amare Stoudamire and Tim Duncan.

As for reserves we've got Derrick Rose, Chris Bosh, Al Horford, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Gerald Wallace and yes last minute replacement, David Lee of the New York Knicks. Lee received a call earlier this past week that he had just 20 minutes to go catch the NBA charter flight to Dallas so he could play in his first ever All-Star game on Sunday.

On the Western bench will be MVP candidate Kevin Durant of the OKC Thunder, Pau Gasol from the Lakers, and the Clippers Chris Kaman replacing the injured Kobe. Other reserves include Derron Williams of the Jazz, Zach Randolph (Memphis), and Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups (replacing Paul).

The big stories are the fact that Kobe and Iverson won't be part of the game. Kobe's got a legitimate injury he's been sitting out with from regular games. Iverson has been missing games recently due to an undisclosed family matter. Some are starting to speculate that Iverson will officially retire soon due to the fact he was a no-show for the big game after the fans voted him to start.

Other news is that Derrick Rose will battle through injury to play because this is a dream of his. There's been some contentions that Jason Kidd doesn't deserve a spot on the reserves with his current stats, while maybe rookie star Tyreke Evans does. The best reasoning for the Kidd inclusion is the fact the game's in Dallas where the fans will root for Kidd, and he's been amongst the All-Stars for several years, with league-leading assist numbers. Also, the Kings aren't exactly getting it done record-wise, while the Mavs are among the playoff contenders in the West. The best case for Tyreke Evans may be the fact he picked up the MVP award in today's Rookie's vs Sophomores game to prove just how good he is as the Rookies actually won.

Could this be the year Dirk picks up the All-Star MVP award? Or will a newcomer like Kevin Durant or Brandon Roy snag the honor? Don't count out the East either with Lebron and the rest of the crew.

Feel free to leave your comments about the new additions to the All-star game lineups, and your predictions on who will win the game and MVP award below.

NBA All-Star 2010 Reserves announced

Reserves for the 2010 NBA All-Star game in Dallas, Texas were announced earlier, with seven first-time players making the cut. These will include Chicago Bull Derrick Rose, Boston's Rajon Rondo, Atlanta's Al Horford, Gerald Wallace of the Bobcats, Kevin Durant of the Thunder, Zach Randolph of Memphis and Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz. Each of these players has earned their first ever spot on the All-Star team, serving as reserve players. All-star reserves are selected by the coaches from the respective Conference, while the starters are voted in by the fans. Here's a look at each conference's full All-star lineups.

Eastern Conference All-Stars

Starters:
Allen Iverson G
Dwyane Wade G
Lebron James F
Kevin Garnett F
Dwight Howard C

Reserves:
Derrick Rose G
Rajon Rondo G
Joe Johnson G
Chris Bosh F
Al Horford F
Gerald Wallace F
Paul Pierce F

Western Conference All-Stars

Starters:
Steve Nash G
Kobe Bryant G
Carmelo Anthony F
Tim Duncan F
Amare Stoudamire C

Reserves:
Kevin Durant F
Pau Gasol F
Dirk Nowitski F
Chris Paul G
Zach Randolph F
Brandon Roy G
Deron Williams G

This will mark Kevin Garnett's 13th appearance in the All-Star game, with Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan each having 12 appearances. Allen Iverson will have his 11th appearance on an All-star team, Dirk Nowitski his 9th, and Paul Pierce will make his 8th appearance on the team. If any player is unfortunately unable to play in the game, NBA Commissioner David Stern selects his choice as replacement.

The 2010 NBA All-Star game goes down on Sunday, February 14, 2010, Valentine's Day, in Dallas, Texas before an expected crowd of more than 80,000 fans.

2010 NBA All-Star starting lineups revealed

According to NBA.com, the Eastern and Western starters have been announced as voted on by the fans for the NBA All Star game 2010 edition. Both teams will feature some familiar faces who have been commonplace on the squads over the past several years, including the return of AI in the East.

This year's Eastern Conference squad will feature a starting lineup which includes guards Allen Iverson and Dwyane Wade, forwards Lebron James and Kevin Garnett, and center Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic. Many have questioned the selection of Iverson during his worst campaign of his career, as he's returned to play for the Philadelphia 76ers. However, the fans have spoken and Iverson will be amongst the competitors.

For the West, two Phoenix Suns have been voted onto the starting team, with guard Steve Nash and forward/center Amare Stoudamire. Joining them will be Kobe Bryant of the Lakers, Tim Duncan of the Spurs and Carmelo Anthony of the Nuggets. Anthony struggled in year's past to get onto the team, but now seems to have become a fan favorite.

Last year's game went down in Phoenix with a reunion of former teammates, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal sharing the MVP honors, despite their recent feud. The West crushed the East by a score of 146-119, so the East will be looking for some possible revenge out in Dallas.

They're doing it up big for this year's 2010 NBA All-Star game too. The game is to be held in Texas at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. Estimates have put the crowd at near 100,000 fans. The game will be played the night of Sunday, February 14, 2010, and most likely with the game in Dallas, Mavs GM Mark Cuban will make sure the night is full of entertainment for all.

See ticket information for NBA All-Star 2010 here.

For more on this year's All-star game visit NBA.com

Allen Iverson retiring after 14 seasons

Former MVP, scoring champ and 10-time All-Star Allen Iverson is reportedly retiring from the game he loves. He initially played 3 games with the Memphis Grizzlies this season before taking a leave of absence for personal matters. Soon after he and the team agreed to part ways. Now today according to Stephen A. Smith Iverson is hanging up the high tops.

For last season, Iverson was part of a Detroit Pistons team considered to be NBA title contenders. Iverson was upset at the role he was given as a reserve for the team. The Knicks considered signing the guard after he was waived this season, but decided against it because they felt Iverson would take time away from younger players they wanted to develop.

According to a statement that Stephen A. Smith published on his website, Iverson said "I feel strongly that I can still compete at the highest level." and that he still has tremendous love for the game. Iverson's former coach George Karl of the Denver Nuggets was shocked at the news, offering the following:

"I think he still has something left to give some team out there. If that's his decision, he'll go down in history, I think, as the greatest little guard ever to play the game of basketball," Karl said.

"I was happy to have him for a couple years and hopefully our paths will cross. But I have a sneaky feeling that somewhere along the way an injury or a circumstance with a team will open that window back up."

(Story Source: The Associated Press)

Iverson's $25,000 Fine & Coach Firings

On Tuesday the NBA fined Detroit Pistons guard Allen Iverson $25,000 for comments he made toward a fan in Charlotte. The comments came with just 6.2 seconds left in the third quarter. Detroit ended up winning the game 90-86. No report on exactly what was said by Iverson or the fan. According to Washington Post this is the second fine for Iverson since being dealt to the Pistons. His previous fine involved skipping practice on Thanksgiving day, which also resulted in him being benched for the start of the next game.

Happy trails to two former players turned NBA coaches, Sacramento's Reggie Theus and the Sixers Maurice Cheeks. At SportingNews.com two NBA "gurus" discussed the firing of Theus which took place on Monday.

BS: Are people blaming Theus for this, and if so, why shouldn't they?

TZ: Theus is taking blame, and he should. The local beat writer reported this morning that Theus had been habitually late for practices and the team bus. Theus admitted to being late for the bus. His reasoning? He didn't want to catch anyone else showing up late, for fear disciplining them would ruin the team chemistry. I find it hard to absolve Reggie, considering the biggest knock on the team has been a lack of on-court focus and discipline.

BS: Who did less coaching this year, Theus or Vinnie Del Negro? Or am I mistaken in assuming that Theus' mixed signals canceled themselves out?

TZ: Theus remained a stoic presence on the sideline; Del Negro tinkers with his rotations endlessly, it seems. At this point, I feel comfortable in stating that Theus is a better coach (makes better decisions), but Del Negro actually, um, cares.

Cheeks took full responsibility for his team's 9-14 start to the season. Cheeks was quoted as saying "Things don't always work out the way you expect them to," Cheeks said. "I take solace in the fact I did the best I could." The Sixers had high hopes for the season in which they acquired consistent star player, Elton Brand from the Clippers.

Marbury & Iverson Absences

Recent news from the NBA has surrounded two guards who many view as troubled superstars, looking to get on the right track. Iverson has been in the spotlight once again for another "practice" related incident. He missed a team practice Thanksgiving morning but issued a public apology statement saying it won't happen again. Iverson is not the Iverson of past who wouldn't care about missing practice, or apologize. His famous "practice..we talkin' bout practice?" highlight continues to be a favorite of ESPN, Fox Sports and Best Damn Sports Show Period. However, this is a more mature and committed to winning Iverson. He's in a much better environment for team winning and he's already made that known. Also, skipping a team practice is definitely not tolerated, but it's not as bad as missing actual games.

On the other hand is a player who hasn't played yet this season, even though he's physically able to. Stephon Marbury was suspended and fined for refusing to play for the Knicks this past Wednesday against Iverson's Pistons. Marbury had been specifically asked to play by his coach Mike D'Antoni. It seems to be a war of words as well, with Marbury saying he never told Coach D'Antoni he wouldn't play, simply that given a choice he'd prefer not to. Then again, it is the Knicks who recently decided they wanted Marbury's services upon trading away Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph. But to his discredit, Marbury was having similar player-coach issues last season with Isiah in town. This may be a carryover from last season's dismal New York team, or it may just be Marbury's personality. No matter what, it's clear one player wants to play and give his current team his all, while the other is riding the bench for a million dollar salary.

More on Marbury's issues in New York at Newsday.

Celtics Outdo Pistons 98-80

Tonight saw a hardwood rematch of the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals, similar result. The World Champion Boston Celtics were able to defeat Allen Iverson & the new-look Pistons, thanks to the play of young guard Rajon Rondo. Rondo outdid his veteran, former-MVP opponent scoring 18 points and dishing out 8 assists. Iverson recorded 16 points and 4 assists for the Pistons. The Big Ticket Kevin Garnett added 15 for the Celtics, who continue to be one of the best defensive teams in the league. The Celtics currently rank 1st or 2nd in most Team D categories,

These are the Pistons who dethroned the mighty Lakers a week ago, handing them their first loss of the season, as well as snapping the Cleveland Cavs 8 game win streak. Despite the high the Pistons were on, the Celtics humbled them and showed that Detroit still needs more time to gel if they plan to top the best of the East. It wouldn't be surprising to see these teams in another showdown come Playoff time 2009.

Iverson's Move to Detroit

At one time, Allen Iverson vowed that his pairing with Carmelo Anthony on the Denver Nuggets would bring a title to the squad. This came after Iverson spent many controversy-filled seasons in Philadelphia. He had incidents with coaches and teammates, the famous "Practice?" clips on ESPN, an MVP award and then a trip to the Finals where the LA Lakers eventually dismantled his Sixers. Denver seemed like a bit of a saving grace for Iverson as he mellowed out with Melo. AI made the All-Star squad and the team made the playoffs, but heightened expectations didn't translate into a strong playoff presence. Team D was blamed for the team not making a strong push.

Now just a day ago, Iverson has been traded to his third NBA Team, the Detroit Pistons. In exchange for AI, Denver picks up Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb. The questions of who got the best of the deal already start pouring out. Mr. Big Shot Billups would be a welcome addition to most squads, but will he fit in well with Denver and Melo? The same goes for AI, will he work in the style of play the Pistons use? The Pistons are not as much an uptempo run and gun type team as Denver has been. Iverson now plays alongside Rip Hamilton, but he'll most likely be the Pistons lead scorer and go-to-guy. His talents will be welcome but may disrupt Detroit.

Experience is a factor in the NBA, but age can be as well. It might not be the popular analysis, but Denver may have added more at this point than Detroit. Billups provides veteran playoff experience and leadership. He's won the title that Melo wants and can help guide the team in a playoff run. Not to mention he plays D and can knock down the big shots. McDyess helps in the defensive needs as well as rebounding, even though he's up there in age. He'll most likely defer to Melo as lead scorer and set him up with the shots he wants. At the same time, Iverson is on a squad with a few guys left over from that Pistons Championship Squad. Iverson, McDyess and Billups aren't exactly young though, and aging players don't always guarantee a team is going to win it all.

Read the Washington Post article on Iverson's trade

Reasons to Love the NBA!

Last night's NBA schedule featured returning superstars, quite a few sick plays, amazing stats and of course plenty of great NBA action. There's nothin but love from around the NBA...

TJ Ford returned from his second neck injury. He's been away for quite a bit after that nasty fall he took on the layup against the Hawks. Despite coming off the bench and only scoring 4 points, Ford's Raptors beat the Heat. TJ also had a great highlight with a baseline drive and dunk. Raptors win 114-82.

Corey Maggette and Chris Kaman both returned from cases of the flu to help the Clippers bring the Knicks down with the sickness, 103-94.

Allen Iverson had two top 10 shots, both buzzer beater types. The first was nearly half court, running with time expiring. The second was more crucial as it won the game for the Nuggets in OT.

J-Rich had an amazing dunk as he drove underneath the basket jumped up, cocked the ball and the reverse dunked on the rim. Gotta see it to believe it. Despite the play, J-Rich's Cats were outdone by Phoenix.

Josh Smith had an incredible game nearing a triple double with 17 points scoring. What was most incredible was the 9 blocks and 9 rebounds. According to Rick Kamla on Fantasy Hoops nobody really achieves those stats these days, making Smith one of the most unique players around. Smith also had a top highlight play as he did an around the back dribble move to elude defenders then hit a no look pass to his teammate down low for the score. Hawks rallied to beat the Sixers.

The 4 competitors for the NBA All-Star skills challenge were also announced. D-Wade will defend his title from last year against Jason Kidd, Deron Williams and New Orleans' hometown hero, Chris Paul.

Chris Kamla of NBA TV listed his 5 teams who could play spoilers in the Playoffs:

1)Jazz - last year's playoff run, great inside play
2)Lakers - Kobe, Kobe, Kobe, bench & Pasol
3)Nuggets - AI + Melo = win unless Spurs is the opponent
4)Hornets - Chris Paul continues to excel
5)Magic - playoff experience w/dominant Howard

Check out NBA.com if you haven't seen some of the amazing plays from last night's NBA games!

AI Technology: 51 Point Explosion!

Last night there was a pretty decent West Coast showdown on ESPN. It pitted Kobe's Lakers against AI, Melo and the Denver Nuggets. It stayed close through out and had an almost playoff feel to it. Kobe and Melo both hit the deck on different plays and came back from minor injuries to compete in the game. Kobe's team got the win 111-107, but Allen Iverson had the impressive stat of 51 points. He was having a "can't miss" kind of night as everything was falling for him. He'd hit shots as he fell back near the scorer's table, layups that looked easy for AI and hard for the rest of humanity, and jumpers from various spots all over the court. Iverson's total is the highest scoring mark for a player so far this season as he surpassed the feats of T-Mac, Kobe and Lebron James.

It goes to show this isn't just a big man's game. Iverson's already been a league MVP at such a short stature. He brought his Sixers team to the Finals one year against the Lakers and helped pull off a Game 1 upset. What is perhaps most impressive is he is the 3rd all time leader in NBA Scoring Average for his career. Above him at 1 and 2 are MJ and Wilt respectively. Now that's some amazing stuff for a little guy.

Now you also have to be curious about how far the Nuggets can go when they make the playoffs. They have 2 players who definitely want a title and who have the ability to completely take over a game. A Nuggets vs. Celtics finals perhaps? It would make for a nice treat, but the Celts already blew Denver out earlier this year..Time will tell.

NBA Releases 2007-08 Schedule

The NBA released its 2007-08 schedule today, and highlights 10 key games to watch this season. Here's my look at the ten dates they chose to mark down on your calendars.

October 30 - The Rings and the Rookie
Portland @ San Antonio, 8 p.m. ET, TNT
Houston @ LA Lakers, 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT

A great opening night contest with the Spurs receiving their championship rings and Greg Oden the highly touted rookie debuts against Tim Duncan. Definitely worth watching. Followed by a nightcap of Kobe and the Lakers vs. T-Mac, Yao and Steve Francis in a Rockets uniform again.

October 31 - KD, meet AI
Dallas @ Cleveland, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
Seattle @ Denver, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Dallas vs Cleveland was my predicted Finals matchup last year, but Golden State spoiled that notion. This should make for a great Halloween night matchup, followed by Kevin Durant and the Sonics taking on Melo, AI and the Nuggets.

November 2 - The New Big Three
Washington @ Boston, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN

The new big 3 of Boston in KG, Allen and Pierce (who stated he feels like a rookie again) taking on the big 3 of Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison.

November 8 - Not a Good Match
Dallas @ Golden State, 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT

Most likely considered a game where the Mavs should or could extract revenge. Golden State bounced them from the first round of the playoffs in a season where the Mavs were considered championship caliber.

December 6 - Date With a Showman
Miami @ Portland, 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT

The legendary Shaq takes on the newcomer Oden. Nuff said.

Monday, December 17 - Rematch
Phoenix @ San Antonio, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV

A rematch of the playoff series here. And no Tim Donaghy will not be calling the game. :)

Wednesday, December 19 - Recipe for a Classic
Phoenix @ Dallas, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Phoenix vs Dallas has always provided some classic games with tons of scoring and back and forth lead changes. You also have the past 2 MVP award winners and good buddies, Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitski.

December 25 - A New Holiday Tradition
Miami @ Cleveland, 2:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Phoenix @ LA Lakers, 5 p.m. ET, ABC
Seattle @ Portland, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN

Great Christmas gift for basketball fans, a triple header. Not only that but you get Kobe, D-Wade, Shaq, Lebron, Nash, Amare, and then Kevin Durant vs. Greg Oden.

February 8 - The Return of the Big Ticket
Boston @ Minnesota, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

KG makes his only return of the season to face his old team, the T-Wolves.

March 19 - The Answer Comes Back
Denver @ Philadelphia, 7 p.m. ET, League Pass

AI finally makes a return to Philly, where he and the Nuggets should most likely roll over the Sixers.