Clippers To Pursue Dwight Howard?

The NBA lockout still has to undergo some minor details (vote and ratify) before it's officially over. The news has started to pick up regarding who'll get released, traded, or signing elsewhere.

Orlando Magic big man Dwight Howard has been dodging questions about his future whereabouts, but that won't stop the rumor mill from ramping up. Reports say that the Los Angeles Clippers will possibly make a push for Howard. Interesting since Donald Sterling does own the Clippers. But I guess the possibility of playing with Blake Griffin might trump Sterling's incompetence. Think about the tandem of Howard and Griffin playing side by side. That might actually get some players to think about playing in Clipperland.

Of course the Clippers will have some heavy competition for Howard and Howard most of this, especially since the tentative labor agreement permits extend-and-trade deals and also allows sign-and-trade deals for all taxpaying teams during the first two seasons of the CBA.

I don't think it'll happen, but the Clippers might have the most attractive young trade chips to pull it off. 


     

Quote Of The Week: Stan Van Gundy

In light of the Miami Hurricanes scandal, Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy had some disparaging remarks about the NCAA.

“The system is set up for everybody but the kids while pretending to be about the kids,” Van Gundy said. “Athletics and education should be separate. Colleges shouldn’t be farm systems. It doesn’t make any logical sense. But the schools don’t want to be blatantly in the situation of being professional sports even though they already are professional sports. They just want to disguise it, so they hide behind education. But, really, all you want is enough of your athletes to graduate so it looks like that’s what you care about. Anyone around sports knows it is all a bunch of bull [expletive].


I think if you let kids take inducements it would widen the gap between the haves and have nots in college athletics. On the other hand the rules are so archaic and they need to be revised.

Dwight Howard Will Never Play For The Heat

Everyone knows Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard is a big kid and everyone knows it. Howard recently attended the Comic Con in San Diego and let out some of his inner child. There is one thing Howard doesn't kid about and that's his NBA future.

Howard wants to win a ring in the worse way, even though from the outside looking in some may not know it. He'll be a free agent after the 2012 season and he really doesn't care to discuss it. There is one team that won't be on his destination list though. The Miami Heat.

When the Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and LeBron James formed the "Big Three" in South Beach, Howard knew that basketball supremacy in the state of Florida left the Magic Kingdom. Howard has gone on to mock James' hairline, the chalk toss, and "The Decision" just to name a few examples.

When asked about who he's thinking of playing for it was no laughing matter regarding the Heat.

What about the Lakers? "That's everybody's question," he told the "Kick" audience. "I am wearing purple … but that's Rock's outfit."



The Heat? "Never."

Now the Heat would be the quickest way of getting to his goal of being an NBA champion, but he wants to blaze his own trail and be a leader of a team and not a follower.

Report Says Warriors Offered Monta Ellis For Dwight Howard

According to a report/tweet from Jonathan Givony from DraftExpress the Golden State Warriors mad a play for the Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard, offereing up Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh, and Andris Biendris. A pretty good package but not one that's going to land Howard.

If this is indeed true, teams thinking about lining up to trade for the big man will have to give up plenty in order to land him. So Laker fans don't get too enthusiastic about the big guy coming to Los Angeles.

Also, if the Warriors weren't going to trade Ellis, why were they alledgedly offering him in a package. it looks like Golden State is still intent on unloading Ellis no matter what their front office is saying.   

Dick Vitale, Stan Van Gundy Rip The Pistons

The Detroit Pistons have been getting ripped from coast to to coast over the practice boycott last Friday. It is for good reason, because no team in recent memory has pulled a stunt like this. At least Latrell Sprewell had the guts to choke P.J. Carlesimo.

Dick Vitale and Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy had their say about practicegate and the players involved. Phil Jackson has already thrown his two cents so why not pile on.

Vitale appeared on Mike and Mike in the morning on ESPN radio and blasted the players for what they did.

“What happened in Detroit was absolutely absurd," Vitale said. "When those players did what they did in that mutiny, unbelievable. It is absolutely sad and a black eye and absolutely hurts the image of the NBA big time. When guys like, for example, (Austin) Daye and (Chris) Wilcox and (Rodney) Stuckey, they all apologize for being late because they overslept, they couldn't come to the shootaround, give me a break! You're making hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars, you're making millions playing a kids' game, and you're going to oversleep! And then there's the scenario where (Tayshaun) Prince and (Tracy) McGrady, they were sick, they couldn't go to the shootaround. Are you serious? That's absolutely a tragedy. And you know what? It breaks my heart. For someone who, for over 50 years, loves the game, loves people, loves being with people, when you hear that, man, I'd rather go watch some sixth-, seventh-graders play in some Little League game than spend thousands of dollars to watch a bunch of guys who don't give a damn.”


Sounds like vintage Vitale to me, but I do have to agree with what he's saying. Van Gundy appeared on the Dan LeBatard Show to pile on the Pistons. I'm suprised LeBatard didn't chime in considering he gets in any dig about anything Detroit.


Van Gundy said, "If there are players who truly were healthy and 'boycotted' practice — I don't care what the problem they have with the head coach is — why would you want those guys on your team in any situation? All of us have problems with our bosses at times, but you don't choose to just not show up for work. That's about as childish and unprofessional as you can get. And clearly, that illuminates some of the Pistons' problems right there. When you've got that many guys with that little toughness and professionalism on your team, it wouldn't matter who is coaching them — you're not going to be very successful. They've obviously got the wrong guys in that locker room. That's about the weakest group of players I've seen in the NBA — people that would do that. Patrick Ewing and I were talking about it and we were saying that if any of those guys become free agents, why in God's name would you want any of them on your basketball team? I know this much about John Kuester. John Kuester is one of the nicest people in our profession, so he didn't get out of line and treat anyone like a sub-human or anything else. They might not have liked his coaching decisions — playing time, how he's handling rotations, whatever. You don't simply not show up for (work) when you're getting paid well and you're supposed to be a professional and a competitor. That's a very weak group of people."


Some harsh words from someone whose franchise player might be leaving town.