Rockets and Rumors

Mike James has signed for 4 years with Minnesota. Sucks for Houston, good for Minnesota. They're still nowhere near contending, but Mike James really helps. They could potentially have 3 twenty PPG scorers next season. Mike James, Ricky Davis, and Garnett is a fearsome threesome, reminiscent of Cassell and Spreewell. They're probably a playoff team now. Look for Jaric to get moved.

THE END

     Mike James, arguably the best player who remains unsigned, gets a bum rap. People call him a selfish headcase, and he's not. While yes, he did average 20 points last year, he was shooting  47% and 44% from 3. It's hard to argue that he wasn't the second best offensive option for the Raptors. Appropriately, he was their second leading scorer, being Chris Bosh's 23.5 points per game. All other Raptors capable of scoring, appropriately, scored. Morris Peterson scored 17 points per game. Charlie Villanueva scored 13. Who else was going to score? He might not be Brevin Knight, but he did assist 6 times per game, good for 19th in the league. He plays good defense. He gets called a pass second point guard because of his twenty points, but he didn't assist any less last season than he's done for the rest of his career. I guess some people think that a point guard should try to avoid scoring, but when Mike James is the second best option on his team he should play like it. Whatever team signs him for the midlevel is going to get a hell of a bargain.

     So where is this misunderstood master of MikeJamesitude going to play next year? Dallas likes him, but if he's smart he won't play there. They already have Devin Harris, Jason Terry, Jerry Stackhouse, and Marquis Daniels at the guard spots competing for minutes. I think Mike James wants to get major minutes for a winner, as does every basketball player. That's why I think he will either go to Houston (He'd start, and has a home there), Cleveland, where he is better than Snow and Jones combined, or return to Toronto. Toronto, that's outrageous! That's what you're thinking, and you're wrong. You see, he would make a good shooting guard for Toronto. Mike James had his "feelings hurt" by Chris Bosh's callous remarks, but he harbors no ill will, saying Bosh was still his "boy." Of course, I'd guess that he returns to Houston. With James, T-Mac, Battier, and Yao starting, Houston will be a title contender.

     Raptors fans, you need to quit bellyaching about the Villanueva-Ford swap. Villanueva is NOT a small foward, and that's what he would have to be in Toronto. Either that, or he could have left when his rookie contract expired and he was tired of being a backup. He just can't defend the small fowards of the league consistently. Ford is a rare commodity, and the Raptors are better with him than they would have been with Villanueva. Sorry Raps fans, twin towers are power-foward center combinations, not a pair of fowards. Besides, with Bargnani Villanueva was going to be redunant. As constructed, the Raptors are a swingman away from being a good playoff team, maybe even this season's Clippers. Maybe Al Harrington? He played in Atlanta, so he'd play in Toronto. Jay Williams could come in and play some shooting guard, but he's more of a backup, as far as we know. I guess we'll wait and see.

Two centers have reached deals. Nazr Mohammhed is going to try to replace Big Ben in Detroit, and Pryzbilla is resigning with Portland.

Nazr - The pressure will be enormous, and no matter how well he plays he won't be as good as Ben Wallace was. The Pistons will still be a very good team, but not a contender. Look for about 52 wins from Detroit.

Pryzbilla - He could have started for the contending Spurs, but instead he's sticking with the Blazers. He's a real bargain for them at the midlevel, and makes them into a respectable team. The Trailblazers need a little time, but there's no doubt they're moving up in the world.

Spurs - No Nazr, no Pryzbilla, no center. With no starting centers left in free agency, what are they going to do? Could Duncan finally spend a season as the starting center? Looks like it. The Spurs don't really have the stuff to make a big trade. Maybe we'll see a tanking effort to try and get Oden. I doubt it. With any luck, the Spurs will avoid the lottery but be bad enough to get swept in the first round. I hate the Spurs.

Ben Wallace has signed a deal with the Bulls for 4 years and 52 million dollars. Not a bad contract, since it's short. The Bulls are a contender. Expect the PJ Brown trade to go down anytime now. Those Bulls are the team to beat now.

Starters - Chris Duhon, Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng, P.J. Brown, Ben Wallace

Bench - Ben Gordon, Andres Nocioni, Tyrus Thomas, J.R. Smith, MLE guy

That Bulls team looks pretty damn good. They are going to be an awesome defensive team, with an excellent bench. That really is a hell of a bench. Sixth man of the year Ben Gordon, Nocioni (A beast in the playoffs), Thomas, J.R. Smith is okay. The Bulls should try and sign Nazr Mohammhed with their MLE. Bolster their bench AND hinder the competition. San Antonio will shit themselves if Nazr walks.