In retrospect, Danny Ainge has executed no trade as brilliant as the one which in essence sent the fifth pick in the 2007 draft and Delonte West to Seattle for Ray Allen. It was a huge risk at the time: Allen had come off double ankle surgery, at age 31. The player the Celtics were purported to be leaning toward in the draft -- Yi Jianlian -- was a highly coveted mystery. It wasn't a no-brainer, like the Kevin Garnett-Al Jefferson deal.
Ray has been utterly healthy since coming to Boston, though -- he's played in 94 percent of the Celtics' games in the 2-1/2 seasons, just two games fewer than ironman Paul Pierce and a full 35 games more than the younger Garnett. And he's been good, too, a key component of the 2008 title run and a stunningly efficient weapon in 2009.
With Chris Paulout for 1-2 months following what will be arthroscopic surgery on his knee to repair a torn meniscus, he'll of course also be missing the All-Star Game in Dallas, Texas. And while basketball fans across the globe are bummed that such a terrific talent will be missing time from dishing dimes in the regular season as well as in the House That Jerry Built, the question naturally must follow:
Who will replace CP3 in the All-Star Game next month?
After last week's report out of Phoenix that Amar'e Stoudemire and Suns management would be talking extension with a potential midseason trade as the safety net, the inevitable has happened: reports that Stoudemire's camp and the only franchise he's played for are not close in negotiations. As such, reports Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Suns will be listening to bidders for Amar'e a bit more intently as we edge closer to the February 19 trade deadline.
Woj reports the Bulls, Heat, Nets and Sixers have approached Phoenix. The Arizona Republic's Paul Coro reported Sunday the Warriors and Cavaliers have also bid for Amar'e. All these clubs make sense ... but so do a few others.
ORLANDO, Fla. -- As the consummate professional, Kings veteran Kevin Martin was saying all the right things Friday. The body language, though, was saying something else.
His future in Sacramento has grown cloudy.
Martin, who recently returned after missing 32 games with a fractured left wrist, is the only proven starter on a team that is eroding rapidly and searching for a new identity.
The Kings (15-27) lost for the 12th time in the last 13 games Friday, when they were throttled, 100-84, by the Orlando Magic.
This will be Martin's fourth consecutive losing season -- under his fifth different coach in his six years in Sacramento -- as the face of a team going nowhere.
In the run-up to last year's draft, the sports world was stunned to find out that Tyreke Evans had been behind the wheel for a drive-by shooting. Even more shocking was the fact that the case had already gone to trial, with Evans never even charged. Wait, it gets worse -- teams knew all this, but were still lining up to pick him near the top of the lottery. Is there no justice on this planet? Are we truly facing the end of civilization?
Thankfully, the family of the victim has decided to name Evans in a wrongful death civil suit and maybe, just maybe, restore a little sanity to this world we live in. From The Sacramento Bee:
The civil suit was filed by the family of Marcus Reason, who was killed in a drive-by shooting in 2007. Evans' cousin, Jamar Evans, was sentenced to 9-20 years after pleading guilty last January to third-degree murder and weapons charges ... [The] Reason family is seeking damages in excess of $50,000.Tyreke Evans was driving the car but never charged with a crime. Authorities said Evans cooperated with the investigation.
Time to be serious about this. Here are the key facts: Evans cooperated, was open with teams, and never charged with a crime.
In retrospect, Danny Ainge has executed no trade as brilliant as the one which in essence sent the fifth pick in the 2007 draft and 
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ORLANDO, Fla. -- As the consummate professional, Kings veteran 
In the run-up to last year's draft, the sports world was stunned to find out that 
