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About timbersfan
By: timbersfan , 11:22 PM GMT on March 09, 2012
I just spent two solid weeks figuring out where Jeremy Lin should be ranked in the annual "Who has the highest NBA trade value?" column. I asked my friends, coworkers and bosses. I asked NBA employees. I asked Knicks fans. I asked my Asian American friends, people dating Asian Americans, and anyone I knew named Jeremy. Heck, I even asked Jeremy Lin himself. Here was Jeremy's actual take.
"I'm hoping that I'm more valuable than the 467th best player in the league, and thankful if it happens because my trainer kept yelling '467!' every time I got tired during workouts!"
See? Even Jeremy doesn't really know. How can you assess the trade value of a rising star/walking sports movie/nine-figure cash cow/cultural icon? How can you ask, "What would it take for the Knicks to trade Jeremy Lin?" when the answer is, "Sorry, there's no f-ing way the Knicks would trade Jeremy Lin." And even then … would they ever in a million years trade Jeremy Lin? Would Jimmy Chitwood get traded? Would Rudy Ruettinger get traded? Would Roy Hobbs get traded? When you catch lightning in a bottle, you don't shake the bottle, take the cap off and hope it happens again.
1. Salaries matter. Would you rather pay Kyrie Irving $5.1 million a year or Tony Parker $12.5 million?
2. Age matters. Would you rather have Dirk Nowitzki for the next five seasons or Blake Griffin for the next 15?
3. Pretend the league passed the following rule: For 24 hours, any player can be traded without cap ramifications but with luxury-tax and next-day-cap ramifications. If Team A tells Team B, "We'll trade you Player X for Player Y," would Team B make the deal?
4. Concentrate on degrees. I don't think the Bulls or Heat would make a Wade-Rose swap, but Miami would at least say, "Rose's available?" while Chicago would say, "There's no way we're trading Derrick for someone seven years older." That counts in the big scheme of things.
5. The list runs in reverse order. So if Rajon Rondo comes in at no. 15, players 1 through 14 are all players about whom Boston would say, "We hate giving up Rondo, but we definitely have to at least have a meeting and discuss this deal." And the Celtics wouldn't trade him straight-up for any player listed between nos. 16 and 50.
And so Jeremy Lin became the first player to defy the spirit of this column. I wrote it, anyway, only needing 12 viewings of John Tesh's "Roundball Rock" (the official Trade Value anthem) to get my confidence back. You rattled me, Jeremy Lin, but you didn't break me. As always, I spent three weeks crafting dozens of different lists, getting input from The Committee Who Shall Not Be Named, repeatedly getting into e-mail fights about things like, "You can't tell me that the Lakers wouldn't trade Andrew Bynum for Marc Gasol, you just can't!!!!!!!!" and "I would rather marinate my testicles in sulfuric acid than put Tyreke Evans on this list."
Here's who got bumped from last year's top 50 list: DeJuan Blair (no. 50 last year) had a spirited "who knows, maybe he can play 15 years with no ACLs!" campaign lose luster when Brandon Roy's no-cartilege bid disintegrated … Danny Granger (44) is the captain of the "Guys Paid Like Franchise Players Who Aren't Franchise Players" All-Stars … Kevin Martin (43) is like a bottle of scotch: It's more fun to regift him than to keep him … there are 65 million reasons why Nene (42) didn't make it … Luis Scola (41) hasn't been the same post-Veto (couldn't you say that about all of us?) … we might need to introduce Andrew Bogut (40) to Phoenix's training staff soon … David West (33) lost an ACL and Chris Paul … Lamar Odom (31) proved he wasn't kidding when he turned down Portland's lucrative free agent offer in 2010 by saying, "You don't understand, I need to live near the beach" … Carlos Boozer (29) spray-paints his own hairline … Kevin Garnett (28) looks like "The Ageless KG" some nights and "The Washed-Up KG" other nights … and Amar'e Stoudemire (20) is 27 months away from legally changing his name to "Amar'e's Expiring Contract."
One note before we get to this year's toughest omissions:1 Once upon a time, I could barely scrape together 40 good players for this column, as we found out when the 2006 edition pegged Shawn Livingston at no. 27. This year? I easily could have slapped together a top 60. The league hasn't been this loaded for 19 solid years. We're in a good place. Here are my toughest omissions from "least tough" to "toughest":
Taj Gibson: Making one-seventh as much as Boozer, only every time he comes in for Boozer, it's like subbing an ISDN line for a dial-up. How would Gibson fare playing 35 minutes a night? It's unclear. Stay tuned for "More Things That Will Be Answered When Chicago Amnesthizes Boozer This Summer" right after this.
Trevor Booker: Sorry, I have a weakness for him.
Kenneth Faried: My favorite sneaky-good rookie from a likably eclectic rookie class, narrowly edging Enes Kanter, Jan Vesely, Nik Vucevic and Isaiah "Jimmer This!" Thomas.2 Remember when Faried was advertised pre-draft as an energy rebounder/defender who gave you young legs off the bench, nothing more, nothing less? That's EXACTLY what he is. He's like Safe House — you saw the trailer, you knew what to expect, then you saw the movie and came out of it thinking, That's exactly 100 percent what I expected!
Brook Lopez: His rebounds-per-game dwindled from 8.7 (2010) to 5.9 (last year) to 3.6 (this year). I wouldn't care except for the part that, you know, he plays center. Dwight Howard averages more rebounds per quarter. Let's all stop pretending those two names can exist in the same trade. Thanks.3
JaVale McGee: My wife rescued a sweet (and historically ugly) dog named Olivia who always slinks around our house like she did something wrong. If you say her name in a mean way, she'll immediately collapse to the ground in a puddle. There's just too much residual damage from her pre-rescue days. I feel like we're getting close to that point with JaVale: He's been stuck on a rudderless lottery team for years, with damaging results — a shame because the league isn't exactly overflowing with big guys who protect the rim. JaVale could have easily been "The Rich Man's DeAndre Jordan" on the right team. Instead, he's destined to be "The Underappreciated Leaper With Raw Tools Who Can't Help Doing Two Supernaturally Dumb Things Per Month and Has Been a Godsend for Sports Blogs." Too bad.4
Nicolas Batum: The geek-friendly teams (San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Oklahoma City, etc.) have circled him for years, fully expecting him to become Battier 2.0 on the right contender. He's getting an offer sheet next July that will make you say, "Wait … WHAT?????" Be prepared.
Monta Ellis: He's underqualified to be one of the best two guys on a contender and overqualified to become a more polished version of Jason Terry in Dallas (an Irrational Confidence Guy Deluxe). Where does that leave us for someone making $11 million a year? I don't know.5
Tyreke Evans: When somebody makes a documentary about the 2011-12 Kings, it's either going to be called The Sacramento Black Holes, Tyreke Takes It Himself or Wide Open: The Chuck Hayes Story. And the trailer is definitely going to have Paul Westphal or Keith Smart screaming Norman Dale-style, "What did I tell you guys? I want no passes before every shot! You hear me? NO PASSES!"
Al Jefferson: Can't decide if Al's recent revelation, "Hey, it's taken me eight years to realize that if I pass the ball outside and guys hit open shots, it helps free me up, I guess better late than never" should move him higher or lower.
Andre Iguodala, Luol Deng, Rudy Gay: Quality starters getting paid like franchise guys. Deng was the toughest omission — not only is he playing splendidly, I can't remember the last time a radical haircut transformed my opinion of someone this dramatically. You might have to go back to Demi Moore in Ghost.
Joakim Noah: The bad news: Making $60 million through 2016 … and we have no idea if the Bulls can survive offensively playing Noah in crunch time in June. The good news: He's played better after a botched attempt to sabotage his own trade value in the Dwight Howard talks. The great news: It's really fun to Photoshop his hair on other NBA players. As we're going to prove in Part 2 of this column.
Ersan Ilyasova: We're omitting this kooky DNA hybrid of Ivan Drago, James Franco, Josh Hartnett, Kevin McHale, Lurch and That Guy From Boardwalk Empire only because he's an unrestricted free agent this summer, making him impossible to assess for trade value purposes (especially when he's making just $2.541 million this year). Ilsh6 will have to settle for running away with 2012's "Random Free Agent Pickup Who Single-handedly Swung Your Fantasy League's Title," "What the Hell Just Happened in This Box Score????" and "Seriously, WHAT THE $%#@ IS GOING ON HERE!!!!!!!!!" awards.
Tony Allen: The league's best perimeter defender (it's true) and contract bargain (two years, $6.3 million), as well as someone who improbably shed "Trick or Treat Tony" status (he's just Tony now) and made Celtics fans say things like, "I wish we had Tony Allen" (also true). Why I love the conceit of this column — there's no way Memphis would rather pay Iguodala or Deng $14 million a year than Tony Allen $3 million a year. None.
Nikola Pekovic: This year's toughest omission. I didn't want to go overboard about six legitimately inspired weeks … but jeez, when he's giving us 17 points, 10 rebounds every night, thriving on high screens and banging bodies while carrying himself with the same nasty, Eastern Euro intensity of one of the bad guys in Taken, and he's doing it for just $4.5 million this year and $4.8 million next year, what more do you need?7
On to the top 50 …
GROUP N: "I Wouldn't Take This Call If I Knew He Was Definitely Sticking Around"
50. Ryan Anderson
Remember my December column about the Salary Cap Fantasy League? Would you enjoy paying $2.24 million this season for a guy who plays 31 minutes a game, averages 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds, makes 43 percent of his 3s (and takes 6.7 per game!) and 86 percent of his free throws and plays with the effectiveness of an obscenely rich man's Steve Novak? I thought so.8
49. Roy Hibbert
Like Anderson, a restricted free agent next summer. I love paying Roy Hibbert $2.59 million this year. I would not love paying Roy Hibbert $13 million next year.
48. Josh Smith
The original JWOWW needs a new team, new fans and a creative point guard who understands his fundamental need to slam home alley-oops with the sustained fury of a pregnant Jessica Simpson housing a box of doughnuts. Did you know the Hawks are paying $46 million to three guys next year (Smith, Al Horford and Joe Johnson)? See where I'm going with this? TRADE!!!!!!!!!
Only one problem: Josh Smith trades never seem to work. Who says no to Smith for Brook Lopez and Memo Okur's Expiring Deal? (Answer: The Hawks.) Who says no to Pau Gasol for Josh Smith, Tracy McGrady and Kirk Hinrich? (Answer: The Lakers.) Who says no to Atlanta saving $20 million next season by dealing Smith and Marvin Williams to Cleveland for Antawn Jamison's expiring contract? (Answer: The Hawks. But they definitely had a two-hour meeting about it.) What about the same Smith/Williams package for KG's expiring deal? (Answer: Probably Boston … if only because Danny Ainge took a designer drug that makes him think he can sign Dwight Howard this summer.) Who says no to a "Derrick Williams and the Anthony Randolph/Anthony Tolliver expirings for Josh Smith" swap? (Answer: Minnesota. But you know who says yes? YouTube!!! Rubio teamed up with Josh Smith????) There's never been a player thrown into more failed Trade Machine deals than Josh Smith.
GROUP M: "Sorry We're Being Irrational, It's Just That We Don't Want Him to Come Back and Haunt Us"
47. Derrick Favors
46. Evan Turner
Let's see … Philly needs to get bigger … Utah needs to get better on the perimeter … both teams have talented no. 2 overall picks who aren't playing enough … both teams are a little too attached to those guys … the Trade Machine approves … (can't we just call this one in????)
45. Eric Gordon
Would you trade Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, Goran Dragic, Lamar Odom and New York's 2012 no. 1 pick (probably 21st overall) for Gordon, Al Farouq Aminu and Minnesota's 2012 no. 1 pick (probably 19th overall)? Sure … if you were intentionally trying to suck all kinds of suck. Stay classy, David Stern.9
GROUP L: "Unsung Heroes With Favorable Contracts"
44. Ty Lawson
43. Paul Millsap
Everyone pounded the "Lawson is underrated!!!!" angle so violently that he became slightly overrated for someone who gives a fringe playoff team a 16-7 with 47/32/81 shooting splits and a couple of look-how-freaking-fast-he-is highlights per game. Just don't expect Millsap to give up that "So Underrated He's Slightly Overrated" belt anytime soon — not when he's averaging a 15-9 every game, making big shots for an overachieving team, and wielding a favorable contract ($16.4 million total through next season) and even more favorable PER ranking (this year: 16th overall). He's called "The Underrated Paul Millsap" pretty much as a rule at this point. All of this worries me — once you become overrated for being underrated, bad things ensue. Just ask Ben Wallace (overpaid by Chicago, never the same) and David West (blew out his knee). Tread carefully, Paul Millsap.
42. Danilo Gallinari
Every Knicks fan just grunted out loud, stared sadly at the screen for a few seconds, then thought back fondly to the MSG announcer yelling "Danilo Gallinarrrrrrrrrri!" with his fake Italian accent after a Gallinari 3. They had a weakness for Gallo, the same way I have a weakness for any news stories about serial killers or point shaving scandals. If a serial killer ever shaved points, it would be all over — I wouldn't be able to function. Wait, where were we?
41. Tyson Chandler10
40. Anderson Varejao
I'd rather have Chandler, but his contract (four years, $55.4 million) and facial hair (that goofy Fidel Castro look) isn't nearly as favorable as Varejao's contract (four years, $34.8 million) and haircut (the throwback Sideshow Bob look). Of course …
39. Marcin Gortat
Paying just $21.7 million through 2014 for a true center averaging a 16-11 with 56 percent shooting? Sign me up.11 This had a chance to become Otis Smith's shrewdest signing ever, only he messed it up by flipping Gortat into $58.8 million of Hedo Turkoglu and Jason Richardson. Otis Smith, everybody! He's the Reverse Black Friday — instead of everything being 50 percent off, it's 220 percent on.
38. Kyle Lowry
Killer value ($17.5 million total through 2014) for a quality point guard (16-7-5, 39 percent 3FG, elite defense). Let's have a round of applause for Dork Elvis — he basically traded Carl Landry, Rafer Alston, Aaron Brooks, a washed-up Tracy McGrady and Vassilis Spanoulis12 for Lowry, Martin, Scola, Dragic, Jordan Hill, the no. 23 pick in 2011 and New York's 2012 no. 1 pick. Also, did you know Houston is the only above-.500 team without a lottery pick in its nine-man rotation (much less starting for it)?
Bill lemme know what else you need or if this paragraph will suffice. Good seeing you in Boston. Thanks, Daryl.
(Whoops, I forgot to take that last part out. Sorry about that.)
GROUP K: "Sorry, It's Been Crazy Around Here … Actually, Can I Call You Back?"
37. Zach Randolph
Let's go inside the Grizzlies' war room …
Chris Wallace: "Should we quietly shop Z-Bo when he comes back from his knee injury?"
Assistant GM no. 1 [nodding]: "We're 22-12 without him."
Wallace: "And we don't want to pay Z-Bo, Gay, Conley and Gasol a combined $224.2 million through 2015 — "
Assistant GM no. 2: "Hold on, hold on … are you crazy? The five best players in last year's playoffs were LeBron, Dirk, Wade, Durant and Z-Bo! If he's even 80 percent back this spring, we can beat anyone in the West. We're a matchup nightmare! NOBODY WANTS TO PLAY US!13
[Everyone falls silent.]
Wallace: "You're right, let's ride him this spring, make a run at the title and shop him this summer. Anything else?"
Assistant GM no. 2: "Yeah, the league office called — they said that, no matter what happens this season, you're still ineligible to win 'Executive of the Year' because you picked Hasheem Thabeet over James Harden and Ricky Rubio."
36. Steve Nash
I don't blame the Suns anymore. I blame Nash. I think he's afraid to get traded. I think he likes toiling away on mediocre teams, playing that martyr role and having everyone feel sorry for him. Poor Steve Nash! Look what the Suns did to him! We have to get Nash out of there! #freestevenash Maybe he doesn't want the pressure of playing in the playoffs anymore. Maybe he'd rather bang out meaningless regular seasons, go traveling during the playoffs and save himself two months of wear and tear. Maybe he's hiding behind this whole "leaders don't sell out their teammates by asking for a trade" thing. Maybe he's just being a coward.
(By the way, I don't believe any of this — I just wanted to use a little reverse psychology to get Nash to ask for a trade because Phoenix is obviously too cowardly to accommodate him. I'm at wit's end. Don't you want him in the playoffs?)
35. Stephen Curry
Fell 15 spots from last year's list purely for "All right, what's really going on with Curry's right ankle?" reasons. That's one of the top-five conversation topics in NBA circles right now, along with "Why do the players hate Rondo so much?," "What are you hearing about Dwight?," "What are the Lakers going to do?" and "Did we ever figure out why Al Jefferson has a 38-year-old girlfriend????" So what's the answer? Is this a potential Grant Hill situation? Do the Warriors have the worst trainer/medical situation on the planet? Is Nike slipping? Are Curry's ankles made of papier-mâché? If there was a pay-per-view special of Curry getting an MRI on his right ankle, followed by Phoenix's medical staff breaking down the results, I think I'd pay $49.99 to watch it.
The good news for Warriors fans: Their team made a $500 million mistake by choosing Charles Jenkins over Jeremy Lin on December 8 (it's true, look it up), then wasted its amnesty on $4 million of Charlie Bell so they could overpay DeAndre Jordan with an offer sheet (didn't work), leaving them stuck with Andris "Why Didn't You Amnesthize and Put Me Out of My Own Misery????" Biedrins (owed $9 million each of the next two years) and little cap flexibility this summer. Oh, wait, that's horrible news. Speaking of Linsanity …
GROUP J: "We'll Consider It If You Throw in 500 Million Dollars"
34. Jeremy Lin
This feels about right. It's certainly better than being ranked between Sean Marks and Zabian Dowdell.
GROUP I: "The Young Guns"
33. James Harden
Even if it's about eight spots too high, I'm using this year's "I Know This Is Weird, I Just Like Him" immunity idol on him.14 Just know that, as a Celtics fan, it's hard to watch Harden without thinking of the days before the Perkins/Green trade, when Sam Presti sucked Danny Ainge in with the old, "I know we were talking about Harden for Perkins all week, and I know you were banking on the deal happening, and I know you already cleared the deal from your end with Doc and everyone else, but the more I'm thinking about it, I just can't do it … what about Jeff Green?" move. A Boston buddy of mine described it perfectly: It was like Costco drawing you to the store with a "50 Percent Off All Televisions!" sign, then picking out a state-of-the-art TV and going to pay, only to have them tell you, "No, no, that deal only counts for last year's models." Only at that point, you're already in the store and ready to buy something. Only bad things can happen after that.
(One silver lining: I pull this move on my wife all the time. Honey, I know we said we were getting dressed up and going to dinner on Sunday night, and I know you were banking on it, but I just can't do it … what about going to the Clippers-Warriors instead?")
32. Mystery Player A
Hold this thought until Part Two.
The 12 most cap-appealing NBA contracts that aren't rookie deals or expiring deals:
1. Tony Allen: 2 years, $6.45 million
2. Paul Millsap: 2 years, $16.7 million
3. Marcin Gortat: 3 years, $21.8 million
4. Kyle Lowry: 3 years, $17.5 million
5. Nikola Pekovic: 2 years, $9.3 million
6. Rajon Rondo: 4 years, $45 million
7. Tony Parker: 4 years, $50 million
8. Anderson Varejao: 4 years, $34.8 million
9. Josh Smith: 2 years, $25.6 million
10. Sam Dalembert: 2 years, $13.6 million
11. Udonis Haslem: 4 years, $16.8 million
12. Brandon Bass: 2 years, $8.5 million
31. Derrick Williams
Remember when the Celtics panic-traded rookies Chauncey Billups and Joe Johnson for immediate help, then everyone collectively realized you shouldn't trade lottery picks after slow starts? That mind-set wavered when struggling top-six picks like Darko Milicic, Jonny Flynn, Wesley Johnson and Thabeet weren't traded in time and lost their value, causing some teams to simultaneously think last month, Maybe the Timberwolves will be dumb enough to give up on Derrick Williams! and KAHHHHHHHHHHHHHN!!!!!!! Nope. Not after this box score happened.15
30. Hasheem Thabeet
Just kidding.
30. John Wall
As you know, I'm the longtime chairman of the "Is He a Point Guard or Not?" committee. (It's kind of like how Tip O'Neill was the Speaker of the House for all those years — you never knew how it happened, just that it was.) My verdict on Wall: He's a breathtaking athlete who has little to no idea how to run a team, lead his guys, make teammates better, ride hot hands, control the tempo of a game or do anything else that, say, Chris Paul does on a nightly basis. It's also a terrible sign that, for two straight years, Wall hasn't affected Washington's win-loss record really at all.16 Then again, could there have been a worse situation for a young point guard than the post-Arenas Blatche/McGee/Saunders Wizards? I wouldn't trade him … but I wouldn't trade for him, either. To be continued.
Hold on, it's time for a tangent: During Dorkapalooza 2012 in Boston last weekend, Seattle Sounders owner Drew Carey mentioned his favorite brainstorm, followed by me being practically paralyzed with idea envy. The idea? Carey wants to have Sounders fans vote for his team's president every four years. You know, like a presidential election. Is that brilliant or what? If there hadn't been 2,000 witnesses, I would have Zuckerberged the idea for myself. I just love it.
Anyway, we know the Wizards are hiring a new GM this summer; we know owner Ted Leonsis loves thinking outside the box; and we know the Wizards have no chance of being relevant in a "getting Kornheiser and Wilbon talking about them in the first five minutes of 'PTI'" kind of way unless they have another gun incident or JaVale McGee enters a game without shorts (which might happen, don't rule it out). Can you think of a better NBA team to say, "Screw it, let's have our fans vote for our team's GM every four years"? Why not? How would this NOT become one of the biggest sports stories of the year? And should I hire a campaign manager right now to be safe?
29. Paul George
28. Sergeballu LaMu Sayonga Loom Walahas Jonas Hugo Ibaka
The best stage for a rising young star: That "new car smell" phase when you haven't been paid big money yet (but it's coming), you go for too much in every fantasy auction, your rookie cards are worth twice as much as they should be, you're measured by your potential (not the actual results), everyone remembers your good games/moments (and not your bad games/moments), you're playing in the right situation for the right team, you're undeniably overvalued … only nobody cares, because you'll have these moments/sequences/games that make people say, "That dude is GOING places."
27. Al Horford
[Cut to Al Horford nodding wistfully.]
GROUP H: "Thanks Anyway, But He Should Probably Retire With Us (and It Would Be Bad Karma If He Didn't)"
26. Tim Duncan
25. Manu Ginobili
24. Paul Pierce
The inherent flaw of this column: Some guys aren't getting traded for the same reason that you wouldn't trade your kids, your dog or your spouse. [Thinking.] You're right, some people would trade their kids, dog or spouse.1 But once you win a title with someone, you can't just callously cut ties with them. Here's a good example of why I'm right …
Let's say Indiana offered Paul George straight up for Pierce — something that's actually conceivable because Indiana is $14 million under the cap right now (and could contend this spring with a short-term Pierce/George upgrade). You're running the Celtics. That trade saves you $12.9 million plus another $8.9 million in luxury tax money in 2012, then puts you $38 million under the cap heading into the 2012-13 season. It doesn't totally ruin this year's season and makes you better defensively. It gives you two-thirds of a pretty sweet under-27 core: Rondo and George. Really, it's a logical deal except you'd be crapping on a future Hall of Famer who just gave you 13 great years, wanted to retire with Boston and planned on going down as one of the six or seven best Celtics ever. That's why Boston would say no, just like the Colts would say no if they had a chance to release Peyton Manning and build around Andrew Luck.
(Hey, wait a second … )
GROUP G: "Too Young, Too Cheap, Too Good … Stop Calling Me"
23. Ricky Rubio
Poor Ricky played himself out of the top 15 with a ghastly shooting slump (he's down to 35.5 percent shooting for the season) that mushroomed these past eight games (17-for-69), a swoon that would feel like a bigger deal if Jason Kidd didn't shoot 38 percent for his first three seasons. Special players figure it out. Rubio sees the floor differently. He's always a half-step ahead of everyone else, especially defensively. His unselfishness is genuinely infectious in a Bird/Magic kind of way; along with Rick Adelman (it's 1999 Sacramento all over again for him), that's the biggest reason why the Timberwolves have morphed into the league's best passing team. And you can't deny his effect on Nikola Pekovic (a stiff last season) and Kevin Love (now a franchise guy). Watch the Wolves every week and you can't help but mutter, "Those guys look like they're having fun." Yeah, because it's fun to play basketball with Rubio and Love when Adelman is coaching you.
Of course, you can pick apart Rubio's "impact" pretty easily with advanced stats, which actually makes me feel better about basketball as a whole. I'm glad Ricky Rubio can be picked apart. I'm glad he's the 33rd best point guard in PER right now. That reinforces everything I believed about those numbers in the first place. Sometimes, they're going to be a little … off. They should be used to accentuate what we're watching, not to single-handedly shape opinions or beliefs. You can't fully measure how teammates relate to one another and fit in with each other; even the five-man plus/minus stat (which I like) only goes so far. We'll always have players and teams defying their metrics. Kyrie Irving is better than Ricky Rubio — we can all agree, right? — but I'm not sure this particular Timberwolves team would be better with Kyrie Irving. That's why I love basketball. It doesn't always make sense. And by the way …
A. Minnesota is going to make the playoffs unless somebody gets hurt.
B. Rubio could shoot 30 percent the rest of the way and still be the second-biggest reason it happened. So there.2
22. Mystery Player B
All right, release that thought (from Mystery Player A, ranked no. 32 in Part 1). Contrast these 2011-12 numbers …
Mystery Player A: 29.4 MPG, 16.2 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.2 BPG, 43% FG, 73% FT, 21 PER
Mystery Player B: 32.7 MPG, 16.4 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.6 BPG, 50% FG, 79% FT, 23 PER
Slight edge to Player B, right?
OK, so let's say Player B is a normal guy … and Player A is an unpredictable loose cannon who may or may not have just gotten his first coach fired a few weeks ago. Now which guy are you taking?
Here's the point: Boogie Cousins gets more hype than Greg Monroe; he got drafted two picks ahead of him; his upside seems like it should be higher; he's more fun to follow; he has a better nickname; and he's always going to seem a little more overpowering when he has it going. In the Grantland headquarters, we've probably had 20 Boogie Cousins conversations and 135 moments where Jay Kang cackled, "I LOVE BOOGIE!!!!" I don't remember anyone discussing Greg Monroe even once. I'm not even sure half our staff knows what he looks like. Just know that Sacramento would flip Boogie for Monroe in a cocaine heartbeat … and if the roles were reversed, Detroit would hang up.
GROUP F: "I'm Hanging Up and Calling You Back From a Pay Phone"
21. Andrew Bynum
Has there ever been a better "We'd be selling high if we traded him right now" example? From 2007 through 2011, Bynum played 35, 50, 65 and 54 games. Miraculously, he's played 35 consecutive games this season … in a lockout-shortened season, no less! We keep hearing that Jimmy Dolan 2.0 (a.k.a. Jimmy Buss)3 won't trade Bynum because that's his guy, but man, wouldn't it make sense to flip a healthy-right-now-at-this-moment Bynum for a point guard and/or multiple pieces for one last three-year run behind Kobe and Gasol? What am I missing? Could you get Lowry, Chase Budinger and Luis Scola for him? What about Nash and Gortat? What about Danny Granger and Roy Hibbert? What about Josh Smith, Zaza Pachulia and Jeff Teague? What about Elton Brand, Nik Vucevic and Evan Turner for Bynum and cap fodder? What about … ?
20. Deron Williams
Yeah, what about Deron Williams??? Isn't "Bynum and Steve Blake for Deron and Johan Petro" the single most logical basketball trade any two teams could make right now? Why aren't the Nets frantically trying to trade Williams for a proven name instead of crossing their fingers for the Dwight/Deron era? Why does Williams seem so content to waste his prime running plays for Lakers castoffs and Kardashian castoffs? Why would he ever in a million years re-sign with the Nets unless he thought someone else was coming? Is someone else coming? Why are NBA insiders equally adamant that (a) Dwight and Deron are going to Dallas, and (b) Dwight and Deron are going to Brooklyn? Why does Jay-Z hold so much sway over this situation when he owns 1 percent more of the Nets than you do? Who's going to root for the Brooklyn Nets when we just proved with Linsanity yet again that everyone in New York loves the Knicks? What's going on here? Seriously, what's going on here? Why can't I stop asking questions? Could someone slap me in the back of the head like a wonky TV screen?
19. Carmelo Anthony
Dear New York Knicks fans,
I know you're a little testy right now because Linsanity was so much fun, and now it's not as much fun. I know it's easy to redirect your anger and angst at someone whose name rhymes with "Bardello." Just remember …
A. Your team is struggling because its schedule got tougher post-Linsanity, and because you have a floating bull's-eye on you right now (not because 'Melo came back).
B. You might want to give one of the best pure scorers of the last 20 years a couple more weeks adjusting to TWO new point guards without any real practice time before deciding this situation can't be redeemed (especially when those two point guards are a de facto rookie and someone coming off back surgery who hasn't been relevant in three years).
C. Ask Portland fans what they think of Ray Felton. Ask Denver fans what they think of Timofey Mozgov. You basically acquired Carmelo and the cap space to sign Tyson Chandler for Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler.4 I'm pretty sure ANYONE ON THE F-ING PLANET would make that trade again.
D. You're focusing your frustrations on 'Melo because it allows you to avoid the elephant in the room … you know, Amar'e's uninsured/un-amnesty-able/cap-killing contract ($83 million through 2015), his general doughiness, his egregiously awful defense and the fact that he seems a half-step slow permanently. None of this is Carmelo's fault.
E. I went to Sunday's nationally televised Knicks-Celtics game in Boston. Carmelo made what seemed to be the clinching basket; Pierce made a 3 to tie; then Carmelo had a chance to win the game in regulation. As 'Melo was getting off the shot, everyone in the building had a collective slow-motion heart attack. Noooooooooooooooooo! We all thought that shot was going in. In my opinion, seven 2012 players make opposing fans crap their pants in a big moment: Kobe, Wade, Durant, Rose, Dirk, Carmelo … and just on reputation alone, Ray Allen. If you employ one of those players, you have a better chance of winning the title than everyone else. That's the way basketball works. Everything slows down, the pressure turns suffocating, games swing on one or two possessions, and playoff series hinge on two questions: "Can you get a stop when it matters?" and "Can you get two points when it matters?" You have the second question covered thanks to Carmelo. You need to work on the first question. In short, I think you should give this a few more weeks. You go 10-deep. Your team is scary. Take a deep breath and enjoy the ride … and remember, five years ago, the most riveting Knicks-related story you were following was a sexual-harrassment suit.
Bill Simmons
President of the "I Still Think Carmelo Can Work in New York" Club5
GROUP E: "You Realize We Could Make the Finals With Him, Right?"
18. Chris Bosh
Someone Who Knows Things told me that — dating back to last summer — Miami's Micky Arison wouldn't even discuss a Howard/Bosh trade with Orlando, which is why you never hear Miami's name mentioned as a possible Dwight destination (and why Dwight conspicuously left them off his trade list). I thought that was interesting. Of course, Chris Bosh isn't THAT good … and you know how much I love conspiracies … and you know I'll always believe to my dying day that LeBron/Wade/Bosh to Miami was decided weeks and maybe even months before The Decision happened (which certainly explains why the 2010 Heat threw away their season for cap space under the "wishful" thinking that Wade would "hopefully" come back and "maybe" recruit some help) … and if that's true, and Bosh was in on it all along and knew where the bodies were buried, wouldn't you be afraid to trade that guy?
(Just nod "yes" so we can move on. Thanks.)6
17. Pau Gasol
This is weird, so bear with me. Somehow, Pau's trade value has become underrated. After the Lakers nearly flipped him for Chris Paul in December, the "they'd never trade Pau" seal was broken and Pau became fair game for any and every trade rumor. Just because they tried to swap him for one of the league's 10 best players — smartly, by the way — doesn't mean they stuck him on Craigslist for the rest of the season. He's still the most skilled offensive big man in basketball and he's only 31. You know you can win a title if he's your second-best player. You know he's one of the few elite guys who can coexist with Kobe. Why trade someone like that? And also, why do I keep giving the Lakers advice? The more I'm thinking about it, trade Pau and keep Bynum — he's made of solid oak!
16. Tony Parker
That whole week of talking heads saying, "I'll tell you who the MVP is right now, it's Tony Parker!" was patently absurd and I'm not dignifying it. If you don't think LeBron is the league's MVP and best regular-season player, I don't know what to tell you — apparently your League Pass is broken. A more interesting angle: Do the Spurs have a Hall of Fame backcourt right now?
You could make a solid case that — factoring in rings (six total for Ginobili and Parker), winning percentage (in the .600s every year), playoff moments (plentiful), All-Star Games (six combined), the international thing (Parker is the best European guard ever; Ginobili is the best South American guard ever),7 styles (each has a couldn't-possibly-be-replicated offensive game), and the fact that both guys aren't close to being done yet (especially Parker) — both guys are headed for Springfield someday. Current backcourts in the Hall of Fame: Cousy/Sharman, Wanzer/Davies, the Jones boys, West/Goodrich, Monroe/Frazier, Isiah/Dumars … and we're done.
Group D: "Jeez, I Don't Know … We Have Him at Such a Good Price Right Now … "
15. Rajon Rondo
Hold on, I have to climb to the highest building in Los Angeles so I can scream this as loudly as I can in all caps: "THE CELTICS AREN'T PANIC-TRADING RAJON RONDO!!!!!!! IT'S NOT HAPPENING!!!! THEY HAVE ONLY TRIED TO TRADE HIM ONE TIME — FOR CHRIS PAUL, ONE OF THE BEST 10 PLAYERS IN THE LEAGUE!!!!! THEY HAVE NO INTEREST IN TRADING A DOLLAR FOR TWO 50-CENT PIECES!!! STOP SAYING OTHERWISE, PEOPLE WHO WRITE/SAY THINGS ABOUT BASKETBALL FOR A LIVING! IF THEY CAN'T GET A BLUE-CHIPPER FOR HIM, THEY ARE KEEPING HIM! MARK MY WORDS!!!!"
The biggest reason why Boston won't trade Rondo: his contract. Four years remaining, $45 million? That's highway robbery.
The second-biggest reason: On TV a few weeks ago, Chris Webber said something that made me say, "I wish I had thought of that first."8 They were talking about trades, and C-Webb pointed out that championship teams are always stubborn. In other words, instead of caving to the whims of their fans, the pressure of the media, the ebbs and flows of a season (or even someone's career) or especially conventional wisdom, they say to themselves, "Screw this, I know what I have, I'm sticking with it."
Now …
That's an awesome point. MJ's Bulls always resisted the urge to trade Pippen. Same for the Mavericks (Dirk), Lakers (Kobe), the Celtics (Pierce), Rockets (Hakeem), Lakers (Kareem)9 and even some lesser examples (the Spurs and Tony Parker circa 2010, the Sixers and Allen Iverson circa 2000, etc.). On the flip side, think of the teams who caved and dealt a signature player: Wilt Chamberlain (twice), Charles Barkley, Elvin Hayes, Jason Kidd, Pau Gasol, Dennis Johnson, Moses Malone, Alonzo Mourning, even C-Webb … for every Stephon Marbury or Bob McAdoo who doesn't haunt their old team, there are many more Barkley-like examples when the team wasn't stubborn enough to say, "No!!!!!" If we've learned anything from NBA history, it's that you should always be extremely wary about trading a blue-chipper without getting a blue-chipper back.
In Rondo's case, he's been playing in Boston just long enough that every Celtics fan can't help but pick apart his game … and yes, I include myself. I have flip-flopped on Rondo more than any sports issue maybe ever. Shit, I might change my mind again before the end of this paragraph. He can't shoot. He's terrified to get fouled — repeat: terrified — which changes how he plays in crunch time (he contorts his body as he's shooting layups to avoid contact). He's been described as "mercurial," "moody," and "an outright dick" behind the scenes. He's also been described as incredibly smart/astute, to the point that nobody would be surprised if he ran his own NBA team someday. He's also mired in a fairly thankless situation, playing on an aging contender with veterans who can't keep up with him; if they kept a statistic for "one-man fast breaks," he'd lead the league.
Don't underestimate the whole Theo Epstein/Larry Lucchino dynamic here; for years and years, Rondo was the "kid," the little brother, the one Pierce, Allen and Garnett teased and bossed around. Remember in Goodfellas when Tommy (Joe Pesci's character) snapped because his former boss kept telling him to go get his shinebox? It wasn't just the comment, it was the lack of respect festering behind it. Tommy knew that, to his old boss, he'd always be the loser who shined his shoes. It bugged him. That's why he flipped out. That's also why Theo left the Red Sox in 2005, and that's the biggest reason why Rondo has such a prickly relationship with Pierce, Allen and Garnett. They knew him when he was 20 years old, when he was holding that shinebox for them. You don't just flip a switch and stop thinking about someone that way.
There's just a lot going on. It's complicated. That's why "Should we trade Rondo?" dominated 70 percent of my conversations in Orlando (All-Star) and Boston (Sloan); I couldn't hash out my own feelings until stumbling across that C-Webb comment. Who knew Chris Webber (traded three times) would emerge as the Yoda of this situation? He's right. It's in Boston's best interests to be stubborn here … and I think Danny Ainge knows that better than anyone. With trade rumors swirling before a nationally televised game last Sunday, Rondo unleashed the "full car wash" package: an 18-17-20 box score that only J-Kidd and Oscar in their primes could have replicated, along with just enough contorting-his-body-to-avoid-contact missed layups to make us shake our heads and say, "Damn, he could have had a 30-20-20." Just know that everyone walked out of that building saying, "We are NOT trading Rondo." Which is exactly where we should have been all along.
(Well, unless you could get one of these next 14 guys.)
14. LaMarcus Aldridge
Here's what you're getting: 21 points and eight rebounds a night, decent defense, and someone who needs to be double-teamed (when he's feeling it) at an extremely fair price. You argue he's the most properly paid player in the league: $12.87 million this year; then $14 million, $15.1 million and $16.26 million. And on that note, I'm mailing in the rest of this paragraph just like the Blazers mailed in the 2011-12 season.
13. Marc Gasol
The reason why I stuck him higher than Aldridge, Gasol and Bosh: defense. He's the best all-around player of the four. Always in the right spot, fun to play with, doesn't need the ball too much … I mean, Memphis just rolled off a 22-12 stretch in a brutal conference with Gasol as their only reliable rebounder/defender. And he's only 27. And he's properly paid with a contract that seems semi-preposterous on paper (four years, $57 million) unless you're watching what he does every night. I am a fan.10
That reminds me: We'll remember 2012 as the year Eli Manning became the best QB in football, two Clippers started in the NBA All-Star Game, Jeremy Lin saved the Knicks, Tim Tebow won an NFL playoff game with an 80-yard touchdown pass, Marc Gasol passed Pau Gasol in the Trade Value column, and David Kahn got a contract extension … and it's not even April yet. The Mayans are having the best "Nobody believed in us!" season ever.
GROUP C: "Lemme Save You Some Time: N-O."
12. Russell Westbrook
11. Kyrie Irving11
A pure financial decision: I'd rather pay Irving $16.1 million from 2012 through 2014 than Westbrook twice as much. Also, if you're scoring at home, I moved past the "deeply regretting ever writing that Cleveland would regret passing on Derrick Williams for Irving" stage and entered the "Maybe I didn't go far enough when I said Kyrie was Kevin Johnson 2.0" stage about three weeks ago. What a gem. Could Cleveland really end up with Kyrie Irving AND Robert Griffin III?
(Add this to the list of kooky things happening in 2012: God no longer hates Cleveland.)
GROUP B: "Only If They Asked to Leave"
10. Dirk Nowitzki
When we taped the B.S. Report with him in Orlando, a beaming Dirk showed up and — as my Grantland colleague Dave Jacoby described it — sat down and basically threw his dick on the table. That "I'm the Finals MVP, we won the title, I came through, I don't have to spend the rest of my life wondering about what-ifs and having everyone pick my career apart" mind-set was practically oozing from his pores.
I can't remember another NBA superstar having his personality transformed by an NBA title; if it happened with, say, Hakeem Olajuwon, I don't remember reading about it. Dirk's next few years will be interesting for historical purposes: In my basketball book, I ranked Bird, Duncan, Havlicek, Baylor, Erving, Pettit, Malone and Barkley as the greatest forwards of all time (in that order). Dirk already leapfrogged the last three; he's about to jump the next three; and if that happens, suddenly he's one of the best 12 or 13 players of all time by any calculation. He's also the greatest international basketball player ever — and actually, you could argue that the distance between Dirk and the next best foreign guy (Gasol, Ginobili) is more like a chasm.12
(Well, unless you count Steve Nash. And I don't. In my opinion, Canada is no less of a foreign country than Texas is. Seriously, who do you have more in common with — Canadians or Texans? I'd trade Texas for Canada in a heartbeat even if the Intercontinental Trade Machine keeps rejecting it.)
9. Kobe Bryant
Pretty interesting career transformation going on here: Kobe slowly morphing into the anti-LeBron, an end-of-the-game killer and basketball-only machine, a man's man who has no problem baiting LeBron during the All-Star Game and derisively telling him, "Shoot the ball" (and threatening LeBron's manhood to some degree). He's done such a savvy job of positioning himself as "The Guy Who Is SO Not Afraid of Big Moments" that it's easy to forget that he's been lousy in big moments (at least this season, as 82games.com tells us). Beyond that, his durability is starting to feel superhuman — you could almost throw "Kobe Bryant injuries" into the Tyson Zone.
Kobe has a concussion and a broken nose? Just give him a mask and some Advil. Kobe broke his left arm in three places? He's listed as "probable" for tonight. Kobe's left leg was severed in a car accident and reattached in a nine-hour surgery? I guess that means he can only play 35 minutes a game instead of 40.
Look, he will never be Jordan. I was there for both. It's not close. But the way Kobe carries himself — at least this season — is starting to feel a little Jordan-esque, especially when you remember that Jordan's greatest feat ever was playing 310 out of 310 games (including playoffs) in a 31-month stretch from November '95 through June '98 (an insanely durable accomplishment that only Kobe could consider pulling off). You know what really impressed me after Kobe's buzzer-beater in Detroit this week? He didn't react even a little. Just walked back to his bench like he knew it was going in. That's the final stage of playing basketball: We watched Bird and Magic get there, and Jordan, and now Kobe. Shaking off a made buzzer-beater? That's when you know you're great. We're watching one of the best basketball careers of all time. Maybe you wouldn't have wanted to play with Kobe Bryant, but you'll always remember him.
8. Chris Paul
7. Dwyane Wade
The dumbest part of the Trade Value column every year: ranking the trade value of guys who will never, ever be traded. By the way, these guys are coming off the bench for the 2012 Olympic basketball team.
6. Dwight Howard
Am I the only one watching Orlando these last few weeks thinking, Wait, with the shooters they have surrounding Dwight right now, couldn't they do a pretty good impersonation of that 2009 Magic team that snuck into the finals? This goes back to the whole "stubborn" point from earlier: Since Orlando doesn't have a killer offer for the league's only overpowering center (and by all accounts, they don't), why not get a little stubborn here, hope you catch fire in the playoffs, then hope your significant financial advantages (thanks to the new lockout agreement) will be enough to sway Dwight to stay? Or does that make too much sense?
Before we get to the Untouchable Five, as promised (from Part 1) here's a link to our blog post of Joakim Noah's hair Photoshopped onto other NBA players. Thanks to Friend of Grantland Neil for the help.
Without further ado …
GROUP A: "Completely and Utterly Untouchable"
5. Blake Griffin
4. Kevin Love
One of the best random Trade Value battles I can remember. Let's break it down:
SALARIES: Blake is still playing under his rookie deal (two years, $12.95 million); Love just signed a lucrative extension (four years, $65 million with an out after Year 3). ADVANTAGE: GRIFFIN
NUMBERS: Blake is averaging 21-11 with 53/20/56 shooting splits and a 23.5 PER; Love is averaging 25.5-14 with 45-37-83 shooting splits and a 25.02 PER … on pace to surpass Duncan's best statistical season ever, by the way.13 ADVANTAGE: LOVE
BIGGEST WEAKNESS: For Griffin, his piss-poor free throw shooting (a real issue that's starting to affect his career). For Love, gravity. ADVANTAGE: LOVE
MEDIA SAVVY: Nobody works Twitter/blogs/ESPN/radio shows better than Love, but Blake's marketing plays (especially his Kia campaign) might be the shrewdest in years. Did anyone even know what the hell Kia was 18 months ago? ADVANTAGE: TIE
"SEEING THEM IN PERSON" FACTOR: This hurts because I love watching Love chase down boards with the sonar rebound chip that's implanted in his head. But this is 100 percent true … there's a rule at Clippers games (at least in my section) that goes, "Don't leave your seat to pee, eat or drink when Blake is on the court." ADVANTAGE: GRIFFIN
DEFENSE: Both guys try their hardest; both guys will never be McHale in his prime (or anywhere close). Love is a little further along only because he always seems to be in the right place; you can't say that about Blake. At least not yet. In Blake's defense, his coach is Vinny Del Negro. If I were Blake, I'd use that defense for anything and everything. Even speeding tickets. ADVANTAGE: LOVE
DURABILITY: Not a problem for either … but man, Griffin needs to start picking his spots better. When you're trying to win a title, you don't need to go for the Greatest YouTube Highlight Ever every time (especially in blowouts, and especially in traffic). Against Miami, Blake made the mistake of trying to dunk over Joel Anthony from eight feet away — just foolish for about 10 different reasons — and nearly ended up breaking his hip. Law of averages says he's going to get hurt one of these times. (Frantically knocking on wood.) Unless he slows down. Then again, that's my favorite thing about Blake: He goes 110 percent every play. He can't help himself.14 ADVANTAGE: LOVE
FACIAL HAIR: Huge win for Love here. A runaway. I don't think Blake can even grow one of those wispy 20-hair Larry Bird mustaches. ADVANTAGE: LOVE
CRUNCH-TIME CHOPS: A work in progress for Griffin, who can be handled by smarter teams who either swarm him with doubles or dare him to shoot 20-footers (and if he gets into the paint, they just foul him). But here's where Love has been a revelation — he's turned himself into a late-game assassin with his ability to shoot 3s, run high screens with Rubio and even post up with his back to the basket (he killed Kenyon Martin late on Wednesday night). ADVANTAGE: LOVE
NICKNAMES: Blake doesn't really need one; he's just "Blake." (Although "The Blake Show" isn't terrible.) Kevin Love's nickname is his full name said together — he's never called "Kevin" or "Love," just "Kevinlove." Boring category. ADVANTAGE: NEITHER
INTANGIBLES: Has there ever been a better in-game dunker than Blake? I saw MJ, 'Nique, Vince and Kemp in their primes — they never dunked on people as relentlessly and violently as Blake does. Meanwhile, Love has locked up the Mokeski Award15 (see the trophy below) for the second straight year. And, probably, for the rest of the decade. I love this category as much as I hated the last category. ADVANTAGE: GRIFFIN
[+] Enlarge
FINAL VERDICT: Blake is going to keep getting better and better if only because he wants to get better. But Love transformed himself into the league's best power forward and (in my opinion, anyway) the no. 2 MVP candidate behind LeBron. Nobody does more for his team night after night after night. It's true. ADVANTAGE: LOVE
3. Derrick Rose
2. Kevin Durant
Damn, if we weren't edging toward 10,000 words for Parts 1 and 2, I would have broken this one down, too. Allow me a couple of quick thoughts …
• Over the next few years, we're going to make a big fuss about Kobe becoming the first player to pass 40,000 career points. Just remember, Kevin Durant is closing in on 10,000 points (he'll get there by mid-April) … and he's only 23 years old.
• This is a weird comment that can't be backed up but I'm making it anyway: I don't think any NBA fan base loves a player more than Bulls fans love Derrick Rose. If you went into a Chicago sports bar and started trashing Rose during a Bulls game, you'd get beaten up and left for dead in an alley.
• You'd never think of these guys as our next Bird-Magic rivalry … but when you remember their ages (23), mind-sets (basketball-only, all the time, nothing else matters), positions (one's a guard, the other's a forward), conferences (one East, one West), situations (contenders for each), characters (everything they do is about their team), styles (balls-to-the-wall all the time), crunch-time chops (significant) and humility (you never hear either of these guys talk about himself as a brand, just a basketball player), suddenly that Bird-Magic tag isn't so farfetched. Kobe mentioned recently that he never had a "rival," which was technically true (although I blame Vince and T-Mac for not holding up their ends of the bargain). Rose and Durant have each other. Maybe. Regardless, whenever I think to myself, I love this season, I love the league and I love where we're headed, I think of these two guys first. A good sign for the future.
1. LeBron James16
Stick a fork in the 2012 MVP race. A 28-8-7 with 55/39/79 splits, world-class defense and a staggering 33 PER? Child, please. We spend so much time picking the Regular-Season King apart that it's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture — only Bird, Magic, Kareem, Russell and Wilt ever won three MVP awards in four years. I find it interesting that …
A. If you're starting a "Which Players Peaked With the Best Four-Year Runs?" discussion, you'd have to include 1984-87 Bird (3 MVPs, 2 titles); 1987-90 Magic (3 MVPs, 2 titles); 1990-93 Jordan (2 MVPs, 3 titles);17 1961-64 Russell (3 straight MVPs, 4 titles); 1965-1968 Wilt (3 straight MVPs, 1 title); and 1971-74 Kareem (3 MVPs, 1 title).
B. LeBron would have a chance for four straight MVPs if The Decision didn't unleash last spring's "I just don't feel right about voting for him, I'm picking Derrick Rose" backlash that eventually corrupted too many voters and media people. Including me. Nobody has ever won four straight MVP awards. 2009-12 LeBron and 1990-93 Jordan probably came the closest. And Russell was the only one who won four MVPs in five years.
C. You may have noticed that everyone else on that "three MVPs in four years" list won at least one title. So if Miami blows the title this spring, LeBron really will be making history. No pressure or anything.


text:
Favstar gets even better if you sign in.
Gift @GothVampyre Favstar Pro to unlock their best tweet!Gift them Pro!
I am in a terrible mood again...that's 2 years in a row now!
They are Jewish people and they denounce Zionism and Israel.Gaza is not about Muslim vs Jew.It's about real estate. pic.twitter.com/WN5MyC2v6Z
I had to get rid of my kids. The cats were allergic.
Trolls,trolls everywhere.Angry little men in their mother's basements using vile language to convey their brain's single-celled thoughts.Sad
#Black4Rohingya @ProtectRohingya
Cos silence is a crime... pic.twitter.com/CVCzV3ZX7e
My kids keep fighting about whose mommy's favourite which is strange cos all my favourite kids live on the next street ;)
Hey, here's a condom for you. If ur gonna act like a dick, you should dress like one....
What happens when you Twittercide? Does someone call a Twambulance? Is there a lot of paperwork to fill out? Asking for a friend o_O
I'll be happy with an edit function as the only change made #RIPTwitter
When your little brother-in-law threatens to send all your pics to Pornhub...o_O
Just when I think that I must be immune to these pictures by now, along comes another. #FreeGaza #IsraelKillsBabies pic.twitter.com/rzYS5H4xZc
"Most of my friends have never even seen a gun let alone heard gunfire"...Most of your friends are pussies o_O
Why doesn't Twitter have a "poke" function? Or a "stab" function? Or even just a "warning shot to the knee" function?
@ISF_Parents Hard to make the world a better place for our children, so simple to make better children for the world. pic.twitter.com/mWN65iOJ8L
Why am I even awake, yo?
Everyone that's riding WITH you is not riding FOR you. Run out of gas once in a while and see who helps you push - and keep them!
Crazy Psycho Biotch Stalkers, the line forms to the left...
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Is your dog a good citizen?
Find out Saturday during the American Kennel Club "responsible ownership day" event at the Gabby Jack Ranch Training Center.
Trainers will be administering the canine good citizen test for a $15 registration fee, as well as holding free sessions to teach dogs new tricks. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with free goodie bags for the first 20 dogs.
Gabby Jack Ranch is a nonprofit corporation that breeds and provides labradoodle and goldendoodle service dogs for the disabled, and for veterans through its homefront dogs program. So there will also be pet therapy and service dog demonstrations.
The training center is at 8212 Fair Oaks Blvd., Carmichael. For more information, call (916) 966-6758.
– Bee Metro Staff


text:
I've recently started twittering, for no reason other than, well, to partake in something that has grabbed millions of people around the globe. As an alleged marketing entrepreneur, I was beginning to feel distinctly uncomfortable whenever the subject of Twitter came up, and I knew that I wasn't part of the crowd! That said, I didn't go into it with any strategic plan or any great expectations and my initial thoughts were to use it as an online diary. As a business author, I reckoned it would be a useful discipline to see if I could write mini stories within the 140 characters limit, with no txt talk! So, having used Twitter religiously for six weeks, documenting my daily antics and providing a blow by blow account of my latest Amazon book rank, what are my thoughts so far? Firstly, I'm fascinated by the sheer randomness of Twitter. I'm not doing anything to gain followers, other than attempting to write interesting tweets. Well, they seem interesting to me, because after all, I am the subject matter! But boy have I attracted some unusual followers. I've had three women of obvious shady character (a euphemism for porno queens) that I suspect follow anybody with a pulse and a heartbeat in the hope they'll get one or two people interested in following them. Then I've had the people that are obviously doing keyword searches on Twitter, and you tweet on their chosen subject and they either follow you for your next two tweets before summarily despatching you or they stick around because you start following them. I've 'met' some fascinating people and I've also got a handful of clients, following me, which means that I have to think about what I write. And obviously, there are the followers that I don't know. At the moment I've got a very good magazine and a television company following me. My strategy? To play it cool. I've not set the world alight with a huge following, but then I'm not doing anything to generate one and I'm not Stephen Fry! So how much enjoyment do I get from twittering? If you look at my postings, you'll see that I like the sound of my online voice. I've gone back to my teenage years when I kept a diary, except now my diary is there for the world to see, (minus the drunken antics!). I've definitely increased my book sales on Amazon through Twitter and I've had direct messages from some interesting people. I suspect that if I really made the effort I could crank up my followers. But, I've made a conscious decision not to do this. I'm going for the slow scenic route. Let's see where it takes me.
Is this a blog from a professional marketer, or a thinly disguised rant from a miffed customer? I don't know, but after a visit to my local coffee shop this morning, I felt compelled to share a few thoughts on the subject of... smiling.
I've read no end of marketing books over the years and always taken some great advice from each one, in addition to some cracking statements that I use when training small businesses in the art of marketing on a shoestring. Most recently, the line: "the process is as important as the outcome" about the delivery of a product or service, really stuck out. And this morning, it was in at the front of my mind when being served by the owner of the coffee shop. She did the right things, albeit in an efficient manner that was bordering on brusque. However, she didn't make eye contact with me and she failed to smile even though I gave her a big beam. What made it worse was that she became animated and smiling when talking to her colleague.
It got me thinking that in our zeal to find the big marketing miracle at the end of the rainbow, we can often overlook the fact that the smallest things make the biggest difference. It's not simply what we actually deliver - whether we sell cakes and coffee or build websites, it is how we actually deliver and whether we make our customers feel fabulous. In my experience, many small businesses can get caught up in searching high and low for their unique selling point when in fact what makes them unique in a sea of "me too" products and services is how they interact with their customers.
So, a warm and genuine smile can go a long way, especially if we deliver products and services face to face. But, if we are not within an arm's-length of our customers, the words we use to describe what we deliver should communicate passion, warmth and enthusiasm. I believe that relevance, simplicity and humanity will define the successful brands of the future and not just the clever use of technology. Now will someone put the kettle on!
I've spent the week at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival Like many delegates this year, I wasn't there to party or pick up an award, but to learn about how marketing is evolving and how brands of all size need to adapt in today's fast changing and fragile economy. An impressive list of media, agencies and brands were there to spread words of wisdom through more than 50 seminars, workshops and masterclasses. Here are my top line takeaways from Cannes 2009 – of importance not just to big brands, but all the millions of small businesses out there, too. Digital creativity: Without doubt the key theme running throughout the week was the rising importance of digital as the primary means of engaging consumers. There was general agreement that the recession had accelerated migration of spend to digital, as consumers seek value when making purchases. It seemed clear that traditional advertising is unlikely to return to the heady heights of 2007. This is partly because consumers can no longer be talked at, interrupted, annoyed or even tricked into watching adverts – including banner ads online and heavily-branded websites. Central to digital creativity is the need to think less in terms of linear campaign planning and more as an ongoing 'on-demand' marketing strategy, reacting to consumers' conversations in real-time. Small businesses are some of the most prolific users of Twitter, suggesting that they may well be ahead of the curve on this trend. Brands as publishers: In his book, Here Comes Everybody, Clay Shirky claims that content is not king, but conversation is. Consumers are absolutely leading this trend through their own social media and networks, requiring brands to follow. There was a key message running through the week that brands must build useful content in order to be part of consumers' conversations in their own habitats. iPhone applications have become highly successful for this very reason – they provide some form of utility to consumers' daily lives. In such an environment, the brand is becoming a publisher. Video, audio, social tools like blogs or widgets, images and, of course, text are all key tools in the information era. Because production is cheap and accessible, small companies can use these tools as profitably as large businesses. Embracing the cloud: If content creation is on the rise, where will it all live? A number of speakers pointed to the 'cloud' - key areas on the web where content lives and consumers hang out. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, FlickR – they are all cloud-based services, so the chances are your business is already in the cloud to some extent. But the rise of the 'social web' is making these platforms more and more important, not just as a place to share content but to communicate. Businesses of all sizes have a chance to participate in this cloud ecosystem. Arguably, smaller brands have a bigger chance of success since building a small following may be easier than the masses larger brands will need to reach. The future is undeniably going to be digital for brands across the board. As 2009 unfolds, budgets may continue to shrink, but in this digital landscape, the 'long tail' of businesses stand a greater chance of flourishing. There they have a much richer set of tools and opportunities to market their brands. Perhaps that is worth celebrating.
No one knows when it might happen again but one thing is certain, the first Twitter Conference hosted by Marketing Donut, under the #mydonut hashtag, was a fantastic event and great success on many levels. On Tuesday, 30 June at 0930 GMT the event kicked off with a flurry of activity. Overall it could be said that the conference was a piece of organised chaos where ideas were exchanged, views were shared and conversations were had. The event was organised with help from Twitter for business expert – Mark Shaw – who shares the Marketing Donut goal of helping small businesses get the best from their marketing activities. Early estimates made by expert Twitter analyser, Andrew Fielden, indicate that the conference saw over 1,800 tweets exchanged in the 90 minute marathon session. Andrew said: "Wow, it was manic wasn't it and just goes to show how popular something like that can be. Well done to you guys for the effort being put in." The biggest result, in Twitter terms, was the 4th place positioning in the trending topics chart for a sustained period of time. The best part of the conference was the real reach that the event had and saw small business owners exchanging ideas, questions and views in one place with experts. As you can imagine, Marketing Donut site traffic was on the up and the overall reach of Twitter users who could have seen any one of the tweets was 67,562. The range of topics covered was vast and we hope that it was a gainful experience for all involved – as a trial event we did not know what might happen; but there is a definite working idea, which can be adapted for another time, in order to help small businesses maximise their marketing activity, and to get them connected with experts in one place for free! Thank you to everyone who took part. A selection of tweets by experts, small businesses and the Marketing Donut during the event:
yBCmels RT @simon_editor: Phew! Thanks for you question and comments, everyone. Good event! #mydonut// Solid effort! Tuesday 30th of June 2009 Signposter Great conference #mydonut people. Have a fantastic time. Now back to work ;-( Tuesday 30th of June 2009 MarkPocock Are you building your list on your web site? No, don't offer your damn newsletter.Offer something of value. #mydonut Tuesday 30th of June 2009 ThePodCompany RT @Firzzy: Do facebook pages really work? #mydonut Tuesday 30th of June 2009 MarketingDonut Today a twitter conference-tomorrow..some kind of Glastonbury for Twitter? #mydonut Tuesday 30th of June
Local press has been having a torrid time of it lately. It seems that scarcely a week goes by without reports of more problems for titles and groups within the medium. It's also a tough time for small businesses, which are seeing their profits squeezed by the downturn, while knowing full well that there has never been a more important time to shout louder than others in their field. Given these circumstances it might seem like a very frightening time to commit precious promotional budget to a struggling medium. But there are alternatives, and now is a great time to explore them. A service such as Signposter.com, an online service helping UK businesses buy and manage outdoor advertising, offers a viable, effective, low-cost and risk-free way to build up promotional collateral free from any potential surrounding editorial negativity. There is no denying that local press has a role to play in the promotional mix for small businesses. It's a proven way of reaching consumers in a local area. But now is surely the time for local businesses to do some research and be more adventurous, and gain stand-out by doing so. Outdoor advertising is now within the reach of small business managers.
On Tuesday, 30 June at 0930 GMT, this will be the day that Marketing Donut, more pertinently @marketingdonut, will make use of the power of Twitter in all its real-time networking glory. We've decided to host a "conversation conference" on Twitter so that small businesses, entrepreneurs, marketing experts and anyone who wants to be a part of this online event can chat about all things marketing. There will be a concentrated burst of activity between 0930 GMT and 1100 GMT. To get things going, we will be discussing topics and articles from the Marketing Donut. There will also be opportunities for small businesses to raise their issues or queries with our marketing experts. We also want to connect small businesses with fellow small businesses. It will be a simple conversation about your marketing activities in an online forum full of those who want to help you. This is not an exclusive invitation only event; we welcome the insight of anyone with a Twitter account. There are a number of ways to get involved:
Tweet comments about something you have seen on Marketing Donut Ask a marketing related question. You could be the one person who starts off a great debate or pose that marketing question you always wanted to ask. Engage in a one-on-one conversation. It could be with one of our experts, a fellow entrepreneur, or a complete stranger. You could Retweet a tweet that appears as part of the flow of ideas that you find useful, funny or of interest to your followers.
Following the event Following the event is easy too, it may be that you don't want to jump right in and that monitoring the event is all you want to take from the online conversation conference. If you use desktop Twitter applications, such as Tweetdeck or Seesmic, it is possible to set up search windows which will feed the whole flow of the conversations in real-time. Simply search for the hashtag topic of "#mydonut" This will be a great opportunity to get involved with small businesses and marketing experts alike. Look out for #mydonut come Tuesday 30th June and be a part of what is hoped to be a fun and worthwhile Twitter event hosted by Marketing Donut. Join in, use the #mydonut Hashtag, and let's have some fun!


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Willie Carter
Published: Thursday, October 11, 2007 at 12:38 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, October 11, 2007 at 12:51 p.m.
Willie M. Carter, 79, a native and resident of Magnolia, Miss., died at 1:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, 2007.
Visitation will be from 1 to 7 p.m. today at Cooks Funeral Home in McComb, Miss.
Funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Sherman Missionary Baptist Church, with burial in the church cemetery.
She is survived by seven sons, J.J. Carter Jr. and wife, Mamie, Flozell and wife, Brenda, Arthur and wife, Cheryl, Ernest and wife, Lucretia, Jerry and wife, Edna, Tonnie Carter and Larry and wife, Christal; and four daughters, Mary Waterman and husband, Joseph, of Houma, Georgette Bledsoe and husband, Larry, of Houma, Pearla Lewis and husband, Gregory, and Linda Windham and husband, Reggie.
She was preceded in death by her husband, J.J. Carter Sr.
She was a member of Sherman Missionary Baptist Church.
Cooks Enterprise Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.
Comments are currently unavailable on this article


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More Like the Anglo-Saxons
To his detractors, Nicolas Sarkozy resembles a panda-faced dwarf who rolls when he walks and stands uncomfortably at ceremonies, as if his shirt still had the hanger in it. They mock his tassled loafers ("so American") and the way he occasionally pulls up his pants as if nobody was looking. The darkness around his eyes, they say, is not natural (like a panda's), but suggests slugfests with innumerable enemies. In sum, to his detractors Sarkozy is the living epitome of the philosopher John Hobbes's famous description of the life of man: "nasty, brutish, and short."
But the man has fewer and fewer detractors since he became the twenty-third president of the French Republic, and the comparisons now being offered are to Charles de Gaulle and even to General Bonaparte. (Caricaturists depict Sarkozy, in a tricorn hat, sitting atop a rearing white charger in the Alps.) And this is not just because Sarkozy is strong, brilliant, and authoritative (some would say authoritarian); it is also because he stands at the eve of what seems to be shaping up as an era of far-reaching reform, perhaps the most thorough-going since Charles de Gaulle founded the Fifth Republic in 1958.
The French are famously ungovernable. The familiar paradox that has forever stymied students of France, including those of French nationality, is how a country with such a revolutionary past, still so packed with extreme political viewpoints (de...
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About the Author
Steven Englund, a longtime Commonweal contributor, is the author of Napoleon: A Political Life (Harvard University Press), which won the American Historical Association's J. Russell Major Prize. He is currently writing a comparative study of political anti-Semitism in Germany, Austria-Hungary, and France.


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The stay was great, clean rest rooms, showers and toilets. The grounds are kept clean and the staff from the gas station-store to the restaurant are great! The food was good and they have a very nice selection of beer. We had a bike that broke the frame and Aaron dropped of a welder and grinder and saved our week. We will be back with a larger group next time. Do not miss out on the what they have to offer.
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
- Panamint Springs is a small western-style resort seated in the beautiful Panamint Valley in Death Valley National Park. Marvelous views of distant sand dunes and the soaring 11,000' Panamint Mountains complete the setting for leisure dining and relaxation. Panamint Springs offers 14 motel rooms & 1 cottage, restaurant, campgrounds, RV park, gas station, and mini-mart. Our motel rooms are very basic, but clean. Our rooms are cooled with an evaporative cooling system. Some units offer their own A/C window unit in addition to this. We are pet friendly, however additional fees apply. If you are planning on doing some exploring, you'll find that Panamint Springs makes a great base camp for neighboring ghost towns, abandoned mines, and even desert waterfalls. Great for 4-wheel drive exploring, hiking, biking, or just relaxing! ... more less
- Also Known As:
- Panamint Springs Hotel Death Valley National Park
- Hotel Panamint Springs


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With owl6 by SariennStockWatch
©2007-2016 SariennStock
can be used as stock. Yet only 2 rules:
1) let me know, if you use it.
2) for DA only
more rules here: [link] READ THEM PLEASE!!!
1) let me know, if you use it.
2) for DA only
more rules here: [link] READ THEM PLEASE!!!
this is heavenly pic! so biautiful!!!!!
This is such a fantastically cool image, I adore it. <3
so sweet
what a beautyfull owl
How did you get the owl to do that? Amazing shot if he/she is alive <3
Not stock I could use, but this is wonderful!!!!!!!
What a cute little owl!
Oh my god so amazingly, simply BEAUTIFUL! Fantastic job
awesome.... i love owls
One of the best pictures I have ever seen ever
OMG the owl is hugging you!!!
wtf badass
I like it very much too!
Glad to hear that Artists often use mundane photos and amazingly turn them into impressive artwork, but your shot was already great to begin with
Wow, I am impressed that you have a pet owl and his personality is clearly quite charming just from the way he's so comfortable posing on you like that. I imagine he's quite a character. Hurray for unusual pets with great personality!
is that a real owl?
thats so cool
thats so cool
i bet that owl was so excited being on her sexy back
OMG. The owl is awesome.
i like it great shot
Wow, she's real?
Wow, this stock is brilliant! I'd love to use it somehow.
Thank you!
Thank you!
this is amazing..YOU are amazing as well as your little Owl .I will be sure to make something here...you have a beautiful spirit
Beautiful girl and a beautiful owl.
Are owls good pets in general?
Are owls good pets in general?
That owl is amazing it's such a model!
Hi, what kind of owl is he? I recently came into possession of a feather like his primaries and have been struggling to identify it
i want an owl too o.O


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WARNING: Playing RISK at Major Command is addictive! Worst Game Ever for productive people.
I just wanted to play RISK online. Two years later, I bought the website! ~ Seriously, I did.
I was an alcoholic. Then came Major Command. This little site made a huge difference in my life.
Want to play Risk online? Try MajorCommand.com. We've taken the Risk game to a whole new level!
Play for free, forever!
Play the game at your own pace: Casually, with 24 hour turns, or intense REAL-TIME action with friends!


text:
I'm using the Digg Digg sidebar on a client's site. He wants to use the floating sidebar on a few pages, which is fine, but the way you describe in the FAQ to use the floating sidebar isn't working.
Right now I'm using the following:
add_filter('the_excerpt', 'dd_hook_wp_content');
add_filter('the_content', 'dd_hook_wp_content');
In the top of a page template in order to add the floating sidebar.
I've additionally tried putting it in the footer, and in the functions file with a conditional per page as you describe in the FAQ.
An example of the page where I'd like the floating sidebar is:
Do you have any idea as to why it's not working?


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- Windows (41)
- Linux (39)
- Grouping and Descriptive Categories (33)
- Mac (32)
- Android (16)
- Modern (16)
Graphics Software
- Capture
- Graphics Conversion
- Editors
- 3D Modeling
- 3D Rendering
- Presentation
- Viewers
- Image Galleries
- Handwriting recognition
Hot topics in Graphics Softwarecad portable winpenpack 3d cad portable hacking tools pdf split and merge portable jedit portable brl-cad portable software maxima portable
winPenPack: Portable Software Collection
The portable software collection4,668 weekly downloads
Open Source Solid Modeling CAD1,918 weekly downloads
Matroska is an open standard audio/video container format. Visit our homepage at http://www.matroska.org701 weekly downloads
libdmtx is a software library that enables programs to read and write Data Matrix (or "DataMatrix") 2D barcodes. It runs on several platforms, and can be accessed by multiple languages. The package provides fully featured command line utilities.177 weekly downloads
ngPlant is a plant modeling software package. ngPlant interactive tool can be used to create 3D models of different plants and trees. ngPlant software libraries can be used by developers in their 3D applications, or plant modeling plugins.123 weekly downloads
Ink2Text Handwriting Recognition System
This system provides printed and cursive handwriting recognition service as a shared library on GNU/Linux/Unix systems. Until someone writes another client, try the S/HIP: https://sourceforge.net/projects/ship-project/12 weekly downloads
HPINKJET (inactive)
The Hewlett-Packard Co. Linux Inkjet Driver Project has moved! Our new site is: http://hplip.sourceforge.net18 weekly downloads
A easy basic in order to make games in 2d style amos for linux and windows The basic it comprises a module runtime, ide examples and games.41 weekly downloads
MS Ink Server
Obsolete for most. Use the Ink2Text project instead - no Windows needed! A Linux/Unix library providing full cursive & printed handwriting recognition by connecting to a Windows XP Tablet back end. Need Service & client files.2 weekly downloads
netshot - shoots and uploads!
In short, this utility takes screenshots and uploads them to a remote server. This utility is advanced: it provides the user with a very comfortable text-based interface. There are two modes available: interactive and automatic. Will be developed.4 weekly downloads
Java CADBox.2D is a mid-range computer-aided design (CAD) software package for 2D design. It was dsigned as an electronic drawing board.2 weekly downloads
X3D is the open-standard format for 3D graphics scenes on the Web.2 weekly downloads
Gnu-com: Alien Research
A project to dissect the game about the alien menace that has unfortunatly become Abandonware--as well as a really bad arcade game. We are researching X-Com. We can do it, we have the technology to build it bigger, faster, and more slimey.3 weekly downloads
A framework for creating java GUI application by defining GML(Graphics Markup Language) only drag and drop GUI component in CS3 software. After define GML this software can generate source code automatically comply with the framework(View,Modal,Controlle2 weekly downloads
GLCaml is an Objective Caml interface for OpenGL versions 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.1 plus some platform-independent extensions.2 weekly downloads
Magelan - Java 2D Graphics Editor
This project provides a library of easy to use 2D graphics editor tools and a functional and extendable stand-alone graphics editor.2 weekly downloads
MyWorld Engine
MyWorld is an open virtual reality and game engine. It is written and usable in C/C++. It has own abstract layers for Graphics and Physics. Actually we use Irrlicht for 3D-Rendering and GUI, and ODE for Physics. It is smart, powerful and easy to extend.2 weekly downloads
Bitwise Stack of Life Games
Eye candy showing parallel Conway's Life games in the bit planes of the screen, using boolean BitBlt operations. (Independently rediscovered algorithm given already in Smalltalk-80 Blue Book, by the inventors of BitBlt.)1 weekly downloads
Klecks primary purpose is to convert SVGs to commonly viewable formats. If the project evolves well it may become the batik (http://xml.apache.org/batik) of the php world.1 weekly downloads
A fast and lean render engine with multiple renderbackends1 weekly downloads
Verse is a network protocol for creating client/server 3D applications. It uses subdivision surfaces as its sole geometric primitive, features a high-quality material description system, and many other neat features.1 weekly downloads
Xynth Windowing System
Xynth is a portable embedded windowing system, client/server interface between display hardware (mouse, keyboard, video displays) and the desktop environment that works on many hardware, including embedded devices (handhelds, set-top boxes, etc.). Move project source to github: https://github.com/alperakcan/xynth1 weekly downloads
Andalus- The Open Source Islamic Library
Andalus is a high availability, fully featured Islamic library written entirely in Java. It is a technology suitable for nearly any application that requires to make use of integrable Islamic resources. http://openandalus.wordpress.com/
CFFI Bindings for Cairo, Pango, + Pixbuf
cl-pcp is a collection of Common Lisp CFFI bindings for Pango, Cairo, and PixBuf from the GTK+ (Gimp Tool Kit) Project. This is meant as a lightweight, general solution for developing graphical/text based applications in Common Lisp.
An object-oriented library and framework to facilitate the procedural generation of real-time environments.


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Make us your 1st Choice and buy your garden buildings direct from our shed store. Now
Diamond Garden Sheds
All the Diamond Garden Sheds are made from redwood deal (not cheap whitewood) on 2x2 vertical framing. Available in sizes from 4x3 right up to 28x14 in ALL sizes. Bespoke designs available. Delivered and assembled FREE of charge in their delivery area.
Diamond are quality sheds - made since 1982 and are available to VIEW at our display site, near Guildford, Surrey. (we believe that you should be able to view the quality of our building and not just rely on a brochure or computer)
Platinum Garden Buildings
The Trentan Buildings are the ultimate in quality and style. Made from redwood deal (not cheap whitewood), fully pressure treated tanalised timber. Long lasting Onduline roof. Substantial 70x45mm (2¾" x 1¾") framing as standard. Sizes 8x8 right up 20x30. Bespoke designs to suit YOUR requirements.
15 years life for long term peace of mind. Erected free. On display for viewing, unlike, most other internet web sites. (View the quality of our building - not just rely on a brochure or computer screen)
Humber Garden Sheds
Humber Garden Shed are very good, high value timber buildings. Made on 2x2 framework and clad in T&G shiplap or tanalised loglap boarding. The floor and roof are also made from proper timber T&G boards, NOT, inferior sheet materials. Sizes are from 4x3 right up 18x10. Bespoke designs to suit YOU.
Price includes floor, vat, delivery and FREE installation (within 120 miles of Birmingham). View these sheds at our display site in Surrey. Don't risk disappointment by relying on just a brochure or computer screen.
Diamond Potting Sheds
The Diamond Timber Garden Solar Potting Shed is different to other garden potting sheds, with glass on the front wall and two end walls, This means no wasted space inside which you get with the traditional type of potting shed with the glass tipped back. The vast amount of glass soaks up the sun rays. Also available with ½ glass roof.
View these potting sheds at our display site in Surrey. See how attractive and functional these buildings are. Who needs a greenhouse now??
Steel & Metal Sheds
The 5 ranges of Metal Garden Sheds & Buildings. The GrandChoice & StoreChoice metal shed ranges are good domestic, great value for money, buildings with long guarantees. The SafeStore UK range of metal sheds are, effectively top of the range. From caravan boxes to motor bike garages, up to any length. The TriMetals UK metal sheds range with 25 years guarantee.
Also available are the Capital Steel Industrial Buildings which can be made in any size up 20m wide, up to 6m high and ANY length.
Concrete Garden Sheds
Solid Concrete Sheds with 10 year Guarantee - for Long Life. No worries about rotting, practically impossible to break into and as you can dismantle this concrete shed - workshop you can take this with you when you move - so it an investment for the future. Assembled FREE saving you Time & Effort.
Superb height of 6 ft 6n & extra wide timber door also maintenance free Plastisol coated steel roof with internal anti-condensation coating with matching fascias in a range of 5 colours to suit your needs.
Comprehensive display site
Conveniently located just off the M25, we are proud to invite you to view our extensive display of timber buildings from our Humber, Diamond and Trentan ranges as well as a selection of our high security metal SafeStore range.
Our display site is unmanned so you can browse at your leisure without worrying about any high pressure salesmen pouncing on you (not that we would employ them in any case!)
Full installation service included
Our full range of timber and concrete buildings will be installed free of charge at the time of delivery providing there is a suitable base. And if there isn't, don't worry, we can build that for you too for a small extra charge.
Uniquely we can even install our range of metal buildings. We make a small extra charge for this service but, unless you're a DIY fanatic, it is something of a bargain!
Beware of 'next day delivery'!
Some companies stockpile buildings outside which can often result in weather and storage damage. Each and every one of our timber buildings is individually constructed by craftsmen in our UK factories and delivered direct to your garden using our own vehicles.
Doing things the right way takes slightly longer, of course, but isn't it worth the wait to get a building which will last?
Design your dream building!
No two gardens are the same so why restrict the building that sits within? Every timber building leaving our UK factories has been individually designed for you. This may seem like a minor difference when comparing us to our production line rivals but it is actually quite a significant one.
We're not just talking about a wider door or moving a window: every aspect is fully customisable to your precise requirements. Take a look at our gallery for some examples!
Base construction service
We offer a full base construction service (cost-effective timber subframe, concrete or slab options) to most areas. This is an oft overlooked service which we are proud to offer alongside another important service: site clearance and the removal of existing timber and concrete buildings (even those with Asbestos roofs)
We can also undertake many other landscaping projects - fencing, decking, etc. - within 60 miles of our office.
Experts in garden sheds in timber, metal, plastic and concrete. And so much more:
Garden Sheds Experts in Aylestone in wood, steel, plastic & concrete.
And so much more for Garden Sheds in Aylestone :
How To Decide What to Treat Your Garden Sheds With
After you have decided on your new garden shed, summer house, workshop or log cabin you need to consider how you are going to look after it. These garden sheds and buildings are an investment and will enable you to enjoy your garden more than ever and with a little bit of regular care will last for many years.
There are various types of garden shed treatments and you will find that most sheds will be treated with a water based coat of treatment. This can be seen as being a primer and it is recommended that you re-treat your new shed or garden building within a few days after being delivered. The second coat can be seen as an undercoat to your shed and when you put your next coat on the shed will be the top coat and this will give long lasting protection. Continue reading --
How To Choose the Roof Style on your New Garden Shed
The roof on garden sheds and summerhouses is a crucial part of your new garden shed so it is important that the right materials are used in its construction. The main purpose of the roof is to protect your valuables from rain and snow thus keeping them dry. Besides this is helps to ventilate the shed and aids the long life of your building.
There are several designs for a shed roof such as an apex roof, sometimes referred to as a gable roof which looks like an upside down 'V'. This design is very popular in Britain as it is quite attractive when situated in your garden. The basic design consists of two roof sections meeting in the middle of the shed or summerhouse. This roof can slope in either direction, certainly the better garden shed manufacturers would be able to offer this. The pitch, or angle on the apex shed roof tends to be in the region of at least 15 degrees up to about 25 or 30 degrees. This allows water to flow easily off the roof and away - Continue reading --
Beware Killers Hiding in Your Garden Shed
Our garden sheds are places where many activities take place such as using it as a garden workshop, for potting plants, for a recreation room away from the house, maybe as an garden office or for storing items away. What you need to consider are the potential dangers in our sheds as, sometimes, because we are relaxed we can let our guard down and take unnecessary chances. When we are in a working environment we have other work colleagues who look out for us as well as the dreaded 'health and safety' rules which stops us doing many things but actually does makes sense a lot most of the time.
Some areas to be aware about in your garden shed is the handling of natural products such as compost because ailments such as legionnaires disease are possible. Fertilisers and pesticides are other products in your shed with which you need to take very careful steps with. The best advice in these instances is to always use gardening gloves to protect your hands from any contamination and for fiddly work there is the option to use latex gloves which give full feeling in your hands but still offer protection - continue
Visit our Garden Buildings Display site at Sutton Green Garden Nursery
situated at corner of Whitmoor Lane and Guildford Road
(A320 between Guildford and Woking)
View Larger Map
With our display site you can view our range of buildings although at the moment we do not sell
any wooden sheds or heavy duty workshops called the Aylestone but maybe in the future.


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Jackson County
Kermit Cornett, 49, Medora, simple battery, $355 bond, 7:04 p.m. Sunday.
Jose R. Rivera, 31, Seymour, driving while suspended prior, $705 bond, 6:53 p.m. Sunday. Immigration & Customs Enforcement hold.
This story appears in the print edition of The Tribune. Subscribers can read the entire story online by signing in here or in our e-Edition by clicking here.
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Private Family
Older woman needs help learning to use her apple computer.
Start ASAP. Flexible hours.
Call Carolyn Halcomb at 617-7771.
Employer: Private Family Posted: April 25
Employer: City of San Angelo Posted: April 29
City of San Angelo
Shannon Medical Center
Employer: Shannon Medical Center Posted: April 20
Private Individual
Social Media Directory
Social Media Hub


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Diabetes Health Center
Randy Jackson Tackles Weight Loss, Diet, and Diabetes
Randy Jackson's Gastric Bypass Surgery continued...
Gastric bypass surgery also entails connecting the smaller stomach pouch further down the small intestine. This bypasses the upper part of the small intestine, leading to fewer calories and nutrients being absorbed by the body.
The weight loss from gastric bypass is very rapid, occurring in the first nine to 12 months, then tends to plateau after 18 months and a person's appetite comes back. "For me, I gained back 15% of the weight I lost after surgery, and I said, 'Now I have to get to work,'" Jackson recalls.
Sliding back is typical, says Christine Ren Fielding, MD, an associate professor of surgery at NYU School of Medicine and director of the NYU Program for Surgical Weight Loss. "Weight loss surgery is a tool and definitely gives you a jump-start, but the rest is up to you."
Living With Gastric Bypass
People who undergo the gastric procedure have to change everything about how they ate before the surgery. "You have to eat smaller portions and chew each morsel thoroughly," she says. They also must take supplements to compensate for certain nutrients that the body no longer absorbs as well. If they don't abide by these new rules, decidedly unpleasant symptoms, such as abdominal cramps and nausea can happen.
And if they do gain the weight back, other consequences of obesity, such as diabetes, will also return. Not everyone's diabetes goes away, but Jackson's is at bay for now. His blood sugar is controlled by diet and exercise alone, and he no longer has to take medications. "I go to my doctor four times a year to see where my sugars are," he says. "It's a good thing to stay on top of, because health is the biggest wealth we can have in the world."
And for exercise? While millions of Idol viewers likely tune in from the comfort of their couch, Jackson says he's definitely found ways to incorporate simple exercises into his hectic lifestyle, even when he is on the road. The former high school football player keeps a big, bulky treadmill next to his bed, which may not do much for décor, but he has to pass it each morning when he rolls out of bed. "It's right there staring at me, going, 'Come here. You know you need this,' [and] that makes the ugliness worth it," he says. Jackson usually walks on the treadmill for 35 to 45 minutes a day.
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Improv Comedy Troupe TANTRUM Is Talking Out of Turn
For Immediate Release:
February 6, 2009
February 6, 2009
Contact: Paul Smith
Improv Comedy Troupe TANTRUM Is Talking Out of Turn
The Kansas City Public Library welcomes the return of improv comedy troupe TANTRUM and its unique style of long-form improvisational performance for a series called Talking Out of Turn on Wednesday, February 18, at 7 p.m. in the Truman Forum at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St.
Taking suggestions, TANTRUM spins impromptu skits that generate a succession of spontaneous scenes aimed at giving the audience fits (of laughter). Every performance is different, because everything is improvised – and anything can happen. This is the first of three installments in the Talking Out of Turn series.
Veterans of the local improvisational comedy scene, the TANTRUM cast includes Trish Berrong, Pete Calderone, Nikki Dupont, Rob Grabowski, Megan Mercer, Michael Montague Jr., and Josh Steinmetz. They will be joined by author Kevin Dilmore, a special guest whose monologues will serve as inspiration for TANTRUM skits.
Admission is free. Call 816.701.3407 to indicate your interest in attending or you may RSVP online.