The Goat Pen

T Dot O Dot wrote:

[youtube]j5ffedqSm0U[/youtube]

LOL @ "NY is only 15 minutes from Jersey."

The GWB or the Lincoln must be backed up.

(the whole thing is some ghetto shit...flossing how many Twitter followers she has and clowning Devin Ebanks)

did I just read 3 or 4 different alleged justifications for sending the boys out to pay Mr. Ross a visit?

"No...., I don't show my pussy for free. I'm not no fucking smut. . I'm not showing my pussy to anybody if you ain't paying."

ROFL.

Yeah, she had more quoteables than Pulp Fiction.

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ROFL

[youtube]RVs0mASSFyk[/youtube]

I just felt this post bore repeating. It brightens my day every time I read it...

Johnette's Daddy wrote:

T Dot O Dot wrote:Oakley slappin McInnis was over a girl

Oakley showed up at Tyrone Hill's hotel room when the Sixers visitted Toronto looking for his money... I think it was about 50 grand

http://gotemcoach.com/post/929773283/br ... er-chicago

-In the 2000 season, Oakley played in a pre-season exhibition game against the Sixers and Tyrone Hill. Before tipoff, Oakley found Hill and slapped him in the mouth. They started a fight and both were ejected.

-Before a regular season game, Tyrone Hill was leaving the floor after shootaround, and Oakley started throwing basketballs at him, one of which hit him in the face. Lets let Sixer point guard Eric Snow color the story: “Every time we play each other, Oakley says something about Hill. He’ll say ‘Where’s Hill at?’”

-Why did he he intimidate and rough up Hill? Two years prior, Tyrone Hill lost a dice game to Oakley, to the tune of $54,000. “A gentleman pays his debt within a week or two,” Oakley said. Because payment was deliquent, Oakley charged him double, saying, “Everything in life is double. If he didn’t pay me $108,000, he didn’t pay me.”

-In the 2001 NBA playoffs, Oakley constantly insulted teammate Vince Carter and even exchanged words with Carter’s mother. Rumor has it Oakley was displeased with Carter letting him, and other teammates, down during crunch time.

-Charles Oakley was dating a woman in Charlotte, NC. He called the woman’s house and LA Clipper Jeff McInnis was there. Oakley went hunting for Jeff that night, but couldn’t find him. So, the next time their two teams played, Oakley walked up to McInnis on the bench and punched him in the head before the game. Oakley blamed one of McInnis’ coaches at the time, Alvin Gentry, for telling reporters the story.

-Oakley had a rumored run-in with the producer of the 1989 NBA video “Awesome Endings.” No other details available, but I can’t imagine that one going well.

-Charles Oakley slapped Charles Barkley across the face during a player’s union meeting. “I heard what he was saying about me in Atlantic City and I didn’t like it. I’m fed up with him. I told him ‘You need to change your name. I’m the only Charles.’” Oakley finished by telling Barkley, “Every time I see you, I’m going to slap you.”

-In a basketball game after the slap, Oakley threw Barkley to the floor. Barkley got up swinging and the two were separated. Post-game, Clyde Drexler called Oak a “dirty player.” Oakley responded by saying, “He [Drexler] can blow me.”

-This is a quote from Oakley on Kenyon Martin, “You got to know when enough’s enough. You want to rob the bank, but you better not be complainin’ when you get caught. In my day, a guy who jumps that high with that many tatoos, he would’ve wound up sitting on the floor at least once. It’s just the kind of player (Martin) is. And the kind of guy I am.”

Also, I did not realize that SA traded George Hill. When did that happen?

draft night

they moved him to Indiana and drafted Curtis Joseph from Texas

Why did the Spurs trade for an aging goalie?

they actually drafted Kawhi Leonard with the pick they received. Considering some mocks had Leonard going in the top 10, it might end out being a good deal long term

Thirteen years ago, the NBA's last lockout turned the league on its ear and caused so much damage that it took years to fully recover. That year, six new coaches walked into the unknown, taking jobs in a season that was shortened to 50 games. None faced tougher odds than first-year coach Tim Floyd, who took over after the Chicago Bulls had won their sixth championship and Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Phil Jackson had all moved on.

It remains to be seen whether this year's lockout will wipe out any games. But like last time, six new coaches (two still to be named) will step into tough positions. None of them will have to face the impossibility Floyd did, but history shows that with shortened prep time and ever-rising expectations, lockouts can be cruel to new coaches. Throw in that rosters are far from set and these coaches will face almost insurmountable challenges. So are they up for the task or being set up for failure?

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Mike Brown, Los Angeles Lakers

Greatest challenge: Motivating an aging team with a championship pedigree in a now-or-never season. The Lakers' championship window isn't exactly closed, but it's being propped open by a 2x4 that's bowing badly. The team has to buy what Brown is selling right away. More than any other team with a new coach, it's imperative that the Lakers get off to a good start.

Key strength: Brown's energetic style should play well in L.A. His enthusiasm when speaking about his players and their challenges will be a welcome change for many in the Lakers' locker room who had grown tired of Phil Jackson's backhanded compliments and mind games. Brown has a rep for being well-liked by his players, and his blue-collar pedigree is endearing. As far as the clipboard goes, Brown is a terrific defensive coach (what Kobe Bryant demanded), so he's the right man to bring an aggressive defensive mindset back to L.A. with a style that was honed at the feet of Gregg Popovich.

Key relationship: Kobe Bryant, without a doubt. Brown's success in L.A. will live and die with how well Bryant responds to his defense and hands-on approach. Good thing Brown has had training in dealing with a marquee superstar from the five years he spent in Cleveland with LeBron James. One way to create a strong working relationship with Bryant is to stay out of the headlines. Kobe has had a volatile relationship at some point with every coach for whom he's played, and the last thing Brown needs is that kind of distraction. Brown must show unwavering support for Kobe without being a pushover, a balancing act that will require delicate precision. Other players surely will be watching.

Best ally: Bryant again. Win Kobe, win the troops. Getting Kobe to buy in makes it much easier for Brown to sell himself to the rest of the players, the management and the Lakers' fan base. Brown's reality is that keeping Kobe happy will be part of his job. But the fact that the Lakers didn't contact Bryant before hiring Brown means things have already gotten off on the wrong foot.
Predicted finish: fourth in the West

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Kevin McHale, Houston Rockets

Greatest challenge: Start from scratch. In other words, come up with an offense (he's open to Rick Adelman's sets for now), define his style and ultimately go back to the drawing board when it doesn't work or the roster goes through waves of changes. With Yao Ming out of the equation, the job just got much tougher than McHale had bargained for.

Key strength: Conviction. As in he's got a philosophy, and he's sticking to it. McHale steadfastly believes the game is won and lost in the paint, a belief derived from his days as one of the best low-post players ever. It is his intention to design a game plan on both sides of the ball that wins the battle of the paint nightly. His idea is to aggressively attack the pick-and-roll and keep speedy point guards out of the paint to prevent the defense from breaking down. That overall strategy becomes harder now that the 7-foot-6 Yao has retired, but the Rockets' core of young forwards should benefit immensely from individual work with McHale.

Key relationship: General manager Daryl Morey. McHale is a basketball guy. Morey is a numbers cruncher. Morey's statistics-related approach to evaluating players and building a roster has generated considerable buzz but won only one playoff series in four years. McHale wants players with swagger, heart, athleticism and potential to become stars who pass the eye test but may not always rate well according to Morey's analysis. Both know they need to be on the same page, and McHale's open-mindedness in the interview process is one of the reasons he got the job. The way they make decisions together will no doubt define in part McHale's success.

Best ally: Anyone who can help. With an average roster in a Western Conference that will be as competitive as it was last season, the Rockets' success will be a group effort, and McHale will need help from every coach, trainer and executive to field a team capable of cracking the playoffs.

Predicted finish: ninth in the West
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Dwane Casey, Toronto Raptors

Greatest challenge: Changing the culture of losing. Coming off an NBA championship with the Mavericks, there's no better guy to do it. To change that culture, Casey needs to fortify his club by toughening up his players. As composed, the Raptors have one of the least imposing rosters in the league and ranked 26th defensively. That dovetails into another huge challenge -- hiding the defensive shortcomings of his best player, Andrea Bargnani (see below). Casey got short-changed in Minnesota during his first coaching gig because of management's outsized expectations. But the Raptors have big expectations, too, and they won't be reached without meeting these challenges.

Key strength: Casey is obsessed with defense. He famously spliced hockey clips into reels during Mavericks film sessions to underscore to his players how aggressively they should defend. He'll also bring the advanced stats approach to defense in Toronto that should help the Raptors defend smarter. Off the floor, Casey is quite skilled at dealing with players whether they're moody or brash or need to be coddled. Not that he'll coddle, mind you. His tough-love approach puts the emphasis on earning minutes and being responsible for your actions. Many coaches dislike this part of coaching or simply lack the required temperament to deal with it, but it's where Casey excels.

Key relationship: Andrea Bargnani. This season will be as much of a learning experience for AB as any he's had so far. Casey will push him to improve as a defensive player and try to erase his soft reputation. But Casey knows that Bargnani will never be a defensive stalwart, and the fifth-year forward's effort and commitment to defense will go a long way in determining how much frustration he'll have to endure when working with his star player.

Best ally: Brian Colangelo. Even though the Raptors' GM replaces coaches nearly once every two years, he wishes he didn't have to. He's dying for a bench boss who's a long-term solution and will do what he needs to give Casey the resources he needs to be successful. One of those would be new assistant and longtime friend Johnny Davis, who brings 35 years of NBA experience having worked in just about every capacity.

Predicted finish: ninth in the East
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Mark Jackson, Golden State Warriors

Greatest challenge: Getting his team to play defense without compromising its run-and-gun effectiveness. His players shoot and run and do it well but, much like Jackson in his playing days, can't stop anybody. Defenses typically take much longer to fine tune than offenses and with a truncated preseason Jackson will be playing catch up from the first day. He'll need his players to buy into a new defensive philosophy from the jump and base playing time around it. That always wakes players up. If it doesn't, things could get ugly early.

Key strength: Based on his career (he ranks third all-time in assists) and credibility he accrued in the broadcast booth, Jackson has bought himself some time to make mistakes and should have the attention of the players. But he's never coached before on any level, so the jury is still out on how he'll impact practice and games and how much he can teach young players. Jackson talks a good game and seems to have adopted a no-nonsense approach, but it remains to be seen whether those things will make him a quality coach.

Key relationship: It's tough to find a man in and around the game of basketball whose opinion carries more weight than Jerry West, who was recently hired as a consultant to the Warriors. And right now, West is of the opinion that Jackson is the right man for the job. As a consultant, Jackson will have West's ear on every topic, an invaluable resource that few first-time coaches are ever afforded. Also, having West in his corner when the chips are down undoubtedly will keep him off the hot seat, at least temporarily.

Best ally: First-time coaches rely heavily on their assistants, especially coaches who've never worked as assistants themselves. Jackson has the right man in top assistant Michael Malone, who held the same position last season for first time under head coach Monty Williams in New Orleans. Malone's rep is that of a defensive ace, and he will be charged with revamping Golden State's D. Good choice: This past season the Hornets ranked fifth in defense, allowing just 94 points per game.

Predicted finish: 11th in the West

Chris Palmer has been a frequent contributor to ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com's NBA coverage since 1999. Follow him on Twitter.

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/dish/20 ... book-money

Tim Donaghy will forever have a tarnished image thanks to his role in an NBA gambling scandal. Yet the former referee has ironically found work offering advice to bettors since his release from prison in November of 2009.

The 44-year-old is living in a family member's condo in Sarasota, Florida while giving out NBA gambling advice as a consultant. Bettor Danny Berrelli, who runs a sports tout site, is the only person to offer Donaghy work following his 15-month prison sentence.

Donaghy had to refrain from giving actual picks on games after he got in trouble with his probation officer, who told him to knock it off. The former ref says he was nearly perfect selecting winners late in the NBA season. Now he has to "advise" Berrelli without technically giving his pick.

Following the end of Donaghy's probation in late 2012, he plans to get much more involved in the gambling biz.

Donaghy, speaking to WTSP in Tampa, says he hasn't seen any money from his tell-all book "Personal Foul," which was supposed to help set him up financially. He says he's involved in a legal dispute with the book's publisher.

VTI Media will go to court with Donaghy over his book. The publisher claims the government demanded all royalties to pay off Donaghy's $195,000 restitution to the NBA. The former ref claims he should have gotten 85 percent of the book money with just 15 percent going to restitution.

Since he blew the whistle on the betting shenanigans, Donaghy told the station he thinks little has changed in the NBA.

"I thought there was going to be an enormous amount of change in the NBA," he said. "The NBA came out and said everyone plays under the same set of rules."

Boys will be boys.

There was this huge fight out in Texas last week with Perk, Rondo and some sycophants going up against some local thuggery. I'm not sure if this is what it's related to, though.