Check out Vancouver Basketball’s Andrew ‘Soda’ Wadden’s exclusive interview with 19 year-old Canadian National Team member Kelly Olynyk.

Kelly discusses his National Team experience thus far, his relationship with head coach Leo Rautins and his forthcoming sophomore season at Gonzaga.

Kelly Olynyk Interview Click Here

Check out Vancouver Basketball’s Andrew ‘Soda’ Wadden’s exclusive interview with Toronto Raptors Vice President & Assistant General Manager Maurizio Gherardini.

Maurizio gives his thoughts on the Raptors summer moves, Hedo Turkoglu and the future of the Raptors.

Maurizio Gheardini Interview Click Here

NBA CONSPIRACY THEORIES

A number of my family and friends and me have been talking about NBA conspiracies since the early 80s. This does not included things like; why Portland drafted Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan. Or why the Pistons drafted Darko Milicic instead of Carmelo Anthony. These are not my examples of what qualifies as a conspiracy. The following examples are my ideas of what should be deemed “NBA Conspiracies”:

- The 1985 Draft where the Knicks received the #1 overall pick, and were able to pick Patrick Ewing.

- The Lakers getting Magic Johnson in the 1979 draft, and then getting James Worthy in the 1982 draft. Both of which were #1 overall picks. Not to mention that the Lakers won the title in 82’, and still were able to obtain a #1 overall pick for the following season.

- The 1987-1988 Los Angeles Lakers who beat the Detroit Pistons in game 7 for the NBA title, had four #1 overall picks on their roster at the time. No other team has come close to that feat.

- Game 7 of the 1993 Western Conference Finals Suns vs Sonics, where the Suns shot 63 free throws to Seattle’s 36.

- Game 4 of the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals Bulls at Indiana, where Reggie Miller two-hand shoves Michael Jordan to get open and hit the game winner.

- Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals Bulls at Utah, where Jordan one-handed push on Bryon Russell to hit the championship shot.

- The 1999 Joe Smith/Minnesota Timberwolves scandal (this one really upsets me).

- Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference playoffs Lakers at Sacramento. Not only did they shoot 27 4^th quarter free throws, Kobe Bryant elbows then runs over Mike Bibby on the out of bounds play with the Lakers up 1 point (If you want more insight into this series, check out “The Greatest Tragedy in Sports” on YouTube. It is well done from a Sacramento fans perspective).

- Tim Donaghy! Not only the games he bet on and refereed in, but the book that was supposed to come out but was put on hold. Why? David Stern threatened a lawsuit on its publication.

- The 2006 NBA Finals featuring the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat. The Josh Howard time out, and the Dwyane Wade phantom foul in game 5.

- SONICGATE (for obvious reasons).

- The 2008 Pau Gasol trade to the Lakers for a bag of peanuts!

- The 2009-2010 season featuring the Lakers getting their first 19 out of 21 games at home! Not in the last 30 years has any team in sports history had that kind of home court advantage to start a season.

What are your NBA conspiracies? There are a lot of rumors and gossip out there, but I’m looking for the full fledged time honored conspiracies that have the flavor of truth, but have yet to be confirmed or solidified. Let’s hear what you have. I’m making this subject a mini-series too. It would have to be or this article would be a 700 page book like “The Book of Basketball” by ESPN’s Bill Simmons (which is an excellent read by the way).

Last Updated: August 12, 2010

VANCOUVER – The Canadian Senior Men’s National Team (SMNT) dominated the Chinese national team as they opened the Jack Donohue International Classic on Tuesday with a 86-62 win at Rogers Arena.

New York Knicks guard Andy Rautins (Syracuse, N.Y.) put on a shooting display for Canadian basketball fans. He scored 19 points on an efficient 7-of-9 shooting from the floor.

“It felt really good, they way we did it, just playing together,” said Joel Anthony (Montreal), starting centre of the Miami Heat. “Defensively we played really well in terms of doing things we wanted to do by taking them out of their sets and being really aggressive and helping each other.

“Offensively, we were able to get some great looks. We weren’t rushing things.”

Jevohn Shepherd (Toronto), who spent last season with the Halifax Rainmen in the Premier Basketball League, came off the bench to score 16 points. Anthony added eight points and pulled down a game high eight rebounds.

“We go deep,” said SMNT Head Coach Leo Rautins. “We will continue to go deep to make sure people stay fresh.

“Everybody that I call on, there is a lot of trust. I’m not afraid to put different guys in at different times. The depth is a positive factor for us.”

Canada led 41-16 going into halftime and dominated the glass as they outrebounded China by 19.

“Canada took it to us tonight,” said Robert Donewald Jr., head coach of the Chinese National Team. “We were like deer in headlights in the first half.”

China made a run in the second half, outscoring the Canadians 46-45.

“Our guys fell asleep in the first half,” said forward Yi Jianlian, who was traded to the Washington Wizards this summer. “In the second half we tried to pick it up.”

“We played pretty good in the second half. We needed to play the whole game like that.”

Veteran guard Liu Wei, who keyed China’s run in the third, led China with 19 points. Yi finished with 15 points and five rebounds.

The SMNT concludes their domestic exhibition series with back-to-back matches against France on Thursday and Friday at Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. local time and game summaries will be posted on

Two years ago, the Canadian national men’s basketball team was in disarray.

At a qualifying tournament in Athens for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the team fell apart. Samuel Dalembert, a centre with the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and the Canadian team’s most recognizable player, was kicked off the squad when he butted heads with coach Leo Rautins. Canada also lost badly in the quarterfinals of the tournament, falling short of its goal.

Rautins’ job was on the line, and the core of that team was in question.

After a successful summer last year, with Canada qualifying for the coming world championship in Turkey, all of that has changed.

“I think these guys really do get along,” Rautins said Friday as he officially announced his 15-man roster.

“During the year they’re talking to each other, checking in on each other. They can’t wait to get together in the summer. We all felt it. From the minute we hit the floor the other night [at Toronto's Air Canada Centre], everybody was there.”

Of course, it is easy to talk about unity before the meaningful games are played, but the Canadian team goes into the lead-up to the world championship as a band of brothers. That stretch starts with a game against China on Tuesday at Rogers Arena, and then a pair of games Thursday and Friday in Toronto against France, a team Canada will face in group play in Turkey.

As the team speaks of unselfishness and togetherness, Rautins plans to enforce it. The coach spoke of the ideal of playing no one player more than 24 minutes in any game, taking advantage of Canada’s depth in the absence of star talent.

Point guard Jermaine Anderson understands why that can work now when it could not have in the past.

“I think we were immature,” Anderson said. “I think a lot of the times we might have used playing for Canada to get jobs in the fall. And now I feel like everybody is here for one common goal. I think now a lot of the guys are already assigned for the summer instead of using this to get a job. That’s changed.”

Said Rautins: “I think part of the reason these guys are in the situation they’re in is because of the time they spent here developing their games. We’ve had a lot of guys who have got very good pro contracts in Europe because of the exposure they got with us. There’s a loyalty that forms with that — that’s a give and take. You’re representing your country, but it’s become a huge benefit for you, as well.”

Indeed, the 13 players on the roster with professional contracts — Robert Sacre of North Vancouver and Kelly Olynyk of Kamloops are still in school at Gonzaga University — play in 11 different countries. Still, all the job security in the world will not help them in Turkey.

“A lot of the teams that you’ve seen before, a lot of the teams in Europe, they’ve been together for years, from the junior programs all the way up,” Miami Heat centre Joel Anthony said. “In the past, our national team hadn’t had that same opportunity. Now I’ve seen a lot of the same faces for my past four years of competing.”

Also on the roster are national team veterans Levon Kendall of Vancouver and Tyler Kepkay of North Vancouver.
© Copyright (c) National Post

The first player I thought of when Sherron Collins wasn’t drafted was Khalid El-Amin!  They are both about the same size and weight.  The both have National Championships, and they both can handle the rock.  However, that is where the comparisons end in my opinion.  El-Amin’s University of Connecticut (UConn for short) had more experience and had a more athletic starting 5, than the Collins led Kansas Jaywalks of 2008.  Not only that, Collins was a 2^nd team All American his junior year and a 1^st team All American his senior year.  He is also the all time leader in wins in Kansas Jayhawk basketball history, led the Jayhawks to three Big 12 basketbll tournament championships, and a ridiculous four consecutive Big 12 regular season championships!   Not to mention he was the PG when they beat a top ranked Memphis Tigers team for the championship led by Derrick Rose! While El-Amin was drafted 34^th overall by the Chicago Bulls in 2000, Collins was left waving in the wind on draft night this year!  While El-Amin did have a successful career over season, the question still remains……what is wrong with Sherron Collins? 

I hate to keep beating a dead horse, but here is a few people that El-Amin was drafted over:  Eddie House, Eduardo Najera, MICHAEL REDD, Brian Cardinal, and Jason Hart.  You mean to tell me that Sherron Collins, a two time All American and National Title winner isn’t better than a few of these 2^nd round picks of 2010:  Andy Rautins, Landry Fields, Armon Johnson, Terrico White, or Willie Warren?  No offense to these guys (I’m happy for anyone who is lucky enough to get drafted), but solid point guards are hard to find.  I had heard from a few sources that his work ethic was not what a future NBA player should be.  Plus they had questions about him tipping scales at 200+ lbs.

Many players in his position would relegate themselves to overseas basketball teams where they will only get 10-12 minutes a game.  Hoping that with every summer that passes, they will find a spot on a summer league squad, and play their way onto a team in 10 day contract fashion.  Fortunate for Collins, he is able to skip the overseas portion of the journey, once he was signed to the Charlotte Bobcats this summer!  He was signed to a two year non-guaranteed contract, which I have no doubt is incentive laced.  I think Sherron needs to send a gift basket to former starting PG Raymond Felton who signed a contract to player for the New York Knicks next season.  Collins add more toughness to the PG position behind D.J. Augustin and Shaun Livingston.  He is definitely in good hands in Charlotte with legendary head coach Larry Brown, and the greatest basketball player of all time (G.O.A.T.) at the ownership helm in Michael Jordan!  If you can’t stay motivated with hall of fame pieces like that in place, you don’t deserve to be in the NBA!  Good luck Mr. Collins!  I’m pulling for you!

Twitter@mjlover23

Metro Basketball

www.metroleague.ca – New fall 2010 season at the Richmond Olympic Oval

www.westcoastclassic.ca – Sept 11-12, 2010 – registration now open!

The Miami Heat roster seems to be filled out….for now.  Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem are the only remaining members of the 2006 NBA Championship team.  In the next few articles I will write on the new look Miami Heat, I will attempt to make chicken salad out of Chicken….feed.  Below are the rosters from the 2006 Champion Miami Heat and the 2010-2011 Miami “Trice” Heat!

2005-2006                                            2010-2011

————-                                          —————

Dwyane Wade                                  Dwyane Wade

Shaq                                                   Lebron James

Antoine Walker                                Chris Bosh

Jason Williams                                   Udonis Haslem

Udonis Haslem                                  Zydrunas Ilgauskas

James Posey                                      Mike Miller

Gary Payton                                       Mario Chalmers

Alonzo Mourning                             Joel Anthony

Derek Anderson                               Carlos Arroyo

Michael Doleac                                 Eddie House

Shandon Anderson                         Juwan Howard

Wayne Simien                                   James Jones

Jason Kapono                                    Jamaal Magloire

                                                                Shavlik Randolph

                                                                Dexter Pittman

                                                                Jarvis Varnado

                                                                Da’Sean Butler 

                                                                Patrick Beverely

                                                                Kenny Hasbrouck

Udonis Haslem at is a proven low post player on both ends of the floor.  He will always contribute in one way or another.  Mike Miller is a pure shooter plain and simple!  He may not be a lockdown defender, but all he has to be is a decent team defender to make a difference.  With Wade, James, and Chalmers on the floor, Miller will get more open shots than he has in his entire career. 

Zydrunas “Big Z” Ilgauskas at 7’3” is a 13 year vet that can hit the open jumper, get offensive rebounds, and block an occasional shot.  Joel Anthony at 6’9” 245 is reported to have a 40 inch vertical!  If that can translate into 1.5 block shots in 12-15 minutes per game, that would be fantastic!  Don’t expect him to be an Alonzo Mourning clone though!  Carlos Arroyo will be an insurance blanket for Wade and Chalmers.  With a 4.17 assist to turnover ratio, he is a diamond in the rough. 

Eddie House is a pretty big addition if not for anything else but his “Instant Offense”!  Hopefully seven year veteran James Jones will follow his lead and find his 3 point shot this season.  Juwan Howard and Jamaal Magloire are more vital than people think they will be this season.  Low post defense is what the Heat will need to win a championship in the next few years.  Howard can still score around the basket, and both he and Magloire lend an extra 12 fouls to work with when playing vs Centers like Dwight Howard! 

Shavlik Randolph will probably be relegated to the practice squad, but will see about a dozen games this season if injuries and fatigue it the Miami front line.  U of Texas star Dexter “A.K.A. Dex-A-Trim” Pittman at 6’10” 290 lbs will find a place on the 12 man roster.  He is way too big not to!  Short of cursing him with the name “Baby Shaq”, he is nimble on his feet and has soft hands around the basket.  My surprise pick to get about 8-10 minutes a game this season is 6’9” 230 lb Jarvis Varnado of Mississippi State!  Not only is he a lefty, but he led the NCAA in block shots last season.  The more impressive factor in that is that he played in the SEC!  That league is chalked full of big man talent every year.  So I had to give him props for that.  If you can play defense, you will get some minutes in the NBA! 

In my semi professional opinion, Butler, Beverely, and Hasbrouck will not make the team.  The only hope those three have is playing way beyond their ages.  Butler is coming off a knee injury vs Duke in the Final Four.

I will be back to do a comparison breakdown of the two teams in part 2 of this article.  Put your TWO CENTS in now!  So i can incorporate it into the conversation.

Twitter@mjlover23

The Richmond Olympic Oval will host the West Coast Basketball Classic on September 11 and 12. Register to play and learn more at http://www.westcoastclassic.ca

For every ticket purchased through Metro Basketball for this game, Canada Basketball will donate $5 to KidSport^TM BC.

From grassroots to 10ft hoops, let’s show the love that Vancouver has not only for basketball but for the youth in its community.

Unless you watched the Summer League in Vegas, your response to Jeremy Lin would have been….WHO???  I was saying the same thing till I turned on NBA TV and seen this guy racing down the court and slamming through a one legged power slam!  At 6’3” 200 lbs not only can he shoot, but his vertical is estimated at 30+ inches.  The best thing about this guy is that it looks like he is the complete package!  While everybody is raving about John Wall, DeMar DeRozan, and Ty Lawson, Jeremy Lin has “not so quietly” played his way into the NBA via the NBA Summer League.

Lin becomes the first Taiwanese-American to make the NBA, and the first Asian-American signed by the Golden State Warriors since 1947!  There is a large Asian population in the Bay Area, which will make Lin an instant star!  Please excuse me for all the exclamation points, but this guy is every coach’s dream!  He can shoot, pass, handle the ball without turning it over, plays excellent defense, and among all of these superlatives….He’s a Harvard graduate!  From all accounts, he was an average AAU player in high school but all of his coaches raved about his willingness to learn.  While all the AAU players wanted to play against him because they thought he would be passive and a “pushover” on the court.  As he moved into his senior year in high school he began turning the tables on his opponents.  While Division I schools were not knocking down his door with scholarships, he let his grades get him accepted into one of the most famous Ivy League schools in Harvard.

Lin played his way into the lineup early in his Ivy League career, but his major contributions would come in his junior and senior years.  Lin was the only player in the nation to rank in the top 10 in his conference in every statistical category!  That may not sound like a big deal being in the Ivy League, but it is still Div I basketball.  While he was an All-Ivy League First Team member his junior and senior year, he had some memorable games his senior year that got him invited to the NBA Summer League.  He hit a crazy 3 pointer at the buzzer of a triple OT game vs William and Mary, recorded 15 points 4 assist and 3 steals vs Georgetown, had 17 points 8 rebounds 7 steals 5 assists and 2 blocks vs George Washington, and scored 30 points 9 rebounds 3 assists 3 steals and 2 blocks vs #13 UConn!  To top It off, he was one of 11 finalist for the Bob Cousy Award and was consistently on the honor roll!  He became the first player in the Ivy League to record 1,450 points, 450 rebounds, 400 assists and 200 steals.  In his last two years at Harvard, he averaged 17 points per game while shooting 52% from the field and 37% from the 3 point line.  My favorite stat line from his senior year is that he averaged 1 blocked shot and 2.5 steals per game!

The impressive thing about Lin getting a contract with the Warriors is that he only played a total of 74 minutes in 4 games!  Averaging only 18 minutes a game he averaged 9 points per game and shot 52% from the field and 66% from the 3 point line!  His head to head match up with John Wall was admirable too.  It looks like this guy raises the level of his play depending on the opponent he plays against.  That maybe good or bad, but I like his grit.  This story isn’t over, and I’ll bring you more info on this guy’s path to success as I get it.

Twitter@mjlover23

The Richmond Olympic Oval will host the West Coast Basketball Classic on September 11 and 12. Register to play and learn more at http://www.westcoastclassic.ca

RICHMOND, B.C. – Kim Smith of Mission, B.C., scored 21 points and Canada’s senior women’s basketball team wrapped up a four-game exhibition series with a 66-39 win over Sweden on Thursday.

Jordan Adams of Overton, N.M., added 11 rebounds for Canada, who finished undefeated in a rare exhibition series on home soil.

Frida Eldebrink led the Swedes with 14 points.

Canada used the four game set as preparation for the 2010 FIBA World Championship for Women, which starts Sept. 23 in the Czech Republic.

“It’s always nice to be playing international competition in our own country in front of our home crowd because we don’t get that very often,” said Canadian captain Teresa Gabriele. “I’ve been playing on the team for 13 years and I’ve probably played in our country a handful of times.”

The hosts were dominant in the series, opening with 86-38 and 74-38 victories against Chile and winning 72-53 in their other game against Sweden. Canada was particularly aggressive defensively, keeping the opposition’s scores low and creating several turnovers.

“I think defensively we take teams out of the play,” Gabriele said. “We’re not very big. We’re undersized. But we use our physical aggression to take teams out of their offences.”

Canada will hold a training camp in Ontario at the end of August before heading to France and Greece for exhibition games.

—————-

The Richmond Olympic Oval will host the West Coast Basketball Classic on September 11 and 12. Register to play and learn more at http://www.westcoastclassic.ca