Taj Gibson’s Ready for a Breakout Year

Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson said Monday he’s confident the Bulls can still compete without Derrick Rose and foresees his role expanding this season.
The Bulls went 18-9 during the regular season and 1-4 in the playoffs without Rose last season.
“We still did good even when we didn’t have Derrick (last season),” said Gibson, who threw out a ceremonial first pitch before the Chicago White Sox’s game on Monday. “We beat the Heat without Derrick.
Entering his fourth season, Gibson said he and Thibodeau expect more of him this season. Gibson averaged 7.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 20.4 minutes last season.
Gibson is in the final year of his rookie contract. He said there have been talks about an extension, but either way he’s not going to let it affect him.
“They’re talking about that stuff now,” Gibson said. “I’m not even thinking about that. A lot of people always talk about that all year long, all season long. I don’t really worry about it. I won’t really be thinking about it. I’m just going out there and playing my game.”

Thunder Hope to Keep James Harden

So the Thunder now have to decide whether Harden is worthy of an extension. When it was apparent that Westbrook would flourish into an All-Star-caliber guard, Presti decided that Jeff Green, the third wheel on the Thunder’s machine in 2010-11, was expendable, and dealt him to the Celtics.
“We’ll be open in saying that there are a lot of inherent challenges this organization faces as a result of the new CBA,” Presti said. “With that said, we also maintained that we’re going to figure out a way to build a team that’s competitive within the new system and capable of [competing for championships]. Nothing changes in that respect.
“We’ll have some tough decisions in terms of being a good team and a team that’s enjoyed some level of flexibility. We need to work with James in hopes of keeping him with the team.
“I don’t want to speak for James or any of our players, but he knows how much we think of him. With any situation like this, it’s a matter of finding balance that works for both of us.”

NBA BEATS - I for one hope he does not stay. I live in Arizona and have heard he still has many ties to the valley of the sun since he played hi college ball at Arizona State University. So I would hope he could end up with the Suns. Although I do not see him as a number one option. He is just a perfect third wheel.

Pietrus Won’t Play For Minimum Contract

Among the free agents remaining on the market is former Celtic Mickael Pietrus, who does not want to play for the league minimum. The Bucks had expressed interest in Pietrus but he remains without a team. The Celtics still have their $1.95 million biannual exception remaining but are expected to wait until close to the regular season to use that, perhaps on a player waived by another team

It all makes sense now!

Should Ads Appear on NBA Uniforms?

Back in July, when NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver made it known that advertisements were likely due to appear on team uniforms starting in the 2013-14 season, a lot was made about what a patch on the lapel of a jersey would do to the purity of the game. There was also a lot made of the fact that a whole lot of cash could be generated by selling that little two-by-two inch swath of prime real estate.
So, which side is right? The side that wants to earn the extra cash, or the side that wants to keep the jerseys free of corporate logos?
Both have fair points, but from a simple aesthetic perspective, these patches are going to make NBA uniforms very, very hard to look at. Of the four major U.S. sports, basketball has the least amount of open uniform space with which to work, so plugging up that little bit of leftover negative space can look clunky, especially when it’s not a patch thematically tied to the team’s logos or color scheme.

NBA BEATS - I don't like the idea of advertisements on jerseys. If you add one, then more are likely to follow. Where are you going to draw the line?I heard somebody on the radio say that in the future teams will no longer be tied to a city but instead a company. So instead of the Chicago Bulls you would have like the Microsoft Bulls. (for example) I don't want it to go there. 

Washington Wizards Sign Martell Webster

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed free agent guard/forward Martell Webster. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.
“Martell brings a combination of versatility and shooting in addition to his experience,” said Grunfeld. “Adding him to the roster provides us with another solid veteran presence and gives us flexibility with our lineups at both the shooting guard and small forward positions.”
Webster (6-7, 230) holds career averages of 8.4 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting .374 from three-point range in 394 games (191 starts) over seven seasons with Portland and Minnesota. He was originally selected by the Trail Blazers with the sixth overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft as an early-entry candidate out of Seattle Prep High School. Webster averaged 9.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and a career-high .417 three-point percentage for the Timberwolves in 2010-11 and averaged career highs of 10.7 points and 3.9 rebounds for the Trail Blazers in 2007-08. He averaged 6.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 47 games (26 starts) for Minnesota last season.
The Wizards’ roster now stands at 14 players.

Amar’e to Benefit from Jason Kidd

New York Knicks point guard Jason Kidd may be in his 40′s, but he’s planning on having a big season in the Big Apple. However, he’s just not planning on making it a big individual season for himself, but instead has his eyes on Amar’e Stoudemire as well.
Both Stoudemire and Kidd are coming off of 2012 seasons that weren’t the greatest by their standards. But Kidd sees a rebound season from STAT and also sees himself playing a Steve Nash-type of role for Stoudemire.
Stoudemire pushed very hard for the Knicks to bring Nash aboard and it looked like they might before the Lakers snuck in and stole him away. But by the sounds of Kidd, everything will work out just fine. Kidd addressed his situation to KnicksNow.com.
“With Amar’e, I hope I can be like a Nash to be able to get him the ball where he likes it to be successful. Make it where he doesn’t have to work as hard, easy layups, catch and shoot where he likes it,” Kidd explained.
If Kidd did indeed have that type of effect on Amar’e, it would be huge for the Knicks as Stoudemire must play a huge role in 2013 if the Knicks are going to contend for a championship.

NBA BEATS - The only people that benefit from Jason Kidd is the other team. Never been a kidd fan. I think he is one of the most overrated players in the history of the league.  I don't get why people have always been high on him. He can not shoot. His shot is ugly and unorthodox. He is good. He is just so overrated! Amare has Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd. That is a career stopper. Amare would be way better off with even a Goran Drojac or a Luke Ridinour.