Mo's Marketplace

JR Smith & Being Bulletproof

We hear a lot about notorious bad guys, like Pacman Jones and Tank Johnson, but there are other bad actors out there as well. You don’t need to be a superstar in your chosen profession to be a bad actor. Take JR Smith for example. Smith carries a respectable 13 points per game average with the Nuggets, but I don’t think anyone would say he’s anything more than a very good player. Not being much the basketball fan, never mind not being a Nuggets fan, please feel free to openly...

Billy Donovan = Dana Altman

You know, I really have an issue with the idea that someone can sign a $27MM contract for a 5 year period and find he has reservations about it. I don't know Billy Donovan from a hole in the wall. Don't know a thing about college basketball, but I'd like someone to explain how this is different from the Dana Altman situation from April. As you recall, Altman had not only accepted the position of Head Coach of the University of Arkansas basketball team, but had been actually occupying it for...

The NBA's Farsical Aquatic Ceremony

I haven't watched the game of basketball with any sort of interest in something perilously close to 15 years; much more the baseball/football fan, I guess. That said, I grew up watching the championship caliber teams of the 1980's Celtics. If I was going to pick a favorite team, It would be the C's. So, being the Homer, and convicted as such by my peers, this will come off like sour grapes. I put that out there because I want this to be in the proper context. Long and short: the message...

The NBA Salary Cap

Ever wonder why NBA teams get buried under the salary cap? The NBA salary cap is a unique animal as far as salary caps go. The NBA uses a soft cap which means teams can go beyond the cap number (unlike both the NFL and NHL who both use a hard cap, leaving teams penalized for going over the cap number). The soft cap is based on being fan friendly; it’s a control mechanism that allows NBA teams to retain their players. This is in place to allow fans to stay familiar with the players...

Celtics, Lakers: The Lost Rivalry

The 80’s are behind us and tonight a young Celtics team without its Superstar takes on Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. This young Celtics team is entertaining but is well on its way to win the NBA lottery and a chance at Greg Oden.. The team isn’t as bad as it sounds, they don’t lack heart, they simply lack experience. Without, Pierce they lack a guy who can turn a game around in seconds and gives them extra leadership on the floor. Tonight it will be the...