Other Changes to the NBA Technical Fouls Rules 8:07 AM

Late last week, the NBA unveiled a new set of rules that define what conduct leads to a technical foul being called. New additions in that release included asking about the call, demonstrating emotion about a call, or aggressive gestures. The NBA has since released a few more technical foul-worthy offenses.

• Wearing a jersey with the word "Wallace" on it.
• Winking
• Low Fives
• References to the movie Sharktopus
• Not hashtagging "#nba" during your in-game tweets
• Speaking Spanish

It's fair to say, that's a bold new stance for the NBA.

Razzle Dazzle! 6:18 PM

NBA Jam occupies a special place in the hearts of every NBA fan of a certain age. Sure, the 2K and Elite (formerly Live) games can have intricate plays, and special right stick moves that make you do elbow passes and turn into a panda. Too bad they missed out on what counts: dunks, shoving people around, and high drama.

Thank goodness the one game that had that is finally back. Every game in NBA Jam ends in a last-second shot attempt. Or at least that's how I like to remember it. You play for ten minutes, and then it comes down to John Stockton throwing a last second underhand heave across the court. The best possible result is time to run out during said shot, Stockton frozen in time, the ball resting on his fingertips, never to know if the shot when in or not.

In the original game, the Blazers were one of the better teams you could play as. Drexler was as good an all-around player as you could find, and you could choose from solid supporting castmates in Terry Porter and Uncle Cliffy. My personal favorite was the overwhelming offensive onslaught of Porter and Drexler, with Drexler tossing dunk-passes to Porter in the corner for three. Of course, they couldn't play defense a lick, but the idea was that they could both take care of the ball and hit an open shot.

Imagine my disappointment when I learned that I couldn't reunite my favorite NBA Jam team of all time. While teams such as the Hawks (huh?), Bulls, Cavaliers (double huh?), Pistons, Warriors, Heat (Rony Seikaly! By the way, I would love to play against the guy who went with the Rice/Seikaly duo over LeBron and Wade), Nets, Knicks, Magic, Sixers, Suns, Spurs, and Jazz got two greats, we were left to make due with the Glide. I can only imagine the possibilities of a two towers combo of Oden and Walton, or combining LaMarcus and Porter.

Still, if you're a true Blazer fan, you'll play as the home team when you get the game. Now to choose the team for the style you want to play.

Beginner: You have never played the game before, and you just want to have fun and dunk a lot.

Drexler and Roy: The past and present greatest 2-guards the Blazers have are your best options if you are a beginner. They lack in three-point shooting but will be able to get by anyone of the dribble and attack the basket. They will keep you in a game no matter what. This is also your best offensive option for the team.

Defensive Juggernaut: You know what you like, and that's blocks.

Oden and Aldridge: As the video that has already circulated on YouTube can account, Oden is one of the game's best blocked shot artists. Use that to your advantage, while the rangy and quick Aldridge D's up on the opposing guard. With this team, you can also run a football offense, with one player shoving defenders as the other goes for an easy dunk.

Overall Best: You want to win the right way: great defense, and heart (aww).

Oden or Drexler at all times: Use the lineup combinations depending on situation each quarter. If you're looking to hold a lead or cool off a run, use Oden. If coming back, give Drexler a shot. No matter what, one of these players should be on the floor at all times.

Now, all we need is a proper Blazer fan NBA Jam tournament while we hold out hope that the Seattle Supersonics will be an unlockable team.

Batum: "We've matured." 6:53 PM

With the win today, France won a chance to advance from its group in the World Championships. Sports.fr spoke to Batum about the tournament so far and his future. I translated.

Sparkling against Canada (68-63) Tuesday night in Izmir, Nicolas Batum has taken matters into his own hands to enable the French team to qualify for the knockout stages of the World 2010. But, instead of looking backward, the tricolors look ahead. "Want we want is to finish first in the group," he assured, even if the next game against Lithuania is "still more difficult."

Nicolas, you are already in the fourth round. Is that your dream scenario?
Dream, I don't know. Let's say it's a good first step, the best start, even. We had a great performance. It wasn't the best way, for sure, but the win is what counts. Now, we are not going to be satisfied with that. What we want is to finish first in the group and we will continue like this until the end of the first round. We really want to show that we must be counted on in the future

In any case, Team France can count on you! You were able to take your responsibilities this evening ...
My self confidence helped me a lot.  I was able to adjust to what Canada gave us, I had to take matters into my own hands because I knew babaca (Boris Diaw) and Mike (Gelabale) were a little tired from the first two games. I tried to get the game to my style in the second half and I was decently helped by the interior players. They defended Joel Anthony well, and kept him from getting rebounds. It was scary, we had a lot of luck, but, for once, it's on our side, and we won't complain.

Personally, we imagine that it is very satisfying ...
It's true that it reassures me a little. In preparation, particularly in Villeurbanne, I tried to do stuff like that but it wouldn't work. The fact that I succeeded this evening makes me feel good about my game and allows me to be even more confident next time. 

Do you feel more sure than before in your offense?
I try to keep a cool head. I had the chance to evolve throughout the year with a player who masters composure, Brandon Roy. I watch a lot, and when I see his sureness and composure, I admire him. And when I play at the end of a game like today, I copy him. I have a good teacher, I think. 

Can this kind of game become a reference for this team?
Yes. Last week, a game like this, we probably lose by twenty points. If we had played like this against Canada two weeks ago, it would have been thirty. We've reached a new level, we've matured a lot in one week. We didn't panic, we played our defense, they made a run at the end, and we stole the victory. That's the most important part.

Did you think you would start so well before arriving in Turkey?

We did. You didn't. Compared to what we showed during the practice, we aren't too surprised. 

Was the intensity that Canada showed you surprising?
They were missing Andy Rautins but it wasn't obvious. For them, the game was the last chance.  With the outcome of Lebanon-New Zealand, they were screwed if they lost, so their lives were on the line this game. Now, they'll be going home, it's pretty much mathematic. It was complicated for us. 

Les Bleus (the nickname for team France) have had trouble with free throws. How can you explain it?
I don't know, there maybe was a slight lack of concentration, a feeling of complacency. The rest day ruined our flow a little bit. There was a lack of rhythm, a lack of legs compared to the first games. Today, we weren't very rigorous, whether it was offense or defense. But we obtained the essential: the win. We have to forget that and think only of what awaits us tomorrow (Wednesday against Lithuania, ed.). We have to get back to "Spain mode."

What type of game are you expecting against Lithuania?
It may be more difficult because Lithuania is still more organized. They have experienced players, Linas Kleiza really is a great scorer. We will really have to be careful. We know them, the Lithuanians, they shoot from everywhere and it's a three pointer every time. We will have to be very serious to be able to beat them. But if we want to finish first in the pool, we have to beat them.

Have you looked at Group C?
Logically, it will end with Russia and Puerto Rico. But I do not want to calculate, to think about the future. As long as I avoid Turkey, that's fine with me. I'm not looking forward to playing against them. As late as possible.

So, that's all. You have to love Nico's swagger.

NBA Emmys 9:47 PM

The Emmys have the silly effect of not mattering at all, yet still getting my guile up. Lists or rankings are catnip for my ill-informed criticism. The show's end, with Modern Family taking home the honor of the top comedy, immediately made for an easy NBA comparison.

ABC's new beloved sitcom is the Oklahoma City Thunder. It's based on a good ensemble cast, has two breakout stars, with one of which is one of television's funniest characters. Still, it's not even one of the top five comedies on television right now, but is a critical darling nonetheless.

Which brings me some of the other big Emmy nominees, and their television counterparts.

Mad Men = The Lakers: They win every single year.
Lost = The Celtics: A powerhouse over the last few years, their title chances are over.
30 Rock = The Suns: Formerly the fastest show on television, and has lost a step over the past couple of years.
Glee = The Heat: The most hyped show on television.
The Office = The Mavericks: Always good but not great, past its prime, and each has a terrible boss.
Friday Night Lights = The Blazers: High drama, plenty of tragic injuries, and completely unwatched around the country, save for a devoted fanbase.

Do you have other parallels that you can draw?

And Now, An Early Entry in the Trail Post Valentines 5:09 PM

Maybe I'll actually update on the signing tomorrow.

Blazers Go For Cho 11:07 AM

It's damn nice to know that the Blazers are back in good hands. I've made my argument earlier for why and how Rich Cho is the perfect fit as a GM for this team, and how choosing him is the ideal move not just from a strategic perspective but also a public relations perspective. It's just great to see the organization make the right move. More than being the guy we wanted, Rich Cho is the guy we needed.

Summer League in Review 9:29 AM

So long, Patty.

Despite the team's impressive record, this year's summer league came down to a point guard duel between two (as of right now) marginal NBA talents. Sure, it was fun to watch this team march to a 4-1 record (with that only blemish due to three last-second misses). Even better, it was great to see Caleb Kanales pick up the record in only his first year coaching. Still, the league's there for player evaluation, so let's get to the evaluatin'.

Jeff Pendergraph was a little lost out there. His last game of the tournament was his best, as he was everywhere, and completely owning the glass. In his second year, his shot still has not come around yet. That's going to make it difficult to get any playing time. If he can't play past Dante Cunningham, good luck trying to get past Marcus Camby. As he showed last year, though, he's a decent spot replacement for the big man position, a great practice player, and the best hype man in the league.

Dante Cunningham seems like the same player he was a few months ago. He's the guy that can knock down the open shot and hustle for the ball. He was the team's most veteran influence.

Luke Babbitt has work to do. He led the team in scoring a couple of times, but his field goal percentage, save for the last game, was in the crapper. Due to the last game, his free throw percentage bounced back to a respectable 85%. I feel like I didn't see enough of Luke during this to peg down a real judgment on him. He needs to be against real NBA talent to be judged.

Patty Mills is done. He is not the right player for this team. He's far too selfish, which will not mesh with the team at any time. No matter who he's with on the floor with the Blazers, he won't even be one of the top three options. He's a good player, and a fun player, but not one for the Blazers. He's a Nate Robinson All-Star, a guy that's fun to watch, but you would never want on your team. I heard a story about how he wanted to lead the league in assists coming in. That idea went out the window after his first game, when he tallied 9. He never topped 4 the rest of the way. The Blazers need someone who can defend, create for others, and stay out of the way. Patty doesn't do that.

Armon Johnson does do that. He hit his shots at a better clip than Patty, racked up more assists, and played much better defense. If there's one way Johnson could make an impact, it's through his D, which is already comparable, if not better than that of Bayless. And this is his first go-around in the league. Patty has played in the NBA for a season, and has years of international play under his belt, yet was totally outperformed by a rookie. I wish the best to Patty in his NBA future, and hope he catches on with a decent team, but he needs to be jettisoned, and Armon needs to be signed soon.

GM Watch: Cho to Interview 9:00 AM

Though I'm sure that the last blog post had little to zero to do with the decision (most likely zero or below), the Blazers have added the Thunder's assistant GM, Rich Cho, to the list of candidates to be interviewed for the GM position here.

It's good to see that the organization is looking at new guys, rather than the staid options we've had shuttled into the city so far during this process. Hiring Cho is good karma.