Tyreke Evans: In Good Company

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Say the names together: Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, LeBron James... and Tyreke Evans! Evans, the Sacramento Kings rookie, became just the fourth player in the history of the NBA to average at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in their rookie season. He joins hall of famers Robertson and Jordan as well as reigning MVP (and probably future hall of famer) LeBron in this esteemed list.
This is quite a feat. Evans was taken by the Kings as the fourth pick in the 2010 NBA draft - and he immediately took charge of the rebuilding squad. Finishing with the final averages of 20.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, and 5.8 apg, Evans is also the favourite to be soon named the seasons Rookie of the Year (ROY) award. He will likely beat the Bucks' Brandon Jennings (and his awesome 55 point game explosion) and the Warriors' Stephen Curry (who had an great run to end the season).
Kings head coach Paul Westphal had this to say: "“I don’t think we need the numbers to validate what a great season Tyreke has had. He’s been the most consistent rookie I’ve ever been around. The 20-5-5 is really just icing on the cake for what a complete ballplayer he is and what a mature ballplayer he is. I’m sure it won’t be the last time he achieves all those milestones."
'Reke's detractors are obviously going to bring up two problems with his ROY campaign: 1) his team cooled off and didn't make the playoff and 2) Reke was a ball-hog.
Sure - both criticisms are true - but not true enough to take away from all the positive contribution that he made to the team on and off the floor this season. He's brought back excitement to the Arco Arena, and along with Omri Casspi, Carl Landry, Beno Udrih, Jason Thompson, and Spencer Hawes, he will help to lead an improving young squad in the future.

'Reke has been my favourite rookie all season, and SLAM magazine even compared him to a young LeBron James. But he completely let himself down in the Kings' second-last game of the season against the Rockets: Tyreke shamelessly pursued the 20-5-5 milestone in expense of a victory. The Kings lost by 10 points but still celebrated because Tyreke, who needed 24 points in the game to clinch the record, over-shot the ball, even during crucial stages of the game, and he finally finished with 24 points after taking 23 shots.
Great season Reke; awful ending.

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Tracy KnickGrady?

Knicks have shown faint interest in the Rockets' Tracy McGrady aka T-Mac aka China All-Star #1 for a while, but now, the interest is actually converting into actual trade scenarios. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Knicks could lose Al Harrington as part of a three team trade that would send McGrady to New York:

The centerpieces of the trade would include the Washington Wizards shipping forward Caron Butler(notes) and center Brendan Haywood(notes) to the Rockets. The Knicks would send Al Harrington(notes) to the Wizards. For the Wizards’ part, they would still need another player, as well as a draft pick and cash to make this a workable scenario, sources said.

The Rockets have been peddling McGrady’s expiring contract of $23 million since exiling him in late December.

McGrady has played a shade below 35 minutes the entire season! He's featured in six games for the Rockets, he has averaged a scintillating 3.2 ppg and even 1 assist per game. So obviously, the Knicks would want to trade away one of their leading scorers in Harrington to obtain him.


Sounds like an awful deal right? Actually, I don't think so. Although he has been effective, Harrington is dispensable. His stats can be fairly easily replaced by giving more minutes to any of the other jackers rusting away on the Knick bench. McGrady is a shade of the superstar he was earlier in the decade, when along with Vince Carter, Kobe, and Iverson, he was probably the deadliest perimeter threat in the league. But I still feel that if he figures things out, gets back some swag, he can be of some use. Otherwise, there is always an expiring 23 million dollars at the end of the season that never hurt anybody.

I feel that the Rockets will be the obvious winners in this trade. Butler is one of the most hardest working and underrated players in the league, and will take this overachieving team to greater heights. The glow of Yao-love from China would also make him a starter in the 2011 all star game.

Mount Mutombo Visits India

So, the NBA really seems to be serious about expanding its presence in India: The nothing-less-than-legendary Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo, or simply Dikembe Mutombo, that of 18 years of shot-blocking, finger-wagging, and asking pro-basketball's most titilating question, "Who wants to sex Mutombo?" is in India this week to unveil lead basketball court dedications in Mumbai and Chennai.

Two courts and an e-learning center will be unveiled on Dec. 9 at St. Dominic Savio High School and Boys Home in Mumbai. More than 1,500 children will benefit from the resurfaced courts and new basketball equipment. HP, TCS, and the NBA have provided St. Dominic Savio with resources to create a new e-learning center, which will be outfitted with networking and HP computers to provide the faculty new tools to improve teaching methods for its students.

The new courts in Mumbai will also host the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Hoop School Tournament of Mumbai on Dec. 12 and 13, featuring 25 local schools that were part of the program, which launched in November 2008.



On Dec. 11, a ground-breaking ceremony will be held at the YMCA College of Physical Education in Chennai. The new court and equipment will greatly enhance the training of the nearly 450 students studying to be physical education teachers at the YMCA. In addition, the computer lab at the school will be outfitted with networking and HP computers to provide the students the means to take their education beyond the classroom.

This is awesome news for all concerned. Mutombo, the Congoles-American who retired in April this year after 18 years in the NBA, in six differet teams (last for the Houstan Rockets), and was the oldest player in the NBA (42) prior to his retirement. He is the NBA's second-highest shot-blocker of all time, behind the great Hakeem Olajuwan. He is a global ambassador for the NBA and also a known humanitarian.

Thanks Deke, NBA, for making this happen - Basketball in India needs such efforts more than ever. Click here for the News recap on the Mumbai unveiling.