This year, there are quite a few rookies who have shown oustanding play. At the beginning of the season, I didn’t think it was a strong draft. I mean, Hasheem Thabeet went #2, and he is now in the NBDL! There were no truly special players that were going to be automatic stars in the league. Sure, there was Blake Griffin, who was going to be a good role player. Since getting injured, he hasn’t even played an NBA game. But other than that, there weren’t any surefire big names.

It turns out though, that several of the rookies are doing exceptionally well.
This is the way I rank them so far.
Tyreke Evans – He ran away with the All-Star Rookie Game MVP award. The dude can play! He can score, dish, and rebound. He’s on a young team and with Kevin Martin traded from the Kings, Tyreke Evans is the clear leader of this team now. He is the front-runner to win Rookie of the Year.

Stephen Curry – This kid can really shoot. He’s on the right team where he can get lots of playing time, get lots of experience, and get lots of shots. He didn’t start out this impressive, but with all the injuries in Golden State, he has gotten lots of opportunities, even in Nellie’s system. He is quickly becoming the man on that team, even though they have Monta Ellis who is no slacker.

Darren Collison – With Chris Paul as the number 1 point guard in the whole league, how was Collison ever going to get any playing time? He didn’t get much time on the floor and wasn’t really known. Then Chris Paul went down. Collison has quickly learned to fill Chris Paul’s big shoes. He has delivered some serious assist totals, as well as scoring. He’s logged 15+ assists in several games so far. I wouldn’t even know what to do – how can he and Paul co-exist, once Paul comes back? I have to think Collison would be a good trading chip at some point.

Brandon Jennings – The early favorite, once he scored 55 in a single game early on. He’s going through some rookie ups and downs, but he has somne great potential. The Bucks lost Michael Redd for the season, and Andrew Bogut has been up and down. Scott Skiles loves a good point guard and he loves Brandon Jennings. He’s going to have a great future. I would put him third in the rankings for Rookie of the Year.

Johnny Flynn – He started out very impressive. Despite having Ramon Sessions, a good point guard himself, Flynn got the starting nod and has held on to it all season. He’s having a very good season. He will continue to have some subpar games as would be expected of any rookie, but is doing a great job.

According to one interview, When Jennings compared his season to the rookie campaigns of Evans and Curry, he didn’t mince words. According to the most recent rookie rankings on NBA.com, Jennings was recently quoted saying the following:

“Right now, I’m playing for something bigger. I don’t even care about the Rookie of the Year. Forget it. Whoever gets it, who cares? Both of their teams suck, so whoever gets it, it doesn’t matter.”

And this is what Johnny Flynn had to say to ESPN’s Mark Stein:

Q: Who would get your Rookie of the Year vote and how disappointed are you that you’re not getting much consideration?
A: Tyreke Evans. Has to be [Rookie of the Year]. He’s averaging 20 points a game in the NBA as a rookie. … I don’t think I’m doing as much as all the rookies that are mentioned [for Rookie of the Year]. I’m just looking forward to getting better with time.

Let me know how you would rank them.

Early on, I would have thought the 2 strongest teams in the NBA were the Lakers in the West and the Celtics in the East. It turns out though that the Celtics have struggled somewhat with injuries and just have not been in synch. They are still a good team, but really have to get it together.

Then we’ve got the Cavs who have the best record in the NBA again … The regular season doesn’t mean as much as the playoffs. It’s a different game. The Cavs were not nearly as dominant in the playoffs last season as they were during the regular season. This season, I would not even say they are that dominant. They haven’t shown dominance. I don’t think any teams fear playing them. They have not really gotten it together yet. I have not seen them gel yet with Shaq, they now have to integrate Antawn Jamison, they somehow now have to also fit Shaq, Ilgauaskas, Varejo, Jamison, JJ Hickson. And I don’t know that the whole season they weren’t distracted by all of Delonte West’s offcourt troubles. They don’t seen dominant, yet they have the best record in the NBA. That could mean that we should fear how much better they can get, or it could mean they are not in synch. I don’t think they make it out of the East.

Orlando Magic – I don’t think this team has gelled yet. Dwight Howard has not really developed an offensive game, and still can’t hit free throws. Vince Carter is half Vince sometimes, and other times is doing a good job. Rashard Lewis has not had as much consistency, but to me, he has always been like that. They’ve got lots of good role players and a deep bench, which will help. I think having Jameer Nelson back, and if he plays well, they can do well. Somehow, when people count them out, they hang in there. They are still the defending Eastern Conference champions – give them that.

Atlanta Hawks – Then there’s the team that no one really wants to play. They aren’t the favorite, but they’ve got some serious game. I would even say they have the toughness, that don’t back down attitude. In the past 2 seasons, they’ve gone to many game 7s with the best teams in the East. They took both the Magic and the Celtics to 7 games! That’s saying something. If they can hit all cylinders at the right time, they’ve got a fantastic chance. They’ve got an extra off the bench gunner in Jamal Crawford too.

The West always has tough teams out there. The Denver Nuggets are no slouch and are as tough as they come. With the Lakers having lost three consecutive games recently, maybe they are not as dominant as we thought. To me though, that doesn’t mean much because Kobe is coming back from an injury, and it could just be that the Lakers are getting complacent. They will get it together in time, no doubt about that. But I repeat – the Nuggets will give them a serious battle come playoff time.

Who do you think will be the teams coming out of the East and West? Who will win the championship?
It’s going to be a fun playoffs!

Allen Iverson is retired. Again. This time, it looks like it is definitely for the rest of the season.
We’ll have to wait and see what comes about in the offseason. He has various rumoured personal problems – such as his young daughter being sick, his wife filing for divorce, and alcohol and gambling problems.

Here are some recent quotes from Coach Larry Brown on Iverson:

Iverson is now out of basketball for the rest of this season to tend to his ill, 4-year-old daughter, Messiah. Recent reports also have painted the former Sixers star as struggling with alcohol and gambling problems.

Allen’s always been Allen, regardless of what he did off the court, you know when the lights went on you knew what to expect.

Allen Iverson has arrived and it makes no difference. They are on a 12 game losing streak.

Iverson is coming off a hamstring injury, missing training camp, and has been away from playing. He has looked nervious and out of breath. He should become better as the season goes on.

Allen Iverson announced his retirement today.

On Stephen A. Smith’s website, Iverson writes
I would like to announce my plans to retire from the National Basketball Association. I always thought that when I left the game, it would be because I couldn’t help my team the way that I was accustomed to. However, that is not the case.
I still have tremendous love for the game, the desire to play, and a whole lot left in my tank. I feel strongly that I can still compete at the highest level.

He’s still got a lot of game left. He could have been a very good role player. He could have left the game in a better way.

Iverson become a free agent on Thursday night, November 19th.
Does he go to the Knicks? Does he go to other cities where there is also relief needed, such as the New Orleans where Chris Paul is sitting out? How about the Nets? Or the Orlando Magic where Jameer Nelson is going for knee surgery? There are quite a few places A.I. could help, but there are risks involved.

For a chance to win an ITouch, enter your email address after you click below.

On Friday, November 20th, the Knicks said No to signing Iverson. They were the most likely candidate.
From Yahoo Sports:
The New York Knicks won’t sign Allen Iverson(notes), believing any short-term gain would hinder their plans to build for the future.

Team president Donnie Walsh said Friday the team won’t make any additions at this time despite its 2-9 record. He added the decision to pass on the former MVP had nothing to do with Iverson’s ability to play or his character in the locker room.

“I’ve always admired him,” Walsh said. “I think he’d be a great addition for a team that’s in a different position than we’re in and I hope he gets picked up.”

Coach Mike D’Antoni said Iverson would have come in and played 40 minutes a game, taking playing time away from others who need to be on the court to continue their growth.

“We just didn’t think right now we wanted to have that dominant force on the team right now,” D’Antoni said.

“We’re going to stick with the plan and it just wasn’t the right situation. Allen is a great player, no doubt about it, but that’s not the route we’re going to take right now.”

Iverson was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday and became a free agent Thursday night. Walsh said he didn’t feel the four-time scoring champion was the right fit at the beginning, but began to reconsider because it’s “enticing to think that you can get a guy that can score the ball that way.”

But the Knicks remain committed to building with young players such as Danilo Gallinari(notes) and Wilson Chandler(notes), and felt a player who shoots as much as Iverson could hinder that strategy.

“We feel like that could hurt our development in the future, so we want to go the way we’re going,” Walsh said. “There will be other things we can do during the year that will be more in line with what our philosophy has been entering into this.”

Some notes from around the league:

From the New York Post
Knicks guard Larry Hughes went nostalgic at this morning’s shootaround at Conseco Field House, recalling his days as Allen Iverson’s partner in crime with the Sixers in the late 1990’s.

They were known in those days as “The Flight Brothers” with their fancy airborne passes lighting up Philly, back when both were younger and more athletic.

“He’s one of my good friends still,” Hughes said. “I had fun playing with him. We kept in contact over the years. I had fun playing with him. I wouldn’t mind playing with him again.”

“Any talent is good,” Hughes added. “You can never have too much talent. It’s about putting all the pieces together. A team can never have too much talent.”

From Sports Illustrated

Allen Iverson and the Memphis Grizzlies have agreed to end their contract.

What do you think is the impact of this?

Does it mean AI is retired?  Does another team pick him up?

With all the baggage he has brought with the Sixers, Nuggets, Pistons, and Grizzlies, it will be difficult for other teams to pick him up.  I hope he can get to a contender.  He has had a Hall of Fame career and has done a lot for the league.

He has had a lot of impact on the hip-hop culture of the NBA.

Already today, the Cavs, Bobcats, and Sixers have come out to say they are not interested.

The biggest talk is that Donny Walsh and the Knicks may be interested.

Let HotBasketballNews.com know what you think.

Disgruntled guard/forward Stephen Jackson of the Golden State Warriors was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats. Jackson and Acie Law were traded in exchange for Raja Bell and Vladimir Radmanovic.

The Bobcats gain some much needed scoring. They have had good defense but have struggled to score enough. The Warriors gain some expiring contracts. This trade was needed before a bad situation in Golden State became worse.

There were rumors earlier that Jackson was headed to Cleveland or New York. While Jackson wanted to go to a contender, Charlotte is a place where he can get a lot of playing time and have a positive impact on a young team.

Let HotBasketballNews.com know what you think of the trade.

Here are my starting five:

PG  -  Chris Paul

SG  -  Kobe Bryant

C   -  Dwight Howard

SF  -  LeBron James

PF  -  Dirk Nowitzki

Who would your starting five be?
I know there are some great players that were left off of this, but that will always be the case.

Guys like Dywane Wade, Amare Stoudamire, Steve Nash, Chris Bosh – but there are only 5 spots.

Think you can do better than HotBasketballNews.com?

LeBron James said that he would not wear #23 next year out of respect for Michael Jordan.  LeBron will wear #6.
Jordan is widely hailed as the best player to ever play the game.

There are pros and cons.   He has done so much for the league.  He has shown greatness.  He has multiple MVPs and multiple dynasty championships.  He was slam dunk champion.  He changed the game.  He changed the media and advertising game as well.

At the same time though, there are other greats that paved the way for Jordan as well.  The great Dr. J.  Larry Bird vs. Magic.  Wilt Chamberlain.  And so on.

Some opinions from around the league from NBA.com:
Kevin Durant would appear to be the perfect first lieutenant in the LeBron James crusade. KD, after all, first picked up a basketball when the Bulls were dominating the basketball world, is close to James and happens to be a Nike guy. If anyone believes in the sanctity of No. 23, it ought to be Durant.

Surprise, surprise.

“I have a lot of respect for Michael Jordan and LeBron is one of my best friends, so whatever he wants to do as far as his own number I’m behind. But I also know who came before me,” Durant said. “Nothing against MJ, but if you retire his number around the league, what about Bill Russell and Oscar Robertson and Elgin Baylor? And all of the other great players who went before?

“If you’re going to do that for Michael, you should do the same for the rest of those guys. Whatever happens, happens. I just don’t think guys like Russell and Robertson and Chamberlain should be forgotten.”

Durant’s sense of history belies his 21 years. As for the Jordan debate, it hasn’t subsided since James announced his intention on TNT to honor His Airness by switching from No. 23 to 6 next season and lobbied for the league-wide retirement of the number.

Magic swingman Vince Carter (No. 15): “Michael Jordan is definitely one of the all-time greatest. I’m old enough to have played against him when he was in Washington. I was in a position for his last All-Star Game, I gave up my [starting] spot so he could start. That was my way of honoring him as one of the greatest to ever play. I grew up watching him playing here in Orlando and rooting for him. To have that opportunity [give up All-Star start] was a great honor for me. That was my tribute, my moment and I stay out of the rest of it with the number.’”

Blazers guard Brandon Roy (No. 7): “I don’t think anyone should wear 23 out of respect for Michael. I wear 7, so it doesn’t affect me. There’s no way I would’ve taken 23. That’s a pretty big number to fill.”

Mavericks forward Shawn Marion (No. 0): “If that’s what [LeBron] chooses to say, why after this year? Why didn’t he come into the league doing it? But that’s what he feels. I like LeBron. He’s my man. That’s his opinion.”

Bobcats coach Larry Brown: “We should retire 6 [Russell], we should retire 13 for Wilt, we should retire Larry Bird, we should retire Magic, we should retire Oscar. I’m so thankful I’ve got a job. Those guys all gave me a career, so I love Michael and I really love what LeBron said. I don’t he was trying to offend any of those other people. This kid has loved Michael since he’s been a young kid and I think Michael was a pretty good role model for him, and I’m not so sure we won’t be saying the same thing about LeBron’s number down the road.”

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle: “It’s great to see a young player like LeBron, who is still extremely young, has that kind of a sense of history and that kind of respect for those that came before him. If he’s able to convince all the players in the league to do this, this is something that would be unique to the NBA. No other league has ever done anything like this, paid that kind of respect to their game’s best players. It would be to me a great sign of where the respect of the game is on the list of priorities for our younger players and our players in general. I think it would be awesome if they did it.”

Van Gundy: “I understand these young guys because LeBron didn’t grow up watching any of those old guys. He thinks Michael Jordan is the greatest player ever, but there were actually guys who could play the game pretty well before Michael. You’re going to retire all of the numbers and pretty soon our guys will have to wear No. 372.”

What do you think?  Comment below at HotBasketballNews.com.