THE SPORT COUNT

Allen Iverson has made some audacious claims since coming to Memphis. The latest, in an extended interview with Scoop Jackson, involves Iverson claiming that even a playoff berth for the Grizzlies would not be enough to satisfy him — he wants a championship!

"I came for the music, but I'll stay for a championship."

These aspirations have been generally received by the illustrious blogosphere as preposterous, the rumblings of a 34-year old mad man. However, let’s take Iverson at his word for a second. Is it, in fact, possible for this rag-tag bag of youngsters and selfish veterans to take home the Larry O’Brien trophy next June?

5 steps to success for the Memphis Grizzlies:

1. Hasheem Thabeet becomes a defensive beast

By beast, we’re talking Mutombo levels of beast.

If Thabeet were to become the best defensive big man in the game, he’d hide the glaring defensive weaknesses of Zach Randolph. If you take Zach’s inability and unwillingness to rebound out of the equation, he’s actually a solid contributor — 20/10, even if those 20 points are at a very bad clip for a big man (46.6% over his career).

2.Allen Iverson’s cult of personality

Allen Iverson must be loved by this team –- and he needs to show love back.

Iverson, in his prime, was capable of leading a band of misfits (starters included George Lynch, Tyrone Hill, and Aaron McKie) to the NBA Finals, and even taking a game off one of the best teams of a generation, the 2001  Lakers. A lot is said about Iverson’s ball hog attributes and negative locker room personality — by the media. Rarely, if ever, is Iverson criticised by teammates. If Iverson can unite the team behind him, and figure out a way to get the guys involved, Memphis just might make a playoff run.

3.Mike Conley wins most improved player of the year

After being taken with the 4th overall selection in a stacked draft, Conley has failed to live up to his potential. Plain and simple, he’s being overshadowed by young guns like Jameer Nelson, Rondo and Rose, not to mention Paul and Williams, to the point where he’s not even in most conversations about young point guards.

Conley must become a competent and solid double figure assists player, getting easy baskets to his wing players in transition and hitting open shots. If Conley becomes the general of this team and manages to earn the respect of the vets and youngsters alike, there will be a solid foundation for success.

"Will I bang in the low-post this year? Who knows... probably not!"

4.Randolph, Thabeet and Gasol need to bang

Thinking  about it — and contingent on Thabeet being a beast (I have doubts) — this is a really solid frontcourt. Not many teams — even contenders — have a young per-36 double-double average player like Gasol languishing on the bench.

Randolph’s clip, as previously mentioned, is disgusting. However, if he can bang inside a little more, and Conley can get him the rock deep, his efficiency will skyrocket and he’ll add some value to the team.

5.OJ Mayo wins sixth man of the year

I know what you’re thinking — here’s a guy who, in many years, would’ve had ROY honours, and now we want him to come off the bench? Well, for this team to succeed, he will have to.

Iverson cannot, and will not come off the bench for anyone, much less the Griz. He will likely take less minutes, but starting is clearly something he needs to do to get a feel for the game and stay happy, which is essential to Memphis doing well.

Mayo, like Iverson, requires a ludicrous amount of ball to be effective. You can toy with playing him at PG, but that’s a stupid idea if Iverson is SG. Likewise, playing Iverson at PG with Mayo at SG; it just won’t work, like Monta Ellis next to Stephen Curry.

Playing Mayo  32+ minutes off the bench would give Memphis one of the most versatile scoring guards in the league in their second unit. If you thought the streaky J.R. Smith in the second unit of the Nuggets was impressive in last season’s playoffs, Mayo will startle — especially considering that he’s going to be guarded by the likes of Tony Allen and Chris Duhon.

So, there are our arguments. I don’t think anyone honestly believes that the Grizzlies could win a championship during Iverson’s tenure with the club, but if the above should come to fruition, there will certainly be a strong enough core to contend for the final playoff spot in the ever so tough, Western Conference.

Posted by: James

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133. The Funston Freaks: Courtney Lee | New Jersey Nets

Drafted So Far: Dwight Howard, Andre Iguodala, Andris Biedrins, Baron Davis, Jason Richardson, Tony Parker, Marcus Camby, J.R. Smith, Marvin Williams, Jermaine O’Neal, Michael Beasley

We’ve seen Courtney go far earlier in other drafts, but he’s being picked up for one reason: he’s on a bad team with no depth, and he’s a young guy. Yes, he’s a quality player, but in statistical terms he’s a liability. His per-36s from last year: 12 points, 3 boards, 1.7 dimes, 1.4 steals, 1.5 treys. That’s in thirty six minutes. The thievery and long-range bomb numbers are useful, but the rest? No good at all.

Maybe his bigger role in the Nets offense will help. In the final round of the draft, I’ll definitely take the chance.

134. John Hollinger’s W.A.S.S.U.P System: Jonny Flynn | Minnesota Timberwolves

Drafted So Far: Brandon Roy, Chris Bosh, Monta Ellis, Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, Al Harrington, Mike Bibby, Jeff Green, Josh Howard, Shaquille O’Neal, Francisco Garcia

Despite Ramon Sessions coming on board, you have to figure Minne give their hyper-athletic, high-pick young guard some reasonable burn. He can get to the rim and knows how to pass the ball, and given Minnie’s obvious dearth of talent, Flynn will likely be relied on to do a lot early.

If he can put up a line similar to Mayo’s rookie season (without the rich 3PM numbers, but with a few more dimes), it’ll be a worthwhile last-round gamble.

135. The Buss Family All-Star Band: Randy Foye | Washington Wizards

Drafted So Far: Deron Williams, Amar’e Stoudemire, Rajon Rondo, Andrea Bargnani, Manu Ginobili, Anthony Randolph, John Salmons, Kevin Love, Mario Chalmers, Chris Kaman, Tyler Hansborough

Randy will get some minutes and if the Gilbert Arenas comeback experiment fails — by no means impossible — the jump in numbers would be significant. Even if Hibachi comes back healthy, Foye will get minutes at the 1- and 2-spot.

140. That’s My Power Forward! That’s My Teammate!: Tyreke Evans | Sacramento Kings

With their team looking less than stellar, Evans is a chance to be played quite a bit early on in the year. The starting job is his for the taking. The fact that he’ll constantly turn the ball over, and presumably shoot at 40%, isn’t fantastic, but it doesn’t have to be this late in the draft. The upside is there for Evans to be Dwyane Wade without the distribution, vision, shot selection, or ball-handling.

144. Kahn’t Buyout Love: Robin Lopez | Phoenix Suns

The starting job may go to Channing Frye, but in games where the Suns want some interior defense, Lopez will get substantial minutes. His per-36s are not at all good (11 and 7), but the 2.4 blocks bodes well for that category.

That concludes the Sport Count Fantasy Mock. To read back over previous reads, click here.

Posted By: Anton, James & Alex

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Everyone needs a holiday. And — apart from the sporadic media commitments, morning gym sessions, and around-the-clock Twitter obligations — that’s what the off-season represents for players and coaches. So, how do the rich and athletic unwind? We asked around.

Steve Kerr with his daughter, Miranda.

Phoenix general manager Steve Kerr kept busy this summer by visiting his daughter, Miranda, an up-and-coming model, most famously for Victoria’s Secret. ‘I love to get down under when I can,’ Steve told us, on his way to a major Australian horse racing meet. ‘It actually reminds me a lot of Phoenix.’

How does he spend his time across the Atlantic? ‘Basically, it’s just a chance to spend time with Miranda, enjoy a few daiquiris,’ says Kerr, laughing. ‘And not even think about who our starting center will be.’

Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni, director Steven Soderbergh, and producer Laura Bickford

New York Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni has already settled into life in New York. ‘It’s good here, yeah,’ says Mike, who spoke to us from his cell phone from an exclusive rooftop party hosted by indie group Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. ‘Donnie [Walsh] and I can head out after work, see some bands, hit the bars.’

Pictured is D’Antoni attending the premiere of The Girlfriend Experience with his new friend, director Steven Soderbergh. ‘I always say to Steve, you should have called your movie Sex, Lies & Eddy Curry. He loves that one.’

Ice T films a scene with Warriors centre Andris Biedrins

Most basketball fans know Golden State Warriors center Andris Biedrins as a spiky-haired, gangly-limbed pivot. Very few would know him as one of the biggest Law & Order: SVU fans in the world. That fandom paid off this summer, as the producers offered him a guest spot on the hit series.

‘In Latvia, this is best of television,’ said Biedrins, who we visited on set. ‘Only this and Naked & Funny is on, all day.’

Join us next week, as we learn where Troy Murphy went (hint: it’s infinite, and houses many solar systems), what Marcus Banks learned (‘I spit fire now!’) and much more!

Images: Anton

Words: Anton & James

Follow the Sport Count for searing insights, breaking news, and pictures of Carlos Boozer with his dog.

We’re well into the business end of a deep draft, where upside and potential means everything, and old veterans are reluctantly selected based on name value alone.

Catch up on Round 10 here. Fantasy notes:  We’re using a 12-team, H2H format, with standard categories.

121. Kahn’t Buyout Love: Al Thornton | Los Angeles Clippers

Drafted So Far: Chris Paul, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Paul Pierce, LaMarcus Aldridge, Mike Conley, Eric Gordon, Raymond Felton, Greg Oden, Anthony Morrow

I can see Al Thornton being a bit of a sleeper this year… or he’ll end up on the bench, if Mike Dunleavy finally realises how one-dimensional he really is. If the Clippers decide to run this year, with Babyhead gone and Kaman (presumably) out injured, we’ll see some bumps in Thornton’s stats.

122. Danny Aingent 007: Kenyon Martin | Denver Nuggets

Drafted So Far: LeBron James, Troy Murphy, Gilbert Arenas, Mo Williams, Nene Hilario, Rudy Gay, Stephen Jackson, Thaddeus Young, Corey Maggette, Chris Duhon

He’s always an injury risk and courts technicals and ejections like it’s part of the game, but his numbers this late in the draft are a steal: 11 and 7 with a handy 1+ STLs/BLKs, and he will generally push 50% FG for the year.

With Kleiza booted, he could see a bit more scoring responsibility too. Assuming he doesn’t contract leprosy or shingles, or cop a year-long suspension for punching out Mark Cuban.

123. Drinking Derrick Rosé: Nenad Krstic | Oklahoma City Thunder

Drafted So Far: Kevin Durant, Brook Lopez, Kevin Martin, David Lee, Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin, Trevor Ariza, Wilson Chandler, Lamar Odom, James Harden

In need a back-up centre, Krstic fits the bill. He was so-so in his return last year, but is just three years removed from seriously solid numbers. It also means that the team officially has 80% of the Thunder’s starting line-up, meaning — barring those rare, lonely nights when Jeff Green explodes — we’ll get a tonne of Oklahoma stats every time they play.

124. The Memphis SATs: Yi Jianlian | New Jersey Nets

Drafted So Far: Dwyane Wade, Antawn Jamison, Shawn Marion, Carlos Boozer, OJ Mayo, Spencer Hawes, Ray Allen, Ramon Sessions, Allen Iverson, Chris Andersen

Yi will start every game for New Jersey, so no matter how bad he is, so he’ll get some stats, regardless of ability. Having said that, reports out of NJ have him improving on last season, which makes this pick a little better. Even though improving from ‘ineffectual, bad

125. That’s My Power Forward! That’s My Teammate!: Rodney Stuckey | Detroit Pistons

Drafted So Far: Kobe Bryant, Jose Calderon, Gerald Wallace, Emeka Okafor, David West, Michael Redd, Zach Randolph, Stephen Curry, Ron Artest, Tracy McGrady

I’m not confident in Stuckey’s ability to produce consistently this year, but this teams needs a PG-eligible baller and he’ll — at least — be getting starter’s minutes. This is a low-risk, potentially low-reward pick, but if he manages 14 and 5 dimes, on reasonable percentages, that’s quite acceptable in the 11th round of a deep draft.

126. Facilitatin’ With Mr. Wallace: Brendan Haywood | Washington Wizards

Drafted So Far: Danny Granger, Josh Smith, Derrick Rose, Elton Brand, Ben Gordon, Andre Miller, T.J. Ford, Luis Scola, Richard Jefferson, Tyson Chandler

Thankfully, being a reasonable human being isn’t a fantasy category.

Haywood will be the starting centre on a team fairly week at the pivot spot — only JaVale McGee will challenge for burn and, although he’s a genuine fantasy sleeper, he’s too raw to be a serious threat. Brendan is an underrated swatter (1.7 in his last healthy season, 2007-08) and a solid boardsman.

127. Mark Cuban Missile Crisis: Eddy Curry | New York Knicks

Drafted So Far: Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Joe Johnson, Caron Butler, Al Horford, Tyrus Thomas, Andrew Bogut, Aaron Brooks, Ronnie Brewer, Louis Williams

Yep, he’s going — there have been reports that he’s set to start at centre, so Curry might put up some halfway decent numbers if reports about his weight are correct.

A real swing for the fences, but this team is rounded enough to take a flyer here.

128. On Grounds of Vinsanity: Kelenna Azubuike | Golden State Warriors

Drafted So Far: Pau Gasol, Chauncey Billups, Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, Mehmet Okur, Boris Diaw, Nate Robinson, Jason Terry, Andrei Kirilenko, Brad Miller

It’s a fantasy-friendly system (apart from, y’know, the abitrary benchings) and, while I doubt Kelenna will see the 32mpg he did last season, he seems to be one of Nellie’s few liked players and can be a 3PM/STL/BLK threat along with his 15 and 5 boards. He managed to rate amongst GSW’s best fantasy outputs even with the return of Monta, and finished the season with some healthy lines. Hopefully that form will continue, despite the logjam at the swingman spot.

129. Andrew Bynom Nom Noms: Rip Hamilton | Detroit Pistons

Drafted So Far: Al Jefferson, Devin Harris, Carmelo Anthony, Jameer Nelson, Paul Millsap, Andrew Bynum, Charlie Villanueva, Leandro Barbosa, Luol Deng, Jamal Crawford

Of course, Rip or Tayshaun should have gone by now. But we’ve covered why they haven’t: they’re charmless guys on a charmless team, and they’re likely to see significant decreases in minutes. But hey, this late in the draft, charmless will sometimes have to do.

If forced into a timeshare with Ben Gordon, it’s difficult to see Rip’s fantasy impact staying solid. The upside is that it’s not unlikely he’ll be sent packing elsewhere, if a team is willing to take on a biggish contract in return for a lot of off-the-ball movement. If he stays in Detroit, expect Rip to hit the waivers quickly.

130. The Buss Family All-Star Band: Tyler Hansborough | Indiana Pacers

Drafted So Far: Deron Williams, Amar’e Stoudemire, Rajon Rondo, Andrea Bargnani, Manu Ginobili, Anthony Randolph, John Salmons, Kevin Love, Mario Chalmers, Chris Kaman

Hear me out.

This team has no depth in its front court — barring Troy Murphy, the majority of these guys are just happy that the Pacers exist so they can make a roster. They took a bit of a flyer on Hansborough in the draft, and will be in a rebuilding phase, meaning we’ll see young players given time to develop.

Troy Murphy managed to get about a million rebounds per game last year, just by being the only guy who wanted them. Hansborough’s hustle when hitting the glass will get him boards — and you can expect some easy put-back points too.

131. The John Hollinger W.A.S.S.U.P. System: Francisco Garcia | Sacramento Kings

Drafted So Far: Brandon Roy, Chris Bosh, Monta Ellis, Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, Al Harrington, Mike Bibby, Jeff Green, Josh Howard, Shaquille O’Neal

Sacramento have zero depth, so Francisco is going to see at least 30 minutes per game. While unspectacular generally, he managed 1.43PM, 1.2STL and 1.0BLK last year, which is at least as valuable as his PTS, dimes and boards combined. He can have some disgusting nights in the FG% department, but will sporadically rack up some solid BLK and STL totals.

132. The Funston Freaks: Michael Beasley | Miami Heat

Drafted So Far: Dwight Howard, Andre Iguodala, Andris Biedrins, Baron Davis, Jason Richardson, Tony Parker, Marcus Camby, J.R. Smith, Marvin Williams, Jermaine O’Neal

Though Joakim Noah looks like a potential steal here, with a team stuffed full of rebounders and shot-blockers, he’s simply not needed. (I will regret saying this when all my big men are hit with the dreaded Curse of the Inj). Same argument with Jason Thompson, who should be beasting it up in Sactown.

Beasley is a risk with a whole stack of upside. On the one hand, his love of the sticky ick ick might render him useless. On the other, the guy is a natural-born scorer who boasted per-36s of 20 and 8 last season. If he comes back healthy — mentally and physically — this could be a preposterous steal. It’s just hard to know how such a young guy will bounce back from such a tortured off-season.

Join us tomorrow for the 12th and final round.

Posted By: Anton, James & Alex

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Following on from our recent features on teams without a future (the Raptors and the Kings), we’ve come to the latest in the installment: the inimitably run Golden State Warriors.

"I treat this little fella better than most of my rookies."

First things first, I’m adding a fairly large caveat to this feature: I am not going to mention Don Nelson.

We’re talking about the future of the team, and — at least, theoretically — you can fire Nellie. Whilst his decision making and constant mind games with his playing personel is one thing, we’re going to focus on the playing staff and how this rag tag band can possibly be transformed into a contender.

On initial inspection, the Warriors seem to be a team with a bright future. The unique skills of Anthony Randolph, the scoring and up-tempo potential of Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis, and the creepiness of Fritzl-in-the-making Andris Biedrins, make an entertaining, and promising, core. Surely a lot of teams out there with aging veterans cobbled together for one last roll of the dice would covet the Warriors’ outlook? Think again.

Let’s look at some of the salary facts. Whilst there’s no glaringly obvious Eddy Curry or Zach Randolph on this team, cumulatively there have been enough woeful contract decisions to seriously hamper the team’s long term flexibility:

#1: They currently owe Stephen Jackson — a man who has openly declared he doesn’t want to play for them — $36 million over the next 4 years. Not much to pay for your mercurial captain? Well, he’ll be 35 by the time this contract is expired… alarm bells ringing yet?

Jackson’s contract is close to untradeable, but he’s by no means the worst asset on the team, in contract terms.

#2: $40m over 4 years. That’s how much money they owe Corey Maggette; one of the most dispensable scoring 3s in recent history. This is the guy that KG once congratulated after a blowout loss with the elegant insult, “way to get your numbers”. In the context of this current environment of fiscal responsibility, it’s incomprehensible that Corey Maggette got this contract last year. It’s bewildering to pay that much for a solid 18 ppg at a bad clip, and nothing else.

#3: Now, the third piece of the puzzle. Monta Ellis. While he’s exciting, and — at his best — could be a good deal on his $11m per year deal, he’s hardly the guy you want to build around. He injured himself by engaging in contractually prohibited activity in the offseason directly after getting overpaid. He has openly declared that he “cannot” play with the team’s first round draft choice. He once finished second in a chilli eating contest rumoured to have been instigated by Adonal Foyle. You get the picture that he isn’t exactly a young franchise player in the making.

In fact, with Ellis, Jackson and Maggette — three guys who think of themselves ahead of almost anyone else — and SVU suspect in the making, Biedrins, the Warriors have nearly $41m dollars committed through to 2013.

The good news is they’ll still have room for a max/near max player. The bad news is that they’ll need to field a team of 5 players — including the bench — to succeed in doing this.

Posted by: James

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