"NBA Playoffs" The Movie

2007-2008 NBA Playoffs the Movie, starring...


Jason Schwartzman as Sasha Vujacic
Actor, Rushmore, I Heart Huckabees : SG, LA Lakers



Aston Kutcher as Kyle Korver
Actor, That 70s Show, Punk'd : SG, Utah Jazz



Chris Rock as Michael Finley
Comedian/Actor : G/F, San Antonio Spurs



Denzel Washington as Tracy McGrady
Actor, Malcolm X, Training Day, American Gangster : SG, Houston Rockets



The guy from the State Farm commercials as Jason Kidd
Actor : PG, Dallas Mavericks



Method Man as Rasheed Wallace
Rapper, Wu-Tang Clan : PF, Detroit Pistons



Mr. Eko as Samuel Dalembert
Actor, Lost : C, Philadelphia 76ers



Will Smith as Tim Duncan
Actor/Rapper : PF, San Antonio Spurs



KRS-One as Chris Bosh
Rapper : PF, Toronto Raptors



B.J. Novak as Jose Calderon
Ryan Howard on The Office : PG, Toronto Raptors



Omar Little as Reggie Evans
Actor, The Wire : F, Philadelphia 76ers



Owen Wilson as Andrei Kirilenko
Actor, Zoolander, Wedding Crashers : F, Utah Jazz



Michael Clarke Duncan as Shaquille O'Neal
Actor, Armageddon, The Green Mile : C, Phoenix Suns



G.I. Jane as Steve Nash
Actress, Demi Moore : PG, Phoenix Suns



Ron Jeremy as Stan Van Gundy
Actor, porn star : Coach, Orlando Magic



Sideshow Bob as Anderson Varejao
Actor, The Simpsons : PF, Cleveland Cavaliers



Jason Voorhees as Rip Hamilton
Actor/serial killer, Friday the 13th : SG, Detroit Pistons



A Werewolf as Pau Gasol
Actor, Teen Wolf : PF, L.A. Lakers



and Grimace as Charles Barkley
McDonald's character : TNT analyst

... coming soon to a theater near you.

Lowry drops 22 in season finale

Kyle Lowry scored 22 points in the Grizzlies' final game of the season, a 120-111 loss to the Denver Nuggets. He was rewarded with the start alongside Mike Conley. Lowry took career-highs in field goals attempted (8-21) and 3-pointers attempted (3-7). He added 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 2 turnovers.

Like Randy Foye, April was Lowry's best month of the season with averages of 13 points and 4 assists. Look for Lowry to be traded during the offseason because of the excess of young point guards in Memphis. The Grizzlies have shown throughout the season that they want Conley as their starting PG of the future, leaving either Lowry or Javaris Crittenton likely to be traded.

Here's a look at his final season stats:

Foye scores 32

Randy Foye scored a career-high 32 points in Minnesota's season finale. Foye scored 10 of his 32 points in overtime to lead the Timberwolves to a 110-101 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. He was 13-18 from the field, 4-5 from three, and added 4 rebounds and 4 assists.

Foye averaged 21.2 points and 5.6 assists in his last 5 games of the season. He got better each game since he return from knee injury, and hopefully his progress will continue through the offseason. Foye's strong finish should propel him to a breakout season next year.

Here's a look at Randy's final season stats:

Evans chooses Memphis

Villanova lost out on top recruit Tyreke Evans, as he announced in a press conference today that he will be attending Memphis University. I'm not gonna lie and say Villanova will be better off without him, but Evans could have caused some chemistry issues if he joined the Wildcats. The kid has a huge ego and may have been more worried about his stats and his NBA draft stock than winning games and playing team ball. Just take a look at some of his comments in a recent ESPN.com chat: Aaron Arrington, Philadelphia,Pa: Who do you look up to the most? why?
Tyreke Evans: Me!
Never mind the fact that he felt the need to call a nationally televised press conference to make his decision in the first place.

Evans may have been the final piece that could have pushed Villanova over the edge and become a National Championship contender, but this isn't a major blow to the program. Next season Villanova returns every player from a team that reached the Sweet Sixteen, and they have two available scholarships in case anybody else pops up. Nova will add Taylor King and Maalik Wayns in 2009, and Jay Wright can now devote his full attention to new recruits like Dominic Cheek.

In this day and age things can change quickly. Although he agreed to a contract extension, Memphis coach John Calipari may change his mind and decide to coach elsewhere. So for now Tyreke Evans is Memphis-bound, but you never know what may happen in the future.

Malcolm Grant to Miami

Sources say Malcolm Grant will transfer to the University of Miami. Malcolm should be able to find plenty of playing time there because only two guards from the Hurricanes' current roster will remain on the team when Grant is eligible to play in the 2009-2010 season. I wish him the best of luck and hope he has a great career in the ACC.

Taylor King to Villanova

Duke Freshman Taylor King has decided to transfer to Villanova. King said, "It just couldn't be a better fit for me... I asked blunt questions, but I wanted everything they offered. They laid down their game plan for me and I couldn't resist."

He will sit out next season and will be eligible to play in 2009-2010 after Dante Cunningham, Shane Clark, Dwayne Anderson, and Frank Tchuisi graduate. King is a 6'6 forward noted for his 3-point shooting (37.7%). He averaged 5.5 points in his first season, with his best game coming on November 25 when he scored 27 points and made 6 of 11 threes.

King is Villanova's third McDonald's All-American, along with Scottie Reynolds and Corey Stokes. King's shooting should be a nice addition to the team. The year off should give him time to adjust to Jay Wright's system and help improve his defense and rebounding.

Lowry vs. Foye Part III

The Timberwolves beat the Grizzlies 114-105 at Memphis tonight in the third meeting between former Wildcats Randy Foye and Kyle Lowry.

Foye had 16 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 turnover. His quotes after the game: "We were moving the ball well. It's fun to play like that. You push the ball up, swing, swing, dunk. That's so fun, man. I love playing like that." Randy was coming off of one his better games of the season when he had 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in a win at Orlando. He is now averaging 17.4 points and 4.9 assists in the month of April. Foye has been impressive from 3-point range, shooting 40.3% on the season.

Lowry had 10 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 turnover. Kyle is averaging 9.5 points and 3.6 assists this season. Starting point guard Mike Conley had a career-high 25 points and added 5 assists in the game.

Lowry vs. Foye, Part II

Former Villanova teammates Kyle Lowry and Randy Foye met for the second time in their NBA careers tonight. This time Lowry and the Grizzlies came out on top with a 113-101 victory over the Timberwolves in Minnesota.

Lowry had 9 points, 7 assists, 2 steals, 1 rebound, and 2 turnovers in 25 minutes off the bench. Lowry was 3-8 from the field and 3-3 from the free throw line. Lowry once again out-performed starter Mike Conley, who had 4 points and 3 assists.

Foye had 17 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, and 0 turnovers in 34 minutes. Randy was 8-16 from the field and 1-3 from three. He has been handling the starting point guard duties since Sebastian Telfair got injured in early February. Foye has shown solid progression each month since his return from injury.
January: 9.0 pts, 1.0 ast
February: 10.0 pts, 2.6 ast
March: 12.5 pts, 5.3 ast
April: 14.8 pts, 4.3 ast

Grant to transfer

Malcolm Grant has received a release to transfer. Jay Wright stated, "Malcolm is an integral part of our basketball family and a great young man. He has been exemplary as a student and a teammate at Villanova. However, he deserves starters' minutes. We are grateful for all that Malcolm has given to Villanova and support him in this decision."

It's a shame to see Malcolm leave, but I wish him the best of luck wherever he ends up. He struggled to find playing time in Villanova's crowded backcourt this season, and if Villanova lands Tyreke Evans, Grant would have had even more difficultly getting on the floor next season.

I think he should have received more playing time this past season. Who knows what would have happened if Malcolm played more, but without him Villanova would have lost to LSU and Pitt at home. Those losses would have put Villanova at 18-14, and most likely out of the NCAA Tournament. So even though he played a total of two minutes in three tournament games, Villanova never could have made their Sweet Sixteen run without Malcolm Grant.

Tyreke Evans update

Tyreke Evans visited with the Villanova basketball staff at Jay Wright's house last Tuesday night, and he is reportedly "leaning heavily toward picking Villanova".

Quotes from Tyreke: "After eating with Jay and talking to Jay, he kept it real with me. He told me the things I wanted to hear and some things I didn't want to hear but will make me a better player."
"He showed me the respect he has for the players and how much of a family they are."

Evans will make his decision in front of a televised press conference on April 16.

Links

"Duke freshman Taylor King is leaving. According to sources close to the situation, the 6-foot-6 forward has decided to transfer. King, who averaged 5.5 points and two rebounds this season while averaging 9.7 minutes per game, will likely wind up at either Gonzaga or Villanova — two schools he was considering before he committed to Duke."

"Marist is said to be taking a long look at Villanova assistant Brent Gunning, who is definitely ready for a head coaching job in Division I."

"Chicago Bulls guard Ben Gordon is the latest NBA player to be selected to the fledgling British basketball team that's trying to qualify for the 2012 Olympics.... Other American-based players on the roster are... forward Dante Cunningham from Villanova..."

Scottie Reynolds - (Rank: #53) - Draft Projection: Late first to early second

Maalik Wayns interview

Here's an early look at Villanova's 2009 point guard recruit Maalik Wayns from Roman Catholic in Philadelphia.

Congratulations

I just want to congratulate the team on a great season and making it to the Sweet Sixteen.

Stayed for end of season player (and coach) evaluations to be posted in the coming weeks.

Lowry in L.A.

Kyle Lowry had a hot couple of nights in Los Angeles this weekend. Friday night he sank some clutch free throws down the stretch to spoil Kobe Bryant's 53 point scoring outburst, as the Grizzlies surprised the Lakers 114-111. Kyle had 13 points, 2 assists, and went a perfect 5 0f 5 from the free throw line in the game.

On Saturday night the Grizzlies stayed in town but fell to the Clippers 110-97. Lowry scored 20 points on 7-9 shooting from the field (6-9 FT) in only 22 minutes. He also added 3 assists and 2 rebounds off the bench.

Mike Conley is continuing to start at point guard over Lowry even though Lowry has outperformed the rookie recently. Lowry is averaging 10.2 points and 3.6 assists per game in March, while Conley is averaging a modest 6.5 points and 3.3 assists this month.

Kansas ends Nova's season

Final Score: #1 Kansas 72, #12 Villanova 57

Player of the Game: Russell Robinson 15 pts, 5 ast

Recap: Running Diary of the Game

- Seth Davis’ keys for the game: Nova’s inside guys, Casiem Drummond and Shane Clark, need to play well. It looks like Seth has been following this team…

- Stokes, Reynolds, Anderson, Pena, and Cunningham are the starters for Villanova.

- Nova wins the tip, but Scottie airballs his first 3... not a good sign.

- Dante scores the first points of game, Villanova is up 2-0. (Which was their only lead of the game)

- Nova gives up a 3, then Darnell Jackson gets an alley-oop slam. (Alley-oop count: 1)

- Stokes turns it over on inbound play, leading to an alley-oop pass from Robinson off the backboard and to Rush for the dunk (Alley-oop count: 2)

- Gus Johnson on Kansas: “They look like a pro team”. They have 4 or 5 guys that can play at the next level. Kansas has guys coming off the bench that could be the best player on most teams in the country.

- Too many turnovers early for Nova. Kansas is deflecting passes and forcing steals with their aggressive defense.

- Kaun with the alley-oop (Alley-oop count: 3)

- Nova is down 14 early to a very good team, it’s going to be difficult to come back this time.

- Kansas is sharing the ball beautifully. (11 assists in 1^st half, 16 for game)

- Alley-oop off inbounds pass to Arthur (Alley-oop count: 4)

- Fisher is in, and Scottie makes back-to-back threes. Fish is taking away some of the ball-handling pressure from Scottie.

- Nova is leading in offensive rebounds (9-0). Shane Clark makes a put-back.

- Fisher forces up a wild double-clutch shot in the lane and misses.

- Kansas is playing pesky defense. They are all over Villanova’s players, not giving them any space.

- Nova can’t make any threes... and Kansas can't miss.

- Dwayne Anderson is not looking so good offensively… what happened to his 3-point shot? (He finished 0-3 from three)

- Redding and Cunningham miss their free throws.

- Dante is called for traveling. He is forcing too much down low. He needs to play within himself.

- The score is 41-22 at the half. Villanova has Kansas right where they want them. LSU, DePaul, Clemson... Nova is a comeback team.

- The Kansas seniors must remember that 2005 game in Philly… they’re looking for revenge.

- Robinson has 13 points and Rush has 11 at halftime, while Fisher and Stokes combine for zero points in the 1^st half.

- Scottie only has 6 points in first half – 2-9 from the field, 2-3 from three. Kansas defenders are all over Reynolds, making it very difficult for him to get a shot off.

- At least Villanova didn’t look as bad as Michigan State in the first half. Memphis is up 50-20. No offense to Kyle Lowry, but I think the NCAA Memphis could compete with the NBA Memphis.

- Halftime report: the CBS guys are already looking ahead to the Kansas/Davidson match-up... come on Gumble, at least wait until the game is over.

- Len Elmore warns, “Don’t count out Villanova.” He mentions 21 point comeback at LSU?

- Stokes finally scores at 18 minute mark in second half.

- Dante has some designs shaved into his hair Anthony Mason style... I've never seen him with that before.

- Arthur gets another alley-oop, with some help from Dante on the finish. (Alley-oop count: 5)

- Scottie scores his first 2-pointer of the game on a driving lay-up with 15 minutes left.

- Arthur with a monster dunk off a spin move.

- ANOTHER alley-oop to Kaun. Villanova has no answer for their big men. This is reminiscent of the Horford/Noah dunkfest in 2006. (Alley-oop count: 6)

- Collins makes a toilet bowl shot that touches every part of the rim… everything is falling for the Jayhawks tonight.

- Fisher makes his first field goal on a double clutcher with 11 minutes to go.

- Shane gets blocked, gets his own rebound, lays it in, then down the floor he draws a charge. He is playing pretty good tonight.

- Bill Self takes a seat on his stool with a comfortable lead.

- Stokes misses a three.

- You can see Malcolm Grant leaning onto floor from the bench… he’s itching to get into the game.

- Almost another alley-oop for Kaun, but he is fouled.

- Pena goes down hard after jumping on Kaun’s back for the foul, but he gets up quick and seems okay.

- Russell Robinson and Kansas are all over Scottie… he is really struggling.

- Nova is down by 21 with 5 minutes left… I think it’s time for Jay Wright to unleash his secret weapon from the bench: Malcolm Grant. The only way Nova can win at this point is for Grant to come in with his comeback magic and start bombing threes.

- The energetic Gus Johnson has had to sit through two blow-outs tonight. I’m sure he’s used to it though, from covering so many Knicks games this season.

- Scottie gets in double figure scoring with 2:30 left. (He finished with 11 points)

- Dante Cunningham is named the player of game with 8 points and 7 rebounds… You know your team lost when 8 and 7 earns you player of game. (Although he did finish with 10 points).

- Fisher turns it over then fouls Kansas with 28 seconds left, down by 16… not even Malcolm Grant could pull off this comeback.

- Colenda and Tchuisi enter the game, but NO Grant? I don’t get it... poor kid.

- Now Stokes makes a 3-pointer with 19 seconds left.

- And that’s it. Final Score is 72-57.

Some more thoughts:

- Villanova shot the ball poorly from 3-point range (3-17). That’s simply not going to get it done for a team with no inside game.

- Scottie Reynolds had the same number of turnovers as field goals, four, and he had zero assists.

- Player of the Game award goes to Russell Robinson, not only for his 15 points and 5 assists, but for his tenacious defense, denying Scottie Reynolds all night.

- Redding played too many minutes (18). Some of that time should have been given to Fisher (19 min) or Pena (only 12 min).

- Louisville is the last Big East team remaining in the tournament. That should be a great game vs. North Carolina.

- Villanova can’t hang their heads too much after this loss. They are a very young team, and exceeded everyone’s expectations by making the Sweet 16. Kansas is super-good, and Nova may continue a recent trend by losing to the eventual national champion this year (UNC in 2005, Florida in 2006). They will likely return the entire team next season, and have scholarships to add two more players as well. Based on the way they persevered and finished the season strong, the future looks bright for this group of Wildcats.