The Washington Post (Sally Jenkins) writes: There is a seemingly compelling case to be made — and some fans are making it — that the Wizards don’t need Arenas. When he was healthy and started 70-plus games in 2006-07, they went 41-41. This season they went 43-39, despite the fact that he made just 13 starts on his bad knee. There was a negligible difference in the team’s shooting percentage, which hovered right around 45 percent during both seasons, or assists, averaging 19.6 per game this season, versus 20.2 in 2006-07. (Both seasons ended in first-round playoff losses.) Moreover, they were better defensively, appeared to move the ball more, and generally seemed more focused when Arenas didn’t play. Why, his critics argue, should the Wizards make a long-term commitment to a point guard who can be selfish and disruptive, has yet to demonstrate leadership, and doesn’t defend?
Origin of `Beat L.A.` chants
The Los Angeles Daily News (Elliott Teaford) reports: For what it’s worth, the “Beat L.A.” chant started in Boston Garden near the end of the Philadelphia 76ers’ victory over the Celtics in the 1982 Eastern Conference finals. The Celtics crowd urged the Sixers to beat the Lakers in the Finals. Philadelphia would lose to the Lakers in six games, but that didn’t stop the chant from spreading around the nation like a plague without a cure. It was even heard in the Meadowlands when the Ducks, who play in Anaheim, not L.A., faced the New Jersey Devils in the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals. “The fortunate but unfortunate part about the “Beat L.A.” (chant) is that it’s so unoriginal,” Derek Fisher said, breaking into a wry smile when asked if he was looking forward to hearing it from the Boston crowd.
Samuel Dalembert files lawsuit against business partners
The Philadelphia Daily News (Phil Jasner) reports: The 76ers’ Samuel Dalembert has filed a lawsuit claiming breach of contract and fraud, among other allegations, against a group of business partners regarding an investment in the licensing of “Speed Racer” products and merchandise. The suit, filed May 12 in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, says that Dalembert invested more than $1 million in the project in 2006, only to learn that the defendants – New York design studio Art Asylum and others – did not have the licensing rights.
Alonzo Mourning may play next season
The AP reports: Alonzo Mourning, whose season ended when he suffered severe knee and leg injuries in a game in December, said that if his body gets healthy, he’d like to play one more season before finally calling it a career. “I just want to get my body right to do it. I need to get my body where my mind is,” said Mourning, while appearing at Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor’s charity golf event. Mourning, 38, has said several times previously that a return wasn’t out of the question – but yesterday’s comments may have been his strongest yet.
Brian Shaw won’t be next Suns coach
The Orange County Register (Kevin Ding) reports: One less thing for the Lakers to worry about next season, when they’ll only be expected to go 82-0 with Andrew Bynum on this team: Brian Shaw isn’t going to coach Shaquille O’Neal with the Phoenix Suns. Shaw told me after practice today that he got word from Suns general manager Steve Kerr that Phoenix is going in another direction. “He wanted to have a coach that had experience in terms of being a head coach,” Shaw said.
Donnie Walsh had spotty draft record with Pacers
The Indianapolis Star (Bob Kravitz) reports: As much as Donnie Walsh is revered around here, his draft record since the early years has been spotty at best. Yes, he took Reggie Miller at No. 11 in 1987, took Rik Smits, a no-brainer at No. 2 in 1988, and hit pay dirt with Antonio Davis in the second round in 1990 and Dale Davis at No. 13 in 1991. Beyond that, though, we’re looking at . . . George McCloud at No. 7 in 1989 . . . Malik Sealy at No. 14 in 1992 . . . Scott Haskin at No. 14 in 1993 . . . Eric Piatkowski at No. 15 in 1994 . . . Erick Dampier at No. 10 in 1996 . . . Austin Croshere at No. 12 in 1997 . . . Jonathan Bender at No. 5 in 1999 after sending Antonio Davis to Toronto . . . Primoz Brezec at No. 27 in 2000 . . . Jamaal Tinsley, acquired from Atlanta and chosen at No. 27 in 2001, one pick ahead of Tony Parker . . . Fred Jones at No. 14 in 2.
Suns want Barbosa to take summer off
The East Valley Tribune (Jerry Brown) reports via a blog: The Suns have asked Leandro Barbosa to take the summer off to rest and skip the 2010 Olympic qualifying tournament for his native Brazil. Barbosa has complained of some right knee soreness since the end of the season and will be returning to Phoenix in June to have the knee looked at again. But the Suns are confident that the problem is minor and will require only some rest over the summer.
InsideHoops.com says: It’s always tough to ask international players to skip big events, and the assumption is they don’t want to unless they really have to.
Kareem used to be Celtics fan
The AP reports: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar rooted for the Celtics during his high school days in New York. Honest. He would later be involved in one of the most intense rivalries in sports, going against Boston three times in the NBA finals as a Lakers star in the 1980s. Now, that’s simply a part of his past. “I saw my first Celtics-Lakers rivalry game in 1969,” Abdul-Jabbar recalled Sunday, referring to a matchup in the NBA finals a few months after he completed his college career at UCLA. “I never had a hatred for them. When I was in high school, I was a Celtics fan. I got to meet (then-Boston stars) Bill Russell, (John) Havlicek, (Bob) Cousy, those guys, when I was in ninth grade.” … “After he retired (in 1987), Bill Walton and I didn’t speak for a couple years,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “We laugh about that now. Nowadays, when I get to Boston, I get stopped by people talking about how the game was played at such a high level (in the 1980s). They miss that.”
Magic extend contract of GM Otis Smith
The Orlando Sentinel (Brian Schmitz) reports in a blog: General Manager Otis Smith has signed a contract extension with the Magic, a deal that should run for at least another three seasons. The deal was expected. Smith, a former forward on the Magic’s 1989-90 expansion team, had one more year remaining on his contract after this season.
InsideHoops.com says: Smith has done well for the Magic, though it was sort of lucky (or was it brilliant insight?) that Hedo Turkoglu emerged and had a career season like he did last season. And, they still did overpay for Rashard Lewis. Now there’s more work to be done. Do they want to keep Lewis, a small forward who isn’t particularly muscular or big, playing out of position at power forward? Also, the backcourt needs to be upgraded if the team wants to really compete to reach the Finals someday. With all that said, the Magic are clearly headed in the right direction.
First Kings GM passes away
The Sacramento Bee (Martin McNeal) reports: Joe Axelson, the first general manager of the Sacramento Kings, bore the brunt of much criticism during his tenure, but little from those who worked with him. Axelson died Saturday at age 80 at his Coronado home, his son, David, also a former Kings employee, said Sunday. Joe Axelson was the team’s GM in 1985 when the franchise moved from Kansas City, Mo., and therefore ran the show when the Kings made the playoffs in their first season here at the old Arco Arena. Kings player personnel director and television commentator Jerry Reynolds said it became “a sad day” Sunday when he learned of Axelson’s death from Mike Duncan, the vice president of arena programming.
The AP reports: Over his career with the Royals-Kings franchise, he was responsible for some controversial trades, including swapping Oscar Robertson to Milwaukee in 1970 after Robertson squabbled with coach Bob Cousy and asked to leave Cincinnati. The Royals had to settle for Charlie Paulk and Flynn Robinson in the trade. Axelson at other times traded away Jerry Lucas, Nate Archibald and Norm Van Lier.