Mavericks may be interested in Andrew Bynum

After swinging and missing on the premier free agents the last two offseasons the Dallas Mavericks are looking to piece together a roster to compete for a playoff spot and not waste the remaining years Dirk Nowitzki has as an NBA player.

One player they are looking at is former Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers (I guess) center Andrew Bynum.

After being traded from the Lakers last season, Bynum collected a large paycheck for providing zero services in Philadelphia.

The Mavericks are reported to be doing a thorough investigation into the health of Bynum's knee which limited him to wearing street clothes last season.

If Bynum is healthy and ready to go he could be the steal of free agency. If he signs with the Mavericks and he's damaged goods, Mark Cuban won't be hesitant to cut his losses.  

Andrew Bynum is a no show for the Sixers team picture

There was plenty of optimism when the Philadelphia 76ers traded for Andrew Bynum. The fans were hoping the team could piggy back off of last season's playoff run when they added Bynum and Jason Richardson. The team and the fans would like to forget that the trade ever happened.

Bynum missed all season with a knee injury and the team is playing out the string. Add to it that Bynum may never suit up for the Sixers at all since he'll be a free agent at season's end. To make matters worse, according to John Finger of CSNPhilly.com, Bynum skipped out on the team picture.


Though there were a lot of different faces in this year’s photo, there were two that were conspicuous by their absences.

One was Jason Richardson, who was rehabbing his surgically-repaired knee. The other was Andrew Bynum, who also is rehabbing his knees in New York City. Though his uniform was hung in his locker, Bynum did not make the trip to Philly to smile for the camera.

Without Bynum in the team picture it was as if he wasn’t even here at all.

Even though Bynum can leave the Sixers high and dry, it might be best for the team if they parted ways with the big man. If not Doug Collins might have a stroke.

Collins says Bynum not close to playing

Philadelphia 76ers big man Andrew Bynum has been missing all season long. It's due to injury so it's not like he's been underachieving all season. Bynum says he plans on returning this season, but head coach Doug Collins says Bynum's not close to playing at all.

After Bynum practiced with the team Friday, Collins wasn't thrilled about the possibility of Bynum coming back and concluded that this has been a lost season.

"He looked like a guy who hadn't played in nine months," Collins said. "I don't think any bells and whistles should be sent off that he's close to playing."

"It's amazing seeing him standing out there; he distorted the whole practice," Collins said. "You get visions of what might've been ... He's said that he's going to play, but this season is slipping away. We've got 24 games after (this weekend). We're eight (games) under .500, and we've got to play the Miami Heat four times."

It almost sounds as if Collins is throwing in the towel for this season.

The Sixers are battling for the eighth spot in the eastern Conference but are in danger of missing the playoffs. It would've helped if they had a healthy Bynum all season. Even for half a season. But right now Bynum might be better served just sitting out the rest of this season and trying to come back strong next year.

Evan Turner says Bulls are a better matchup for the Sixers

The NBA playoffs are right around the corner and we've already had our first brush with controversy. Philadelphia 76ers guard Evan Turner basically admitted that the Sixers are trying to dodge the Miami Heat so that they'll get a first round matchup with the Chicago Bulls because Turner says Miami is the tougher team. Turner feels that if they get Chicago in the first round they have a better chance of winning.



In a story that appeared in the Delaware County Daily Times, Chicago native and Sixers’ guard Evan Turner thinks the Sixers would rather play the Bulls because, “It means we’re dodging the tougher team. That’s what I think." The better team, of course, being the Heat?


“We will be able to compete well against Chicago and have an opportunity to win the series,” he said.


“We probably match up better against them even though they are, by far, the best team in the East,” Turner said. “We match up better with them with our personnel, so you never know.”


The Bulls didn't seem to bite at the comments but Kyle Korver did call the comments "flammatory".


“Well, all right,” he said. “I’m not going to get into a war of words with Evan Turner.


“Come play us. Our goal’s to win a championship. We don’t care who we play—first round, second round, third round—we want to go through everybody. That’s our mindset. We don’t want to go around anybody. We’ve got the one seed and we’re ready for whoever’s eighth.”


Center Joakim Noah didn't put much stock in Turner's comments.


"That's cool," Joakim Noah told reporters in Indianapolis.


“Why doesn't it bother me? At the end of the day you've got to go out there and play the game, so we're only worried about us right now and we'll worry about Evan Turner when we need to worry about Evan Turner, if ... God willing.”

The way the Sixers played after their quick start (20-8), they shouldn't be worrying about seeing who they match up with better. They should concentrate on playing better basketball to be in a position to beat the Bulls. 

Doug Collins calls young players sensitive and fragile

It looks like Doug Collins may be wearing out his welcome in Philadelphia. After the 76ers got off to a fast start, shocking most of the league, they're sputtering to the finish and Collins' hard driving ways may be too much for the young Sixers.

The Sixers were one of the top four teams, record wise, in the Eastern Conference, now find themselves trying to fend off the Milwaukee Bucks for the eighth and final spot.

Collins wants to be hard on his young team, but says that he can't because they're too sensitive and fragile.


“The one thing about players today is that they’re very sensitive, and very fragile,” Collins said before his team’s game against the Boston Celtics on Easter Sunday. “They didn’t grow up with tough coaches. You know, I had my ass kicked since I was six. It’s a different time, and so I treat this team very much with kid gloves. I really do, and I’m still looked at as an ogre…


“It’s terrible, I mean, it’s hard. It really is hard,” he said. “I honestly find myself during the games looking at the coach [and asking], ‘Was I alright with those guys during that timeout? Did I hurt anybody’s feelings? Was I OK?’… ‘Coach, you’re fine, you’re fine’… I said ‘OK, OK, I just wanted to make sure I didn’t hurt anybody’s feelings.’ That’s the sensitivity, and the younger the guys, it seems like the more sensitive. And that’s what you’re wrestling with.”


Collins has worn out his welcome every where he's been. Chicago, Detroit, and now here in Philly. My guess is that the young Sixers are tuning him out and he might know the end is near. I'll be watching to see how this plays out. 

Spencer Hawes Says David Stern Makes Too Much Money

NBA commisioner David Stern gets paid. I'm not talking about the him lining his pockets from player fines either. The commish makes $23 million a year, which is a ton of money to sit in his ivory tower and run a sports league.

Philadelphia 76ers center Spencer Hawes thinks Stern is overpaid. Hawes took to Twitter to give his take on Stern's high salary.

I can understand what Hawes is thinking, but he didn't have to say it. Hope he doesn't back down and say someone hacked his account. Also he should hope this doesn't have any future consequences for his career. Not that anything like that would happen, but Tim Donaghy was a referee at one point.     

Spencer Hawes' Message To The NBA

The city of Seattle held an NBA sanctioned charity basketball game between some NBA players and Seattle's finest.

After the 2 1/2 hour exhibition, former Washington Husky and Seattle Prep star, Spencer Hawes, stepped to the microphone with a message to the NBA about bringing basketball back to Seattle and a unique haircut to relay the message.

"I just want to leave y'all with one last thing," Hawes shouted. "Come home, Sonics! Come home, Sonics!"


Well the Sonics aren't coming home. I don't know if David Stern will bring the NBA back to Seattle. Personally I would like to see that happen, because it seems strange without a team in Seattle.

Sam Young Scores At Wrong Basket

For the second time this year an NBA player has had a hand at giving away two points. First it was Darko on a jumpball and now this.

The Memphis Grizzlies' Sam Young tried to grab a missed shot by the Philadelphia 76ers Louis Williams. The ball caromed off of his hand and went through the basket.

LouWill: NBAer And MC

Philadelphia 76ers guard Louis Williams has ambitions outside of the NBA. Apparently he has an eye on the rap industry. You know how it is, rappers want to be ball players and the players want to be rappers. Remember all the ill fated attempts by NBA players cutting albums (cds). Chris Webber, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Jewlz,er, Allen Iverson and the list goes on. There was the NBA's 'Best Kept Secret' cd.

This featured the likes of Dana Barros, Cedric Ceballos, Brian Shaw, Chris Mills, Dennis Scott and more. It should've remained secret.

I won't bag on Williams too hard, at least he's not in the news for the wrong reasons.