This week in the NBA

[Brett Favre 0]

Or DeAndre Jordan. The draft is looking good if everyone comes out.

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

 

Clippers finally win, beat the Suns 97-90. Sammy with 32

 

Clippers are finally getting healthy, just unlucky they had the Suns(twice), Spurs, Mavs, Hornets , Magic in 6 of their last seven games. They have played tough the previous 3 before tonight.

 

 

 

 

[alfdogg 0]

Good thing ESPN passed on Boston/Portland so we could see this game!

[Mr. S£im Citrus 0]

The Magic appear to have forgotten the eleventh commandment: Thou shalt not leave the white boy open behind the line.

[Mr. S£im Citrus 0]

:: checks Warriors/Pacers final score ::

 

:: does double-take ::

 

 

BWAAHAHAHAHAHA!

[Guest Cock Ring Warehouse]

Good thing ESPN passed on Boston/Portland so we could see this game!

Actually, the Bulls voted on which game ESPN could show. They're not just voting to suspend Joakim Noah now, they're voting for everything.

[nogoodnick 0]

Having watched the entire Portland/Boston game, its frustrating to have a team get superstar treatment for 3 players. Calls that went for Allen, KG, and Pierce didn't go for Roy and Aldridge. Poorly officiated game in my opinion. On the other hand, Ray Allen is a stone cold killer and could not be stopped. I've rarely seen him play on live tv, but he is amazing when he's hitting it.

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

Very interesting stuff about Kaman

 

He learned he was misdiagnosed with ADD and now he is getting the right treatment which has helped his game.

 

-----------------------------------------------

 

By Jonathan Abrams, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

January 15, 2008

 

Pamela Kaman can recount all the times she struggled with her son, Clippers center Chris Kaman, to get him to take his medication while he was growing up.

 

It was a hassle. Chris Kaman was an intelligent, but rambunctious, youth.

 

"There was constant uproar with him," Pamela Kaman said. "You couldn't do normal things. You couldn't go to the movies as a family. It would always turn into a big thing."

 

Chris Kaman was diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder at 2 1/2 and began taking Ritalin and Adderall soon after and through high school.

 

Kaman, who had trouble remembering plays and concentrating on the court in college and in the pros, disclosed Sunday that he was misdiagnosed.

 

Kaman actually had an anxiety disorder that caused him to over-analyze situations and scenarios.

 

"Growing up, I had to take the medication my whole life," said Kaman, who said he grew so frustrated taking the medication that he would come home from school and cry.

 

"I can't take back time. I wish I could. But I can't. It really bothered me to take the medication every day. I felt I had to take the medication to make me feel like a regular person. It was kind of backward."

 

His misdiagnosis was discovered in July by Hope139, a 5-year old organization based in Grandville, Mich., that studies the brain. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, between 3% and 5% of children have ADHD, with symptoms that include hyperactivity and impulsiveness.

 

According to Hope139's research of about 40,000 patients, up to 15% of those on medicine for hyperactivity do not have the affliction.

 

The medication Kaman took had the opposite effect on him, said Dr. Tim Royer, the organization's chief executive.

 

Kaman's brain was already working in overdrive, and the medication provided an added stimulus. The dosage was increased to the point that Kaman's mind became overloaded and he became less animated. "He stopped being a behavioral problem, but he got too much medicine and it shut him down," Royer said.

 

Kaman stopped taking medication once he entered college at Central Michigan because he no longer had to sit in one place for more than a couple of hours.

 

But his concentration in college, and once he signed with the Clippers, was still lacking. He could focus on the man he was guarding but not on weak-side defense, or as Royer put it, "He could see the tree in front of him, but not the forest."

 

Said Kaman: "I would come out of a huddle that [Coach] Mike [Dunleavy] just drew [of] two plays and I would literally forget both those plays in a matter of 10 seconds or less."

 

After discovering the misdiagnosis, Kaman started working with Royer on a system called "neurofeedback," a method of reading brain wave activity to reinforce calm thoughts.

 

Kaman sits in front of a computer and if his brain waves are at a desired level, the screen will show it. If not, Kaman attempts to calm his thought process. During the off-season, he also worked with a wireless device that allowed him to measure his brain waves while on the court.

 

"It's a very fast-paced game, and for me to be able to slow it down in my head, it really has been a lot easier and a lot less stressful in the games," Kaman said.

 

His mind still works fast, the words spilling so quickly out of Kaman's mouth that reporters afterward will argue where one sentence ends and the next begins. His improvement on the court, however, has been drastic, with Kaman showing an uptick in all aspects of his game. It is a combination of getting more touches to make up for the absence of an injured Elton Brand, better conditioning and his mental training.

 

"He's a pretty bright guy," Dunleavy said. "When you go through your play sets and that becomes tedious, that's when you notice a difference in him drifting or not drifting. That's when you can tell at certain things he is much better. He doesn't make a lot of mental mistakes."

 

Kaman is hoping to become a spokesman for children who are misdiagnosed or are simply looking for another alternative instead of taking medication for hyperactivity. "I'm using my resources as much as I can to try and help people," he said. "I was trying to see if it worked first. I'm on a platform being in the NBA where I can help people."

[alfdogg 0]

The NBA: where 8-on-5 happens.

[alfdogg 0]

Are they cheering because Turiaf is in, or because Kwame Brown is out?

[alfdogg 0]

The Jazz gave up 41 to Linas Kleiza. WTF is that.

[Guest]

That loss can be atttributed to three people.

 

Kwame Brown. Bench this motherfucker for good. 7 turnovers. SEVEN.

 

Luke Walton. I think all of his shots were blocked. I think.

 

Phil Jackson. Waited too long to put Kobe back in, and take the aforementioned two out.

 

To be fair, I'm not all that mad about that loss. Who expects to grab an eighth victory in a row, anyway? Seeing as we're looking at Chris Webber, if we can sign him, Kwame won't have to play at all. As much as I hate Webber, that's a must-do, if only to get Kwame off the court.

 

I saw your question just now, alf. They were definitely cheering both because Kwame left and because Turiaf came in. Turiaf is a fan-favorite, and Kwame's quickly becoming the most hated guy in town.

[alfdogg 0]

And I asked that in the first quarter. Well before they started booing him every time he touched the ball. That's rough.

[Guest]

He deserved it. He deserved to have something thrown at him, but our crowd's not that type. I suppose I can forgive the turnovers, but I can't forgive the lack of effort. The way he lets cutters get to the basket is terrifying, as is the lack of attempt on the glass.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Linas Kleiza scored 41 points? Are we sure this isn't a mistake?

[AboveAverage484 0]

Linas Kleiza scored 41 points? Are we sure this isn't a mistake?

 

Yeah, I had to quadruple take when I saw that score. He only averages what, 10 a game?

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Linas Kleiza scored 41 points? Are we sure this isn't a mistake?

 

Yeah, I had to quadruple take when I saw that score. He only averages what, 10 a game?

 

 

I was just as surprised to see that he average that many points. I thought he was already out of the league.

[AboveAverage484 0]

Linas Kleiza scored 41 points? Are we sure this isn't a mistake?

 

Yeah, I had to quadruple take when I saw that score. He only averages what, 10 a game?

 

 

I was just as surprised to see that he average that many points. I thought he was already out of the league.

 

I remember last year he was a decent fantasy acquisition for me towards the end of the year, so he's not a total stranger.

[Brett Favre 0]

Why you guys hating on Linas Kleiza? He's a decent player and will get better.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Why you guys hating on Linas Kleiza? He's a decent player and will get better.

 

 

I'm not hating on him. I remember Portland drafting him and sending him to Denver in a draft day swap. That is literally the last thing I remember hearing about him. I was just shocked to hear that he scored 41 points. It's completely out of nowhere.

[Ripper 0]

That loss can be atttributed to three people.

 

Kwame Brown. Bench this motherfucker for good. 7 turnovers. SEVEN.

 

Luke Walton. I think all of his shots were blocked. I think.

 

Phil Jackson. Waited too long to put Kobe back in, and take the aforementioned two out.

 

To be fair, I'm not all that mad about that loss. Who expects to grab an eighth victory in a row, anyway? Seeing as we're looking at Chris Webber, if we can sign him, Kwame won't have to play at all. As much as I hate Webber, that's a must-do, if only to get Kwame off the court.

 

I saw your question just now, alf. They were definitely cheering both because Kwame left and because Turiaf came in. Turiaf is a fan-favorite, and Kwame's quickly becoming the most hated guy in town.

 

Um, the Suns played too you know?

 

They kept leaving people Marion, Barbosa and Diaw WIDE open and they hit the shots they missed in the first two meetings. Thats the reason for the victory.

 

The only reason the score was this close was Kobe hitting heavily contested threes after the Suns would hit their wide open one.

[Maztinho 0]

Why you guys hating on Linas Kleiza? He's a decent player and will get better.

 

 

I'm not hating on him. I remember Portland drafting him and sending him to Denver in a draft day swap. That is literally the last thing I remember hearing about him. I was just shocked to hear that he scored 41 points. It's completely out of nowhere.

 

Nah, Utah always has to give someone a career night at least once every couple of years or the world implodes. They are the best team in the last decade most likely to get 50 dropped on them, usually from a wingman since they can never seem to cover good shooters.

[Guest]

It can also be said that if Kwame doesn't play like Kwame, that game never gets to the point where the Suns take a huge lead. Hell, you can explain the Suns getting all those open shots early on as a result of playing 5 on 4, with Kwame's lack of defensive rotation.

 

It's not that big a deal, this game is miniscule in terms of importance. There's a long way to go.

[Steviekick 0]

Why you guys hating on Linas Kleiza? He's a decent player and will get better.

 

 

I'm not hating on him. I remember Portland drafting him and sending him to Denver in a draft day swap. That is literally the last thing I remember hearing about him. I was just shocked to hear that he scored 41 points. It's completely out of nowhere.

 

Nah, Utah always has to give someone a career night at least once every couple of years or the world implodes. They are the best team in the last decade most likely to get 50 dropped on them, usually from a wingman since they can never seem to cover good shooters.

 

It's true. The Jazz love making opposing wingmen look great. Boozer can take a good chunk of the credit of helping Kleiza last night.

[Mr. S£im Citrus 0]

Bah. Sacramento is way better at giving up career highs (oh wait... you said good team)... I'm just glad that Utah let us off the hook, since Kleiza's previous career high was against us.

 

Did anybody else see the game earlier this year where Damien F. Wilkins dropped 41 on the Hawks?

[Ripper 0]

Bah. Sacramento is way better at giving up career highs (oh wait... you said good team)... I'm just glad that Utah let us off the hook, since Kleiza's previous career high was against us.

 

Did anybody else see the game earlier this year where Damien F. Wilkins dropped 41 on the Hawks?

 

 

I was there. And about 20 of his points were insane circus shots. that dude just couldn't miss that night. All kinds of leaning on handed jumpers, a couple of open ones, but mostly completely covered, BAD shots that just kept going in touching nothing but net.

 

Damn that was a good game.

[alfdogg 0]

One thing I was surprised by last night was Turiaf's offensive game. He was making 18-20 foot shots, and even threw a couple fadeaways in there. I didn't know he had those shots in him.

[alfdogg 0]

This was mentioned during the game last night, as well.

 

The fan favorite Leandro Barbosa was called in his Los Angeles hotel room yesterday afternoon and was told that Steve Kerr needed to speak to him in the lobby. Apparently, Leandro had been traded to the New York Knicks. A stunned and emotional LB went to his mentor Dan Dantoni's room and asked, "Do you not like me? I thought you liked me?" Dan barked back at him, "You're not getting traded!"

 

Lesson Learned: Famous people shouldn't use their real names when they check in at a hotel.

[Guest]

The Lakers brought DJ MBENGA in for a physical, per AM 570. That means no Chris Webber, which I suppose wasn't realistic because Phil doesn't like him anyway.

[Matt Young 0]

The Bulls fucking handed the Warriors that game on a silver platter. That second half was atrocious.