So we're going to try a couple of new things today.
First there's a section for Pounding the Rock posts for the past half-a-week. It's pretty useless at the moment, but we thought it could be useful for the hectic regular season days, for people who drop by every so many days. Also, I'm not sure whether to include FanPosts or just the front page material. It feels a bit elitist not to add FanPosts, but the TWSS is lengthy enough as it is - I fear it'd be too cluttered. For the moment I only added the recommended FanPosts.
The second new section is for PTR members' projects. I shamelessly plan to include my lil' blog's posts, and anything the blog regulars want me to give a shoutout to. If you are a poster here and you want me to include your latest stuff -even if it's not at all related to basketball- just send me an e-mail.
Oh, and I also added music. We love that around here.
Let me know what you think. As always, ideas, suggestions and constructive criticism are more than welcome.
The Music
Courtesy of 12 oz. Mouse, because I was suddenly curious enough to google about it. Click on play and enjoy the links.
Without further ado:
Everything Black, Silver And White
Project Spurs: Parker suffers mild injury in International Tourney
Sigh.
CelticsBlog: Rumor: Bowen May End Up In Boston
Say it ain't so. Meeting Bowen in the Finals would hurt.
MySA: Spurs sign veteran Theo Ratliff
"Theo Ratliff joins his seventh team by coming to the Spurs, who see him as a valuable shot-blocker and interior defender."
Dr. J: I'd take Duncan
A legend talking about a legend.
FIBA.com: Interview with Tony
duncan228 from SpursTalk is like a Spurs-related-article finding machine. It's impressive. She found this short interview with Tony, who's playing with the French national team during the Summer.
SpursTalk.com: Another interview with Tony
Translated by sonic21.
Vittorio De Zen's Fast Break: Looking Forward: San Antonio Spurs
Nice little take on the Spurs and their chances next year.
OCRegister.com: Wedding fiasco over, NBA star set for O.C. camp
"NBA star Richard Jefferson, who made national news this week for his last-minute cancellation of his New York wedding, is expected to emerge in Anaheim on Monday to focus on basketball again." RJ is already 5 times the diva Tony is.
NBA Hoops Online: Top 20 Spurs players of all-time
I personally think the list is way off (Sean Elliott ahead of Tony and Manu? Avery called the "best PG in Spurs history" and ahead of Manu? Kenon ahead of Silas? Reeeeallly?) but hey, all lists are subjective. You're welcome to write your own.
This Week In Pounding the Rock
Pounding The Rock: My Team Is Better Than Yours: Washington Wizards Edition
BlaseE makes friends in Washington.
Pounding The Rock: My Team Is Better Than Yours: Sacramento Kings Edition
BlaseE barfs all over the Kings. Nocioni gently weeps.
Pounding The Rock: ATS Summer League Microscope - James Harden - Oklahoma City Thunder
ATS's take on James Harden.
Pounding The Rock: ATS Summer League Microscope - Jordan Hill Redux - New York Knicks
ATS grows to love Jordan Hill. It's heartwarming. (Just kidding.)
Pounding The Rock: NBA Summer League Recap - It's a Wrap
The Summer League is over, and Luke Jackson got the worst of it.
Pounding The Rock: NBA Summer League Reader
This is a meta meta post. Wow.
Pounding The Rock: Hipuk's Pictorial Journey: Part 1; Volume 2, Page 44. The Getty Museum
Hipuks goes to a museum. Photography and hilarity ensue. Here's part 2, where Hipuks fails to make a crab dribble joke.
Around SB Nation
Straight Outta Vancouver: Big Bang Theory
"How did an Ohio boy come to love the Memphis Grizzlies, and what can you expect from his blog? Listen to the story from the man himself." Keep an eye on this blog, fellas. I have a feeling...
Bullets Forever: Fabricio Oberto is a Washington Wizard
"Thoughts on the Wizards signing Fabricio Oberto." Godspeed, Fabri.
Fear The Sword: The LeBron James Dunk Video
You've watched the video. Now see the Cavs fans react. You can't stop watching. (And a shoutout to Gils for being the voice of reason.)
Peachtree Hoops: Reason number one why Joe Smith would be a good fit for the Hawks
Huh. Makes sense to me.
Canis Hoopus: Maddog's fairwell
Mark Madsen says bye to the Timberwolves fans. Classy guy.
The Dream Shake: The Dream Shake Interviews Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle
So professional - that's good, right?
Blazersedge: Unofficial Contest Entry: How the '90 Blazers saved my sanity but got me fired
Good story.
Blazersedge: Andre Miller: Preliminary Thoughts
"So...Andre Miller, eh? The Blazers needed an upgrade at point guard. We've been speculating about the direction since the season ended. As it turned out they went with offense instead of defense. At this point I don't have any problem with that."
Ridiculous Upside: Vegas Summer League: A Look Forward
"The D-League Select team did well at the 2009 Vegas Summer League. Should there be more teams in the future?" Yes. And they should play against the rookies in the ASG.
Golden State Of Mind: LV Summer League Review
In case you haven't gotten tired of the Summer League by now, this is well written and lengthy.
Raptors HQ: One Rasho Down, One Delfino to Go
There goes Rasho. $1,9M? Not a a bad year.
Raptors HQ: Ranking the New-Look Raptors in the East
"RaptorsHQ takes a look at how the Eastern Conference standings might play out based on free-agent moves to date." Well done.
Brew Hoop: A Different Brandon Jennings Analogy
"When the Bucks drafted Brandon Jennings, we knew exactly what we were getting; a player that gave us no idea of what we were getting." Win.
Even More Hoops
Basketball Prospectus: Age and Success in the NBA
Completely outdated, but worth revisiting now that the Spurs are suddenly not so antique.
The Baseline: Mark Cuban, Don Nelson Battle in Court
Kick his ass, Nelson.
Dallas Morning News: Legal transcripts detail dispute between Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, former coach Don Nelson
From the previous link: "I hugged him. He didn't hug me back. I know a Nellie hug, and that was not a Nellie hug." This is priceless.
FOX Sports: NBA defends age minimum to Congress
"Litvin wrote that many employers require job candidates to have post-high school experience, and that the U.S. Constitution sets minimum ages for House members, senators and the president. Given that, "we do not understand your objection" to the rule, he wrote." Zing!
NBA FanHouse: NBA Age Limit Rule Should Be Raised, Not Eliminated
"It's a win-win rule." I disagree.
NBA FanHouse: NBA Age Limit Isn't Fair, Doesn't Work
"The NBA age limit helps two groups, and two groups only: NBA executives and the NCAA oligarchy. Supporters of the age limit may claim some greater interest in the sanctity of basketball as a key tenet, but come on. This is about money. Not education, not better basketball, not the salvation of misguided youth. It's about money, the elimination of some small slice of financial risk for NBA owners and the enrichment of the high-powered athletic programs of American college sports." Amen.
FOX Sports: It's time for NBA to ditch one-and-done rule
"Even though the NBA's precious rule in question probably will survive the latest challenge, most of the talent evaluators who support it have come down with a serious case of the heebie-jeebies."
Yardbarker.com: Reggie Theus hates sports bloggers
And I dislike Reggie Theus.
Hoopsworld: Free Agency: Who's Left?
"Ron Artest and Rasheed Wallace have signed, so what's next for Allen Iverson and the rest of the 2009 class of free agents?" I can see RC signing three or four of these.
SportsTwo: Battle of the Bigs: The NBA’s Top Frontcourts
What about Timmy and McDyess? Meh.
Dime Magazine: Twitter Has Revolutionized The Game
Remember when Hipuks was wondering how they could possible make money off Twitter?
ESPN: David Lee frustrated by negotiations with New York Knicks
"David Lee sounded a lot Thursday like a player who expects to be playing somewhere other than New York next season."
Sir Charles In Charge: Checking In With Charles: Lakers, Spurs & Stephon Marbury
What a wise, wise man.
Twitter: Drew Gooden: Dallas here I come!!!
I dislike your extraneous exclamation marks, Drew.
ESPN: Portland Trail Blazers offer PG Andre Miller 3-year, $21 million contract
!The Trail Blazers have offered Andre Miller a two-year contract with a team option for a third year, a source close to the process said Friday."
ESPN: Will the Los Angeles Lakers let Lamar Odom walk away?
Marc Stein writes this, and yet two days later...
Yahoo! Sports: Sources: Odom leaning toward signing with Heat
Da Woj said this. Hmm. Do we dare to dream the dream?
NESN.com: Wheaties Looks to Garnett, Manning to Save Cereal
KG will cuss Wheaties into success.
Basketball-Reference.com: All-Decade Teams: The 2000s
Guess who's on that team?
Hardwood Paroxysm: Nichols and Dime: At Which Positions Are Great Players the Most Important?
Stats lie. SF? Really?
NBA FanHouse: How Much Did Web sites Pay for Video of LeBron Getting Dunked On?
"Video of LeBron James getting dunked on by Jordan Crawford finally hit the web on Wednesday, to the shock and awe of absolutely no one."
SLAM: Lessons from the LeBron Dunk Footage
LBJ is stoopid.
SI.com: Nike says it will return confiscated LeBron dunk videos
"Nike says it is returning videotapes it confiscated of NBA star LeBron James getting dunked on at a recent basketball camp." Nike is stoopid too.
ESPN: In book, LeBron James admits using marijuana in high school
"LeBron James struggled with sudden fame after appearing on Sports Illustrated's cover as a 17-year-old and admits he smoked marijuana during his junior year in high school." Oh my FSM! It's Da Pot!
The Baseline: Knicks, Robinson Still Working on a Deal
Interesting... no, wait, it's the Knicks.
The Baseline: Shooting is Rose's Therapy During Offseason
"Indeed, most Bulls fans probably care little about Rose’s pose—it was a college party, it was a long time ago, and it has nothing to do with his ability to run a fast break." Exactly.
The Associated Press: Investors announce plan to bring WNBA to Tulsa
Tulsans must be psyched.
NBA FanHouse: Pacers, Jamaal Tinsley Finally Part Ways
"The two sides finally agreed to sever ties, coming to terms on a buyout that will make Jamaal Tinsley an unrestricted free agent once he officially clears waivers later this week."
NBA FanHouse: Ricky Rubio Likely to Leave DKV Joventut
"Whether Ricky Rubio plays in the NBA this coming season remains to be seen, but it's looking less and less likely that he'll ever play another minute for DKV Joventut, the Spanish team that currently holds his rights." ...I'm not sure I care. But hey, it's Rubio, it must be news.
NBA FanHouse: Magic, Matt Barnes Agree on 2-Year Deal
"Despite advancing all the way to the NBA Finals last season, the Orlando Magic have been one of the most active teams of the summer." This is odd, isn't it? Why change a team that reached the Finals so much?
Paul Flannery: How Marquis Daniels Fits the Celtics Puzzle
"It was a few minutes after Rasheed Wallace's introductory press conference and Paul Pierce was talking about the need to cut down on his minutes. It was no secret during the playoffs that Pierce was operating at something less than 100 percent."
NYTimes.com: Amid Basketball Boom in China, Hard Times for Its Pro League
"China’s troubled professional league may hold lessons for the NBA as it taps into the country’s basketball boom." In China, Yao Mings you.
Ball Don't Lie: On extending Steve Nash
I liked this. Dwyer has a kind pen.
SI.com: Sour economy squeezing fun out of NBA's free agent class of 2010
"Here are ways in which various constituencies could be affected by the dip in salary-cap and luxury-tax numbers."
SLAM: NBA Draft 2004 - The Remix
Pointless, but hey - it's the offseason.
NBA.com: Central Division breakdown: With Shaq, Cavs strengthen hold
"So what do you do after you've already lapped the field in the division last season by 25 games, have the reigning MVP in your lineup and yet that nagging loss to Orlando in the Eastern Conference Finals sticking in your craw?"
PTR and Friends
Crime Prevention Institute
This is a non-profit organization Lauri volunteers for. CPI tries to break the cycle of crime by providing reentry resources and support to those formerly incarcerated in prison or jail for nonviolent crimes. Take a look.
MDA Telethon
Tony Barrio is xman130, a relatively recent member of the site. There is going to be a telethon on August 26th in El Paso, TX, benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association. MDA is an organization that devotes its resources to research and treatment of patients that suffer from muscular dystrophy and related conditions.
Tony's task in this year's fund raising activities is to try to raise $2,000 as an individual. The easiest way to contribute is through the page that was assigned to him linked above. On the page there is a list of the contributors and a graphic indicating how close the contributions are to reaching the goal. Contributions can also be anonymous (the names will not be displayed on the page) and are tax deductible, at least in the US. So check it out, guys.
Musical Randomness: The Rural Alberta Advantage – Hometowns
spurchief has a cool blog where he writes reviews of indie rock albums. Since there're so many music-o-philes in PTR, you might want to take a look, buy the CD and drop him a comment or two. Follow the rabbit, guys.
Dunkin' Cheerleaders: Slam Dunk, the Manga
I wholeheartedly recommend this manga to you. It's like Shakespeare - only Japanese, a comic book, and about basketball.
Completely Off-Topic
The ducks in the bathroom are not mine
Because E-Mails from an unpleasant person wasn't enough.
Ceiling cat
It exists.
Explosions and boobs
Best site on the whole world wide web?
Light graffiti
The fact that I hadn't heard about these before I clicked on this link makes me feel old.
Fail dogs
Cutest fails ever.
Sheep and a road
Seriously.
Scientific tattoos
So many edgy physicists... (The dinosaur tattoo is incredible.)
Cargo Bridge
A flash game I'd shared before in a game thread somewhere. Addictive.
Gravitex 2
Yet another flash game. Simple but fun.
My Parents Joined Facebook
Not for the easily embarrassed.
Sleeves
A weather forecast for the new short-attention-span generation.
Painting a song
You'll like this. In Spanish, but probably universal regardless.
Because Internet is Multimedia
Manu Ginobili, a champion's history
Santi, one of the regulars in Manu's forum, outdid himself with possibly the best Manu mix I've ever seen. It has some rare footage from his youth, great editing and fitting Argentinian rock songs whose lyrics with go over your heads - but hey. Watch it!
Mouthpiece Sports: Michael Finley on the Economy and the NBA
"Finley talks about the new economic dilemma facing the NBA. WIth fewer fans coming to the games due to rising ticket prices and big player contracts on the decline, Finley reflects on the changes occurring in the league." Oh, and he says he's just like Blair, and probably can play for many more years. ...Eh?
Theo Ratliff checks out huge rack
Males of the world, can you blame him?
The Artistry of Michael Jordan II by Hoopsencyclopedia
I already talked about this one in my blog. It's the second part of arguably the best Michael Jordan highlights video in YouTube. If you were ever a fan of His Airness, it's a must-watch.
NBA.com: Top 10: Buzzer Beaters of 2009
Gee, guess who's number 1 again? The LeBron-humping is getting out of control.
Silver Stars visit Camp
"Megan Frazee, Sandy Brondello, Sophia Young, and Belinda Snell took time out to visit a few Silver Stars camps." This really is all-access. The Spurs YouTube channel could learn a lot about the Silver Stars team.
College Humor: Jeff Van Gundy's Face
Momma, there goes that tired-looking man again!
Best plays of 2008
A flawed mix with horrible music, but it's still fun.
FNBA Spurs of Tiger
The first video I found yesterday in YouTube. A good omen.
Pics of the Week
From SLC Dunk, AK is having fun with the pigs.
More from SLC Dunk. Which reporter do you want be interviewed by?
Manu gets together with some friends. Manu explains: "In the picture Pepe Sanchez (ex Temple Owl, Sixer, Hawk, Piston, etc), Luis Scola and Juan Espil (best shooter ever from Argentina). Lots of stories, food and fun." I could tell you some great stories about Espil - Manu is not exaggerating.
