Dallas Forward Nowitzki May Opt Out of Current Deal

There are rumors circulating that Dallas all-star forward Dirk Nowitzki may opt out of his current deal and become a free agent. I can't really blame Nowitzki for wanting to do this. He's just trying to explore his options. Nowitzki has been with this team for many years and has accomplished a lot. As a member of the Mavericks, he led this team to a winning record and the playoffs as well. I believe that when it is all said and done, he will remain a member of the Dallas Mavericks.

Bulls Fire Their Head Coach

The Bulls decided to fire their head coach Vinny Del Negro. Despite the fact that he took this team to the playoffs, the Bulls organization thought it was best to go in another direction. Personally, I don't think he should have been fired. He took a team that looks like it is in the rebuilding process to the playoffs. This team, under the leadership of Del Negro, competed very hard in the playoffs even though even they were over matched against their opponents the Cavaliers. The referees also screwed the Bulls with some questionable foul calls. Even though the Bulls had some bad calls go against them, they still played their hearts out during this season. The Bulls organization may live to regret this decision.

Spurs beat Mavs and Advance On

During Thursday night's game, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Dallas Mavericks 97-87. Both teams put forth a great effort, but it the end, it will be the Spurs advancing to the next round. They will play the Phoenix Suns. These two teams from Texas are definitely rivals to say the least. The Spurs started off scoring at will. They were ahead at one point by a large margin. To complicate things even further, the Mavs star player, Dirk Nowitzki had four fouls in the first half. Luckily for the Mavs, they got a huge contribution from a player from Rodrique Baubois. Honestly, prior to this game, I didn't even know the guy existed. Unfortunately for the Mavs, his scoring wasn't enough and they lost to the Spurs. Whenever these two teams play one another, they always put on a great show for us. The next time these two teams play each other, I'm quite certain they will continue to bring their best on the court.

Officiating Played a Role in Bulls Cavs Game

The Bulls put forth a great effort against the Cavs, but in the end they couldn't get the crucial points needed and lost 96-94. The score was close throughout the game, but the Bulls came up just short. They definitely need to upgrade their roster if they want to be more competitive in the Eastern Conference. During the free agency period, the Bulls need another perimeter scorer and some who can score in the low post. Even thought they lost in the first round, the Bulls should be proud of the fact that they made the playoffs this season. They were competing against the Toronto Raptors for the last playoff spot. The Bulls found a way to secure that last spot despite many people doubting them.

The referees also played a role in the Bulls losing. There were two bad calls against back up Bulls Center Brad Miller. He was guarding Shaq when he got the fouls. After getting these two fouls, Miller was forced to sit during the fourth quarter. The refs look like they were punishing Miller for complaining about some things he didn't like. Also Derek Rose scored on what looked like a three point play. The refs would later waive off the obvious three point play. Had the refs allowed that play to count, the Bulls could have tied the game and even taken the lead. NBA Commissioner David Stern needs to take a look a the game and reprimand the refs for the poor officiating they displayed.

Despite losing in the first round, the Bulls have nothing to ashamed of. They secured the 8th spot during a time when it looks like they are rebuilding. If they can add more legitimate scoring to their roster, they will return to the playoffs and will be hard to beat. There are reports the Bulls might fire Vinny Del Negro. I really hope they don't. He has done a great job coaching this team. It's a shame that him and John Paxson got into an altercation over the playing time of Joakim Noah. Both men should have been professional and talked about whatever issues they had without getting physical. I hope that he can keep his job. The Bulls are a good team that will continue to be a contender in the Eastern Conference.

NCAA May Expand to 96 teams

According to Jim Delany, the Big Ten Commissioner, the NCAA men's basketball tournament will probably expand to 96 teams. The NCAA will have a meeting on April 29th to discuss this further. The decision to possibly add more teams was mainly based on money. If this goes through, it would likely spell the end for the NIT.

Gilbert Arenas Won't Serve Any Jail Time

Current Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas won't be serving any jail time for the weapons violation charge. Honestly, I'm very surprised by the ruling of the judge. I thought that Gilbert would at least serve a few months in jail. Arenas will be on probation and will also have to do some community service. Gilbert has been given a chance to redeem himself. I really hope that he takes full advantage of this opportunity that was generously given to him.

Michael Jordan Has Become Majority Owner of Bobcats

Michael Jordan has made history by becoming the first former player to become majority owner of an NBA team. I think this is a great idea for many reasons. First off, this decision will draw more publicity to this team. People will go to the games solely because Jordan owns it. The second reason this is a good decision is because it will bring more enthusiasm to the Bobcats locker room. It looks like the players really like Jordan. We have seen on several occasions where Jordan has joined the players during practice. Jordan is better suited as an owner versus being a general manager. As an owner, Jordan doesn't have to be as involved with drafting players and making personnel decisions. He can hire someone to do that. Jordan has brought more good fortune to the city of Charlotte. This is a young team that is definitely on the rise. With Jordan involved with this team, I can only imaging things only getting better.

Jason Kidd Was Impressive Last Night

Jason Kidd recorded his first triple double of the season and his team won last night. Kidd played very well. With Caron Butler out, he at times played the small forward spot and did a great job. He also noticed Hawk's coach Mike Woodson on the court and ran into him on purpose, causing the coach to receive a technical foul. What a veteran move. There's no doubt that he was one of the major reasons as to why his team won. The Mavericks defeated a very good Atlanta Hawks team. Both teams played hard trading baskets and the game went into overtime. The Mavericks excelled in overtime with their scoring. It was a good game to watch. Any team that has to play against either of these teams will have their hands full.

Sixers Might Let Iverson Go

There are rumors circulating that Allen Iverson might not be allowed to rejoin the 76ers for the remainder of the season. If the Sixers do not let him back, they may appear as insensitive. Iverson is tending to his ailing daughter. I hope this organization allows Iverson to return to the team once his daughter is given a clean bill of health. He has done a lot for that organization. I just hope that they give him a chance to return once his daughter is ok. It's the right thing to do.

Wizards Might Keep Arenas

According to Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld, the team plans on keeping Gilbert Arenas. This doesn't make much sense for a team that is trying to rebuild. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy watching Gilbert play. He's entertaining and can score in bunches. The problem is that he committed a serious crime with the weapons offense. To make matters worse, he initially didn't seem remorseful for what he did. It was after he got suspended for the remainder of the season when he all of a sudden was sorry. He does deserve a second chance. There's no doubt what he did was wrong, but as long as he is taking the right steps in correcting his errors, then he should be given a second chance. The thing is, if the Wizards are trying to rebuild, then they should get rid of him.

They got rid of both Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler. These are two players that know how to act professionally no matter where they are. The Wizards got rid of two players that behave well and kept Arenas, who has been disruptive on more than one occasion. Arenas is one of the major reasons why the team has struggled this season. If anything, it would have made more sense to get rid of Arenas and keep both Jamison and Butler.

I would like for the Wizards to keep Arenas. He's a good player that made a bad mistake. Even though he didn't appear remorseful when initially accused of the weapons crime, he has stated that he is sorry for what he did. After his suspension, he has been on his best behavior. Also, the fans that support this Wizards team, want to see a team that can compete each and every game with a chance to win. With Arenas on the court, they have a chance to be competitive and win every game. It was tough to see Jamison and Butler go. These were two good players that did a lot of good for this team. The Wizards can show the fans that they are still committed to winning by keeping Gilbert. As long as he continues to behave well, he should be allowed to rejoin the team.

Jamison Is No Longer a Wizard

The Washington Wizards traded Antawn Jamison to their rival the Cleveland Cavaliers. This is another blow to Wizards fans who have had to deal with so much this season. First Gilbert Arenas gets suspended for the rest of the season, then Caron Butler get traded and now Jamison goes to another team as well. This is a sad time for Wizards fans. The big three has been disbanded. It looks like the organization is trying to rebuild for the future. Basically for about the next two or three years, we have to watch this team play with rebuilding players. Most of us fans want instant results. It's hard to watch a team that will probably not win for a couple of years.

Caron is Gone from The Wizards

The Wizards did the unthinkable and traded Caron Butler to the Mavericks. Words cannot express how disappointed I am. A class act like Caron should never be dealt away. With all the turmoil the Wizards are going through this season, he was one of the few people that brought happiness to the Wizard fans. His ability to score, as well as his great behavior off the court, made him an overall great person. He was such a positive player for the team. I wish him well as a member of the Mavericks. His addition to that team makes them a contender. It appears as if the Wizards are trying to rebuild the team. If this is the case, then they may not see success for at least the next couple of seasons. The Wizards could regret this decision for years to come.

NBA All-star Game will be played tonight

Tonight's NBA All-star game will be played in Dallas. It will probably be a high-scoring show from both the Eastern and Western Conference teams. I anticipate these teams playing little to no defense, which is common in NBA All-Star games. As long as they score a lot of points I, along with many NBA fans, will watch with open eyes. I predict the West Conference wins in a close game.

Kentucky Beats Tennesee

Kentucky beat Tennesee last night 73-62. John Wall lead Kentucky with 24 points. It was a very close game at halftime. Tennesee ran a zone defense for most of the game which slowed down Kentucky's offense. In the end, Kentucky found a way to pull through and win. For this team to win the NCAA championship, they're going to need a big contribution for DeMarcus Cousins. He seemed frustrated at times which causes him to play poorly. It's important for him to keep his head in the game. He's a very good player who is unstoppable in the low post. I believe he will bounce back on Tuesday when Kentucky plays Misissippi State.

The Wizards May Trade Caron

There are rumors circulating about the Wizards trading away Caron Butler. I really hope these rumors are false. Caron has done so much for the Wizards both on and off the court. With all the chaos that exists in the Wizards organization, Caron has been one of the few bright spots. He is a great player that will be sorely missed if dealt to another team. We fans have already been through enough with this organization. We've had to deal with issues like the team losing and the Gilbert Arenas situation. Now we have to deal with Caron possibly being traded. How much more can we take? If the Wizards do trade Butler away, then it will appear as if they are trying to clear cap space and rebuild. I don't know too many people who want stay and watch a team that's rebuilding or trying to save money. I hope this organization does the right thing and keeps Caron around.