Stars und Sternchen! » d in 791 career NHL games with the Wild, Rangers

FIVE QUICK NBA THOUGHTS 1. STEVE NASH and STEVE BLAKE (Lakers): Both players are back in the lineup Tuesday against the Timberwolves. Blake had played quite well before he went down and, fingers crossed, Nash (who turns 40 on Friday - Happy Birthday!) tries to see if he can play through Back pain and finish the season. This Lakers season has not gone well with the loss of Dwight Howard, the injury to Kobe Bryant, and of course injuries to Blake and Nash. At the end of the day, this is a franchise that doesnt deal well with losing seasons yet it might be a time to re-invent themselves for the long haul. How these two guys hold up will give them better insight into where things are headed, at least short term, in their backcourt. 2. PAUL GASOL (Lakers): Speaking of this franchise, I think this ship has sailed here. If you can get cap space, luxury tax relief and/or a draft pick, you move him. He still has value, yet I see it diminishing despite him averaging close to 20 points and 12 rebounds a game in January. There is a lot of chatter about the Phoenix Suns making a run at him. Itll be interesting to watch it unfold but bottom line, it would be best for Gasol and the Lakers for him to have a change of scenery. 3. GREG MONROE (Pistons): There are rumblings from the Motor City that they need to look long and hard at what to do with this guy. I really like his game. When given the proper system and supporting players, I feel he has the attributes to help you win. Is he a franchise guy? No, but a very good player? Yes. Hes a positive building piece. I dont see how he can co-exist long-term with Josh Smith and Andre Drummond. Im not a huge Smith fan, nor am I big on the Brandon Jennings bandwagon. These are guys that will get you numbers but Im not sure if they understand what it takes to win on a nightly basis. Monroe can score in the post and has a solid face up game, he can really pass it and his rebounding and lane presence is sound. The Pistons need to figure out what their identity is because right now I see a team with a lot of parts yet with no semblance of the whole in mind. This is a team sport and when I watch them they dont look like one. Monroe is one of the few guys that gets how to play the team game. 4. RAPTORS at KINGS: Youll hear all the coach and player speak about it being ‘just another game. I dont buy it for one minute. Any time someone trades you, to some degree theyve given up on you and think they can do better with someone else, thats the reality of sports. The Raptors have benefited greatly with the acquisition of the Sacramento Four while Rudy Gay has played quite well for the Kings. Good for both sides. I expect a very intense game here tomorrow night in Sac-town. Cant wait. More importantly for the Raptors, its a chance to clinch a winning west coast trip (currently 2-1) with a win here before heading to LA to play the very difficult Clippers on Friday. Take care of business. Wont be easy, a lot of emotion will be present. 5. CONGRATS SEATTLE: I have buddies from Buffalo that hit a Super Bowl city each year. Unfortunately, Ive never been able to attend before. This year it worked. I was in Portland on Saturday night and went over to Seattle on Sunday morning before heading over to Salt Lake City to work the Raptors/Jazz game on Monday. My Super Bowl Sunday in Seattle was a total blast. A few quick observations: First, for the Raptors game in Portland, it was a wonderful turnout of Raptor fans from Vancouver area who made the drive over. Awesome support! And secondly, what a joke that an amazing sports town like Seattle doesnt have an NBA team right now. Everywhere I went I saw not only 12th Man signs for the Seahawks but Bring Back our Sonics signs. I couldnt agree more. And finally, once again, I ran into a ton of folks from Vancouver, this time while I was in Seattle. Fun time watching the football game with them and their passion for hoops as well. Ive said it a thousand times before and Ill say it again, weve got to get a team back in Vancouver as well. I travel all around North America and I feel pretty confident saying this, I have a very good sense for what makes a town a good fit for the NBA and there is NO doubt that Seattle and Vancouver fit my profile a whole lot better than many of the current NBA cities. You can fill in your own blanks. Maybe with a new NBA Commissioner in Adam Silver, this topic can be revisited again. It makes too much sense to me. Likely wishful thinking on my part. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . Johnny Manziel, college footballs most entertaining player with the reputation for pulling off magical plays, was selected with the No. Cheap Jerseys Shop . The team let Keaton Ellerby, James Wright and Matt Halischuk become unrestricted free agents after declining to make them qualifying offers. Ellerby, 25, appeared in 51 games for the Jets last season and had two goals and four assists. http://www.cheapnfljerseys.pro/ . However, Jim Popp isnt sure how long hell be able to admire wide receiver Duron Carter. Cheap Black NFL Jerseys . 3. Trevor Ariza left them talkin about 40. Ariza made eight 3-pointers and scored a career-high 40 points to help the Washington Wizards win their sixth straight game, 122-103 over Philadelphia on Saturday night. Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping .com) - DAngelo Harrison posted 21 points to guide No.Marian Gaborik is on the move once again. The Columbus Blue Jackets have traded Gaborik to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Matt Frattin, a second-round draft pick and a conditional third-round pick. Gaborik, 31, has appeared in 22 games with the Blue Jackets this season, scoring six goals and eight assists. He is currently in the final year of a five-year, $37.5 million contract he signed with the New York Rangers prior to the 2009-10 season and is slated to become an unrestricted free-agent on July 1. Gaborik was selected third overall at the 2000 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota Wild. He has appeared in 791 career NHL games with the Wild, Rangers and Blue Jackets, scoring 342 goals and 346 assists. The Blue Jackets acquired him from the Rangers prior to the 2013 NHL trade deadline along with Blake Parlett and Steven Delisle in exchange for Derick Brassard, Derek Dorsett, John Moore and a sixth-round draft pick.dddddddddddd Gaborik has represented Slovakia on a number of occasions including the 2006 and 2010 Olympics. He was selected to his nations team for the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia but was unable to play due to injury. Frattin, 26, was acquired by the Kings from the Toronto Maple Leafs over the off-season as part of the return for goaltender Jonathan Bernier. In 40 games with the Kings this season he has scored two goals and four assists. In 122 career games with the Maple Leafs and Kings, Frattin has scored 17 goals and 17 assists. He was originally selected in the fourth round (99th overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the Maple Leafs. ' ' '