-It seems like no other player is as controversial as Marion in terms of being over-/under- rated. A trade could potentially help decide the debate, but I?m holding my breath because I anticipate that both Marion and the Suns can survive without each other. Who the Suns, potentially, replace him with and how that change effects their championship aspirations should also be interesting.

-I?ve been working on a website to provide advanced stats for the Spanish ACB league as well as some blogging (to come): easyasacb.wordpress.com. It?s a work in progress, but I?d love to get some feedback (including whether you think the name is too corny).
I realize most Americans, and even most Spaniards, could care less about the ACB, and I?m sure most of you won?t be checking it out as much as you might this site or another NBA site. However, I think there are a few reasons to check it out every once in a while.

First, you can check out some guys with the potential to make a big impact in the NBA down the road or keep up with guy you watched play in the NCAA or NBA.
-Both Luis Scola and Juan Carlos Navarro are making the jump to the NBA this season, so you can check out how they did last season.
-You can check out the 06-07 seasons of and follow the 07-08 seasons of Rudy Fernandez, Tiago Splitter, and Marc Gasol, all of whom were picked in the 2007 NBA Draft. As well as several other players, listed on the site, whose draft rights are held by NBA teams from previous drafts.
-Some former NCAA and NBA players including Louis Bullock, Marcus Fizer, former Knicks Bruno Sundov and DeMarco Johnson, Jerome Moiso, Skita? played in the ACB in 06-07.
-Ricky Rubio, Victor Claver, and Goran Dragic are a few of the top young prospects you?re likely to see in the NBA in a few years.
-Most importantly?you can keep up with our buddy FRED WEIS, who plays for Bilbao.

The stats themselves should be pretty interesting. I haven?t done much of anything with them, but I assume there?s a lot that could be learned?and there are some people on this site and elsewhere who are certainly more capable of analyzing these things than I am.

I?m also going to try to offer some interesting articles on international basketball, and hopefully spark some discussions on the level of those here on Knickerblogger. In the coming weeks I?m planning on posting an ACB offseason review, a season preview, an NBA offseason review, and some other articles.

Anyway, the site is easyasacb.wordpress.com

*****Owen, I am planning on adding WOW stats, but haven?t gotten to it.

That about sums up my opinion…

Arizona Republic -
After eight years in Phoenix, Shawn Marion wants to leave the Suns and has let the team know in recent weeks.

“I’m tired of hearing my name in trades,” Marion said by phone from his Chicago home Tuesday night. “I love my fans in Phoenix but I think it’s time for me to move on.”

There are two known trade suitors in the Utah Jazz (for Andrei Kirilenko, if not others) and the Los Angeles Lakers (for Lamar Odom and a teammate), with Marion showing an interest in the latter because of a friendship with Kobe Bryant.

“Regardless of everything that went on with the extension, I’m tired of hearing my name in trade rumors,” Marion said. “It’s time for me to move on. I felt like they tried to force my hand to Boston with the (Kevin) Garnett stuff.”

In June, there was the possibility of a three-way trade sending Garnett to Phoenix, a Boston pick package going to Minnesota and Marion to Boston with a contract extension but the Marion camp killed it.

“I haven’t done anything wrong,” said Marion, a four-time All-Star. “I leave it on the floor night in and night out. Sometimes, it’s just time, and it’s time to go. “It’s been like a nightmare. It hurts me making this phone call. It’s hurting me in my stomach.”

Re Denver, I think Dave Berri’s recent post on the Nuggets makes an interesting addendum.

http://dberri.wordpress.com/2007/09/23/the-mutombo-era-in-denver-or-a-lesson-for-portland-fans-today/#more-573

After the year you discussed, the Nuggets decided to add defense and rebounding, and improved fairly dramatically.

Nah.

Now, Zeke lies. And Dolan lies. Marbury lays… so does his cousin (shared service interns, an MSG special…).

But stats? No, they don’t lie. But they don’t tell the truth either…they just sit there waiting to be manufactured and manipulated by liars, soothsayers, truth-tellers and everybody in between….

Did the 100% stat lie? No. I just used the stat without context to tell a story that is deceiving.