Around The Blogosphere, Plus Reaction

The following are some intriguing recent posts from around the web along with my reaction:

The Bratwurst: Patterson to Boston?

Excerpt:

“Patterson will be a much better fit for Boston than the other players they are apparently chasing now that Reggie Miller figured out that he has no business suiting up any longer. James Posey is a moderately better defender than Patterson but nowhere near the offensive player, and Dahntay Jones has no business being in the NBA. He was the worst player on Memphis last year, which really says something.”

Reaction:

The Celtics indeed would be wise to pursue Ruben Patterson, who quietly had a very strong season in Milwaukee last year. It’s true that his career year did happen to coincide with his contract year and he’s had disturbing off-court problems, but he’s always been a competitive, tough player. And at 32 years old, his game and character have seemingly matured. From the Bucks' perspective, with Bobby Simmons, Desmond Mason, and hopefully Yi in the fold, there is reason to believe Patterson won’t be sorely missed, but the article does accurately point out that he was the team’s most consistent player last season.

Loy’s Place: Patterson, Posey or Jones?

Excerpt:

“Patterson was also convicted of misdemeanor assault outside a Cleveland night club in 2001 and arrested in 2002 on felony charges of domestic abuse that were later dropped. Patterson has said his struggles with alcoholism were the culprit for his past problems and reiterated to the Bucks staff that he's moved on. Harris agreed. Now, maybe it is just me, but we just got a player who had a drinking problem off the books and I don't feel like spinning the wheel and taking a chance on another.”

Reaction:

Okay, so Celtics Nation isn’t completely sold on Patterson. Even with all the new talented faces in Beantown, it’ll take both time and cooperation to create the necessary chemistry to produce a juggernaut. So it’s understandable there would be some hesitancy in taking in someone with Patterson’s past troubles. But there isn't much about the Celtics offseason that says "not going for it," and this might be the gamble that puts them in charge of the East. Plus, isn't mortgaging your franchise's future to take a shot or two at the Finals and then signing an inferior player (Dahntay Jones=not the answer) because you're scared off by some old off-court troubles kind of a risky thing in itself?

Bucks Fans: Yi, Ilyasova, and Markota in Turkey

Excerpt:

“China fell 96-76 to Serbia in their second game of the EFES World Cup 6, with Yi Jianlian once again the best player on the court for the Chinese. Yi tallied 17 points and 9 rebounds on 8/12 shooting from the field and 1/2 from the line."

Reaction:

Yao Ming isn’t playing for China in this tournament, meaning Yi Jianlian is the go-to guy. It also means China has trouble keeping up with some of the talented teams in Europe, like Serbia. Individually though, Yi impressed, as his statline and the video highlights in the linked story attest to. He certainly has a smoothness to his game that makes it easy to see why Milwaukee Bucks brass is so enamored with him.

Sports Illustrated: Brazil blasts Venezuela

Excerpt:

“Machado hit four of the 3s in the first half when Brazil (2-0) took a 43-36 lead. Leandro Barbosa, who plays for the Phoenix Suns, picked up his play in the second half, scoring 12 of his 15 points as the Brazilians pulled away. A layup by Tiago Splitter with 3:07 left in the third quarter gave them a 68-45 lead."

Reaction:

As one of the few threats to Team USA in the FIBA Americas, it’s worth tracking Brazil. They topped Venezuela 101-75, a twenty-six point victory. Impressive, but not quite as dominant as the Americans forty-three point crushing of them a couple days earlier. The Team USA/ Brazil showdown takes place Sunday, August 26.