Things that are happening in the NBA… maybe you know? Maybe you don’t? Maybe we are making it all up? Maybe the milk in your cereal was off this morning and that’s why you’re feeling unwell? Maybe Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch really weren’t that funky at all? Maybe… maybe…

• Kobe Bryant has 31,354 career points and only needs 66 points to pass Wilt Chamberlain for number 4 all time.
• As we type this article, Dirk Nowitzki is about to pass Patrick Ewing for 17th all time.
• The Washington Wizards aren’t terrible… 7-3 in their last 10 including a win yesterday over Memphis behind John Wall’s 47 points.
• Hedo Turkoglu is back in the Orlando lineup following his 20 game suspension for a positive anabolic steroid test.
• The Atlanta Hawks have signed Shelvin Mack for the remainder of the season… *tumbleweed*
• The Miami Heat are still winning basketball games… don’t be surprised if they don’t lose a game until next season. Love them or hate them, they really are THAT good right now.
• The Nuggets had a streak of their own, winning 15 games to have it snapped by the New Orleans Pelicans and some guy called Brian Roberts who dropped 18 dimes on them.
• Has any NBA team played this well EVER without their superstar and MVP as the Bulls have without Derrick Rose this season?
• Seattle Kings, Sacramento Sonics… Something, something, Kevin Johnson, terrible team… something.
• For all you ‘Sneaker-Freaks’ out there… Nate Robinson’s shoe collection.
• Kenyon Martin is playing like it’s 2003.
• Dwight Howard copped an elbow from David Lee in the first half of the Warriors rout of the Lakers yesterday… and today has pledged his revenge. Um, Dwight you had the whole second half to get revenge?
• Kevin Durant tackled a fan who made a half-way shot, much like Lebron James did a month or so ago. Now the ridiculous media are saying he’s copied Lebron. What would be worse? NOT doing it and being the superstar who DIDN’T hug the fan? Or DOING it and being called out for copying Lebron? Just let KD hug the fan, ok?
• Rumour – Michael Jordan to sign a 10 day contract with the Charlotte Bobcats… let’s hope it’s not true. The Wizards comeback was borerline, this would be terrible.

That’s all from us… cheers!

There are just two days left until the 2012-13 NBA trade deadline and things have started to heat up around the league. The All-Star break gives general managers a chance to assess the first half of their season and find potential trade partners to improve their team going into the home stretch.

A lot of the talk has been around high profile players, while trades of that scale are always difficult to complete, the sheer amount of deals being rumoured would imply that at least one or two big names could be on their way out. Let’s take a look at the latest rumours making the rounds with just days left before the deadline.

- Josh Smith keeps appearing as one of the most likely candidates to be moved prior to the deadline. Smith is on the last year of his contract and is said to be demanding the max in order to re-sign in Atlanta. Among the list of teams said to be interested or have offers on the table for Smith are: San Antonio, Brooklyn, Milwaukee, Boston and Washington.

- Celtics General Manager Danny Ainge must be busy, with nearly everyone on the Boston roster rumoured to be in trade talks. Everything from a crazy Dwight Howard for Rondo proposal, to a Kevin Garnett for Deandre Jordan/Eric Bledsoe offer from the Clippers. KG has a no trade clause and would need to waive that in order for the Celtics to make a move, if one of he or Captain Paul Pierce is moved expect the other to be close behind.

- The Bulls have made the Raptors an offer for Andrea Bargnani that includes forward Carlos Boozer, the deal is said to be on the table for Toronto to accept right up until the deadline. Specifics of the deal are unknown but if nothing better comes up over the next week the Raptors may take it, despite concerns about Boozers contract. The only other offer known to be on the table is from Charlotte based around shooting guard Ben Gordon.

- Speaking of Gordon, he has had season long issues with his role and the coaching in Charlotte. Recently spilled over with a confrontation with Coach Dunlap. The Bobcats are heavily shopping Gordon to get him off their young team before the deadline. Gordon is one of the top five players I think could benefit most from a change of scenery here: http://hoopshabit.com/2013-nba-trade-deadline-five-players-who-need-a-change-of-scenery/

- The Nets are targeting every power forward on the market. Two main targets at this stage are Josh Smith and Paul Millsap.

- The Bucks are likely to be active at the deadline and just about everybody on the roster is available. They are trying to offload guard Monta Ellis and if they can do so, they already have a deal in waiting for the Magic’s JJ Reddick.

- The Rockets, for once appear to be staying quiet this season at the deadline and instead saving their money for the off-season. With big men such as Millsap, Smith, Al Jefferson and more off contract at the end of the year, it is all but certain one of them will end up in Houston.

- The Mavericks and Warriors are among teams who are interested in Hornets guard Eric Gordon, the Hornets dont necessarily want to move him with how the team has performed lately but would also remember his comments in the off-season that his heart was elsewhere. For the right rebuilding pieces to put around Anthony Davis the soon-to-be Pelicans could make a surprise move.

- Some other names that have appeared in trade talks over the past few days include the Knicks Iman Shumpert, the Suns’ Jared Dudley, the Nuggets’ Timofey Mozgov and the Spurs’ Dajuan Blair.

Set to be a wild two days, as usual we will wait and see just how much, if any of these rumours lead to trades. We have already seen the smoke lead to fire this season with the recent trade of Rudy Gay to the Toronto Raptors.

The Grapevine is back! Coming up to this seasons NBA trade deadline of February 21 we will take a quick glance around the league to see which players and teams could be in for a major shake up over the next few weeks.

January 15 is a significant date in trade talks, now all players who were signed over the off-season can be involved in trade discussions, opening up even more possibilities to GM’s. One thing is for sure, things could start to get very busy sooner rather than later.

- Rudy Gay is being heavily shopped by Memphis, they are trying to shed his huge salary to avoid tax implications while remaining a contender. Latest talks to break down were with Washington, who were said to have involved rookie Bradley Beal (which his agent has since denied).

- Pau Gasol is the most likely move coming out of LA, with D’Antoni refusing to adjust his offensive system to suit his personnel and realistically needing a stretch shooting power forward Pau is likely on the way out. Some names to keep an eye on would be Josh Smith, Ryan Anderson and Andrea Bargnani.

- Speaking of the big Italian with a rebounding allergy, he is definitely a candidate to be traded if the Raptors can find a taker for his hefty contract. The team has played considerably better without him in the starting line up and time may be running out to cash in on any untapped ‘potential’ other GM’s may see.

- The Celtics will look to add a rim protecting big man before the deadline, with the recent play of rookie Jared Sullinger it looks likely it will be some combination of Brandon Bass, Fab Melo and draft picks to bring in the best possible back up for KG.

- The Jazz will almost certainly move one, if not both of Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap. Both are on the last years of their contracts and with two lottery pick big men waiting on the bench, the Jazz will try and get some value while they still can.

- Mark Cuban has all but announced that the Mavs will make a move at the deadline, what that is remains to be seen. They have numerous gaps in the roster but a lot of flexible contracts.

- The Nets have a large expiring contract in Kris Humphries and an owner who is not afraid to spend money, if they can find an upgrade, no matter how expensive they would likely take it.

- While he has been playing great lately, the Blazers may look to move JJ Hickson who is a free agent at seasons end

- The Wizards are rebuilding and have 2 veterans in Okafor and Nene starting in the front court. If they can find cap flexibility and younger players they will be on the move.

- Some other less exciting names who will likely be involved in deadline deals (according to rumours over the past few days) are: Timofey Mozgov, Sam Dalembert, Rip Hamilton, Luke Ridnour, JJ Redick and Jose Calderon.

There will be a lot more coming out as we get closer to the deadline and we’ll be sure to keep you posted.

If you want to take a deeper look into players who could be on the move, check out a position by position break down here:

http://hoopshabit.com/nba-point-guards-most-likely-to-be-moved-at-the-trade-deadline/

http://hoopshabit.com/nba-shooting-guards-most-likely-to-be-moved-at-the-trade-deadline/

http://hoopshabit.com/nba-small-forwards-most-likely-to-be-moved-at-the-trade-deadline/

http://hoopshabit.com/nba-power-forwards-most-likely-to-be-moved-at-the-trade-deadline/

http://hoopshabit.com/nba-centers-most-likely-to-be-moved-at-the-trade-deadline/

This is possibly the most interesting issue the NBA has had to deal with since the introduction of Twitter & Facebook with players tweeting from the bench during games. One guy is taking a stance for mental health… or is he? Today, Royce White was suspended by the Houston Rockets on the basis that he ‘refused to provide services’ to the Rockets organisation. The NBA Hangtime Blog has a good writeup on how things are unfolding.

From the Hangtime article:

“There’s no mental health protocol here, for not only the Rockets but the entire league, really,” White said. “I expressed that that’s really unsafe if you think about it. So, basically, I’m fighting to have that rectified. I just don’t think it is OK or responsible or even logical to have GMs or any front office personnel have executive authority in medical situations.”

Which makes us think… if this guy is petrified of flying, being in confined places, etc… maybe it’s reasonable for him to expect some formality around his mental illness? And perhaps the NBA should have a league-wide policy on how to deal with these situations much like it does with Twitter, negative comments about refereeing and guns in the locker-room. So let’s dig a little more and see where Royce’s anxieties come from?

Grantland did a great interview with Royce in June, 2012 and he was quoted as saying:

“It’s not like I’m really nervous about getting on the plane,” he says. “When I get on the plane, I’m a little uncomfortable. But I’m not panicking on the plane. It’s preparing to fly — if I have a flight on a plane today at noon, I’m worrying from 8 to 12. Just an anxious feeling. That’s the anxiety. That anxious feeling becomes overwhelming sometimes. You might get sick. You might feel drowsy. Any of those things could be a reality. It’s not that it’s overblown. There’s some truth to the fact that I don’t like to fly, but it’s not like I can’t fly. I’m able to fly. I just prefer not to.”

So Royce White can travel in an airplane. He played in 14 away games last year in college… so why now, Royce? The guys over at Hardwood Paradoxym are telling it how it is.

So here at 3 Man Weave, what do we think?

The NBA has dealt with health issues in the past outside of your standard physical injuries. Not all mental illnesses of course, but NBA teams as a whole have shown that they are professional organisations who have the ability to support players in these circumstances.

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (Tourettes)
Delonte West (Bipolar)
Greg Stiemsma (Depression)
Jerome Whitehead (Depression)
Keyon Dooling (Anxiety & Sexual Abuse)
Chris Herren (Substance Abuse and depression)
Chris Mullin (Substance Abuse and depression)
Roy Tarpley (Substance Abuse)
Shawn Kemp (Substance Abuse)
Richard Dumas (Substance Abuse)
Kendall Gill (Depression)
Michael Beasley (Substance Abuse and depression)
Kirk Snyder (Schizophrenia)
Jayson Williams (Substance Abuse and anxiety)
Jerry West (Depression)
Eddie Griffin (Substance Abuse and suspected anxiety disorder)
Clifford Rozier (Bipolar & Schizophrenia)
DeMarcus Cousins (TBA); and
Metta World Peace (various)

Royce White has a mental illness, no-one should dispute that. Nor should anyone dispute that we could all learn more about mental illness and have a better understanding on how to deal with and support those who suffer from a mental illness. But Royce… Other NBA players have been in your shoes before. The Rockets believed in you, ignoring the perceived and potential issues surrounding a player with a mental illness. Given that… surely you could practice with your team in Houston? Surely you could be in uniform to play in home games? Surely you could travel via car or a team bus to the away games in San Antonio, Dallas, New Orleans or even OKC meaning that including the home games you could participate in 47 games out of the 82 game schedule without setting foot on a plane (which apparently you’re ok with, you just prefer not to). Surely it would be better to show that you’re a professional? Surely it’s better to show other people who suffer from a mental illness that you are trying to overcome your fears, working at a solution and sticking it out with your team instead of refusing to play in the NBA or the NBDL?

We are basketball lovers, not health professionals… so we’re not here to decide what Royce White should & shouldn’t do. Our observation is that a very good basketball player has an opportunity that only 450 people in the world get every year… to play in the NBA. He also then has a platform from which he can educate the world about mental illness in a positive way, work with the Houston Rockets and the NBA on creating awareness of mental illness and developing the league’s first Mental Illness policy. He could be outspoken and an advocate for his cause yet still be a part of the Rockets team. But he’s not. Potentially, this talented basketball player has lost any chance he has of making an NBA roster. The Rockets were willing to ignore his mental illness on draft day… who would now? White seemingly has alienated himself from the entire NBA and as a 21 year old he probably doesn’t have the maturity to understand the magnitude of what he’s doing.

In the world of basketball, we all love stats and numbers so we’re going to finish off with some.

White’s salary is $1,645,440 which over an 82 game season equates to $20,066 per game.

The Rockets have just played their 34^th game of the season, which is $682,255 (potentially) they have paid White to date.

What does that really mean? White got paid $682,255 to not play basketball; to not train with his team; to not participate in the NBA Cares program; to not help the organisation that drafted him; to not be a professional and to not set a positive example to people around the world suffering from mental illnesses.

It costs $12,277.20 a year in the USA to feed a family of four. So White’s salary to date could feed 55 American families for a year.

Per Global Giving  $682,255 could provide:

Clothing for 170,000 children in Africa

In the Phillippines, it could build 10,000 rescue boats for use during floods plus support 50 village evacuation centres for 6 months.

Put over 200 kids in Haiti through school.

We’re not saying Royce White should be solving world problems with his salary, it just puts things in perspective for us. White thinks he’s being an advocate for mental illness; we don’t see it. Metta World Peace has been very outspoken about Mental Health and he raffled off his 2010 Championship ring and raised more than $500,000 towards mental health research and awareness. It’s not about the money, it’s about making a commitment to the team paying you, setting an example for others and doing your bit for your cause.

What are you really doing, Royce White?

In four years at Duke, Pistons swingman Kyle Singler became one of the best college basketball players in the country, leading the Blue Devils to a 2010 national championship on the back of a final four MVP performance. It is not uncommon for players like Singler to peak in the NCAA where the fundamentals often prove more valuable than athleticism, it is also not uncommon for players with Singlers college background to struggle when it comes to making it in the pros.

Taken 33^rd overall in the 2011 draft by the Pistons, Singler did not join the team last season instead he opted to play in Europe to gain professional experience and improve his chances of making it in the NBA. Detroit was quick to bring Singler over this offseason after some outstanding performances overseas.

As the Pistons started the season with an 8 game losing streak, Singler appeared to be one of the few players making a positive impact on the court, and coach Lawrence Frank moved the rookie into the starting line up. Playing 39 minutes and scoring 16 points Singler was instrumental in the Pistons first win of the season against Philadelphia. Since inserting him into the starting unit, Detroit has gone a respectable 12-14 with  Singler playing anywhere from starting 2 guard to power forward.

His game is versatile, fundamental and anything but flashy. At 6’8 and 240lbs he rebounds the ball well and has good size defensively against most swingmen. Offensively he is capable handling the ball, can spread the defence with his shooting ability and finishes at the line at over 80%. Averaging near 9 points and 4 rebounds thus far on the season, Singlers play has been a stabilizing presence for a young rebuilding Detroit team. No doubt the tutorship of former championship player Tayshaun Prince has had a factor in Singlers development as well as having the faith of his coaching staff.

He does have his limits, he is by no stretch a great athlete and the most athletic of NBA swingmen will always give him trouble, but he does counter reasonably well with good footwork and positioning. Singler is unlikely to ever develop into a star at the professional level but has already shown in less than half a season he can be a solid starter for many years. He seems to be one of those prototypical role players that contending teams have, the ones coaches trust to play within themselves and embrace their role. Singler knows his limitations and rarely plays beyond them, he is willing to defer to higher usage players and focus on screens or offensive rebounds if that’s where he will be most useful.

With Greg Monroe, Brandon Knight, Singler and fellow rookie Andre Drummond the future looks bright in Detroit.