Wade May Still Play For U.S.A. This Summer

Dwyane Wade Going Through Divorce This Summer

There are some things more important than basketball, even for an NBA superstar like Dwyane Wade. Jerry Colangelo, the USA basketball chairman, would like for players like Wade, Lebron James and Chris Bosh to play for the national team this summer at the World Championships, but he may not get his wish.

Wade is getting divorced this summer and is attempting to get sole custody of his two sons. He has a lot more on his mind than a tournament that is considered less prestigious in this country than the Olympics. However Wade is still keeping the door open for a possible appearance in the games.

Not only that, but Wade will be going through contract negotiations this summer. His future will be at stake and what happens in the offseason could determine whether Wade ends up with another NBA Championship before his career ends.

Lebron and Bosh are also free agents this summer, meaning both are leaning toward taking it easy this offseason and concentrating on figuring out their own futures. It is possible that a team could sign two out of three of those players and give the rest of the NBA something to worry about.

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Rockets Take Down Grizzlies 113-103

Luis Scola Scores 17 Points In Win

The Houston Rockets were without their top scorer, Kevin Martin, for the last five games. During that span Luis Scola had to pick up a lot of the slack. Martin returned last night and scored 29 points, but Scola still did his share of scoring, contributing 17.

Scola has suffered in the rebounding category lately though, only hitting double figures in one of the last five games. I’m not sure if this is due to the fact that they have no chance of making the NBA Playoffs. He may not be working as hard because they have nothing to really play for.

Scola is known for his hustle. That is his best attribute. However he is all about winning, whether playing for Argentina in international play or trying to help the Rockets make the playoffs. For a competitive guy like him, this can’t be an easy time to play basketball.

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Gerald Wallace, Bobcats Beat 76ers

Gerald Wallace Scores 24 In Win

For now the Bobcats just need to make sure they make the NBA Playoffs. That is the first step and they are in good position to accomplish it. Charlotte is now four games ahead of the Chicago Bulls. That is a four game cushion between their first franchise playoff appearance  and having to deal with another early summer.

Gerald Wallace helped the Bobcats beat the 76ers on Wednesday night with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 3 steals. More important than his stats is the fact that Philadelphia was held to 84 points, largely due to the incredible defense of Wallace.

The reason why that is important is that the only way Charlotte has a chance to advance in the playoffs is to play out of their minds on defense. They will need to frustrate their first round opponents and force them into ugly basketball. They need to build momentum as the NBA season winds down.

Charlotte does get a challenging stretch of games coming up. Their next game is against another young and upcoming team in the Milwaukee Bucks. That game is anything but a sure win. Then they get the Chicago Bulls in a game that will be a must win for Chicago. Expect that game to be intense. After that they get to play the Atlanta Hawks who are in a struggle with Boston for the third seed. If the Bobcats don’t play well, they could end up losing all three.

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NBA Player Profile: Brandon Roy

Brandon Roy is one of the fiercest competitors in the NBA today. His leadership is one reason that basketball in Portland has such a bright future. He comes close to averaging over 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. He isn’t the best player in Portland history, but he could possibly end up that way when his career is over.

Strengths: Efficient scorer averaging 22 points on 16 shots per game. Rebounds decent for a shooting guard and has good passing skills. Gets to the free throw line a lot. Leadership ability is one of the best in the NBA.

Weaknesses: Not a great three point shooter. Below average free throw shooter for a guard (78% this season). Hasn’t yet shown the ability to take his team to the next level.

Our Opinions:

James: Brandon Roy is a joy to watch on the basketball court. He plays to win and doesn’t care what his stats end up at as long as they get the victory. I think that he may replace Clyde Drexler in a lot of peoples mind as the fan favorite in Portland.

George: Brandon Roy is a decent player who hasn’t really accomplished anything in the NBA. The other “elite” players have shown that they can take their teams deep into the playoffs no matter how bad the team is around them. As far as I’m concerned, the jury is still out on Roy.

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