FrontRowSportsReport.com: Sports Blog

Greg Oden was the first pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, unfortunately the team that drafted him, the Portland Trail Blazers, didn’t get to benefit this season from the big guy. Looks like that will all change for next season as Oden practiced with the team for 45 minutes yesterday. Oden sat out his “rookie” season after undergoing microfracture surgery on his right knee.

Oden was not at 100% but went through drills, jumped and dunked - the Trail Blazers are surely ecstatic at this. “It’s nice to see him get to this point, and to do it during the season,” Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. “If he is at this point right now, he should be in good shape come training camp.”

Oden’s teammate Brandon Roy was also pleasantly surprised at Oden’s practice participation and is looking forward to next season. “It almost brought it back to preseason when he was in the gym working out and there was that buzz,” Roy said.? “I mean, this season wasn’t bad, but you can still tell that he’s going to be something special, and that’s exciting. You think about all the players we can have next season, and you know, it’s going to be all right. It’s going to be cool.”

The Trail Blazers might be the surprise team of the 2007 / 2008 NBA season. Not only do they have a winning record (34-31) but they put on a impressive winning streak earlier this season. With a core group of young players adding Oden into the mix is only going to mean good things are to come. My prediction is that next year they are a playoff team and might even shock someone in the first round.

We were busy over the weekend watching plenty of NBA and NCAA basketball games - and both season are slowly coming to a close. With that being said it is time for the latest Mock NBA Draft over at myMockDrafts.com - so go check out the 2008 Mock NBA Draft - Version 2 and see who moved up, who moved down and who dropped out of the first round.

Rumors have been flying all season long about where and when New Jersey Nets All-Star guard Jason Kidd would be traded. Today news is coming out that Kidd might be heading back to the team that drafted him as the 2nd pick overall in the 1994 NBA Draft - the Dallas Mavericks.

The deal, which both the Nets and Mavericks have agreed upon in principle and could change, would have Dallas sending point guard Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse, the expiring contracts of DeSagana Diop and Devean George and guard Maurice Ager to New Jersey for Kidd and forward Malik Allen. Dallas will also send New Jersey $3 million and the Mavericks first rounder of the 2008 NBA Draft and first rounder in the 2010 NBA Draft.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has said many times that this trade would not make sense for his team, Cuban even told the New York media earlier his feelings on such a trade. “For us to make the numbers work in a deal like that, we’d have to trade away half the team,” Cuban said. “We’re not doing that, so it just doesn’t work. And we like our team. We’ve got a lot of room for improvement and we hope to get better. But right now, I just don’t see anything happening.”

The move by the Mavericks doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense, it is almost like Cuban was jealous of all of the other big trades that went down this month - namely the Suns getting Shaquille O’Neal and the Lakers getting Pau Gasol. Money isn’t the real issue, since Cuban loves to spend it, the issue really has to do with depth - the Mavericks are trading a lot of players who get playing time. However, Kidd does bring some great leadership abilities that could push the Mavericks over the edge in the tough Western Conference - any team with Kidd, Josh Howard, Jason Terry and Dirk Nowitzki has to be considered a force to deal with.

The Nets on the other hand get some decent players, but more importantly - with the cash relief and draft picks - they are looking to rebuild. Do not be surprised if you see Vince Carter traded very soon.

Kobe Bryant might have had his best day of the year yesterday. In one 24 hour period Kobe scored 46 points in the Los Angeles Lakers 121-101 win against the Toronto Raptors and the Lakers traded for Pau Gasol, giving Kobe another scoring threat down low and maybe a good run at a NBA title.

First the Game: Kobe and the rest of the Lakers appeared to have played with a level and energy and excitement unseen in a long time, everyone was obviously jazzed up about the prospect of bringing Gasol to town. “We understood that this was a game that we had to get and we came out with a lot of energy,” Bryant said. “That being said, I think everybody is a little excited about the opportunity that we have in front of us.” Bryant shot 19-for-28 and showed off numerous crowd pleasing dunks on his way to 46 points. Sasha Vujacic scored 22 points and Jordan Farmer added 13 for the Lakers - who were coming off losing four of the last five games. Andrea Bargnani scored a career high 28 points to lead the Raptors. Chris Bosh put in 22 points and 15 rebounds and Jose Calderon added 17 points.

Now the trade:  The Lakers gave up a career under-performing center- Kwame Brown, a unused rookie - Javaris Crittenton and a couple future NBA Draft picks. In return they get a proven scoring threat who, along with Andrew Bynum (when he returns) and Lamar Odom , will give the Lakers and Kobe their best front-court in a very longtime.

A local Memphis newspaper is reporting that a deal between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Lakers is a done deal and will be announced shortly. The Grizzlies will send Pau Gasol and a future second round NBA Draft pick to the Lakers for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, the draft rights to Pau Gasol’s brother Marc and future NBA Draft first round picks in 2008 and 2010. In order to make the deal work, the Lakers will have to do a sign-and-trade for McKie to clear some cap room - McKie is currently not playing in the NBA but his draft rights are owned by the Lakers.

The trades main focal point is obviously Pau Gasol, who the Grizzlies have been contemplating moving for some time now.  Gasol, who was the 3rd pick overall in the 2001 NBA Draft, is averaging 18.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game - both right inline with his career averages.

Kwame Brown, who was the 1st overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, is averaging 5.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. When Michael Jordan was with the Wizards, Brown was his prodigy - however he never lived up to the expectations of a number 1 NBA Draft pick.

The trade looks to benefit both teams, however the Grizzlies looked to have gotten the better end of the deal. The Laker get another scoring threat down low (even though Gasol’s defense is suspect) to help Kobe and the Grizzlies get cap room and some good draft picks down the road. This is the type of trade that we cant fully judge until a few years down the road.

myMockDrafts.com has just posted their 2008 Mock NBA Draft - version 1. It is never to early in the NBA season to project who is drafting who. As we all know, everybody has their own opinion as to who should be drafted high and who should be drafted low - but one thing I am seeing is that everyone agrees that Michael Beasley the  6-9 Freshman Forward from Kansas State is going #1.

It is getting lonely at the top for the Memphis Tigers as previously ranked #2 and unbeaten Kansas Jayhawks were upset by #24 Kansas State Wildcats last night 84-75. The Jayhawks went into a game with a 20-1 record and the argument that they should be in the top spot.

The Wildcats (15-4) have not been able to beat the Jayhawks (20-1) on their own home court for the past 24 years, but this year was different because they were led by projected #1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft Michael Beasley. Beasley, a freshman forward, scored 25 points to lead all players. “I know it means a lot around the city, people at the school,” said Beasley after the game. “But it’s just a game to me.” I would think the fans who stormed the court might think a bit differently.

The Wildcats, beyond Beasley’s 25, got help from Bill Walker who scored 22 and Jacob Pullen who scored 20. The Jayhawks were led by Darrell Arthur who scored 12 and Brandon Rush who put up 15.

Beasley, who is 6-9 and 235, is leading the nation in rebounding (12.4 rebounds per game) and is ranked 4th nationally in scoring (25.3 points per game). Beasley is definitely a player of the year candidate after this game, however he needs to get his teams some big wins in the coming weeks.

Word around town is that Chris Webber is close to returning to the Golden State Warriors, the official announcement could come out as soon as tomorrow. The Warriors offered to sign the former All-Star for the rest of the season at a pro-rated $1.2 million veteran minimum.

Webber was invited to play for the Warriors by coach Don Nelson and former teammate and current team vice president of basketball operations Chris Mullin - Webber was drafted by the Orlando Magic 14 years ago, was traded to the Warriors and won the 1994 Rookie of the Year award. Webber and Nelson will be putting aside a long standing feud that started during Webber’s rookie season when he forced the Warriors to trade him to Washington after only 6 months. Nelson is obviously putting aside any ill-will as he told reporters yesterday that he would welcome Webber, as the team needs him.

Webber said at the end of last season that he would only return to the NBA as a Piston, but he has changed his mind in recent weeks. Webber was pursued by the Lakers after they lost Andrew Bynum but he declined their offer.  Over his career Webber averaged 20.9 points per game, 4.3 assists and 9.8 rebounds. However, due to injuries and attitude issues he never fully realized the potential people felt he had after coming into the NBA from Michigan.

Nelson made his own return to the Warriors last year as led them to a 50-32 record and a playoff berth - their first since Webber’s rookie season in 1993-1994.  This season the Warriors do need some veteran front-court help, however Webber does not fit well into the Warriors up-tempo style of play. But for $1.2 million why not take the gamble?