Celtics Coach Doc Rivers says Rasheed Wallace will retire.

According to this article on SI.com it appears Rasheed Wallace will end his NBA career following last week’s NBA finals against the LA Lakers. Wallace, always a character, will probably best be remembered for his short temper and ejections. As a Pistons fan I’ll remember him best for being the final piece to the puzzle in their quest for an NBA title in 2004. When fully focused, Wallace was a great help defender and tough match up on the offensive end. He was able to stretch defenses with his 3-point shooting ability, but often would fall too much in love with the long ball rather than using his skills in the post. Though he showed his age in the last season or two, Wallace filled in admirably as a starter for the Celtics in Game 7 when Kendrick Perkins went down. He finished with 11 points and 8 rebounds. Congratulations Rasheed; and enjoy retirement!

As I was reading up on the previews for NBA Finals Game 7 tonight between the Lakers and Celtics I came across a video of Shannon Brown’s ridiculous dunks from the other night. It’s incredible how his head nearly touches the rim on that first dunk. Enjoy!

Gasol puts in 2 of his 17 points Tuesday night.

The Lakers gave the fans, and NBA executives, their dream: Game 7. In what will surely be a memorable and tough fought winner-take-all battle Thursday night, the reigning champs served noticed they would not be dethroned easily.

LA played a complete game from start to finish, essentially keeping Boston out of the game completely. Kobe was his usual self, but two key starters, Pau Gasol and Ron Artest showed up with an intensity that may have been lacking in previous games. Gasol, who nearly had a triple-double, found opportunities near the basket much easier as Kendrick Perkins left the game early and probably won’t return for Game 7. Artest was able to keep Paul Pierce in check with only 13 points while adding 15 of his own.

The Lakers’ heart was fully on display in Game 6. They crashed the boards relentlessly, finishing with 52 to Boston’s 39. The bench also came to play as they outscored the Celtics reserves 25-13. The impact the bench had was evident when Shannon Brown threw down two ridiculous dunks in the second half.

The game on Thursday is set for 9 PM EST on ABC. With the unfortunate injury to Kendrick Perkins I don’t see the Celtics being able to pull out the victory and Kobe should get his 5th ring, tying Magic Johnson. Pierce, Garnett, Rondo, and Allen have far too much pride, though, to let Game 7 get out of hand. I expect them to take the initiative early on and be very aggressive. The Lakers should get just enough from Odom, Artest, Farmar, and Brown to withstand Boston’s push and come out victorious in a low-scoring affair 91-84.

As a basketball fan we couldn’t ask for better. “It’s Lakers-Celtics, biggest rivalry in NBA basketball, seven games,” says Rajon Rondo. “It’s what it is.”

Clearly Jordan was put in a tough spot due injuries to Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood and the Wizards as a team still haven’t found their stride. I think even with Arenas and Haywood Washington had hit its ceiling, falling early in the playoffs in the past 3 seasons. When a team becomes stagnant a major shake up is needed. This is usually done by cutting the coach loose rather than making a blockbuster deal such as the Pistons-Nuggets trade not too long ago.

Its looking as though this may be a lost season for Washington fans and players. They can always look forward to the lottery picks, though.

1. Boston Celtics- Hard to drop the champs from the top spot, but losing James Posey could be trouble.

2. LA Lakers- Kobe continues to amaze. How well Andrew Bynum comes back from knee trouble determines LA’s fate

3. New Orleans Hornets- CP3 should continue to move the Hornets along smoothly. Still need more depth.

4. Utah Jazz- With Carlos Boozer in a contract year the Jazz really need to make a push. Williams will certainly keep them in the mix in the West.

5. San Antonio Spurs- Do these guys ever really go away? Their core should have at least one good run left.

6. Houston Rockets- Key word for this team is “if”. If T-Mac and Yao stay healthy for the year, they are just as dangerous as anyone. Acquiring Ron Artest was a smart move in my eyes.

7. Detroit Pistons- Obviously on the back end of a magnificent stretch. Need to implement youngsters so vets will be fresh for playoff run.

8. Cleveland Cavaliers- LeBron James finally has a legit scorer on his team, but are there enough pieces to trump the Pistons and Celtics in a playoff series?

9. Philadelphia 76ers- Made a big splash by signing Elton Brand. This team may have the parts to make the next step.

10. Portland Trailblazers- There is plenty of talent, but how will they find enough time for all of these young stars in the making to develop?

11. Orlando Magic- Dwight Howard is still improving, which is scary. He’ll need more help, though.

12. Dallas Mavericks- J-Kidd experiment did not work last year. Perhaps the coaching change will help this team regain its focus?

13. Phoenix Suns- Shaq, Nash, and Grant Hill are closer to social security than an NBA title, but I think Terry Porter will get the most out of this team and they will still compete in a rugged conference.

14. Denver Nuggets- Another team in regression in the West. Allen Iverson might be the next Nugget to leave town.

15. Washington Wizards- This team hinges on Gilbert Arenas. If he comes back quickly and healthy, they shoot up there with the best of the East. If he doesn’t, well, it’ll be the same story for the Wiz.

16. Miami Heat- Dwayne Wade looks like his old self which is bad news for opposing D’s. Who plays the point will be key. This is a team that could surprise people.

17. Toronto Raptors- They hope Jermaine O’Neal and Chris Bosh can make a formidable tandem, and I think they will, it’s just that beyond Jose Calderon, who else is productive?

18. Milwaukee Bucks- I like the direction this team is heading, but they are probably a few moves, and at least a year away, from making an impact.

19. Chicago Bulls- This is a team that is too guard-heavy. Maybe it is time to move someone and acquire a competent big man.

20. Atlanta Hawks- What a turbulent summer. This is a team that probably took a step backwards, rather than forward. However, if some of their still very young players improve again, they could surprise us all.

21. Charlotte Bobcats- Larry Brown is the next to help this franchise. Let’s see how this young team responds to his personality.

22. LA Clippers- Another team with a wacky summer, the Clips came away with Baron Davis, but lost Elton Brand shockingly. Their backcourt will excite, but I don’t know who scores in the paint.

23. Golden State Warriors- Monta Ellis rewarded the Warriors by busting his ankle on a moped several weeks ago. He was supposed to anchor their fast-paced attack. Hopefully Marcus Williams holds steady until then.

24. NY Knicks- New GM, new coach, but a lot of the same players. This transition will take another year or two, but they are headed in the right direction.

25. NJ Nets- The Nets are in a total rebuilding mode and apparently clearing space to chase LeBron when he is a free agent. The year will be bumpy, but Devin Harris is a solid player who will keep them working hard.

26. Indiana Pacers- This is an extremely young team. A lot of learning will take place this season.

27. Minnesota Timberwolves- Al Jefferson is the team’s present and future. Kevin Love better be worth it or else the endless rebuilding will continue.

28. Memphis Grizzlies- It’ll be interesting to see how quickly Marc Grasol can establish himself. Rudy Gay is getting better by the day.

29. Sacramento Kings- Doesn’t it seem like yesterday they were always in the conference finals? Kevin Martin is the only bright spot on this team.

30. Oklahoma City Thunder- They have a great nucleus (Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook) but with the eldest being Green at age 22, they have a lot to learn.

According to ESPN.com

“I just had some floating debris in there that was slowing me down,” Arenas said, according to the Post. “It was irritating the knee so we decided to go in there and clean it out. This should actually allow me to come back faster.”

What impact does this hold for Washington? Some questioned if the Wizards were playing better overall ball with Arenas sidelined, and while I feel that statement does hold some value, the Eastern Conference has made some significant upgrades. I don’t think this injury will be as big a setback as the Warriors face with Monta Ellis in the stacked West, but we probably won’t be seeing any major steps forward by a Wizards team needing to get over the Eastern core of Boston, Detroit, and Cleveland. Best-case scenario is this allows someone like Nick Young to improve upon his rookie season, gain valuable experience during the first month, and then make solid contributions off the bench for the rest of the year.

The team has not yet released its uniform specifics, but I can only hope they aren’t as awful as what has happened to the Hornets. I honestly do like the slight changes made with the deepening of the colors and making the hornet not look so gimmicky, but 3 logos, two of which are similar? That could be overkill as evidenced by their jerseys which bring back those mid-90’s stripes. Save the pinstripes for baseball New Orleans.

The T-Wolves, however, have actually made a nice transition. Minnesota recently unveiled a slight twist on their original logo. You can also see their new uniforms here. It follows a similar pattern to many NCAA jerseys while maintaining their image. I like how the designs on the side of the shorts emulate a mountain.

Personally, I always get excited to see how a team is going to update its look, but I feel that New Orleans and OKC have missed the mark. In the case of the Hornets, I think they’ve only slightly missed the mark in adding stripes to what could be a solid jersey. With the Thunder, you almost have to think that someone from the WNBA or arena league was influencing the choice of that name and color scheme. Hopefully, the design team for their jerseys can save them from looking like amateurs on the court.

One key to remember is that most of the players on the Dream Team were even more revered for their talents and abilities because no one else in the world could duplicate them. These days every nation seemingly has NBA level talent so our players are disproportionately good. Also, this year’s team has athletes…freakish athletes! I’m not here to take away from Jordan, Pippen, and Robinson. However, you’d be hard pressed to find better athlete-basketball combos than Kobe, D-Wade, Dwight Howard and the like. Another factor in the Redeem Team’s favor is the way the team was built. Each member from top to bottom is on the team for a specific talent or purpose. Tayshaun Prince for D, Michael Redd for 3-point shooting. The Dream Team was essentially the colossal mash of the best the NBA could offer at that point and time so I feel mismatches could be created.

The Dream Team could have a few advantages in that they were put together with more savvy veterans who would find a way to win (like slowing the game down to a crawl), or how they would have a more imposing front line. But as we see with all sports equally skilled opponents are only as equal as their athletic abilities allow them to be.

Bank it: Redeem Team in a thriller 98-94.

Justin