....and the Oscar goes to Dwight Howard for sometimes posing as someone who cares about playing basketball.

My Nuggets w/o Gallo cruised by the Lakers last night and still the chat rooms are filled with Kobe Amnesty talk and Pau injury reports.

Lakers are 3GB of the final playoff spot, yet their trivial expectorations steal  headlines from the Thunder, dull Spurs' news, & even toss ice on Heat explosions.

Hey ESPN get off the Lakers c^^k

Less than two weeks til the NBA tips off a full season. I'm one of the few fans that were not overly excited about Denver acquiring Igoudala  while losing Afflalo & Harrington in the four team DHow deal. Afflalo was Ok on offense, but he was stellar on D, and  the Nugs are going miss his D.

I think Coach Karl has done a great job with Javal McGee, a center acquired from the Wizards for the 2012 playoff run.

Nugs finish sixth in the West

Three division winners: LAL, OKC, Spurs

remaining five: Memphis, LAC, Nuggets, Utah, Memphis.

I'm keeping my eyes on the Suns, although that's dangerous.

I like Scola & Gortat around the basket.

The “Duke of Flatbush” has departed. AWOL Pistons?? Which teams missed the NBA trading deadline by a minute?? Okay Gabbers, you pick who were the winners and losers on the trades made by the teams. “The Duke” and the NBA in this edition of Rants and Raves.

This originally was going to be an NBA blog, but due to the unfortunate passing of one of Brooklyn’s greatest players, I had to include this sad story. Ed “Duke” Snider passed away of natural causes this past weekend at the age of 84.

It was always “Willie, Mickey, and The Duke.” But, Ed “Duke” Snider did not have to take a back seat to anyone. He was one of the Greatest Brooklyn Dodgers of all-time. His hitting in 1955 helped “Dem Bums,” as the Dodgers were happily called, win the World Series over the hated rivals the New York Yankees. In the 1955 regular season Snider hit 42 homeruns and led the league in runs and runs batted in while posting a .309 batting average. It was in the World Series that “The Duke” tour it up as he hit 4 homeruns, 7 RBI’s with a .320 batting average. Snider also won a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1959. He lead all major league players in homeruns and runs batted in in the decade of the 50’s. His career numbers where a .295 batting average, 407 homeruns and 1,333 runs batted in. “The Duke” was listed in the top 100 greatest players in baseball history by The Sporting News. His number 4 was retired by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1980 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame the same year.

The trading was fast and furious in the days, hours and minutes leading to the NBA trade deadline. The Nets were burned by Carmelo Anthony as he was traded to the rival Knicks. Within a day the Nets got the point guard to lead the team into the Barclay Center in 2012. There was one trade that missed the deadline by minutes. That was the Indiana Pacers agreed to send Josh McRoberts and a 1^st round pick to the Grizzlies for O.J. Mayo.

The New York Knicks won the bidding for Carmelo Anthony. I believe the Nets went back after Carmelo to make the Knicks ante up more players. Why else would New Jersey go after Anthony after he kind of gave the Nets the “cold shoulder” when the team went after him the first time.

The Knicks receive:

Forward Carmelo Anthony

Forward Shelden Williams

Forward Renaldo Balkman

Forward Corey Brewer

Guard Chauncey Billups

Guard Anthony Carter

The Nuggets receive:

Forward Danilo Gallinari

Forward Wilson Chandler

Center Timofey Mozgov

Center Kosta Koufos

Guard Raymond Felton

Knicks first-round pick in 2014 or later

Warriors second-round picks in 2012 and 2013

$3 million

The Timberwolves receive:

Center Eddy Curry

Forward Anthony Randolph

This was all about Carmelo and his 25.2 points per game. For Denver fans this mean you will have to buy a press guide to figure out your new players. You do get players who were 54% of the Knicks offense. Hopefully Danilo Gallinari will live up to his potential. What the hell was Minnesota doing in this trade?? What a waste.

New Jersey gets “star” point guard to take them to the Barclay Center. Wow, after not getting Melo, the Nets turned it on by getting Devon Williams from the Jazz.

The Nets receive:

Devon Williams

The Jazz receive:

Guard Devin Harris

Forward Derrick Favors

2011 first-round pick

2012 first-round pick (Golden States)

Cash

The Nets get a playmaker!! He can score, and has the ability to make players around him better. He also can play defense. He even might be a better playmaker than Carmelo. Williams is the type of player other guys would want to play with, another reason why New Jersey went after him.

On the heels of the blockbuster trade the Nets made, New Jersey finally unloads Troy Murphy.

The Nets receive:

Forward Brandon Wright

Forward Dan Gradzuric

The Warriors receive:

Forward Troy Murphy

2012 second-round pick

Murphy didn’t have a chance in New Jersey. Now the Nets get 23-year-old Brandan Wright. Gadzuric will probably be gone by the end of the season.

With seven minutes left to go before the trade deadline, Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan, trades the face of the team, Gerald Wallace to the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Bobcats receive:

Center Joel Przybilla

Forward Dante Cunningham

Forward Sean Marks

Conditional 2011 first-round pick (via New Orleans)

Conditional 2013 first-round pick

The Trail Blazers receive:

Forward Gerald Wallace

Does Jordan know what he is doing?? How could he get rid of a player averaging 15.6 points and 8.2 rebounds a game. I guess its looking toward the future for the Bobcats. Wallace will help the Blazers go into the next round of the playoffs.

 The Houston Rockets made two separate trades which netted them first-round picks and some players. The first was with the Phoenix Suns and the other was with the Memphis Grizzles.

The Rockets Receive:

Guard Goran Draic

Future first-round pick

The Phoenix Suns receive:

Guard Aaron Brooks

The Rockets Receive:

Center Hasheem Thabeet

Forward DeMarre Carroll

Future first-round pick

The Grizzles receive:

Forward Shane Battier

Guard Ishmael Smith

Carroll and Thabeet were Memphis’ top picks in the 2009 draft. Is Memphis trying for a playoff run?? Battier help the Grizzles the last time he was with the team in 2006. Brooks days with the Rockets were number when he left the bench during a game on February 5^th.

The Boston Celtics were busy as they traded several of their workhorses in two separate deals with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder.

In the first trade,

The Celtics receive:

2013 second-round pick

The Cavaliers receive:

Forward Luke Harangody

Center Semih Erden

In the next trade,

The Celtics Receive:

Forward Jeff Green

Center Nenad Krstic

The Thunder receive:

Center Kendrick Perkins

Guard Nate Robinson

I can’t see where Krstic is a better center than Perkins. The Thunder do get the warriors of the Celtics in Perkins and Robinson. Will this help Oklahoma in the long run?

The Cleveland Cavaliers once again were involve in a trade. This time it was swapping of guards with the L.A. Clippers.

The Cavaliers receive:

Guard Baron Davis

2011 first-round pick

The Clippers receive:

Guard Mo Williams

Forward Jamario Moon

This deal give the Clippers a younger guard and save them money. It also gives Cleveland a first-round pick and a scoring point guard in Davis.

The Atlanta Hawks were involved in a five-player trade with the Washington Wizard.

The Hawks receive:

Guard Kirk Hinrich

Forward Hilton Armstrong

The Wizard receive:

Guard Mike Bibby

Guard Jordan Crawford

Forward Maurice Evans

The Hawks get a younger guard in Hinrich, while this does nothing for the Wizards　

Which trade do you think helped or hurt a team at the trade deadline.

Did the Pistons players really go AWOL?? That’s what people are saying about Tracy McGrady, Tayshaun Prince, Richard Hamilton and Chris Wilcox missing a shoot around last Friday. Is it ironic that these players have clashed with coach John Kuester in the past. The coach held his ground and McGrady, Prince, Hamilton and Wilcox did not play against Philly.

Pictures by: Duke Snider - belitsky.info

According to ESPN, the Nuggets have traded Anthony to the Knicks along with Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter and Renaldo Balkman. In exchange Denver gets Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, the Knicks 2014 first-round draft pick, the Warriors 2012 second-round pick, the Warriors 2013 second-round pick and $3 million in cash.

Thats good because as a Net fan, and a Carmelo fan, I didn't want the Nets to give up 4 number one picks and players for Anthony. The Nets can package 2011 picks for the over-all pick if they want and the same for 2012. They will be alright in the future. It will just take time.

There’s something to be said about the solitude of shoveling the driveway after, or sometimes during, a snowstorm. It gives a person clarity, time to think about what’s been on their mind but unable to come out through the noise of everyday life.

In essence, I took that clarity this week and wrote today’s post while pushing 8 inches of snow and sleet from one side of Vermont to the other. Enough can’t be said about thinking of the fruits of one man’s labors while reaping your own.

So there I am, and for some reason or another I can’t remember, I was thinking about all of the discussion surrounding the on-again, off-again Carmelo Anthony trade talks.  You know the ones, where Anthony is supposedly going to New Jersey, but has his entourage dropping hints to the media about his desire to only play in New York so that he doesn’t have to man up and make a selfish fool out of himself like LeBron did.

And that’s exactly my take on it. Sure, Carmelo may not be saying much to the media, but its all an image protection ploy. In reality, Anthony is playing the part of Pinocchio, who should be going to school like he agreed to but instead is looking to take the quick ride out of town to Pleasure Island where life will be so much “easier”. Well Carmelo, Pinocchio turned into an ass at the end of that segment and you’re likely to come out of this in the same light.

Truth be told I can’t remember a time in my life where I’ve had to endure so many stories of unhappy athletes forcing trades or gearing up for free agency two years ahead of time. I know we live in a new world of constant updates, both in the traditional media and in the instant media that Twitter has become, so maybe it is just a product of our generation where these guys just have more avenues to express their grievances. Then again, maybe it is a product of the generation these guys grew up in, where they no longer aspire to follow in the footsteps of their favorite players growing up, just to out earn them during their careers.

Regardless of what has changed over time, one thing is still a staple of all sports; The Contract. Each and every athlete signs one, whether it be on draft day or while peddling themselves to the team with the most magic beans. My irritation is simply with the fact that no one honors them any more. They wanted the long-term stability by signing a big deal, but for some reason they feel that the team shouldn’t be entitled to that same protection?

Want to be a man and a role model Carmelo? Don’t cower behind lesser men playing the Cat’s Paw for you. Simply come out and announce to the world that you’re going to do what those around you refuse to do; honor the contract you signed and honor those other 11 guys that suit up with you night in and night out. Impress them by pulling Geppetto from the whale and winning an NBA championship for Denver.

Only then will you convince the world that you aren’t LeBron.  Don't be that guy.