Maybe. Probably not. But it looks like he did have fun in China.
Also, unconfirmed reports suggest that Amir has been signed to star in Rush Hour IV.
A lot of fans are wondering how tall Amir really is. The answer? Shorter than Yao Ming.
My week in China [Amir Johnson’s Official MySpace]
Update: Free Amir!
Not pictured: Amir pleading his case that the Yen is significantly undervalued and part of the root cause of global trade imbalance.
Pictured: Amir understanding the words coming out of Jackie Chan’s mouth.
The star is Jackie Chen. He is a famous movie star in Hongkong and Taiwan.
If anyone was wondering if Amir was still a kid…now we know.
OT: Anyone interested in Andrei Kirilenko? He’s demanding a trade from Utah.
Totally not related to Amir and entirely off-topic but Adrian Wojnarowski over at Yahoo! wrote what I found to be a pretty compelling read. It discusses the role former Knicks’ Assistant GM Jeff Nix plays in Isiah’s trial. I think I’ve made it pretty clear in another thread how I feel about Thomas and that tends to set me to a predisposition that he’s liable, but I found this insight into Nix’s behavior and subsequent testimony entirely fascinating.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=ArzGg5uUvxD1otkaztAyZTm8vLYF?slug=aw-isiah092107&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
Joe Cubed - Absolutely. If the Utah Jazz buy him out completely and he can be signed for about as much a year as Tay makes then I’d be falling all over myself to get him.
As it stands now with what he’s owed? umm no.
I absolutely LOVE AK-47, I think he’s an AMAZING 3rd best player to have on your team… but Utah paid way too much and now he’s stuck.
as for Amir…. umm he does NOT look 225-230 Lbs at freaking all. Unfunny.
PG4L - I agree with just about everything you said.
Whenever there are players on the market I check out RealGM to see what kind of deals are workable. To get AK47 about the only deal that is workable that makes sense is Rip+Nazr for AK47+Jarron Collins. If Stuckey is out of this world and Afflalo is a solid pro MAYBE that deal makes sense.
I’m not trying to trade Rip Hamiltion who I love and have been following since he was a freshman at UConn. I just try to make trades fair on the court and in $$$ when I’m speculating for fun.
I know we’re just playing around in a hypothetical fashion, but my preference is to go nowhere near AK 47 and most certainly not at the steep price of Rip. Just my preference, based mostly on Rip’s strengths being hard work and consistency, and my fear that AK 47 isn’t emotionally steeped in NBA ball. I was reading some story about him that said he’s looking to go back to Russia to play ball. He does have one of the better nicknames in the NBA. And although I wouldn’t group his wife in the stunning NBA bride category, she seems to be a reasonable gal:
http://deadspin.com/sports/nba/kirilenkos-wife-lets-him-sleep-with-other-women-other-women-say-uh-thanks-but-no-thanks-157976.php
Wow, this is a whole lot of pub for a guy who may not be more than deep bench on next year’s squad.
Sauce that’s because 5 x 5 is a GOOD thing… even if Jerry Sloan is too stupid to realize it.
Amir makes Cheick Samb look like Oliver Miller in these pictures. If he’s on the court at the same time as Shaq or Dwight Howard, he might get broken in two.
I realize this is completely off topic but….why in the name of holy heck are the Lion’s 6 point dogs on the road to Philly? Has anyone in Vegas SEEN an Eagles game this year? I mean look I know it’s the Lions and yes I TOO was expecting them to be 2-0 and then lose this game by 27 points because the Eagles are actually a football team while the jury is way out on Oakland and Minny…. however…
The Eagles have been freaking BRUTAL on offence. Their QB is a mess. Their defence hasn’t made a single highlight reel worthy play. Their body language on the sidelines is borderline fatalistic. They EAGLES also thought they’d be better than this and are just as shocked as we are that nobody can block OR tackle on the squad. Andy Reid sounds more like someone defending his RIGHT to coach than someone who’s coaching a 4 or 5 time division champion. The QB is rapidly alienating management/coaches/white people in general by constantly bringing race into the subject when the reality is that he IS a mobile QB who depends on his legs to buy time for mid-deep passes and that right NOW he can’t do that and is therefore sucking a$$. This would be true of Steve Young as well and he’s as white as Tide.
This isn’t a 6 point favorite, at best you call it a push and give the Eagles 3 for homefeild… at worst the Lions should be favored by a FG.
Look, I know this post is going to be HILARIOUS when the Lions finish 6-10 and the Eagles managed to win the division by winning their back 6 games again… but, truth? Philly isn’t winning this game. They definately aren’t winning it by 6.
Also, I just realized Sauce meant Amir not AK-47 in his previous post… my bad… in response however: If Amir is a deep bench player this year than the Pistons probably won’t go any further than the ECF or at best be the next sacrificial lamb to the West. Everyone knows we need someone from the second team to step up large and I love Maxy but he just doesn’t have enough “take over the game” to be that guy. I’m thus forced to disagree… Amir deserves every bit of pub he’s getting now because if he doesn’t… we’re screwed and I’ve already had one sports season end before it started this year. Call it kharmic justice, God OWES us this one after App St/Oregeon.
Also I really don’t feel like registering but does ANYONE on that Piston’s forum in the link below understand the salary structure in the NBA? There’s a whole thread there about Tay of AK straight up, which while interesting didn’t contain a SINGLE mention of how much more money AK makes than Tay which frankly is the crux of the whole issue.
Not that I’m sure I’d trade Tay for Kri under that deal anyways since Kri is a very OLD 26 (remember, Euro’s play like pros from like 14 on. Kri has ALOT of miles on his tank compared to you average 26 year old north american player).
Still though one does have to point out that AK is due to make “Kobe money” for the next 4 years whereas Tay’s contract is hella reasonable.
PistonsGirl, did you happen to watch Detroit play in either Oakland or against Minnesota?
I did - I didn’t wager cash, but I did pick against Detroit twice - and I don’t think I’ll be incorrect a third straight week.
In both games, against weak opponents, they almost gave the game to the opposition on defensive collapses.
Philadelphia isn’t playing well, like the others, so they are weak.
However, Brian Westbrook isn’t, and he’s much better than LaMont Jordan and the mess of awful Minnesota backs. Yes, with or without injury, I call Adrian Peterson’s bluff. Big 12 stinks for backs. Cedric Benson. Prosecution rests.
Detroit’s offense is still at the mercy of their opponents because that line is pretty similar to that of the line that helped Jon Kitna on his back over 60 times in 2006. I don’t know if people consider Damien Woody their marquis blocker, but he had a ridiculous false start near the end of regulation that helped put that game vs. Minnesota into overtime.
Philly’s defense may not be great, but it will get through the line without much trouble.
I’ve been saying that Jeff Backus, for years, is a fantastic joke on Adonal Foyle levels. The man has 1/3rd the talent of Hutchinson, who Seattle picked up in that draft right before Detroit selected Backus. To franchise a man like Backus is to consider your backups worthy of top-tier money.
I’d take Robert Gallery and his penalty-per-snap ratio over Backus. At least Gallery can move and shield, when he isn’t jumping ahead of time or managing to majorly hold someone.
Anyway, for what it’s worth, Philly assaulted Santa Claus. They’ll kill Jesus and Jon Kitna, too.
No amount of SB championships will remove the Lions from an eternal joke. Removing the Fords from ownership of that franchise might wipe a smidge of the dirt clean. Perhaps it’d be best to let the team move out west and apply for an expansion club.
There’s almost no chance in hell that Philly will go 0-3 while Detroit walks away 3-0.
You preaching to the choir about how awful the Lions are cheif…
However Philly’s defence isn’t getting ANY pressure so I’m just not seeing them holding Detroit under 4 scores.
Guess the line isn’t so obviously bad afterall but I’m still as close as anyone can be when betting sure that the Lions will cover that spread.
Your frustration is noted. Like I tell my friends “I root for a football team that CONSTANTLY drafts in the top 10 and yet has not had an NFL level QB in my lifetime”… I’ll give Kitna that he can play but obviously we’re just getting the very end of his career.
Still no way Philly wins by 6.
Oh and fwiw, absolutely not. That’s how I know how good teams like the Pats are and how awful Philly is… I watched the supposed “Good games” like everyone else.
Wow, it really IS the summer of love in the NBA… Stein just gave the Pistons props… again (and sorta)…
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&page=EastOffseason07 (link provided purely out of respect for blogging policy, Stein doesn’t deserve hits from Pistons fans quite yet)
“2. Detroit Pistons
The Pistons paid more than they wanted to in re-signing Chauncey Billups for $60 million over five years at nearly 31. They paid more than they wanted to in retaining restricted free agent Amir Johnson, who got a lot of money ($11 million over three years) for someone who has logged a whopping 163 minutes in the NBA.
However …
The view here is that Joe Dumars quietly has changed the dynamic of his team more than people think. It’s not the overhaul lots of us were calling for after Detroit flamed out with four straight losses to Cleveland, but Johnson, Stein Line favorite Jason Maxiell and rookie guard Rodney Stuckey form a promising trio of kiddies to mix with the Pistons’ veteran mainstays.
Then there’s the bonus news that Rasheed Wallace, with his stock dipping perilously close to Portland levels, has dropped 25 pounds after a variety of ankle problems. Doubts remain about ‘Sheed and Flip Saunders co-existing for another season, but ‘Sheed’s serious approach only adds to the sentiment that Detroit might be fresher and deeper than anyone imagined after that meltdown in the East finals.
We’ll have to see how much burn guys like Johnson and Stuckey actually get, but could it be that these Pistons are actually extending their shelf life?
It’s a possibility raised by folks like the Western Conference executive who told me during summer-league play about the athletic No. 15 overall pick: “You can’t say this about a lot of guys here, but I think Stuckey’s stuff translates [to the NBA game].”"
Am I allowed to do this here?
I have a 2004 Pistons Championship DVD that I’m looking to unload, and I figured what better place to ask than a Pistons fan forum? You guys probably have it already, but if you don’t and are interested, let me know. It’s in mint condition and I’ll basically ship it to you for free. I have the “25 Years of Champions” DVD set and it has the Pistons run, which makes my Pistons-centric DVD a bit redundant. Plus, my wife is trying to get me to purge my DVD collection a bit. Anyways, let me know! I just want it to go to a good home.
Philly has opened the year 0-2 a couple times and still managed to make the playoffs so I don’t know if we can begin to judge them for this year. Same kinda goes for the Lions, I suppose. We’re 2-0 and there’s been a lot of talk about “changing the losing culture” and how our attitude is clearly different this year. That could be true, but it could ring hollow. I say we should wait it out instead of declaring things one way or another.
If the Eagles punk us out, I expect PG4L to send Sauce $5 in the mail. If my Lion Jon Kitna throws all over the Eagles, I think Sauce should mail her $5. Just a thought. But me, I’m not coming down on either side of the fence, just hoping I can find a place out here in LA to catch the game and preferably someone to go with in the next couple hours.
As Bill Simmons has reminded us all hundreds of times. Gambling is illegal in this country. Sauce is gonna have to live with the satisfaction of knowing I’m currently making the “Dear Christ it’s another Lion’s season” face every 4 seconds while watching this crap.
I’m prepared to take back anything nice I said whatsoever about the Lions. I don’t care if they DO find a way to close to within 6… 42 points in less than 3 quarters, vs a team THAT screwed up?
Unacceptable.
Also is anyone but me getting the feeling that Dre Bly is watching this game right now and laughing his ass off? I can actually picture him calling Champ Bailey over and the two of them going “OMFG, CURTIS has 200 yards already? They can’t even cover a white slot reciever! HAHAHAH” and then taping each other up while salivating about playing David Gerrard in an hour.
Man PG4L, you can’t catch a break with your football predictions. Is Matt Lewis considered a white slot receiver? Not that he pulled a Kevin Curtis by any stretch, but he did move the chains a handful of times.
I feel like that as much as Games 1 & 2 may not be a true reflection of any NFL team’s fortunes for that season, on the same token, who’s to say that Game 3 is a true reflection of either squads fortunes either? I prefer to gather more evidence than 3 games. But you had to know it was over for us this week when the FOX crew unanimously took us to win over Philadelphia and didn’t even refer to it as an upset.
LB, being 100% fair… the Lion’s are exactly who we thought they were.. Pretty much ALL of Lion’s nation thought we’d be 2-0 after the first two weeks. Pretty much all of Lion’s nation circled week 3 as the week the team would get exposed. And this was like… months ago.
All I did was let the Lion’s trick me into believing that they might have something going….again. And dude… I’m a Lions fan and have been for my whole life. Clearly I have an established PATTERN of “Hoping in vain”.
As for my football prediction(s) plural… what was the other one? Generally I know predicting the final score for ANY sporting activity is a sucker’s game… therefore I don’t recall actually MAKING any predictions except this one regarding football. I mean I may have said “Michigan is going to kill App St!” or some such but so did the rest of the known world and at the time it was HARDLY considered much of a prediction
Not trying to pick on you or not saying that Jax torched the Broncos secondary, but I just don’t think that your prediction of Bly and Bailey laughing today came to fruition when Garrard efficiently moved the ball on them and the Denver secondary (specifically Bly) failed to make an impact.
I do think that these Lions are better. Their offense is pretty darn good. As Jones gets back to normal, the offense is likely only to diversify and get even better. If their defense can put it together and just hold together a game, their offense should be able to win it for them. Unfortunately for the Lions, unless they’re a great deal better than last year, their schedule will do them in anyway. Unless they’re going to bounce back against the wounded Bears (and they may, as Grossman is HORRIBLE), they’re not likely to win again until Week 10 at Arizona or Week 11 against the Giants at home. Maybe they sneak out one against the Bucs at home after the bye week, but I’m guessing Garcia comes to play at Ford Field.
It’s a work in progress. The Fords are awful. Millen is as well, but I’m starting to buy into the staff and players they’re bringing in these days. Perhaps I’m a naive optimist.
Did you see the same highlights I did? Gerrad threw for 150 yards and was a virtual non-factor while Jax won by hammering Fred Taylor into the interior…
as for PREDICTION? Come now I didn’t say anything about the score, that was a JOKE about Dre Bly being glad to not be a Lion today… seriously.. Lawyerboy is the right name for ya if you’re going to be like that man…
I’ll take the L for picking the Lion’s to win outright vs a team they let hang 50+ on them in a loss that NEVER once looked close… thats fair. But taking a backhanded comment that seriously? Your bad not mine cheif. Your not picking on ME so much as proving you don’t have a sense of humor…
As for believing in the Lions allow me to quote myself from year 4 of the Joey Harrington era… “Ya know, just maybe the kid finally “gets” it. This could be the year the Lion’s finally put it all together.” We NEVER learn… that’s why we’re Lions fans cheif.
Pistons championship DVD…? For free…? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller…?
Joey Harrington the NFL player has and always will be garbage. He never fooled me and I’m seriously sorry that he fooled you. I really think this Lions team COULD play markedly better than years past even if their record may not reflect it. I’m not saying they defintiely will show improvement, I’m simply not convinced one way or another on the manner as of now.
And also, I’d like a little more credit PG4L. I know what you said. I wasn’t being serious about Garrard and Matt Jones. I know that Garrard and Matt Jones weren’t the stars of the game, but the way Jacksonville played I imagine they kept Champ and Dre from making good on their salivating. I just like to discuss (often from a polarizing, opposing viewpoint) issues on this board in a (generally) controlled, aimiable, and logic/fact-based fashion.
I’ll admit that I didn’t see the game, but I’ve seen Garrard play enough to know what he’s about. He’s a mobile QB who otherwise can be considered somewhat limited (compounded by his average offensive teammates), but one who generally doesn’t tend to blow ballgames for you. That’s why Garrard is no Harrington.
The most important thing I want to get across is my belief that corners should only be salivating if the QB they’re going to face is going to make stupid mistakes (*cough* Harrington), not if he’s just average. Perhaps I’m putting your comments under too much scrutiny, and also perhaps I’m a Garrard mark. He’s no star thus far in his career, but he tends to get the job done and only during his rare bad games (when he becomes a totally different player) does he throw the ball around like an idiot (*cough * Joey or even worse, Rex). With the usually competent defense that Jacksonville fields, he’s a good fit at QB for their team.
He’s NOT Rex Grossman who could help recreate Pavlov’s experiment if you substituted him for a bell and defenders for dogs. Rex HAS tools on his team and still can’t get it done. He’s worth the criticism. Garrard’s just not stellar, but not worth salivating over either.
Long story short: we’re 2-1, Denver is 2-1, and Jacksonville is 2-1, for the rest of this week at least, it’s all equal.