Things are looking up for the Los Angeles Clippers. Eric Gordon is a finalist to make Team USA’s final roster, they added some solid pieces in Randy Foye, Al-Farouq Aminu and Ryan Gomes this summer, and they finally have their number-one overall pick Blake Griffin active in their lineup. You didn’t think the Clippers would usher in a new era of excitement without looking fly, did you? I did…but I was wrong.

The Clippers unveiled their new home and road uniforms for the upcoming season, and while they aren’t a drastic departure from their previous style it is a welcome update. The most notable changes are the more modernized numbers, sculpted side stripes and a low-profile neck line. Additionally, the Clippers look to be making a move to red as their primary road-uniform color, and the road unis will read ‘Los Angeles’ just as their alternates did last season.

In my opinion, these are an unquestionable upgrade from last season’s uniforms. Click here if you need a reminder. These new unis still captured the classic simplicity that has been synonymous with the Clippers style, but added simple changes to stay with the developing fashion and performance expectations in the league. Now the Clip-Show is one that is easy on the eyes. If only the Sixers would take note…

More pictures of the Clips’ new unis after the break:

Since LeBron James was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers, they have been in search of a perfect sidekick. Despite always being a threat in the East, Larry Hughes, Luke Jackson and Wally Szczerbiak could never provide the ideal complement to James’ game. The additions of Mo Williams and Shaquille O’Neal have bolstered James’ supporting cast, but he’s never had another forward that could be a reliable scorer and truly keep defenses honest.  They’ve needed another wing player who is both capable of scoring in one-on-one situations, but also be be a consistent outside shooter that James can kick to when defenses collapse. A three team trade involving Cleveland, Washington and the Los Angeles Clippers may have landed the Cavs the player they’ve been waiting for.

The Cavaliers came away with the crown jewel of this trade in Antawn Jamison, who is averaging 20.5 ppg and nearly 9 rpg this season. He is also a legitimate outside shooting threat at 35% from behind the arc. James has to be ecstatic about the arrival of Jamison, whose presence on the court should only stretch defenses and make things easier for himself. To bring Jamison to Cleveland, they had to trade franchise cornerstone Zydrunas Ilgauskas  and a first round pick. There are also rumblings that Ilgauskas will seek a buyout with the Wizards, which means he potentially could return to the Cavs (after 30 days). The Cavs also didn’t have to give up their up-and-coming forward, J.J. Hickson, who had been rumored to be part of any deal involving Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire, so this is a big win for the Cavs and their fans.

While it won’t make much difference on the court, the Cavs also took on the contract of Los Angeles’ Sebastian Telfair as part of the deal. While he likely won’t see significant time behind Mo Williams, Delonte West and Daniel Gibson, we can all reminisce about the reuniting of these high-school phenoms whose career progressions have been remarkably different.

The Wizards sent the recently acquired Drew Gooden to the Clippers as part of the deal, and received Al Thornton from Los Angeles. Along with Ilgauskas (and his $11.5 million expiring contract), the Cavs also provided the Wizards with a 2010 first-round draft pick and the rights to Emir Preldzic. Both the Clippers and the Wizards gain more salary cap flexibility to go after big name free agents this summer…and it is fair to say that both squads have given up on trying to be competitive this year.

The 2010 Sprite Slam Dunk contestants were announced today, and Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson were surprisingly absent. Jokes aside, it will be an exciting crew this year with four legit dunkers. I was a bit disappointed to read the list of participants for one reason, though. During last year’s competition, LeBron James stated his intentions of participating in the 2010 Slam Dunk contest, but wasn’t included amongst this year’s competitors (for whatever reason). Having James in the contest would have taken the hype around the All-Star festivities to a whole other level. Maybe he felt as though he had more to lose than to gain by entering the contest. We see his highlight reel dunks on a nightly basis, but who knows how that might translate into a contest setting.

Still, this year’s contest will have some good story lines and solid competition. Here are the contestants:

Nate Robinson – The diminutive mainstay of the Slam Dunk contest will attempt to become the first three-time winner of the competition. I’ll be intrigued to see what else Krypto-Nate has in store this year. It seems as though the longer you stay in the contest, the more diluted your ideas for creative dunks would become. Robinson will always have somewhat of an advantage because of his short stature. People love to watch short guys dunk, and higher ratings are usually easier to come by because the dunks are more visually impressive (and inherently difficult).

Shannon Brown – Brown has amazed us all year with his ridiculous hops, and has become a fan favorite in Los Angeles. Brown campaigned to be a participant in the contest, by using www.letshannondunk.com, and now he has his chance. Expect some eye-level-with-the-rim dunks from Brown. He’s certainly a dark horse in this contest, but he has a great chance of winning.

Gerald Wallace - I’m a huge fan of Wallace, who’s been appropriately nicknamed “Crash.” Wallace is a high-flyer known for some posterizing dunks. If you want your face dunked on, there’s no better player to do it than Wallace. However, I would imagine that Wallace is more of an in-game kind of amazing dunker, so I’m interested to see what kind of special dunks he can come up with for the contest.

Eric Gordon/Demar DeRozan – While last year’s contest used a general fan vote to solidify the fourth participant in the contest, the NBA is going about it in a different way this year. While fans will still be able to vote (by text), it will be based on a single-round slam dunk competition held during halftime of the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge. Whoever is chosen will advance to the Sprite Slam Dunk the following night. While Gordon more of the “shorter player with big hops” type, DeRozan is an athletic high-flyer that is certainly capable of putting on a show. It will be interesting to see what strategies these guys implement. They’ll want to do a dunk that is impressive enough to get into the official contest, but they should save their best dunks for the actual contest.

Who’s your favorite to win the dunk contest this year?

Are the fortunes changing for the “other” team in Los Angeles? Baron Davis on his disappointment with the Elton Brand situation and his changed mindset (from L.A. Times)

“It’s hard for me even to remember that much because that wasn’t even a glimpse of myself..I just vowed to come into this season and not be that person and get back to being the hard-working individual and the leader that I am. Once we got around that point where they were talking about Coach (Dunleavy) getting fired…I think everybody just kind of banded together, like we’re not going to lose the season at this point.”

The papers haven’t been served yet, but the writing’s on the wall. Adidas on their relationship with Gilbert Arenas (from Wizards Insider):

“We are evaluating our relationship with Gilbert Arenas based on his recent conduct and subsequent suspension from the NBA. We echo the Commissioner’s concern for such a serious incident and will continue to follow the investigation by the league and law enforcement.”

Before you start taking the blame for your teams woes, you may want to have a career scoring average higher than 6.2 ppg. Ben Wallace (wrongfully, in my opinion) taking the blame for Detroit’s 12-game losing streak (from Pistons Blog):

“Most of this has been on me. I haven’t been playing the way I know I’m capable of playing…I call myself the leader of this team and if you’re leader of the team and things not going well, then it falls on you.”

Please, David Stern and NBA decision-makers, make my year. Mark Cuban on center Erick Dampier’s decision to shoot a 3-pointer with 5.4 seconds left in the fourth quarter of Friday’s 112-103 victory in San Antonio (from Dallas Mavericks Blog)

“I asked the commissioner to put him in the 3-point shooting contest. We’ll see what happens.”

Now that he’s got the passion for the game down, he should be able to turn his concentration to shaving that ratty beard. Chris Bosh on Andrea Bargnani’s newfound fire (from Court Surfing):

“It’s good. It’s real good. It’s always good to play with a little emotion, a little fire, at least, that’s what people tell me. When he’s into the game like that I think it’s good for us and it gives us confidence in him. It shows how important it is. I think everyone likes to win, so that increases the emotion a little bit. We’ve got to keep him inspired to keep doing it.”

It’s a rarity for an NBA player to still be playing at age 36, and it is even more unheard of for these players to make highlight reels on emphatic dunks. Tonight is that night though, and Juwan Howard is that man.

Please send your letters of condolence to:

Los Angeles Clippers
Attn: Chris Kaman
1111 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015

The Boston Celtics had been riding a nine-game road winning streak headed into last night’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers only held a 7-13 record at home going into this game, so the Celtics likely weren’t marking this as a game that would cause them much trouble. With the game tied, Boston’s Rajon Rondo missed two straight free throws with only one second left on the clock. This would prove to be the C’s downfall, as Baron Davis and his mighty beard had just enough time to bury the hatchet. Check out B-Diddy’s heroics below:

This Week’s Fantasy Sleepers:

Marreese Speights, Philadelphia 76ers - Speights is back in the lineup after missing 14 games due to a partially torn MCL. Although the 76ers were planning on bringing him along gradually, he has been just too good to keep off of the court. In his three games back he has averaged nearly 20 points and 8 rebounds per game, including a season-high 28-point performance Saturday night against the Clippers. Although Speights still isn’t in the starting lineup, he is playing solid minutes off of the bench and is occasionally seeing minutes late in the game in lieu of Samuel Dalembert or Elton Brand. As he works him back into playing shape, he should be playing at an even higher level. Dalembert’s numbers have dropped considerably since Speights returned to action so his fantasy value is certainly in question at this point. If you had to choose between these two for frontcourt help right now, go with Speights.

Omri Casspi, Sacramento Kings - The Kings continue to tinker with their starting lineup in the absence of Kevin Martin. While Donte Greene had received his shot as the starter for most of December, the Kings have recently replaced him in the starting lineup with Casspi. Although just a rookie, Casspi has shown that he is an aggressive player on both ends of the floor, and has been an impressively reliable three-point shooter. Casspi has started the past three games for the Kings, logging over 30 minutes in each of those games and eclipsing the 20-point mark twice. The Kings also won two of these three games, which should play into Casspi’s continued inclusion in the starting unit. As long as Kevin Martin is out of action, Casspi should be a legitimate fantasy option.

Jerryd Bayless, Portland Trail Blazers - Bayless had a career high 29 points last Thursday against the Phoenix Suns. While he followed it up with a lackluster 10-point performance against the Magic, it should be noted that he did play more than 30 minutes in the game. Coach Nate McMillan loves the energy and intensity that Bayless brings to the game, and often relies on him to change the tempo of the game. The play of Andre Miller and Steve Blake has been inconsistent, and with several key players going down with injuries this season, Bayless is now getting his chance. Bayless’ job when he comes in the game is to look to score, which he does efficiently by taking it hard to the rack and knocking down mid-range jumpers. It  is important to note that he generally won’t get you more than three or four assists or rebounds on any given night, but if you need a scoring boost in your backcourt then take a good look at Bayless.

Rasual Butler, Los Angeles Clippers – Need a three-point shooting threat on your team? Butler should be available amongst free-agents in your league. In the past four games, Butler has nailed 10 three-pointers, including a five-trey game last week against the Timberwolves. While he isn’t starting, he is getting major minutes for the Clip-show and routinely gets more than 30 minutes of floor time. Like Bayless, Butler is a bit one-dimensional, but the three-point shot is not a category that should be undervalued in your league.
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Fantasy Question from A Stern Warning: If Tracy McGrady found himself traded to New York, how do you see his fantasy value in D’Antoni’s system?

NBA Noise: With Tracy McGrady, I think it all comes down to minutes and conditioning. In his four games back in action this season, McGrady has never played more than eight minutes a game. Putting all Rick Adelman conspiracy theories aside, I don’t think that McGrady is close to his old self physically. He doesn’t have the same lateral quickness that we’re accustomed to seeing from him, and he’ll need to work on his overall conditioning to have the wind to be an effective player again. Given the Knicks’ up-tempo style of play and McGrady’s current physical status, I don’t think he’d be a major fantasy option for the Knicks right away. A healthy McGrady in D’Antoni’s system, under the bright lights of the Garden, would likely translate into some impressive fantasy numbers, but he just isn’t ready yet. If McGrady works himself into legitimate playing shape, he’ll be a contributor on any team he’s on. I just wouldn’t think about adding him to my team until he is playing at least 25 minutes a game. There are just too many good options that are deserving a spot on your fantasy roster before adding T-Mac.

Need fantasy hoops advice? Have a fantasy hoops question? Send me an email at sholdren@gmail.com and your question could be featured on NBA Noise!

Sebastian Telfair on his lack of playing time with the Clippers. He’s currently averaging 15.2 minutes per game (from Sports Reporters):

“I thought I would be playing more than I have,” Telfair told me after the game. “I don’t understand Dunleavy’s rotations and I definitely feel under-used here. It’s been this way the entire season and I don’t think anyone else on this team understands what his rotations are about.”

Paul Pierce on Rasheed Wallace’s league leading 10 technical fouls, six short of an automatic suspension (from The Boston Globe):

“Rasheed’s going to be Rasheed. But the one thing is, we don’t want it to get to the point where he’s suspended games, so I’m sure a couple of us are going to talk to him and let him know he’s almost at that limit, and we aren’t even halfway through the season.’’