Give and Go

He came to Erie on Sunday night

A day later, Tony Bethel was practicing for the Erie BayHawks.

After talking with him following Monday's individual workouts, Bethel, 26, who played college ball at Georgetown before transferring to North Carolina State, seems like a nice guy.

After hearing how he's overcome numerous injuries while playing college and professional ball, Bethel certainly has shown perseverance in his young life.

Now it's a question of whether the 6-foot 2-inch combo guard can help the BayHawks continue turning their season around.

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What do James Worthy, Kirk Rambis, Buck Williams, Horace Grant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Ben Wallace all have in common?

They all wore goggles while playing in the NBA.

Erik Daniels may join the club on both fronts.

On Monday, the Erie BayHawks forward was planning to get an exam along with some of his teammates. After his individual workouts, Daniels told me straight up, "I can't see."

WHAT?

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The defending D-League champion Idaho Stampede (19-9) will make their way to Erie for Wednesday game at Tullio Arena. They beat the BayHawks (13-16) last week, 79-76, in Idaho.

The Stampede have three former NBA players who were with the Cleveland Cavaliers in forwards Lance Allred, Dwayne Jones and Luke Jackson, who the Cavaliers drafted with the 10th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft.

Now one guy to look out for below is Idaho forward Brent Petway. His nickname at Michigan was "Air Georgia" because he was from Georgia and could, of course, jump out the gym.

He won the D-League dunk contest last year. The guy can rise, folks.

Stampede defend home court

Wide-open Allred leads Stampede to win

Idaho Stampede sign former NBA player Kevin Burleson

Coby Karl leaving Idaho Stampede for Spanish team

Karl-less Stampede roll to win

Stampede earn victory with 'D'

I'm still trying to figure out why Erie BayHawks forward Erik Daniels didn't make the D-League All-Star game that's being played Feb. 14 in Phoenix.

I mean, how does someone who leads the league in double-doubles with 19 and averages 21 and 10 isn't one of 20 best players in the league is baffling.

Now before it sounds like, hey, Duane covers the BayHawks so that's why he thinks Daniels should be an All-Star, I'm not the only one who feels that way.

D-League editor Matthew Brennan posted on his blog that Daniels should be an All-Star as did Fort Wayne team president, Jeff Potter, on his blog.

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When Erie BayHawks guard Oliver Lafayette and Idaho Stampede guard Lanny Smith face each other in tonight's game at Tullio Arena, it won't be a first-time encounter.

The two were teammate at the University of Houston. As juniors during the 2005-06 season, Lafayette and Smith led the Cougars in scoring.

Lafayette averaged 15.7 points a game while Smith netted 12.1 per game.

When the BayHawks lost to the Stampede last week at Idaho, Lafayette scored 18 points while Smith had only four.

Lafayette at Houston

Smith at Houston

With the Los Angeles Lakers coming to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers on Sunday, we all know the MVP debate between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant will intensify.

Right now, to me, James is the leading candidate, but what do ya'll think?

Hard to say? Let me help.

Take a look at highlights from James, Bryant and Miami's Dwyane Wade from this season and let's talk about this. James and Bryant are clearly the front runners, but Wade is playing with a younger team and has the Heat breathing above water.

By the way, Kobe goes for a ridiculous 61 points against the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden so LeBron follows that monster performance up with triple double - 52 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.

Can't tell me those two aren't competing against each other on this. Can't wait till Sunday.

LeBron

Kobe

D-Wade

Want free gas?

The Erie BayHawks think you do so they're going to distribute free gas cards beginning at 4 p.m. today at Country Fair, 2617 West 26th Street. (West 26th Street and Zuck Road).

This is in conjunction with ERIEBANK. Its staffers along with BayHawk players and staff, will pass out the free gas cards.

It seems worth checking out.

Free is a wonderful word, isn't it?

Not even receiving a technical foul could keep a smile off Darian Townes' face because technically speaking, he played his best game at home for the Erie BayHawks on Wednesday night.

In a 111-85 win against the defending D-League champions, the Idaho Stampede, Townes had 10 points, five rebounds and a blocked shot. He shot 5-of-9 from the field.

In his previous five home games, the 6-foot 10-inch, 250-pound center out of Arkansas shot 6-of-30 from the field and scored a total of 18 points.

Although there were only 1,450 fans at the Erie BayHawks game Wednesday, the fans had their share of words for the Idaho Stampede.

Their two targets? Dwayne Jones and Luke Jackson.

Now both of these guys actually played for the Cleveland Cavaliers at one time. Heck Jackson was the 10th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft.

On Wednesday, they were no more than just target practice for BayHawks fans to verbally poke at. At one point, Jones responded by clapping and giving a thumbs up.

He actually had a decent game - 10 points and eight rebounds - but because the Stampede got trounced, select fans kept jeering him.

As for Jackson, the talking got to him a bit near the end of the game, but the thing that I'm getting at here is that the fans are starting to develop a personality.

One that will cheer, but will also take time to rag on an opponent, the referees and anyone else.

It's interesting to watch to say the least.

1,000 wins and counting.

Pat Summitt became the first Division I coach, male or female, to win 1,000 games in a career.

Not Bobby Knight. Not Mike Krzyzewski. Not Dean Smith. Not Adolph Rupp.

Pat Summitt.

The amazing thing about all this is if she coached another 10 years and averages say 25 wins a season, we're talking 250 more wins.

She just signed a new contract by the way.

Summitt is only 56 years old. Looks good. Has her health. Has that fire still burning inside. Is a great coach and can still recruit great talent.

So there is no telling how many wins she'll have when she decides to call it quits.

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We've talked about how Erie BayHawks forward Erik Daniels should have been a D-League all-star. He leads the league in double-doubles with 20 and is averaging 21.4 points and 10.2 boards a game.

We've talked about how he can become one by being an alternate to replace a current D-League all-star that's on an NBA roster.

There are currently three D-League all-stars who are on NBA rosters with the D-League's All-Star game being eight days away on Feb. 14.

Now let's talk about Chris Richard.

Why?

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Darnell Jackson is heading to Erie.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have sent down their rookie forward to play for the Erie BayHawks. He's scheduled to play in Monday night's game against the Utah Flash at Tullio Arena.

I saw him at Cleveland's game against the Los Angeles Lakers, but he'll be taking the trip down I-90 real soon.

What does it mean?

Well, the BayHawks now have some size that can move Erik Daniels to the power forward spot. It means the BayHawks must take advantage of this and get some wins because if and when the Cavaliers call him back up, the team must readjust.

Cleveland coach Mike Brown likes to have everyone on deck for practice so don't look for Jackson to stay too long.

I had a D-League coach tell me that teams can go from being really good to really bad because of all the NBA call-ups and the NBA teams sending players down.

The BayHawks have just become really good with Jackson, a post presence who was part of Kansas' national championship team in 2008 who has been solid when given playing time at Cleveland.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers are not ready to change history.

Ya'll remember LeBron James getting that epic triple-double in Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks last week.

52-10-11.

That's points, rebounds and assists.

Well, the NBA reviewed the tape and took away one of LeBron's rebounds, thus taking away the triple-double. Ben Wallace was credited for the rebound.

The Cleveland Cavaliers aren't ready to do that.

Before Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers, I looked at the game notes and the Cavaliers still have James with 10 rebounds for that game on his bio.

Today, I'm at the Cavaliers practice facility to talk to the players and coaches and again, the stats haven't been changed for the Indiana game notes.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Is that David Stern calling the Cavaliers?

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Dunking.

Drop-step spin moves to the rim. Grown-man moves in the paint.

Knocking down the jump shot.

Darnell Jackson didn't disappoint.

The Erie BayHawks have been waiting all season for the Cleveland Cavaliers to send Jackson down to play for them. On Sunday, the Cavaliers decided to do so.

To be honest, I was excited, too.

I've seen this guy play and knew he would excite the Erie fans because he's big, can run, finish above the rim, plays with strength and power, yet has some finesse to his game.

The Cavaliers rookie forward displayed all those skills Monday in scoring 24 points to lead the BayHawks to a 101-89 win against the Utah Flash at Tullio Arena in Erie.

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Jackson in action for the BayHawks.

Here's a look at an interview Cleveland Cavaliers rookie forward Darnell Jackson did for www.cavs.com in regards to his one-game stint with the Erie BayHawks.

Jackson scored 24 points in leading Erie to an 102-89 win against the Utah Flash on Monday at Tullio Arena. He returned to the Cavaliers for Tuesday's game against Indiana.

By the way, check out LeBron James shooting jump shots in the background. Or better yet, check out those sweat pants. Somebody take a stab and describing those.

Wow.

That was crazy.

The way Cleveland lost Tuesday night's game at Indiana by a point, 96-95, is another reminder of why officials have one the toughest job in the world.

For those who didn't see the end of the game, Pacers guard T.J. Ford put Indiana up two with .08 seconds left in the game with a short jumper over Mo Williams.

We'll get back to that later.

Erik Daniels will play in the D-League All-Star game after all.

The D-League announced earlier today that the Erie BayHawks forward has replaced injured Tulsa forward Chris Richard and will play in Saturday's game in Phoenix.

The 4 p.m. game will be televised on NBA-TV.

Now he was already scheduled to compete in the H.O.R.S.E competition on Friday. With some the shots he's made in games, no telling what he'll pull out in that game of H.O.R.S.E.

However, playing in the All-Star game is what he wanted to do and he'll get his chance to do so.

Congrats.

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The Phoenix Suns had no answer for Mo Williams.

The Cleveland Cavaliers point guard scored a career-high 44 points in Cleveland's 109-92 win against Phoenix on Wednesday night at Quicken Loans Arena.

The newly named All-Star had 29 in the first half.

Just ridiculous.

What makes it even more impressive is Williams had just come off a bad game in which he scored only 15 points on 7-of-18 shooting in Cleveland's 96-95 loss at Indiana on Tuesday.

Williams missed all five shots from 3-point range and T.J. Ford took him to school late in that game. He came back tonight and was 4-of-4 from 3-point range in the first half against the Suns.

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LeBron James will join the TNT crew as an analyst for tonight's Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam in which the NBA's best rookies take on the league's top second-year players.

James will join Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Kenny Smith (analyst) and Craig Sager (reporter) in broadcasting the game. Somebody better make some elbow room at press row or James is going to crush poor Kenny and Kevin.

Anyway, after Cleveland beat up on Phoenix on Wednesday night, I asked James if he had done any prep work for the broadcast.

His response?

“I don’t ever prep man. I just wing it and I’ve been pretty successful doing that.”

OK. We'll see. Just remember this.

What looks easy never quite is.

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I'm sitting here watching the NBA All-Star Saturday night and LeBron James just said he's putting his name in next year's dunk contest.

Now he said it was a 'preliminary' entry, but TNT's Cheryl Miller put him on the spot and James said he's going to compete in the dunk contest.

A part of me is saying, well, it's for show, but another is saying the All-Star game is going to be in Dallas next year. His favorite NFL team is the Dallas Cowboys.

If it happens and he wins, he should give half his prize money to Kenny Smith, who basically has talked him into it.

Now we all know James has that commercial when he's with the LeBrons saying "I don't do that dunk contest stuff."

Next year, we hope he does it. By the way, Dwight Howard got robbed tonight.

Check out the highlights from Saturday's D-League All-Star game the Red team won, 113-103, at the Phoenix Convention Center.

Erie BayHawks forward Erik Daniels had nine points, going 1-of-3 from 3-point range, and seven rebounds. He started the game and I think in the end, this is something that will continue to motivate him to play better.

In his heart of hearts, Daniels feels as if he should be in the NBA. With the second half of the season gearing up, NBA teams are going to be looking to add players from the D-League.

Teams have injuries, get worn down a D-League player can come in and fill some voids.

The issue is taking advantage of the opportunity and stick with a team once your name is called. Don't know if Daniels will get that chance, but it's going to be a very interesting final stretch for himself and Erie.

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Daniels is third from the right.

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Daniels at the tip with Courtney Sims.

Yo, D, what's up man? Haven't seen you in a while kid.

Been busy, man. Trying to make a living. What's good with you?

Oh you know me. I'm out here doing my thing, but yo, you recognize this dude?

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Uh? Not really. Is it Ludacris?

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My goodness.

Make room for the big fella.

If you don't, Pittsburgh sophomore forward DeJuan Blair is going to carve out some without permission. He just did so for 22 points and 23 rebounds in the No. 4-ranked Panthers' 76-68 upset win at top-ranked UConn on Monday night.

It was Pitt's first win ever against a top-ranked team and Blair (45) played a major role in it.

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Erie BayHawks forward Ivan Harris saw Greg Oden dominate the paint for Ohio State when the two helped the Buckeyes earn a spot in the 2007 NCAA national title game.

Nowadays, Harris often sees his former college teammate on the sidelines.

After missing all of last season after having microfracture surgery on his right knee for the Portland Trail Blazers, Oden will miss tonight's game against Memphis with a bone chip in his left knee.

"I didn't know he was injury prone like that," said Harris, who recalled Oden coming to the Buckeyes with a right wrist injury, but didn't remember Oden having any other injuries while playing at Ohio State. "It seems like every month, it's always something wrong."

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Harris and Oden at OSU

Erie BayHawks All-Star forward Erik Daniels returned to practice Thursday after missing Wednesday's practice with a stomach virus. He hadn't been in Erie since the D-League All-Star break.

During that time, Daniels competed in the H.O.R.S.E competition and played in the league's All-Star game in Phoenix. He later visited his family in Lexington, Ky.

With the BayHawks (16-16) returning to action Saturday at Sioux Falls (17-14), I sat down with Daniels after Thursday's practice to talk about his D-League All-Star weekend experience and more.

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Yo D, Shaq headed to Cleveland, boy. Shaq and LeBron James about to do the dang dang. Win that title baby.

Didn't happen dude.

WHAT! Why not. Could you imagine? The Diesel and LeBron playing together?

It would have been crazy, but it didn't go down. Now it appears Cleveland offered Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic for O'Neal.

That's not enough for the Diesel.

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I keep watching last week's NBA Slam Dunk contest and I keep asking myself, how does a player get three perfect scores and still lose the contest?

That's what happened to Orlando magic center Dwight Howard last week.

Now you've got to give 5-foot 9-inch Nate Robinson of the New York Knicks credit for the show he put on, but had Howard not dawned the Superman cap and Nate hadn't catapulted off his shoulders to dunk it when jumping over him, Nate would have had no chance of winning it.

Plus Howard didn't help himself by trying to take off from the free-throw line on his last dunk. He's a two-footed jumper. Couldn't figure that out, but back to my original point.

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The Erie BayHawks see the target.

With 17 games remaining, the BayHawks (17-16) trail the Central Division-leading Iowa Energy (19-10) by four games heading into Monday's showdown at Iowa.

Erie plays Iowa three more times. If the BayHawks prevail in those games, which are all at Iowa, they will gain significant ground on the Energy and own the tiebreaker against them.

Right now, Erie is 3-2 against Iowa.

It seems as if the odds are in their favor to derail Iowa considering the Energy will be without D-League All-Star forward Cartier Martin, who signed with the Charlotte Bobcats for the remainder of the NBA season.

The Energy will likely be without D-League All-Star center Courtney Sims as well. Playing out his second 10-day contract with the Phoenix Suns, Sims isn't expected to play for Iowa on Monday.

Since the Suns are with All-Star forward Amare Stoudemire, who had eye surgery Friday and is expected to be out eight weeks, expect them to sign Sims for the rest of the season.

If Phoenix does that, Iowa will be less formidable. That can only benefit Erie, right?

Right?

Well.

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It's not even March yet and I can't keep up with this men's college basketball madness.

Since the latest AP poll, the nation's top three teams lost.

On Tuesday, No. 4 Pittsburgh won at top-ranked Connecticut, 76-68. Pitt's wide interior warrior, DeJuan Blair, played like a man possessed and just overwhelmed UConn's shot block specialist, 7-foot-3 center Hasheem Thabeet.

On Saturday, No. 2 Oklahoma lost at Texas, 73-68, and No. 3 North Carolina lost in overtime at Maryland, 88-85.

Not having Blake Griffin due to a concussion was too much for the Sooners to overcome while the Tar Heels had no answer for Greivis Vasquez, who had 35 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, three blocks and two steals against UNC.

So who has the nation's best team?

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Hamed Haddadi is a project that's likely going to stay in Dakota for the remainder of the season.

A rookie with the Memphis Grizzlies, the 7-foot-2 center from Iran is in his second stint in the D-League playing for the Dakota Wizards. The Washington Wizards and Memphis are Dakota's NBA affiliates.

So before Memphis played at Cleveland on Tuesday night, I asked Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins about how the D-League is benefiting Haddadi.

His answer?

"I have no idea. I never pay attention to that stuff."

Oooooook.

I followed up with asking Hollins about when Haddadi comes back to the Grizzlies, before I could even get the question out, Hollins jumped in and said, "I don't think he's coming back."

Honesty is the best policy.

Here's more honestly.

Portland, Maine has joined the league.

The city announced it Wednesday as Portland will begin D-League play as an expansion franchise in 2009-2010.

This is all part of the D-League's plan to expand in the eastern part of the United States.

A few more teams and Erie won't have to travel to Des Moines, IA, four times a year for a divisional game.

Sheer craziness.

Reno Bighorns forward Damone Brown has been charged today in a federal indictment in his hometown of Buffalo.

Here's a segment from an AP article in regards to it.

The Buffalo-born Brown is accused of leasing a safe deposit box at Citizens Bank in Buffalo that was used by a drug kingpin to store proceeds.

He faces a felony count of money laundering. Authorities seized $170,000 from the box before Brown was arrested in Reno Thursday morning.

It's getting crazy news. To be honest, don't really know what to say to it other than what I said before.

Sheer craziness.

If it looks as if Erie BayHawks Jackie Manuel just keeps going and going ........and going.

He does.

Literally.

He's played every second of Erie's last three games.

No seriously. He has.

Now on the one end, with the mandatory timeouts, guys get a breather, but every time the horn sounds to continue play, Manuel goes back in the game.

Really is a testament to his endurance and will. Since the former North Carolina standout is an energy-type player in terms of getting offensive rebounds and playing defense, it really takes a lot of energy to play the way he does.

Just thinking about it makes me want to take a nap.

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These are the tough ones.

Those back-to-back games.

When the Erie BayHawks play tonight against Rio Grande Valley, it will be the 11th time they've played on back-to-back days.

So far, they are 5-5 in that second game. However, when Erie has won the first game of a back-to-back situation, it is 4-1 in the second game.

So what does that mean?

Who in the world knows.

Bad news for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

On Thursday night, starting power forward Ben Wallace went down with a fractured right fibula after taking a blow to the leg in the second quarter of Cleveland's loss at Houston.

He's projected to be out four to six weeks.

As I said. Bad news for the Cavaliers. They'll likely start Anderson Varejao in tonight's game at San Antonio. Now he's more active than Wallace, but doesn't hold up too well on the inside.

So Cleveland faces another injury. What this also does is force Cleveland to play its rookie big men, J.J. Hickson and Darnell Jackson.

Consequently, that means it will be less likely that Cleveland will send Jackson down to play for the Erie BayHawks unless the Cavaliers go out and get a big man

On top of that, Cleveland can't help but think about failing to get original NBA Superman, Shaquille O'Neal, last week.

It was reported the Cavaliers were looking to ship Wallace in that multi-player deal for O'Neal.

Hey D, saw you at the game last night. What's up with the Erie BayHawks losing, man. Hadn't they won like six games in a row.

Well, it was actually eight in a row, but can't win them all right?

True, but anyway, I tried to catch you before you left the arena. Hey, wasn't that Jawad Williams playing for the other team, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Yeah.

The same Jawad Williams that played on that national title team at North Carolina in 2005. The same Jawad Williams that was with the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this season before they cut him.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He played with BayHawks forward Jackie Manuel on that Carolina squad that was loaded with talent. Raymond Felton. Rashad McCants. Sean May. Marvin Williams. All those guys are in the NBA, but you know what, Jawad and Jackie were starters in that tite game when Carolina beat Illinois.

OK. OK. OK. Anyway, why isn't he playing for the BayHawks? I mean, Cleveland is one of Erie's NBA affiliates. Seems ideal that he'd play for Erie. Plus the guy is even from Cleveland.

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