Uncontested Shots: The Latest On J.R. Smith, Kurt Rambis, Q-Rich, and More

Still not a lot of movement on the free agent front. The Nuggets, as expected reached an agreement with point guard Anthony Carter on a one-year, $1.35 million contract.

However, some interesting things have been coming out in recent days that are worth mentioning and commenting on. So as always, here are this week’s Uncontested Shots, or should I say, things I was thinking about while waiting for my Stouffer’s french bread pizza to cool down so it doesn’t destroy the roof of my mouth.

Waiting in Line

Ramona Shelburne of the Long Beach Press-Telegram wrote a cool little piece on what’s it like for those assistant coaches who are waiting for head coaching opportunities, most notably newly-instilled Timberwolves head coach, Kurt Rambis.

Adding to the speculation that Jackson could be coaching beyond just the next season, girlfriend Jeannie Buss went on KSPN’s Mason and Ireland Show earlier this week and said that Jackson has been feeling much better of late—so much so, that he’s back on his motorcycle.

Rambis’ wife (and Jeannie’s best friend), Linda, is still employed by the Lakers. She will stay in Los Angeles while their daughter finishes her senior year of high school.

It’s funny to me how the media perceive things sometimes. While some look at Rambis in Minnesota as an indication that the Lakers have given up on him as a potential successor, I think it’s just the opposite. I look at it more as Rambis’ opportunity to prove to the Lakers that he can be a legitimate head coach on the NBA level and make them forget about his stint as head coach back in the strike-shortened 1999 season.

Quentin on the Move (This is not a re-print)

Quentin Richardson was traded four the fourth time this off-season. This time the Timberwolves traded him to the Miami Heat for center Mark Blount. The move saves the Wolves a little bit of money. They are expected to waive Blount.

For the Heat, all it does is give Dwyane Wade a friend. Richardson is a one-dimensional shooter his better days are behind him. Last season Richardson started 51 games and averaged only 10.2 in Mike D’Antoni’s high octane offense in New York.

Don’t be surprised if he gets traded again before February’s deadline to get Wade some help down the stretch.

Even if he doesn’t get moved again, Richardson has already become the first athlete traded more times than his trading card has.

New Marketing Low

I always thought it was funny when the Clippers would buy local advertising in Los Angeles during Lakers playoff games. Mostly because it reminded everybody how far behind the Clippers were in terms of appeal and success.

Well, the New Jersey Nets may have topped the Clippers in the promotion department. The Nets are offering a ticket promotion where fans get five reversible jerseys if they pony up for two 10-game packages for next season.

On one side are the jerseys of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, and Kevin Garnett. On the other side are the jersey of Devin Harris, Jarvis Hayes, Brook Lopez, Yi Jianlian, and Courtney Lee.

Here’s the pathetic part: according to CNBC’s Darren Rovell, “Tickets for the plan range from $350 to $4,850 each, so fans who want the jerseys have to spend a minimum of $700.”

Needless to say, Nets fans will at least have a jersey-styled bib to wear when eating nachos during the game.

Not Exactly a Ringing Endorsement

Bulls rookie, James Johnson, hasn’t left the greatest impression since leaving school. According to Doug Thonus of Bulls Confidential:

“The Bulls are privately concerned about his work ethic and attitude which was the one area I had some concerns with myself.   With Johnson, the talent is obviously there, but the fact that he gained so much body fat after his college season ended prior to the official NBA predraft workouts planted a red flag on him.”

While Thonus makes sure to mention he was happy with the Bulls drafting of Johnson he adds:

“One source within the organization said he expects forgotten man Taj Gibson to have a bigger impact than Johnson in their rookie years.  There seemed to be an air of pessimism in general over what Johnson will provide out of the gates especially among those working out with him.”

Considering that the Bulls still haven’t had a consistent, dominant low-post presence since they traded Elton Brand for Tyson Chandler, this can’t be the greatest news to Bulls fans.

Quick Hits

Yahoo!’s Adrian Wojnarowski wrote a story on J.R. Smith’s trying off-season and the drama that hasn’t stopped following him.

Doug Glanville’s awesome essay in The New York Times about life after professional sports.

J.A. Adande’s interview with Magic Johnson on ESPN.com about turning 50 and his impact on the community and the NBA.

John Hollinger, also on ESPN.com, grading the Eastern Conference based on the off-season.

Uncontested Shots will run every Tuesday and Friday from now until at least the start of the season. For up to the minute updates on all free agent happenings and random brilliant thoughts and observations follow Andrew Ungvari on Twitter.