Quality Basketball for Quality Prices

What do you like to do for entertainment? What do you turn to when you need to get away from all the other things in your life? I want you to genuinely think about that for a second…maybe it’s reading, exercising, or hell, even drinking…whatever it may be, think about how much of a void there would be in your life without it. Well it should come as no surprise to those of you who know me, that for me, that outlet is basketball. It is my subsidence and has been for quite some time; playing myself, reading about it, looking up stats, and especially watching it are how I love to spend my free time, which these days is becoming more valued each day. And now right when I need it most, right when I will be reaching the apex of my stress levels in the upcoming year, the crème de le crème of my viewing pleasure, the NBA, is threatening to forfeit the entire season. Are you kidding me? I know this probably doesn’t resonate as strongly or even at all with many of you, but seriously think about your “thing” that you thought of earlier being gone for a whole year. And even worse, think of it being gone immediately after reading one of the best books of your life, achieving your first runner’s high, or finishing the last drop of Louis XIV. That is what I am going through right now. Even without having a personal team in it, the 2011 NBA playoffs were two of the best months of my young sports watching career, and watching Dirk take his talents to South Beach and come away with a title over you know who was the penultimate cherry on top of my incredibly exhilarating basketball sundae. But now it’s gone. Locked out. And why???

Well for starters, it is a broken system, and one which I do not fully understand (Bill Simmons wrote a great article about all that is wrong for those interested). One thing I do know though is that the owners think the players are making too much money and they want a hard salary cap. For those of you who don’t know, the NBA does (or should I say did) have a salary cap, but it was a “soft cap.” What that means is that there was technically a salary cap line (it was around $58 million last season), but teams had the option of going over it with a penalty if they crossed another threshold. This second threshold is referred to as the luxury tax line ($70.3 million in 2010), and again a team may have a total team cap over this but for every $1 they are over this line, they must play $1 in taxes. For example, the 2010-2011 Lakers had a team cap just over $90 million, which means that the Buss family must pay $20 million dollars in luxury tax. Now for a team like the Lakers who can make that back in TV money, ticket sales, and all else Lakers relatively easily, it is not that big of an issue. (An interesting note is that last season, 7 NBA teams were over the luxury tax, and each of the last 4 NBA champions were over. Guess the old adage is true that you have to spend money to make money, or in this case, win titles.) Now while the Buss family will willingly shell out that money to trot out a championship caliber team, the owners don’t want it to come to that, and have proposed a hard cap which is not to be exceeded. (I’m sure there are ways to exceed it, but that is above my head and interest level.) The latest I read was that the owners proposed a hard cap of $45 million, or potentially HALF of what the Lakers spent last season. Now while it will most likely be closer to $50 million whenever the final papers are signed, for the purpose of this post let’s assume there is a hard cap set at $45 million for the next season. When you consider that is how much the Big 3 in Miami make combined or that it is just about the salaries of Kobe and Gasol, it doesn’t seem very feasible to build a quality basketball team, let alone a title contender under such monetary restrictions. This got me thinking, and was the impetus behind this post. I wanted to put together the most talented 15 member man team I could under the new proposed $45 million dollar cap. Yes talent played a major factor in my decision making, but so did proposed roles and how well certain players would function with others. So without further ado (I apologize for the very long intro, just felt it needed the appropriate backdrop), here is in my opinion, the most quality NBA team you can put together for a mere $45 million dollars.

(FYI: The salaries were taken from ESPN.com and are stated as the 2011-2012 salaries, but in the Simmons article I just read he had much higher numbers for many of the players so maybe the salaries I got were wrongly labeled on the mothership website. Regardless, I had already done my research and I am not changing it. Also this is not supposed to be realistic as usually yes players 12-15 would never play and would be the likes of Mustafa Shakur or Pooh Jeter (I did not just make up either of those names), but for the purpose of making a point I selected 15 players who all cracked 8 man rotations this past season.)

The Starters

- PG- Derrick Rose ($5.5 million). Any time you can get the reigning MVP on your team for the right side of 6 million dollars I say you have to pull the trigger. I remember watching Rose at Memphis and then his first season in the league, and while I was impressed with him as an athlete I never envisioned him being a first team All NBA performer, let alone the NBA MVP. (When he was asked who he like for MVP before last season, he answered that he didn’t see why he couldn’t win it. At the time I laughed, but what’s that Ace, I’m sorry we can’t hear your laughing over the sound of Rose polishing his new hardware). Rose obviously made “the jump” this season, and it is truly a testament to a great player dedicating himself in the summer to filling the weaknesses in his game because he wants to be one of the all time greats. The page on Rose was that he was a freak athlete who could blow by anyone, but if you made him take jumpers he wouldn’t hit enough to make you pay and he wasn’t that talented of a passer. Well I’d say Rose rewrote his page this season as he is now a very capable long range shooter (made more 3’s this past season than Jordan ever did), making him damn near impossible to guard in the pick and roll, and he finished in the top 10 in assists (the only player in the top 10 in both points and dimes). So yeah while his team was exposed as the Derrick Rose show in the playoffs (not his fault management wrongly thought Carlos Boozer could perform in big games), he had a phenomenal season and while still only 23 years old, I’d have him start for my team any day.

- SG- Eric Gordon ($3 million). This pick might catch a few of you off guard but if it does than you clearly didn’t watch the Clippers last season…actually who am I kidding, no one watched the Clippers, so you are fully allowed to be surprised. But if you did (and NOT just the Griffin dunk highlights) then you would realize that Gordon was arguably their best offensive option. Yes Griffin was more electric, but his game is still a bit raw and he lacks the reliable jumper to be considered supremely elite yet, don’t worry he will get there. With Gordon though, you have a nice mix of long range shooting and attacking (he is deceptively athletic and even had a few monster dunks of his own this season). He is also a very underrated defender, which I wrote about last season after watching him shut down Wade and Kobe as well as anyone can in a span of week. Again he is still young and I think he would be a great compliment to Rose’s penetration and a very dangerous option on the wing on the fast break.

- SF- Kevin Durant ($6 million). Ok this is the one that might be the most off on this list comparing ESPN’s figures (listed above) and Simmons (says he will make $13.5 million), but like I said, it’s my column and I’m going with the numbers I found. That being said I would still have Durant on my team if he made that 13.5 mil. He along with Rose would be the cornerstones of my franchise, and I think we would be very good for a very long time. I don’t know if I can say anything more complimentary about KD than I have in the past, but isn’t it something when you lead your team to the Western Conference Finals and win your second consecutive NBA scoring title at the ripe age of 22 and people think you had a bit of down year. That is just how high the expectations were, and still are for Durant. Fair or not, we want him to the best, we want him taking those shots in the crunch time instead of Westbrook, we want him to somehow make yet another jump in talent, although I’m not exactly sure to where. Gushing aside, a lot of the criticism that Westbrook bore throughout the playoffs were a little misguided I feel. Yes there needs to be a pecking order established where Durant is the alpha dog, but the Thunder also need Westbrook to score efficiently to win. As for the late game situations, I blame everyone; Scott Brooks for terrible play calls, Durant for not demanding the ball and not getting open except for 35 feet from the basket, and Westbrook for trying to do too much. But they are still a young team and I am sure that the faltering this year will only make them stronger next season and beyond. (Although I will say that one of the more fascinating trade ideas I have heard is the swapping of Westbrook for Chris Paul…I think this would be a win-win for both teams. OKC would get an incredible “pass-first” point guard, and Westbrook would be given the keys to be the man in NOLA.) One last quick thing about the Thunder, a bit of trivia if you will…Do you know who the highest paid player on the team was last year? What about the second highest?...If you answered Nick Collison and Nazr Muhammed then you are correct. You are also a bald faced liar because there is NO POSSIBLE WAY you could have guessed that. And taking it even a step further Collison was paid more than double Durant ($13.5 million) and Nazr, who plays a grand total of about 12 minutes a game made the second most at $6.8 million. All I can say is that if you make the Western Conference Finals when your two highest paid players are Nick Collison and Nazr Muhammed, you better have some good ass young players, and the Thunder definitely do have that.

- PF- Blake Griffin ($5.4 million). As I mentioned in the opening of this post, last year’s NBA season was one of the best in recent memories, and a main reason for that was the gravity defying feats of Mr. Griffin. The runaway Rookie of the Year winner was a SportsCenter Top 10 mainstay and arguably one of the top 2 most exciting players to watch just on the sheer “what can he possibly do next” potential (with LeBron being the other.) From his first NBA basket, which was fittingly a long alley-oop, Griffin became a must watch at all times, and as with LeBron, if you were there live you did not get up or even look away briefly when they were in the game because there is a genuine chance that you might miss the most athletically spectacular thing anyone has ever done on a basketball court. I can’t wait for my first time to see him in person, and it’s reason #1238272 why I will be pissed about a lockout, as it will be one more year robbed of Griffin during his absolute athletic peak (remember we already missed one with his knee injury in his true rookie season.) I actually remember watching my first few Griffin highlights in the beginning of the season and then looking up the Clippers schedule to see when they played in Cleveland so I could possibly see the show live. The one time the Clippers played in Cleveland was on a Thursday night and just my luck I had an exam that next day. But to fully illustrate how excited and envious I am to see him play live, I actually looked up flights for that night and early the next morning, ultimately deciding that arriving back in St. Louis fifteen minutes before an exam might not be the best idea…but he at least made me think of about it, not sure anyone else in the league does that anymore. Of course that game Griffin went for 41, three highlight dunks, and the Cavs snapped their record 26 game losing streak…damn medical school, ruins all my fun. Entering his Sophomore (technically third) year in the league, whenever it may be (ughhh), I hope that we begin to see more of Griffin’s offensive game. I hope he dedicated himself to improving the fifteen footer, because as the season wore on he was baited more and more into taking that shot. I doubt in one summer he can become a knock down shooter from that range a la Tim Duncan, but even having a defender have to hesitate for a millisecond on a shot fake from there will be enough time for Griffin to blow by them and do what he does best in exploding toward the rim. I think he has the potential to be the best power forward in the league next season, and as he continues to develop, the ability to hold that title for many years to come. Just a few last Griffin thoughts…I think that ESPN needs to circle the first time the Clippers play the Wizards this season and put it on national TV. Wait? What?? Clippers vs. Wizards, why the hell would anyone care about that? Well I will tell you…I want you to think back to draft night when the Wizards selected Jan Vessely with the 6th pick. No, no get past the part when he awkwardly tongue kisses his girlfriend for a bit too long and go to the hilarious interview with Mark Jones. To his credit Vessely spoke English better than I can speak any other language so I will refrain from jokes in that regard, and will focus instead on the content rather than the delivery. After Fran Fraschilla predicted Vessely to win an NBA dunk contest one day (the guy can fly, I will give him that), Mark Jones remarked to Jan that some called him the “Czech Blake Griffin,” to which Jan smirked back, well “maybe he’s the American Jan Vessely.” Now I don’t know anything about Griffin as a person, but I’ve seen him on the court and he is an animal to begin with, but he takes it to a different level after an opposing player tries to get physical with him or challenges him in any way. He gets a look on his face and he shockingly crashes the glass harder, leaps higher, and finishes stronger…and these are on tough, proven NBA veterans. So you’re not telling me that when he heard that he didn’t take a mental note or two and can’t wait to add Vessely to the “Foreigners Whom I Have Absolutely Destroyed and Humiliated With a Dunk Hall of Fame” (Current members include Timofey Mozgov, Danillo Gallinari, and others who are not important enough to mention,) because I do, and I only pray that I am watching it as it occurs. Because that will be a moment that DVR was invented to capture and one I will rewatch over and over again. So yeah, he can be on the team.

- C – Marc Gasol, ($3.6 million). The current NBA superstar landscape is a guard and wing dominated club. Almost all of the major faces of the league (save Dwight Howard) are perimeter players and I think it would be a struggle for a casual NBA fan to name the starting centers on more than 5 NBA teams off hand, I think 15 would be a challenge for even a good fan. That being said, there is some good young talent out there at the center position not named Dwight, and I think we nabbed one of the top 3 upcoming big men in the league. Yes, the magical playoff run by the Memphis Grizzlies was highlighted and spurned on by the stellar play of Zach Randolph, and all the praise was warranted, but what fell in the cracks at times was the development of Marc Gasol. Just three years ago, he was a total after thought in what was then thought of as a train robbery of a trade in a swap sending his brother Pau to the Lakers and ultimately swinging the next three NBA Finals. But this season, he had slimmed down, losing upwards of 30 pounds and yet was still a very imposing force and a true 7 footer. He could bang inside with a hodge-podge of post moves, but he also was very effective in knocking down a jump shot out to 17 feet. He has the unique ability to clog the lane defensively and yet work effectively at the free throw line offensively (which would allow for a nice pick and pop partner for Rose and open driving lanes for Durant and Griffin…told you I thought this through.) I think it will be interesting to see what happens to Memphis this upcoming season, because you have to remember that they had their entire run with their alleged best, and don’t forget highest paid player, Rudy Gay, sitting out with an injury. Gasol is eligible as a restricted free agent and I think it is a must that they resign him, because as I said earlier, it is a tough to get a true center in the NBA these days. Unfortunately they overpaid Mike Conley in the previous season, and their owner is hemorrhaging money so I doubt they keep both Gay and Gasol, and I think that flipping Gay for a few middle tier wing players is the right move, but it’s David Wallace calling the shots so who knows?

Ok while I was taught to never apologize for length, I understand that was a bit much and I can’t keep up that paragraph a player pace for guys 6-15, so instead I will just list the players and write a broader paragraph on them as a whole.

Bench

G- Stephen Curry ($2.9 million)
G- Russell Westbrook ($4 million)
F- Danilo Gallinari ($3.3 million)
F- Kevin Love ($3.6 million)
C- Roy Hibbert ($1.7 million)

Now I don’t know about you but I think that is a pretty good starting five in the NBA, let alone a core of backups. First off the bench would be either Westbrook or Curry for Gordon. If Westbrook got the call, opposing guards would be met with the Rose/Westbrook pressure that was so effective in last summer’s World Championships. Along with the Westbrook sub, Love would also enter for Gasol as we went small and put the foot on the accelerator. Just think about it…missed shot rebounded by Love, outlet pass to Rose/Westbrook and then a break with Durant and Griffin filling the lanes. This combo, outside of Griffin, played together in the aforementioned WC’s and they developed a palpable chemistry that is essential for running an effective break. This lineup would be explosive to the nth degree and capable of pushing a 5 point lead to 25 quickly.
If facing a zone, Curry and Gallinari would get the nods as dead eye shooters who could effectively space the floor enough to allow for Westbrook penetration and kick-outs. I loved Curry’s game at Davidson, but as slight as he was and not really a true point guard I had my doubts about him duplicating his levels of success in the NBA. Well turns out Curry is a bit of an offensive genius. Because he plays in Golden State, the casual fan doesn’t get to see a lot of him, but he is a wonder to watch execute offensively (now defensively…bit of another story.) Everyone knew he could shoot the ball, but what makes him special is his ability to control the floor and he is a very talented passer. Again he has a hard time staying in front of bigger, quicker guards, but that’s why he would be paired with either Gasol or an even bigger defensive center in 7’3 Roy Hibbert. Knowing he has the protection at the rim from those 2 would allow Curry to gamble more into passing lanes for steals as that is his strongest asset on that end. As for Gallinari, to be frank, I really didn’t like him as a Knick. I didn’t have a real basis other than maybe Mike D’antoni calling him “the best shooter he’s ever seen.” Really Mike…didn’t you coach a guy named Steve Nash…I’m pretty sure that guy has a decent stroke. Also I thought Gallo was another soft European who could only shoot 3s and was torched by athletic wings all night. While that first impression may be valid at times, in his last month or two with the Nuggets Gallo played like a totally different person. He was attacking the rim (I even saw him dunk on a few people) and he showed flashes of having a more complete offensive game than I gave him credit for. (Shut up Greg, you didn’t tell me so!) I had a few choices here but I went with Gallinari because one, I like shooting, and two, I think he could have the potential to be in some All-Star conversations in the future. As for Hibbert, he is another big man who, like Gasol, lost a lot of weight, gained a few moves and transformed himself into a viable NBA center. The Pacers even started running plays for him in the playoffs. That’s quite a jump from his first few years in the league, because even then Roy Hibbert wouldn’t have run plays for Roy Hibbert in a video game. He wouldn’t have to do much with this team in terms of scoring, but if he could come in for a few minutes each half and grab some rebounds and protect the rim, then he is definitely worth the price. Because as the Lakers showed us, it never hurts to have multiple 7 footers when chasing a title.

Guys 11-15

G- Darren Collison ($1.4 million)
G/F- Landry Fields ($475 thousand)
F- Taj Gibson ($1.1 million)
F- Serge Ibaka ($1.2 million)
C- DeAndre Jordan ($850 thousand)

Each and every one of those players started for their respective teams this season, and while in theory of a true NBA rotation, none of them would play meaningful minutes, each still has their merits. Collison really impressed me in his first round matchup against Rose this past postseason. He was not scared of the moment or the matchup, and he even played better than Rose at multiple spurts in multiple games in the series. He could be a 5th guard to come and score points in a hurry if needed, and he is a very good free throw shooter. Fields is a quality role player who could fill in at a couple of positions and who could bring maximum effort each time he steps on the floor. Gibson should be higher on this rotation, but playing behind Griffin and Love it would be hard to see time. That doesn’t take away from him as a player though as I think he is already a very steady NBA player and has a lot more potential. If I were Chicago and I could get some sucker GM to take Carlos Boozer off my hands for a viable shooting guard, I would do it in a heartbeat because I think the drop from Boozer to Gibson is negligible (offensively Boozer is more skilled now, but defensively he is such a liability it gives Gibson the edge late in games, especially in Thibideau’s defense first system), while the SG situation in Chicago is abysmal. As for Ibaka and Jordan, these are two of the most athletic, young big men in the game. While both are very raw offensively, they are both excellent shot blockers (Iblocka is one of my favorite NBA nicknames, and he had 8 in a playoff game this year) both on and off the ball. It also doesn’t hurt that Jordan is Griffin’s best friend in the league, and Ibaka is very close to Durant and Westbrook…never hurts to keep your stars happy). Again, from a basketball standpoint they wouldn’t need to provide much other than defense and rebounding, but it gives even more options how to play, especially in an up and down tempo without losing size and defense as in the Kevin Love at center scenario.

So there it is…my belief on the best 15 players you can put together based on next year’s salaries (or very likely, last year’s mislabeled salaries from ESPN) considering multiple factors of talent, roles, and styles of play. Adding up the salaries of all 15 players and the grand total comes to $44,117,709, safely under the cap. I’m pretty sure that this team would not only make the playoffs in either conference but that they would be absolute favorites to win the title. So while again this team is a total pipedream, and many of these contracts are due for major escalators very soon, it was about making a point that it is possible to still have quality basketball at a reasonable price…so with that said, please don’t forfeit the season, because I can’t take a winter with watching “ice dancing with sticks” (That was just for you Tim)

If you have read this far then you might as well read the last few tidbits I found interesting when researching for this post.

- The highest paid player for next season will be Kobe Bryant at $24.8 million dollars.
- The lowest paid player will be Trey Johnson at $8,967 thousand dollars.
- Above is the best way to spend $45 million dollars on 15 quality players. The starters from my team had a total combined salary between them of $23.5 million. Below is the WORST possible way to spend way more money (around $75 million) on a starting five.

PG- Jose Calderon ($9 million)
SG- Gilbert Arenas ($17.7 million)
SF- Vince Carter ($17.5 million)
PF- Rashard Lewis ($19.6 million)
C- Samuel Dalembert ($13.5 million)

So to recap, you could have the reigning MVP, Rookie of the year, and two time scoring champion plus two emerging stars for under $24 million, or you could have Rashard Lewis, Gilbert Arenas, and Vince Carter’s limp corpses for a cool $54 million…I think I’m going to be sick…maybe we do need a lockout…but let us please choose the players who are banned. Do the right thing David Stern, I need it, and so does your lasting legacy.

Finals Game 2 Recap- Now We've Got a Series

Alas the long wait is over (I just looked at the date of the last post...5 months ago, I should be ashamed, I mean what excuse do I have...that med school was hard and took up all of my time, god what a cliche)...I’ve been done with school for two weeks now and have been meaning to write a playoff recap blog, and I still plan to, I just was busy (read: lazy), but last nights events were just too incredible a post was unavoidable...

Dirk. One word. One German. One big time stud. I will admit that I was starting to lean back to luke warm on Dirk for the first 3 quarters last night. (Ok well that isn’t true but I was ready to take him a level down from the outlandish Bird-esque comparisons he has been garnering this postseason. I should have listened to Jay from 40 year old virgin “you never put the German on a pedestal”...not what he says?, ok regardless... I did and I still stand by my decision.) In the last series against the Thunder, Dirk looked like he knew he was the best player on the floor, he knew there was no one that could guard him, and he knew he was going to score anytime he touched the ball. And he did. At a near historic shooting clip. But in the seven and half quarters of the Finals that look was missing. He was missing open shots, he wasn’t rebounding, he was playing terrible matador defense at the rim, and without Dirk playing at a consistently high level I thought there was no way for the Mavs to win at all. But then Wade hit that three, held his follow through up a little too long, was congratulated a little too loudly by LeBron, and you all know the rest of the story. The Mavs pulled off a quick 8-0 run with the first real Jason Terry sighting of the Finals and just like that it was a 7 point game with just under 5 minutes left. Enter the greatest German export since the BMW. Dirk’s teammates started playing with some passion and it seemed to ignite a fire within him, he hit a jumper off a screen and roll, he tied it on a transition finish, he hit a “there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this shot is going in to complete this incredible comeback and steal this game” 3 pointer to take the lead, and then most importantly he abused Bosh to the tune of a sweeping, game winning lefty layup. It is a word overused in sports, but in that run, both Terry and Dirk got their mojo back, and that only spells more trouble for the Heat as they head to Dallas for the next three games. Because those two guys, especially Terry with his silly “I’m a little kid flying around like an airplane routine” (and for the record, I love JT and have since his days of high socks at the U of A) feed off the home crowd and believe me that place is going to be rocking.

(Quick side tangent...I don’t truly know what owning the naming rights to a stadium does for a company in terms of marketing value or whatever, but if it does anything than American Airlines is gonna clean up these next two weeks...I’m assuming that other than 2006 when these two teams previously met in the finals that no other Finals in any sport for that matter have pitted two teams with the same arena sponsorship. Really American Airlines, you need an Arena and a Center..how about you sell the rights in which ever city loses and use the millions to not charge people 50 bucks a bag for a month or so for people flying out of or into the winning city?...seems like a genius marketing strategy to me.)

Now that we have talked about the good, we also need to talk about the bad. Because in the NBA, teams don’t just come back from late double digit leads without some serious help from their opponents. (Just ask the Trail Blazers, Lakers, and Thunder who all fell privy to the same fortune as the Heat last night in blowing a 12 point or larger second half lead on their home floor to these Mavericks.) So while the Mavericks got some huge stops, and made some even bigger shots, the Heat also continued their trend of premature celebration without actually winning anything. Now they can say all they want that there wasn’t a celebration, but I have been on the court in a moment like that, and believe me, they thought that was the dagger. They were already soaping each other up in the shower in their minds, half way to the Larry O’Brien trophy. This was already written on ESPN, but to borrow some words, those last 7 minutes highlighted all that was criticized about the Heat the entire season. First...Chris Bosh is soft and is not ready to perform on this stage. I actively wanted the ball in his hands for every Heat possession down the stretch because I knew he was going to either miss, turn the ball over, and curl up in the fetal position. Also I love it because it worked out in the Mavs favor but why in the hell was Bosh guarding Dirk on that last possession, and even worse why didn’t he foul him on the drive when they had a foul to give (or thinking back a few plays earlier, why not foul Dirk on the fast break layup to tie it...yeah I know Dirk is shooting like 108% or something from the line this postseason, but still...have to make him knock down two big ones.) Secondly, the Heat can’t close tight games. Yes they seemed to have figured it out when all of sudden LeBron started becoming a knock down shooter, especially in huge 3s, (quick pause while I exhale in anger and/or break something) but all returned to form last night. LeBron hitting those shots forced him into the false hubris to keep launching “hero” fallaway 26 footers. Can he make those...yes, is it a good shot by any stretch of the imagination, especially after he had just free reign to basket all night...NO! (Wait what am I saying, yes LeBron, keep shooting them, they have to go in sooner or later.) The Heat’s last 5 possessions they took 3s ( three of them were contested fall aways by James or Wade, the Chalmers wide open practice shot, and Wade’s last second heave.) They had no semblance of an offense and Shawn Marion (more on him in a bit) played great individual defense on LeBron, and they because of that they only had one field goal (the Chalmers 3) the last 7:44 of the game. Third, Spoelstra is over-matched as a coach on this stage. Why he doesn’t call plays at the end of games (even Scott Brooks could have designed a falling down 30 footer), why did he not have Joel Anthony in at the end of the game after he had protected the rim so well all night (including two big time blocks), and once again, not to harp on it, but it was only the biggest play of the entire series...WHY WAS CHRIS BOSH GUARDING DIRK?!?!?...It is truly “mind-bottling.” Like who thought that was a good idea, well except for Dirk, Rick Carlisle, and the collective states of Texas and Ohio, the answer is NO ONE. Bosh made Carlos Boozer look like Bill Russell compared to his effort (just to clarify, even I could score on Boozer and Russell was the greatest defensive center of all time, hope that makes it clearer). I don’t understand it, but some things better change for the Heat on the offensive end, because this is the best offensive team they have faced in these playoffs and you can only keep them down for so long.

Lastly, a major shout out needs to go to Shawn Marion. The Matrix isn’t going to get much national love because he does nothing pretty, but from a basketball standpoint he is playing at an incredibly high level on both sides of the ball. He has scored twenty plus points in both games, and especially in Game 2, he took it upon himself to rebound (the Mavs got absolutely killed on the boards in the first game), and he played as good of defense on LeBron in the fourth that I have ever seen. In the playoffs, yes you need your stars to play big, but titles are won by role players stepping up and swinging a series (why do you think Robert Horry has 7 rings??), and that’s exactly what the Mavs got from Marion, JT, and even little JJ Barea who last night scored some big early buckets to keep the Mavs in the game and then gets to fly home to a former Miss Universe, tough life huh.

Without a true team to root for I’ve just been watching these playoffs for the high level of basketball, and because I’m a hoops junkie who needs his fix. I got the Finals matchup I wanted (yes I did want the Heat to get there, just so they could lose to the Mavs for a 2006 vindication) but my plan almost backfired with the Heat taking a 2-0 lead. After Wade hit that 3, I tossed the remote in disgust, put the dogs away, and locked up the house. I didn’t want to watch they show off anymore, but because I am truly addicted I convinced myself that I would watch just a minute or two more. And no one is talking about this, but after the time out the Mavs didn’t score and the Heat had two 3 point chances (Wade and Chalmers) to push the lead to 18, and if either of those shots goes in, the game is over. But they both rimmed out, the Mavericks got two easy transition scores and I just had a weird feeling that something special was going to happen. Last night was the reason I spend hours watching sports. I had already given up on the Mavs once this postseason and missed their incredible comeback against the Thunder, and I knew I wasn’t going to again. So while I may need another cup of coffee at work today, it was all so totally worth it...can’t wait for Sunday. #cavsformavs

Most Improved Player

Most Improved Player of the Year (aka the Team USA column)

(In the sake of full disclosure to all of my dedicated readers, I have been delayed at the airport for a while, and have been drinking at what can only be described a Tim Koch-esque pace. So if this post is incoherent or rambling, then you can blame the goose that is grey, and the fact that I am typing this with one hand because the other is busy holding a Jack and Ginger Ale…and if it is great as normal, then never mind…)

For as long as I can remember I have disliked Duke basketball. This animosity began way before I even knew what Boston College was, and so even though my dislike for them as an ACC rival grew in the last few years, it certainly was not developed because of a conference jealousy. Part of it might date back to when the 2001 Arizona Wildcats got screwed in the NCAA Championship game against the Jay Williams and Shane Battier led Blue Devils. Whatever the cause may be, I just know that I don’t like Duke, and so naturally I would not like the person that symbolizes Duke the most… Coach Mike Krzysweski. But that was the past, and this is the present. And in the present, I have begun to see the man known universally in the basketball as Coach K in a different light. With his association to the Army Academy, Coach K obviously has a special passion love and passion for this great country of ours, and so it is of no surprise that he would be honored to represent it as the coach of the national men’s basketball team the last few years. It is under this rule that I have begun to reevaluate the man. To anyone that follows Team USA basketball even remotely, it is easy to see that a transformation has been undertaken since Coach K has taken the helm. For years, basketball was America’s game and everyone else was just playing for second. The Dream Team won the Olympics without a team getting closer than 30 points, and though they were obviously a special collection of future Hall of Famers, this was the norm. Then in 2002, Team USA lost, on American soil, and they lost more than once. In finishing an embarrassing 6th at the World Championships in Indianapolis, it was evident that a change was necessary. So big name coach Larry Brown was brought in, equipped with some of the brightest young talent the NBA has to offer and they headed off to Athens to reclaim their dominance. Only after sweeping through the preliminaries, they met a Greek team against whom they could not defend the pick and roll and they finished with another disappointment in the Bronze medal. As can be expected this was not good enough and a subsequent change was again needed. Enter Jerry Colangelo and Coach K, who almost immediately changed the entire culture of USA Basketball. They sought out 3 year commitments from players and they restored the pride of playing for your country. Soon they were getting pledges from the world’s elite, and even more, the best players in the world were buying into the system of sacrificing self glory for the betterment of team and country. Most people think of Coach K as a great college coach, and rightfully so considering his track record. But after observing the last few years, in which the absolute best players in the world became subservient, listening and learning under the man, it became clear that he was the best basketball coach period, no preceding adjective needed. And while the greatness that his Olympic players have reached (LeBron’s 2 MVPs, Kobe’s 2 titles, Dwight’s 2 DPOYs) could be dismissed as the natural talent and progression that great players would have accomplished anyway, it shouldn’t be dismissed. More importantly though, it is the progression of the players on his 2010 World Championship team that defied the odds on the way to the title (a title that most nations value more than the Olympics), that must be examined as a true testament to Coach K’s greatness. In the NBA they have the Most Improved Player of the Year award, but this year it should more accurately be called the Greatest Benefactor of Team USA Award. And while there are other players having much improved years (yes that means you Roy Hibbert), I had a special theme for this article so I went with it. So without further ado, the top 3 (or really 4) most improved players of the year in the NBA.

Number 3 (Tie)- Eric Gordon, SG, Los Angeles Clippers

Entering Team USA training camp in early summer, Eric Gordon was more of an afterthought than an actual threat to making the team. But he more than any other player not name Kevin Durant impressed the coaching staff more during their stint in Vegas and exhibition games. He came off the bench with a fearless nature and had no fear in taking, and more importantly making big time 3s. He ended up not only making the team, but becoming a vital bench player for the team. On more than one occasion he sparked the offense with a big time shot and played better defense than anyone thought he could. Coach K showed implicit trust in him and it instilled a confidence in the young player that he has carried over to the NBA season. Though he plays for the lowly Clippers and thus doesn’t get much national attention, Gordon is 6th in the league in scoring at over 24 points a game. (It makes me sick even to this day that I picked Jamal Crawford over him in our fantasy draft…wipe that stupid smirk off your damn face Alex and go study). This is almost a 7 point per game increase, and combined with mega superstar in the making Blake Griffin, these two make the Clippers at least watchable this year. Once again, because he plays in basketball purgatory he isn’t on national TV as much I would like to watch him, so I had to do some research on him for this piece. I knew his scoring was way up, but what I did not realize was that he was 3rd in the league in averaging 9 free throws a game. Known as a knock down shooter throughout his career (in the NBA and before), it is shocking that he is only shooting 27% from 3 this year, and yet putting up these career numbers. It shows the progression of his game and that he no longer is just a spot up shooter, but has evolved into a scorer. He still has the reputation as a top notch shooter, and I fully expect his percentages to rise to more respectable levels, but now he his is using that rep to ball fake and get to the rim or fouled on defenders. He has way more explosion than anyone thinks by just looking at him (he was in the dunk-off last year), and I only expect him to continue to improve. Because he was buried in Clipper hell for the first two years of his career, I fully contribute this recent success to the coaching he received on Team USA, especially the re-emergence of his confidence, as he is now showing the world the player that made him the number one high school player of the year just a few years ago.

Number 3 (Tie) – Russell Westbrook, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder

He was another player was not expected to make the World Championship team, let alone become one of the most trusted guards throughout the tournament. I hate to pimp myself out, but I totally called Westbrook as a future NBA star after watching him play for UCLA in the tourney a few years ago. People questioned his jumper and his decision making (both of which are still decently valid concerns) but he was an absolute freak of an athlete and a player no one could stop off the dribble. However, not even I thought he would make the jump to star this quickly, but once again I think I must credit his time with Coach K. Westbrook is in the top 10 in points per game (23.3) and assists per game (8.6) and he has been the best player on the Thunder thus far, a fact NO ONE would have predicted. As is to be expected from his attacking nature, he is getting to the line just under 9 times a game, and is knocking down just under 90% of those free throws (the Thunder are actually might challenge the all time NBA record for FT % in a season, still early, but we will see). He has hung a couple monster games on teams this year already, and I am not the first person to say that he might be the explosive guard in the game today. Combined with Durant, the future of the Thunder is bright with the ball in the hands of this budding superstar.

2nd- Derrick Rose, PG, Chicago Bulls

This is one that might get some serious criticism. Well I have an explanation, so relax. Yes Rose did win the Rookie of the Year two years ago, and was already one of the top 20 players in the league, but this year that number has leapt incredibly. And that is why he is on this list, because I believe the hardest jump you can make in the NBA is from star to NBA superstar. And D-Rose has done it this year. As long as I have heard about Rose I have heard about how dangerous he was off the dribble and finishing at the rim but that his major weakness was his jump shot and that defenders should just play a few feet off him. First off, even with defenders playing a few feet off him he was still blowing by them and scoring, but this year if you go under that pick and roll, he is pulling up and knocking down that jumper with consistency. So just to be clear you can’t play up on him because he will blow by you, and now you can’t play off him because he is able to knock down the shot (shooting a career high 41% on 3s this year)…leaves quite a predicament, and one that opposing point guards face every night they face him. Like Westbrook he is also in the top 10 in both scoring (23.9 (8th)) and assists (8.4 (9th)), and is truly a joy to watch play basketball. He is not afraid of the big moment and is the true leader of a dangerous Bulls team that once healthy will be a very scary 4 seed (still think LeBron should have gone here if he was going to leave, but alas). Despite not getting the alleged King, for the first time since his Airness, Chicago fans have someone to get truly excited about watching on a nightly basis, and he truly is a treat.

1st- Kevin Love, PF, Minnesota Timberwolves

He made this decision very easy because all I have to say is 30-30 and NBA followers know that his case is immediately validated. And even despite that historic night (first one since Moses Malone over 20 plus years ago), Love has proved his worth night in and night out. He is leading the league in rebounding at 15.6 rpg (leading by a lot too) and is averaging over 20 points per game for a surprising T-Wolves team. Besides the rebounding, which is incredible in its own right, he also throws the best outlet pass in the league since Bill Walton, which is a PGs dream (paging Ricky Rubio) and along with the resurgence of two notable number 2 picks, Darko and Beasley, is leading a bit of a respectability surge in the collapsed football stadium state. I love everything about Kevin Love, he plays the game the right way and is a truly humbled star who you can tell feels blessed every time he gets to put on an NBA jersey.

Ok so I apologize that the explanations got shorter as the list progressed but it sucks to type with one hand and the final descent was made during the Kevin Love paragraph. There will be a MVP candidate column coming out in the next few days and as a present to my man Greg I plan to put Amare in it…..until next time…

Rookie Watch

Rookie Watch

With the dawn of another NBA season, we are once again exposed to a new and talented crop of rookies. (And some not so talented ones…more on that later from another exclusive Alex Terry report). With the last two number one picks set to debut, this year’s class should look to continue the instant success experienced by last’s year premier rooks, Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings, and Steph Curry to name a few. Now obviously, because they were high draft picks, these top rookies are playing for some less that noteworthy teams, making this article focused on their prospective individual accolades, aka who is going to win Rookie of the Year.

The Long Shot- Demarcus Cousins, PF/C, Sacramento Kings

Outside of the number 1 picks, and the allure that they carry inherently, Cousins is the most interesting and promising rookie in this class. Despite being a first team All American during his lone year at Kentucky, Cousins was passed over by a number of teams that could have definitely used his services (here’s looking at you Philly, New Jersey, and Minnesota), most notably for what I’ve heard described as “pervasive character issues.” Now I don’t want to pigeon hole anyone but I am going to go out on a limb and say that Mr. Cousins can’t tell me what exactly pervasive means (allegedly he had a GPA of 1.8 at UK…just for those keeping track, the total GPA for the entire Kentucky team was 2.01, keep bringing in winners though Coach Cal.) But I know damn well that you don’t need a stellar vocabulary to excel in the NBA, and that’s exactly what Cousins will do. He is an almost automatic double-double (which only 11 guys averaged in the entire league last season), and is a bona fide scorer in the low post, which is an even rarer find these days. Think about it…to how many bigs in the NBA today, can a team throw the ball down into the post and have them score on a consistent basis? I can think of maybe three… (Gasol, Zach Randolph, Al Jefferson), with hopefully Dwight Howard getting there this year. I know cases can be made for guys like Bogut, Brook Lopez, or maybe Yao in his limited time, but even including these players, the list is not very long. But you’re right Philly why go get this asset when you have Elton Brand, or Minnesota when you have Darko, good calls GMs. I think eventually Cousins can be a 20-12 guy a night (had 14-8 in only 27 minutes in his debut), but he needs a coach that is going to provide the appropriate discipline to control him and Evans…not sure Westphal is the guy, but we will see. The Kings aren’t going to go anywhere fast (except maybe out of Sacramento), but they have two solid pieces to build off of, and if they handle it right and surround these two guys with the right pieces, both talent and personality wise, they should begin to see results within the next few years. And if not, then they are destined to be the reincarnation of the Jail-Blazers, either way, it will be intriguing.

The Dark Horse- John Wall, PG, Washington Wizards

Disclaimer: Because I have spent a large amount of time around a certain person from New Jersey, I will not use any names, let’s just arbitrarily call this person Canadian Mist…my legal department is making me clarify that the term ‘dark horse’ is in no way, shape, or form racially charged, even though John Wall happens to be African American and incredibly fast, it is simply an expression…wait this isn’t a real article, no one of substance reads it anyways, and I don’t have a legal department, well then, on with the story…

Well since the last “savior” PG of the Wizards was more concerned with intimidating teammates who owed him gambling debts then actually being smart and winning, the team has decided to start over. I’d say John Wall is a pretty good start. I think he has the most NBA applicable skill set of anyone in last year’s draft, and Jay Bilas would need to be sitting to talk about his raw physical attributes. That said I also think that one of his greatest assets, his speed, can at times be his major deterrent. Just because he can go faster than everyone, doesn’t necessarily mean he needs to try all the time. The one major knock on him at Kentucky was his high turnover rate, and most of that was due to his going too fast, getting in trouble, and not making smart decisions. Don’t get me wrong, his quickness and burst are a major plus, especially in transition, but he needs to learn how to control these tools and translate them into becoming an effective point guard (see Rondo’s transformation from when he first came in the league). Speaking of Rondo, another knock on Wall is his inconsistent jump shot, but as number 9 in green has shown us, that doesn’t mean you can’t still dominate. And improving a jumper turns out to be the most correctable talent on a basketball court. Watching his debut last night was a bit skewed because the Wizards were just woefully overmatched against the Magic (who looked so efficient it made me real happy for their show against Miami tonight) that the game was out of hand early, and Wall got most of his production in garbage time. As I mentioned he is prone to, he played too fast at times, took some ill advised shots, and for one game at least didn’t live up to his high expectations. I’m willing to throw it out, and I really do believe that he will have a very solid season and spectacular career, but I just don’t think he has enough around him this year to make the Wizards relevant again, or slide into the top rookie spot.

The Favorite- Blake Griffin, PF, Los Angeles Clippers

To start, if you haven’t seen this guy play yet, I have three words for you…BELIEVE THE HYPE! Wednesday was the first time I sat down and watched him for an extended period of time, and all I can say is wow. You wouldn’t believe me if I tried to explain his athleticism, so instead I’m just going to show it to you. You know what they say, that first impressions are everything…well, this was Griffin’s first basket in the NBA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mswjjN68S30)(url direct links not working for some reason, just copy and paste, it's worth it believe me). That should not be allowed, especially a year removed from major knee surgery. I want to check them for the surgical equivalent of corking a bat in baseball, because I don’t know if I have ever seen explosion like that from a power forward. It’s very easy to get lost in his marveling athleticism, I know I did, but looking closer, he is a very complete basketball player as well. He can shoot out to 18 feet, has a high basketball IQ, is prolific with both hands, and he is an above average defender as well. But apart from all of that, the thing that stood out the most to me was his hustle, will, and determination. Almost anything about the NBA that Hubie Brown says I welcome with open arms, because let’s face it, I’m pretty sure he was there when the game was invented, and has seen and coached more basketball than I will ever experience. So when he was calling the game on Wednesday and said that the hardest thing to do in the NBA is get offensive rebounds, I agreed with him. And when he said that Blake Griffin was as good as anyone he had ever seen at getting offensive rebounds, I started to pay attention and just follow Griffin around on offense, even when he didn’t have the ball. That is where he truly wowed me, and showed me his great knowledge of the game. Dennis Rodman, one of the best rebounders in NBA history, was never the tallest or the biggest guy, but he always got rebounds because he understood the angles. He knew if a shot was taken from there, by that teammate, that the ball was most likely to going in a specific position, and he got himself to that position. Griffin does the exact same thing. Even before a shot goes up, he is already positioning himself to be in prime location for the ball after a miss. And when there is a miss, combining the position and his athletic advantage over the defender, you get things like this…(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCW-arqrYto). After this dunk, J.A. Adande tweeted that he wants the Clippers to miss every shot now, just so he can see Blake Griffin get 50 put back dunk attempts…I agree…keep shooting step back 3s Rasoul Butler. Just to add how good of an offensive rebounder Griffin is, he finished with 9 offensive boards on the night, I went and did some research around the rest of the league. There were 25 other NBA teams in action on Wednesday night...13 of them got 9 or less offensive rebounds as a TEAM. Should put it in some perspective for you. Because he is the best rookie, and barring any major injuries (knocking on wood vigorously), he will win Rookie of the Year, and he is already well on his way after a debut of 20-14. Man is it a shame he plays for the Clippers…

No F-ing Chance- Luke Harangody, PF, Boston Celtics

When I asked my new special reporter for any insights he had into this rookie column he responded with, and I quote “Luke Harangody sucks donkey dick?” Yes, he included the question mark, like he wasn’t exactly sure. And nothing else. With provocative stories like that I am not sure how much longer I am going to be able to keep this talent away from ESPN. Also one last random note, I think I would do just about anything to hear KG and Delonte rookie haze Mr. Irish, or see what they make him do...I bet he still has nightmares.

Opening Night

One hundred and eleven days ago, my NBA world was shattered. Plain and simple. I don’t need to rehash what went on, because it’s only going to make me upset, but needless to say yesterday was an interesting night of emotions. Was I actually going to cheer for the Celtics? A blasphemous thought considering the emotional investment I spent in disliking them the last three years, but at the same time, I couldn’t bring myself to cheer for LeBron’s new team right. I was texted before the start of the game, asking who I would be cheering for? After a few seconds to think, I responded with “the NBA.” That was the most honest answer I could come up with, because regardless of my personal feelings toward either team, this was a fantastic thing for a league facing possible lockout. There are so many interesting major stories and intricate subplots involving all of the elite teams, that I am very excited to see how the next few months play out.

Now as for last night (which I called perfectly by the way…Celtics by 8, should have bet the house), I don’t think much should be gleaned from the abysmal showing by the Miami Heat. It was essentially the first game they were playing together, they had three months of anticipation weighing on their shoulders, and all of that showed in their play. Dwayne Wade was horrible. Even dating back to his days at Marquette I have never seen him play that poorly, and it only progressed from bad to worse as he started to press to get on track. His shots weren’t falling, he was over dribbling, making dumb passes…all of the things that come with missing significant time like he did. With the hamstring injury and the custody hearings he missed the entire preseason, so it will take him probably 3-5 games to get fully right. After that, this team will begin to gel and they will be fine. The only major flaw I saw last night, and it was stressed by the announcers…the Heat have absolutely no inside presence, and that limits them to jump shooting team. And you know what happens to jump shooting teams on cold shooting nights or against a half court defensive juggernaut…they struggle to score (uhm cough, 30 first half points). The Heat need to play at a much higher pace, because you could see the potential they have to wreak havoc on anyone in the open court. One other small nitpicking item is that on two different occasions, LeBron looked actually annoyed at Wade taking spin move fadeaways down the stretch…just saying, something to watch as the year progresses. Because while they have said all the right things about not caring who takes big shots, words and actions are two very distinct things.

What I really take from last night, is something I believed before the season even started…that barring major injuries, the Celtics are the team to beat in the East, and quite possibly the entire league. It sounds absurd because it was the first game of the season, but Doc Rivers coached it, and the Celtics played it like it was a playoff game. This team believes they should have won the title last year, and are feeling incredibly disrespected at being considered an afterthought as the defending Eastern Conference Champs. They looked rejuvenated, and each of the Big 4 played over 35 minutes last night. Now that will obviously not be the case as the season progresses, but it was important in sending a message to the league, the East goes through Boston.

You will notice above that I referred to the Celtics core as the Big 4, and honestly it should be the Big Rondo plus the old Big 3. I think Barkley said it best, “Rondo is a ridiculous player. He absolutely dominates the game without scoring.” When you think about it, it is truly amazing how effective Rondo is considering his major flaws. He can get into the lane at will even though defenders give him five feet cushions. And once he is in there, he always has his head on a swivel and always seems to find the open man. In the first quarter, I counted four consecutive possessions where Rondo drove, accepted the double team and found either Ray, Pierce, or Shaq for a wide open shot. He finished with a “mind-bottling” 17 assists and despite looking like ET without his headband (more on this later), he is a true pleasure to watch.

Just a random bit to close…You know who had the highest +/- of any player last night? Rondo… nope. Pierce…no. Ray Ray….guess again. It was big Z. Yep the big Lithuanian played 11 minutes, had 3 steals, 3 boards and a +17 point impact. Just for comparison sake, Bosh was -17, (3-11 shooting), Wade was -18 (4-16 shooting), and everyone on the Celtics was in the positive column except Ray Allen (-2), with Pierce leading the way at +12. Take these stats as you will, just had to get my boy Z some love.

Now as this blog extends into its second season, I thought it was obviously time for some expansion. To facilitate the massive demand for knowledge by my numerous (4, 5, dare I say 6) followers, I have brought in an additional contributor… Law student extraordinaire Alex Terry. For his first story, he has the exclusive answer for why Rondo no longer hides his massive forehead with a headband. As you may or may not know, the NBA logo is a silhouette of Laker great Jerry West. You also may have heard that the Celtics and Lakers don’t like each other very much. Well to spite the Lakers, Rondo always wore the headband with the logo facing upside down. Despite secretly loving the hatred between these franchises for bettering the NBA finals, the league came down and said Rondo had to wear the headband upright. Well since he is “such a g” (-Alex Terry), Rondo said he would rather wear no headband at all. Personally I don’t care and think this story is beneath the Pulitzer level reporting of this blog, but you get what you pay for I guess.

Predictions blog to come soon.

"The Betrayal"

I’m not really sure why Cleveland insists on giving little two word monikers to all their great sporting disasters, “The Shot,” “The Drive,” “The Fumble”, but whatever the reason, you can add another one to the list… “The Betrayal.” (Honestly I think its way more accurate and fitting than the clichéd ESPN-derived “The Decision.” Regardless of how you want to describe it though, plain and simple it just sucked. I am not exaggerating in the least when that as soon as I heard the words South Beach, I got physically sick. All along, amidst all the rumors and vacillations, I had somewhere deep down never actually believed he was going to leave…and then he did. Even a day later, I am still reeling from the mid 90s Tyson like blow every Cavaliers fan took last night, but alas here are some random thoughts about it all…

- First and foremost, I want to say that I am not angry at the decision. Ok, well that's not true, because I wanted him to stay, but what really pisses me and almost everyone else off is how he went about this entire process. More and more it seems like this joining of a triumvirate has been in the works for years, so why put us all through the emotional roller coaster? A part of me will always love LeBron, because watching him these last few years up close and personal has truly been a privilege, and some of my best moments, actually almost ALL of my best Cleveland based moments revolved around the Cavs and their former number 23. As a basketball junkie, I will always be impressed with his exploits on the court, but that being said, I have lost all of my respect for LeBron as a person. Having that hour long, nationally televised F-you to Cleveland was as low as it gets in my mind. As usual, I think the best way to explain it is with a quote from the infamous Kenny Powers, "LeBron, I love you...but you acted like a dickhead." With the utterance of one sentence, LeBron James became the most hated man in Ohio, and lost millions of supporters nationwide. I don't think LeBron fully understood the complete negative ramifications of his decision until after it happened. Here stands a man who wants to become the richest and most famous athlete in the world, and all along, this free agency process was supposed to put him in a position to achieve that--instead, it did the complete opposite. You can become the star LeBron dreamed of by one of two ways: 1)being likable and marketable or 2)winning. Jordan was a master at both, and Kobe has solidified his spot with the second. Without a title to his name, LeBron had previousl made his mark through that first scenario; after these antics though, I'm not exactly sure that's a viable option. Jordan and Kobe have been called "assassins" or "cold blooded" on the court, because they honestly don't care if they are liked by anyone: fans, teammates, even their own families, if it allows them to win. LeBron isn't wired that way though I don't think. I think he wants to be the lovable athlete that people like and respect, and this showed when he would get cheers from more than half the opposing arenas. All of that is gone now though, and I am not sure how it is going to effect him as a person and as a brand. It is not just Cleveland fans that are anti-LeBron, as a strong contingent is growing in New York, Chicago, and just about everywhere else outside the South Florida area. Jordan and Kobe wouldn't mind, but then again they could always just look at their rings...what's LeBron gonna do?

- Personally, as of this moment I think he made a big mistake (I maybe eating these words come June of next year, but as of now, I’m sticking with that.) All along I thought Chicago was the premier destination for him to maximize his potential. Playing alongside a budding superstar in Derrick Rose, combined with a quality 4 in Boozer, and the ultimate hustler/rebounder/defender in Noah, would have been a great fit for LeBron. However the allure of three perennial All-Stars on one team was too much to pass up. I joked about how great that team sounds on paper, and how ridiculous the Heat are going to be in NBA 2K11, but the crazy thing is the game is not played on paper or in a video game. Those 3 will be great yes, but there are still way too many roster holes to be considered a legitimate title contender. The trading of Michael Beasley for cents on the dollar does help free up some cap space for Pat Riley to work his magic, and it is an appealing destination, but first and foremost in my mind they need a center. Because in this day in the NBA, especially in the playoffs, the game is all about matchups, a fact LeBron learned the hard way the last two years, yet seemingly forgot during this whole process. On any given night the Heat on the sheer combination of those three players alone will almost always have the most talent on the floor, but without a player to single handedly cover and neutralize Dwight Howard, ( a la Kendrick Perkins for the Celtics), you will have a hard time even being the best team in Florida, let alone the NBA

- Then again, maybe this is the new way to win the NBA, put together 3 superstars and just fill in the rest of the pieces like the 2008 Celtics team did. Obviously this new Big 3 is going to draw a lot of comparisons to that Celtics squad, especially with another major question mark at the point. Basically Pat Riley is saying to unproven Mario Chalmers, “Hey kid here’s the keys to daddy’s new 300 million dollar Ferrari, don’t crash it…” Granted the same questions/concerns were said about Rondo, and I think that having the veteran leadership around forever altered his career into the elite stratosphere it is now, so I am not willing to write off Chalmers just yet. The guy is a winner and a competitor, (just ask John Calipari, Derrick Rose, and the rest of the Memphis faithful), but still to do it on this level, with this pressure, and this scrutiny will be interesting to watch.

- As I mentioned, right now I am still a weird mix of angry, disappointed, shocked (pretty much the entire negative emotional spectrum). But I have decided that one way that I can start to earn back some of my respect for LeBron is he and his 2 new teammates return to the scene of the crime. I of course mean all 3 of them and the rest of gold medal winning core (plus an perfect fit for international basketball in Durant) re-up for Team USA and go win at the World Championships in August. For months even prior to this free agent bonanza each of the three mentioned cautiously that they would be too busy this summer to participate in what the rest of the world views as the biggest basketball tournament there is, even bigger than the Olympics. But now that all the dust has settled, and the brain child of the mega team that was allegedly formed in Beijing is a reality, its time to get an early start playing with each other for a cause that I actually care about. You have no excuses now, you wanted to play together, then go do it, for Team USA and prove that 2008 wasn’t a fluke.

- One of the most interesting things that I can conclude from the way this whole thing transpired, and it is something that I don’t think many people realize or are talking about, is that the biggest winner in the NBA after LeBron’s decision is….Kevin Durant. With LeBron now having to share the spotlight with D-Wade, his numbers will have to decrease just by sheer reduction in touches. I personally don’t know the percentages off hand of what % LeBron had the ball in his hands for Cleveland last year, but I can guarantee you that the number falls drastically this year and into the future. With the King abdicating his “stats throne,” the door has been opened for the NBA’s brightest new star, Mr. Kevin Durant. I guarantee you now that Kevin Durant will win 4 out of the 5 scoring titles, and 3 of the 5 MVPs while LeBron is signed with Miami. I see LeBron's line being something like 23/11/7, and I just don't think that is quite good enough to win a third MVP, especially considering how many media writers (and MVP voters) he alienated with his whole charade. One bold prediction I will make though is that LeBron will finish second in the NBA in assists this year, only to Chris Paul. I think he will realize that he can't possibly win the scoring title with his reduction in touches, so instead I think he will try and conquer a new domain. I think he could and will easily average double digit assists, and the vision that is his truly his best basketball attribute will be on full display. Oh and in another side note... Durant’s Thunder will make the NBA Finals in at least 2 of those 5 years (I’m already on the bandwagon, I suggest you follow me, because that team is going to be electric). Also in a non statistical way, I think Durant came out looking like a better person in this whole ordeal as well. It almost got lost in the media frenzy LeBron and his people created, but during that time, Durant quietly signed a 5 year max extension with the Thunder. Using a simple Tweet, Durant showed the world that he is above all a basketball player, and not the showman or narcissist that LeBron is. In one 48 hour span Kevin Durant became my favorite NBA player, and I’m sure I am not alone in the sentiment.

- Because he has been in the spotlight for the better part of a decade now, it is hard to believe that LeBron James is only 25 years old, and worse, the majority of his advisors and inner circle are in the same age bracket. I think one of the best points I have heard came from the one and only mother extraordinaire Renuka Egger. She is convinced that within the next year or two we will see some trouble in LeBron's personal life. For the first seven years in the league he has been able to maintain a pretty squeaky rep, and a lot of that most likely has to do with him having a sense of accountability in the city in which he grew up. He and his friends have never lived outside of Akron, and I think that the opportunity to be "living the life" on South Beach was too exciting to pass up. But with all that excitement comes a whole bunch of temptation, and countless times over the last few years we have seen our athlete superstars with pristine pasts fall victim to the hundreds and thousands of women that throw themselves at them. It has been psychologically studied that will power is like a muscle, and after time and time again of resisting, the muscle gets tired per say, and a person usually succumbs. Hey it makes sense in theory to me, and most importantly, momma Egger said it, so of course it must be true...guess we will just have to wait and see.

- As for what the Cavs do now… I honestly don’t know. As you could read in Dan Gilbert’s letter, the organization is pretty pissed and rightfully so. In anger he made some convictions and claims that while defending the fan’s honor, are in the end hapless and unattainable. The Cavs will still be able to trot out a decent NBA team with Mo Williams, Jamison, Varejao, and a budding Hickson, but the days of competing for a title, let alone our division are behind us. I can see this team winning 40 or so games and battling for a 7 or 8 seed in the playoffs (oh how it would be sweet to play the Heat in a first round series), but at the same time I could see it all unraveling at the seams and this team being right in the middle of the lottery. I will still cheer for and watch the Cavs when they are on (which I assume will be with much less frequency), but anyone who thinks it will be anything less than a struggle each and every night is kidding themselves.


- It annoys me when people talk about legacies while a player is still playing, but I definitely think that this will hurt LeBron at the end of the day. No matter how many titles he wins with the Heat, he will always have one less than Wade, and he forever will be vilified as not being to win one without major help. Now that might be an impossibility in this NBA (all of the past champions have had at least two legitimate All-Star players), but it will always hang over LeBron’s head. Also, and this has been said ad nausea so I won’t harp, but none of the truly great players ever left, no abandoned their teams like that…not Jordan, not Magic, not Bird, not even Kobe. So while the book is yet to be written on LeBron James, and when it is finished I’m sure it will be one of the most illustrious careers in NBA history, in my mind he has been removed from the possibility of being discussed as the greatest ever.

- One final point- I know that LeBron did his big announcement last night, an interview with Good Morning America earlier, and will probably do 100 more in the next few weeks trying to explain everything. Guess what though, I don’t care what he has to say. Who I do want to hear from though, is Delonte West. Somebody find that little bipolar felon and stick a microphone in his face and just start grilling him with questions about the entire situation. It would be absolute comedic gold and for a brief minute bring me out of my sorrow (until of course I realize that he might be one of the main reasons LeBron left…ahh whatever, he’s gone, we have to deal with it. But hey Cleveland, at least you still have the Indians and Browns….fuck.

Playoffs- Cavs vs Celts Game 1 Notes

- So this game was playoff basketball in a nutshell: slower pace, harder fouls, emerging stars, unsung heroes, questionable officiating, ravenous crowds, and the ever important coaching adjustments. In other words, it was amazing, and being there to experience it in person without a doubt erased any qualms I had with getting up at 4 AM to fly out. This game was so good, that immediately after getting home from it, I rewatched it on Tivo. There are so many things that could be said about this game, but here are just five of the most important snippets I thought of…

- Rajon Rondo is the BEST player on the Celtics now. Yes, there are three future Hall of Fame players on that team, but I don’t care, Rondo showed in Game 1 that he is the man (at least for a while, but more on that later). He is lightning fast with the ball, yet seemingly in control and like a good point guard is always thinking one move ahead. I wrote a while ago, that as Rondo goes, so go the Celtics. However, in that same posting, I wrote that fortunately for the rest of the league, Rondo is the most dominant player on the floor for about 3 quarters, but then in the 4th he just disappears. This act of his to reduce his aggressiveness late and defer to the “Big 3” have really hurt the Celtics, and has been one of the main reasons they have lost so many double digit leads this season. There’s a good basketball adage that says “that while they might both be two points, there is a big difference between a first quarter basket and a fourth quarter basket,” and at least right now on this team, Rondo is for some reason shying away from taking and making the latter. Look maybe because he doesn’t have a true backup and has to play at such a high level to start the game without adequate rest he is not up for the challenge late, but whatever the reason, his lack of wanting to come through in the big moment has and will continue to hurt the Celtics.

- Mo, Mo, Mo, Mo, Mo… A lot has been made about the disparity at the point guard position in this series, and all of those concerns were validated for about the first 30 minutes of Game 1. Rondo absolutely abused Mo Williams, and that is stating it lightly. He just kept beating him, and beating him, and beating him, always leading to easy buckets for himself, his teammates, or giving himself to get to the line (which Rondo was great at as well last night). But then something happened. The best way I have heard it described was that Mo was like a kid on the playground who was just constantly bullied and bullied, until finally he just snapped, and it was almost like a light went on in his head that caused him to remember that he too is an All-Star talent. After stealing the ball and leading a 2 on 1 against Pierce, Mo Williams created possibly the most transcendent moment of the Cavalier’s season to date. A number of times in the last two years I have watched a similar play unfold where Mo will bait a defender into leaning toward LeBron and then finish with a nice finger roll, but this time something was different. This time as Pierce lined up his steps to go up and block the lay up, Mo Williams delivered the spark the Cavs needed, as he threw down over “the Truth,” gave him a “ya that just fucking happened stare,” and went on to score the next 10 straight points in sparking the Cavs comeback. Watching it live I couldn’t believe what had just happened, but almost instantly a shift could be noticed in the demeanor the Cavalier players and especially in the crowd. It’s hard to steal the spotlight when you’re a teammate of the two time defending MVP of this league, but last night, Mo did, and if the Cavs do go on to win this series, it will be because of more big plays by number 2 and the confidence that dunk provided.

- Mike Brown didn’t get outcoached. I don’t envy the job that Mike Brown has, and I try to keep my criticisms to a minimum because who knows if my solutions would be any better. But in the past, Brown has been noticeably outcoached in many of the big playoff series, because in the NBA playoffs it’s all about which coaching staff makes the best adjustments in a game by game basis, and in the past he hasn’t done that. Last night though, I think he handled the game very well. My lone criticism would have been to bring Z off the bench first for Shaq. If the Cavs make it past this round to meet Orlando or eventually L.A., they will need Z’s big body and his 6 fouls. But they do NOT need him against Boston. I love big Z but it was painful to watch him get abused on pick and rolls and get dragged out from the basket by Rasheed Wallace. After this four minute debacle though, Brown finally went small and fast (how you beat the Celtics) and played JJ Hickson, who had more points in 12 minutes than he did in the entire Chicago series. Another great adjustment was on the defensive end in switching the bigger Anthony Parker and occasionally LeBron James onto Rondo. Parker was able to at least slow down Rondo enough to allow the Cavs to scrape back into the game, and allowed Williams to regain his focus for the stretch run. And although I questioned the decision to leave Shaq in the game for the last 8 minutes, it turned out to be the right call. Shaq came up with three huge baskets, a great, message sending playoff foul on Rondo, and altered two or three other shots. While it was only one game, and Rivers and Celtics will inevitably come up with new wrinkles that Brown will have to tackle, he at least for now passed the first test.

- Besides the point guards, the matchup most talked about is that of the power forwards. Looking at the starters, KG and Jamison have very different games, with each one trying to impose their will on the other. KG is bigger and wants to take Jamison down into the post, while Antawn wants to spread Garnett out on the perimeter. Last night Garnett outplayed Jamison, and was able to effectively take him down low and score on him early. That being said though, KG also disappeared in the fourth quarter, and fatigue looked to be a factor, especially in a crucial point blank put back miss. Charles Barkley made a good point that Jamison appeared to struggle on the offensive end, because for the most part LeBron wasn’t his normal self and attacking as much initially. Jamison is a special type of player, because the Cavs don’t need to run plays for him to score, but yet he can still put up 20 a night. Yes, round in the stat sheet went to KG, but I expect Jamison to bounce back in a big way and be a major contributor to this series. He wasn’t terribly effective in the first few games against the Bulls either but he is the type of player that can adapt as seen by his scoring explosions in Games 4 and 5. However, the best power forward for the Cavaliers last night was actually Rasheed Wallace. When he entered the game in the 3rd quarter, my dad leaned to me and said “Sheed is either gonna end us now or cause us to come back,” and well we all know which one it was. He missed two wide open looks, committed a few dumb fouls 90 feet from the basket, and was beaten to three 50-50 balls by Andy Varejao, including one when Andy literally took it from his hands. I know Rivers likes having Sheed out there to stretch the floor, but at some point he has to realize that he is just hurting the team (though hopefully it’s not until the Cavs have the series under control).

- All of the above was important in determining the result of last night’s game, but overall, the Cavs are going to win this series, and hopefully a championship for one simple reason: they have LeBron James and the other team doesn’t. For the first half of the game LeBron indeed look tentative to take contact to that elbow, shoot a jump shot, and he even missed a few bunnies at the rim. All that being said though, after a quick 8 points to start the game, James locked up Paul Pierce, and in the last fifteen or so minutes, showed why he is the best basketball player in the world. He started making strong drives, getting to the free throw line, and came up with two dagger 3s to help cement the Cavs win. And besides just taking over the game on the offensive end, he also held Pierce to a 1-7 fourth quarter, which was no doubt influenced by Pierce’s weary legs from guarding LeBron for 40 some odd minutes. It is too much to ask Pierce to do. Two years ago he went at LeBron in one of the great showdowns in Playoff history in Game 7, but again that was two years ago. The career arcs of these two players are in opposite directions, and Boston cannot realistically expect Pierce to not only defend James the whole game and then be the clutch 4th quarter scoring threat they are used too. I imagine that he will fulfill that role once or twice in Celtics wins this series, but there is no way he can do it for 4 out of the next 6 nights. Or so I’m hoping.