NBA Blog

I’m mid-finals right now, having completed one yesterday morning, and have two more to go.  My hair’s gross, haven’t shaved in a week, and all I’ve been eating for the last few days is junk food.  I hate school and am so ready to be done.

In other news, I’ll have a new post soon for the first quarter of the season.

You should go to nba.com and vote for the all-star teams.  I recommend a few names for the list: TJ Ford, Chris Paul, and Tony Parker are three point guards to keep in mind.  Other guards are Kobe “Mamba” Bryant (if you didn’t already know, but he still shoots toooooooo much), Allen Iverson (having the best year of his awesome career), Michael Redd, and Ricky Davis.  Don’t forget to acknowledge other players like Elton Brand,  and Chris Bosh.  Those are just some names to watch, but I’ll have my All-Star picks in a few weeks.

To keep you entertained, here’s a little reminder of how great Shawn Kemp was when he was a SuperSonic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch.php?v=iYPLTvs1v1g&search=dunks

I’m long overdue for some new material here.  I understand that.  But I’ve just been through three twenty pound turkeys in less than a week, two take home finals, and now am on the verge of three finals over the next week.  Cut me some freakin’ slack okay.

Anyway, I was home last weekend, and my father, brother, nephew, and i all went to the spurs game.  Coincidentally, I’m the only one of the four not named Bill, or some variation thereof.  I guess you could say that my family isn’t too original when it comes to names for children.  This was the first NBA game that my nephew has been to in his brief life of 3 1/2 years.  We were proud that he threw on the Manu Ginobili jersey and sat in my brother’s lap for the entire game.  The only things that could distract him from the game were the enourmous pile of cotton candy that he wanted and the dancers/cheerleaders.  For the cheerleaders, well, he kept asking where their clothes were.  My 3 1/2 year old nephew kept looking at the half naked dancers.  NBA Action, it’s FANTASTIC!  In regards to the cotton candy, whew, that stuff is potent.  I’ve always considered Pixy Stix to be the children’s equivalent of cocaine, so I guess that would make Cotton Candy the children’s version of crack; sugar taken and processed into some puffy substance that gets them hooked so they have to keep coming back.  My nephew kept crushing the candy in BOTH hands and then trying to eat it.  Needless to say he was smothered in sugary goodness and “high” for the rest of the night.  He was screaming and laughing for the entire drive home.  Even at 11:30 at night he was still running through my parents house going wild.  As a result, my brother and I are now marketing cotton candy in smaller portions at higher prices.  We figuer the large portion should cost $2.50 and then the prices go up as the portions decrease.  The tagline goes a little something like, “How much do you want to sleep tonight?”  or “Feel like gambling with your life, buy your son the cheaper, larger portion of cotton candy.”

Around the league: 
Its a shame that Michael Pietrus got injured and will be out for an extended period of time.  I figured that Dunleavy would at the very least have been benched by midseason and maybe even traded.
Chris Paul is as good as advertised.  So is T.J. Ford, for those of you who forgot how good he was in his rookie season until the scary neck injury.
Deron Williams should keep the Jazz faithful nice and happy for a long time.  And he will be around long after the brittle Andrei Kirilenko ends his career.  For a guy with such promise, and who quickly became a starter in this league, it has been disappointing that AK-47 has had so many different injuries.
I had the pleasure of watching Nick van Exel slip into “Auto-Nick” during the first half of the Chicago Bulls game a few days ago, and it reminded me of his early years in Los Angeles when he would lose consciousness and hit a barrage of crazy shots.  It was exciting to see, and it’s a shame his career took such a bizarre road. 
Luol Deng is the best player on the Chicago Bulls, and has Shawn Marion type potential as a rebounding small forward.  Sure he cannot leap like Marion, but his ability to get up and his length make him a tremendous rebounder. 
Ben Gordon is the NBA’s version of a closer.  In fact, the Bulls should play “Enter Sandman” when he enters the game in the fourth quarter.  If he gets a shot, then he’s sitting the opponent down, and it doesn’t matter how long he’s been sitting on the bench.  He’ll hit a game winner without playing a second in the previous three quarters.  It’s pretty impressive.
The Suns need some shooting.  I’m sorry, but Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, and Leandro Barbosa cannot keep this up.  James Jones needs more minutes.

David Ortiz deserved the AL MVP award.  Plain and simple.  He carried the Red Sox team through the season.  Their pitching staff stunk.  Their defense was questionable at best.  Yet, they always knew that if they were within a few runs going into the ninth inning, Papi would win the game for them.  He was their best player, and their heart and soul.

I seriously doubt the same could be said for A-Rod.  If the Yanks were up six, then I’m sure Yankees’ fans knew that A-Rod would get a big hit, but if they were down and needed a clutch hit, would A-Rod get it?  I know Jeter, Sheff, or even Matsui are better clutch hitters than A-Rod.  Rodriguez wasn’t even the most valuable player on his team.  Jeter provides the leadership, the heart, better defense, etc.  Sheff is a better, more terrifying hitter.  A-Rod, just as he did in Texas, posts big numbers when they aren’t necessary.

Papi was the best player at his position.  Let’s face it, if the AL wants to have a DH in every lineup, then it should be considered a position.  Just as AL teams are killed when they have a subpar defensive player at a position, teams get killed for having sub-par hitters at the DH spot.  He should stop being hindered for not playing defense when every team in the American League has the exact same position in the lineup that Papi plays.

Tony Parker, Frenchy as I so affectionately refer to him, is flat out amazing right now.  He looks determined and poised to make the leap to an All Star this season.  And he still raps in French at the end of some interviews, AND he’s still dating Eva Longoria.  He’s giving NBA fans everything they could ask from him.

Can he keep up this pace?  Probably not.  But at this point in the early season, I’m ecstatic about the prospects of seeing him live when I go home for Christmas. 

So I had the opportunity to meet Drew Rosenhaus on Thursday night at the Pitt v. Louisville football game.  He was just like you would imagine.  Slimy.  He told me that he was at the football game just to watch.  I found that hard to believe, but hey, what can I do.

I thought it was ironic that I met him, and two days later his boy T.O. gets suspended for the remainder of the Eagles season.  Perhaps, he wasn’t just enjoying the game, but looking for a future payday with Michael Bush?!?!

Speaking of T.O., lets go ahead and discuss the difference between Brian Westbrook and T.O.
          What to do when you want a contract extension:  Take the Westbrook route.  Show up to camp after expressing some distaste about your contract, but leave it at that.  Let your play do the talking.  Don’t complain to the media about your contract, your team, your organization, and your quarterback.  Don’t take potshots at everyone involved.  Continue to play hard, and become the team’s number one option on offense.  Good job Brian Westbrook.
           What not to do:  Be T.O.  Complain about everybody.  Take cheap shots at your quarterback, who is the face of the organization and an extremely class individual.  (McNabb didn’t get upset when Philly fans booed him in the NFL Draft.  He shook off Limbaugh’s racially insensitive remarks.  Do you really think he would let a prima donna’s complaints get to him.  Come on.)  Attack your head coach, who has coached the team to four straight NFC championship games.  (Before Andy Reid, how were the Eagles?  Exactly.)  Attack the organization for not celebrating your individual achievements.  Dude, why should they celebrate you after throwing everybody involved under the bus?  You’ve been there for a year and a half and ridiculed and attacked all parties involved.  You didn’t and still don’t deserve any recognition.  I have one thing to say to Keyshawn, Jr.: SHUT YOUR MOUTH. 

Aside from Tim Duncan’s hair, I’d say last night was a huge success for the Spurs.  In the first 30 seconds of the game Rasho showed more aggressiveness than he did for all of last season.  Don’t be alarmed, he reverted back to his former self. 

I am really excited about the combination of Nazr, Rasho, and Fabrico at center.  I still think Nazr should be the starter, and will probably take over the position before too long.  I just wish Rasho would wake up, because he is a talented big man. 

Fin-dog is going to be a huge addition.  He has no fear to take big shots.  After all, he was the one finishing games for the big-three in Dallas .  He started slow in the first half, but settled into a groove in the second half and knocked down some crucial shots. 

Last night’s other games:  The A.I. point guard experiment appears that it will work.  I hope he can do it.  Because if he can, that will help the Sixers a great deal, and they will be much better than I anticipated.  Once they get Dalembert healthy, they should have a pretty strong rotation with Dalembert, C-Webb, Steven Hunter, Korver, A.I., Willie Green, and John Salmons.  They’ll be athletic and they will be able to run.  The ONLY question I have is how long they will have Webber for before he inevitably goes down.

Note on the Wizards:  People are actually thinking they won’t make the playoffs or that they won’t be as good last year, since they lost Larry Hughes.  I actually think they will be a better team than last year.  Hughes and Arenas liked to shoot too much together.  Hughes led the league in steals, but he is more of a gambler.  He plays defense like Doug Christie, attacking passing lanes.  I actually think that Antonio Daniels and Caron Butler are better on the ball defenders than Hughes.  Also Daniels will help control the ball to finish out games, letting Arenas run off screens to get open shots.  This situation should also allow Caron Butler to continue to progress into an All-Star.  He had a great rookie year, but was then plagued with injuries over the next couple seasons.  Watch out for the Wizards this year. 

The greatness that is the NBA season kicks off tonight.  Here are a few things that I want to get out there before the season kicks off because when I’m right, I want it to be known that you heard it here first.   (Of course, if I’m wrong, it is because the season hasn’t even started.  It’s really a win-win scenario for me.)

            Most exciting team to watch in the East: 
Cleveland.  I’m looking forward to Larry Hughes becoming the Pip to LeBron’s M.J.  With the shooting touch of Jones and Marshall, the rebounding abilities of Varejao and Gooden, and the possibility that my favorite mophead is healthy and may actually play this year (Luke Jackson), it should be a fun season for Cleveland fans. 

Most exciting team to watch in the West:  Golden State.  They will run, run, run, and run some more.  Baron Davis has been hooked up to the juvenation machine, and will once again assert himself into the argument of best point guard in the league.

Sixth Man of the Year:  Mikeal Pietrus (Golden State).  This guy is impressive, but he could end up taking the starting spot from Dunleavy. 

Most Improved Player/Comeback Player of the Year:  T.J. Ford.  He’s healthy.  He’s got shooters around him, and four guys to play in the post in Magloire, Gadzuric, Joe Smith and Bogut.  The Bucks are going to be in the playoff hunt in the East now that they have Magloire. 

Executive of the Year:  R.C. Buford.  Landed Fabrico Oberto, Michael Finley (doing a great Seal impersonation.  That’s wrong, but I don’t care because both are looooooooooaded with money and Seal is married to Heidi Klum.  It makes me want to cry.), and Nick Van Exel.  Give the man his due.

Coach of the Year:  If the Warriors make the postseason Mike Montgomery should win this award.

Rookie of the Year:  Chris Paul. 

            Other members of the All Rookie Team:        G – Chris Paul

                                                                                    G – Deron Williams

                                                                                    F – Danny Granger

                                                                                    F – Ike Diogu

                                                                                    C – Fabrico Oberto

Defensive Player of the Year:  Bruce Bowen.  Please give him the award.  He’s deserved if for three years now. 

MVP: LeBron.  First of several.  The heir is right on pace with the Air. 

Best team without any doubt whatsoever:  Spurs.  The right offseason moves, and the rings.  Bring it on league.

A few other interesting notes to point out based on the preseason:

• The Nets will win their division by default, despite the fact that they stink.  That division is horrible.  I wish the Raptors could win the division just so I could see more of the Unfrozen-Caveman-Power-Forward Charlie Villenueva.  “Don’t call a technical on me Mr. Referee, I’m just a caveman, thawed out and paid millions of green pieces of paper to take this round object full of air and pound it on the ground.  I don’t understand your rules and I don’t understand the loud noise coming from that shiny object you blow air into.”  (Thank you Phil Hartman).
• The Kings eyesore of an alternate jersey.  Those things make the Houston Rockets team China duds look good.  When I see Mike Bibby in that shiny, pimp-suit monstrosity, I keep thinking of Mini-Me during the rap scene in Austin Powers: Goldmember.
• Yao Ming’s facial hair.  ‘Nuff said.
• Paul Pierce gets dealt before the trade deadline.  The young Celtics will be good in time, but not yet.  However, Gerald Green and Tony Allen will provide plenty of highlight reel dunks.
• The Pacers new uniforms.  They look good without the pinstripes.  Now Ron Artest will only have to wear dark pinstripes during the offseason.  Ba-dump-cha!  Thank you, thank you.  The 9:00 show is different from the 6:00 show.  Don’t forget to tip you waitresses.

Tune to TNT at 8:00 to see the Spurs get their rings.  Enjoy the season.