I was asked why I didn’t consider Pau Gasol an All-Star. Well, this year I do. He’s putting up career numbers in points, rebounds, and blocks, and he is clearly the go-to player on that team this season. Last season, I felt like he deferred too much to Mike Miller at the end of games. Not the case now. The problem for Pau is that he is stuck in a conference with the likes of Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady (now listed as a small forward), Dirk Nowitzki, Amare Stodamire, Rashard Lewis, Shawn Marion and Elton Brand at the same position for all-star balloting. All-Star teams typically cannot carry six forwards on a 12-man roster. Fortunately for Pau this year, T-Mac has had several injuries limiting his games played to only 24. With both Camby and Yao out for the All-Star game, I’m assuming the Western Conference will add some more of the 7′0” club at power forward to the roster. Pau should certainly make his way onto the squad this year.
The second part to that question was why Pau wasn’t an All-Star when Andrei Kirilenko was. Well, the year AK-47 made it, he was the premier defensive stopper in the league because he didn’t beat on people and his rebounds and blocked shots were on par with the likes of Ben Wallace. The difference being, AK-47 was a small forward who also scored 15 points per game at the time. That is why the Jazz decided to make him their cornerstone in the post-Stockton/Malone era. The only problem is that AK-47’s wiry frame has broken down under the constant beating he’s taken in the last three years. Hopefully, he will go on a Dolph Lundgren-in-Masters-of-the-Universe-level weight training program and add some lbs. before next season.
For my cousin Korey: I’m glad your favorite player signed with your favorite team. Based on the recent signings for pitchers like Burnett and Millwood, I think the Mariners may have swung a pretty good deal for Special Agent Jack Bauer, I mean Jarrod Washburn. (Seriously, Wash looks like Kiefer Sutherland). The only problem is that there are way too many other holes on the roster to compete for a title in the American League. Solidifying their pitching may help the Mariners get above the .500 barrier, but I still see too many issues. They gave Beltre too much money for having the typical career-year-in-a-contract-season. Beltre is still a guy with a ton of potential who probably won’t ever maximize it. I like Richie Sexson, but he’s not exactly a solid defensive player. He’s a .245 hitter with exceptional power which will probably be good for about 35-45 homeruns per season depending on the year. I just don’t know if that will be enough to get by the Angels in the West. Unless the Mariners can prove me wrong and win their division, they won’t sniff the playoffs for some time.
Korey, my advice is to ride the Seattle Seahawk gravy-train for the next couple of years. Sorry little dude, that’s how I see it. However, nobody ever said I knew what I was talking about, so I could be completely off the reservation on this one.
Somebody wanted to know what is going to happen with Mike Dunleavy. Well, I don’t think anybody will want him until he can knock down a jumper. For a guy who was supposed to be a lights-out shooter, he certainly stinks at it. My advice for Warriors fans is to hope that Pietrus comes back quicker than expected, and also hope that Mullin won’t cave and trade Diogu in the Artest deal. He’s something special. He could become the reincarnation of the Dale Davis/Antonio Davis tandem (combined) that helped the Pacers make several quality runs at the NBA finals before getting chopped down by Air Jordan and his disciples. Watch and see.
My proclamation about dealing Wally Sczerbiak was so that the T’Wolves wouldn’t have to deal Kevin Garnett. I think if the Wolves landed Artest, KG wouldn’t want to go anywhere.
I know the Knicks are finally playing well, but another plausible scenario would be for Isiah to offer Penny Hardaway’s expiring contract (and probably a draft pick) for Artest and another player with a terrible contract (read Croshere). Isiah isn’t shy about contracts as we all know, and the young Knicks could use some more toughness to help the aforementioned Antonio Davis. Losing a draft pick wouldn’t hurt, after all, the Knicks have three quality rookies this year, and another quality second-year player already.
