This has to be rock bottom right? Well, I hope for the sake of Knicks fans everywhere it is. The New York Knicks put forth another lousy performance last night and lost to the Toronto Raptors (100-98). Granted the Raptors are 7-3 since Rudy Gay arrived, but they are still a team the Knicks should beat handily. We all know the Knicks weaknesses, but right now it’s more than that. They look wildly uninspired. They look like they could care less about losing basketball games night in and night out. Maybe it’s because they have been too busy complaining to the referees rather than focusing on playing basketball. The Knicks have now lost 5 of their last 6 games and are in serious danger of falling to 2nd place in the Atlantic Division. Carmelo put up his usual 32 points, but in my opinion he played his WORST game of the year. Do you want to know why? it’s because he doesn’t care!! He wants to be called a superstar, but he doesn’t want to do all the things that that title comes with. He is not a leader. He doesn’t rally his team and get everyone amped up. He doesn’t dive on the floor and do any of the dirty work. And he certainly doesn’t play the type of defense a superstar should be playing. Never in all my life have I ever seen a player completely give up on a play like Carmelo Anthony did last night. With just 6 seconds to go in the 1st quarter, Demar Derozan took the ball and drove the length of the floor for a layup. Carmelo Anthony was planted right under the basket in prime position to take a charge, try to block the shot, or at minimum take a foul and keep him from scoring an easy basket. So what did he do? Nothing!! He didn’t even pretend to swipe at the ball. He simply braced for impact to save himself from Derozan landing on him after the ball had already fallen through the hoop. I can’t come close to overstate how pathetic this play was. And that is the overall mentality of the Knicks right now. They look totally disinterested. As for Jason Kidd, he is not disinterested, he has simply lost any confidence he once had shooting a basketball. I mean the guy made his first two three pointers right out of the gate, and still had no plan to continue shooting. He had at least 5 wide open shots later on in the game, that he passed up and swung the ball to someone who wasn’t open. This team is in total disarray, and it all starts with the coach and his “superstar”. I’m done giving solutions to how they can fix their substitutions or play better defense. Of course we already know they need an interior presence who’s not 78 years old and a real 2-guard. However, even with their current roster, they just need a leader who is going to lead by example. They need a leader who is going to take this team and carry every last person on the roster through the finish line. Carmelo “well at least I score a lot of points” Anthony is not a leader.
Category: NBA
NBA Trade Deadline in Review
The NBA trade deadline came and went without much noise. All week Josh Smith’s name had been circulating in trade talks, and it all amounted to nothing. Personally, I don’t understand why they didn’t deal him, as well as why the Lakers didn’t deal Dwight Howard. Why would teams not trade players who are going to walk away in free agency at the end of the year? Josh Smith is definitely leaving Atlanta, so the fact that they didn’t trade him is idiotic. Dwight Howard may stay in Los Angeles, so I understand the Lakers keeping him in hopes to re-sign him at the end of the year. The biggest name that was traded yesterday was JJ Reddick. The Orlando Magic traded him to the Milwaukee Bucks, along with Gustavo Ayon and Ish Smith for Beno Udrih, Doron Lamb, and Tobias Harris. It was not a big trade by any stretch of the imagination. However, the name of the game in the NBA is money money money. Trades get made in the NBA once the money matches on both sides. The Magic are in rebuilding mode (as they always are), and they were looking for some young talent which they received in Doron Lamb. I think the Bucks got the better of this trade, with the addition of a solid perimeter shooter. The New York Knicks did not make a big splash in the trade deadline either. They traded Ronnie Brewer to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2nd round pick and a trade exception. And we all know what the Knicks did next right? Come on, it made so much sense. You can’t think of it? Okay, I’ll tell you. They signed Kenyon Martin to a 10-Day Contract. Yes!!!! That is just what they need, another mid thirties player who if his life depended on it couldn’t stay healthy. Now, if, and this is a BIG IF, he can stay healthy he will help out their front line. He can add some much needed rebounding, defense, and toughness. That gritty warrior’s mentality is what the Knicks are lacking, big time. Overall, I’ll give the Knicks an average grade of a C for their trade deadline moves. Even with the inactivity at the trade deadline, we should have some good competitive basketball to watch over the last two months of the season. Enjoy!!
Quiet night in the NBA speaks volumes
In a quiet night in the NBA, we saw the Miami heat and San Antonio Spurs send a message to the rest of the league. That message was: Watch out because here we come! Last night the Spurs handily beat the Los Angeles Clippers on the road by 26 points! The Clippers, like the Knicks, might have physically been on the court last night but mentally they were still on vacation. Both the Spurs and the Heat are hitting their stride at the right time. There is just under two months left in the season, and it is the perfect time to gain some momentum and carry it into the playoffs. The Spurs have the best record in the NBA (44-12) by four games, and they have won 16 of their last 17 games. So much for getting old huh? The Spurs always seem to quietly plug along and put up consistently good numbers. At this point, I think we can all agree that Gregg Popovich is the best coach of this era. Was this a statement game or did the Clippers just take a night off? Will the Spurs hold up come playoff time (unlike last year)? I believe the Spurs are great, but I think they will meet a different Clippers team come playoff time. And let’s not forget how impressive of a season Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder are having. Durant’s season is spectacular and is being wildly overshadowed by Lebron James’ performances. When you get a chance, take a look at Durant’s numbers so far this season, and then take a look at a guy’s statistics in his prime that you may have heard of (A Mr. Larry Bird). Eerily similar aren’t they? With that being said, the Miami Heat certainly look like a championship caliber team, again. Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and the Heat made the Chicago Bulls look like a Junior Varsity squad last night. The Bulls only scored 32 points in the 2nd half of a very sloppy performance. The heat did what they had to do and cruised to an 86-67 victory. The Heat are playing great basketball right now (winners of their last nine games). I believe if Dwayne Wade can remain healthy that the Heat will represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals this season. Will they win the championship again this year? At this point, I think they will (even though I hope they don’t), however only time will tell. We are heading towards the best time of the year in sports. Sit back, relax, and enjoy!
Sooooo….That Didn’t Go As Planned Did It??
WOW!!!! Just when everyone thought it couldn’t get any worse, it did. I am not going to break down last nights game because I don’t want to make anyone sick to their stomach. In case you missed it the Knicks lost to the Pacers by a score of 125-91, and have now lost four of their last five games. Let’s just say it was ugly, pathetic, and the Knicks looked like they didn’t want to be out on the court. After a nice week off for the All Star break, the Knicks looked like they were still on vacation. With that being said, last night the New York Knicks looked like, well the New York Knicks. As Knicks fans, we are used to this by now aren’t we? I know I am. They toy with your emotions. They trick you into believing they are a complete team and they’ve put their woes behind them. And then what happens? They go through horrid stretches that make you wonder what’s next. It may sound like I’m jumping ship, but I’m not. Let me explain to you what’s happening with the New York Knicks. They are a jump shooting team that has an affinity for three pointers, they play next to no defense, and they have a confused lineup. Earlier on in the season the Knicks weren’t good, they were great. This is because the three’s and jumpers were falling. Jump shooting teams are streaky. They lose games they have no business losing, and sometimes they win games they have no business winning. Don’t be surprised if the Knicks turn this ship around and go on a nice little stretch in March. Let me tell you something, that would leave everyone scratching their heads saying, who are the real Knicks? This is because the Knicks, in March, play ten of their first fifteen games on the road. I know you all feel like I did two months ago (as a Jets fan), and you believe Murphy’s Law is in affect. However, it’s not time to give up, yet. Like I said, they are a jump shooting team, and they will start falling again real soon (right Jason?). Jason Kidd can talk about how rejuvenated he is after his week off, but I think he left his jump shot in Cabo along with his sunscreen. All the Knicks need to do (besides trade for a power forward who can play defense and rebound) is stop playing one on one, get some ball movement, and play team defense. I know that is easier said then done, but that’s what was happening at the start of the season. And hey, guess what? The more you move the ball the more open shots you’ll get. The more open shots you get the more shots you will probably make. More made shots = more points (I know that’s a wild concept). The defense issue is the toughest problem to solve because you only have three guys who actually want to play defense on the roster; Tyson Chandler, Iman Shumpert, and Ronnie Brewer. Brewer never sees the light of day because he is more useless on the offensive end than George W. Bush in a library. Shumpert is still not 100% and Woodson doesn’t seem to be his biggest fan. And Chandler is doing his part, but he can’t defend five guys at once. Finally, the lineup is as confused as Andy Dick (not that there’s anything wrong with that). This falls on Coach Woodson. I understand that Woodson needs to shuffle around the lineup when things aren’t going well, but he needs to find some continuity for the team to thrive. It’s certainly not looking good right now, but it ain’t over til the fat lady sings, and I don’t see Rosie O’ Donnell anywhere so I think they have some time to figure this out.
Brooklyn’s Finest
If you missed that game in Brooklyn last night, you missed a thriller. The Brooklyn Nets pulled out an overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks thanks to Joe Johnson’s heroics. Let us rewind to the last two minutes of regulation. The score had been stuck on 101-100 (Milwaukee) since there was two minutes and nine seconds left in the 4th quarter. With just under thirty seconds left, Deron Williams drove to his left, drew two defenders at about five feet from the basket, and found Andray Blatche under the hoop. Blatche threw two pump fakes up before he got fouled going up to the basket. Blatche stepped to the free throw line and knocked down both free throws, giving New Jersey a 102-101 lead with twenty seconds left (Blatche came up huge in the 4th quarter scoring 10 points). Coming out of a twenty second timeout, Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings (Jennings had a great game with 34 points) took the ball to the basket and missed a right handed lay-up, but Larry Sanders was there for the put back right at the rim. This gave Milwaukee a 103-102 lead with ten seconds left. After a twenty second timeout, the Nets inbounded to Deron Williams at half court. The ball was inbounded off a defenders leg and should have been a kick ball, however it went unnoticed. With Monta Ellis well within Williams’ three feet of personal space, Williams swung the ball past Ellis’ face and inadvertently struck him in the jaw with his elbow. The referee made an insanely late call, not blowing the whistle until Williams had passed the three point line. Now, I am in the minority that believes that fouls are fouls no matter when they occur. A foul in the first ten seconds of a game should also be a foul in the last ten seconds of the game. However, this call on Williams was a HORRIBLE CALL!! And on top of it, the call was made two hours late. This gave Milwaukee two early Christmas Presents, ahem, I mean free throws. Ellis knocked down both free throws, and put the Bucks up 105-102 with six seconds left. After another twenty second timeout by the Nets, the ball was advanced to half court. They inbounded to Deron Williams who quickly swung the ball to Joe Johnson at the top of the key, who caught the ball in stride, stepped up, and knocked down a three with one second left on the clock!! The crowd in the Barclays Center erupted!! With the Nets in celebration mode, the Bucks inbounded the ball and heaved up a three-quarter court shot that banged off the side of the rim nearly stealing an improbable victory. Off to overtime they went. It was a back and forth overtime, and Keith Bogans of the Nets kept them in the game with two huge three pointers in the extra frame. We’ll fast forward to a tie ball game (111-111) with five seconds left. Even though everyone and their mother knew Joe Johnson was going to take the last shot, the Bucks still allowed him to get the ball off the inbounds. Johnson drove the ball to the right, put a crossover through his legs back to the left, and off of one dribble he rose from 17 feet and drained a jumper right at the buzzer!! The crowd went wild, and the New Jersey Nets won a thriller over the Milwaukee Bucks 113-111.
NBA Trade Talks
The All-Star break has come and gone, and it is now time for the 2nd ” half ” of the season. With approximately 30 games left for every team, and the trade deadline looming, contenders will be looking to make a move to solidify their playoff positioning. The trade deadline is this Thursday, February 21st. There are many talented players names swirling around the trade rumor mill, and certainly some of them will be moved in the coming days. Most notably the Knicks have been in the midst of trade talks. Everyone believes that they need to make a trade prior to the deadline to become a real contender. I do believe that the Knicks are one piece away from being a true contender for a title, however they need to be careful who they trade this week. The most popular name in these trade rumors has been Iman Shumpert. He is the Knicks most valuable trading chip because of his potential and inexpensive rookie contract, but he is a valuable asset to the Knicks for the same reasons. By the way, if I have to hear how much better J.J. Reddick is than Iman Shumpert one more time I’m going to throw up. Most people are pointing to Shumpert’s knee and saying he’ll never be the same after a torn ACL last season. It is a serious injury, but how many guys have come back and succeeded after the same injury? While the Knicks are certainly in win now mode, they need to keep their bright future in mind as well. The core of their team is young. Look at their roster: Carmelo Anthony,Tyson Chandler, Raymond Felton, J.R. Smith, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Iman Shumpert(none of these guys are heading out to early bird dinners). Carmelo Anthony needs to try to convince these guys to stick around for the next five years(that shouldn’t be that hard to do, I mean this is New York). The Knicks youngest player with the most room for improvement by far is Iman Shumpert. He is 6’5″ and 220 pounds with great athletic ability. He can jump out of the gym, he is a phenomenal perimeter defender, and by my opinion is an underrated offensive talent. Just because the Knicks have the oldest team in NBA history, doesn’t mean they need to dump young talent to try to win this year. The older players on their roster are all nearing the end of their careers and are simply role players on an overall young team anyway. Think about the names that we’re talking about: Marcus Camby, Rasheed Wallace, Kurt Thomas, and Jason Kidd. Everyone can stop pretending these are the guys that are going to make the difference. When was the last time these guys were on a list that mattered besides a waiting list for a nursing home? While I think Camby and/or Wallace could solve some of the teams problems, they are ancient and shouldn’t be relied on. The Knicks have obvious weaknesses and have holes on their roster that need to be filled. I believe part of the answer to the Knicks struggles is Iman Shumpert. He should be playing more than Jason Kidd. Jason Kidd has been averaging 28 minutes per game this season and 32 minutes over his past three games(the three games the Knicks have struggled in most this season), while Shumpert has only been averaging 19 minutes per game. Plus, Shumpert has only played in 13 games since returning from his injury. He needs to be given a little time to return to form. I am a Jason Kidd fan, but Mike Woodson needs to realize that Kidd is 40; not 26. If Coach Woodson can get over his man crush maybe he’ll scale back Kidd’s minutes a little bit. If Woodson flips Shumpert and Kidd’s minutes upside down, I bet he’ll be a lot happier. The bottom line is: DON’T TRADE IMAN SHUMPERT!! Also, if the Knicks are going to continue to be trigger happy from three point land, why don’t they play their best shooter, Steve Novak? I know he doesn’t play a lick of defense, but right now neither does anybody else. Right now, Kidd is out there as the Knicks shooting guard(taking up precious real estate). Also, when did we start confusing Jason Kidd with Steve Kerr? Kidd was one of the best point guards ever in his prime, but he was never a great three point shooter. Kidd needs to play less minutes which will keep his legs fresher come playoff time, and he needs to be an extension of Coach Woodson on the floor.
There have been a few other teams in the trade rumors along with the Knicks. The Jazz have an overloaded front court, and I believe Paul Millsap will be moved before the deadline. The injury prone Celtics should look to make a trade before Thursday, but it doesn’t appear that will happen. Kevin Garnett will not waive his no-trade clause and Paul Pierce is a big name still. Even though he is past his prime, the Celtics are looking for way too much in return for Pierce. Another player who’s name has been all over the news is Josh Smith. In my estimation, he is very overrated, but someone will trade away too much to get him and will be moved before the deadline. At the 23rd hour, there are always surprise moves that happen. Stay tuned to see what goes down before the trade deadline. Enjoy the rest of the NBA season.
If you enjoy my writing here please go check out more of my work @ intheneutralzone.com. I am a contributing author there. Thanks and enjoy!
NBA All-Star Weekend(best by default)
The entire All-Star weekend can be summed up in one word, Blah. It is the best All-Star festivities of all the major sports, but it’s the best by default. The game itself is what it is, and I don’t expect that to change much in the future. It is a fun way for the NBA’s best to showcase their skills. The rest of the world had the pleasure of learning what some of us have known for about a year now, that Kyrie Irving is an exceptional talent. In two or three years, we will all be talking about Chris Paul and Kyrie Irving as the top point guards in the NBA. On a side note, everyone can stop talking about Lebron returning to Cleveland to team up with Kyrie, it’s not going to happen. I watched most of the events this weekend, but I watched simply because it was the only thing on television. I understand that All-Star weekend is meant for fun, but it needs to be revamped. It needs to regain it’s oomph. Yeah, I used the word oomph. The event with the most room for improvement is definitely the Slam Dunk Contest. I hope someone from the NBA catches wind of this article and takes the advice I’m about to give (for free). I spoke to this issue in my preview of the All-Star weekend, but the Slam Dunk Contest needs to be changed drastically. Literally the only part they’ve gotten right is that the players compete for a charity. Other than that, the event is a disaster. I think we can all agree we want to see the premier leapers and dunkers in the game in the contest. Everyone knows who I’m talking about (cough, Lebron, cough). The question is how do we get these Superstars to enter the dunk contest? We all know that money isn’t the answer(lord knows Lebron makes enough of that). Apparently it isn’t enough of an honor for them to do it willingly. So, how do we get the best players in the NBA to compete in the lowly dunk contest? The answer is to call them out; plain and simple. All the commentators and former players who have transformed into media personnel can joke about how scared Lebron is to fail, but what eats away at a self conscience Superstar like “King” James more than anything else? You need to tell him he can’t do it. What inspires athletes to succeed more than adversity? The answer to that would be nothing. You must also convince him that it really matters. You must convince him that it’s another notch that must be added to his belt of career achievements. And who must implore him and the other great leapers of the world to compete? None other than the man they all idolized as a kid, Michael “Air” Jordan. You all saw how quickly Lebron reacted when MJ told everyone he’d take Kobe over him any day of the week. I think it’s that simple. All the fans want is a better show. They want the guys they know can come up with new and innovative dunks to show off on the big stage. With a new and improved approach to All-Star Weekend, the NBA’s superstars are the only ones who can revive this special event. By the way, they really need to put a limit on the number of dunk attempts each contestant gets. A minute and a half is way too long to watch some no name try the same dunk over and over and over again (and they don’t get penalized for missing 1, 789 attempts before finally throwing it down). As the panel of Shaq, Charles, Kenny the Jet, and C Webb said, “We’ll call it the Birdman Rule.” All we want to see is the dunk contest come back to it’s original form. Will there be a savior or will it head toward extinction like the Pro Bowl?
The ugliest thing on TV since Sarah Jessica Parker
What an ugly game!! This game was sloppy to say the least. NO check that, this was literally the ugliest basketball game I’ve ever watched. Even when the Knicks got to the basket they forgot how to make layups!! I’ve never seen a professional basketball team miss so many layups. It was embarrassing. This was by far the Knicks worst loss of the season. In case you missed the game, they lost to the Toronto Raptors 92-88 on their own court. On top of the horrid performance, the officials in this game were horrible!! Do you want to know how you can tell the officials had an off night? When there are FIVE technical fouls given out in one quarter, that’s how. See, what happens when you let the “players play” is the game gets physical. And when the game gets too physical, it gets out of hand. That’s what took place in the 3rd quarter of this game. Frustration also set in with Carmelo Anthony. Melo became upset in the 1st quarter when he took the ball to the hole on two separate occasions looking to attack the basket. The defender attacked his arm instead, but the refs let each play go. From then on Melo became his own worst enemy. He proceeded to pick up a technical foul(his 10th if the season), and his rhythm and shooting stroke were both negatively effected. Do you know what Melo blamed for his worst game of the year(5-24 from the field)?!?!? He said he was playing with a dead arm. What the hell does that mean?? Everyone has been talking about his maturity, and is overall improvement this season. I have to be honest I don’t see a difference between 2013 Melo and 2008 Melo. He is still making excuses for his poor play. And if he really had a legitimate injury, then he shouldn’t have taken so many damn shots. He could have tried this thing, it’s a new concept called relying on your teammates. I know, that sounds wild. The bottom line is if he has really changed he would have stood up to the microphone and said, “I stunk it up tonight. This is my team so I put the blame for this loss totally on my shoulders. If I play better, we win, period.” That’s what I want to hear from the “new and improved” Carmelo Anthony. On a quick side note, where did Jason Kidd go and who is this guy wearing his jersey? This guy has been awful! I haven’t seen shooting this bad since Shaq at a free throw line. If there is one positive that can be taken away from this game it is that Iman Shumpert’s intensity seemed to be sky high. He played solid defense, attacked the boards(grabbing 7 rebounds in only 21 minutes), and pushed the ball nicely up the floor. The only question is why Mike Woodson isn’t playing him more than Jason Kidd??
I’ve been telling everyone for weeks that the Knicks are not as good as their record. That certainly is coming to fruition. Nothing has gone right for the Knicks as of late, and this break couldn’t come at a better time. The Knicks need to take some time off, clear their heads, and be ready to kick up their intensity. This will get them back to their winning ways. By the way, Melo is an underrated passer I just don’t think he knows that yet. He draws a double team virtually every time he gets the ball inside 18 feet. Like I wrote in my blog weeks ago, the best play I’ve seen from the Knicks is when Melo is penetrating and dishing to wide open players. Melo is still going to get his 20 shots a night, and believe it or not when you start passing more it opens the floor up for better looks for you too, not just your teammates. Then maybe they will have a balanced attack. I put the majority of the blame though on Coach Woodson’s shoulders. If you want to play a style of basketball that calls for a collaborative effort on both ends of the floor, then you better get your players to buy into that concept real quick. Come on Mike, do you want to take a trip to the NBA Finals, to be coach of the year, and to get a nice pay raise next year?? Then you better earn it!!
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My humblest apologies Mr. Jordan
Let me start by saying I think this discussion is down right ridiculous. I think the people who dare put Lebron James in the same sentence as Michael Jordan should be ashamed of themselves. I am simply here to defend Michael Jordan and his legacy. As usual, I have to educate those who can not educate themselves. It seems that fans and media personnel of this era live in the moment too much(thanks Facebook, thanks Twitter). It’s like people who saw Michael Jordan play forget just how dominant he was. And the people who never saw him play don’t do the proper research to understand and pay homage to his greatness. All they know is what is right in front of their face. Now I love having a thought provoking debate, but don’t you think we’re overreacting to Lebron’s accomplishments? NO? Not even a little bit? Okay, well let’s agree to disagree. I’m going to explain why all the Lebron fanatics are wrong.
We as responsible journalists must give Lebron all the credit he is due. He is the best player in the world right now. His combination of size, strength, leaping ability, and quickness are unmatched. The stretch he’s going through has never been seen before. Through his last six games his offensive efficiency is off the charts, averaging 30.8 points per game while shooting an amazing 72% from the field. As an all around talent we all know how talented Lebron is, and when it comes time for him to hang ’em up, I’m sure he will end up being one of the top 5 greatest players of all time(he has the potential to be the 2nd best of all-time, but not yet). With all that being said, we still need to bring all of the Jordan comparisons to a tire screeching halt. For those of you who never saw MJ play, or for those who are having selective memory loss, let me remind you just how GREAT he was. Michael Jordan played in 15 NBA seasons, one being cut short due to injury and another due to his first retirement. His list of accolades is too long to mention every one, so I will do my best to highlight the most impressive ones. MJ was the NBA MVP 5 times and also won 10 scoring titles. He won rookie of the year, defensive player of the year, and was the leagues leader in steals 3 separate times. Last but not least, he appeared in 6 NBA Finals where he won all 6 and was named the Finals MVP in all 6. Not only did he win every Finals he ever played in, but the opposition never even took his greatness to a decisive game 7. Michael was also one of the best on ball defenders the league has ever seen. The list keeps going and going, but I think we all understand that Michael Jordan is the best basketball player that ever played. Period. The things that didn’t show up on the stat sheet were the things we really loved about Michael. His incredible will to win, his uncanny trash talk during games, and his incredible ability to hit game winning shots in the clutch. Those attributes are part of what made Michael so great. By the way, just imagine if Michael never took almost two years off in the middle of his prime to play baseball and never retired the 2nd time. I think he’d have at least 2 more championship trophies in his trophy room at home. I’m just saying, unfortunately we’ll never know what could have happened.
Now, the problem is ever since MJ finished his final game a decade ago everyone has been searching for the heir to his thrown. For Lebron, this all started back in Akron, Ohio when the media donned him as the Next MJ. This task has always put too much pressure on Lebron and forced him to live up to a standard rather than be himself. During the early part of his career, that pressure brought about insecurities and highlighted his mental weakness. For an athlete of his stature to care what people think about him is astonishing to me. From the pressure of carrying a mediocre Cavaliers squad to the NBA Finals(and get swept) to his departure to South Beach, he has shown that the pressure was too much to handle. He seems to finally be finding his stride, and we are witnessing Lebron in his prime. Lebron’s ceiling is to become the 2nd best player of all time. To do that he needs to win at least 4 or more titles and at least 3 or more MVP’s. However, I still think to be compared to MJ you need to be “the guy” and not use such a talented supporting cast to win titles. Most people think I’m being ridiculous but if you want to be compared to the best, your greatness needs to stick out like a sore thumb. And just like Kobe, you can’t be the best who ever did it when you play with the likes of Shaq. Sorry.
The bottom line is we live in the society of the “knee-jerk reaction”. This has caused the sports world to act and react to everything in a matter of seconds. It’s good because we can stay current and up to date with important events, but it’s bad because we jump to conclusions too quickly when it comes to athletes, teams, and coaches. Everyone needs to pump the brakes with this Lebron vs. MJ talk, and just let Lebron be Lebron. I promise you will enjoy his achievements much more, and we will also realize that there has always been and will always be 1 Michael Jordan.
P.S. Happy 50th Birthday Michael!!
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It’s definitely better than the Pro Bowl, but the NBA’s All-Star Weekend is no slam dunk
Come Thursday night, the NBA will wind down the first half of the season with two thrillers. First, you will have a rematch of the NBA Finals from last season as Miami travels to Oklahoma City(and this could very well be a preview of this year’s finals as well), and then you will have a showdown in the city of angels. The Clippers will try to continue their winning ways against their cross building rivals(get it, I said cross building instead of cross town because they play in the same arena, well at least I thought it was funny), the Lakers. Once the final buzzer sounds on that contest, it’s off to Houston for the 2013 All-Star Weekend festivities. Now I know that the All-Star Game’s TV ratings have been climbing the past couple of years, until last year(“hey, let’s put the All-Star Game on TV at the same time as the Oscars!!” “Good idea!!”, said the two employees who were surely fired as soon as the ratings came out). However, I believe the NBA is not maximizing it’s potential throughout the entire weekend.
The game itself is not what I have a problem with. You can’t make superstars try in a game that is solely meant to be an honor. The game gets good enough ratings as is, and I still tune in because basketball is fun to watch when the score is 184-179. You get to watch the NBA’s elite throw alley oops to each other, and in the off chance that the game is close down the stretch they do actually try. The one problem that I have with the game is actually the voting process. This game is meant to showcase the leagues best players. It is not meant to be a popularity contest. I understand why the NBA allows fans to vote but it ruins the integrity of All-Star appearances. Think about it. When the talking heads debate whether or not someone is a hall of famer don’t they always bring up how many All-Star teams they’ve been on? How are you going to tell me that Joe Schmo from his couch, who doesn’t even know the first thing about basketball(he has heard of Kevin Garnett though), should have any say in who gets in the hall of fame? Most people would probably say, “you’re overreacting, it’s just the All-Star game.” That’s my point. This weekend should matter. It should be an honor for the best players in the league to say, “I’m an All-Star.” I think the NBA should allow a combination of the coaches and hall of fame committees to vote on All-Star appearances. If the committees aren’t willing to get involved with active players then the NBA should decide on a collection of well respected basketball journalists to vote on the All-Star game.
The biggest problem I have with this weekend is what happens on Saturday. These days, the slam dunk contest is essentially a joke. Remember when the slam dunk contest used to mean something? And it was more exciting then the game itself? Yeah, me too. But those days are long gone. One of my most vivid memories of any All-Star game is Vince Carter’s spectacular dunk fest of 2000. Carter threw down one unbelievable dunk after another, putting together a highlight reel for the ages. If you ask me, that is still the single greatest slam dunk performance of all time. No offense Mr. Jordan, but I’m sure you were watching the beginning of Vinsanity too. Anyone remember who assisted Carter in that slam dunk contest?? No peaking at the video, that’s cheating. Yes, it was a young Tracy Mcgrady. The most memorable moments in slam dunk history are definitely Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins in the 80’s battling it out for the title of slam dunk champion. That concept seems laughable now a days, and that’s what has me steaming mad. Michael Jordan was the best player in the NBA every time he competed in the slam dunk contest(hell, he was the best player whenever he did anything). Fans also got to see greats like Clyde Drexler and Scottie Pippen perform once upon a time. That is what the fans want to see today. They want the best players in the league to battle it out like the slam dunk contest still means something. You have to be an avid basketball fan to even know who the competitors are in this years contest. No offense to the guys competing, but are you tuning in to watch Terrence Ross? Nope, didn’t think so. Lebron James and the rest of the superstars of the league are doing the NBA a disservice by not competing. They are only hurting themselves and their brand by not putting together the best show possible at a star studded weekend. I mean, it’s not like any of the guys we want to see would be inconvenienced by competing. They are already going to be in Houston. Instead of tweeting little jokes to cause a stir about possibly maybe hopefully competing in the dunk contest(what a subtle way to get attention buddy), Lebron should come on TV and emphatically say, “I’m going to bring the dunk contest back to life by competing in it and winning it!” If he did that and implored other superstar dunkers like Russell Westbrook to compete, everyone else would follow suit. Listen I’ll still be watching all the events this weekend, including New York Knick James White in the dunk contest, but don’t tell me you wouldn’t rather see Lebron do a 720 dunk or watch him dunk from the 3-point line. Insert haha here…
Here’s the slam dunk roster I would like to see:
Lebron James, Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin, J.R. Smith, Javele McGee, and Josh Smith
Now tell me you wouldn’t tune in to watch that!
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Dave Talks Sports 