Jed Jacobsohn/Getty ImagesAt one point the Raptors sat at 5th place in the NBA Eastern Conference, believe it or not. However after some major struggles and disappointing losses they find themselves struggling to stay in the NBA playoffs. It a sad story no doubt. Especially from my point of view. The Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers #86 Hines Ward Realtree camo Jersey
Raptors were really good this season, something Toronto teams never are. There were high hopes set on them by the basketball fans in Toronto and we would have to slowly watch our hopes shatter. The Raptors dropped some key games and proved their 5th place seating was somewhat of a fluke and that they did not get there by their talent. Im not saying the Raptors aren a good squad, they are, but they are having their issues no doubt.Just tonight the Toronto Raptors played the Golden State Warriors and they had an excellent opportunity to win the game and walk away in a positive way. Instead they lost in a brutal score of 113-112. 1 point games are about as crushing as you can get. Especially considering what happened at the end of the game. Chris Bosh had the ball, he had a chance for the lay up, the two points and the victory. Instead it turned out to be a miss and all us Raptors fans had to say was, What the hell just happened? Sad story, really sad story.However, you cannot look past the great game that Chris Bosh had. He led the Raptors in the points category in this game with a whopping 42 points, not exactly something to shake a stick at. Pretty impressive, Im not done though. He also had the team lead for rebounds with 12 in this one. Despite the great stats he was still very disappointed with his last second screw up. I guess the little things overshadow the big things.There is no doubt that the Chicago Bulls are breathing right down the Raptors necks for the 8th and final playoff spotReebok Pittsburgh Steelers James Harrison Realtree camo Jersey
in the Eastern Conference. They are only 1.0 back of the Raptors for the last playoff spot so one screw up could cost the Raptors everything and from what we have seen this season, that won be too hard to get.The Raptors haven exactly been the best example of a consistent team, or dominant for that matter. They were the poster boys for teams that break down under the pressure and as much as we Toronto Raptors fans hate to hear it, it the absolute truth. There no denying the fact that our Raptors crack when the spotlight is pointing at them.Well they have the spotlight on them one more time. Thequestion they are being faced with is if theyhave what it takes to hold on and stop the bleeding before it to relate. The thing is, no one is really sure. The Raptors have plenty of talent on their team that they could definitely find themselves winning the games in the end, but they have not shown that quality as of late.They are exactly at .500 at this point with arecord of 38-38.Obviously Raptors fans want to see the first38 increase rather than the second, Bullsfans obviously wanting the exact opposite. With only a few more games left in the NBA Regular Season it is the Raptorsresponsibility to their fans to get the job done and stop losing the games they know they can win.That right, I said it. It their responsibility to the fans. Toronto is not exactly sports capital of the world. TheMaple Leafs, Blue Jays, Toronto F.C., Argonauts, etc. are notexactly the epitome of success. The Raptors are the only shining lightin this dark tunnel of Toronto teams and we don want the light to disappear.So with that there only one more thing to say,Go Raps Go!This article was originally posted onThe Sports Dossierunder the name "Toronto Raptors Are Breaking Down Before Reebok San Francisco 49ers #21 Frank GORE Realtree camo Jersey
OurEyes." Check out more great pieces from our talented staff of writers.If you're a writer who thinks they have what it takes to write about NHL, NBA, MLB, MMA, NFL,
2010年12月30日星期四
2010年12月29日星期三
29 Dec 10 Uncontested Shots: Who Are the NBA's Best and Worst General Managers?
Mike Stobe/Getty ImagesMy Fansided colleague, Drew Decker, wrote a post last August on basketball website Sir Charles In Charge listing who he felt were the league's 10 worst general managers.While I agreed with most of his list, I took exception to a couple of namesmost notably, the Milwaukee Bucks' New York Giants jersey
John Hammond.Decker and I exchanged opinions until we agreed to disagree. My contention was based on what I perceive to be a general manager's No. 1 priority, and that's doing what his owner asks of him.At the time that Hammond traded Richard Jefferson to the Spurs for expiring contracts there were rumors that Bucks owner Senator Herb Kohl was planning to sell the team.So while the trade wasn't great in terms of basketball sense it did remove the last two seasons of Jefferson's monstrous deal from the team's payroll in exchange for just one more season of expiring contracts.My point being that Hammond was only doing what he was ordered to do and therefore was either doing a good job or it was too soon to judge him.It got me thinking about the criteria that should be used to determine the performance of a GM. Is it winning or putting a culture of winning in place that can be sustained over time? Is it solely about obeying the wishes of the owner? Is it in how he drafts, trades, and signs free agents?Does the criteria change depending on the market size and/or legacy of a particular team?Looking back on the moves Hammond has made you can't help but think he no longer deserves to be on anyone's list of the worst GMsas Decker even admits to in his follow-up piece on Pacman Jones posted this past week.He hired Scott Skiles as the team's head coach. He drafted Brandon Jennings, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, and Jodie Meeks. He signed Andrew Bogut to a 5-year, $72 million extension right before his breakout season. He brought Ersan Ilyasova back from Europe and he traded for Carlos Delfino and John Salmons.Those are the good things.Hammond is also the man responsible for selecting Joe Alexander with the eighth overall pick in the draft.But Hammond's Bucks finished the season 10 games above .500 and are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2006.In addition, Hammond has positioned them to be major players in 2011-12 when the contract of Michael Redd finally comes off the books.Decker still docks Hammond points for his unwillingness to trade Michael Redd when he had the chance. But as was the case with Jefferson, there weren't a lot of teams looking to add a big-money contract. Most teams are either trying to trim payroll in anticipation of this summer's free agent bonanza or are cutting expenses because they're losing a ton of money.Forget for a second that Jefferson hasn't really worked out in San Antonio as well as New York Jets jersey
some, including myself, expected.What I told Decker at the time was that the Bucks were so excited that someone was willing to take Jefferson's contract from them that Hammond probably wasn't going to keep exploring his options and take a chance that the Spurs would change their mind and go after Vince Carter instead.As for Redd, I can't imagine teams were itching to trade for the right to pay a guy coming off of knee surgery $35 million over the next two seasonsand that was before his most recent season-ending knee injury.The rest of Decker's original list of the league's worst GMs is as follows. Keep in mind that Decker made his list before the season started and approached it with a "What have you done for me lately" mentality.10) Sam Presti9) Joe Dumars8) Danny Ferry7) Jeff Bower6) Geoff Petrie5) Ed Stefanski4) John Hammond3) Mike Dunleavy2) David Kahn1) Chris WallaceYou can't argue with Stefanski, Kahn, and the since-fired Dunleavy. But there are other guys on the list that don't deserve to be there.And that brings me back to my original premise.What makes a good GM?In breaking down the league's general managers it isn't fair to lump them all onto one list because each of them has different objectives depending on the current state of their team.Therefore, it's best to put each GM in one of five categories and see where they rank accordingly.The categories are:1) Those who are trying to position themselves for free agency and/or rebuild right now.2) Those who wish they could rebuild right now but can't.3) Those who are trying to win championships now.4) Those who are trying to win championships within economic constraints.5) Those who have their nucleus in place and are just positioning themselves to try to win a championship within the next two-three years.These rankings are based solely on how these GMs have performed in trying to achieve each stated goal and not on their careers as league executives.While many of the guys on this list don't necessarily have the title of general manager, they are the men responsible for player personnel decisions.Those Who Are Trying To Rebuild Right Now (From Worst to Best) These are the teams that have their sights set on this summer's draft and/or the plethora of free agents who will be available. Their main objective over the past two years has been to trade for expiring contracts and acquire draft picks for a draft that is considered to be deep due to the threat of a work stoppage next year.7) Neil Olshey, Los Angeles ClippersOlshey is the Clippers' interim GM in the wake of the team's firing of Dunleavy and will most likely be replaced before next season.It's tough to put any of the blame for another dismal Clippers season Oakland Raiders jersey
on him, but unlike the other teams on this list the Clippers had high expectations for this season.Olshey is just keeping the space warm for whomever inherits one of the worst jobsif not the worst jobin sports.6) Ernie Grunfeld, Washington WizardsSpeaking of high expectations, before the start of the season the Wizards were thought by many to be the clear-cut fifth-best team in the Eastern Conference.Even before Gilbert Arenas decided to hold a gun show in the Wizards' locker room the team had greatly underachieved.So what did Grunfeld do? He traded Jamison, Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, and DeShawn Stevenson for Al Thornton, expiring contracts, and draft picks and will now try to lure free agents to a team that has Arenas' league-worst contract and not much else.Good luck with that.5) Rod Thorn, New Jersey NetsThorn has spent the past two years trying to shed payroll and acquire guys on rookie contracts with his sights set on this summer's free agent class. So out went Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson, and Vince Carter, and in came Devin Harris, Brook Lopez, Yi Jianlian, Courtney Lee, and Terrence Williams.While Thorn has done an excellent job in shedding contracts and replacing them with low-cost talent his team still flirted with the worst record in league history.So even though Thorn should be able to acquire some talent with all of that cap space he will be hard-pressed to get any of the A-list free agents to sign with a team that won 12 games. It wasn't that long ago that some considered the Nets the biggest threat to steal LeBron James from the Cavs.Notice how nobody even talks about it anymore despite James's status as lapdog to Nets co-owner, Jay-Z.4) Geoff Petrie, Sacramento KingsAs for Petrie, nobody really knows what he's trying to do.
John Hammond.Decker and I exchanged opinions until we agreed to disagree. My contention was based on what I perceive to be a general manager's No. 1 priority, and that's doing what his owner asks of him.At the time that Hammond traded Richard Jefferson to the Spurs for expiring contracts there were rumors that Bucks owner Senator Herb Kohl was planning to sell the team.So while the trade wasn't great in terms of basketball sense it did remove the last two seasons of Jefferson's monstrous deal from the team's payroll in exchange for just one more season of expiring contracts.My point being that Hammond was only doing what he was ordered to do and therefore was either doing a good job or it was too soon to judge him.It got me thinking about the criteria that should be used to determine the performance of a GM. Is it winning or putting a culture of winning in place that can be sustained over time? Is it solely about obeying the wishes of the owner? Is it in how he drafts, trades, and signs free agents?Does the criteria change depending on the market size and/or legacy of a particular team?Looking back on the moves Hammond has made you can't help but think he no longer deserves to be on anyone's list of the worst GMsas Decker even admits to in his follow-up piece on Pacman Jones posted this past week.He hired Scott Skiles as the team's head coach. He drafted Brandon Jennings, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, and Jodie Meeks. He signed Andrew Bogut to a 5-year, $72 million extension right before his breakout season. He brought Ersan Ilyasova back from Europe and he traded for Carlos Delfino and John Salmons.Those are the good things.Hammond is also the man responsible for selecting Joe Alexander with the eighth overall pick in the draft.But Hammond's Bucks finished the season 10 games above .500 and are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2006.In addition, Hammond has positioned them to be major players in 2011-12 when the contract of Michael Redd finally comes off the books.Decker still docks Hammond points for his unwillingness to trade Michael Redd when he had the chance. But as was the case with Jefferson, there weren't a lot of teams looking to add a big-money contract. Most teams are either trying to trim payroll in anticipation of this summer's free agent bonanza or are cutting expenses because they're losing a ton of money.Forget for a second that Jefferson hasn't really worked out in San Antonio as well as New York Jets jersey
some, including myself, expected.What I told Decker at the time was that the Bucks were so excited that someone was willing to take Jefferson's contract from them that Hammond probably wasn't going to keep exploring his options and take a chance that the Spurs would change their mind and go after Vince Carter instead.As for Redd, I can't imagine teams were itching to trade for the right to pay a guy coming off of knee surgery $35 million over the next two seasonsand that was before his most recent season-ending knee injury.The rest of Decker's original list of the league's worst GMs is as follows. Keep in mind that Decker made his list before the season started and approached it with a "What have you done for me lately" mentality.10) Sam Presti9) Joe Dumars8) Danny Ferry7) Jeff Bower6) Geoff Petrie5) Ed Stefanski4) John Hammond3) Mike Dunleavy2) David Kahn1) Chris WallaceYou can't argue with Stefanski, Kahn, and the since-fired Dunleavy. But there are other guys on the list that don't deserve to be there.And that brings me back to my original premise.What makes a good GM?In breaking down the league's general managers it isn't fair to lump them all onto one list because each of them has different objectives depending on the current state of their team.Therefore, it's best to put each GM in one of five categories and see where they rank accordingly.The categories are:1) Those who are trying to position themselves for free agency and/or rebuild right now.2) Those who wish they could rebuild right now but can't.3) Those who are trying to win championships now.4) Those who are trying to win championships within economic constraints.5) Those who have their nucleus in place and are just positioning themselves to try to win a championship within the next two-three years.These rankings are based solely on how these GMs have performed in trying to achieve each stated goal and not on their careers as league executives.While many of the guys on this list don't necessarily have the title of general manager, they are the men responsible for player personnel decisions.Those Who Are Trying To Rebuild Right Now (From Worst to Best) These are the teams that have their sights set on this summer's draft and/or the plethora of free agents who will be available. Their main objective over the past two years has been to trade for expiring contracts and acquire draft picks for a draft that is considered to be deep due to the threat of a work stoppage next year.7) Neil Olshey, Los Angeles ClippersOlshey is the Clippers' interim GM in the wake of the team's firing of Dunleavy and will most likely be replaced before next season.It's tough to put any of the blame for another dismal Clippers season Oakland Raiders jersey
on him, but unlike the other teams on this list the Clippers had high expectations for this season.Olshey is just keeping the space warm for whomever inherits one of the worst jobsif not the worst jobin sports.6) Ernie Grunfeld, Washington WizardsSpeaking of high expectations, before the start of the season the Wizards were thought by many to be the clear-cut fifth-best team in the Eastern Conference.Even before Gilbert Arenas decided to hold a gun show in the Wizards' locker room the team had greatly underachieved.So what did Grunfeld do? He traded Jamison, Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, and DeShawn Stevenson for Al Thornton, expiring contracts, and draft picks and will now try to lure free agents to a team that has Arenas' league-worst contract and not much else.Good luck with that.5) Rod Thorn, New Jersey NetsThorn has spent the past two years trying to shed payroll and acquire guys on rookie contracts with his sights set on this summer's free agent class. So out went Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson, and Vince Carter, and in came Devin Harris, Brook Lopez, Yi Jianlian, Courtney Lee, and Terrence Williams.While Thorn has done an excellent job in shedding contracts and replacing them with low-cost talent his team still flirted with the worst record in league history.So even though Thorn should be able to acquire some talent with all of that cap space he will be hard-pressed to get any of the A-list free agents to sign with a team that won 12 games. It wasn't that long ago that some considered the Nets the biggest threat to steal LeBron James from the Cavs.Notice how nobody even talks about it anymore despite James's status as lapdog to Nets co-owner, Jay-Z.4) Geoff Petrie, Sacramento KingsAs for Petrie, nobody really knows what he's trying to do.
2010年12月28日星期二
28 Dec 10 Kobe Bryant-LeBron James: The Dream NBA Finals That Might Never Happen
The NBA, Nike, and their TV partners (ABC and TNT) have been selling this dream finals ever since LeBron was drafted No. 1 overall.Everything has been done by these two franchises to see this dream final comes to pass, a Kobe-LeBron finals will be a blockbuster series in every way possible and in these hard times, the league and its partners really needs it.So, what have they done so far to make this dream a reality?Kobe and LeBron have arguably the first and second best teams in the NBA, Kobe is a part of perhaps the best ran sports franchise in America and they have once again put together a cast of talent that can continue winning championships for the next two to three years.LeBron on the other hand has an organization faced with the presence of New Orleans Saints jersey
a once in a generation talent and just like the Chicago Bulls in the late 80, they are working tirelessly to ensure they are able to get the best result possible out of this talent.The Cleveland Cavalier are faced with the possibility of losing LeBron to a big market franchise and have thus put together a squad built to win a championship today.Now, let talk reality.The Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers face some very tough challenges this year in the playoffs.From the article Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in a World of Trouble (Berber-shop Conversations)"Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in a World of Trouble (Berber-shop Conversations) :In two previous seasons the Lakers have always played their best basketball at the end of the regular season and roar into the playoffs, this season they literally crawled into the playoffs.Kobe had been carry this team all season long and it continuing again in the playoffs. In game two of the first round playoffs series against the Oklahoma Thunder, no one on the Lakers team was willing to take a shot and the best closer in the game today essentially grabbed the ball and said "Stop me," scoring 15 fourth-quarter points, including six consecutive after the Lakers fell behind.That has become the mantra of this Lakers team; Derek Fisher just looks tired, Bynum can stay healthy, Artest can seem to pick up the triangle offense, Lamar and Gasol though solid on some nights are still performing disappearing acts most nights.The Lakers bench the main reason they won last year seems to be more than content with the ring they already won. This team has become so dependent on Kobe that Phil Jackson played the 14 year veteran an average of 40 minutes a game this season.Click here to read the complete article.In the second round series between the Los Angelis Lakers and the Utah Jazz this trend continues, in game one the black mamba had to take over the game again in the fourth quarter while everyone else just sat back from the best seats in the arena and watched Kobe win another game for them.Yes, the rest of he cast came around and helped out in game two with Bynum, Gasol, and Odom posting double-doubles and crushing the spirit of the Utah jazz in the fourth quarter.And like I said above, this has become the major issue with the Lakers. Kobe supporting cast have not been consistent and though they are the best team in the league talent wise, they don play like it on most nights.The West has some of the NBA best talents as evident in the The NBA Best Players 2009-2010 A-List Edition with the West having more players ranked than the East teams.Click here to see the complete list.NBA New York Giants jersey
History reveals that experience will always beat talent and with the west boosting some of the best talents and experience, the Lakers inconsistencies might have worked well to eliminate the young and inexperienced Oklahoma Thunder and might be good enough to eliminate the shorthanded Jazz.But, the second Western conference semi final has two of the most consistent and experienced teams still left in the playoffs in San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns.From the article Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in a World of Trouble (Berber-shop Conversations) : San Antonio by virtue of the talent and experience on the team are the Lakers true threat if they ever meet. The other true contender is the Phoenix Suns.Steve Nash who in the article The NBA Best Players 2009-2010 was ranked number two by the A-List team and deservingly so, is playing at a different level, no matter which players are removed or added to this team the Phoenix Suns never miss a beat.The Suns have the personal to match up well against the Lakers and have the experience needed too.The Spurs and the Suns unlike the Lakers are playing the best basketball of any team right now and everyone on the squad contributes equally helping the stars on the teams to play more relaxed basketball.If the Lakers don start playing consistent basketball, look for the Spurs or the Suns in the NBA Finals.Unlike Kobe who is playing for arguably the best coach in the game today in Phil Jackson, LeBron James biggest problem in my opinion is he coach.While Mike Brown seems to be a very good defensive coachhe has no idea has to run an offense.Daniel Gibson, Delonte West, and Mo Williams are all good point guards in some respects and yet LeBron James runs the offense while everyone else stands around. Mike Browns strategy: give the ball to LeBron and hope for the best.Last year Eastern conference Finals, Mike Brown was out coached by Van Gundy and his excuse: we couldn stop Dwight Howard. Ok, now they have Shaquille ONeal and in the three games this year against the Orlando Magic Dwight was completely subdued. So I guess that took care of that. So now we await this year excuse.From the article LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers a runaway Freight Train The Cleveland Cavalier are the deepest and the most complete team in East, with the addition of Antawn Jamison and Shaquille ONeal the Cavs are a match-up nightmare for the best in the League and that where the problem begins for the rest of the East.Boston, Orlando and the Atlanta Hawks are the other good teams in the east and each team has its own major issues.In a team New York Jets jersey
with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo has become the super star, as the other stars on the team continue to struggle while Rondo has been as steady as a rock and the main reason they are still competitive. With stats like PPG: 13.7 RPG: 4.40 APG: 9.8 Rondo is ranked 12th on The NBA Best Players 2009-2010 by the A-List and is the only Boston Celtic on the top 15. Click here to see the complete List.But, experience will always beat talent, hence pedigree says that, by virtue of the championship rings that litter their starting lineupthe Celtics are the only team in the East with Championship experience. From the article LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers a runaway Freight Train . Click here to read the complete article.Everyone seems to have written off the Boston Celtics as old and tired and already placed LeBron and the Cavs in the NBA Finals. The only problem with that is: the Celtics might be old but you can be rest assured, they are not tired.This is a championship caliber group of guys and just like the San Antonio Spurs in the west, these guys know how to win it all.The Orlando Magic on the other hand looked like they are ready to make a run again at the NBA finals with a very impressive beat down of the Atlanta Hawks in game one of the Eastern Conference semi finals.Again from the article LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers a runaway Freight Train : The Magic are the biggest disappointment in my book and Van Gundy is up to his old tricks. In Miami he was unable to include Shaq into his offense; Pat Riley took over and won a championship.Then for some dumb reason the Orlando Magic with a younger version of Shaq in Dwight Howard hired a Oakland Raiders jersey
coach who does not know how to use big men in his offensive strategies.Dwight Howard is not a part of the offense, he makes his baskets from rebounds or a pass to him after all other options has been exhausted. A team like this cannot be a threat to a team like the Cavs or the Celtics.So, will the Cavs meet the Lakers in the Finals? Or better still, are we going to have a LeBron-Kobe Final?A consistent Lakers team and a change in Mike Brown strategy is what is needed to have that dream come true this year.We don know how many good years Kobe really has in him.So if it doesn happen this year, it might never happen again.
a once in a generation talent and just like the Chicago Bulls in the late 80, they are working tirelessly to ensure they are able to get the best result possible out of this talent.The Cleveland Cavalier are faced with the possibility of losing LeBron to a big market franchise and have thus put together a squad built to win a championship today.Now, let talk reality.The Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers face some very tough challenges this year in the playoffs.From the article Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in a World of Trouble (Berber-shop Conversations)"Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in a World of Trouble (Berber-shop Conversations) :In two previous seasons the Lakers have always played their best basketball at the end of the regular season and roar into the playoffs, this season they literally crawled into the playoffs.Kobe had been carry this team all season long and it continuing again in the playoffs. In game two of the first round playoffs series against the Oklahoma Thunder, no one on the Lakers team was willing to take a shot and the best closer in the game today essentially grabbed the ball and said "Stop me," scoring 15 fourth-quarter points, including six consecutive after the Lakers fell behind.That has become the mantra of this Lakers team; Derek Fisher just looks tired, Bynum can stay healthy, Artest can seem to pick up the triangle offense, Lamar and Gasol though solid on some nights are still performing disappearing acts most nights.The Lakers bench the main reason they won last year seems to be more than content with the ring they already won. This team has become so dependent on Kobe that Phil Jackson played the 14 year veteran an average of 40 minutes a game this season.Click here to read the complete article.In the second round series between the Los Angelis Lakers and the Utah Jazz this trend continues, in game one the black mamba had to take over the game again in the fourth quarter while everyone else just sat back from the best seats in the arena and watched Kobe win another game for them.Yes, the rest of he cast came around and helped out in game two with Bynum, Gasol, and Odom posting double-doubles and crushing the spirit of the Utah jazz in the fourth quarter.And like I said above, this has become the major issue with the Lakers. Kobe supporting cast have not been consistent and though they are the best team in the league talent wise, they don play like it on most nights.The West has some of the NBA best talents as evident in the The NBA Best Players 2009-2010 A-List Edition with the West having more players ranked than the East teams.Click here to see the complete list.NBA New York Giants jersey
History reveals that experience will always beat talent and with the west boosting some of the best talents and experience, the Lakers inconsistencies might have worked well to eliminate the young and inexperienced Oklahoma Thunder and might be good enough to eliminate the shorthanded Jazz.But, the second Western conference semi final has two of the most consistent and experienced teams still left in the playoffs in San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns.From the article Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in a World of Trouble (Berber-shop Conversations) : San Antonio by virtue of the talent and experience on the team are the Lakers true threat if they ever meet. The other true contender is the Phoenix Suns.Steve Nash who in the article The NBA Best Players 2009-2010 was ranked number two by the A-List team and deservingly so, is playing at a different level, no matter which players are removed or added to this team the Phoenix Suns never miss a beat.The Suns have the personal to match up well against the Lakers and have the experience needed too.The Spurs and the Suns unlike the Lakers are playing the best basketball of any team right now and everyone on the squad contributes equally helping the stars on the teams to play more relaxed basketball.If the Lakers don start playing consistent basketball, look for the Spurs or the Suns in the NBA Finals.Unlike Kobe who is playing for arguably the best coach in the game today in Phil Jackson, LeBron James biggest problem in my opinion is he coach.While Mike Brown seems to be a very good defensive coachhe has no idea has to run an offense.Daniel Gibson, Delonte West, and Mo Williams are all good point guards in some respects and yet LeBron James runs the offense while everyone else stands around. Mike Browns strategy: give the ball to LeBron and hope for the best.Last year Eastern conference Finals, Mike Brown was out coached by Van Gundy and his excuse: we couldn stop Dwight Howard. Ok, now they have Shaquille ONeal and in the three games this year against the Orlando Magic Dwight was completely subdued. So I guess that took care of that. So now we await this year excuse.From the article LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers a runaway Freight Train The Cleveland Cavalier are the deepest and the most complete team in East, with the addition of Antawn Jamison and Shaquille ONeal the Cavs are a match-up nightmare for the best in the League and that where the problem begins for the rest of the East.Boston, Orlando and the Atlanta Hawks are the other good teams in the east and each team has its own major issues.In a team New York Jets jersey
with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo has become the super star, as the other stars on the team continue to struggle while Rondo has been as steady as a rock and the main reason they are still competitive. With stats like PPG: 13.7 RPG: 4.40 APG: 9.8 Rondo is ranked 12th on The NBA Best Players 2009-2010 by the A-List and is the only Boston Celtic on the top 15. Click here to see the complete List.But, experience will always beat talent, hence pedigree says that, by virtue of the championship rings that litter their starting lineupthe Celtics are the only team in the East with Championship experience. From the article LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers a runaway Freight Train . Click here to read the complete article.Everyone seems to have written off the Boston Celtics as old and tired and already placed LeBron and the Cavs in the NBA Finals. The only problem with that is: the Celtics might be old but you can be rest assured, they are not tired.This is a championship caliber group of guys and just like the San Antonio Spurs in the west, these guys know how to win it all.The Orlando Magic on the other hand looked like they are ready to make a run again at the NBA finals with a very impressive beat down of the Atlanta Hawks in game one of the Eastern Conference semi finals.Again from the article LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers a runaway Freight Train : The Magic are the biggest disappointment in my book and Van Gundy is up to his old tricks. In Miami he was unable to include Shaq into his offense; Pat Riley took over and won a championship.Then for some dumb reason the Orlando Magic with a younger version of Shaq in Dwight Howard hired a Oakland Raiders jersey
coach who does not know how to use big men in his offensive strategies.Dwight Howard is not a part of the offense, he makes his baskets from rebounds or a pass to him after all other options has been exhausted. A team like this cannot be a threat to a team like the Cavs or the Celtics.So, will the Cavs meet the Lakers in the Finals? Or better still, are we going to have a LeBron-Kobe Final?A consistent Lakers team and a change in Mike Brown strategy is what is needed to have that dream come true this year.We don know how many good years Kobe really has in him.So if it doesn happen this year, it might never happen again.
2010年12月27日星期一
27 Dec 10 Don't Despair, New Jersey
Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesHi, New Jersey.You may remember me. A couple of years ago, me and my cousin came to the Shore with fake IDs.For the record you should tell your bouncers to keep the names of famous Indian cricketers on hand. Don let in any Indian kid who carries an out-of-state Drivers License' with the names Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar (among others) and a non-American accent. Heaps fun anyway.A lot of people mock your state. I don.I like New Jersey.I love your Italian food, although itHouston Texans jersey
doesn quite compare to the food from Italy or Norton St back homeYour roads are the only ones Ive driven on and felt at home amongst thousands of other crazy, reckless drivers who think everything can be justified by yelling at the guy who tried cutting him off.Plus, you gave me and the world the Jersey Shore, both the place and the incomparable TV show.And you have the Nets.Every time this year when Ive been despondent and thought that God hates the Warriors, Ive consoled myself by remembering that God clearly hates the Nets more.However, the silver lining was closer for you guys than it was to us. Not only were you bought out by a mad Russian with more money than your average small African nation (no disrespect to small African nations or anyone from them), but you had the best shot at the first overall pick.We all know how that turned out.God must really hate you guys.Or does he?In not giving the Nets the first pick, the big man upstairs may just have done them a huge favour.Yes, yes, I know what you guys are thinking. You lost John Wall.Alright well deal with it! If you took Wall, you would have either had to trade him or trade Devin Harris. And who to say you would have plugged your main hole (power forward) with a Harris trade?You probably lost Evan Turner. You guys have three young wings (Courtney Lee, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Terrence Williams) who are only gonna get better.You do, however, have a shot at getting Derrick Favors. With a bow on.This pick is near-perfect for the Nets. Favors isn predicted to be automatically NBA-ready, but every scout worth his salt is raving about his upside. Comparisons to Dwight Howard on defense and Amare Stoudemire on offense are the order of the day with Favors. Indianapolis Colts jersey
Drafting Favors allows him to learn on the job as a starter from day one. So what if he makes a few mistakes as a rookie? He gets the chance to develop a pick-and-roll combo with Harris that could match anyone out there if given a chance to truly reach their potential together.Plus, the Nets still have Brook Lopez as a consistent double double threat and a low-post scorer. Once he learns to pass out of double teams a bit better, hell be knocking on the door of the best centers in the league.If Favors can develop his 12-20 foot jump shot, the Nets are left with an inside-outside threat from their young forwards. What team couldn use that?Plus, your wing talent isn too shabby either. Terrence Williams will be a perpetual triple-double threat in a couple of years. CDR can flat out score when he feeling it if he improves his range to behind the arc, he will be an even greater threat. Courtney Lee is a solid glue guy, the type of player who could be a great sixth man.If Harris continues to improve as a playmaker and further develop as a pointguard, he and Yi coming off the bench to stretch the floor, along with a decent three point shooter and another big man, you have a nine man rotation that could well become the Bennett City Hijackers of the East in a couple of years. That is, a young, talented team with great chemistry that will only continue to develop and get better.If Prokhorov can bring in a couple of free agents (massive salaries and a lifetime supply of Russian vodka are quite tempting), all the better for you guys.But even if he can, just ponder the future for a second.In two years, the team moves into Brooklyn. You have the best pick and roll duo in the league since Steve Nash retired. Your center dominates in the paint and is a consistent 20-10 guy. Jacksonville Jaguars jersey
Your wings are triple-double threats who could go off on any given night. Everyone on the team is buddy-buddy and there a great vibe hanging around.If you love basketball and want to see your team win, who wouldn want that?Maybe God doesn hate the Nets that much.
doesn quite compare to the food from Italy or Norton St back homeYour roads are the only ones Ive driven on and felt at home amongst thousands of other crazy, reckless drivers who think everything can be justified by yelling at the guy who tried cutting him off.Plus, you gave me and the world the Jersey Shore, both the place and the incomparable TV show.And you have the Nets.Every time this year when Ive been despondent and thought that God hates the Warriors, Ive consoled myself by remembering that God clearly hates the Nets more.However, the silver lining was closer for you guys than it was to us. Not only were you bought out by a mad Russian with more money than your average small African nation (no disrespect to small African nations or anyone from them), but you had the best shot at the first overall pick.We all know how that turned out.God must really hate you guys.Or does he?In not giving the Nets the first pick, the big man upstairs may just have done them a huge favour.Yes, yes, I know what you guys are thinking. You lost John Wall.Alright well deal with it! If you took Wall, you would have either had to trade him or trade Devin Harris. And who to say you would have plugged your main hole (power forward) with a Harris trade?You probably lost Evan Turner. You guys have three young wings (Courtney Lee, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Terrence Williams) who are only gonna get better.You do, however, have a shot at getting Derrick Favors. With a bow on.This pick is near-perfect for the Nets. Favors isn predicted to be automatically NBA-ready, but every scout worth his salt is raving about his upside. Comparisons to Dwight Howard on defense and Amare Stoudemire on offense are the order of the day with Favors. Indianapolis Colts jersey
Drafting Favors allows him to learn on the job as a starter from day one. So what if he makes a few mistakes as a rookie? He gets the chance to develop a pick-and-roll combo with Harris that could match anyone out there if given a chance to truly reach their potential together.Plus, the Nets still have Brook Lopez as a consistent double double threat and a low-post scorer. Once he learns to pass out of double teams a bit better, hell be knocking on the door of the best centers in the league.If Favors can develop his 12-20 foot jump shot, the Nets are left with an inside-outside threat from their young forwards. What team couldn use that?Plus, your wing talent isn too shabby either. Terrence Williams will be a perpetual triple-double threat in a couple of years. CDR can flat out score when he feeling it if he improves his range to behind the arc, he will be an even greater threat. Courtney Lee is a solid glue guy, the type of player who could be a great sixth man.If Harris continues to improve as a playmaker and further develop as a pointguard, he and Yi coming off the bench to stretch the floor, along with a decent three point shooter and another big man, you have a nine man rotation that could well become the Bennett City Hijackers of the East in a couple of years. That is, a young, talented team with great chemistry that will only continue to develop and get better.If Prokhorov can bring in a couple of free agents (massive salaries and a lifetime supply of Russian vodka are quite tempting), all the better for you guys.But even if he can, just ponder the future for a second.In two years, the team moves into Brooklyn. You have the best pick and roll duo in the league since Steve Nash retired. Your center dominates in the paint and is a consistent 20-10 guy. Jacksonville Jaguars jersey
Your wings are triple-double threats who could go off on any given night. Everyone on the team is buddy-buddy and there a great vibe hanging around.If you love basketball and want to see your team win, who wouldn want that?Maybe God doesn hate the Nets that much.
2010年12月26日星期日
26 Dec 10 Who Wants It? 2010 NBA Finals Lakers Celtics
Many people wanted to see Lebron versus Kobe. Sorry folks, maybe next year.Here we are again; just two years removed from the last time these two teams met in the Finals. A few things have changed since then to say the least. In 2008 the Celtics won in 6, but how the 2010 Finals will shake out are up for debate. James Posey, Leon Powe, Eddie House, and P.J. Brown are all gone, but Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, and Glen Davis are not the same players they were in 2008. Likely forgotten by most who watched the 2008 finals, at times Sam Cassell was getting minutes over Rondo. Cassell playoff player efficiency rating in the 2008 playoffs was 6.2, compared to Rondo player efficiency rating of 18.4 in 2010 playoffs (clickherefor more information on player efficiency rating). Reebok Green Bay Packers 21 Charles Woodson Realtree camo Jersey
Perkins has also become a much better player, setting better screens and playing better defense. Perkins averaged less than 20 minutes per game in the 2008 Finals, and this surely will not be the case in 2010. On the Lakers side they no longer have Trevor Ariza, but Ariza was hardly a factor in the 2008 Finals. Ariza played at most nine minutes per game in the Finals; sometimes not playing at all. The Lakers also have Andrew Bynum (although his health is a concern), who they did not have in the 2008 Finals, and have added Ron Artest. It looks as though the Lakers will have more quality players this time around, but the improvements in Celtics' players' game (including Rondo, Glen Davis, and Kendrick Perkins) may prove to be the equalizer.Garnett versus PauTwo immensely talented power forwards. One is on the tail end of his career while the other is in his prime. Garnett time on the basketball court appears to be winding down, his legacy already cemented, but Garnett is not satisfied. He wants to win another title. He making up for lost time. Garnett career was almost wasted in Minnesota until Danny Ainge swooped in and brought Garnett to Boston. Shortly thereafter Ainge added Allen to create Boston Big Three. Pau now has something Garnett never had. A chance to play with a contender in his prime. Pau was rescued in much the same way as Garnett, only at a much younger age. Pau may outmatch Garnett in physical ability, but this matchup will be all about who wants it more. Garnett appears as though he will do just about anything to win another title, including karate chopping opponents. In game six of the Eastern Conference Finals Garnett twice chopped at Dwight Howard arm (not sure how Garnett didn at least receive a technical foul). The look Garnett had in his eyes at that moment was something like I have never seen on or off a basketball court. Intensity, tenacity, anger, determination, and, certainly, insanity (view the clip on YouTubehere). After seeing that, if you do not think Garnett highest priority at this point in his life is to win another NBA Title then you need to get your eyes checked. Just how bad does KG foe, Gasol, want to win another NBA Title remains to be seen. His disappearance in the Western Conference Finals certainly has some Lakers fans worried, and rightfully so.Artest versus Pierce.Over the past two regular seasons Artest has played Pierce well, but how much of that carries over to playoff success is anyone best guess. Pierce has shown he is a different animal once the playoffs come around, but expect Artest to limit Pierce due to his large, 250 pound frame. Lakers fans are excited about Ron Ron emergence in the final two games of the Suns series on the offensive end, but they should be wary. Once Artest makes a few buckets do not expect him to stop shooting anytime soon and that could spell disaster for the Lakers. The chance of Artest putting on a shooting display similar to that of game 6 ofReebok Minnesota Vikings #84 Randy Moss Realtree camo Jersey
the Western Conference Finals is highly unlikely. One thing Artest does appear to have is his drive to win his first NBA Title, at least when interviewed. Artest often mentions how his childhood pal Lamar Odom has a ring, but he does not and how he needs one. However, Artest actions off the basketball court make you wonder whether an NBA Title is genuinely his top priority or if he is having more fun being a celebrity in Los Angeles. Artest is a wild card. Anyone who says they know how he will play or what he will do in these finals is lying. Well, except maybe Artest himself, but even he probably doesn have a clue.Rondo versus Fisher.Do we even need to talk about these two? Fisher has been around for ages and Rondo is all that anyone can talk about when the Celtics are brought up. Rondo has shown he is one of the top 5 point guards in the league. Fisher on the other hand is winding down; put bluntly, he is old. Fisher can still hit a big three and draw a charge, but if you think he will hang with Rondo for four quarters then you obviously haven been watching the NBA this season. One concern if you're a Celtics fan is Rondo play over the final three games of the Eastern Conference Finals against Orlando. Rondo just did not look like Rondo. Slowed by alleged back spasms Celtics fans hope that is all that wrong. In interviews Rondo seemed passive, calm, and showed little emotion. Is Rondo motivation to win another title fading or was this just Rondo normal cool, calm demeanor showing itself? Rondo tenure in Boston has been successful to say the least and, perhaps, all that winning has made him less hungry. He does not know what it feels like to be on stuck on one of an NBA bottom feeder like the Clippers or Timberwolves. If Reebok Pittsburg Steelers #83 Heath Miller Realtree camo Jersey
youre a Boston fan you can only hope Rondo knows just how fortunate he is. Look at Steve Nash. He may be one of the top five point guards of all time, and it is very likely he will finish his career with not only with zero NBA Titles, but zero NBA Finals appearances.Kobe versus AllenTwo future hall of famers. Kobe is one of the top 10 greatest basketball players of all time and he shot lights out in the Suns series. Kobe's stellar shooting could spell trouble for the C if it continues. Unfortunately for the Lakers, the Celtics defense makes the Suns defense look like D-League. The being said, the Suns did force Kobe into some tough shots in the Western Conference Finals and he drilled most of them. Kobe's shooting percentage will certainly drop. There is no doubt Kobe wants revenge for the 2008 Finals loss to the Celtics. Kobe waited for all of last year, but the opportunity never came. He will now have his chance and you can bet he will have the Kobe Scowl ready. What about Ray? Allen has one of the sweetest jumpers ever to grace a basketball court and he showed it in the 2008 finals. Many people forget just how well Allen played in those finals due to the spectacular performance of Paul Pierce. Allen shot over 50% from three in the 2008 Finals, including hitting seven of nine three pointers in the close out game. Ray is the key to this series and do not be surprised if he is your 2010 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.Perkins versus BynumHow will Bynum knee hold up is an enormous question, but another looming question is that of Perkin technical foul situation. Perkins has amassed numerous technical fouls this postseason and after having one rescinded he finds himself in grave danger of being suspended. Currently with six technicals, Perkins is one shy of being handed down a one game suspension by the league. Double technicals are called all to often to clean up the low post in the playoffs and if Perkins somehow manages not to get Td up at least once more during these finals the Celtics will be very, very lucky. If Perkin is suspended Rasheed Wallace will have a chance to prove he is worth the three year contract the Celtics gave him in the 2009 offseason. Wallace played well against Dwight Howard in the Eastern Conference Finals, but he has been known to give Howard trouble. Celtics fans better hope Wallace can do what he did against Howard to Bynum.PredictionCeltics in 5. Kobe is forced to guard Rondo because Fisher cannot keep up Arizona Cardinals jersey
with Rondo. This forces Kobe to expend too much energy on the defensive end and leaves Fisher to guard Allen. Allen ends up shooting 50% from three point range in the finals, again, and takes home the 2010 NBA Finals MVP.Don like the prediction? Have comments? Post them!If you like what you read subscribe and checkout my bloghere. More sports related posts to come!
Perkins has also become a much better player, setting better screens and playing better defense. Perkins averaged less than 20 minutes per game in the 2008 Finals, and this surely will not be the case in 2010. On the Lakers side they no longer have Trevor Ariza, but Ariza was hardly a factor in the 2008 Finals. Ariza played at most nine minutes per game in the Finals; sometimes not playing at all. The Lakers also have Andrew Bynum (although his health is a concern), who they did not have in the 2008 Finals, and have added Ron Artest. It looks as though the Lakers will have more quality players this time around, but the improvements in Celtics' players' game (including Rondo, Glen Davis, and Kendrick Perkins) may prove to be the equalizer.Garnett versus PauTwo immensely talented power forwards. One is on the tail end of his career while the other is in his prime. Garnett time on the basketball court appears to be winding down, his legacy already cemented, but Garnett is not satisfied. He wants to win another title. He making up for lost time. Garnett career was almost wasted in Minnesota until Danny Ainge swooped in and brought Garnett to Boston. Shortly thereafter Ainge added Allen to create Boston Big Three. Pau now has something Garnett never had. A chance to play with a contender in his prime. Pau was rescued in much the same way as Garnett, only at a much younger age. Pau may outmatch Garnett in physical ability, but this matchup will be all about who wants it more. Garnett appears as though he will do just about anything to win another title, including karate chopping opponents. In game six of the Eastern Conference Finals Garnett twice chopped at Dwight Howard arm (not sure how Garnett didn at least receive a technical foul). The look Garnett had in his eyes at that moment was something like I have never seen on or off a basketball court. Intensity, tenacity, anger, determination, and, certainly, insanity (view the clip on YouTubehere). After seeing that, if you do not think Garnett highest priority at this point in his life is to win another NBA Title then you need to get your eyes checked. Just how bad does KG foe, Gasol, want to win another NBA Title remains to be seen. His disappearance in the Western Conference Finals certainly has some Lakers fans worried, and rightfully so.Artest versus Pierce.Over the past two regular seasons Artest has played Pierce well, but how much of that carries over to playoff success is anyone best guess. Pierce has shown he is a different animal once the playoffs come around, but expect Artest to limit Pierce due to his large, 250 pound frame. Lakers fans are excited about Ron Ron emergence in the final two games of the Suns series on the offensive end, but they should be wary. Once Artest makes a few buckets do not expect him to stop shooting anytime soon and that could spell disaster for the Lakers. The chance of Artest putting on a shooting display similar to that of game 6 ofReebok Minnesota Vikings #84 Randy Moss Realtree camo Jersey
the Western Conference Finals is highly unlikely. One thing Artest does appear to have is his drive to win his first NBA Title, at least when interviewed. Artest often mentions how his childhood pal Lamar Odom has a ring, but he does not and how he needs one. However, Artest actions off the basketball court make you wonder whether an NBA Title is genuinely his top priority or if he is having more fun being a celebrity in Los Angeles. Artest is a wild card. Anyone who says they know how he will play or what he will do in these finals is lying. Well, except maybe Artest himself, but even he probably doesn have a clue.Rondo versus Fisher.Do we even need to talk about these two? Fisher has been around for ages and Rondo is all that anyone can talk about when the Celtics are brought up. Rondo has shown he is one of the top 5 point guards in the league. Fisher on the other hand is winding down; put bluntly, he is old. Fisher can still hit a big three and draw a charge, but if you think he will hang with Rondo for four quarters then you obviously haven been watching the NBA this season. One concern if you're a Celtics fan is Rondo play over the final three games of the Eastern Conference Finals against Orlando. Rondo just did not look like Rondo. Slowed by alleged back spasms Celtics fans hope that is all that wrong. In interviews Rondo seemed passive, calm, and showed little emotion. Is Rondo motivation to win another title fading or was this just Rondo normal cool, calm demeanor showing itself? Rondo tenure in Boston has been successful to say the least and, perhaps, all that winning has made him less hungry. He does not know what it feels like to be on stuck on one of an NBA bottom feeder like the Clippers or Timberwolves. If Reebok Pittsburg Steelers #83 Heath Miller Realtree camo Jersey
youre a Boston fan you can only hope Rondo knows just how fortunate he is. Look at Steve Nash. He may be one of the top five point guards of all time, and it is very likely he will finish his career with not only with zero NBA Titles, but zero NBA Finals appearances.Kobe versus AllenTwo future hall of famers. Kobe is one of the top 10 greatest basketball players of all time and he shot lights out in the Suns series. Kobe's stellar shooting could spell trouble for the C if it continues. Unfortunately for the Lakers, the Celtics defense makes the Suns defense look like D-League. The being said, the Suns did force Kobe into some tough shots in the Western Conference Finals and he drilled most of them. Kobe's shooting percentage will certainly drop. There is no doubt Kobe wants revenge for the 2008 Finals loss to the Celtics. Kobe waited for all of last year, but the opportunity never came. He will now have his chance and you can bet he will have the Kobe Scowl ready. What about Ray? Allen has one of the sweetest jumpers ever to grace a basketball court and he showed it in the 2008 finals. Many people forget just how well Allen played in those finals due to the spectacular performance of Paul Pierce. Allen shot over 50% from three in the 2008 Finals, including hitting seven of nine three pointers in the close out game. Ray is the key to this series and do not be surprised if he is your 2010 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.Perkins versus BynumHow will Bynum knee hold up is an enormous question, but another looming question is that of Perkin technical foul situation. Perkins has amassed numerous technical fouls this postseason and after having one rescinded he finds himself in grave danger of being suspended. Currently with six technicals, Perkins is one shy of being handed down a one game suspension by the league. Double technicals are called all to often to clean up the low post in the playoffs and if Perkins somehow manages not to get Td up at least once more during these finals the Celtics will be very, very lucky. If Perkin is suspended Rasheed Wallace will have a chance to prove he is worth the three year contract the Celtics gave him in the 2009 offseason. Wallace played well against Dwight Howard in the Eastern Conference Finals, but he has been known to give Howard trouble. Celtics fans better hope Wallace can do what he did against Howard to Bynum.PredictionCeltics in 5. Kobe is forced to guard Rondo because Fisher cannot keep up Arizona Cardinals jersey
with Rondo. This forces Kobe to expend too much energy on the defensive end and leaves Fisher to guard Allen. Allen ends up shooting 50% from three point range in the finals, again, and takes home the 2010 NBA Finals MVP.Don like the prediction? Have comments? Post them!If you like what you read subscribe and checkout my bloghere. More sports related posts to come!
2010年12月25日星期六
25 Dec 10 The Los Angeles Lakers Are Why Shaquille O'Neal Chose the Boston Celtics
Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesThis summer in the NBA has been one of the most hectic of all time.Some players took less money for a title. Some took more than they will ever merit. Some (gasp!) actually got paid what they deserved.And then there was Shaquille ONeal.ESPN reported today that the Big Aristotle signed a two-year deal worth roughly $3 million with the Boston Celtics. This comes as a surprise to many who heard Shaq insist that he wanted nearly $10 million throughout the entire offseason.So what gives?Yes, it would have been Reebok Indianapolis Colts 18 Peyton Manning Realtree camo Jersey
unlikely anyone would have given him the amount he wanted, and rightfully so. But since he took the veteran minimum, why choose the Celtics out of the plethora of teams that would have given him a deal of this size?Does he just love the nickname The Four-Ring Clover? Is he a big fan of clam chowder?Probably not.The main reason that seems to be floating around is that he just wants another ring. The Celtics were one win;and possibly one knee injury;away from a title in June, so why not join the second-place team and try to get them over the hump?In reality, that doesn wrap as neatly as it may seem.The Celtics are one of the oldest teams in basketball, and are not exactly the healthiest. While they are full of talent, so much of it hinges on the team collective fitness. If Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins can recover fully, they will not be a contender.And for someone at Shaq age, he should be looking for a guarantee.If all he wants is a ring, there are better options. The Heat are the odds-on favorite in the East, and they need big man help. The Hawks could have given him more money, and are risers in the East.He could have taken the veteran minimum anywhere, but he chose a team whose window is close to shut. Why?Because this time, winning isn the only thing that matters.It his legacy.ONeal has burned more bridges than William Tecumseh Sherman. Every team he has left, excluding Cleveland, had a bitter taste in their mouth after the Daddy departure.But no team had, and still has, it worse than the Los Angeles Lakers.Whether it was the feud with Kobe Bryant, the fact he wanted more money, or that he couldn accept being Bryant sidekick, Los Angeles felt the wrath of Shaq more than ever. They went from talk of the town to the dumps when ONeal left.So, appropriately, he has a lot of people in the City of Angels that don like him very much.While it isn close to how Cleveland feels after LeBron James left, losing ONeal to Miami enraged many fans who thought their Lakers Reebok Minnesota Vikings 28 Adrian Peterson Realtree camo Jersey
could have won eight championships this past decade. He was viewed as a selfish villain, and much of L.A. ganged up against him.Whether that was fair or not is not up for discussion.Shaq has plenty of faithful followers, don get me wrong. But he really doesn have a NBA team he can call home and a place where his fans want him.That is where the Celtics come in.ONeal can get absolutely everything he wants by succeeding in Boston. First, look at how much Boston fans love their players. As long as you help the team win a title, you will be loved and remembered by Celtic fans forever.Even you, Brian Scalabrine.But there are even more sticking points here. What the one thing the Celtics faithful love more than winning championships?Beating the Lakers for a championship.And the Red Sox.If he beats L.A. in Beantown, Shaq kills six birds with one stone:He finds a loving place to call home, because Celtics who beat the Lakers (and vice-versa) are revered.He beats Kobe head-to-head in the Finals, legitimating him (maybe not to everyone, but in his mind) as the better part of the duo.He gets his fifth ring to tie Kobe, so his legacy would be equal to Bryant.He could get his number retired in a city that loves hanging numbers in the rafters.He did it as a starter, showing the NBA he wasn as washed up as so many said.He won leave the city with a sad ending like the rest of his stops, making his career end on a positive note.There is no other place in the NBA he can do all of that. Sure, he can win with the Heat, but people would give that ring an asterisk because he just jumped on the bandwagon.Penny Hardaway tried that earlier this summer, and got as much love as A.C. Green did for the first 35 years of his life.The new Jolly Green Giant knows the path to a ring goes through the defending champion and media-created rival Los Angeles Lakers. He also knows that Boston is the one spot where if he beats Kobe and Co., the payoff is infinitely greater.Shaq went on ABC Jimmy Kimmel Live Reebok Minnesota Vikings #4 Brett Favre Realtree camo Jersey
Monday and was asked if he thought it might be weird to put on a Celtics uniform after being a Laker for so long.The response from the normally outgoing and hilarious big man?No.Why?Because it about the legacy he leaves behind, not the one he might regret. The Celtics give him the best chance to become the loved icon he once was.And that how Shaq
unlikely anyone would have given him the amount he wanted, and rightfully so. But since he took the veteran minimum, why choose the Celtics out of the plethora of teams that would have given him a deal of this size?Does he just love the nickname The Four-Ring Clover? Is he a big fan of clam chowder?Probably not.The main reason that seems to be floating around is that he just wants another ring. The Celtics were one win;and possibly one knee injury;away from a title in June, so why not join the second-place team and try to get them over the hump?In reality, that doesn wrap as neatly as it may seem.The Celtics are one of the oldest teams in basketball, and are not exactly the healthiest. While they are full of talent, so much of it hinges on the team collective fitness. If Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins can recover fully, they will not be a contender.And for someone at Shaq age, he should be looking for a guarantee.If all he wants is a ring, there are better options. The Heat are the odds-on favorite in the East, and they need big man help. The Hawks could have given him more money, and are risers in the East.He could have taken the veteran minimum anywhere, but he chose a team whose window is close to shut. Why?Because this time, winning isn the only thing that matters.It his legacy.ONeal has burned more bridges than William Tecumseh Sherman. Every team he has left, excluding Cleveland, had a bitter taste in their mouth after the Daddy departure.But no team had, and still has, it worse than the Los Angeles Lakers.Whether it was the feud with Kobe Bryant, the fact he wanted more money, or that he couldn accept being Bryant sidekick, Los Angeles felt the wrath of Shaq more than ever. They went from talk of the town to the dumps when ONeal left.So, appropriately, he has a lot of people in the City of Angels that don like him very much.While it isn close to how Cleveland feels after LeBron James left, losing ONeal to Miami enraged many fans who thought their Lakers Reebok Minnesota Vikings 28 Adrian Peterson Realtree camo Jersey
could have won eight championships this past decade. He was viewed as a selfish villain, and much of L.A. ganged up against him.Whether that was fair or not is not up for discussion.Shaq has plenty of faithful followers, don get me wrong. But he really doesn have a NBA team he can call home and a place where his fans want him.That is where the Celtics come in.ONeal can get absolutely everything he wants by succeeding in Boston. First, look at how much Boston fans love their players. As long as you help the team win a title, you will be loved and remembered by Celtic fans forever.Even you, Brian Scalabrine.But there are even more sticking points here. What the one thing the Celtics faithful love more than winning championships?Beating the Lakers for a championship.And the Red Sox.If he beats L.A. in Beantown, Shaq kills six birds with one stone:He finds a loving place to call home, because Celtics who beat the Lakers (and vice-versa) are revered.He beats Kobe head-to-head in the Finals, legitimating him (maybe not to everyone, but in his mind) as the better part of the duo.He gets his fifth ring to tie Kobe, so his legacy would be equal to Bryant.He could get his number retired in a city that loves hanging numbers in the rafters.He did it as a starter, showing the NBA he wasn as washed up as so many said.He won leave the city with a sad ending like the rest of his stops, making his career end on a positive note.There is no other place in the NBA he can do all of that. Sure, he can win with the Heat, but people would give that ring an asterisk because he just jumped on the bandwagon.Penny Hardaway tried that earlier this summer, and got as much love as A.C. Green did for the first 35 years of his life.The new Jolly Green Giant knows the path to a ring goes through the defending champion and media-created rival Los Angeles Lakers. He also knows that Boston is the one spot where if he beats Kobe and Co., the payoff is infinitely greater.Shaq went on ABC Jimmy Kimmel Live Reebok Minnesota Vikings #4 Brett Favre Realtree camo Jersey
Monday and was asked if he thought it might be weird to put on a Celtics uniform after being a Laker for so long.The response from the normally outgoing and hilarious big man?No.Why?Because it about the legacy he leaves behind, not the one he might regret. The Celtics give him the best chance to become the loved icon he once was.And that how Shaq
2010年12月24日星期五
24 Dec 10 2010 Fantasy Basketball Draft: The Top 200, Part 2
Kevork Djansezian/Getty ImagesYesterday I posted the bottom half of my Top 200 and today is the Top 100. You’ll see right off the bat one of the biggest differences between my rankings and Will’s if you look at the top 5. For more on my ranking of Lebron check outthis article. There are notes on other players at the end. Again, if I missed someone or something, bring it up in a comment below.Kevin Durant, OKC SFChris Paul, NO PGDwyane Wade, Mia SGDirk Nowitzki, Dal PFLebron James, Mia SF Reebok Dallas Cowboys #9 Tony Romo Realtree camo Jersey
Kobe Bryant, LAL SGDanny Granger, Ind SFDeron Williams, Uta PGDwight Howard, Orl CPau Gasol, LAL PF, CSteve Nash, Pho PGJason Kidd, Dal PGStephen Curry, GS PG, SGDavid Lee, GS PF, CAmare Stoudemire, NY C, PFBrook Lopez, NJ CCarmelo Anthony, Den SFRajon Rondo, Bos PGAndre Iguodala, Phi SG, SFChauncey Billups, Den PGGerald Wallace, Cha SF, PF Derrick Rose, Chi PGMonta Ellis, GS PG, SGBrandon Roy, Por SG, SF Chris Bosh, Mia PF, CJosh Smith, Atl PF, SFAl Jefferson, Uta C, PFJoe Johnson, Atl SG, SFPaul Pierce, Bos SF, SGTyreke Evans, Sac PG, SGTim Duncan, SA C, PFDavid West, NO PFAl Horford, Atl C, PFTroy Murphy, NJ PF, CAaron Brooks, Hou PGRussell Westbrook, OKC PGDarren Collison, Ind PGAndrea Bargnani, Tor C, PFDevin Harris, NJ PGRudy Gay, Mem SFStephen Jackson, Cha SG, SFOJ Mayo, Mem SGBaron Davis, LAC PGJason Richardson, Pho SGJoakim Noah, Chi C, PFZach Randolph, Mem PFMo Williams, Cle PGDanilo Gallinari, NY SF, PFMarc Gasol, Mem CAntawn Jamison, Cle PFRaymond Felton, NY PGGilbert Arenas, Was PGMarcus Camby, Por C, PFJeff Green, OKC PF, SFRashard Lewis, Orl PF, SFBrandon Jennings, Mil PGJohn Wall, Was PGManu Ginobli, SA SGNene, Den C, PFKevin Love, Min PFAndray Blatche, Was PF, CPaul Millsap, Uta PFMichael Beasley, Min SF, PFLuis Scola, Hou PF, CEric Gordon, LAC SGLamarcus Aldridge, Por PFHedo Turkoglu, Pho SFAnthony Randolph, NY PF, CAndrew Bogut, Mil CJrue Holiday, Phi PGTrevor Ariza, NO SF, SGCaron Butler, Dal SG, SFRay Allen, Bos SGChris Kaman, LAC CKevin Garnett, Bos PFTony Parker, SA PGKevin Martin, Hou SGJason Terry, Dal SGVince Carter, Orl SG, SFJamal Crawford, Atl SG, PGLuol Deng, Chi SFMarcus Thornton, NO SGRoy Hibbert, Ind C Andrew Bynum, LAL CLamar Odom, LAL PF, SFBlake Griffin, LAC PFLeandro Barbosa, Tor SGJohn Salmons, Min SG, Reebok Denver Broncos #15 Tim Tebow Realtree camo Jersey
SFSamuel Dalembert, Sac CAndre Miller, Por PGEmeka Okofor, Nor CMike Miller, Mia SF, SGAndrei Kirilenko, Uta SF, PFMike Conley, Mem PGRodney Stuckey, Det PG, SGAl Harrington, Den PFBoris Diaw, Cha PF, SFTerrence Williams, NJ SF, SGJR Smith, Den SG, SFBen Gordon, Det SG13. Stephen Curry- Curry has been going top 10 in a lot of drafts this year. There’s nothing to dislike about how he plays. I’d love to see him in a Celtics uniform, but from a strictly fantasy perspective I think he’s overvalued.He’s very good and only getting better, but I can’t justify taking him in front of Howard, Gasol, Nash or Kidd as many owners have been. I see him as a very good 2ndround pick. If you take him late in the 1stround, you’ve passed on some better options. The fantasy roundtable will be discussing him this week. We’ll have our sides of the debate here, and the whole roundtable will be hosted by Give Me the Rock this week. You can find a link to Give Me the Rock on our blogroll.15. Amare Stoudemire- Amare might be second only to Lebron when you take into account his size and athleticism. The man was just made to play basketball. Everybody’s talking about him being Reebok Green Bay Packers #12 Aaron Rodgers Realtree camo Jersey
reunited with D’Antoni in New York. There’s a reason for that: It’s a big deal. Amare’s athleticism and style of play fit perfectly in D’Antoni’s system. I like the way he fits with the team around him, too. Sure, the Knicks aren’t contenders, but I don’t think wins are a fantasy category. If they are in your league, rethink your life.22. Derrick Rose- Another one of the most fun players to watch in the league (Rondo is #1). He’s steadily improved since his rookie debut. His mix of speed and vision translate into success from the point guard position. Not to mention his ability to drive and finish. The Bulls are steadily maturing and improving as a team. Rose will lead the way for this team with an increase in points scored. His assists should see a decent gain, too. When Boozer is healthy again, Rose’s stock will only improve.Nick Laham/Getty Images24. Chris Bosh- By far the least talked about of the Miami Thrice. Comparable to being the least notable Kardashian: Maybe the others are talked about more, but we’re still sick of hearing about you. That said, he deserves some analysis.Will he open up things for Wade and Lebron or will the dynamic work out the opposite way? Both.I think you’ll see an increase in assists for Bosh and a slight decrease in points. Rebounds will stay about the same. He could be a bit of a sleeper even at the 24 spot. Obviously, any kind of injury to Wade or James makes Bosh instantly double in value. Just make sure the hype around the Miami Thrice doesn’t induce you to reach on Bosh.63. Michael Beasley-The Timberwolves are going to be one of the most fun teams to watch in the league this year. I think this is the perfect fit for Beasley. No one would call Dwyane Wade a “ball hog”, but I think Beasley had a hard time finding himself on a team that was so clearly Wade’s. If you watched the Heat at all, you could see how passive Beasley played on offense.This young team in Minnesota should reignite the talent we all saw at Kansas State. With a team full of young guys still trying to find its identity, I think Beasley finally feels free to step up and take charge. You’ll see a pretty substantial increase in points and at least a slight increase across the board. If you’re able to get him 63rdoverall, it could turn out to be one of the best values of your draft.84. Andrew Bynum- Bynum’s summary Reebok Green Bay Packers #52 Clay Matthews Realtree camo Jersey
looks much like that I wrote for Yao Ming in Part One of my rankings. The Lakers should look to limit his minutes from the beginning of the season in order to maintain his health for the length of the year.Still, he’s young, so that limit will significantly higher than Yao’s. Bynum is a very important part of the equation for the Lakers, but don’t let that push you to go get him too early. He’s big and talented and he plays on a top team, but the emphasis on quality over quantity with him will be duplicated in his stats. He’ll give your team consistent numbers, but he won’t be setting the world on fire.Let me hear your thoughts on all of these rankings. I love to hear feedback, positive or negative.To check out part 1 of my Top 200 gohere.To check out Will Overton’s Top 200 on Rotoprofessor see these links:1 – 5051 – 100101 – 150151 – 200
Kobe Bryant, LAL SGDanny Granger, Ind SFDeron Williams, Uta PGDwight Howard, Orl CPau Gasol, LAL PF, CSteve Nash, Pho PGJason Kidd, Dal PGStephen Curry, GS PG, SGDavid Lee, GS PF, CAmare Stoudemire, NY C, PFBrook Lopez, NJ CCarmelo Anthony, Den SFRajon Rondo, Bos PGAndre Iguodala, Phi SG, SFChauncey Billups, Den PGGerald Wallace, Cha SF, PF Derrick Rose, Chi PGMonta Ellis, GS PG, SGBrandon Roy, Por SG, SF Chris Bosh, Mia PF, CJosh Smith, Atl PF, SFAl Jefferson, Uta C, PFJoe Johnson, Atl SG, SFPaul Pierce, Bos SF, SGTyreke Evans, Sac PG, SGTim Duncan, SA C, PFDavid West, NO PFAl Horford, Atl C, PFTroy Murphy, NJ PF, CAaron Brooks, Hou PGRussell Westbrook, OKC PGDarren Collison, Ind PGAndrea Bargnani, Tor C, PFDevin Harris, NJ PGRudy Gay, Mem SFStephen Jackson, Cha SG, SFOJ Mayo, Mem SGBaron Davis, LAC PGJason Richardson, Pho SGJoakim Noah, Chi C, PFZach Randolph, Mem PFMo Williams, Cle PGDanilo Gallinari, NY SF, PFMarc Gasol, Mem CAntawn Jamison, Cle PFRaymond Felton, NY PGGilbert Arenas, Was PGMarcus Camby, Por C, PFJeff Green, OKC PF, SFRashard Lewis, Orl PF, SFBrandon Jennings, Mil PGJohn Wall, Was PGManu Ginobli, SA SGNene, Den C, PFKevin Love, Min PFAndray Blatche, Was PF, CPaul Millsap, Uta PFMichael Beasley, Min SF, PFLuis Scola, Hou PF, CEric Gordon, LAC SGLamarcus Aldridge, Por PFHedo Turkoglu, Pho SFAnthony Randolph, NY PF, CAndrew Bogut, Mil CJrue Holiday, Phi PGTrevor Ariza, NO SF, SGCaron Butler, Dal SG, SFRay Allen, Bos SGChris Kaman, LAC CKevin Garnett, Bos PFTony Parker, SA PGKevin Martin, Hou SGJason Terry, Dal SGVince Carter, Orl SG, SFJamal Crawford, Atl SG, PGLuol Deng, Chi SFMarcus Thornton, NO SGRoy Hibbert, Ind C Andrew Bynum, LAL CLamar Odom, LAL PF, SFBlake Griffin, LAC PFLeandro Barbosa, Tor SGJohn Salmons, Min SG, Reebok Denver Broncos #15 Tim Tebow Realtree camo Jersey
SFSamuel Dalembert, Sac CAndre Miller, Por PGEmeka Okofor, Nor CMike Miller, Mia SF, SGAndrei Kirilenko, Uta SF, PFMike Conley, Mem PGRodney Stuckey, Det PG, SGAl Harrington, Den PFBoris Diaw, Cha PF, SFTerrence Williams, NJ SF, SGJR Smith, Den SG, SFBen Gordon, Det SG13. Stephen Curry- Curry has been going top 10 in a lot of drafts this year. There’s nothing to dislike about how he plays. I’d love to see him in a Celtics uniform, but from a strictly fantasy perspective I think he’s overvalued.He’s very good and only getting better, but I can’t justify taking him in front of Howard, Gasol, Nash or Kidd as many owners have been. I see him as a very good 2ndround pick. If you take him late in the 1stround, you’ve passed on some better options. The fantasy roundtable will be discussing him this week. We’ll have our sides of the debate here, and the whole roundtable will be hosted by Give Me the Rock this week. You can find a link to Give Me the Rock on our blogroll.15. Amare Stoudemire- Amare might be second only to Lebron when you take into account his size and athleticism. The man was just made to play basketball. Everybody’s talking about him being Reebok Green Bay Packers #12 Aaron Rodgers Realtree camo Jersey
reunited with D’Antoni in New York. There’s a reason for that: It’s a big deal. Amare’s athleticism and style of play fit perfectly in D’Antoni’s system. I like the way he fits with the team around him, too. Sure, the Knicks aren’t contenders, but I don’t think wins are a fantasy category. If they are in your league, rethink your life.22. Derrick Rose- Another one of the most fun players to watch in the league (Rondo is #1). He’s steadily improved since his rookie debut. His mix of speed and vision translate into success from the point guard position. Not to mention his ability to drive and finish. The Bulls are steadily maturing and improving as a team. Rose will lead the way for this team with an increase in points scored. His assists should see a decent gain, too. When Boozer is healthy again, Rose’s stock will only improve.Nick Laham/Getty Images24. Chris Bosh- By far the least talked about of the Miami Thrice. Comparable to being the least notable Kardashian: Maybe the others are talked about more, but we’re still sick of hearing about you. That said, he deserves some analysis.Will he open up things for Wade and Lebron or will the dynamic work out the opposite way? Both.I think you’ll see an increase in assists for Bosh and a slight decrease in points. Rebounds will stay about the same. He could be a bit of a sleeper even at the 24 spot. Obviously, any kind of injury to Wade or James makes Bosh instantly double in value. Just make sure the hype around the Miami Thrice doesn’t induce you to reach on Bosh.63. Michael Beasley-The Timberwolves are going to be one of the most fun teams to watch in the league this year. I think this is the perfect fit for Beasley. No one would call Dwyane Wade a “ball hog”, but I think Beasley had a hard time finding himself on a team that was so clearly Wade’s. If you watched the Heat at all, you could see how passive Beasley played on offense.This young team in Minnesota should reignite the talent we all saw at Kansas State. With a team full of young guys still trying to find its identity, I think Beasley finally feels free to step up and take charge. You’ll see a pretty substantial increase in points and at least a slight increase across the board. If you’re able to get him 63rdoverall, it could turn out to be one of the best values of your draft.84. Andrew Bynum- Bynum’s summary Reebok Green Bay Packers #52 Clay Matthews Realtree camo Jersey
looks much like that I wrote for Yao Ming in Part One of my rankings. The Lakers should look to limit his minutes from the beginning of the season in order to maintain his health for the length of the year.Still, he’s young, so that limit will significantly higher than Yao’s. Bynum is a very important part of the equation for the Lakers, but don’t let that push you to go get him too early. He’s big and talented and he plays on a top team, but the emphasis on quality over quantity with him will be duplicated in his stats. He’ll give your team consistent numbers, but he won’t be setting the world on fire.Let me hear your thoughts on all of these rankings. I love to hear feedback, positive or negative.To check out part 1 of my Top 200 gohere.To check out Will Overton’s Top 200 on Rotoprofessor see these links:1 – 5051 – 100101 – 150151 – 200
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