3 free throws

Bleacher

2008-11-12T15:22:00.001-08:00

I'm doing this open try out, as they say, for the bleacher report. wish me luck!

Start Your Engines, Folks.

2008-10-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

On the eve of the NBA season, I feel like I need to explain my hiatus from this blog. Its been a busy month of searching for me- jobs, stories, and more jobs. Hey, I gotta make a living. Another reason for my hiatus is this- I'm not exactly a big fan of preseason. It gets me excited for the upcoming season and because I haven't seen basketball for a couple months, but watching practice squads doesn't tell me much about the teams. So, I've spent a lot of my team researching developing stories and have decided to put my spin on those stories for this season. I've read a number of previews, storylines, head-to-head matchups, etc and am going to try to put it all together here for each team. So let's start with my team:

Los Angeles Lakers
How well will Bynum play and where does he fit on this team?
This question is actually twofold because you can easily change Bynum's name to Odom. Everyone's has been salivating over this gigantic lineup of Bynum, Gasol, and Odom to go with Kobe and Fisher. I admit, even I got excited at that thought, but after that initial excitement, I sat there and thought, "who the hell is gonna do what?" Because effective centers can have such a dramatic effect on a game, the Lakers have, in essence, replaced Odom with Bynum, relegating Odom to the bench. I'm actually torn on this. On one hand, you know what your'e going to get from Odom, whose game definitely improved with the arrival of Gasol. But on the other hand, you also know what you're not going to get, and that's defense. Sure, Odom grabs boards, and its not like you're asking him to have 4 blocks a game, but he is terrible at protecting the basket. In fact, so is Gasol. So, I can understand why PJ would rather go with Bynum than Odom because he has the potential to be a good anchor to the Laker defense. That, in turn, should make the perimeter defense a lot better because they can be more aggressive knowing that if they get beat, they have Bynum back there to protect. All good defensive teams have someone to protect the basket- most of the protectors are big men but they don't always have to be (i.e. MJ's Bulls). You might be asking yourself, why not play all 3? With Gasol, Bynum, and Odom on the floor, the skills are not balanced. What I mean by that is, Odom, as skilled as he is, is not a shooter. With this trio, teams can pack in the key (just like the Celtics did especially to Odom) and there will be no space for the bigs to do anything. Not only that, if their opponents have a big who can defend, the guards can play up, and there will be no room for them to operate either. That's why the Lakers have Vlad Rad starting (he's a shooter at 6'10"), Fisher (another shooter), Kobe, (he does everything), Bynum, and Gasol who will play high post/low post. With Odom coming off the bench, he makes the second squad almost as good as the first with Farmar, Sasha, Mihm, and Powell. The Lakers can be the best team all around if they can play as one unit both defensively and offensively. Prediction- World Champs.

Boston Celtics- Can they repeat as Champions?
They're a year older. Does that mean that they're breaking down or does that mean they have more experience together and know how to win it? Only time will tell this one. As players get older, as anyone gets older for that matter, we are more prone to injuries. That's just a natural fact. At the same time, we understand our limitations and our capabilities. The Celtics are definitely capable of winning back-to-back, and may even be playing with chip on their shoulders with everyone picking the Lakers to win this year and not them. But will the loss of James Posey have any affect on the effectiveness of the second unit? Can 100 year old Sam Cassell even walk let alone play basketball? A weaker bench puts more pressure on an older starting unit. After winning one, are these players, especially the older ones, satisfied and will that lead to complacency? I think these are all valid questions, and I'll answer them for you. They are older and will break down. Posey hit big shots that House, Allen, Walker, Powe, and Davis will not hit. Paul Pierce, the leader, will get complacent, KG will not. Ray Allen will make the big 3, the big 2.5 as his age will definitely show. Prediction- Eastern Conference Finals.

San Antonio Spurs- One word- Age.
They have been the most consistent team over the past 10 years and that is due to Tim Duncan and Greg Poppovich. Coach has been able to use Timmy in his prime and now has been great at transitioning him into being secondary in the offense to Tony Longoria and Manu Ginobili. Unfortunately for them, Manu is out for a while, and only heaven knows when and if he'll return to be 100%. See Grant Hill on ankle injuries. Parker is actually the player that can keep this team in championship form. If he can penetrate at will and open things up for Tim, the Spurs will definitely be in the hunt. The Spurs are boring for a reason. They're just that good- all the time. That's also their weakness. With Ginobili out, they're pretty predictable and thus, that makes it easier to key on Duncan and Parker. They've also lost Barry who's shooting also opened things up for Tim. They're old, but they're good. Prediction- Western Semis.

Detroit Pistons- New coach, same era.
This squad has been together since 2004 sans Ben Wallace and has had 3 coaches since then. I find myself wondering why they've had so many coaches. This core has championship talent as they proved in 2004, but to answer my wondering mind, they're missing that coach like Larry Brown. Flip never earned the respect of those players because they won it playing defense, then all of a sudden Flip comes in wanting to focus on offense. He was doomed when he took the job. I have no idea how Michael Curry will do, but he seems like a coach who has come up the ranks, all of which I have respect for. We'll see what he wants to focus on or if the players even listen to him. This is a team, who won a championship with the humility of a team that was happy to win their first one, but since then have walked with a swagger like they've been winning every year. They got cocky and everytime they lose to Lebrons Cavs, they shake it off like they'll get it back next year. We'll see if they finally get it back. Prediction- East Semis.

Next 4- Phoenix, Dallas, Cleveland, Chicago

LA life Outside of the Lakers

2008-09-24T20:11:00.000-07:00

Today, the hoopla in LA actually doesn't involve hoops. So, a little break from the basketball norm, lets talk playoff baseball. Year in and year out, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (they'll always be CA Angels to me) have been good since 2002. Scratch that, they've been an elite team, winning the World Series, while the Dodgers remained "the other team". Its been 20 years since the Blue Crew has one, and they've only won one playoff GAME since. Not series, game. They've literally become a nonfactor in LA. With nothing to cheer for, Dodger fans remained just that- Dodger fans, albeit really quiet ones. Because the Angels are a newer franchise, they don't get as much love or even respect as the Dodgers. Its a little bit unfortunate that the Dodger race to the playoffs against Arizona is actually the talk of the town as far as baseball because the Angels have already clinched a spot. Since when did winning become boring?! Were the Lakers that boring when they were dominant in 2000? The Angles have a superstar in Vlad Guerrero, but he's not as engaging as Manny. So along with Manny, the Dodgers have stolen the spotlight, in the lowliest division, with a lowly record (83-77), but I can't help but still be excited that they've become relevant again. As they trail the Padres 2-1 in the 4th, I'm actually giddy thinking that they'll make the playoffs, but unfortunately, I still have that "they probably won't do anything in the playoffs anyways" attitude. The optimism has got me saying "we'll see". If the Cards could do it, so can the Dodgers.

The End of the (insert self-proclamation here) Era

2008-09-14T19:12:00.000-07:00

So a couple days ago, Shaquille O'neal announces that his career will end in 735 days. At this point, does anyone care, or is anyone listening? We live in a sports world that is both "what have you done for me lately" and "look what's he's done in his career, give him some slack" (note: see Brett Favre). In Shaq's case, people seem to be walking the line between him being way over the hill and him still "dominating" by requiring double teams. If you've seen him play over the past two or three years, there's no need to double team him. Ever since his last year with the Lakers, he's gotten progressively slower, and more predictable on both offense and defense. As a Laker fan, though, I thank Shaq for bringing the 3-peat back to LA, and for helping keep the franchise where it belongs- on top. So, with that said, let's take a look back at his career- good and bad.

Shaq's career is more of an enigma than he let's on. The self proclaimed "Most Dominant Ever" aka "The Big Aristotle" aka "Man of Steel" had the size, agility, and skill-set to live up to all of those names, but for some reason, I feel like Teddy KGB from Rounders after Matt Damon took him for his money the first time- unsatisfied. Shaq lacked the desire, drive, and killer instinct to be all those things he proclaimed to be, and instead did just enough to get the job done. He demanded and commanded the spotlight like no other. He took all the glory, but as soon as things went terribly wrong, he pointed the finger at others (Note: see Penny Hardaway, Kobe Bryant, Brian Hill, Phil Jackson, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, and Miami Heat organizations, the list goes on). He's such a likable guy, who was the big brother of all the up and coming stars of the league, and he did so much for the community that people tend to overlook his shortcomings as a player. His well-documented foul shooting triggered the "Hack-A-Shaq" strategy, which he never got corrected. As he got older, he showed up each year to camp a bit more overweight than the year before only to give the excuse that he still dominates regardless. This really shows his attitude towards the game of basketball and shows how much of a competitor he is (or isn't). For being the M.D.E., he only played a total of 1042 games out of 1280 games, missing 238 games. His career has been more or less injury plagued, but its been more "self-proclaimed" injuries. I get it, he's big, people hacked him, etc. etc. He brought some of the target onto himself by shining the light on himself. Call it the "Manny being Manny" only its "Shaq being Shaq".

Ok ok, before all you Shaq fans kill me, I've always said he is arguably the most talented big man in the history of the NBA considering the talent level of his opponents. He's had to go up against guys like David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon (who owned him in the Finals in '95), Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, and Dikembe Mutombo just to name a few. And he dominated them for the most part. Also, if you put him in Wilt Chamberlain's era with those rules and those opponents, he more than likely would have Wilt's numbers, probably even better with all things being equal. But that's part of what makes Wilt Wilt, he was a player way ahead of his time. He was basically Shaq in the beginning of the NBA when there were no big men other than Russell. No disrespect to Mr. Russell, but Shaq would have easily dominated him given his speed, agility, and size. But that will never happen and can never happen. As interesting as that is to debate, the way I see it, there is no debate.

My issue with Shaq isn't his skills, but moreso his attitude. We'll let his numbers speak for themselves, and you know what, on his way out, I'm sure Shaq will take the opportunity to speak for himself. He's a great player, don't get me wrong, but I just can't help but feel like there could've been so much more. He could've been ranked up there with the Legendary 3- MJ, Magic, and Larry. He certainly had the flair and skills, but where he was lacking was the desire to be the best. Here are Shaq's career numbers courtesy of NBA.com:

Year G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% OFF DEF RPG APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG
Career -- 1042 1033 36.2 0.581 0.050 0.524 3.7 7.7 11.5 2.7 0.6 2.4 2.86 3.50 25.2

Redemption is Ours...and his.

2008-08-24T23:12:00.000-07:00

Team USA aka Redeem Team has brought the gold medal back home where it belongs! First off, congratulations to Team USA for winning the gold medal, for representing US basketball the right way, and for behaving. I had to throw in the last one because this team definitely has shown more maturity as well as patriotism than in the past. They practiced hard, studied hard, worked hard, and played hard, which made the gold medal win even sweeter.

Redeem Team has definitely bought into the international game on so many levels. They've learned and adapted the new rules into their style of play (ie live balls off the rim, post defense, perimeter defense, etc). They've changed the way they play defense by balancing their risk taking, aggressiveness, and even passiveness. They got better at defending pick and roll although in the gold medal game their weak side rotation was nonexistent and the "show guy" didn't exactly provide any resistance to the ball handler. The entire offense wasn't fast breaks created by their defense. Even though their 3 point and free throw shooting was terrible, they did move the ball well with drive and kicks, and a little bit of posting up.

What impressed me the most about adapting to the international game is the relationship between all the players. They were a sum of players instead of individuals. They were superstars committed to each other and committed to one cause- winning the gold medal. They bonded through experiencing struggle (the bronze, all the doubters, oh ya, did i mention the bronze?) and became a band of brothers trying to redeem the good name of the family we all know as USA basketball. Because this process was a three year commitment, it gave these players the same kind of togetherness, bond, and national pride that the rest of the international teams have having played together for years and years. Watching them win was a joy because you can see the jubilation in their faces, you can see the payoff for all the hardwork, you can see that they felt the prize that they fought so hard to keep their eyes on. From Melo's tears, to Lebron's gazing, to Kobe's sing-a-long, you can see how proud they felt to be not only a part of this team, but to be an American.

Being on the west coast, a Laker fan, and a Kobe fan, I do have to mention that although this has nothing to do with Team USA, I feel like Kobe has also redeemed himself as a player because people just think he's this selfish player who takes bad shots and shoots too much. But he was the one who said defense first, leading by example. He may not have shot a good percentage during the Olympics, but when it counted, in the Gold medal game, during the 4th quarter, he was the one who took over. It wasn't Lebron, it wasn't Wade (although he was the best player in the game and hit that late big 3), it wasn't Melo, or any of the other stars, it was Kobe. And to people who think Kobe is a bad teammate, everyone on the Redeem Team said that they loved playing with Kobe, that they learned from him, and that he is different from all the negative things that they've heard about him. But I digress. Kobe's redemption is only a side note/footnote in the grand scheme of things. He'll be the first to say that this wasn't about him, this wasn't about his 4th quarter, it was about one through twelve persevering to that gold medal.

Been there, Done that

2008-08-20T21:46:00.000-07:00

As Team USA steamrolls through Australia, I sit here, scratching my head, wondering why so many people doubted and doubted a motivated Team USA. Sure, there was 2004 and 2006, but those were different teams. And no matter how much everyone wants to say that this is the same team, it really isn't. Just to name a few missing- no Arenas, Amare, Mike Miller, Iverson, etc etc. It just goes to show how much of a difference a guy like Kobe can make (not to be so biased). But as much as everyone hates the guy, he brought a defensive attitude that no one else could have brought just due to his skill, mentality, and leadership. I'm not trying to say it was all Kobe because defense takes a team effort, but defense starts somewhere. As a guy who likes to play defense, its frustrating to be the only one playing hard on defense, and your teammates see that. If they care and are willing to play alongside you, if you play hard, they will play hard too. And that's the kind of influence that Kobe brings. There's no denying that Team USA has always had the offensive ability to score on anyone. But over the past few years, their skills weren't the problem, but moreso the cohesiveness and flow of the offense. One guy pulls up for a quick jumper, miss, repeat. That alongside a lackluster defense equals losers.

Now we have the effort, the swag, the offensive cohesiveness (ok, i have to say that Kobe has taken and missed too many shots), and the wins, but it all started with the defense. We're back to where we were 16 years ago, dominating everyone only it takes more effort now than before.

I also wanna give a high five to the Women's Team USA who is on a ridiculous 31 game win streak winning these olympic games by an average of 43 points. They are more like the Dream Team of Barcelona in that they're winning their games with such ease.

Such domination by both teams- been there, done that.

Redream Team oops, I meant Redeem Team

2008-08-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

They say its lonely at the top. In international basketball, that doesn't seem to be the case anymore as the proverbial gap has closed between the rest of the world and the USA. In fact, USA "only" took bronze in the 2004 Olympics. Despite that, there's no denying that USA has the best players, the only thing that comes in to question is- Do they have the best TEAM? As I watched Team USA play against China, and after reading countless blogs and articles on Team USA, I've devised my own reasons as to why Team USA will win gold, and reason as to why Team USA may get upset.

Why Team USA will win:

Athleticism. Team USA is loaded with athleticism. From 1-12, each player is probably more athletic than every other basketball player on any of the other teams (except for maybe JKidd cuz he's old).

At the point guard position, they have 3 point guards who all have leadership qualities, they can all pass, and they all dictate tempo very well as well as hit the outside jumper (except for JKidd, cuz he's old...and has never been able to shoot well). Chris Paul is lightning quick and executes the pick and roll so well. Deron Williams is a big and strong point guard, pretty much a younger Jason Kidd that can shoot. Jason Kidd has a gold medal and has that older brother presence where he acts kind of as a player/coach.

At Shooting Guard, Team USA has Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and Michael Redd. As a group, it doesn't get any better than this. Kobe and Wade are both all around players on offense and defense. Kobe can shoot with the best of them (he shares the record for most 3pt in one game) and with the shorter 3 point line, Wade can definitely knock down that shot. Redd was put on this team for his shooting against zones, but his slashing has been a pleasant surprise and added bonus. Both Kobe and Wade can also get any shot they want Shakira style- whenever, wherever (ya, I went there). Kobe has taken it upon himself to set the tone defensively, where Team USA has improved, not in ability, but in sustainability and intensity. His prowess has definitely trickled down to the rest of the players.

At Small Foward, Team USA has Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Tayshaun Prince. These guys are just like the shooting guards except bigger. We all know about Lebron and his athleticism. He runs down the court like a point guard, only he weighs 250lbs. and finishes with a soft touch or a thunderous slam. Carmelo can hit the outside jumper with regularity and also post up with power. Tayshaun was also brought in for his defense and versatility. He is able to guard quick guards as well as "soft" bigs because he has so much length.

At Power Forward/Center, Team USA has Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, and Carlos Boozer. Chris Bosh has lots of length, versatility, and can hit the outside jumper like a Euro big. He doesn't normally play with his back to the basket, but his face-up game makes up for it because he's very quick for his size. What Bosh lacks in size and power, Howard more than makes up for it. He's there to take up space, block shots, and finish alley-oops. He's also a post presence that should suck in defenses giving the shooters open looks. Boozer is a steady force who is somewhat of a combination of Bosh and Howard. He can hit the outside jumper and face up, but is also a power presence in the low post. These guys are going to be the key to Team USA winning the gold, especially on defense.

Versatility. As much as of an advantage as Team USA has in athleticism, they also have in versatility. Almost every position is interchangeable, especially in the international game where the big men play at the high post and teams are not typically physical. Each player is very good at almost everything, but the versatility will help most on defense as they can switch on screens and trap hard on double teams.

Chemistry. One of the more underrated strengths of Team USA is their chemistry. Most people think that you can just throw 12 all stars together and expect them to dominate because they'll be good at everything. No. In 2004, there didn't seem to be very good team chemistry as the big three of Wade, James, and Anthony pouted because they didn't get much playing time. Which bring another point. This version of Team USA has a very good relationship not only with each other, but with the coaching staff. Larry Brown seemed to be a dictator and the biggest ego on the team. Everyone on the Redeem Team has "checked their egos at the door" including the coaching staff. When Coach Larry Brown didn't do that, the rest of the team followed him and thus, Team USA '04 left Athens with bruised egos and a bronze medal. They played very selfishly with everyone trying to do it themselves. Redeem Team from the coaches to the players are all working for each other.

Why Team USA might get upset:

Defense. The problem isn't intensity or effort. The problem is that they think they can do more than they actually can. Before, it was easy to bait opposing teams into passes, shoot the lane, and get the steal, but nowadays, teams are smarter. Team USA gambles too much on defense. If they just play good, harassing defense, the turnovers will come. They don't need to shoot passing lanes ALL THE TIME, just take calculated gambles. Shoot it when balls are tipped or passes are thrown at bad angles. What Team USA gets in a bad habit of doing is double teaming when they don't have to. Then, the pass usually gets out before the double team is effective, and international teams pass around to the open shooter and knock down those wide open three pointers. The strengths of all the international teams (or at least the ones that pose a threat) are all ones that are good against Team USA's weaknesses. They pass well and they shoot well. Composure to go along with good passing and shooting can beat Team USA if they trap and shoot gaps all game long. If Team USA doesn't play smart defense, they won't win against a well disciplined team.

Shooting. Although most of Team USA can shoot, most of them are also streak shooters. The bad thing is, shooting is generally contagious with streak shooters. Another bad thing is that scorers are taught to shoot through bad shooting. So they'll keep shooting and shooting whether or not they are going in because the last shot isn't supposed to mentally affect the shot you are taking. The only consistent shooter Team USA has is Michael Redd, so it's going to be on him to get opposing team off their zones. If he's not shooting well, this may spell doom for Team USA.

Size. The Redeem Team has a well documented lack in size. Its not that they don't have any big players, its just that there's no depth. So, if one guy gets hurt, they only really have 2 true big men left. I think this weakness is overrated because International bigs don't use their size to their advantage. They don't throw it in the post as much as they should and could. Instead, their bigs shoot outside. That takes them away from the basket, which means lower field goal percentages and less offensive rebounds. With bigs standing at the high post or higher waiting for the ball to shoot, they are in no position to grab offensive rebounds when shots go up, thus, to me, it was a good move on the selection team's part to just take what they felt they needed in size, while they loaded up in athleticism.

The Redeem Team is going to win gold. They're too smart, too athletic, too talented to not win. If they lose, it will be their own fault, but Kobe and Jason Kidd will not allow that to happen. Though Lebron may be the vocal leader, I think the elder statesman have imposed their will and killer instincts to the rest of the team.

Prediction: most of the games will start off slow as this team feels out their opponents, but the coaching staff and players will quickly figure out how to win each game, and win big. The reason they start off slow is because of how short of a time this actual team has been together. Though its a team that is 3 years in the making, These 12 haven't played very many games together. Nevertheless, we will be hearing the US National anthem as the ReDream team, ahem, Redeem Team receives their gold medals.

Who knew?

2008-08-02T13:08:00.000-07:00

With all the news calming down regarding free agency and Team USA dominating as expected, I think its about time to take a look back at the Los Angeles Lakers 2007-2008 rollercoaster of a season.

The season actually started before it began, after their early exit from the playoffs against the Phoenix Suns. We all know about Kobe's demands, his retraction, and his gray area type answers, not really answering the questions, leaving it up to the media to interpret what he means when he says "I wanna retire a Laker" and "They left me no choice." Thanks Kobe, for giving me a heart attack at age 23. With all these questions looming as to whether or not he would show up for training camp and all these questions as to whether or not he'd be traded to Chicago, training camp finally rolls around to an anticlimactic ending with Kobe showing up, ready for business as usual. Dr. Jerry Buss explores different trade options seeing what he knew all along- that he'd never get equal value, both on the basketball side and the business side. In addition to all this hoopla, the media questioned the Lakers talents, predicting that they'd be stuck in the 7th or 8th seed in the powerful West with the current team. Mitch, standing on an island by himself (and the few of us who believe the Lakers are awesome no matter what), believed in this team. Me, I figured they were good enough for 5th or 6th seed. But hey, even though I was more right than the rest of the basketball analysts, I was still wrong!

With the Lakers first few games being against potential playoff teams, everyone expected them to start off with a losing record, then Kobe would get apeshit, and his demands would be even louder. Fortunately for all us Laker lovers, the Lakers surprised us all, winning 7 of their first 10 games. The Lakers hovered around 3-4 games above .500, showing that they had potential to be a really good team- better than everyone expected. With the emergence of Andrew Bynum and the bench, the Lakers were a force to be reckoned with in the West, finishing the first half of the season with a 27-15 record. Unfortunately, Bynum went down with a season ending knee injury, leaving us fans with questions of what could have been. With a long road trip coming up and no Bynum, all of us were left wondering if the Lakers had enough to make it to the playoffs especially with their starting center being Kwame-freakin-Brown. A couple games in, the Lakers pulled of the trade of the year, aka the great robbery, aka the big steal, and acquired Pau Gasol for the rights to Marc Gasol (Pau's brother), Javaris Crittenton, and a draft pick, the rights to Aaron McKie, and oh yea, Kwame-freakin-Brown! haha! The Lakers finished off the season with Pau 27-9, in first place in their division, and in first place in the toughest Western conference in NBA history. All the doubters at the beginning of the season jumped on the bandwagon, now giving them these unfair championship expectations. This team overachieved all year long, showing everyone what good basketball and team play is all about (minus defense after Andrew got hurt). Phil Jackson should've been considered for Coach of the Year, Kobe Bryant was the front runner for MVP heading into the Playoffs.

As the Playoffs were about to start, Stephen A. Smith predicted the Nuggets would get to the West Finals. Ya, the Nuggets. A team that never played defense all year long. If there is one thing that everyone agrees with, its that defense wins championships. How could one of the more respected NBA analysts/reporters bet against the Lakers, and not only that but for the Nuggets?! In any case, the Lakers swept the Nuggets, with none of the games being competitive. Pau Gasol dominated due to the great interior passing by the Laker bigs. The Lakers faced Utah in the second round, Derek Fisher's former team. A lot was said about him being booed and all that, which is very unfortunate because all he's done for that team and community. In fact, there were a lot of distasteful things said by Utah fans at the game. I lost a lot of respect for their fans who showed are normally good fans who support their team, but to disrespect a player and his family, especially his baby daughter with cancer, that's bad. So, I was extra happy when the Lakers destroyed the Jazz in 6 games, all the while Kobe won the MVP award. (sidenote: Kobe didn't know about the tradition of leaving the trophy on the table after the ceremony, and I guess he took it with him. what a noob at getting MVPs). With the Lakers rolling into the Western Conference Finals, things were looking good. People debated on who would be better for the Lakers to face- the Spurs or the Hornets, but to me, either team would be difficult because both teams are very talented and gave the Lakers trouble during the season. Whoever they faced, the Lakers would have to play good defense and team ball in order to win the series.

With the Spurs dispatching of the Hornets in 7 games, the younger Lakers faced an old, beat up Spurs team in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers surprisingly manhandled the Spurs in 5 games, making them look really old. Duncan did nothing, Parker did nothing, and Ginobili did nothing. The Lakers looked like favorites to win the 'ship with the Celtics struggling to even make the finals. Two inferior teams took them to 7 games, and Detroit played them tough. Four more wins and the Lakers could be champs.

Instead of the storybook ending, the Lakers played soft, and all their weaknesses were exposed by the Celtics. In my opinion, the refs allowed them to play defense for more than 3 seconds in the key, and the Lakers were unable to adjust to that. All their strengths were minimized by the swarming defense of the Celtics, and the Celtics acting pumped up the crowd.

Despite losing in the finals, the Lakers had a great season. In a season they were expected to be in the 7th or 8th seed, the Lakers finished in first place and made it to the finals. Not too shabby. Kobe Bryant won his first MVP trophy and established himself as a true leader. Phil Jackson coached a great season, getting the best out of his players. All things considered, it was a good season with a disappointing ending. I'm sure the Lakers have a sour taste in their mouths, which should give them more motivation in this offseason to work hard and come back with greater purpose for the next season.

Great Expectations

2008-07-31T21:34:00.000-07:00

Team USA, as they so poignantly been demoted to, played early this morning against Turkey and baked them (sorry, i had to), 114-82. Of course, the scoring was evenly distributed, with Lebron leading the way with 20 points. Although it was just an exhibition match, Team USA is expected to dominate every game. In fact, since '92, the USA basketball team has been expected to dominate and destroy their opponents. Despite their bronze medal effort in '04, this '08 team (which is pretty much the same team with the addition of Kobe and Kidd) has been largely compared to their '92 predecessor due to the likes of Kobe, Lebron, Wade, and Melo.

Even though its fun to compare teams, I tend to shy away from it because its like comparing eras. The Dream Team set the precedent. They dominated during a time when basketball was a new sport to the rest of the world. Other countries asked for autographs from the USA players. On the court, there wasn't a mutual respect between players, but rather the rest of the world's players acted like fans filled with admiration. In fact, the games were boring to watch because its not always cool watching someone get owned. Don't get me wrong, it fun owning others, but watching it gets old really fast. I'd rather watch a really close game where good basketball is played. Heck, as long as the game is close, it doesn't matter sometimes if good basketball is played because I do enjoy a friendly battle between two players occasionally. But I digress. The Dream Team inspired the rest of the world to step their game up, and they definitely did. Fast forward 16 years later, and Team USA is trying to regain the dominance they once had. We used to be able to count the number of international players on one hand in 92, but now, there are no teams without foreigners! Because the NBA has so many international players, kids from other nations grow up believing they can make the NBA because someone just like them has made it. And that's the beauty of the Olympics.

With that said, is it fair to judge teams based on how good their competition was? Naw. Its not really their fault. It IS their fault that the competition is better now, though! AND its Dream Team's fault that everyone expects USA to not just win, but dominate. But to say one is better than the other, I don't know how fair that is.

SCREW IT, DREAM TEAM WAS THE GREATEST! haha...Magic, MJ, Bird...come on. Ok, so Bird was injured, but they had Barkley, Pippen, and Co. This team had no weaknesses. You can't say they were lacking in anything. You can however say that about Team USA version 2008. They lack in size, they lack in 3 point shooting (sorta), and...ok, so that's all. Dream Team was the perfect team unleashed at the perfect time. Soon, Americans will have to seriously not take being at the top for granted. Its starting to not be so lonely at the top these days.

oh-no-he-di-int.

2008-07-29T22:30:00.000-07:00

Just as I'm about to retire and visit death's cousin, I decide to check my email, and come across this article where Paul Pierce claims to be the best player in the world. He was asked if Kobe was the best player in the world, says no, then proclaims himself the best player. He goes on to talk about a fine line between being confident and being conceited and him not crossing that line. I don't know about that, Paul. You seem to have crossed the conceited line AND the cocky line, Big Head. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that self proclamations put you over the confident label and into conceited/cocky territory. Kobe may be perceived by others in the media as cocky and whatnot, but I don't remember him ever proclaiming himself as the best. He has probably said he strives to be the best, but never actually saying "i am the best". The best players never proclaim to be, they just are. No one has heard MJ, Magic, or Bird (the Legends) ever call themselves "the best". wow, Paul Pierce. You win ONE championship, lead defensively by Garnett, with sharp shooting from Ray Ray, and you proclaim yourself the best. You faked an injury, carried and wheelchaired off...nuff said. This quote is ridiculous. What happened last year, last place in the NBA right? None of the perceived best players in the NBA were ever on the worst team in the NBA because they were THAT good. If you, Paul Pierce are the best player in the world, then why do you have so many losing seasons in your career? If Garnett didn't LET YOU BE THE MAN, you wouldn't be THE MAN, and frankly, you're not. In my opinion, Kobe is the best player in the NBA right now, but I'll go out on a limb and say that he won't claim to be, but instead he'll say that its for all others to debate. around the league, amongst his peers AND the media, Kobe is largely viewed as the best all around player in the league. You never hear that about Paul Pierce, unless he's the one saying it.

ask not what you can do for your country, but what your country can do for you?! and more free agency...

2008-07-29T18:46:00.000-07:00

Its that time of the decade again, Olympics time. With the games right around the corner, high expectations for the USA basketball team are out in full force along with discussions about guarantees, strengths, weaknesses, and what the Olympics means to each player. After listening to talk radio, I couldn't help but feel miffed at one of the hosts who said that he couldn't understand why winning a gold medal would mean more to Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony, among other players, than winning an NBA Championship. Even after they had explained that their reason was because they were playing for their country, the host couldn't understand that. I would tend to agree with the players because it seems they have a better understanding of what the Olympics all means. In the NBA, the players are playing for their fans, for the city, for the organization, for themselves, for money, for fame, and for the championship. In the Olympics, team USA players are playing for us all. They are no longer playing against one another, but instead, they are playing for each other. The game defines the NBA. In the Olympics, the Olympics are bigger than the game. It is a selfless representation in that each player is representing more than just himself. So, with that understanding, its no wonder the players find that winning a gold is more important. duh, Mychal Thompson!

In lieu of the earthquake in Southern California, Northern California's Sacramento Kings decided to shake things up and trade Ron Ron to the Rockets for Bobby Jackson, Donte Greene, and their 2009 first round draft pick. (i know, the shake up thing was cheesy). As far as the if the Lakers lost out on Ron Ron or not, they did not lose out on much. The system in place isn't one that Artest really fits in because he holds the ball, takes bad shots, and other players don't move when he was it. The triangle works because of ball movement, player movement, and good decisions. His positives- defensive toughness, intensity, and shooting, do not outweigh the aforementioned negatives in addition to the crazy attitude he brings to the team. I'm not entirely sure he fits in with the Rockets because Rick Adelman runs a similar system to PJ, but we'll see. He also plays the same position as Tracy McGrady, and is a post player, but they already have one in Yao. So I dare to ask, "Is there enough basketball to go around in Houston?"

According to ESPN, Emeka Okafor has agreed to 6 years $72 mil with the Bobcats. *yawn* Good luck to MJ and Coach Larry Brown (who screwed the US into a Bronze). I know, i'm kinda hard on Okafor, but I just see him as a cheaper version of an old Alonzo Mourning only, he didn't come cheaper. go figure.

Also, Luol Deng seems to have agreed to terms with the Bulls. When healthy, he's a decent player, but he's stuck on a team where they all have similar skill levels and no definite roles. As a result, there's no cohesiveness in their style of play- Exhibit A - Last Season. If D. Rose can bring them all together, watch out for the Bulls. If not, it was nice knowing you Coach Del Negro.

Just like Josh Childress, Nenad Krstic has left the NBA to play in Europe. I'm all for doing what's best for you and your family, so good luck to them and the rest of the players who are leaving the NBA for Europe. Some people are funny about that saying it might be bad for the NBA if the big names leave. If the league can continue to improve and offer a better situation for their players, then they'll stay. Its that simple.

Free Agency- Sasha is a Boy's name, Brown?!?, and what's left...

2008-07-28T20:58:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought I'd start a basketball blog in the middle of the summer? Alas, here it is, and today, the Lakers officially signed the self proclaimed, "MACHINE" aka Sasha Vujacic. He had a "breakout" season averaging around 8 points on 45% fg and 43% 3p, which isn't all that great, but numbers don't always tell the whole story. He has no fear when taking big shots, and has hit many of them throughout the season, all while playing pesky defense on opposing guards. Face it, no one likes playing against him, not even his own teammates in practice, but they love playing with him. In a basketball world of primadonnas, Sasha is a great teammate who everyone in the organization loves. After the loss of Ronny Turiaf to the Warriors, signing Sasha was somewhat of a priority for the Lakers, as losing him would be devastating to their bench. Every great team has a sharpshooter that hits big shots (ie Coop, Pax, Kerr, Bird, etc) and Sasha is that guy for the Lakers. After threatening to leave for Europe if he didn't get a fair deal, Sasha finally signed for $15 mil over the next three years. The only bad thing about signing Sasha is his haircut, or nonhaircut.

Kwame "freakin" Brown. wow. Someone might actually be signing him. ESPN is reporting that according to his agent, there may be a deal in place with the Pistons signing him for two years, $8 million dollars. When he was with the Lakers, I felt kinda bad for him because he played hard, but he just doesn't have the skills or the smarts to be a good player. He gets away with being in the NBA because he has the body for it, but geez! He's terrible. ok ok. let me rephrase that. He's horrible on offense, average on defense. In fact, I hate to say it, but the Lakers could've used him in the Finals, but its pointless to say because they probably wouldn't have made it that far with him. In any case, he doesn't get pushed around when on defense, but having him on your team is subtraction by addition. on offense, you're playing 4 on 5 because his guy can just leave him under the basket and double team the ball with no fear of him actually catching the ball if its passed to him. In the NBA, you're worth as much as anyone is willing to pay you, so kudos to him for making that paper. Its a lot more than I make, and hey, i'm blogging about him. I highly doubt he's blogging about me. or is he...

who's left worth mentioning-

Josh Smith- good player, questionable attitude. He fills the stat sheet like Lamar Odom, only people actually notice that he's in the game. He's very versatile, very exciting, and if he can only develop a consistent jumper, he'll be a very dangerous player, perennial all-star in my eyes. Smith is an active rebounder, good shot blocker with great timing and jumping ability, and can run the floor well. If he works hard in the offseason on his weaknesses, he'll definitely be an all-star worth all the money he's gonna get this off season.

Emeka Okafor- above average player, but not an all-star. He'll give you 13 points, 13 rebounds, 2-3 blocks a game, 50-60 games a year, if you're lucky. Looking back at his draft year, a lot of people questioned the Orlando Magic picking Howard before Emeka, but those guys are retards...now. He definitely isn't worth the money he's asking for skillswise and what he gives you, but when you look at the lack of big men in the NBA, he's definitely one of the better ones. I'd say he's worth about what Chris Kaman got.

Andre Iguodala- all star caliber player, worth big money. He's a Scotty Pippen type player, more of a number 2 scoring option than a focal point, which is what he'll be with EB in the mix in Philly now. He's got an all-around game, but still needs to develop a better mid range jumper. Philly needs to do what it has to to sign this guy.

Baby Bulls (Gordon and Deng)- both good players, both starters, but one of them probably has to go with all those guards on the team. I don't think they'll be able to trade Hinrich given he's a combo guard that isn't all that good for what he's making. The odd man out will be one of these guys, who both had down years during their contract years. Too bad, so sad.

Other sports subjects:

Brett Favre, make a decision. i'm tired of you.

Cotto, good try. not. you got pummeled.

Dodgers make it to .500 and are playing the giants right now, and losing. way to blow it, again.

Angels, Weaver outduels Dice-K. Good job on you. too bad your bro sucks.

Clippers sign Ricky Davis. His career highlight was throwing it off his own backboard to try and get a rebound for a triple double. little did he know, that doesn't count.