All-Star Snubs

The All-Star reserves have been named and the line-ups are as follows:

The 2009-2010 Eastern All-Stars

* Allen Iverson
* Dwyane Wade
* LeBron James
* Kevin Garnett
* Dwight Howard
* Chris Bosh
* Rajon Rondo
* Joe Johnson
* Gerald Wallace
* Paul Pierce
* Derrick Rose
* Al Horford

The 2009-2010 Western All-Stars

* Steve Nash
* Kobe Bryant
* Carmelo Anthony
* Tim Duncan
* Amare Stoudemire
* Kevin Durant
* Chris Paul
* Dirk Nowitzki
* Brandon Roy
* Zach Randolph
* Deron Williams
* Pau Gasol

The players I feel who were snubbed are as follows: David Lee, Antawn Jamison, and Andre Iguodala for the East; Billups, Kaman, Gasol (Marc) and Boozer for the West.

Of course each All-Star team has an outstanding bunch--but there will always be the snubs. In this case, I feel like a case should be made for certain players--like David Lee for an example; he leads the Knicks in points and rebounds while being one of the most efficient shooters in the game. I don't think Al Horford should get the spot over him. Lee averages about six more points and two more rebounds over him--not to mention Lee is clearly the Knicks' go-to player while Horford has Johnson, Smith and Crawford that score more points for the team than he does.

Jamison has been playing outstanding this year, he is the Wizards at this point. If any point there is a player that is the franchise--that player must be recognized. I'd rather have star players from a couple of different teams than three from one team (Celtics' Garnett, Rondo, and Pierce--some think Allen got snubbed; yes, maybe the entire Celtics line-up should be playing?).

I also feel that two point guards on the bench (Rondo and Rose) are not needed for the all-star game--sure this is both of their first years being selected, but there are other well-qualified players that should play like Josh Smith!

I don't think there's much to say about the Western snubs, but I definitely feel like they picked the wrong Gasol to play the game. Statistics-wise, Pau averages more points, rebounds and all that good stuff--but Pau has been injured and Marc has been carrying the Grizzlies more than Pau has been carrying the Lakers. I think Marc deserves a lot more credit than he gets because he is strictly a board cleaner--a put-back man. He has made clutch shots in the fourth quarter for Memphis time after time and well Van Gundy said he's the better big man--what else do you need? (sarcasm)

If you don't feel that Marc should've been picked over him, then you can definitely make a case for the new and improved Kaman. He is a beast right now--enough said.

Well there will always be All-star snubs regardless of who is picked, I just wish the players who really deserve it like Lee and Jamison were in--instead of Iverson. Seriously, what were the fans thinking?

Nets WIN... 4 out of 44 games.

The New Jersey Nets won their 4th game of the season last night! Unfortunately it took them 44 games to win that fourth one.

I'm not poking fun at the team, I feel horrible. I'm surprised that a team at this day and age could actually be so pathetic. I believe that any top ten ranked college team could beat the Nets fifty percent of the time (at this point).

The Nets average the least amount of points per game and have the biggest scoring differential (-12.36). That means they lose by double digits practically every night.

They have the worst field goal percentage and they give up the best field goal percentage. The Nets have the worst 3pt percentage. They have the second least amount of assists per game. They average the second least amount of rebounds per game--and the list goes on.

Eventually it gets to a point where there might be conversation of whether this is the worst team to have ever played the game. The Worst team thus far is the 72'-73' 76ers that had the record of 9-73.

At this rate, the Nets will end up with about a 7-75 record. Is there any hope for them?

Brook Lopez is their best player right now--averaging 19 points and 9.4 boards along with a pair of blocks. Devin Harris is not healthy, Yi Jianlian is doing a mediocre 14.6 and 6.8 (I expected more from him), Douglas-Roberts is getting a bit more than a bakers-dozen points per game and Courtney Lee is scoring 11 a game.

None of those players is having a really good season--with the exception of Brook Lopez. The team does not have a player that can carry them (especially if Harris is out), and the team cannot do anything right.

The best thing they can do is shoot free-throws, and they don't get to the line that often. It's disappointing to see a player with so much potential (Lopez) go to a team that could go down as the worst ever squad to compete in the NBA--let me rephrase that and say "play" in the NBA because it really is not much competition with the Nets.

So what should the Nets do? Well, they need to find something that can uplift the spirits of their franchise. I don't know what but they have to grab at least another 6 wins within the next 38 games. Now that I think of it, I really don't have any answers for them--I just pray they do something to turn the franchise around.

I'm no Nets fan by any means--they're my rivals. I just don't want there to be a team that poorly in the NBA.

Bobcats????

The Charlotte Bobcats won the most amount of games they have ever won in a single month after last night's win against the Suns. The team is now 7.5 games behind the Hawks and have a split .500 winning percentage. They are currently holding the seventh seed with their 22-22 record.

When I think of Charlotte, I still have a baby blue image of a hornet in my head--but after this season, it might finally alter to an orange Bobcat.

The Bobcats aren't only at the top of upcoming teams this season, but with Larry Brown as their coach, they might surprise a pack of analysts.

I'm a firm believer of match-up problems leading to victories, and when there are a pair that have the height of 6'7" (Wallace) and 6'8" (Jackson) that can shoot, rebound, dunk and defend--it is scary. Both the players can easily be a 2,3, or even a 4 (especially with the way Wallace rebounds).

Essentially the big issue for any team is that they are too quick for another teams' front court and too big for an opponents back court. And if a team has a player that can guard one of them, they're in awe when it comes to matching up with both players.

All of us knows how Jackson has traveled through practically every division of both conferences, but it seems like he finally has found a place. Jackson is their go-to player with an average of 21.1 ppg, 5 rpg, and 3.5 apg. He is the player that takes over at will, but he does it with a cold-blooded attitude as if to say--"hey, I got nothing to lose."

And he doesn't: he has been traded around the United States; been through many confrontations with the NBA and government; he has only played one full season in his life--the 05-06 season with the Pacers... he's been in the league for nine years!

I think he's finally at a place where he's okay with where he's at. He seems comfortable and he has the pedestal in Charlotte--he might even become the face of the franchise, who knows?

Of course we have to also focus on Gerald Wallace who has been the Bobcat thus far. Potential dunk-contest winner and outstanding athlete. He's averaging a double-double with rebounds and he's 6'7"! He's the only 6'7" player to average a double-double with rebounds in the league. Watch out...

I think the Bobcats will end up as the sixth seed this year and go into the conference finals.

Wade and LeBron

Last night the Cavaliers had an epic win over the Heat. Both James and Wade scored 32 points and James had 9 rebounds while Wade crashed 10 boards. The only difference is that LeBron was clutch and Wade was anything but Mr. Fourth Quarter.

Wade scored 2 points in the second half, he was 1-8 from the field.

It was 91-90 with 41.2 seconds left when Wade went to the line and missed two free throws. But the Cavaliers did not capitalize on their possession. Of course, the ball goes back to Wade and he dribbles with about 11 seconds and draws a double team and attempts a behind the back pass to Michael Beasely--but LeBron steals it and runs down the court and gets fouled by Wade.

James makes both his free-throws and puts the Cavs up by a single point. Wade comes down the court and misses the buzzer beater. After a 30 point first half, he is limited to two points and makes three blunders in the last minute of the game: missed two free throws and hands over a careless turnover--of course I am not counting the missed final shot as a mistake but he put his team in the position where it came down to that last shot (sure you can debate that it's a team game and he helped the team more than he hurt the team--but in that last minute, it was all Wade).

Wade has won a ring and is a swagger-full offensive force doing t-mobile commercials with Barkley. He has made big shots and he has carried the Heat since he got there. It was just a bad second half of one single game, but the game was highly concentrated between the two players that I day-dreamed of where they would be next year.

Imagine the future Knicks line-up as follows:
C- David Lee
PF- Danilo Gallinari
SF- LeBron James
SG- Dwayne Wade
PG- Chris Duhon

That would be the most beautiful thing in the world to me but realistically speaking, it's not going to happen. But for the sake of continuing a stream of thought, let's say that both superstars end up on the same team. Who would score more points and who would be the real go-to player?

James dominates the fourth quarter and was just as good as Ben Gordon--fourth quarter man himself. But I think that Wade would be the player who takes that last shot because Wade this attitude that I don't think LeBron could even match. Wade has matured and has the ring on his finger that no Kay Jewelers can give LeBron.

This fantasy of such a dominant two player team is implausible because no team would be able to afford such a duo--just imagine... if LeBron and Wade were on the same team, would they be the best duo in NBA history?

Brett, Peyton, Drew and everything in between

Forty-year child at heart Brett Favre threw for 310 yards, one touch down and made 28 completions last night--for a loss. Favre was 28/46 and had two interceptions against the Saints in a dramatic overtime game.

Phenom Adrian Peterson rushed 25 attempts for 122 yards and three touchdowns. Taylor and Harvin combined for another 10 rushing attempts. So this puts the ratio of passing to rushing at 46:36 (and Favre ran once)--wasn't the team supposed to be a ground-game first mentality?

After nineteen seasons of playing, Favre had his best TD-Int ratio with a total of 33-7 this past season, but once again he falls short. It's unfortunate to see an icon lose in a great battle but I cannot see Favre as a hero of the game anymore.

Yes he has won a Superbowl and has led the NFL record in games started as a QB, most completions, most yards, most touchdowns and the longest possible pass--but he also has attempted the most passes and thrown the most interceptions!

Obviously he is still one of the greatest players to ever play the game but let's not say he's better than Peyton Manning. Manning has played for twelve seasons and does not have as much experience as Favre but when it comes down to who's a better quarterback--I don't think it's a debate.

Manning has revolutionized the role as a quarterback. Taking ample of time off the play clock--audible after audible, he audibles his audible multiple times. He reads the defense, edits the offense, and rewrites the story every game--every year.

His overall passer rating is 95.2, which is second only to Steve Young (Favre has about ten points less than Manning). Manning has the highest individual passer rating for a season with 121.1 back in 2004. Manning has 366 career passing TD's and 181 career interceptions (ratio of 2.02), while Favre has 497-317 (ratio of 1.56).

However Manning will never be known as a better quarterback until he does something that Favre hasn't done (not including being the best sportsman practically every year)--he has to win another Super Bowl. Simple as ABC's--he has to extend his book with another Super Bowl chapter.

Will he win it this year? I don't think so. I was right about my previous predictions and I am going to stick with my final one--the Saints will win. The Colts have the best offensive line but there is this flare with Drew and his Saints that I can't see losing. A wonderful story to the people of New Orleans and the Super Bowl has a grand emotional and momentum importance.

Both teams are phenomenal offensive juggernauts, but which team wants it more? I don't think the first-year Colts head coach will be able to get his team hyped as Drew has been able to. I mean he looked as if he was going to do a rap battle with all the Saints after the win. He has it in him and quite frankly, he is going to want it more than Manning.

And it's no doubt that Favre wanted it but I think Favre wants it so bad that he overlooks what his team needed--Peterson to run more than Favre threw. Either way, this should be a high-octane Super Bowl and I can't wait... to not see Favre in the Super Bowl again... but I'm sure we'll see him next year after he retires and comes back.

Shaq's plan isn't so grand...

Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter will not participate in this years dunk contest--and so there goes Agent Shaq's grand plan.

Vince Carter decided he wouldn't prior to Bryant's decision and both did not flail at Shaq's message. While it was clearly a great potential story, Bryant did not give much of a reason to the reporters that asked him why he did not wish to participate in this years dunk contest.

Bryant chuckled and laughed at Shaq's remarks and gave the reporters a feeling that there is no way he will be swayed. Reporters then asked him who would win if LeBron did participate--he said Shannon Brown but James would be a very close second. Of course Brown is Bryant's teammate and so moral support for a fellow Laker is necessary.

What bothers me is the fact that after such a bold statement by Shaq, nothing really happened. Still Carter and Bryant would not participate and it doesn't seem like the NBA is trying to get the players to participate.

So what are the real reasons for not participating? I can only think of a few:
(1) Potential injury
(2) Embarrassment of loss?
(3) Not enough money involved
(4) The stars want to just relax

Out of the four reasons, I think only that latter one is credible. Potential injuries can occur at any time during practice and players do crazy things during practice as it is. Monta Ellis doesn't need to chuck a shot with his back facing the hoop from the tunnel of an arena--but he did... twice on video. And well amazing practice dunks don't need to happen but LeBron puts on a show before the game majority of the time. Injuries simply are not a sufficient reason to back off from the dunk contest.

The embarrassment of a loss in the dunk contest is just as weak of an argument. Losing is a part of every game and even if you are a star who loses to a less-known player--there isn't embarrassment in a dunk contest (unless you're the Birdman Chris Andersen when he took about 20 attempts for one dunk that he had to run full court for... that was sad). But Bryant and Carter are not anything like the Birdman.

Then there is the issue of money. Money always speaks volumes to athletes, but I think a night where a star has the spotlight creates a louder resonance than nickles and dimes or hundreds of thousands. It is another crown that a basketball player can win--and at the end of your career as a basketball player, you want as many accolades as possible so you can get into the Hall of Fame. Sure both Bryant and Carter have won the dunk contest before but winning it again after 5-10 years is phenomenal.

Last but certainly not least, the players just want to relax and have fun--if that's the real reason they don't want to participate, then I can't argue with that. After a grueling season and being a star, I can understand why one would want to just sit and be entertained instead of being the entertainer.

We tend to forget about this when it comes to basketball players. They are not machines. Basketball is their job and sometimes their passion. But even with every job--you need a vacation. In this case, they might just want to see another athlete fly through the air, is that so much to ask for?

Is it right for us criticize and pester Bryant or Carter to participate in the dunk contest if they just want to have fun by being a part of the crowd? No--not really. But I wish they would just tell us that's the reason...

Mariners caught some big fish

Ken Griffey Jr, Alex Rodriguez, Joey Cora, Edgar Martinez, Jay Buhner, Dan Wilson, Paul Sorrento, Russ Davis, Randy Johnson, Jamie Moyer, Mike Timlin, Jeff Fassero--this is the team I think of when I think of the real Mariners. But after taking a look at their off season moves, I might have to think of them in light of the new decade.

Ken Griffey Jr, Milton Bradley, Chone Figgins, Ichiro Suzuki, Jose Lopez, Franklin Gutierrez, Casey Kotchman, Feliz Hernandez, Cliff Lee, Ian Snell, Ryan Rowland-Smith and David Aardsma--are the new Mariners. But wait; there still is a chance for them to re-sign Russell Branyan, Erik Bedard, Miguel Batista, and Mike Sweeney (all file for free agency).

Obviously, the Mariners have taken a new approach to building their franchise. Suddenly, it seems like they actually want to compete. Now when Ichiro has a .352 batting average, he might actually come home more than only 88 times. All of a sudden, now King Felix might get some more run support and finally win twenty games in a season (he was 19-5 last season).

Imagine this line-up:
1. Ichiro Suzuki of
2. Chone Figgins 3b
3. Russell Branyan 1b
4. Ken Griffey Jr. (out of respect--I still think he can have another 30 homerun season) dh
5. Milton Bradley of
6. Jose Lopez 2b
7. Franklin Gutierrez of
8. Jack Wilson ss
9. Rob Johnson c

And they'd have Corey Patterson in the bench while Josh Wilson tries to become the starting shortstop over Jack Wilson.

The starting line-up doesn't sound half bad but the pitching rotation has the scare it needs:
1. Felix Hernandez
2. Cliff Lee
3. Ryan Rowland-Smith
4. Ian Snell
5. Doug Fister.

So the top two and certainly you can make a case for the top three to be one of the best--if not the best three-man trio in the league. Cliff Lee went 14-13 last year but was a complete lights out pitcher towards the end of the season (and of course the year before he went 22-3). Then you have King Felix who went 19-5 last year with a 2.49 ERA. And this guy Rowland-Smith went 5-4 last year but tends to pitch deep into games.

The Mariners were an 85-77 team last year and were 12 games behind the Angels in the AL West. After this year, I say look for a competitive AL West! The Angels, Rangers and Mariners are going to have to battle out for the one available playoff spot because lets face it--the wild card is going to the AL East.

For the smallest division in baseball, it certainly was innately difficult to hold a playoff spot--but with the new Mariners, I see a potential problem for the Angels.

Mariners caught some big fish in the free agent sea, now lets see if they can cook up a playoff run.

The Manager

Last night Shaquille O'Neal scored his 28,000 point and is not the fifth player to do so. After the game he spoke to the NBA Fastbreak crew and told the guys about how his father called him right afterwards and said, "I'm not gna tell you congratulations...if you would've hit your free throws, dummy, you would've had 33,000"

As humorous as that is, it's also true--Shaq has missed 5,218 free throws in his career; the only person who has missed more is Wilt Chamberlain (who's fourth on that all-time list).

But pass the milestone Shaq has reached, he said something else last night that I thought was extremely bold, he said;

"As his manager, I will only allow 'Bron to do the dunk contest if Vince Carter comes back out. If Kobe comes back out and if another big name comes back out. If we could get a big prize and have half of the money go to the people of Haiti and the other half to the winner.

"The guys that are in it, no disrespect to them, but there won't really be any competition for LeBron. I want to see Kobe. I want to see Vince and I will allow my client to enter.

"I'm saying it now. So tweet it. Facebook it. E-mail it and hopefully it gets out. Vince, we're calling you out. Kobe, we're calling you out. We're calling everybody out. If those guys step up in the dunk contest, then I will allow my client to step up."

Shaq, or LeBron's agent, decided to try and revive what the dunk contest was meant to be--the Jordan and Dr. J highflyers should participate. The dunk contest has devolved into good dunkers doing their thing, not the best ones.

When you play a basketball video game that has the option of the All-star weekend; would you pick Derozan, Gordon or LeBron? Let's be real here, the contestants on your fantasized screen are mix of James, Bryant, Carter, Richardson, Stoudemire, Howard, Iguodala and I guess I'll throw in Krypto-Nate for good luck. And even that list is extended--you always have James, Bryant and Carter as the three of your four candidates.

But we haven't seen a galactic star-gazing Sprite Slam Dunk show down since forever. What Shaq highlights is more than just a funny big man being outspoken--it's true.

Obviously the NBA will not just drop the other three candidates Gerald Wallace, Nate Robinson, and Shannon Brown (and the other Slam Dunk-in winner), but I would wish that they could incorporate the big dunkers too.

Imagine seeing James, Bryant and Carter dunk to donate money for Haiti. It doesn't only give them great publicity, but it will make this dunk contest memorable. I can't remember the last time I was actually hyped to watch a dunk contest. It doesn't happen because well the participants aren't the best dunkers in the league.

Obviously there is the whole factor of getting injured, etc--but it's a dunk contest for the fans, not a fight with Hopkins or Mayweather. These players do fancy dunks during practice; just do it for the fans.

What I love about what Shaq said is that he incorporated Haiti in this idea. Everyone is well aware of what has happened in Haiti; and to make this dunk contest partially donated to Haiti makes this a truly global event.

Think of the potential. There can be a donation station in Dallas, Dalembert could be on the court congratulating the winner and being a judge, try to bring back the greatest dunkers of all time to judge, and have meaningful speech about helping the world in times of trauma.

It's there. Everything the NBA would want is there. A great story. A great moment. A great dunk contest. And most importantly, a meaningful memorable event.

Make it happen. If the NBA wants great publicity and show that the "NBA Cares," then go out there and recruit Bryant, Carter and James--and lets donate to Haiti.

The Magic gotta pull something else out of their hats...

Last night was the NBA finals rematch between the Orlando Magic and the L.A. Lakers. After posting a fantastic defensive performance allowing only 12 points in the third quarter, the Magic were stumped by a 34-point Lakers fourth quarter. And, like seven of their last ten games, the Magic lost yet again.

The Magic started off the season 17-4 and since have gone 9-11. They are the number 4 seed in the East and have a five game lead on the next closest Eastern Conference competitor (the Bobcats--surprisingly enough).

Although the Magic are not doing horrendously, let's face it--even if they were, they'd still have a top seed in the East. But there definitely is something that is not together with the Magic. They haven't only been consistently losing to the top teams like the Cavs and the Lakers; they've lost to some poor teams.

This is the sequence of teams they've lost to: Pistons, Thunder, Cavs, Heat, Jazz, Suns, Heat, Celtics, Bulls, Pacers, Raptors, Wizards, Nuggets, Trailblazers, and the Lakers last night.

The Pacers, Pistons and Wizards all share a 14-26 record. None of the other top teams have lost to all three of those squads. The Magic are simply missing something they had last year--the obvious answer would be Hedo. However I think it is a combination of the absence of Hedo and the presence of Carter.

I'm a Vince Carter fan and originally I thought that the Magic would be blowing past every team with that acquisition. Unfortunately, I feel like it hasn't been working too well. Carter averages 16.8 ppg for the Magic but that comes with a .386 fg %, and he does get 4.5 rebounds and 3 assists per game--but he isn't what Hedo was.

Hedo averaged the same amount of points as Carter does for the Magic, except he averaged an extra board and two extra assists. The difference is, Hedo shot better from the field and he was a constant mis-match. Basketball is a game of mis-matches and when you have a 6'10" forward along with a 6'11" beast (Howard) and 6'10" sharp-shooter (Lewis), there are one too many tall shooters for the defense to match up with.

All of a sudden, you substitute the 6'10" go-to guy with a 6'6" highflyer and you don't have that edge. Throughout the playoffs last year, Hedo was highlighted and it bugged me when he self-proclaimed that he was the Turkish Michael Jordan, but he definitely was a presence on the court.

The points one brings to a team is irrelevant to the intangibles one can bring. Monta Ellis can take 39 shots every night (I can't believe he took 39 shots last night) and his team will never win in the playoffs. Paul Pierce used to take every shot in the world when he was with Antoine Walker (remember the shimmy and the 0-18 fg performance he had?) but they never won.

When it comes down to it, the mismatches and diversity in methods of scoring gives a team the championship! Past decade was all about the Spurs and the Pistons because they were the epitome of team-basketball. That's why Jordan was glorified; he was the only player that had complete control of the basketball court. He was able to play a team game and he was able to be the most dominant player in the league.

But I digress, let's go back to how the Magic don't have Hedo's match-up causing problems. Don't get me wrong, the only reason the Magic are still doing well is because they spread the ball--they have eight players who average 9 or more points per game. That is impressive! And the player who scores the most for them (Howard) has a .605 fg%.

The Magic are going to be competitive and make the top 4 seeds in the East no doubt. But they will not make it as deep in the playoffs. Other than Howard and Lewis, they have Ryan Anderson who stands at 6'10" and he is barely able to grab 3.6 boards a game. The Magic all of a sudden lack size.

Which means the Cavs will be able to overpower them this year. With Shaq and big Z, Howard will not be as dominant in the post on them and I really don't see Lewis or Anderson (who only plays 17 mins) getting any boards over either of the Cavs front court.

Other then that, what the Magic should focus on every practice is making a free throw. They have the worst FT% in the game--despicable .712. Probably because Howard takes about half the free throws and shoots .590% from the line; but still, they have to fix that.

With that being said, I hope the Magic pick it up because it would be disappointing to see such a promising team to fall through the ranks.

Sorry Hilu. But the Magic gotta take something else out of their hats, because teams are seeing through the ol' tricks.

Jets, Colts... Vikings, Saints.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! The conference championships are set, it will be the New York Jets versus the Indianapolis Colts at 3 p.m. eastern time on CBS, while the Minnesota Vikings versus the New Orleans Saints at 6:30 p.m. eastern time on FOX.

What a football week; so many stories, where do I start? We have a potential Cinderella story with a rookie quarterback and a defense that throws everyone off. We also have Farve, who seems to always be in the news because he's still playing despite his age (and he is playing pretty outstanding). Then of course we have the two juggernauts: the Colts and the Saints.

The New York Jets are not a dominant passing force by any means. Their top two receivers have a combined total of 92 receptions--the Colts tight end Dallas Clark has a hundred receptions of his own!

But offense doesn't really matter to the Jets, they are the best defensive team when it comes to yards per game (in terms of season statistics). The Colts were 18th on this list, and similarly the Colts were amongst the top ten in offensive yards per game while the Jets were 20th.

It's a true battle of offense versus defense; we know that Manning is going to audible the clock away and thus the Jets' defense will be out there for the majority of the game--but isn't that what every Jets fan wants right now? The Jets' defense might be a bigger scoring threat than their offense. Of course the Jets have a really solid running game but like last night; the defense sets up the running game.

One of the Jets' touchdown last night came from a interception that brought New York into the red zone--it's Thomas Jones' bread and butter from there right? As Boomer would say, "whoooop," a play-action unexpected by the defense and the rookie delivers a pass after scrambling from the pocket. If anything, I think that one play is the microcosm of New York's season. Run, run, pass, run, punt, defense intercepts, run, play-action and touchdown! Either their plays follow that sequence or run, run--break through for a touchdown. Despite which method they choose, their offense is propelled by the run game and their defense, which gives Sanchez that platform to use a play action. Simple, but effective.

So my prediction of this weekend when it comes to the Jets and the Colts... I want the Jets to win and although Manning doesn't have great numbers when it comes to the post-season and regardless of how much of a beast Darrelle Revis is (I still can't believe that interception he had--it was epic), I am not too sure if the Jets are going to emerge victorious.

I have this paranoia that I could never say the team I am rooting for will win because I feel like I will jinx the outcome. And plus, Manning finds away when it comes to the fourth quarter--so with that being said, I'll halfheartedly pick the Colts to secure my superstitions.

Now when it comes to the other match up; with slight hesitation, I'll pick the Saints. I know the Vikings have an amazing four-man rush as we saw last night, but that Saints offensive line does not let any devil touch their angel--Brees was only sacked twenty times (Peyton was sacked only 10 times, which is another reason I'm frightened by that match-up). Brees has the best completion percentage, the best QB rating, the most touchdowns passes, and he has the third best yards/pass average. How can he have accomplish all these numbers? The offensive line is the most important part of football--and that line gives Brees all the time he needs.

Another reason why I'd pick the Saints is because Brees has the intangibles. He's leading a team that hasn't ever gone to the Superbowl to an outstanding season. He is young (31 years-old), which incredibly young compared to Farve, and he is the motivator of the team.

Brees has pre-game prep-talks and thinks of motivational speeches he can make during the off season. Brees has it in him; he is focused and he is a competitor. His importance to the team as a leader only adds to the subconscious of all the players to make that reception or protect his pocket or even make that defensive stop so he can lead the team once again. The offensive line is extremely important, but when you add that victory-hungry mindset, you can't stop them.

This is why I predict that the Saints will go to the Superbowl, and more over--I think they'll win it all. Again I say this so I don't jinx the miracle Jets story of 2010; but I also say this because the Saints are just plain scary. With so many options offensively, I don't know who can stop them? However, if there was a team that would be able to stop them, I think it would have to be the Jets.

Good luck to all the teams, and... LET'S GO JETS!

The Unwritten Law

In sports, there is an unwritten law or code, or whatever you want to call it--but there is sense of respect that if you are about to win a game, you don't score anymore than is a sufficient lead.

Today, the Vikings did not obey that code. In the fourth quarter with 2 minutes left, they were ahead 27-3 and were placed in a fourth down situation. Farve made a play-action pass to Shiancoe. The Vikings then went up 34-3, within the two minute mark--and let's not forget to mention that the Cowboys did not have any time-outs either.

It was impossible for the Cowboys to win and with such a short amount of time in the fourth quarter--what was Minnesota doing? It was completely unnecessary to get yet another score and demoralize the Dallas defense more than they already were.

When teams are down, you simply do not spit on their faces, put salt on their wounds, or celebrate after a fourth touchdown pass that was not going to change the game at all. Losses hurt in the NFL as they do in any other sport. But in the NFL, you don't play a 5 or 7 game series, you play one game and if you win--you go on to the next round. Thus, the two teams would not face again to determine who the real winner is (my point in saying this is to contrast how the NFL playoff system is different from the MLB or NBA, therefore I can understand demoralizing another team in the MLB or NBA playoffs in order to show dominance but it is simply wrong to in the NFL).

Some of the analysts right after the game felt that it was not a wrong thing to do. But to a player, if you finally enter the playoffs and you are at the point where you know the game is over--you don't want to be embarrassed anymore than you are. It's inhumane. And of course Dallas did not expect the play action because they respected the Vikings as a conscious opponent, but I guess they were wrong.

It's like taking another shot at the end of a basketball game when you're up by twenty. It's like stealing third when you're up by ten runs in the ninth; why do something that will just mentally destroy a team that you will not play for another year?

I am not a Cowboys fan; I actually have nothing but utter hatred towards their franchise because I am a Giants fan--but no NFL team deserves such an embarrassing moment.

Well good luck to the Vikings, because I have a feeling they might just have a taste of their own medicine because Drew and his Saints are quite the pharmacy.

Monta Ellis

The image above is from nba.com, http://www.nba.com/playerfile/monta_ellis/index.html?nav=page

If you don't know who Monta Ellis is by now, you need to broaden your scope. The 6'3" guard out of Lanier High School is now in his fourth year in the NBA and is averaging 26.1 ppg, 5.3 apg, 4.2 rpg, and is second in the league in total steals (averages 2.24 spg).

He is one of the most explosive guards and is a fan favorite because he is reminiscent of the vintage Allen Iverson. Ellis is second in the league in field goal attempts per game; which means he audibles his own number often.

What is there to say about him? He plays for the one of the worst teams in the league, the Warriors, as their record is 11-27 (the only two teams that are worse are the Nets and T'Wolves).

Last night during their game against the Bucks, he scored 33 points with 8 assists (no steals surprisingly as he has only done that nine times in the season). The bigger story is what he did in the first quarter.

Ellis did a spin-move, then drove in on two defenders and did a reversal with his off-hand and somehow put spin on the ball to kiss it off the glass. I have never seen a player do this--especially with such ease.

After this play, the crowd went wild and so did the commentators and of course SportsCenter put it on their top-ten. The amazing thing to me is that Ellis has evolved into such a dominant force and hasn't played nearly as many games in the past four years.

He played 49 games his first season and started only 3. Then in 06-07, he played 77 games while starting 53. In 07-08, he played 82 games while starting 72. Then last year, he only started and played 25 games in the season. His averages have been increasing and he is consistent.

Now it's easy to say that he matured really quickly in the NBA but unfortunately there's one thing about him that completely shows otherwise. Ellis leads the league in Turnovers Per Game, and is averaging 4.24 every night on the court. His turnovers have been increasing every year and he is now a player that has the tendency to throw the ball away.

With the NBA growing and developing their players, we have a new generation of talent. Players such as Jennings, Evans, Ellis, Brooks, and even Durant are becoming key youth in the league--problem is, they are so focused on scoring that they don't know how to take care of the ball as well.

Jennings almost had a double-double with points and turnovers the other day. The basketball world has become highly focused on the scoring champion, that we don't see the game in the multiple layers it has to offer anymore.

I'm not saying I wouldn't want Ellis on my team; I would love to have him play for the Knicks (we hire guards all the time anyways), but I would like to see the future of basketball become more efficient with turnovers. At the end of the day, in any sport, unforced errors are the deciding factor in a teams loss.

All-Star Slam Dunk-In

The NBA will add an additional event into the All-Star weekend this year. The new "All-Star Slam Dunk-In" will be another dunk contest, however the two contestants in this contest will compete for a bid on to the Saturday Night Sprite Slam Dunk event--in essence, it is a meta-dunk contest weekend.

The two players who have been chosen to compete are the rookie DeMar DeRozan and the sophomore Eric Gordon. The players will compete during the half-time of the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge, which will be held on Friday, February 12.

Each player will perform two dunks and the viewers will decide who should move on. How do we vote? Well the audience could vote by either text-messaging DUNKS (38657) or by going on nba.com.

My first issue with this event is--is this contest over-doing what the All-Star weekend is about? We all look forward to the 3-Point Contest and the Dunk Contest, and the All-Star game of course; but are these other competitions a deteriorating what the weekend is all about?

I thought the drill that the point guards run was kind of cool but unnecessary, however a dunk contest to see who gets into the dunk contest? I think it's a tad bit redundant don't you?

However the concept is interesting and it covers a blank spot on Friday nights' agenda. I just feel that the two contestants who are participating will need to be even more creative if they make it to the dunk contest because they would have used their amazing dunks already.

It becomes a matter of publicity then, DeRozan has created his own website to promote his dunking abilities so he can venture off to the dunk contest. Since there isn't a panel judge on the performances of the dunks, whoever wins the crowd--wins the contest. I think the All-Star Slam Dunk-In will be more publicity than about the dunks themselves--then again that's what the weekend seems to be turning towards; which isn't a bad thing because it's more catered to the fans but I just feel like it might be overdone.

To have Charles Barkley race the oldest referee in the game is one thing to please the fans but to have two dunk-contests is another. Let the contest be and don't take away the value of it by trying to create a preliminary contest to preface the major one.

Shaking the Lives of All

Last night, the Sixers' Dalembert delivered an amazing performance of 12 points and 21 rebounds. However those profound number of rebounds are not reason why I claim he played well; he played spectacular because he was on the court while dealing with one of the most traumatic experiences anyone can go through--death in the family (or in this case, paranoia of death).

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake killed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people while shaking the lives of everyone in this world--especially Dalembert. Unfortunately, Dalembert is unaware of whether or not his siblings and other relatives are alive.

I can't even fathom the pain he must be dealing with--it's one thing to find out that a family member died, but to not be able to contact a family member and not know whether he or she is dead/alive is just horrifying. It is not about just death but continuous paranoia and slight hope the person might be alive. Regardless of the situation, Dalembert's performance was above admirable and was truly exalting.

When companies such as Nike and Adidas or leagues such as the NBA or MLB or NFL claim that the sport is more than just a game--I never really took the phrases for what it meant. But time and time again we hear of tragedies that players go through and how they use basketball to elope the issues in their lives and try to maintain sanity.

Who can forget Derek Fisher's 2007 ESPY award nominee for Best Moment--when he ran through the tunnel of Utah's arena and won the game for the Jazz after watching his eleven-month-old daughter go through surgery for a rare eye cancer.

Fisher came and not only saved the Jazz in Game 2, nor did he only save the series as they went into the Western Conference Finals, but he did something that doesn't happen every playoff year--he showed the fans that there is a way to cope with such adversities. It is more than a basketball game, basketball was Fishers canvas to paint inspiration. Each shot was a color, each defensive stop was a brush, and the victory was the frame.

We could also look at Chris Paul when he was in high school and scored 61 points in honor of his grandfather who died by being beaten to death during a robbery. I remember seeing the video of Chris Paul in that game; he was on the free-throw line and made the first one to get to 61. Then he stopped and cried and purposely missed the next free-throw because his grandfather died at the age of 61.

Basketball was not just a sport to him but life. In this day and age, we can still see that basketball as well as any other sport is not just about the game but about the people. Just like when the Bengals dealt with Henry's death; it became a real community grief.

To me, this is what sports is all about. It's about dealing with trauma through another channel.

Dirty and Nasty

The image above was taken from NBA.com

Remember the good ol' days with "Dirty" and "Nasty?" Well let me refresh your memory. Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley, Steve Nash, Nick Van Exel, Raef LaFrentz, Shawn Bradley, Eduard Najera, Raja Bell, Adrian Griffin, and Avery Johnson. Seems like a long time ago doesn't it?

I remember being afraid of the Mavericks because Finley, Nowitzki, and Nash were lethal together. And then all the mix-up happened and now all three of them are divided in the West.

Well I thought about all of this after reading Fran Blinebury's article "Promise fulfilled as Nowitzki reaches impressive plateau." Blinebury talks about Nowtizki's accomplishments and how he became the 34th player in NBA history to reach the 20,000 point platform.

Of the article, I found one striking comment that Kobe Bryant said, I quote within his article;

"That's what I like about him. He's not a punk. A lot of superstar players don't like to get touched. They're kind of finicky about how they go about things. Dirk's nasty and that's what I like about him. He'll take the gloves off and go at it."

For one of the all-time greatest players to say such a comment distinguishes Nowitzki from other athletes. He's a seven-footer, weighing 245lbs imported from Germany. It is his 12th year in the NBA, and has played in eight all-star games (also started in one of them). He has also led his team to the playoffs for nine straight seasons starting from 2000-2001 up to last year. In the playoffs he averages 25.7ppg and 11.4rbg and a block per game for good luck.

Dirk has won the MVP award once in his career and is regarded as one of the best-shooting big-man to ever played the game.

I can only imagine how amazing the Mavericks would be if they still had the two-time MVP Steve Nash along with Nowitzki. The two players have developed so much individually in their own separate team--that makes me wonder how unstoppable they would be together.

I would take this a step further and say that if Nash and Nowitski remained on the same team--they would've been the best duo in the league (over KG and Pierce/Allen, over Nash and Stoudemire, over Parker and Duncan, over Brook Lopez and Devin Harris--I'm kidding).

Of course this is all if they were on the team; but it leads to a more important question--why didn't they dominate early on in their careers together? They did have six entire years together.

Well I think it has a lot more to do with how Nowitzki has grown as forward than Nash as a guard. Remember the days when the analysts would talk about "when will irk get the 'D' back in his name?" I certainly do and I also remember those days. Or do you remember how many three-pointers he shot in those days?

He shot 1,726 three-pointers in a span of five years with Nash; then Nash left suddenly he wasn't getting those sweet spot-up threes and had to do some damage inside. The following five years, he shot 1,062 three-pointers. That's an average of about 133 less three-point attempts!

What attributes to Dirk's immense growth as a player was his decision to become a bigger forward threat. I remember watching this one playoff game (sorry I can't think of the specific time), but the Mavs were down by three with a couple of seconds left. In stead of pulling up for the three, Dirk faked it and drove in to get the bucket-and-one. That single play is the microcosm of who Dirk has evolved into.

Just imagine where the Mavs would be if they had Dirks evolution and Nash's court-vision. They'd be pretty Dirty and Nasty...

East vs. West

So I'm in an NBA mode right now and was checking out the standings when I realized truly how horrendous the Eastern Conference is. The East has only five teams that are .500 or above, while the Western Conference has eleven teams that are .500 or above.

What contributes to the bi-polarity in the East? Is it because the few good teams in the East are outstanding (Cleveland, Boston, Orlando, Atlanta) and they pulverize the other teams in the East? Or can the West just be that good?

I don't have the statistics to prove either but by looking at the record and getting a feel for how many conference wins the .500+ teams have, the better percentage of the wins came against the East. Of course everything might get averaged out if one were to eliminate the Nets as a franchise, but since that's impossible--but even the Nets have beaten the Knicks and the Bulls this year. And if the Nets are in the Eastern Conference, then surely, it's a free game for whoever is scheduled to verse them (predominantly are Eastern Conference squads). Again, one would think that the Nets would help the overall record of the other sub-.500 teams--but they haven't made much of an impact.

The teams in the East are just that bad. Even the teams that were the most dominant in the past decade like the Pistons are trying to break their thirteen game losing streak (11-25 record). Indiana used to have playoff runs every year and have evaporated into a 12-25 team. Iverson is back in 76ers but haven't made a dent in their record as they too are 12-25.

But of course it all dwindles back down to the pathetic Nets who are 3-34. A winning percentage of .081! Every time I check their last ten games it's either (1-9 or 0-10). If they don't win the first pick of the 2010 draft, we;re in for the Apocalypse.

In the West, we have a completely different situation--the worst team in the Southwest division (Memphis) has a better record than 2/3 of our conference.

Now realistically speaking, the top 16 teams will not make the playoffs because eleven of them are in the Western Conference. But what is the NBA to do of the disproportion of Conference strengths?

Either one of two methods should be implemented; create an alternative playoff system system or terminate inter-conference play to neutralize the wins in each Conference.

The first is not as plausible as the second method, so I shall briefly focus on the latter.

The Western Conference is strong, and unless the teams in the West are versing LeBron, D-Howard, Joe Johnson, Garnett or D-Wade in the East, the West has one more guaranteed victory under their belt. Through all these wins that have accumulated over the not-so-strong squads of the East, the West is saturated with victories (a sufficient amount over the East teams). If each Conference is restricted to versing themselves--the NBA Finals receives extra hype as it would be the only time that the East versus the West (gives a feeling of taboo games). With that being said, the wins will only circulate each respective Conference--creating a .500, .500 overall conference average.

At this point the Conference average record is 16.93-19.73 for the East and 19.86-17.06 for the West. Trust me, I did the math. That shows that inter-conference season games give the West an upper hand over the East. Eliminate that, and suddenly the West doesn't appear as dominant as they used to.

Who will be this year's Derrick Rose?

Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Shaquille O'Neal, Chris Webber, Grant Hill, Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan, Vince Carter, Steve Francis, Pau Gasol, Amare Stoudemire, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Brandon Roy, Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose are all well known elite athletes that have won rookie of the year in the past. Who will be this years Rose?

I say this year's Rose because it's definitely going to a dynamic guard--either Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings or Stephen Curry.

Curry is third on my list because he has solid numbers for a rookie but not as dominant as the other two candidates. Curry averages 12.3 points per game, 3.6 rebounds per game, 4.4 assists per game, 1.8 steals per game and plays about 32.1 minutes each game. And although he is a much stronger three-point threat than the other two rookies, his team has a dismal record of 11-24. Sorry Curry but unless your team scratches the eight seed by going on a 20-0 stretch--the Warriors' are out of it and so are your chances of winning the rookie of the year.

This is where it gets real tricky, I'm not sure who should be second on my list but let's talk about Tyreke Evans before Brandon Jennings. Evans has better numbers, hands down but I'm not too convinced that he should be the rookie of the year. He averages 20.7 points per game, 5.1 rebounds per game, 5 assists per game, 1.5 steals per game and 37.2 minutes every night the arena is lit up. He does a bunch of lighting up on his own and is undoubtedly a wildfire fan favorite as he already has two game winning field goals in his resume.

Evans came out of Memphis and stands at 6'6" weighing 220lbs. His team is 15-21 and are not in good shape; they are the third worst team in the Western Conference. However they have a pretty well balanced team as seven players average double-digits in points per game (granted one of them, Kevin Martin has only played five games thus far and averaged 30.6 ppg). Evans has picked up where Martin left off, and is the dominant passing force in the team.

I'm a fan of players who know how to create for other players and the numbers show that if he wasn't there, Beno Udrih would be the next dominant passer and he started about half the games thus far.

Evans has been a solid player in the league--when a guard averages 20, 5 and 5--we're talking about an all-around performer. Kobe Bryant doesn't even average more than 20, 5 and 5 this season (he averages 29.6, 5.6, and 4.6). Of course I'm not putting Evans in the pedestal and comparing him to Bryant but it is an impressive statistic to see how Evans does a sufficient amount of everything--he's a box-score filler.

But Evans' downfall might be the fact that his team's playoff hopes are about as a real as Alice's Wonderland.

Finally we get to Brandon Jennings who I feel has a slight upper-hand over Evans just because of his team's record and spot in the East. Now Jennings does not have as great of numbers as Evans but some pretty impressive ones nonetheless. Jennings averages 18.3 points per game, 3.8 rebounds per game, 5.9 assists per game and 1.1 steals per game and is on the court for an average of 34.5 minutes every game. Of the three candidates, his team is playing the best (15-19 Bucks) and they currently hold the eighth seed of the playoffs.

Jennings is the team's leading steal-man, assist-man, and scorer (he also leads the team in turnovers but cut him some slack, he's a rookie). Jennings overpowered the team's prior number one player Michael Redd, and has now been the dependent offensive force. He is a better FT shooter than Evans and most importantly is just fun to watch.

Jennings is quick and reminds me of a bit of Rose and Paul; he doesn't have the strength and dunking ability of Rose nor the court-awareness of Paul but he has the explosiveness of Rose and the gliding-down-the-court vibe of Paul.

Jennings makes sharp moves and uses his freedom to do whatever he feels helps the team (unfortunately sometimes he hurts the team by shooting too much--.393 FG%) but he's the only player in the team that has started all 34 games. He is the only Bucks player that you know will be in the starting line-up no matter what.

Although it might be tough to decide who will win this years rookie of the year, it might come down to who can be this years Rose and bring their team to the playoff. Good luck rook's.

Live and die with McNabb

Last night's game between the Eagles and the Cowboys was relatively one-sided after Dallas' 27 point 2nd quarter performance. The Cowboys dominated the game but what grinds my gears is the fact that Vick played only one series in the game.

In the beginning of the second quarter, Vick threw a 76-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin for the first score of the game. The momentum was with the Eagles and Vick became a threat to Wade Phillips. Unfortunately, that single possession was the only series where Vick played.

Vick ended the game with 1/2 in completions/attempts and 76 passing yards along with one touchdown, while McNabb ended with 19/37 and 230 passing yards to go with one touchdown and one interception.

If Vick was able to courageously make an accurate pass and show sense of fearless attitude, why not feed the new Eagle some pigskin?

McNabb completed 51.4% of his passes and was sacked four times. And Vick? Well we don't have much to say because he didn't have the opportunity. So the question then becomes--what was Andy Reid thinking?

Let's take a trip through this past decade. Reid starting coaching McNabb starting back in 1999. While they were on the same team, they have gone to one NFC wild card game, one NFC divisional game, four NFC championship games, and one Super Bowl: all of which they lost.

I understand that a coach and a player might develop a bond and trust that cannot be analyzed by a third-party, but I'm going to have to throw in the red challenge flag here. When a player consistently lets you down in the playoffs, why go to him again when you have another option that proves himself?

Sure, Vick is not the face of the franchise but I guarantee you that if he played another few possessions and made this game closer--he'd be more than just a risky free agent pick-up during the off season.

But instead, the consistent dependence on the big number 5 causes yet another disappointment for Philadelphia. I don't mind the loss for the Eagles because the Cowboys put on a show; but for a player like Vick to come back despite all that he's been through and still compete in the playoffs in that possession shows heart.

It's past just letting Vick play another series, it's the lack of faith in his other quarterback that disappoints me. Well, there's always next year--that is unless, McNabb and Reid are back with the Eagles. Then history might repeat itself just one more time.

Will Nash ever win MVP again?

The image above was received from nba.com, http://www.nba.com/playerfile/steve_nash/career_stats.html

The two highlighted individuals in the MVP race this year, is Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. What a shocker...right? But the player I've been waiting to see the MVP is none other then the number three in the race--Steve Nash. Frank Hughes of nba.com correctly mentions in one of his articles;

"We realize that the only way Nash is going to win the MVP is if Kobe and LeBron wreck into one another in their next game and are injured indefinitely. Having said that, Nash is playing breathtaking basketball. He is now shooting a career-high 54.3 percent from the field while averaging a career-high 18.9 points. If the guy could play above the rim, he'd be right there with the top two"

And it's the unfortunate truth for Nash, however I think it's time that we recognize one of the greatest court-awareness players to have ever played the point guard position with another MVP award because he still is the most valuable asset to a team.

The Santa Clara native averaged a double-double in points and assists in five of the past 6 years (and the year he didn't average a double-double--he was off by .3 assists per game). Not to mention, he's always been one of the best shooters in the league, averaging more than 50% field goal percentage also in the past six years.

He's the best free throw shooter in the league, year after year, and he is one of the most consistent three point shooters in the game.

His numbers speak volumes but it is incomparable to James' 28.7 points,7.1 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game. Yet Nash's 18.9 points and 11.3 assists per game shows what a true point guard he is. Nash is not the most athletic (which you may be able to argue for LeBron) but he is definitely just as fun to watch.

Nash might not be a high-flyer or a dominant one-on-one player, but he is what every coach wants--a court general. Obviously Nash's credibility as a serious MVP candidate diminishes when we see where his team is in playoff race (4th in the West), however there definitely is a sense of Nash's extreme significance to the team.

No one else in the Suns average more than 2.3 assists per game, which shows that there really is only one person who controls the team. In the case of LeBron, he has another player who distributes a sufficient amount--Mo Williams. And if you compare Nash's contribution to other players to Kobe, well three players average just around one assist less than him.

Of course the game has evolved to a point where the most dominant player is glorified with the MVP title. Is that what the game truly is about though? Basketball, like many other sports such as baseball, football, hockey, etc., is a team sport--and to me, the player who is most valuable is the player who is most about the team.

It might not seem like a solid argument to say that the MVP should be given to Nash because of his amazing passing ability (especially because Bryant and James are good passers themselves) but there's a difference between players that are asked to take over the game and players who create the game for their teammates.

Bryant and James might create a platform for other players, but when it comes to the fourth quarter--it's predictable as to who is getting the ball. With players like Nash, he's just as big of a weapon off the pass as he is on his tilted running three-pointer.

The MVP will not go to Nash unless James and Bryant perform horrendously for the next few months, but can we please acknowledge one of the greatest point guards in the game?

So how about them Knicks...

After being 3-14 for the first seventeen games of this grueling season (if you're a Knicks fan), the team has been one of the hottest teams as of late! In the last eighteen games, the Knicks are 12-6, which is third best record in the East for the last month.

The Knickerbockers are not one of the elite teams of the East; as a fan of the squad, I know they will not get any of the top six seeds of the playoffs in the near future. I only have hope to actually watch good basketball every time I turn on MSG and see the white, blue and orange. As of late, I'd say the Knicks are one of the most exciting teams in the league.

Six of the players on the roster average double-digits in scoring (the seventh currently averages 9.6 ppg), and with such a spread offense, they are one of the top ten offensive teams in the league. It isn't the amount of points they score that amaze me (in January, they are averaging more than 110ppg), but it's the way they go about scoring.

A no-doubt three-point shootout candidate is Danilo Gallinari, New York's 6'10" forward who has made 96 three-pointers up to this day. He leads the league in three-pointers made and attempted, and still has an admirable .410 three-point percentage.

But Gallinari is just the Knicks' fourth leading scorer, we haven't spoken about Al Harrington who comes off the bench--yet still averages 18.4ppg for New York. He started eight games in the season, and now has learned his role as a spark off the bench. Reminiscent of John Starks who would come off the bench and lead the Knicks--except Harrington is a forward and is yet to dunk on Jordan and Pippen.

Then we have the double-double man David Lee. Night-in and day-out, he cleans the glass spotless. He is seventh in the league in rebounds and is pretty efficient--shooting .575 from the field.

The Knicks also have Wilson Chandler, 2nd year man out of DePaul who had seventeen rebounds the other day. He is prolific scorer with the ability to shoot the three or get physical in the paint. He's the Knicks' top free throw shooter and is one of only three players in the team who has started every game.

Nate Robinson, on the other hand has barely started any game but had a 41 point performance the other night and has been a returning asset to the team. Standing tall at 5'9" and a 180lbs, he still is a high-flyer that has a passion for dunking (sometimes he is a bit too erratic but a crowd-pleaser nonetheless.

There are more players to talk about like the injured Larry Hughes or the defensive stopper Jared Jefferies who does not fill up the stat sheet but always takes the role of guarding the leagues best offensive weapons. However but above all things, what the Knicks are now is something they have not been in a while: a team.

So although we won't see the Knicks grabbing a top seed, I'm almost positive they'll at least have a spot in the East.

Mom always said don't point your fingers at people

The image above is from http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4802267 on ESPN.com/

It is a picture of Gilbert Arenas mocking the David Stern and the fans of the National Basketball Association. To Stern, the picture was not even worth a thousand words but it definitely was worth a 186 words saying that Arenas is indefinitely suspended.

"The possession of firearms by an NBA player in an NBA arena is a matter of the utmost concern to us. I initially thought it prudent to refrain from taking immediate action because of the pendency of a criminal investigation involving the office of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia and the Metropolitan Police Department, and the consideration of this matter by a grand jury sitting in the District of Columbia. For the same reason, I directed the Wizards to refrain from taking any action. Wizards personnel continue to be interviewed by law enforcement authorities, some are scheduled for appearance before the grand jury and the investigation is proceeding with the intensity that one would expect for such a serious incident.

"Although it is clear that the actions of Mr. Arenas will ultimately result in a substantial suspension, and perhaps worse, his ongoing conduct has led me to conclude that he is not currently fit to take the court in an NBA game. Accordingly, I am suspending Mr. Arenas indefinitely, without pay, effective immediately pending the completion of the investigation by the NBA."

Arenas was suspended for his behaviors because as Stern claims, he is "not currently fit to take the court." Agent Zero is known for being a remarkable player in the NBA as well as a charismatic individual. Whether it is shooting threes in the three-point contest with one hand, or tweeting about his life--Arenas is one of the most connected-to-society basketball players in the league.

When he was asked why he pretended to point his finger as a gun at his teammates, he claimed it was to break the "tension." If anything, I believe that he made the situation much more difficult for fans to cope with as well as a serious taunt to our society. For a fan to see a player who is undergoing investigation for carrying a weapon in a locker room, pretend to shoot his teammates on a basketball court viewed by a countless audience is despicable.

Think of the children that watch the NBA hoping to become a star or perhaps work for the glorious association and then sees an image of the face of a franchise with a gun.

Think of Stern watching these pictures on ESPN and NBA, suddenly hearing that one of the players in his league is calling him "mean."

Arenas did not make a solid life decision in his action but he will face the repercussions. As for the Wizards, they said,

"We fully endorse the decision of the NBA to indefinitely suspend Gilbert Arenas. Strictly legal issues aside, Gilbert’s recent behavior and statements, including his actions and statements last night in Philadelphia, are unacceptable. Some of our other players appeared to find Gilbert’s behavior in Philadelphia amusing. This is also unacceptable. Under Abe Pollin’s leadership, our organization never tolerated such behavior, and we have no intention of ever doing so."

The Wizards are 11-22 and would currently not make it to the playoffs if the season ended today. Unfortunately, Arenas was their scoring leader with 22.6 points and was one of only three players on the team with an average of double digit points per game. He was also their leader in assists with just a bit over 7 per game and averaged a bit more than a steal per game.

I don't know where the offense will come from for the Wizards, but I can point the gun and tell you who it won't come from.

The Big Unit

Randall David Johnson retired from the Major League Baseball yesterday January 5th, 2010. He closes his application to the Hall of Fame with 303 wins, 3.29 ERA, 4,875 strikeouts, 5 Cy Young Awards, the best strikeouts per nine innings pitches, most shutouts, two no-hitters (one being a perfect game), 2001 World Series MVP, 10 All-Star selections, and a World Series Ring dated 2001.

I forgot to mention, he won four consecutive NL Cy Young Awards between 1999-2002, and he won the 2001 Babe Ruth Award, and he was the 1995 AL TSN Pitcher of the Year, and he’s won the pitching Triple Crown as well. The “Big Unit” made a change to the baseball with his towering 6’ 10” body on the mound and intimidating slider. Most people, especially the batters, will probably remember Johnson for his slider—arguably one of the toughest pitches ever thrown by any pitcher.

Or maybe people will remember him for his 102 mph fastballs? Whatever the case, Johnson was one of the top left-handed pitchers to ever pitch in the great American pastime. He pitched for six different teams; Expos, Mariners, Astros, Diamondbacks, Yankees, and the Giants.

Above all the great things that he has done, and all the questions that were asked during the press conference, I was hoping that the reporters would ask him one thing—“Can you explain what went through your mind on March 24, 2001 in the 7th inning, when you pitched a fastball that killed a bird?”

During this spring training game, Johnson beamed a pitch and a dove happened to fly by at the same moment the pitch was on its way to the batter—the bird fell instantly while the pitched veered off towards the right side of the umpire. This was one of the most bizarre and coincidental events I have ever seen in sports history. The pitch did not count and the bird did not live.

“The Big Unit” was always known for his cold-blooded attitude; he hit 188 batters in his career, which is third all time—and that does not include the dove. He will probably be remembered for keeping the batters in check too. But no matter what you remember Randall David Johnson for—he is undoubtedly a Hall of Famer. Congratulations to the Big Unit, he’s done it all.