The Year the NY Knicks Could Die… The 2010-2011 NBA Season

Let’s face it. The NY Knicks are a horrible sports product. Bad team. Bad management (that is hopefully getting better now that Isiah Thomas is gone). The only reason they have any revenue is because of (1) corporate sales, and (2) convenience of the location of Madison Square Garden and Penn Station.

In recent years the team has not improved. There is no indication this coming year will be any better.
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The Knick goal for the next few seasons should be the following:

• Clear Salary Cap Room.
  
• Clear More Salary Cap Room.
  
• Get a few solid young players.
  
• SIGN LEBRON JAMES!

When Lebron James becomes a free agent after the 2010 season, the Knicks must sign him. Hopefully, they will have collected a solid group of role players to support him. This will make the Knicks franchise on the rise. Lebron will give us a winning team and he will be largest star in NY. NY should be his the top choice on his list of franchises. Imagine all the opportunities he would have!

But… the rumors are that the NJ Nets (Brooklyn Nets?) may get Lebron James when he becomes a free agent.
If the Nets get Lebron James and have decent mass transit to their new Brooklyn arena, say good-bye to the Knicks. The Nets will become New York’s team. And Lebron will still have many of the same opportunities he would have playing for the Knicks.

So… Hopefully, the Knicks are already working on the strategy on how to sign King Lebron James! They need to do whatever it takes!

(photo www.thehoopnews.com)

USA Olympic Basketball - Selling Out to the NBA

The USA Olympic Basketball Team, or should I say, the NBA Olympic Basketball Team, consists of Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer , Chris Bosh , Kobe Bryant , Dwight Howard, LeBron James , Jason Kidd , Chris Paul , Tayshaun Prince , Michael Redd , Dwyane Wade , Deron Williams.

Talent-wise, this is by far the best basketball team on the planet.

The NBA will now have increased visibility overseas. The NBA will start playing games in Europe, Asia, and the Far East.

If the US Team wins, as expected, it proves absolutely nothing. They should win. There is no upside.

And for those of you who say it brings us national pride, please stop… A group of wealthy professional athletes winning a Gold Medal does nothing for us. If we sent college and high school kids such as OJ Mayo, Derrick Rose, and Michael Beasley… and they medal’d… now that would be a story…

This is really about the NBA and not national pride. The NBA benefits the most out of the arrangment…

Perhaps the NBA should be paying advertising fees to the United States Olympic Committee…. the way a company buys TV time to run an infomercial.

(photo withmalice.files.wordpress.com)

Brandon Jennings burns the NBA, NCAA, and the Players Association

One of my favorite quotes is from the movie Other People’s Money. It relates to institutions making rules and the targeted parties working around the new rules….

Kate Sullivan: Someday, we’ll smarten up, change some laws, and put you OUT OF BUSINESS.
Lawrence Garfield (Danny Devito): You can change all the laws you want. You can’t stop the game. I’ll still be here. I adapt.

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According to the NY Times (6.23.08, Sports Section) Brandon Jennings, a great high school basketball player, may work around the NBA’s minimum age rule by heading to Europe to play professional basketball.

To prevent high school players from jumping to the NBA, the NBA instituted a rule requiring a player to be at least 19 years of age and one year removed from high school.

So, the NBA, NCAA, and the NBA Players Association get together and require individuals to play at least one year in college, knowing (a) he has no desire to get a college education, (b) the schools benefit financially through tournament money, and (c) the coaches get additional recognition.

How does the player benefit from the deal? Hmmm….. He doesn’t…

Brandon Jennings adapted, worked around the rule, and found the loophole.

Head to Europe. Sign a short term contract to play professional basketball. Earn good money. Work on and improve skills. Get solid basketball experience against better talent than in college. Live like a rock star.

He may enjoy living and playing ball in Europe and choose NOT to head to the NBA!

Seems like a no-brainer. Congratulations Brandon.

(photo sportsillustrated.cnn.com)
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NBA Championship Basketball - Still America’s Game

Congratulations to the NBA World Champion Boston Celtics, Doc Rivers, Chris Wallace, and especially Danny Ainge. They really turned around the franchise in world record time. Wallace and Ainge gave Rivers the talent. Rivers blended and inspired them. Kudos to all.

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The NBA’s Celtics Lakers series showed the world NBA basketball is still the American game.

The Lakers bring in all these talented but soft players that get them out of the Western Conference but show their vulnerability when the games get physical.

• Pau Gasol - too soft to play big and no defense… and absolutely NO defensive fundamentals. (He NEVER stepped up on the pick and rolls to make Paul Pierce take an indirect route to the basket. Horrible defensively.)
• Vladimir Radmanovic - chucker and no defense
• Sasha Vujacic - soft and no defense

I do not recall any European-raised basketball player ever being praised for his defensive prowess.

The Celtics won playing smart, hard-nosed, defensive basketball.

And amazingly, there is not one foreign-raised player on this Celtics roster: Ray Allen , Tony Allen , P.J. Brown , Sam Cassell , Glen Davis , Kevin Garnett , Eddie House , Kendrick Perkins , Paul Pierce , Scot Pollard , James Posey , Leon Powe , Gabe Pruitt , Rajon Rondo , Brian Scalabrine.

Very interesting.

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Once again, congratulations to the Celtics. You earned it.

Message to Lakers and Lakers fans: Keep your chins Up! Remember Andrew Bynum comes back next year!

(photo blog.masslive.com)

Kobe Bryant vs Michael Jordan? Try Scottie Pippin

Tonight is the 5th game of the Lakers vs Celtics NBA Finals. Unless a miracle happens, the Celtics will be the NBA Champions. Up until now, people had started the conversation comparing Kobe Bryant to Michael Jordan.
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Stop!

People are starting to chat and wonder if Kobe Bryant should be compared to Michael Jordan.

Stop!

Kobe Bryant has won 3 NBA Championships. Kobe Bryant as won 0 (zero) NBA Championships in which he was “the man”. He played with Shaquile O’Neill. Shaq was “the man”. Kobe is more equivalent to Scottie Pippin in the Chicago Bulls Michael Jordan era.

Pippin won 6 NBA Championships being the “No. 2 guy” to Jordan. (The year Jordan sat out and played baseball with the Chicago White Sox, the Chicago Bulls, lead by Pippin, did not win the NBA Championship.)

So, to recap:

• Michael Jordan had 6 NBA Championships being “the man”
• Scottie Pippin had 6 NBA Championships being the “No. 2 guy”
• Kobe Bryant has 3 NBA Championships being the “No. 2 guy”

Kobe obviously is a much better talent and player than Pippin.

Even if Kobe (a) leads the Lakers to a miraculous comback this year, and, (b) leads the Lakers to the NBA Championship the next 2 years, he will be a great player, but No Michael Jordan.

… now if Paul Pierce leads the Celtics to the championship the next 2 years… ;&gt

(photo www.jordanextreme.com)

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(Cheating in sports) Give me Barry Bonds on steroids any day!

Do we realize the magnitude of what ex-NBA referee Donaghy is saying? If the NBA influenced the outcome of playoff games, this is devastating! (If this is true, perhaps wrestling’s Vince McMahon should take over for NBA Commissioner David Stern)

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As sports fans, all we ask is players give it their “all” and want to win.

There were, and always will be, cheaters. Cheating is wrong.

1. Cheating to gain an advantage. A Problem.
2. Cheating to lose. A Bigger problem.
3. League involvement in cheating. An even BIGGER problem.

(Alleged) Examples of cheating to gain an advantage…

• Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmero, Jason Giambi, Albert Belle (players) – allegedly used steroids human growth hormone, performance enhancing drugs to gain an advantage…
• Gaylord Perry, Mike Scott, Joe Niekro (players) – spit balls, scuffing, doctoring the baseball to give it movement and to gain an advantage…
• Bill Bellichick – (coach, team) Spy-gate – The NFL’s New England Patriots break the rules filming other teams and their coaches to gain an advantage…
• Ben Johnson, Marion Jones, Tim Montgomery (olympic athetes) – used performance enhancing drugs to gain an advantage…

Cheating. Wrong. Wanting to win. Right.

(Alleged) Examples of cheating to lose…

• Eight members of the 1919 Chicago franchise were banned from baseball for throwing (intentionally losing) games, giving the victory to the Cincinnati Reds.
• Boxers have often been accused of taking dives. There were multiple instances of George Foreman opponents taking dives.( http://www.randlemanland.com/fix.html )

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Tim Donaghy, the NBA referee said he made NBA bets for four years, even wagering on games he worked. He also admitted recommending bets to high-stakes gamblers and collecting $5,000 if his picks hit.

Donaghy is now accusing the NBA of pressuring referees to influence playoff series.

He is a small time person scrambling to get a shorter sentence, but, if this turns out to be true, it will be devastating to the NBA and professional sports.

A league influencing the outcome of games. I, the sports fan, don’t want to hear it

I would much rather have Barry Bonds, trying hard and using steroids, than teams throwing games or leagues influencing outcomes.

Where is a sports fan to turn?

We need sports. We need to believe in the competition. We can’t start questioning every little thing that the “fix was on”… A missed free throw… A missed putt… An umpire blowing a call…

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Note: While we’re on the subject, there is something fishy about the (potential Triple Crown Winner) Big Brown’s Belmont Stakes Race. Was the horse held back because they already had guaranteed money, and, if the horse was hurt or worse during the race, they would be risking the money. Hmmmm….

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Gilbert Arenas bet a fan he could score 50 points - sports gambling

Story on a professional athlete betting on sports.

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Nobody even discussed this story… 15 months ago!

A NY Times article in March 2007 stated that professional basetball player Gilbert Arenas bet a fan he could score 50 points. Now this isn’t betting on his team but it is a potential conflict on his team winning a game.

What if one of his teammates had a better shot but he needed 2 points to get 50 points? What if he chose to take a shot to get to 50 points and it cost his team the game?

NBA Commissioner David Stern… where are were you?

(Video podcast reading the NY Times article)
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When being selfish is being a team player; Paul Pierce, Kobe Bryant, Sydney Crosby

This is an open an open letter to star players Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics, NBA), Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers, NBA), and Sydney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL).

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Dear Paul, Kobe, and Sydney,

You need to be more selfish, be leaders, and take responsibility for your team’s success.

You cannot be passive and polite. This is not the time to share the ball - Make the extra pass - And worry about being a team player. By being selfish, you are being a better teammate.

When you drive to the hoop (or net), you are opening up the court (ice) for your teammates. When you take the extra shot, even if it is a little forced, you are helping your team. I am not telling you to take ridiculous shots, just shots that may be borderline.

These types of plays make it easier on your teammates. The players covering your teammates are forced to “cheat” and “help out” on you. Their defenders cannot focus on them 100%. This gives your teammates that edge they need to make significant contributions.

Paul: In game 7 of the Boston-Cleveland series, you took control (23 shots), took it to the hole, and made the Celtics a better team. You didn’t stand around being polite waiting for Garnett or Allen to shoot. You took control, and let your teammates benefit from your effort. And you won the game and series. Good work. Do it more often.

Kobe: Don’t do what you did earlier this week in game 4. What’s the deal with strolling around the court in the first half not taking shots? 4 points in the first half and then 26 in the second half. The passiveness did nothing to help the cause. You ended up wining the game… barely. You would have been a better teammate if you were proactive , a leader, and a little selfish the entire game.

Sydney: Will you just take the puck to the net? I am now watching game 3 against the Red Wings. You had the puck on the left side. You had a path to the net and you passed it back across the circle. It was intercepted. Please take it to the net and let your teammates deal with the rebounds! (You’re down 0-2. You better do it soon.)

Good luck guys. You’re being paid the big bucks to be selfish.

Please reread this letter before your next game. You will be glad you did.

Sincerely,

A Passionate Fan

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(photo i.a.cnn.net, images.businessweek.com, asapblogs.typepad.com)

Kevin Love of UCLA joins the NBA draft — He too is better than Hansbrough

Now Kevin Love of UCLA will be entering the NBA draft. He is ready. Big body at 6-10″ and 270 lbs. He can step right in to the NBA and be a 12 pt 8 reb guy on day #1. He will fit into most teams as a signifcant contributor.

Michael Beasley of Kansas State will be a better pro than Love.

… And Both Love and Beasley will be better than Tyler Hansbrough….

It’s hard to argue otherwise.

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These guys will have jobs in the NBA.You should stay in school — Get a Good Job (The author works at ExclusiveJobs.com.)

Michael Beasley vs Tyler Hansbrough — College Hoops

Michael Beasley of Kansas State is headed to the NBA. He declared his intentions today. He will be a great professional player. Athletic. Talented. No doubt about it….

Let’s face it. Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina “was” a great college player. The problem is a part of his college game was, often, he pushed and forced his way around. He won’t be able to do that when he plays with “adults” in the NBA.

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