The Clippers are good. Really good. Almost too good. So much so that a point guard as talented and capable as Eric Bledsoe can only get on the court for 20 minutes per game. Once Chauncey Billups comes back from injury, expect those numbers to dwindle down to about 10-15 minutes per game. This for a 6-foot 1-inch 23-year old who's built like a free safety, has stupid bunnies, and can fill every major statistical category on the box score with efficient scoring on any given night? It's really not fair for us basketball fans that we don't get to see him play more. Maybe David Stern steps in here and forces the L.A. brass to deal Bledsoe by threatening to veto the Chris Paul trade.
I broght Chris Paul into this world, I can take him out.
The Hawks scored 58 points in a game earlier this week. That's probably not even enough points to win a game if they played in the Big Ten. Maybe against the Wisconsin Badgers? Joe Johnson may be the most overrated/over paid player in the history of the NBA, but for at least one game, I must admit, the Hawks really could've used him. Even if he had to jack up 40 shots, Johnson would have made it his goal for the Hawks to at least break the 70 point barrier. You can say it's only one bad game, but I think this really reveals a glaring problem for Atlanta. This team was constructed around Joe. A bunch of blue collar guys that can contribute everywhere needed on the floor but without a true consistent go to scorer. Time to blow this thing up now...and trade Josh Smith to the Celtics.
Apparently, the ball does lie.
Of all the precarious ongoings of Knicks president James Dolan, this one takes the cake. He's hired a guy to record Carmelo Anthony during games to hear if players are going overboard with the trash talking. Really? For what reason does this benefit anyone? Are we going to start penalizing players for saying offensive things? As if the NBA wasn't soft enough. Great, let's start handing out fines and suspensions for this. I can see it now: 'Chris Broussard reports Sacramento Kings F/C DeMarcus Cousins will be suspended 1-game for saying Memphis Grizzlies F Rudy Gay's 'last name suits him' and calling him his 'little bitch'. Gay is listed as day-to-day (took it personal reasons).
"And then he said I was ugly, and I couldn't read good."
I know the NBA season just started guys, but the Lakers are 2-0! And they're just not eeking out wins folks, they're crushing it! They beat Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers (w/o Anderson Varejao) 113-93 and dismantled the Milwaukee Bucks (in L.A.) with coach Mike Brown (D'Antoni) opting to use Kobe as the key defensive stopper rather than the focal piece of the Princeton offense. As brilliant as they've looked, they have a very tough test tonight against the defending NBA champion Miami Heat. If they can get the W, and a Minnesota Timberwolves loss to the Clippers, that would put them at 3-0 on the season, and leave them in sole possession of 1st place (10th) in the Western Conference. Are the Showtime Lakers back? We will have to see! The NBA season is back y'all, get excited!
If you play basketball and your name is 'Melo', then you're probably having a bad week. The New York Knicks have lost six-straight games after playing pretty well when Carmelo Anthony was injured. Now he's back and the Knicks look like they have some big time chemistry issues to deal with. Anthony could barely get a touch late in the 4th quarter in the 104-99 loss to the Chicago Bulls March 12th, though he did manage to put up a team-high 21 shots, connecting on only eight of them . . . Fab Melo might've ended any shot Syracuse had to win its first National Championship since 2003, when Carmelo Anthony himself played there. The sophomore center from Brazil has been ruled out for the entire NCAA Tournament for academic reasons. Melo sat out three games earlier this season for not hitting the books hard enough and the Orange lost their only game of the regular season during that stretch (they were 30-1 entering the Big East Tournament). Now Syracuse enters the Big Dance without Melo's 2.93 blocks per game, and removes another big man from team that already struggles on the defensive boards.
I don't think anyone outside of the state of Texas had the Dallas Mavericks winning it all this year and certainly no one could've predicted the absolute clinic Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki put on along the way to said championship. You probably won't get very accurate predictions (atleast I called that the Heat wouldn't win a championship though) out of me but nevertheless, my list of players who I think have what it takes to be the 2012 Dirk, but still need work on certain aspects of their games.
Rondo can drive and dish, but his J is AWOL.
Derrick Rose - Chicago Bulls
MVP or not, Rose still needs work on his perimeter jumper. He shot 33-percent from 3-point during the 2010-11 season and a wretched 25-percent during the playoffs. The guy is unstoppable off the drive already, imagine what will open up for himself and his teammates once a few more J's start falling.
Rajon Rondo - Boston Celtics
It's pretty clear that if Rondo could shoot the basketball worth a ball of yarn, we would all be looking at the second coming of Isiah Thomas. Rondo has played four years in the NBA and is a two-time All-Star, the starting point guard on NBA Championship team, and boasts some historical individual playoff performances (29 points, 18 rebounds, 13 assists against Cleveland in the 2010 Eastern Conference semis), despite being a career 24-percent 3-point shooter and 62-percent from the free throw line.
Time for Melo to show he's more than just a scorer.
Carmelo Anthony - New York Knicks
We know he can score, but what can he do to make his teammates better? Melo needs to take a cue from what Kobe Bryant went through in the post-Shaq L.A. years and save the offense for down the stretch. Get the teammates involved and their confidence up because they are the ones you are going to have to rely on to make shots when the double and tripple teams come. Also, Anthony is a physical guy on offense but doesn't really translate that mentality on the defensive end. He needs to be more assertive on that end of the floor, it will go a long way in showing your teammates that you are sold out to doing anything it takes to win.
Russell Westbrook - Oklahoma City Thunder
Very talented and athletic point guard that needs to better understand his role as Kevin Durant's teammate in this current Thunder offensive system. A first time NBA All-Star in 2011, Westbrook has elevated his offensive game to the point where he commands double teams now. But what killed Westbrook and the Thunder in the playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks was poor shot selection down the stretch and lack of ball movement. Westbrook was benched for the whole fourth quarter in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semis for being the main contributor to the two aformentioned maladies. Westbrook's main job is to help get Durant going by creating space for him by penetrating and kicking out and continue to find K.D. when he's hot. His offensive game is most effective when he is under control in the half court and when pushing the ball in transition.
Griffin is the second best player in L.A. already.
Blake Griffin - Los Angeles Clippers
There is no way the Clippers find a way to screw this one up. Griffin is two post-up moves and one face-up move away from being a player who is perennially in the conversation for league MVP. All the hype is not an exaggeration either; not when you win Rookie of the Year honors by averaging 22.5 points per game and 12.1 rebounds per game in 82 games after missing the entire 2009-10 season from a knee injury that required surgery. Who knows if Griffin will end up staying in Los Angeles though as the Clippers are a franchise known for everything in the world that is the opposite of 'good'. The Clip roster is pretty young and talented (see DeAndre Jordan, Eric Gordon and Al-Farouq Aminu) but who is to say that they can't make strides like the OKC Thunder have over the past few seasons?
Dwight Howard - Orlando Magic
In a league that is known historically for dominant big men equalling playoff success and championships, Howard has experienced very little of the former and none of the latter in his career which began in 2004. Rumors are swirling that Orlando might not be the right fit for the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and four-time All-NBA First Teamer. No matter what team he plays for though, Howard needs to develop as a playmaker when he has the rock with his back to the basket, a-la Hakeem Olajuwon. When the ball goes inside to him, defenses know that he is probably going to put up a shot since his post game is not smooth enough yet to find open teammates off the double team with any sort of consistency.
They were supposed to be the Bird and Magic of our era but it hasn't been that way. LeBron brought one Cleveland Cavaliers team to the Finals and Melo never did with the Denver Nuggets in the first seven years of their respective careers. Larry's Celtics and Earvin's Lakers met twice in the Finals in the first seven years of their careers, and for a third time in 1987. Its an unfair comparison, I know, because those 80s Boston and L.A. teams were stacked with hall-of-famers and legendary role players (if being a "role player" can be considered legendary) up and down the rosters. For James and Anthony, they really haven't played with any HOFers (unless you want to count Melo playing with an aging-but-still-good-for-20-points/shot attempts-a-night Allen Iverson or LeBron with the "Big Fossil" Shaquille O'Neal) to make their matchups significant, entertaining, or even a little bit memorable. But all of that changes on Sunday when the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat play for the first time since the Melo trade and the Decision have made New York and Miami relevent in the Eastern Conference again. Melo has been the buzz of the NBA for a good three months now with all the speculation of him being traded by the Denver Nuggets before the trade deadline. Before that, it was all LeBron and the Miami Heat anybody wanted to talk about. Both players are extremely popular and if you were a GM wouldn't mind building a team around either guy. However the one glaring difference between these two guys is the image that NBA fans have of them. Melo is still loved just about everywhere while LeBron is feeling the full effects of the villain treatment, booed basically everytime he touches the ball at opposing arenas. If I said I saw this coming years ago you wouldn't believe me, but let me take you back to the high school days to illustrate the difference in personalities. A friend of mine attended the famed first ever matchup between LeBron and Melo back in 2002 and gave me a little insight. In case you weren't aware, that year 'Bron was rated the number one junior in the country at St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron, OH and Carmelo was rated the top senior playing for powerhouse Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, VA). If you haven't seen the highlights, then you're probably not really a basketball fan. If you have seen them, then you know they never get old.
Oak Hill won 72-66, and they should have because they had alot more talent than the S.V.-S.M. team that LeBron carried. Melo dropped a cool 34 and had 11 boards. James had an ill stat line: 36 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and six steals. The numbers predicted how versatile a player LeBron would become on the court in the NBA but something before the game occurred that the cameras didn't catch that may be telling of how LeBron is perceived off of the court. My friend attended the game and told me it didn't feel like a high school game; the game was played at Soverign Bank Arena in Trenton, NJ which seats 8,500, and arguabally the two best players in the NBA at that time, Shaq and A.I. (kinda funny right?), were in attendance. But it is what my friend told me about what took place before the game that stands out for me the most. He told me that before the game Melo was signing autographs and taking pictures with kids and that LeBron declined to do any of that. LeBron as a junior in high school, 16 years old, and its too much for him to sign an autograph? This could mean one of two things: (a) He was so focused and committed to the upcoming game that he didn't want any distractions or (b) he is and has been very full of himself and his personal celebrity. He's a great player no doubt, probably the most physically gifted human to ever touch a basketball. But I guess he's just never been able to tone down the ego a few notches. If that's what makes him go than he should keep doing it, because either way, LeBron being loved or a villain, its good for the NBA. He says he doesn't mind getting booed, but if he does, then I bet he really regrets not taking those pictures and signing autographs for those kids because LeBron knows what karma is . . . As far as Melo goes, his positive karma brought him a National Championship in one year at Syracuse and now a big contract with the Knicks, and a reality show to boot for himself and his wife LaLa. Melo definitely brings the swagger to New York that the Knicks have been missing since John Starks played for them. The Knicks and the Heat were rivals at one point too with some classic playoff battles, and the unforgettable fight that ended with Jeff Van Gundy wrapped around Alonzo Mourning's leg!
Might not see any of that but the court will be filled with very good talent from Dwyane Wade, Amar'e Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, and Chauncey Billups as well as LeBron and Carmelo.
Texas is 10-0 in the Big 12, including a win over #1 Kansas.
Kansas (24-1, 9-1 Big 12) enters the week as the nation's number one team after previously unbeaten Ohio State (24-1, 11-1 Big Ten) fell to Wisconsin at the Kohl Center in Madison last Saturday, even though Texas knocked off the Jayhawks 74-63 in Lawrenceon Jan. 22. Still, the Longhorns (22-3, 10-0 Big 12) were edged by only one vote by Kansas in this week's balloting and it would not be surprising for Texas to overtake that #1 ranking even if both teams win out during the regular season. The reason why: You don't mess with Texas' schedule. Coach Rick Barnes put his team in a position where they would battle tested come this time of year by playing a rather brutal non-conference schedule, despite having a young team. The Longhorns have recorded wins over Illinois, North Carolina, and Michigan State, while losing to Big East powers Pittsburgh and Connecticut by a combined three points (their third loss was on the road to Southern California Dec. 5, a clear aberration at this point). All five of those teams are ranked top 50 in RPI. The strategy has paid off as Texas is 10-0 in conference play with wins over #16 Texas A&M (twice), Baylor, #13 Missouri, and that "W" against the then second-ranked Jayhawks on the road. As a result, many experts believe Texas is the team to beat right now. (including a friend of mine who told me on Facebook about a month ago that he could easily see Texas in the Final Four. I see where he's coming from now, especially since he predicted the Melo Syracuse team to win the NCAA championship in 2003, when the Orange weren't even ranked!) Bob Knight called sophomore guard/ forward Jordan Hamilton the best offensive player in the country and for good reason. Hamilton, a very athletic and aggresive slasher out of Dominguez H.S. in Compton, is averaging 18.9 points per contest and can score on the drive and is shooting well from distance (41%). At 6'7" 220, he definitely has a little Carmelo Anthony in his game. Inside is true freshmen Tristan Thompson averaging 12.8 points and 7.5 rebounds. He is 6'8" but plays alot taller than that because of his long arms. I can see a little Hakim Warrick in him. Sophomore guard J'Covan Brown, former McDonald's All-American and Florida-transfer Jai Lucas, along with Turkish product Dogus Balbay, fill out the other guard spots. Maybe combined they can bring to the table what Gerry McNamara did. But there are teams on the rise that will have something to say come tournament time, and teams that better find a way to get their act together quick, or they won't make it out of the first weekend.
Pick your poison between Marcus, right, or Markieff.
On the Rise
The Morris Twins and Kansas - Despite the humbling setback to Texas, the Jayhawks have imposed their will on almost every other team they have played this season. They lead the nation in field goal percentage (52.3), Marcus Morris is averaging nearly 17 ppg on 61 percent shooting while Markieff Morris averages 13 per on 59 percent shooting.
Brad Wanamaker and Pittsburgh - With leading scorer Ashton Gibbs out with a MCL injury, the senior from Philly dropped a big 21 points at the Pavillion against Villanova Saturday to lead the No. 4 Panthers (23-2, 11-1 Big East) to a 57-54 win last Saturday.
Harrison Barnes and North Carolina - Maybe its just me but Barnes looks like he is finally benefitting from the college weight room. Barnes appears to be more defined in his body, and his game is also responding, as he has scored in double figures in eight of 10 conference games. In case you needed visual evidence . . .
On the Fall
Kemba Walker and UConn - I had Walker as P.O.Y., as many others did earlier, and he's still averaging 22.8 ppg, good for seventh in the country, but the game against Syracuse in Hartford killed it for me. Kemba had 8 points and the Huskies just looked plain awful against the 2-3 zone. I know not everyone can defend like the 'Cuse but why wouldn't other teams just zone up UConn and make someone other than Walker beat you?
The Illini are fading away.
Chris Singleton and Florida State - The big win over Duke Jan. 12 in Tallahasee may not mean anything now that Singleton will undergo surgery to repair a broken right ankle. Singleton led the Seminoles in scoring (13.8), rebounding (7.1), steals (2.1), and 3-point percentage (37.5).
Demetri McCamey and Illinois - Bruce Weber has had a long drought since reaching the NCAA Tournament Final in 2005 (with mostly Bill Self's players) but had the talent and experience this year to atleast make a push in the Big Ten. McCamey averaged 16.2 points, 7.2 assists, and shot 52.5 percent from three in the first 19 games of the season. In the last six games McCamey is averaging 7 points, has 25 assists to 21 turnovers, and is shooting 32.5 percent from distance. The Illini (16-9, 6-6 Big Ten) are 2-4 in those games.
Still Dangerous:
G - Nolan Smith - Duke
G - Jimmer Fredette - Brigham Young
F - Terrence Jones - Kentucky
G/F - Jordan Hamilton - Texas
Knowles hit 7 3's on the 'Cuse Feb. 12
F/C - Jared Sullinger - Ohio State
Players to Watch
G - Ben Hansbrough - Notre Dame
G - Preston Knowles - Louisville
F - John-Paul Olukemi - Oklahoma State
G - Jordan Taylor - Wisconsin
G - LaceDarius Dunn - Baylor
G - Erving Walker - Florida
F - Mouphtaou Yarou - Villanova
G - Dwight Hardy - St. John's
F - Derrick Williams - Arizona
G - William Buford - Ohio State
Rockin' a headband in basketball is more than keeping the sweat out of your eyes or hair from getting in your face. There's a certain swagger involved in it. Melo wears his close to the eyebrows with the NBA logo to the side for a more hood-like streetball look. Rajon Rondo used to wear it with the logo upside down, but David Stern didn't like that and threatened to fine Rondo and any other player that did it (WTF Stern!?!? I hate to say it, but stop being such a Jew!!!). Guys like Paul Pierce, Rip Hamilton, and LeBron James rock it straight forward for the more mature-game headband look, which is probably more a device to cover up a receding hairline more than anything. Wilt Chamberlain wore one back in the day and so did Bill Walton, but Chamberlain did it 'cause he used to sweat like a wilderbeast (remember him in the Conan movie?) and Walton had the hippie hair.
Now that's Slick.
Slick Watts was the true O.G. that brought out headband swagg, in the '70s for the Seattle Super Sonics. The headband is still in by today's NBA standards but didn't start to really catch on until the early 1990s when one Clifford Robinson came into the league as the Portland Trail Blazers inside scoring threat and enforcer. Uncle Cliffy made the headband hardcore. When you saw that bald-headed band clad bruiser come down with the rebound with elbows up, there wasn't nothing left to do but run down the other end of the court. Allen Iverson made the head strap look cute for this young flashy generation, but I'll always remember it as the rugged look donned by Cliff Robinson.
