A Night To Forget

So how does it feel to be the number one pick in the worst draft ever?

My buddy Will and I were trying to convince ourselves that the 2011 NBA Draft was going to be ok. While every expert, critic and pundit was convinced that this would be one of the worst drafts ever Will and I saw hidden gems all over the place.

We liked both Morris twins’ talents in the paint and in the post, we thought Kenneth Faried was going to be a beast of a defensive stud, I had my man crush on Kemba Walker and he had his on Marshon Brooks.

Realistically Will and I knew that there weren’t any superstars in this draft. To us this was a key role player draft. If you are building a championship contender then this is the draft where you get your bench guys, your energy guys, players like that.

So while the entire world thought that this draft would be a complete dud, Will and I tuned in just to see how things would turn out and see what good things could come from each pick (that and Will is a Cleveland fan so you knew he was geared up regardless).

What did we get?… well?…

NO.1: CLEVELAND CAVALIERS- KYRIE IRVING, PG, DUKE

It made the most sense. The Cavs need a future point guard especially when Baron Davis loses interest again real soon. Is it a slam dunk? Well Irving played 11 games and there are still doubts about his injured foot… whatever. Will was happy… for the moment.

NO.2: MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES- DERRICK WILLIAMS, F, ARIZONA

Do I like Williams? Yes, I mean did you see the Duke game in the NCAA tournament? Here’s what I don’t like; Minnesota’s forwards are currently Wes Johnson, Michael Beasley, Kevin Love, Williams, Anthony Randolph and Martell Webster. Plus there is the question of is Williams a 3 or a 4. Also there is Ricky Rubio… AAAAAHHHHH! HEADACHE!!!

NO. 3: UTAH JAZZ- ENES KANTER, C, TURKEY

Kanter is tall, skilled and cocky. He has a great offensive skill set (something Andrei Kirelenko doesn’t have) and can play defense (something that Al Jefferson doesn’t know the meaning of). Yet it doesn’t solve the issue at point guard there.

NO. 4: CLEVELAND CAVALIERS- TRISTAN THOMPSON, F, TEXAS

Jay Bilas says that Thompson needs to learn how to play and how to score… yet he’s the fourth best player in the draft… um?

(Will was so heated that he took a shot of Jack and stewed over the pick. I don’t know why though, they picked a game less, scoreless forward. You’d be happy about that right?)

NO. 5: TORONTO RAPTORS- JONAS VALANCIUNAS, C, LITUANIA

Hmmm, a 7’1” center that is soft, shoots jumpers and can’t play defense… don’t they have one of those already?

NO. 6: WASHINGTON WIZARDS- JAN VESELY, F, CZECH REPUBLIC

The number 6 pick in the draft, and that as your girlfriend... WINNING!!

According to the tapes the dude can ball. But who cares about that, did you see his girlfriend? Victory.

NO. 7: CHARLOTTE BOBCATS- BISMACK BIYAMBO, F, CONGO

He’s Serge Ibaka with no offensive game. However, Ibaka is a pretty good defensive player and judging from Biyambo’s tape so will he.

(Side note: did you notice that 5 of the first 7 players taken in the draft were foreign? Maybe those quotes about college basketball being at a low point were true after all.)

NO. 8: DETROIT PISTONS- BRANDON KNIGHT, G, KENTUCKY

I’ll be honest with you, I like Knight more than I like Irving. I think Knight is a clutch player who isn’t afraid of the moment (as shown versus Ohio State), and unlike Irving I saw enough of Knight to make this assumption. Getting Knight at 8 even though his jumper is sketchy is a steal for the Pistons.

NO. 9: CHARLOTTE BOBCATS- KEMBA WALKER, PG, UCONN

You doubt him, you say he’s too small, he has knee issues, can his body take a beating, after watch Kemba this season trust when I say there is not a thing that he can’t do. He’s going to kill it, just wait.

NO. 10: SACRAMENTO KINGS- JIMMER FREDETTE, G, BYU

The Kings expect him to save their franchise, is this before or after a) he and Tyreke Evans fight over who shoots the ball 30 times a game and only hit 35% of their shots, b) DeMarcus Cousins stabs him for taking too many bad shots (and not getting him the ball) and c) he gets owned by every, EVERY guard in the league? Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

NO.11: GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS- KLAY THOMPSON, G, WASHINGTON STATE

1. I like the pick because he is so smooth offensively, but can he play defense?
2. Um… what about not trading Monta Ellis?
3. Don’t the Warriors have enough shooters?

(This draft just started to upset me right after this pick)

NO. 12: UTAH JAZZ- ALEC BURNS, G, COLORADO

Can’t play defense, can’t shoot, still a work in progress. You think Jerry Sloan is happy that he retired or is that just me?

(By the way… why hasn’t Kawhi Leonard been picked yet?)

NO. 13: PHOENIX SUNS- MARKIEFF MORRIS, F, KANSAS

He fits their offensive style of play and he can play defense. Plus the Suns continue their run of picking brothers. Robin Lopez in 08, Taylor Griffin in 09 and a Morris this year, maybe next year they get a Wear brother or a Plumlee.

NO. 14: HOUSTON ROCKETS- MARCUS MORRIS, F, KANSAS

Something is telling me that this won't work out for either side.

This facebook status is brought to you by my brother Kareem:

Isn’t the worst father’s day gift ever watching the kid you left 20 years ago

Get picked in the NBA draft?

NO. 15: SAN ANTONIO SPURS- KAWHI LEONARD, F, SAN DIEGO STATE

The Spurs start their rebuilding process with the super athletic forward who has hands the size of a cinderblock and a huge vertical. Plus they have someone to replace the corpse formerly known as Richard Jefferson.

NO. 16: PHILADELPHIA 76ERS- NIKOLA VUCEVIC, F, USC

The only thing I want to know is how much money he got while playing there. I’m joking… but seriously, how much?

NO. 17: NEW YORK KNICKS- IMAN SHUMPERT, G, GEORGIA TECH

So, let me show you how much everyone associated with the Knicks hated this pick:

The fans booed, loudly.

Spike Lee stared into deep space with an emotionless expression as if someone told him Denzel Washington just dissed him in a rap song.

Will sent me these texts messages:

Knicks on the clock.

Ummmmmm….ummmmmm… ummmmm… no comment

Wow. don’t talk.

Just be quiet and point to your mouth.

Wow I thought Tristan was a reach.

Carmelo Anthony tweeted: “Goodnight. I’m out.”

Now I don’t know what Carmelo was referring to, but I KNOW WHAT HE WAS REFERRING TO!

Then there was me. All I could say was IMAN “F*****” SHUMPERT!

Yep. A two guard that can’t shoot. However he apparently is a good defender. So was Corey Brewer and look what happened to him after the Knicks got him. I hate the Knicks.

NO. 18: WASHINGTON WIZARDS- CHRIS SINGLETON, F, FLORIDA STATE

NO.19: MILWAUKEE BUCKS- TOBIAS HARRIS, G, TENNESSEE

NO. 20: HOUSTON ROCKETS- DONATAS MONTIEJUNAS, PF, LITHUANIA

Honestly I had to go back to look at picks 18-20 because I blacked out in a rage after the Knicks pick. Then when I went back and saw the Singleton pick I got mad again.

I hate the Knicks.

NO. 21: PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS- NOLAN SMITH, G, DUKE

A nice pick for Portland especially with them about to show Andre Miller the door, now if they can find a consistent shooter.

NO. 22: DENVER NUGGETS- KENNETH FARIED, F, MOREHEAD STATE

So to recap; the Nuggets in the span of 4 months took the two shooters the Knicks desperately need (Danilo Galinari and Wilson Chandler) a center who could develop into a pretty good player (Timofey Mozgov) and drafted the player that I wanted the Knicks to get most in Faried. Shoot me.

NO. 23: CHICAGO BULLS- NIKOLA MIROTIC, PF, SPAIN

And this is the text that made both Will and I throw in the towel with this draft courtesy of Will himself:

This draft is awful.

Yep. We gave up. There were players going to teams in places that honestly made no sense not to mention that not many of these kids will have an immediate impact.

Valanciunas won’t be in Toronto for another year, the Kings have too many shooters, the Jazz still don’t have a reliable point guard, and the Cavs second pick was basically thrown away. This draft was pathetic. Even the biggest optimist has to admit this. Will and I tried to take this draft for what it was worth and we failed. Even the trades were bogus. Couldn’t the Lakers or Heat have traded for Dwight Howard or something to save this draft?

NO.24: OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER- REGGIE JACKSON, G, BOSTON COLLEGE

I hate the Knicks.

Insurance just in case Kevin Durant stabs Russell Westbrook in his sleep for taking too many shots.

NO. 25: NEW JERSEY NETS- MARSHON BROOKS, G, PROVIDENCE

Deron Williams just thanked god. He finally has an offensive threat to pass to.

NO. 26: DENVER NUGGETS- JORDAN HAMILTON, F, TEXAS

Wait, wasn’t he a better product at Texas than Thompson? How did he fall this far in this draft?

NO. 27: BOSTON CELTICS- JAJUAN JOHNSON, F, PURDUE

There’s that big man that Boston needed in the playoffs…

NO. 28: HOUSTON ROCKETS- NORRIS COLE, G, CLEVELAND STATE

If he cuts the flattop he should be demoted to the D League immediately.

NO. 29: SAN ANTONIO SPURS- CORY JOSEPH, G, TEXAS

Was it a reach? Yes. However, how many times have the Spurs found a diamond in the rough in the draft. just saying.

NO. 30: CHICAGO BULLS- JIMMY BUTLER, F, MARQUETTE

Feel good story and a guy that could give them an offensive lift off of the bench.

Why did I run through the last 7 picks? Well one Will and I stopped caring after no. 23 and honestly no one should blame us.

In the end the critics and analysts were right, this draft was terrible and it should be extradited from our brain cells forever and ever.

If only I could do that with the Knicks and their draft pick.

A Shaq For All Seasons

Shaquille O' Neal retired today after 19 seasons in the NBA.

What was Shaquille O’ Neal? Was he one of the greatest centers of all-time? A 4-time champion and 3-time MVP of the NBA Finals? A 15-time all-star, number 5 all-time scorer with 28,596 points?

 

Was he the most dominant big man that this generation had ever seen?

 

From the time that he stepped on the floor as the number one pick of the 1992 NBA Draft Shaq was a man amongst boys. He decimated foes in the paint with his size; he got to anywhere he wanted in the paint. No man on this earth could guard him (hence the Superman moniker), nor could they stop him, unless they fouled him. Once both of his size 22’s were in the paint it was senseless to try and stop him, the two points were his, just take it like a man and walk off.

 

Was he the most unbelievable big man that we ever saw?

 

As big as he was and as powerful as he was he had amazing finesse skills. He was this generation’s best passer able to suck in double teams and kick it out to any open shooter in his sightline. He had great footwork, which he learned after the greatest fleet-footed big man Hakeem Olajuwon schooled him in the 1995 Finals. He had a great spin move to get to the hole, an excellent jump hook that came from plenty of time put in his early years in L.A. however, his power dominated all especially when he brought rims down without even trying during his first few years in the league.

 

Ever since he came into the league Shaq has been the center of attention.

Was he the game’s best entertainer?

 

On and off of the court you couldn’t keep your eyes off of Shaq. When he wasn’t dunking on poor and helpless centers he was selling Pepsi without a hitch. When he wasn’t winning titles he was recording platinum rap albums and making hits with the Notorious B.I.G. a.k.a. Biggie Smalls. He starred in movies and extended his brand in a way that could’ve rivaled Michael Jordan. Shaq was never just a basketball player he was the first entertainer of the sport. When you see other athletes crossover to TV and film and music that’s because Shaq laid that blueprint down before anyone else. Shaq could do anything and he definitely did try.

 

Was he the biggest kid that the game has ever seen?

 

His playfulness was his best attribute. Shaq was a player who had no problem making a fool of himself. True, he was a hulking 7’1” and 325 pounds and an intimidating man if there ever was one. However, just look at some footage of Shaq break dancing at the all-star game, acting a fool on the bus at the Olympics, playing a living statue at Harvard or leading the Boston Pops. He had fun and made everyone laugh.

 

(Side note: the best bit of Shaq acting a fool was his short lived reality TV show “Shaq Vs.” he challenged athletes to contests in their own sport and went through it all with the same ridiculous over the top mannerisms that he has whenever there was a camera on him before or after games. It was athletic competition that he never took seriously and it was pure comedy.)

 

How great of a winner was he?

 

4 rings, 6 appearances with three teams. The funny yet sad thing about the Shaq era is that he only has one MVP in his 19 years in the league… ONE!!! Then when you look at some of the names that he lost out to (Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Michael Jordan) you go, “Damn. That’s why.” However, MVP’s don’t truly make up who Shaq was as a player. In Game 7 versus Portland he with help from Kobe Bryant led the Lakers back from 15 down to reach the Finals. He dominated each of the Lakers title series in there three-peat years and continuously punished the Sacramento Kings and prevented from reaching a plateau than where they finished.

 

Shaq always had a fun side.

Could he have been better though?

 

To say that a man that scored over 28,000 points could’ve done better sounds silly, but he could’ve easily pushed past 30,000 if he wasn’t such a poor free throw shooter… and had stayed in shape.

 

The problem with Shaq in the second half of his career was his constant refusal to stay in shape. He missed 12 or more games in 8 of the 10 seasons after his first title and missed 20 or more games in 5 of those seasons. Truth is that Shaq got lazy and only focused on the second half of the season up until the playoffs. If he would’ve stayed healthy he could’ve been even more incredible as far as stats go.

 

Did he love drama?

 

Ask Penny Hardaway. Ask Dwyane Wade. Ask Kobe Bryant. Ask the cities of Orlando, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Miami and Cleveland about the departures of Shaquille O’ Neal and they wont have nice things to say. Shaq was a stubborn man, in his mind he knew what he was worth as a person and a player and wouldn’t settle for less. He wouldn’t let Kobe or Penny take his spotlight; he wouldn’t accept his playing time in Miami (or play with Chris Quinn as he once said). It was his greatest fault as a player and it cost him more love than what he already accumulated.

 

(Back to Kobe Bryant for a second. We’ve circled this wagon more than enough times in my lifetime than I would care to discuss. But imagine if they had put their differences aside and worked together more than they did.  They could’ve been greater than Jordan and Pippen, Gretzky and Messier and any other great tandem in the history of sports. When they were on the same page the Lakers were unstoppable. It was the perfect inside-outside tandem and they screwed it up. If there is any regret that Shaq should have in his career it’s the fact that if he and Kobe stayed together they could’ve won 8 championships together and people wouldn’t put Tim Duncan ahead of him as this generations best big man.)

 

What was he overall?

 

To me? The third best center of all-time (1. Bill Russell. 2. Wilt Chamberlain), the most dominant at his position in the last 30 years. The most immoveable object in the game. The most gentle of gentle giants who, if irked enough, could take Brad Miller’s head off with one swing, but would’ve rather helped out the police force in any city he played in and helped protect the law.

 

What much greater could his legacy have been if he and Kobe put aside their differences?

To me Shaq was more than a basketball player. He was a great role model with his charitable services to the community whether it be handing out toys or making public arrests. He was an educated man that made it a point to go back to LSU and receive his bachelor’s degree years after bolting for the NBA and then following that up with a Master’s Degree from the University of Phoenix.

 

He was a hell of a quote (favorite: “we’re not afraid of the Sacramento Queens.” OOOOOOOOHHHHHH SNAP!!!), whenever there was a microphone in front of him he always had something to say.

 

He was as imaginative and as playful as he was devastating in the paint. He always had a new nickname that made you laugh and was always in a playful mood.

 

He was just as special off of the court as he was on it. However, the court was his domain. There was never a player like Shaq before his arrival and there won’t be one now that he’s gone.

 

There wont be a center like him to roam the paint ever again. No one will have a combination of his size, strength and agility. No one will take over a game like he did, carry a team to three straight titles like he did and have the game in the palm of his hands like him.

 

Today is a sad day for me because I loved Shaq. I has his Dunkman Reebok shirt when he first came into the league and followed him every step of the way from Orlando to L.A. and everywhere else. He was one of a kind in everyway possible.

 

Thanks for the memories and you will be missed Shaq, Diesel, Wilt Chamberneezy, Superman, The Big Shaqtus, The Big Aristotle or whatever the heck else you call yourself.

The Knicks Need More Changes

This guy has gotta go.

Fair warning… maybe I’m being a little ill tempered after watching the Knicks lose to the Cavs (again), or the fact that the Knicks play defense like Kim Kardashian makes hit records. But I’m ticked off…

THE NEW YORK KNICKS SHOULD FIRE MIKE D’ANTONI… NOW!!!!

I mean I gave you a good enough warning right?

Is it just me or does anyone else have the feeling that D’antoni isn’t the guy for this job? I know the Knicks score points, they make games exciting for the big networks and its an overall sexy product on the floor in terms of star power. However, let’s come to grips people, that ain’t a tie contender out there. Not even close.

It’s a nice 4 man kingdom with a few court jesters for show, but as far as a complete team, hell no.

Having an offensive minded team is fine as long as you have some type of defensive structure. The Denver Nuggets have Aaron Afflalo, the Phoenix Suns have Robin Lopez, even the Clippers have Deandre Jordan and Blake Griffin.

The Knicks had Corey Brewer but bought him out and he was immediately scooped up by Dallas. Now who do u count on for some level of defensive intensity, Landry Fields? Bill Walker?

Defense wins championships, period. You can chuck all of the threes in the world, run up and down the court til your heart stops and get as many dunks as possible, but without defense you’re game plan is pointless and you’ll never get over the hump.

Which brings us to D’antoni and Donnie Walsh for that matter. When D’antoni was hired it was on the basis that his system that worked well in Phoenix would carry over to the Knicks.

The long term plan was to implement that offensive system and bring in a huge piece, like LeBron James, and let it grow into a title contender. So Walsh tried to dump a ton of salary while D’antoni had a bunch of players run his scatterbrained offense with little sense for two years.

We watched Chris Duhon fail the system, watched Nate Robinson fall out of favor, watched Walsh miss out on drafting Brandon Jennings by taking Jordan Hill then send him to Houston for T-MAC’s expiring deal.

The Knicks lack of defense leads to losses like the three they've had versus Cleveland.

Then the moment came this past summit where the plan would come to fruition and James would resurrect the Knicks… yeah about that.

When James bolted the Walsh plan failed. As soon as LeBron took his talents to South Beach Walsh should’ve told D’antoni to go with him.

Sure they got Amar’e Stoudemire and Raymond Felton, however that wasn’t the big plan. You needed more players to work in D’antoni’s system. You need a pass first point guard, shooters, and a bench that goes 8-9 deep solidly. Granted the Knicks have had that, until the Carmelo deal.

Now what do they have? Shawne Williams at the 4? Anthony Carter as the backup point guard? Shelden Williams as a Center? It’s a mess.

The team acts like the Phoenix Suns yet it is a hand me down version with even worse defensive tendencies.

Tonight they allowed 119 points to the worst team in the league…119!!! The Cleveland Cavaliers had 7 players in double figures, J.J. Hickson looked like Charles Barkley and Luke Harangody was a poor man’s version of Kevin Love, they couldn’t stop Baron Davis who should be in full sulk mode. How can I take the Knicks as a serious NBA franchise when they’re 0-3 against the league’s worst team and when they’ve allowed 117 points a game in the last two meetings?

(Side note: northern Ohio is slowly becoming my least favorite opponent of New York teams. It’s like the Cavs, Browns, Indians and Blue Jackets only play hard against us and lay flat against other competitors. Think about the Browns going 4-12 yet killing the Giants on Monday Night Football. The Indians christening the new Yankee Stadium with a 22-4 beantown. These three losses to the Cavs and the Rangers letting me down the one time a year they come to Columbus. The sympathy I have for this state’s hard luck OS dwindling by the second.)

So what’s the solution? Fire Mike D’antoni and get a coach on here that preaches defense.

Donnie Walsh isn’t going to able to put the kind of team together that fits the system D’antoni runs. Just kill it now before it destroys the slight momentum the Know kd have gained from the Carmelo Anthony deal.

Hire Mike Brown. Draft a point guard or center. Get Tyson Chandler, get some defensive help for Melo and company, change the look of this team right now and make them serious.

Fact is that while Mike D’antoni will win games, he won’t win titles. If he did he would still be in Phoenix. You need a guy that will take your team to the next level and he ain’t it.

I didn’t expect much from the Knicks this season. I expect the Melo deal to be the beginning of many deals in the future to bring the Knicks back for real.

However, it can’t happen with D’antoni as the coach. The system needs to be changed in order for the Knicks to be successful and it starts on the sidelines.

I hope Walsh makes this or something happen. If there are more losses like this in the future then it won’t be just Mike D’antoni under the hot seat. It’ll be you too Donnie. I can’t take this crap anymore.

LeBron James: Vanity King

LeBron James "The Decision" was a gluttony of self-indulgence.

A favorite pastime of mine about a year and a half ago was taunting Cleveland fans about how LeBron James was on his way to New York once free agency hit. I had a little facebook status update every so often, put up pictures of LeBron photo shopped in Knicks gear, and put various LeBron to New York things on my page. It was fun watching every Cavs fan curse me out, look on in horror or reply back in a glorious war of animated words.

Thing is I knew LeBron was always going to leave. As much as Cleveland fans tried to pray that notion away or think positively that his love for his hometown of Akron would keep him here it just wasn’t going to happen. LeBron outgrew Cleveland. His name and ego became so large that the small, yet noteworthy city couldn’t hold it anymore. LeBron has always talked about what makes him happy, what he needs to do for himself, what’s the best situation for him… you noticed how in this entire paragraph I didn’t utter a thing about basketball and James in the same sentence. That’s because in the last two weeks I found out just what basketball means to LeBron and vice versa.

LeBron James is the first of his kind in sports in more ways than one; he can play all five positions on the floor if he wants, can score at will and be entertaining as all hell. Yet the side I speak of is his media persona. LeBron doesn’t care about money or titles, he cares about himself. He turned down a massive contract in Cleveland and a championship in Chicago to be Dwyane Wade’s second banana in Miami. Why? Not for reasons on the court, but because LeBron wants the world yet doesn’t want to get his fingers dirty.

LeBron couldn’t handle the pressure that Cleveland put on him; LeBron can’t be a savior because he doesn’t want to be. He is no king nor is he a prince. He is a Duke, Lord or some subdivision of a monarchy that wants all of the perks of greatness without the hassle. (This makes Miami the perfect destination for him. he doesn’t have to take the last shot, or carry a team. Its D-Wade’s team. All LeBron has to do is dunk whenever he wants, look good and let Chris Bosh and Wade handle the rest. For a guy that shies away from pressure it a dream.)

Think about this entire free agency process involving LeBron; teams flew to HIM, sent HIM packages, and sent stars to HIS home to recruit HIM. LeBron never had to leave his house for anything. He woke up, got his mail in his robe and waited for everyone to come to him. Then as other free agents signed around him he decided to take it a step further, he wanted ESPN to hold a one hour special on his decision of what team he wants to play for and put it on primetime TV. It was called “The Decision”; it should’ve been called vanity at its best. So yesterday we were treated to a five hour pregame of LeBron clips, interviews and everyone’s opinion of where he should go and people begging him to come or stay in their city while ESPN set up a gym in Connecticut with 60 kids and a nicely placed Vitamin Water cooler as a backdrop for the LeBronathon. Somewhere LeBron was sitting down with popcorn enjoying every moment.

LeBron ripped his fans hearts out, they're a little mad about it.

The whole thing was disgusting. It fed his ego even more. The guy just ripped the heart out of a city on national TV; he played NY, Jersey, Chicago and LA for fools. Why? Because he feels he can do whatever he wants because he’s LeBron James. No one else matters. Wade and Bosh signed with little fanfare, James turned his decision into a spectacle.

Understand this about LeBron. HE’S NEVER WON A TITLE! A guy with no rings commanding this much attention is ludicrous. If I were Kobe Bryant I would want to punch this guy in the face. LeBron has no heart. The guy buckles under pressure. Remember game five this past year? He came out flat and played with no care. No defense, no drive, nothing. LeBron has done so much damage to himself in the last four months that the man that was once lauded for being a playful, fun, team oriented guy is now Bernie Madoff a cold hearted evil man.

Cleveland fans have every right to be mad at him and burn his jersey in the streets; he toyed with their emotions and spewed it back at them. Dan Gilbert had every right to be mad at LeBron and throw darts at him I that scathing letter. LeBron’s dog and pony show cost Gilbert millions of dollars and has diminished the worth of his franchise. I’m surprised he didn’t let loose with more ammo than what he had on LeBron.

The part that everyone is losing in this whole saga is the actual basketball. The Miami Heat have become the most hyped team in the league. They have three of its best players playing together on a nightly basis, but what else do they have? No point guard, no center, no bench, nothing. It’s a three man show with no real help. Everyone jumping on the Miami bandwagon needs to wake up and understand a few things at work:

• Miami still isn’t as good as Orlando, Boston, Los Angeles or Oklahoma City. Those teams have played together for long periods of time; have great chemistry, coaching and rosters good enough to put them within striking distance of a ring. Miami doesn’t.
• Erik Spolestra is the coach, for now. Ask Stan Van Gundy how this will play out. Spolestra is in his third year as a head coach and gets handed three large egos and has to find a way to use them wisely. This won’t end well.
• The Bosh-Wade-James trio has the following stats: 15 all-star appearances, 15 playoff series wins (one by Bosh) 2 MVP’s, a finals MVP and one ring (Wade’s thanks to Shaq). What have these men by themselves that is worthy of all of this hype. Bosh might be the worst offender of all of them. Bosh has won one playoff series and is less significant than the other two on and off the court. He even cut the braids off so now Predators can’t do a cross promotion for their film. This “Big Three” done nothing to receive such a moniker made for the guys in Boston, L.A. or even Detroit with Sheed, Chauncey and Rip. They look great on paper, but what will it translate to?

Fact is I’m not sold on this new faction until they get help in other areas. They’re a really good all-star team at the moment, but ask the Yankees of the 2000’s how money built all-star teams did when it came to winning titles.

Another fact is that LeBron’s legacy will never be the same. I always used to wonder why he never had that Jordan in him, the stuff that Kobe, Paul Pierce and Carmelo Anthony have in them. That will to want to take matters into your own hands and win. We now see why.

LeBron is no king, chosen one or any of those monikers we have showered upon him. What he is, is kin of the media. A man that feeds off of attention. He doesn’t want championships, he wants camera time. He doesn’t want to be the greatest basketball player ever; he wants to be the biggest name ever. It’s not about respect for others or their feelings or their daily routine, it’s about him. That team first attitude? A façade. That playful nature? Good for TV, makes him look better for the sponsors. It’s all in LeBron’s plan to make himself look larger than life. We fell for it, adored it, then last night we felt it thrown back in our face.

We saw the real LeBron James on ESPN in front of Jim Gray. He wasn’t sincere, he was robotic. He said his decision was hard, it wasn’t he knew his plans all along and this fit right into it. We were all witnesses to LeBron’s coming out party last night. This is who he is, cold, calculated and dishonest, and Cleveland is better off without him. So are the Knicks, I wouldn’t want him anywhere near Madison Square Garden.

The Incredible Shrinking King

Instead of leading, Lebron just watched his team get pummeled.

There was a point Tuesday night where for a brief moment I had become a Cleveland Cavaliers fan.

I watched that pathetic performance all night without interest simply because I could care less about the Cavs. I cracked light-hearted jokes with my buddy Will about how Rajon Rondo had Mo Williams “on skates” as we say (even at one point calling him Movechkin, that has a better parallel than Will or I could have ever imagined). I held in a laugh as Cleveland fans sat mortified at the sight of their team tanking… wait a minute, not tanking… SH***** the bed… no wait… F***** up… yeah, that works. I watched my buddy Will go from into the game, to mad, to depressed, to just… just.

For a point I got a little salty towards coach Mike Brown (who coached absolutely the worst in a playoff scenario since Kevin Gilbride’s offensive play calling for the Giants last year against the Eagles) who absolutely refused to understand that his best lineup was Delonte West-Lebron James-Antawn Jamison-Anderson Varejao-JJ Hickson, who gave Danny Gibson minutes when he hasn’t made so much as a scratch on that team since he got Keishia Cole pregnant, and who overreacted to Rondo’s huge game and put Lebron on Rondo in game 5.

Then it happened, I got mad. Mad at a team that meant nothing to me, but more so towards a player that had “lived” up to all of his hype and had perched himself on top of the heap of the NBA as its best player. I got fed up with Lebron James.

I watched Lebron run and hide from the bullies that were the Boston Celtics like a first-grader running from a bully on a school yard. I watched him look dazed and confused like a punch-drunk prize fighter. He looked more like Roberto Duran than Muhammad Ali. I saw him pass up open threes to pass to Anthony Parker who chucked up ill-advised shots with Ray Allen in his face. The final straw was the look on his face on the bench. It was the same look I had on my face as freshman in college taking a psychology 101 exam. Lost.

The Celtics dominated all game long.

That performance was something I had never seen from a superstar of his caliber from Shaquille O’Neal in his prime, to Michael Jordan, to Tom Brady, to no one. The man that they call The King became a pauper. He wasn’t worthy of that title, not after that game or game 6. He wasn’t worthy of being of mentioned in the same breath of the greats in the NBA. The Jordan comparisons? Stop. Better than Kobe? Please. Kobe Bryant pretty much could drive up to the front of ESPN’s door and just park in front and just stare at everyone and say “who’s better?” get into his car a drive away to his fifth title. You know why? Because not one of those players, at this juncture of the season would in any way shape form or fashion would ever, EVER let their team just give up or play scared in such a big game in that scenario. Lebron however did the opposite.

Could you imagine Michael Jordan just running and hiding in the third quarter of a playoff game with his team down? HELL NO. he would’ve gone down swinging. Lebron went down whimpering. 0-5 in the first half, didn’t hit his first shot until 6 minutes left in the third quarter, never drove to the lane, which he can do at any time anyplace anywhere. His final line 15 points, 7 assists, 3-14 shooting, three turnovers, Boston 120 Cleveland 88. That was it.

Lebron supporters say that his elbow was still injured so its affecting his jumper, it looked pretty fine in games one, three and four. Besides, that elbow looked good enough to drive to into the lane a few times and slam home a few dunks. Some will say it’s a bad game that it happens… not this late in the season, in the postseason when your team needs you most. When your back is against the wall and your season is pretty much on the line you don’t have bad games. Kobe didn’t have one last year when he had an injured shooting finger, Jordan had the Flu… dropped 38 and won game 5 in Utah, Steve Nash could only see out of one eye 20 points 9 dimes and a Spurs killing game three win this year. If you truly want to win and it’s the most important thing to you as you say it is then nothing is an obstacle.

To me for Lebron to make up for that loss he would have had to score 50 points and carry the Cavs to a victory last night in Boston. He would’ve had to put the team on his back and carry them like his idols and the best in their respected games, instead he had a ho hum triple-double 27/19/10 and once again he settled for jumpers, deferred to teammates and only attacked with less than 3 minutes left and the Celtics up by double digits. The king wilted, and once again showed no emotion and seemed to care less.

After the game the speculation began about Lebron’s future, he was passive as usual, cliché in his words and walked off. Oh yes that lovely speculation that Lebron has deferred yet secretly is in love with.

First of all let’s make this clear, he aint coming back to Cleveland, not with that team. As much as a blame Lebron for this letdown for the second straight year, it aint all him. This is the most overhyped, overrated, terrible team in the league. They’re a fraud. 61 wins for a team that without Lebron doing everything for them would be a 35 win team. Don’t believe me? Here’s what I realized last night:

At one point there was a five of the floor of James-Williams-Varejao-Z-Parker, think about this for a minute; two spot up shooters, an energy guy with no offensive prowess and a 7 footer who is 15 foot jump shooter. Now think about the rest of the team, THAT’S THE TEAM!!! Nobody but Lebron can get their own shot, make their own offense or doing anything remotely well without Lebron holding their hand. When Dan Gilbert came out and said he’s done everything to make the Cavs better I can’t agree with that. It’s a team of cast-offs, third bananas and Superman. You can’t win a title with this team and that’s why you’re at home right now.

That’s why Lebron is leaving, and being a Knicks fan let be very clear when I say this, I DON’T WANT LEBRON ON MY TEAM! It was fun for months to joke with Cavs fans about how Lebron is going to New York and win tons of titles. That won’t happen. Not with Bron Bron. If Lebron played like he played in the last two games of this series, in New York, IN DECEMBER… he will get worse treatment than what he got in game 5. The media is more intense, the pressure is epic and Lebron James in my opinion can’t handle it.

He knew his team wasn’t that good but he never took initiative, never grabbed Mo by the throat and told him to get his head out of his rear, never took over the game when he needed to, and could. He’s not the player we all have think that we have “Witnessed.” He’s a highlight reel; he’s basketball’s Dan Marino. Keep in mind that Marino made a title run early in his career and never got back even though his numbers we’re Madden-esque. Sound Familiar?

Lebron can do whatever he wants, whenever, however he wants. There’s a reason Cavs announcer Austin Carr calls him the L-Train and not just because it sounds good. It’s because when he is rolling down the lane, all 6’9 265 of him, not even Iron Man can stop him. He’s a monster, he’s Donkey Kong, but in big game situations he plays like Diddy Kong. If you’re a team investing possibly 120 million dollars into a guy that you want to lead you to a title is that a characteristic that you want from someone you look towards to lead you to a title?

In 2007 he pulled off one of the greatest single-handed comebacks ever when he scored 25 consecutive points and beat Detroit on the floor and in their heads. That game in hindsight was nothing more than a tease as we’ve come to see. That’s not Lebron’s game. That killer instinct attempts to come out but it can’t. Lebron is a complementary star player, and these last 72 hours prove that.

The sad part about it is I actually feel bad for Cleveland fans. Cleveland fans can be blowhards but they’re not used to winning. They thought they found basketball’s Jesus in Akron and he would lead them to sports heaven out of their John Elway and Craig Counsell induced hell. They got the dunks, the sneak from behind blocks, every sportscenter worthy moment that they ever hoped and dreamed for… and it’s all a big glitzy mirage.

Lebron’s no show and show of disinterest and lack of caring put Cleveland back in their old neighborhood that they are so used to. They put the end of this series next to “The Fumble”, “The Drive”, Jose Mesa and every other bad thing that has happened to them since Jim Brown last lead them to a championship in 1964. If or when he leaves Cleveland basketball will once again be on the back burner, nothing like the pop culture smorgasbord it is right now. And Lebron killed it Starting Tuesday night and concluding Thursday night.

Wherever he goes Lebron will have a huge cloud hanging over his head. His crown now holds a handsome amount of rust from letting the pressure and stress hold him down. Lebron James will be coveted, but at a price. Chicago will tempt him as will New York, New Jersey and Miami. He will be touted as a savior, a deity and the key to a title. Do you really wasn’t the truth about Lebron James? Turn on games 5 and 6 and watch the king cower before his court and run from danger. 20,000 Ohioans at the Q and much more around bars and in homes did, we all were Witnesses.

The King Crowns Boston

Lebron had his way with the C's all night.

Things went south in Boston really fast night. Josh Beckett let his fastball fly around Fenway Park last night and got rocked because of it, the Bruins, who were looking to get a head start on the Eastern Conference Finals, instead found themselves down by two goals to the Flyers in the first period… but none of that compared to the carnage in the TD Bank Garden last night.

The Celtics left their swagger, attitude or whatever in Cleveland, or maybe Lebron James just slapped it out of their mouths.

That Monday meltdown that Cleveland had seemed like it was ages ago as the Cavaliers came into Boston and landed an early knockout in a 124-95 beat down last night, and it wasn’t even that close.

All five Cavaliers starters scored in double figures and Delonte West added 14 off of that bench. Meanwhile for Boston all they could muster was another great performance by Rajon Rondo, great considering the circumstances, and Kevin Garnett. Other than that, they were dead as you could get. Paul Pierce shot 4-15 and Ray Allen was 2-9 and the bench was just as ineffective. “Big Baby” Davis and Rasheed Wallace played 15 uninspired minutes as they committed lazy fouls and were beat to every rebound and loose ball as the Cavs controlled the tempo for the entire game.

Most importantly though it was King James leading the way from beginning to end as the King jumped on the C’s early with 28 first half points, ten more than his entire total from game two. There’s been a lot of talk about Lebron’s elbow and whether or not the pain in the elbow was causing some problems and limiting the way he plays the game… Friday night ended all of that talk.

“I know I’m going to hear a lot about the elbow, but I’m here to play basketball and give our team a chance to win,” James said. “We knew how important it was to come out and play aggressively after giving away Game 2.” Not just game two but almost game one as well. The Cavaliers were as unimpressive in the first two games of a series as you can get. They trailed at the half in both games at home and if not for a Mo Williams spark in game one the Cavs could easily be down 2-1 as they are up.

Yet all of that seemed irrelevant as the Cavs shot 67% in the opening half of game three and scored 65 points, 36 in the first quarter all while getting back to what makes them what they are; good defense and letting Lebron work his magic.

“It was great to see LeBron set the tone from the jump,” Cleveland coach Mike Brown said. “And the rest of the team followed.” they sure did. Lebron’s performance in this game from the jump was all about aggression. He had three first half assists as the greedy side of Bron Bron took over, although it should be noted he finished with seven assists in addition to his 38 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Lebron’s entire demeanor had changed for this game. He barked orders at teammates, snarled at referees and was nothing like the playful, exuberant superstar that we’ve come to know. Dare I say that he got some Jordan in him and the killer instinct took over. My buddy Will put it plain and simple after game two, “he’s gotta start being like Jordan. He’s gotta get mad at people when the (bleep) up. That’s the one thing about Bron, he doesn’t get abrasive with his teammates when he has to, cuz you know Kobe is quick to yell at his boys when they (bleep) up.” Maybe Lebron got the message. Maybe he got tired of the elbow, and the lackluster play of his teammates and decided to get everything in gear and start becoming aggressive towards everything in sight. That’s what the Cavs need honestly. They need Lebron to get in their tails and get them to work harder and not be lackadaisical on the floor. It worked in game three and should continue throughout the rest of the series.

As for the Celtics? Well, the worst is over for now anyway. It’s becoming clear that Paul Pierce is a shell of his former self and their bench is all but worthless at this point. If they have any shot at beating Cleveland they need Rondo to continue to play at his current level and hope everything falls into place.

That seems farfetched at this point however. With Lebron feeling better and the Cavs rolling it’s looking like an early exit for the C’s and questions will start up about the future of this team. They got a kick start last night once their beat down ended. Good thing for them they weren’t they only bad show in town last night. They have a little company in Josh Beckett and Tuukka Rask in the Boston doghouse.

The Great NBA Playoff Unknown

The matchup everyone wants might not be the one that they get.

Don’t believe everything that you have read, heard, or even seen.  Don’t believe the little playoff simulators, the odds makers, trends, blah blah blah.

The NBA second season has officially arrived, and everyone thinks they have it all figured out. Cavs-Lakers, Cavs-Mavs, Magic-Lakers… honestly you don’t know nothing.

The reality is that the last three weeks of NBA basketball was not only boring and uneventful, but it lulled everyone to sleep and has given fans, players and writers a false sense of security. Once the top 8 clinched in the west, teams were “jockeying” for position when in reality it didn’t matter who was playing who in the first round as long as it wasn’t the Lakers. The Jazz, Nuggets, Spurs, Suns, Blazers and Thunder could’ve finished 3-8 in any order and it wouldn’t have mattered (and still doesn’t, it’s either the Lakers or Mavericks in the finals). No team is dominant; they have issues somewhere and won’t stand a chance in the Western Conference finals… see that’s what you are supposed to be thinking right?

Ok I’ll stop messing with your heads and get down to it… ANY TEAM CAN WIN THE TITLE THIS YEAR! THERE IS NO FAVORITE! No team is truly dominant, every team has a big problem, anything can happen, whether your coach and GM get into an MMA fight, or your center and alpha dog two guard are beefing (again) or you’re just counting the days until your star players bolt for greener pastures (ahem Miami, Cleveland) there are concerns on every team that could eventually kill their chances.

There are chemistry issues in Chicago and Los Angeles, concerns about lack of experience in Oklahoma City, questions of age in Boston and San Antonio, injuries in Portland, Denver, and Milwaukee, and teams that may put too much pressure on themselves knowing that things could be different next year in Cleveland and Atlanta.

Here are some logical yet crazy situations that could happen over the next two months:

Oklahoma City can beat the Lakers. Even though Phil Jackson just mind-bleeped Kevin Durant. The concern is youth for the Thunder, but what about the dysfunctional family that is L.A.? Are they focused enough to repeat with Kobe chucking up shots again, Pau Gasol spewing venom at Kobe and Ron Artest fading late in games. Couldn’t you see Russell Westbrook and Eric Maynor off of the bench going hog wild into the paint and creating havoc? This isn’t a chip in for the Lakers, the Thunder are Hungry and ready to jump on whoever is in their path. Plus this is the most underrated defense team in the league, Jeff Green and Thabo Sefolosha will give Kobe fits.

Boston could get to the Eastern Conference finals. Everyone has them left for dead due to age and health. They won’t be together past next year as Ray Allen looks to be gone and Doc Rivers may leave. I just have a feeling that the Celtics have been playing dead for months. They got off to a hot start then hit the cruise control button and had some questionable losses to horrid teams. Yet last week when they played the Cavaliers you saw the fight come out in them, KG cursing up a storm, Allen dropping 33 and just an all-around gutsy performance. They understand that 60 of the 82 games of the season are pointless and the real season is the postseason. Maybe after game 30 they just said you know what, we’ll get a top 4 seed just let everything fall into place. Crazy, but not out of the question.

They're well rested and ready to roll.

San Antonio could win the NBA championship. See Boston. Just in reverse

The Nuggets could pull it together and make a finals run. The first 40 games of the season this was the true life scenario of the NBA: Carmelo was MVP, the Nuggets were neck and neck with the Lakers and no one team in the NBA could matchup with them. After Carmelo’s injury here’s what happened: George Karl gets cancer, Kenyon Martin gets injured (again) and goes batty on a trainer, Ty Lawson gets injured, Chauncey Billups gets injured, and the Nuggets fell apart. The Mavs, Suns and Jazz all past them in the standings and left the Nuggets for dead. Yet they have home court in round one and seem to be in good health, plus we know how iffy Utah is even with a MVP-like season from Deron Williams. It’s possible that they can regain some steam and make a run even past the Lakers.

The Jazz, Suns, Mavs, and Hawks could all get bounced in the first round. The Jazz are terrible on the road, the Blazers can keep up with the Suns even without Brandon Roy. The Hawks and Mavs are interesting and here’s why:

1. Both teams are versatile at all five positions and off the bench.
2. They have superstars that put up numbers, but have a reputation of fading in close games.
3. They both had great runs from the midseason on, Dallas through the Caron Butler trade and Atlanta finally coming together after years of playing together.

Yet I don’t feel secure in trusting these guys in their first round matchups at all. Dallas draws San Antonio in the first round and Atlanta draws a scrappy Milwaukee team without Andrew Bogut, both Scott Skiles and Gregg Popovich are better coaches than Mike Woodson and Rick Carlisle and most importantly… ITS DALLAS AND ATLANTA! They’re underachievers! They may get to the second round and that’s it. I have no faith in either of these teams, especially Atlanta which is highly combustible and Joe Johnson may have a foot out of the door already.

Chicago could beat Cleveland… in 5 games. Don’t laugh. I know Vinny Del Negro and John Paxson almost beat the crap out of each other a week ago. I know you couldn’t get a lick off of that bench. I know there isn’t a being on earth, let alone on Chicago, that can guard Lebron James, but in 3 of 5 positions on the floor, Chicago is better that Cleveland. Consider this if you will, did you watch Cleveland without Lebron down the stretch? Terrible. Awful. Without James they are a 36 win team period. Mo Williams can’t guard Derrick Rose (and will go into hiding around game 3), Big Z, Shaq and Anderson Varejao will get housed by Joakim Noah, it’s almost amazing how quickly we’ve forgotten the motor on this guy. When the games get tougher, Noah steps his game up. He’s been a big game player since his days at Florida and its finally coming out in his third year in the league. The biggest piece though is Kirk Hinrich. Hinrich has almost been dealt 85 times in the last 3 years and has been shuttled in and out of the lineup the last two years. He’s now playing off guard and guarding the opponent’s best shooter and making their lives hell. If Delonte west, Boobie Gibson or Jamarrio Moon can’t shake Hinrich, then Lebron could be making plans for New York sooner than we think.

Orlando will win the title. They’re angry. Dwight Howard led the league in blocks, rebounds, and technical fouls. Stan Van Gundy is chipping away at other stars credibility. Matt Barnes is grilling Kobe Bryant and picking fights with other team’s big name players. J.J. Redick has grown an angry new do… okay so some things are more fearful than others. The Magic still made a bad deal in essentially letting Hedo Turkoglu and Courtney Lee go and thinking that Vince Carter is a go to guy this late in his career (and that its Vince Carter, he normally mails in it around February). Yet this team of any in the league is the most complete and the most focused. There is no chatter between Howard and Stan Van Gundy, no crazy side story involving an injured point guard, no big injuries, no nothing. Their quite normal compared to everyone else in the playoffs. They beat L.A. at home in a rough and tumble game that saw the fight come out of the Magic. They’ve only lost three times since March all to three playoff teams. They’ve been the most consistent team all year long save for losing 7 of 9 early in the year. You go into Magic games knowing what to expect from minute one to forty-eight, Redick giving you points off of the bench, Mikael Pietrus shutting down the opponent’s best player, and no one getting anything inside on Dwight Howard. They’re the model of consistency that most teams crave to be and want, and it should carry them to a title…

Or Los Angeles could win, or Dallas could prove me wrong, or Cleveland will whip Chicago. Who knows, just be glad that the slow crawl to the end of the regular season has past and that the real season is about to begin. Just don’t be surprised by whatever happens until June. You think you know what’s going to happen. Keep in mind, you don’t.