State of the NBA: Blame the GM'S

With the NBA being in a stalemate because of the lockout, let's take a look at what the real issues are. I hear so much that NBA players are overpaid babies, and they don't deserve those huge contracts. It's not surprising that a lot of those notions are coming from white America, seeing that the majority of the NBA players are African American it seems kind of funny. No one seems to be talking that way about baseball players, who sign massive contracts, and teams have no salary caps. Why aren't baseball players overpaid babies, and half of baseball players aren't near the athletes that NBA players are, just something to think about.

Now let's take a look at why certain NBA teams are losing so much revenue. I say blame the General Managers for the state in which the NBA is in. Why blame the GM's? Well, General Managers are responsible for bringing players to teams. They negotiate the contracts with agents, (with owners probably signing off) they built teams. Now, Fox Sports had an slide show on overpaid players on every team in the NBA, and you couldn't argue with every player that was on that list. Let take Joe Johnson from the Atlanta Hawks. Now, you can't blame Joe for taking the huge contract that he signed over the summer. Does his talent really equal up to his contract, probably not, but seeing that the Hawks were so worried about keeping that name with their team they overpaid him. David Lee of the Golden State Warriors signed a huge contract a couple seasons ago to join them, but has not produced enough to validate the money he was paid. Both are very good players, but lets face it, there is probably only 10-15 players in the NBA that should be getting maximum contracts, and in my opinion they are not the 2 players named.

Shaq: "Miami only has a Big 2"

Shaquille O'Neal in his first appearance as an NBA analyst called Miami's Heat big 3 "the big 2". Clearly referring too Lebron James and Dwayne Wade as the big 2 and leaving out Chris Bosh who is apart of the big 3. Earlier this week on NBA T.V. the big fella gave a lot of praise too the Miami's Heat big 2. Although he did not come out and elaborate on what he meant about Miami only having a big 2, only a fool could't read between the lines and know what he was saying. Even though the big 3 at times would look like the big 1 or even the big 0 in some cases in the NBA Finals, I would have too say that I understand where he is coming from, but I would have to disagree with his statement. In the NBA today Chris Bosh is a all-star caliber player. Now would he be 10-15 years ago I wouldn't think so. So if you think about it that was the time that Shaq came from so he probably looks at it a little different then most who see the NBA today. Bosh is not a physical player by the least. His game is more about finesse over power, and in the NBA today most players are made up that way, and he is one of the best power forwards in todays NBA.

Will Allen Iverson Return To The NBA

Will Allen Iverson ever play in the NBA again? I would have too say I don't know but I think he should be on a NBA roster next season. There does seem like there is a certain group of players that have been black balled from the league. Unfortunately, Allen Iverson have found his way on the outside looking in of the NBA. In his prime A.I. was one of the toughest and dynamic players in the NBA. He was probably the smallest player ever to dominate the offensive side of the game there was. Here was a guy that was maybe 6 feet tall on a good day and won the scoring title 4 times. He averaged almost 27.0 ppg. throughout his career, and almost 30.0 ppg. in the playoffs. Granted he shot the ball mostly every time he touched it but his teams were mostly successful then not.

At 36 years old Allen Iverson is not the same player he was 6 or 7 years ago, but I do think he would be a good addition to a veteran, contending team that needs scoring and leadership off of the bench. I think if he truly accepts his role as a backup guard and a team has the right fit, we can expect to see Allen Iverson under the bright lights once again.

What's The Problem With Heat

What's the problem with the Miami Heat? Why is a team with so much talent having a hard time closing out the Dallas Mavericks? The first problem that I can see is that Lebron James is playing to much point guard. With Lebron handling the ball so much he is always out of position to make a play on offense. By Lebron playing up top, handling the ball he is playing right into the Mavericks hands, and they now can make him a jump shooter. The Miami Heat would be better off is Lebron was playing off the ball and catching the ball in a position where he can either attack the basket, or pull up for a short jump shot. Another problem the Miami Heat are having is when Dwayne Wade touches the ball he holds on to it until either he has a shot or until he has to pass the ball, but by that time it is only a few seconds left on the shot clock and somebody is forced to shoot a rushed shot. The final problem that I can see is that the Heat's defensive intensity is not at the level it was in the previous series or in the two wins in this series. The Miami Heat will have too make some serious adjustments if they plan on winning a championship and silencing the critics.

Title in the Future for Heat Big 3

Who would've thought back in July when Lebron James made the "Decision" that the Miami Heat would be 2 games away from winning a NBA Championship? I think we all knew that eventually this team would be in this position, but not in its first year assembled. This team came together and started to gel at the right time. The big 3 are playing at a high level and the supporting cast is playing their part in a big way. The Heat big men are controlling the boards and playing monster defense, especially Anthony Randolph. The re-emergence of Udonis Haslem has given the Heat the lift that they needed to not only get past the Chicago Bulls, but to come 2 games away from winning a championship. You will have to start thinking that the Miami Heat is in prime position to win a few more rings if they can hold on to winning this one. With the now experience they will take out of this run and a summer of key signings, the Miami Heat should be in this discussion for a long time to come.

Miami Stars Too Much For Chicago

The Chicago Bulls were controlling most of game 4 on Tuesday night. Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, and Luol Deng each put good numbers, and they held Dwayne Wade to only 14 points. So, you would think after reading that, the Chicago Bulls won the game right. No they didn't. In fact they almost lost by 10 points. Lebron James took the game over in overtime. This will be the biggest advantage for Miami for the next few years. Every team will always have 1 of those 3 too worry about. Well, let's get ready for a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks. I will take Miami to win the championship, because of their team defense. I will give a Miami vs Dallas preview by this weekend.

Dallas To Much For OKC

The Dallas Mavericks look like they are on the verge of advancing to their 2nd finals appearance in the 6 years after taking a 3-1 lead on OKC in the Western Conference Finals. After looking at game 3 it is clear that the Dallas Mavericks just have to much size and to much scoring for the Thunder to overcome. The Thunder came into this series with a 3 man scoring threat, but at the end of the day 8 is always better then 3. That's what is have been, Durant, Westbrook, and Hardin vs the 8 guys who can score on Dallas. There is no question that OKC will be in the finals in the couple of years, once they add a couple more scorers and defenders.

Durant Posterized Brenden Hayward

Don't even know why he jumped.

We Are All Nowitzness

Dirk Nowitzki dominated game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the western conference finals. The dude had 48 points without making any 3 pointers. He shot 12-15 from the field and 24-24 from the line, that's Jordan numbers. What can the Thunder do? Their big men can't hold him one on one. If you double him, Dallas has enough shooters to make you pay. You just have to pick your poison. Either way Oklahoma better hold better defense then that or it will be a short series.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Preview

The Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder should be a long series. They both matchup pretty good, each teams have advantages on each other, and both teams have go to scorers. This series will come down to the play of Russell Westbrook, and the play of Dallas's bench. I hope Jason Kidd has gotten plenty of rest because he is going to have his hands full with Westbrook. Jason Kidd is going to be going up against someone who is probably 15+ years younger, and probably 50,000 less miles on their legs. This will Kidd's worst nightmare, not only is Westbrook quicker and more athletic, he is also aggresive going to the basket. Kidd would rather go up against a guard that likes too settle for jumpshots, but Westbrook is not that type of player. The kay for Dallas will be Jason Terry and their bench. If Jason Terry can play at the same level he played with in the Lakers series then Dallas will be very hard to beat. Since the only real scoring threat to come off of the Thunders bench is James Harden, the Dallas Mavericks should hold a big advantage when it comes to the second unit. No need to talk about Dirk, or Durant, we all know that they will be effective in this series. I'm going to take Dallas in 7 games.

Taj Gibson Banging on Dwayne Wade

Bulls Dominate Heat in Game 1

Whatever strategy the Miami Heat came out with in the second half of game 1 need to be burned, put in a casket and buried. The Chicago Bulls dominated the Heat in the second half. They killed them in every aspect of the game. They out rebounded them on both sides of the floor, they out hustled them on both sides of the floor, and they played smothering defense holding Miami to just 34 points in the second half. Derrick Rose did whatever he wanted to the Heat's defense, and the Bulls big men outplayed Miami's. The only bright spot for Miami was Chris bosh. He put up 30 points and 9 rebs on 12-18 from the field, that's all-star numbers if you ask me. He's got a reputation as being soft and settles too much on the jump shot, but yesterday he played like true all-star, it's just too bad he didn't get to much help.

Now, I don't know if it was just Miami had a bad game, or if the bulls are just too much for them this year. Whatever the case the Miami Heat is going to have to make major adjustments in game 2. I knew coming in that Miami will be undersized in the middle, but I didn't know it would be so exploited. The Chicago Bulls dominated the heat on the offensive boards 19-6, that's 13 more chances to score just of rebounds. Not to mention the 16-9 turnover difference, that's 20 more times to score then the heat. Let's face it, if the big three of the Heat are not playing at a high level at the same time they will not win a game in this series. It is going to take every bit of effort and maybe more then it took in the Boston series for them to beat the Chicago Bulls. I think we will all have to watch game 2 to really see if the Miami Heat can compete with the Chicago Bulls.

Looking Ahead To Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls Series.

I'm anticipating an eastern conference finals matchup with the Miami heat and the Chicago Bulls. Not to forget about the Atlanta Hawks but I don't think they can beat the Bulls 2 straight games. Whoever wins the Miami, Chicago series will likely go on to win the NBA championship. I don't see any team that's left in the west that can beat either one of these teams in a 7 game series, plus the east would have home court advantage. The Miami vs Chicago series should be the longest series of the playoffs this year, but how this playoffs has been going who knows. The questions for the Miami Heat coming into this series will be can Miami's big men handle Chicago's bigs, and can Miami slow down Derrick Rose. Will Anthony Randolph be able to deal with Joakim Noah's hustle and energy, and will Chris Bosh be able to outplay Carlos Boozer. Bosh holds the height advantage over Boozer, but can Bosh deal with Boozer's power. Then there's Derrick Rose. I wonder who Miami will have primarily holding Rose. Will they put Wade on him or one of the smaller guards? Wade would probably be the most effective, but he will waste a lot of energy on the defensive end, and you run the risk of getting him into foul trouble.

As for the Chicago Bulls the biggest question for them is how are they going to slow down the big 3. Lebron James is playing at the highest level of his career, Dwayne Wade has been his all-star self, and Chris Bosh seems to always show up when they need him most. The most important thing that the Heat might have going for its self is "motivation". The Heat has to be so motivated to prove people wrong and win a championship in their first year being together. Lebron James should be especially motivated to finally shut people up about the "Decision". The Miami Heat will also have to get the production from their bench that they got in the Boston series. With considering all the intangables, I think the Heat will win this series in 6 or 7 games. I don't think James and Wade will be denied this opportunity to win a championship.

Miami's Youth To Much For Celtics

We all knew that the "Decision" and the addition of Chris Bosh would pay dividends for the Miami one day. We didn't know if that day would come this year or next. I've always said since the whole Lebron, and Bosh signing that the Miami Heat would win a championship by year 2. With a 98-90 win in overtime against the Boston Celtics to take a 3-1 lead in their series, the Miami Heat are well on their way to the Eastern Conference Finals. Miami's youth combined with all that talent was just too much for the Celtics to overcome. You have to give the Celtics credit, with all the injuries and the fact that they are the oldest team in the NBA they atleast threw a punch. They didn't roll over and quit like last year champs, they put up a fight. The fact of the matter is the Boston Celtics do not have the legs and with the injuries they will not beat the Miami Heat 3 straight games. Expect to see the Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls in the eastern conference finals.

How Can Lakers Return To Championship Status

What happened to the Los Angeles Lakers? Was it that the past seasons have finally caught up with them, or did they just face a much better team? Whatever the case may be there was obviously something not right about the returning champs. At the start of this series who would've thought that the Lakers would be sweep by the Dallas Mavericks? Who would've thought that Dallas would come out in game 4 and just embarrass the Lakers the way they did? This series reminded me so much of the finals where the Lakers were beaten by the Detroit Pistons, and we all know the drama field year that was. Ever since the playoffs started you could see that something just wasn't right.When the Lakers let the Hornets come in and dominate them on their home floor. The only reason they survived that series was because they were just a far superior team then the Hornets. But the Mavericks matched up better with the Lakers and exploited them. Evey Laker in this series was a non-factor. Kobe Bryant has too many miles on his legs to carry this team on his back for long stretches at a time. And it was the same story for Gasol, Odom, and Bynum, they just were not aggressive enough. I never thought that I would see a Phil Jackson team dominated in a close out game the way they were in game 4.

    What's next for the Lakers? They need a new coach. They need to and some youth to their roster, especially at the point guard position. And they need players that are hungry for a championship. The move that I see happening is that Dwight Howard will end up in L.A.. I think he is tired of playing for Stan Van Gundy, and he should see that with the roster they have down there now, that there is no championships making it's way to Orlando no time soon. The Lakers would probably have to let go of Bynum, and Odom, or Gasol and Odom. My guess is that Andrew Bynum's days in a Lakers uniform is about up. He's injury prone, and he's probably getting to the point in his career where he wants more touches and be a focal part of a team. Lamar Odom is such a under achiever in the NBA. This guy is 6'10, can handle the ball, pass the ball, rebound the ball, but he's all left handed. If the Lakers can land Howard, and and some youth to that line-up and bench, they should be primed for another run at the championship.

Dallas Mavericks Takes 3-0 Lead on Champs

Who would have thought when the playoffs started that the defending champs the LA Lakers would be in any series down 3-0. The truth is that if you have seen the Lakers play throughout these playoffs you can see that these are not the Lakers of last year. Pau Gasol, and Ron Artest have been mostly invisible in games, and the Lakers bench have not been effective. But lets give the Dallas Mavericks a lot of credit for raising their level of play and bringing it to the champs. Dirk Nowitzski, and Jason Terry have been playing lights out, Jason Kidd has finally learned who to shoot, and Tyson Chandler, and Brendon Hayward are out playing the Lakers bigs. The Lakers can thank Portland for the Dallas team they are playing now. When the Mavericks lost game 4 at Portland and gave up that huge 4th quarter it woke them up, and they raised their level of play since then. I honestly thought that after the Lakers game 2 lost that the Lakers would come back and win 4 out of the next 5 games to win the series, but after going down 3-0 the Lakers run championship run if just about open.

Is It Time For The Lakers To Panic

After going down 2-0 to the Dallas Mavericks and losing home court advantage, is it time for the Lakers to panic? The traditional answer would be yes. Traditionally, a team that loses their first 2 games at home in a series would be pretty much done. I have thought from the beginning that this would be the easiest series for the Lakers throughout the playoffs and through the finals. That's why believe the Lakers will still win this series, even though they might need 7 games at this point. To be a Lakers fan is to deal with so much frustration. You don't know which Lakers you're going to get on any given night.
You don't know if the Lakers that won like 14 or 15 games after the all-star break, or if you're going to get the Lakers that are down 0-2 to the Mavericks. The Lakers after the all-star break were an aggressive team on both sides of the floor. These Lakers almost seem like they are just going through the motions most of the time. You can see frustration on Kobe's face when the rest of team is not aggressive and the frustration on the rest of the teams face when Kobe is too aggressive. When the Lakers are clicking they can't be beat, but can they get it clicking fast enough to win this series. I say yes.

What Happened to the Sweet Science: What's the State of Boxing

As a long time fan of professional boxing, what happened to the sweet science? What happened to the days where family and friends used to get together and all pitch in to purchase a ppv boxing match? Or the days when boxing matches and boxers meant more socially in the world. What happened to the days when being the champ meant something to people. Those days are pretty much now over. If you ask the average person who is the Heavyweight Champion of the world in boxing, and they would probably say Mike Tyson. There are only two mainstream names associated with professional boxing these days and those names are Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr... Of course to your more knowledgeable boxing people they will argue that there are many more talented boxers then those two, but the fact is that those are the two most popular active boxers of today.

The heavyweight division in boxing is not even relevant in the United States. I don't know about you but I don't even know the last time I seen a heavyweight boxing match of any kind being advertised on a ppv. When you do see anything on boxing on TV you better believe that either Mayweather or Pacquiao is on that card. It's a real shame that boxing can't find a way for the two most recognizable names in boxing to meet up in a fight. It's also a shame that boxing have fell so far from grace that MMA has far passed professional boxing in popularity. I don't know is boxing can reach that level it once was at, but I sure miss it.

Heat Too Hot For Celtics/ Grizzles Out Play Thunder

Game 1 Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat

The Miami Heat out shined the Celtics in game 1 of their 2nd round playoff series. The Heat pushed the tempo and kept the Celtics off balanced for most of the game. Even when the Celtics made a run the Heat answered with one of their own. Dwayne Wade and Lebron James were dominating on both sides of the ball. While on the other side, Kevin Garnett, and Rajon Rondo were not a factor. When the Heat perimeter players are hitting outside shots the Heat are almost impossible to beat. The recipe to beat them is to clog the middle and don't let James, and Wade penetrate the defense. In game 1 the Celtics tried to make them jump shooters but they just kicked it out to the shooters until the defense loosened up. The Celtics didn't really get anything out of their bench. Jeff Green, Delonte West, and Glen Davis have got to be aggressive on offense and defense. I wouldn't expect game 2 to play out the same way. I think Boston will take care of the ball better. I think KG and Rondo will have a better game in game 2. I'm taking Boston to win game 2.

Game 1 Memphis Grizzles vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Memphis Grizzles dominated the Oklahoma City Thunder in their game 1 playoff matchup. Zach Randolph is in rare form, and Marc Gasol, and Mike Conley have raised their game another level as well. The Grizzles dominated the Thunder the same way they dominated the Spurs, with good defense and pounding the ball into the inside. The Grizzles are a prime example of a team playing as a team. They are sharing the ball, making the extra pass and helping on defense. With respect to the Thunder, Russell Westbrook was breaking down their defense and getting to the hoop when he wanted, but when he got their he couldn't finish. The Grizzles can't stop Westbrook or Kevin Durant, but they can stop everyone else. With Russell Westbrook controlling the ball and taking as many shots as he takes it's hard for the rest of the team to get a rhythm. I expect the Thunder to come out and beat the Grizzles in game 2, but it will be a long series.

5'10 Guard with 50' Vertical

5 foot 10 guard from Illinois College got some springs. Oh yeah, and he's a white boy.

Boston Celtics Miami Heat Preview

The Boston Celtics vs the Miami Heat should be the best series of the second round and perhaps the playoffs. The Celtics and Heat met 4 times during the regular season with the Celtics winning 3 out of the 4. In the Celtic wins they dominated the Heat inside and out. Rajon Rondo controlled the game and the tempo. Dwayne Wade was not a factor in all 3 loses. The key for the Heat to win the series is to speed up the tempo and force turnovers. They also will have to find a way to score during the final possesions of games. Chris Bosh will have to be aggresive during the whole series. He can't just settle for jumpshots. He has to make Kevin Garnett work hard in the post, and seeing that he is one of he Heats biggest players he has to have a presence on the boards.

The key for the celtics to win the series is to slow down the tempo and only run when it is needed. The Celtics will have a huge inside advantage if Shaquille O'Neal can play in this series. The Heat will doesn't have anyone who can matchup with Shaq, even at his age. If Shaq can't go for this series then the Celtics will need their bench to step up. Jeff Green and Glen Davis will need to have big impacts and Nenad Kristic will need to be a force inside. I'm taking the Heat in 6. I think their size will wear down the Heat in the first few game. I see the Celtics winning 1 in Miami, and finising it of in game 6 at Boston.

Green Bay Packers to Repeat

The Green Bay Packers have got to be the favorites to when next years super bowl. The Packers don't have any real key free agents that they have to worry about losing. They might want to resign Cullen Jenkins to keep anchoring that front line with B.J. Raji, but after that anyone else is replaceable. Remember, the Packers won the Super Bowl without a running game and with many key players out with injury. Not to count the players they lost during the Super Bowl. With key players returning and the players they can add through the draft, and we all know that Ted Thompson is one of the best drafting GM's in the game today. The Packers should be primed to make another run at the Lombardi trophy.

End of the Spurs Dynasty

After a 91-88 loss to the Memphis Grizzles, and a 2-1 deficit in the series, this could be the end of the San Antonio Spurs dynasty. I always thought that the Spurs were not as good as their regular season record had indicated. Going into the playoffs I had the Spurs losing in 6 games to the Oklahoma City Thunder. I never thought that the Memphis Grizzles, without Rudy Gay would be the better team in that series. Even though I think the Spurs will still win the series, they are clearly not one of the teams that can compete for a championship. The problem is that Tim Duncan cannot hold the type of defense he needs to hold against Randolph and Gasol and still be effective on offense. Manu Ginobili is struggling with that elbow, and Tony Parker is turning the ball over too much. As for the rest of the team, besides Mcdyess, they haven't showed up to play yet. The San Antonio Spurs still do have a solid nucleus with Parker, Ginobili, and Duncan, but if they can't get some needed help during the offseason it will definitely be the end of their dynasty.

NBA Powers Starting To Pull Away

The first round of the playoffs have been surprising good. The games have been close, and the competition has been fierce. The Indiana Pacers have pushed the Chicago Bulls in all three of their games. The Memphis Grizzles are taking the San Antonio Spurs through a dog fight. Their are also a couple of series that are up in the air yet. But, I think as this first round starts playing out you're going to start seeing the power team’s start separating them self’s from the rest. The Celtics and Lakers have pretty much put their stamp on their series. The Miami Heat is going through the 76ers, and I think the Spurs will start to pull away from Memphis. I look forward to the second round where I think the playoffs are really going to begin.

NFL Draft:Over Hyped

Let’s all face it; the NFL draft gets to much attention. I'm a faithful ESPN viewer, and I'm so tired of hearing about the NFL draft. Tired of hearing about the draft boards, who's on the clock, and who is going where. Honestly, does it even matter? Unless you’re a college football expert you're not going to know half of the players who get drafted anyway. How many players in the first round even go on to have a successful career? All football fans know about all the quarterback bust over the years, but sports media still feels the need to ask everyday who's going to be the first quarterback drafted. Does it matter! The quarterback that gets drafted in the 3rd round will probably be the most successful then all of the one's who went before that. Don't blame me for what I'm saying because it is proven.

Nicki Minaj Giving Steve Nash Lapdance

Refs Killing NBA Playoffs

What is supposed to make the NBA playoffs special? I mean, each of the teams that make it into the playoffs has to play the same teams they've been playing in their conference all season. They have to play them the best out of 7 games. It's not like football, where it is one and done, or fans may get to see a matchup they haven't seen all year. What is supposed to make the NBA playoffs different is the physical play of the game. It's the time in the NBA where flopping shouldn't be rewarded. It is where tic tac fouls shouldn't be punished. NBA players have been accused of not giving their all during the regular season because of the season's length. Well, this is the time where the players’ intensity picks up. It’s when defenses start tightening up. Where star players start pushing their teams to victory. All that can be deferred by bad officiating. Referees, for some reason always want to control games.

Look at some of the calls in the playoffs thus far. The hand though the rim by Kendrick Perkins that perhaps cost Denver the game. The offensive foul call against Carmelo Anthony that perhaps cost the Celtics the game. Derrick Rose went to the line about 40 times in to games against the Pacers. Now, I know the he is going hard to the rim and drawing contact, but if that's all he has to do, well all the rest of the teams might as well pack up and go home. How many tic tac fouls have you seen the refs call already? You would think David Stern would do something, but he hasn't done any thing good for the league in years. I think if the refs put the whistles in their pocket the game will be a lot more exciting.

Shaq Key to Celtics Finals Run

Shaquille O’Neal will be key for the Boston Celtics to make it back to the NBA finals. I don't know what kind of shape Shaq will be in when he returns from injury, but he will have to have an immediate impact for the Celtics to advance past the Heat, or the Bulls. Shaq isn't the most dominate player in the game anymore but he is still one of the biggest, and takes up a lot of space in the paint. Me personally, I've been rooting for Shaq to win another ring. I just can't understand what happened to the big guys touch around the basket. I understand when you get older you lose your athleticism, but to lose your touch is crazy. When Shaq played for the Lakers he had a turn around jumper, a hook shot with either hand, and just touch around the rim. If he could just find a go to move, like a hook shot he would be much more effective. Well, I think he is going to make an impact. I think he knows this is probably it for him, so he might as well let all hang out.

Derrick Rose is the Truth

If anyone has any doubts about Derrick Rose being MVP this year, then you must not have seen the Chicago Bulls opening playoff game vs. the Indiana Pacers. Any true basketball fan can watch someone play and tell that they're watching someone special, and yesterday was one of those examples. I must admit, that I was not on the Derrick Rose bandwagon for 85% of the season. I thought from the time he came into the league that he was talented, athletic, fast, strong, but was unable to make jump shots on a consistent basis. As a fan of the game knows, as a guard in the NBA you can have all of the other attributes but if you can't shoot the ball it will limit your game significantly. Credit to him for working on his shot, and even if he's still not a knock down shooter he's got it good enough to where defenders have to respect it. I didn't pay a lot of attention to the Chicago Bulls this season because I knew they would be in the playoffs, but I thought the Heat and the Celtics still had to much for Chicago to compete with. Fast-forward to their final games against the Celtics and the Knicks, and their first round playoff game against the pacers. Those games are all I needed to see to know that this dude is the best player in the game this year. I do still think that Kobe is the best player skillfully wise in the NBA, but Derrick Rose is the most dominate, with Lebron at a close 2nd.

Did Steroids Save Baseball

Did steroids save professional baseball? In my opinion it didn't hurt the game. 1998, 2001, and 2007 were probably the most popular year’s professional baseball has ever had in the last 50 years. In 1998 you had, what was in my opinion the reincarnation of professional baseball. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa had one of the greatest performances in sports history. Whether they were using performance enhancing drugs or not they had the world paying full attention to them going after Roger Maris's homerun record. Baseball, as a sport was at an all time high, and it came right on time, seeing that professional baseball was coming out of a lockout. Which raises the question, did baseball create the monster, and are they now trying to kill it?

     In 2001 and 2007 we witnessed two more record breaking moments, when Barry Bonds broke Mark McGwire's and Hank Aaron’s homerun records. Let's face it; the homerun is the most exiting play in baseball. Everyone loves the long ball; they even have an entire event based around the homerun. If you notice, every player that had overly successful seasons between 2001-2010 has been linked to steroids. It is had for me to believe that none of the big wigs of professional baseball had no clue that this was going on. Of course they new what was happening, but because they were generating so much revenue they either turned their heads or they were pulling the strings. Either way, in my opinion they knew and still know what was and is going on.

    

Derek Jeter: There's no loyalty in sports

Derek Jeter is growing tired of all the negative opinions about the way he has been perfoming this year. I don't know what he expects after a summer of him criticizing the oganization about his contract. Jeter has been in the league for 15+ years he should know that there is no loyality in sports. When you are coming to the end of your career and your skills start to diminish and you can't perform like in past years or even the year before, people soon forget about the good times you've given them. Jeter will be part of a long list of athletes who have given there all to an organization and gets hurt when it is not given back. Even the Chicago Bulls let the best basketball player ever to play the game leave coming off of 3 championships. That's why I don't get mad when players want more money, request trades, and pick where they want to play, because this is all a business at the end of the day and that's it.

NBA Playoffs

With the nba playoffs upon us, I will like to comment on some of the questions I've been hearing about. Who's coming from what conference and who's going to win tthe title? I keep hearing the Chicago Bulls out of the east and the L.A. Lakers out of the west. Let me explain why that will not be the matchup we will be watchin in June. First of all, the Lakers will be in the finals again this year. I think there are a couple of teams that came give the Lakers a long series, but ultimately they are too big, too talented, and too well coached for any team in the west at this point. The San Antonio Spurs can match them at coaching and perhaps talent, but the size will be their demise. The Oklahoma City Thunder still do not have enough weapons to beat the Lakers in a 7 game series. Now, to the tricky east. The first round is not important, everything should play out according to seed. When it comes to the semifinals, that's when the fun begins.

Orlando Magics vs. Chicago Bulls

This will be a hard fought series for both teams. The only way the Magic will win this series is if Dwight Howard avarages 20+ ppg. and 15+ reb. Gilbert Arenas will have to show at least 85% of his old self, and if not that then at least he will have hit his open shots. Hedo, Jameer, J-Rich will also have to hit those open 3 pointers when  they are presented. They also are going to have to pick their poison, either stop Derrick Rose or stop the rest of the team. In order for the Bulls to win the series they just have to play how they've been playing the last 2 months.

Bulls 4 Magic 2  Bulls win series


Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat

I think this will be another series that will end in 6 games. For the Boston Celtics advancing in this series will all depend on the health and production of Shaquille O'Neal. With shaq in the fold the celtics will be able to clog that lane and make Miami more of a jump shooting team, just like they did in the 3 wins this season. With Miami not having big men that can stretch the floor and not being a real prolific shooting team shaq will not have to deal with to much pick and role. Another factor for the celtics will be if Rajon Rondo will make them pay for leaving him unguarded. In the game on Sunday, I can't count how many times he passed up open free throw line jumpshots. The celtics also need to decrease the turnovers, convert on offense and make Miami take the ball out of the rim, which will slow down the fast break opportunities.

     I the Heat wants to take this series they will need Dwayne Wade to play like he did this past Sunday, and not like he played in the 3 losses this season. Chris Bosh will need to be one of the most physical players on the court. They will also need to create easy baskets, get up and down the court and try to wear the celtics out. The most important thing the heat has to do is protect home court advantage.

Celtics 4 Heat 2  Celtics win series

Boston Celtics vs Chicago Bulls

This will be the only 7 game series of the whole eastern conference playoffs. The recipe for the Chicago Bulls to advance to the finals will be making shots in the half court, matching the celtics defense intensity, and defensive rebounding. Derrick Rose will have to continue to play at a mvp level. Luol Deng will have knock down those open shots off of pick and roll. Carlos Boozer has to be a more physical player and help Jokim Noah down in the paint. The x factor for the bulls will be Keith Bogans defense on Ray Allen. The
Boston Celtics will need their stars to be stars on both ends of the floor. Rajon Rondo can not let Derrick Rose control the pace of the series. He has to make rose play both ends of the floor. The x factor for the celtics is of course shaq, but I think Jeff Green will be the biggest factor. If he can come in for Pierce and make a impact I think the celtics will come out on top.

Boston Celtics 4 Chicago Bulls 3   Celtics win series

Boson Celtics vs L.A. Lakers Finals

This will not be the series it was last year. I think this will be the only time the celtics will truly miss Kendrick Perkins. The Lakers will just be too big for the celtics to handle. I also think the celtics would have had a much harder road than the lakers and will affect them in the finals.

L.A. Lakers 4 Celtics 2  Lakers win series