Ball or Nuthin' » NBA

Pro Bowl is Much Worse Than the NBA All-Star Game

T Lamont — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 04:41:22 +0000

As I’m catching the closing bits of the NFL Pro Bowl, I am thinking to myself…

“Now I see why the NFL has such an issue with figuring out what to do with this game…”

There’s always the dilemma in all-star type events of a lack of intensity. Is there any motivation for the players to play hard?

Major League Baseball thinks they have come up with something - but I think it’s pretty ridiculous to have an all-star game decide home field advantage in the World Series. But when comparing the NFL Pro Bowl with the NBA All-Star Game, the NFL certainly comes up short.

The reason why?

Quite frankly, both games are void of any defensive effort. That alone basically strips the game of any general sense of competitiveness. But the NBA wins out easily because of the ability to execute spectacular plays.

In the NBA’s midseason extravaganza, there are always breathtaking dunks, no-look passes, long shots…and even in a non-competitive exhibition those moment of athletic brilliance will make the most casual fans jump up out of his seat in appreciation.

How spectacular can a Pro Bowl play be? A touchdown in a non-intense game is fairly unspectacular. As a matter of fact, any play in football becomes rather plain without the all-out effort from players on both sides of the ball. The reason is simple – - at its core, football is truly a team game. The structure of the game itself makes it very difficult for individual excellence to be demonstrated. The more individualistic game of (NBA) basketball lends itself to fantastic exhibitions of its greatest participants.

So, what should be done with the Pro Bowl?

Well, at the very least, don’t make me watch it before the Super Bowl.

Top NBA Teams – Jan 26

T Lamont — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 04:37:40 +0000

Get Shareaholic

As we approach the mid-season mark, it’s time to get serious about who’s in it to win it…and who’s fakin’ the funk.

Let’s take a look at the 10 top dogs in the Association:

10. Portland Trailblazers- This team has continued to battle in the face of many injuries. Brandon Roy, Travis Outlaw, Greg Oden, Joel Przybilla, Jerryd Bayless – all out of the lineup. But they still find their record at 27-19, which is good for 5th in the West.

Rudy Gay's superb athleticism is finally translating into wins for the Memphis Grizzlies.

9. Memphis Grizzlies- What would this top 10 be without an unexpected team making its presence felt? The talent on the team is beginning to gel – and Memphis is getting consistent contributions from swingmen Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo. But with his remarkable play this season, Zach Randolph has himself on the brink of an appearance in the All-Star Game. Contrary to his early NBA years, Randolph has been a leader for the young Grizzlies – both on and off the court. The next step for Memphis? Achieving more sustained success on the road (their current road record is 7-14).

8. Dallas Mavericks- If you can beat another NBA team by 50 points, then you should at least be one of the top 10 teams in the league, right? In that game, the Mavs proved that they have depth at the point guard spot. Guards J.J. Barea and Rodrigue Beaubois combined for 24 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. Sounds very much like a young Jason Kidd.

7. Utah Jazz - Power forward Carlos Boozer has stepped up to the tune of 25 points per game in his last 3 games – all wins – for Utah. Unexpected contributions from Andrei Kirilenko and Wesley Matthews have helped the Jazz win 8 of their last 10.

6. Orlando Magic- Orlando has remained in the thick of the East’s top teams all year, but I think they seriously hurt themselves in the offseason. Vince Carter is a great player, but they lost three vital cogs on last year’s Eastern Conference championship team. Hedo Turkoglu, Courtney Lee and Rafer Alston would probably all rather be in Orlando (as opposed to their current locations) right now. And I really doubt that Stan Van Gundy thinks his team is better than it was a year ago.

5. Boston Celtics- Sure – the C’s have the third best record in the NBA, but they’re not the third-best team…at least not at this point in the season. Boston started out on fire, but are only playing .500 in their last 1o contests. The Celtics are still doing it with defense (only giving up 93.66 points per game, 2nd lowest in the NBA), but they desperately need to get their team healthy soon so that they can gear up for the stretch run. Garnett and Pierce have been hobbled this season, and they need to rekindle their magic from the 2007-2008 campaign to compete with this year’s Cavs and Lakers.

4. Denver Nuggets- Carmelo Anthony has carried this team to the fourth-best record in the NBA. Although the Nuggets have a 7-game winning, only two of those victories came against playoff caliber teams (Orlando, Utah). But we’ll quickly find out about their status, as 9 of their next 10 games come against playoff-bound teams. With the team retuning to full health (including Anthony), this will be a good measuring stick for George Karl’s bunch.

An intense Pau Gasol makes the Lakers nearly unstoppable.

3. Atlanta Hawks – The Hawks barely beat out a host of teams for this #3 position. Atlanta has posted recent wins against Boston (twice), Phoenix and Houston. Those are some big wins. The Hawks have indeed become the epitome of a true team, and they’ve had a revolving door of players making the key play on a nightly basis. One night it’s a Josh Smith block that seals the win. The next night it’s a Joe Johnson drive to the basket. The following night it’s a Jamal Crawford three-pointer at the buzzer. Each player will have to contribute over the next three games for them to be successful. With games at San Antonio, vs. Boston, and at Orlando, it will be an extremely difficult task for the Hawks to maintain this spot.

2. Los Angeles Lakers- Coming into tonight’s game against the Wizards, they’ve been subpar in their last 10 games (6-4). After losing at Cleveland on Thursday, the Lakers need to re-establish themselves against an upper-echelon squad. They’ll get that chance on Sunday when they travel to Boston. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum will have to continue to play efficiently – they’ve combined for 33 points, 19 rebounds and are shooting 55% from the field.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers- Sitting at 35-11, it appears that the race is on between the Cavs and the Lakers for home court advantage (should they meet up in the Finals). The Cavs have come through with some tough, close victories – the kind of victories that can build the confidence of King James’ supporting cast. Recent wins against counterparts Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade has LeBron properly wearing the crown amongst the three best players in the league. The Cavs get a break against some lightweight opponents over the remainder of the week (vs. MIN, @ IND, vs. LAC), setting up yet another showdown with the Heat next Thursday.

Does the NBA Really Want Replacement Refs?

T Lamont — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 02:46:04 +0000

Get Shareaholic

After weeks of bargaining between the NBA and the National Basketball Referees Association, the league officially locked out its referees on Friday.

The existing agreement expired on September 1, and the heavier negotiations commenced at that point. The disconnects between the two sides centered around severance, referee development and pension plans. In a nutshell – in each of those areas, the league presented the Referees Association with proposals that were considerably less generous than what they already have.

How will superstars like Kobe Bryant fare with replacement refs?

So today, the NBA formally announced that it will begin training camp next week with replacement refs. The camp was scheduled to begin with the league’s original referees on Sunday. But now that the replacement refs have to be called on, the training camp will begin sometime next week.

The thing that interests me most about replacement refs in the NBA is how they will handle the league biggest attraction – its star power. More than any other league, the NBA is dependent upon its superstars to bring in revenue through ticket sales, merchandise sales and cable / satellite packages.

Now throw in a group of replacement referees. Referees who aren’t familiar with the preset nuances of each player. Referees who won’t know that certain players are supposed to get certain calls. Referees who won’t have the respect of the players…or the fans…or the media.

According to Rick Buchanan, NBA executive vie president and general counsel:

“It is extremely disappointing that the NBRA has ignored the economic realities, rejected our offer, and left us with no choice but to begin using replacement referees.”

With that statement, the NBA has put its foot down. Let’s just hope it’s not in quicksand.

Beware: Ugliness on the Court

T Lamont — Fri, 29 May 2009 03:54:08 +0000

Get Shareaholic

I know that we’re talking about basketball players here, but these guys should be required to wear a helmet to protect the innocent…

Sam Cassell- a good guard for many years in the years, his ugliness hit new heights because he actually made plays. My wife calls him a Trachean. But he can rest easier knowing that he is probably the most talented ugly-guy in the NBA…if there was ever such a thing…

Popeye Jones - former NBA journeyman forward. He never really added anything to his teams – except for the fearsome presence of an ugly dude lurking near the basket. His ugliness is accented by his Dr. Spock ears. Beam me up Popeye!!!

Dennis Rodman- What can of ugliness competition would this be if Rodman wasn’t involved? The Worm was a great rebounder and defender and sacrificed his body for his teams. Looks like he sacrificed his face, too.

Tyrone Hill- I remember watching the Allen Iverson-led Sixers in a playoff game against the Bucks in 2001. I walked out of the room for a second, and heard somebody yell out “DAYUM!!” I ran back thinking that Iverson had made an unbelievable play, but then he finished the sentence. “DAYUM…that dude is UGGG-LEEEE!!!”

So what do you think?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

The Nowitzki Saga Continues

T Lamont — Thu, 28 May 2009 03:54:53 +0000

Get Shareaholic

Dirk may have done a little too much scoring.

The Dirk Nowitzki chronicles continue. For such a quiet, unassuming guy this must be a huge annoyance.

Apparently, Dirk Nowitzki’s ex-fiance’, 37-year-old Cristal Taylor has tested positive for pregnancy.

The story started a some weeks ago, when Dallas police officers arrested Taylor at Nowitzki’s house on a fraud warrant. She was being held on a theft of services charge out of Jefferson County in southeast Texas and a probation violation from St. Charles, Mo.

Then, Dirk hired a private investigator to check into Taylor’s background. That detective found that she had used at least eight different aliases in the past including Chrystal Ann Taylor, Crystal Ann Taylor, Crystal Ann Santiago and Crista A. Westerhays. Taylor has a history dating back more than a decade of financial crimes in two states, including felony theft, felony forgery and felony stealing. I guess we would expect such behavior from someone using a bunch of aliases.

Come on Dirk...you can surely do better than this??

Now, the talented Maverick is caught in the middle of a lose-lose situation. Somehow, you get the feeling that Cristal will end up getting exactly what she wanted out of this. And that won’t be Dirk – although she supplied this quote when asked about her and Dirk:

“I’m angry, but I do love Dirk with all my heart,” she said. “And I want you to know, he still hasn’t told me we’re no longer engaged.”

With Taylor’s colorful past, who knows if this pregnancy is Dirk’s doing. But if I was him, and I found out that it was, I would make arrangements to get custody of that child. There would be no way that I’d provide any financial support to someone as looney as Taylor.

Come on Dirk…man up for once!!!