Kobe has an off-night, scores 43

Let me first say that this guy is incredible. It is a complete and awful shame that his name is not brought up more often in MVP discussions.

So while the NBA has shown that it is very much into promoting its favorite neophytes (LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwayne Wade), I really don’t think any of them can hold a candle to Kobe Bryant right now.

This guy has been the best player in the league for years now and it’s about time that we all started saying it.

We’ve expected the world from Kobe Bryant. We expect him to be everything positive about Michael Jordan and we expect him to be completely blameless (as Michael Jordan was).

But Kobe isn’t the media darling that MJ was and whereas the media was inclined to look the other way when MJ was less than superhuman, they have pounced on Kobe Bryant in similar situations.

So in keeping with the media roller coaster that so many famous people ride, it’s time for us all to bask in Kobe Bryant’s second upswing. That’s right. It’s okay to love him again.

Kobe's maturation is clearly evident if you have paid any attention to this man in the last two years. Kobe’s team leadership gets better every day and he can still wow us with his individual abilities.

Let’s take this opportunity to thank our lucky stars that we’ve had the privilege of watching one of the best do his best.

Ron Artest Needs Help. NOW!

I understood when he threw that TV at MSG. I tried to understand when he punched that fan in Detroit. I couldn’t understand his fiasco with his dogs and I won’t understand his latest fiasco with his family.

And I certainly don’t understand what’s (apparently) coming out of his mouth lately. A few days ago the rumor was that Artest will retire. This morning I read that the rumor is that he will play overseas for a while. Tomorrow the rumor will be that he plans on joining the circus.

Sure, sometimes it’s funny to watch the crazy guy do crazy stuff, but after a certain point it’s cruel and irresponsible. Our society loves watching a train wreck in action (right, Brittney?) but at what point is the carnage all of our faults?

When does it become our duty to step in and stop the insanity? I say, “right now.” Let’s not let Ron Artest be our next Mike Tyson.

Ron Artest needs to take time off right now and he should not come back until his life is more in order. Forget basketball for 5 minutes. This is a person and this person’s life is spiraling ever downward on a second by second basis.

Sixers Suffer Worst Home Loss Ever

So to follow up winning 8 of their last 10 games (they did, in fact, lose to the Hawks) and being a hot team in the NBA for the last couple of weeks- the Sixers registered their worst home loss ever in their 58 year history. The Houston Rockets came into Philly and stomped on the Sixers- beating them by 50 POINTS! Yao Ming, who had 24 points and 10 rebounds, and Tracy MacGrady, who had 21 points and 8 assists, sat out for the whole fourth quarter. Andre Iguodala was benched for the entire fourth quarter, finishing with a pitiful 6 points and 4 turnovers. Kyle Korver led the team in scoring with 17 points. I don't know if I have much to say about this ball club other than the fact that they are a young club that desparately needs some type of go-to superstar.

Sixers Get Hot, Win 7th Straight Game!

In a remarkable second half turnaround, Maurice Cheeks has the Sixers looking like a competitive young ball club. The Sixers had a 6 game home stand that they managed to run the table on. And this homestand hosted 5 west coast competitors including the Lakers and Suns. The Sixers rebounded the ball and played good defense. Sammy Dalembert pulled down double digit rebounds in all but one game of the win streak.
Andre Iguodala has been playing the role of superstar on the team averaging 25 points a game and grabbing his third triple double of the season against Seattle. He is complimented very well by the experience and passing skills of Andre Miller. Miller has been averaging 7.8 Assists and 13 Points per game during the winning streak.
Their latest win comes on the second night of a back to back, where they played Kobe and the Lakers in Philadelphia last night, and then had to play the Pacers in Indianapolis on tonight. Neither of those teams are piece of shit teams, either one can be dangerous on any given night. The Sixers outplayed both ball clubs and came out on top (although the Pacers were playing without Jermaine O'Neal and Jamaal Tinsley, which I'm sure improved the Sixers chances of keeping the streak alive). I'm also impressed that the Sixers managed to maintain the streak as the went on the road, until tonight in Indiana- all their games were at home.
Their next game is Tuesday in Atlanta. I think with a couple days rest, this red-hot Sixers team can really pull one out against the Hawks. But there is always a chance that the old ghosts of the inexperienced Sixers will come back to haunt them and break their beautiful streak against such a lameduck opponent as the Atlanta Hawks. I say go Sixers! Keep the streak Alive! 8 in a row baby!

Denver Nuggets Flying High, Yet Full of Smoke

Ok, as I watch the Denver Nuggets get blown out by the San Antonio Spurs on a TNT nationalized telvised game Tuesday night, I thought I would comment on how awful the Nuggets look.

Good GOD!

I thought that if you wanted to compete to win a championship, especially in the West, you had to at least play some defense.

I mean the Suns really are an exception to that rule, but then again they have two-time (and soon to be three-time) MVP Steve Nash to drive their ship - however the Suns have yet to go to the Finals.

But the Nuggets lack anything of the sort.
As Charles Barkley said on TNT- The Nuggets defense is horrible. The Nuggets have the two leading scorers in the league, but the have no players doing the dirty work. No guys who don't really want to score, but will play defense and rebound and hustle. And he loves Allen Iverson, but Iverson pounds the ball too much. David Aldridge mentioned Eduardo Najera as a gritty player, but Barkley said Najera's not a good enough player.
They lack any confidence in their defensive play. And the Spurs just picked them apart like the veterans they are, while Reggie Miller proclaimed that "this" is why the Nuggets are not being considered to go far in the playoffs. They don't have the ability to compete on a higher level with those elite teams of the West. The Spurs weren't even playing that complex a defense, but their excellent execution managed to hold the Nuggets to 49 points through three quarters. The Nuggets recorded their lowest scoring quarter of the season with only 10 points in the third, as they crawled into the fourth quarter with a 31 point defecit.

It was ugly.

Iverson and Melo have only played 7 games together and they are 2-5.

You do the Math. At number 7 in the West- it is not looking good.

John Amaechi declares “I’m Gay” to the World…. The World replies, “Who the hell is John Amaechi?”

I’m sorry, but I don’t really care about John Amaechi. It’s not that I’m insensitive toward gay people; it’s that I’m insensitive toward mediocre ball players.

A lot of sportscasters have been saying the same thing: it will be real interesting when an active NBA player comes out publicly.

To that end, let me know when Vince Carter holds his press conference (zing!)

(Come on, this dunk was clearly just an excuse to get close with Frederic Weis)

Cuban, Dirk and Wade get ugly

So Dirk Nowitzki says that the Dallas Mavericks gave the Miami Heat the NBA Championship last year. He’s arguably right: The Mavs were up two games to zero on Miami in last year’s finals and they ended up losing the series.

Still, you don’t say that sort of thing publicly because it implies that they other team didn’t do anything to deserve the championship. It’s one thing to say that you should have won; it’s another to say that you gave it away.

So naturally, Wade is insulted and fires back at Dirk. Wade called out Dirk, saying:

“He’s the reason they lost the championship, because he wasn't the leader that he's supposed to be in the closing moments. That's because of great defense by us, but also he wasn't assertive enough as a leader's supposed to be.”

Wade is arguably right too. It’s not the classiest comment in the world, but he’s not completely off-base.

Now, enter Mark Cuban to add some more drama and his trademark cutting remarks:

“You are an amazing player, Dwayne. I love watching you shoot free throws.”

This is clearly a shot at both Wade and the NBA’s Referees. If you can’t read between the lines, Cuban is saying that Wade gets preferential treatment from the league’s officials. Guess what? He’s arguably right too!

One things for sure, we have a bona fide rivalry on our hands. The question remains: does anyone care?

Arenas Opens Mouth, Inserts Foot

I really like watching Gilbert Arenas play and I think he’s one of the best players in the NBA right now, but the guy has just proven to the world that he clearly doesn’t get it.

Scoring is great. You score more points than the other team and you win, right?

But when your only aim is to score, and you don’t, there’s not much that you’re contributing, now is there?

How immature do you have to be to have a vendetta against assistant coaches who had nothing to do with making decisions that made you feel slighted?

How disrespectful do you have to be to insult a pro team by saying how many points you’re going to score against them before the game?

How unfocused do you have to be to worry about how many points you (personally) score when the object of the game is to win?

How good are you if you cannot backup your selfishly bold prediction against one of the worst teams in the league?

What does it say that your head coach says that there’s no leadership on your team?

Gil just went from Golden Child to Goat.

Oh yeah, and stop playing fucking Online Poker at halftime! Jeez.

Francis and Isiah in the Showcase Showdown!!

Everyone has seen that "Franbury" backcourt (Steve Francis and Stephon Marbury) has not succeeded according to plan. This has been so apparent that the newspapers have continually reported rumors that the Knicks were discussing a buyout with Francis's agent.

Plagued with injuries this season and stuck in an unclear role on the team, it is apparent Francis is not the player he used to be. Worse yet, Steve Francis's trade value is at an all time low and this makes it even more difficult for the Knicks to effect a change.

So what do you do? SHOWCASE, SHOWCASE, SHOWCASE! You give him a bigger role and talk about how great he is, of course!!

Take one look at the title of the article on Francis in today's New York Post: "FRANCIS RETURN (AND BIGGER ROLE) AT HAND."

Pay close attention to the quotes from Thomas littered throughout the article:

• "He looks good to me."

• "He gives you some veteran savvy in the backcourt"

• "When [Stephon] Marbury goes out, or if he goes down, at least you've got some savvy back there, someone who understands the position and is still the same kind of threat offensively, can get to the basket, can get to the foul line and is an excellent rebounder.

• "He definitely brings another level of savviness to your team."

Is Thomas his agent? Is Thomas his mother? What's the deal with this unbridled positivity?

Thomas clearly understands that a buyout will not help the Knicks. He also understands that Francis does not fit with this roster. His only choice is to build Francis up, make him look good (in the hope that this will increase his trade value) and then ship him off at the deadline for something or someone that the Knicks could use.

Let's not forget the other elephant in the living room. Thomas's complements about Francis's game are clearly indictments of Nate Robinson's game.

Proof that the Philadelphia 76ers are a Mess of a Franchise

I think this says it all.

Webber: Glad To Be An Ex-Sixer

31st January, 2007 - 8:23 am
Philadelphia Inquirer -
Freed from the 76ers, Chris Webber wants this to be clear: He is happy playing basketball again now that he is with the Detroit Pistons .

But the mere mention of his former team wiped the smile off his face as the forward prepared for last night's game with the Washington Wizards .

He called his stay with the Sixers the most difficult part of his 14-year career.

"It was probably the first time I didn't enjoy basketball," Webber said, standing by the locker room at the Verizon Center.

Webber said he appreciated that Sixers president and general manager Billy King finally bought out his contract earlier this month and gave him his release.

"I'm really happy they let me go," Webber said. "I was really used to winning, and being in a situation where a lot is going on besides winning is tough."

Apparently it was not just the lack of winning that bothered Webber.

"When I was there, I definitely wanted to be away," he said. "... I definitely had to get away for my sanity."

Posted today on Real GM.com

Tractor Traylor Caught Rollin' With The Homies

Um, yeah. Tractor Traylor (the guy the Milwaukee Bucks traded Dirk Nowitzki for) has been chillin' with some hustlers.

http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/44396/20070125/robert_traylor_pleads_guilty_to_tax_fraud/

Timberwolves Fire Head Coach Dwane Casey

Shit, I called his firing sometime last year when Minnesota slipped from the Western Conference Finals to missing the playoffs for the first time in about 8 years.

This strangely reminds me of Randy Ayers- the guy he took over as coach for the Sixers after Larry Brown left.

More on Eddy Curry

I still want to hear more analysis on Eddy Curry too.

Will the Grizzlies move Pau Gasol, and where would he go?

Ok, so because Gasol was gone for the first 22 games of the season with a broken left foot, the Grizzlies slipped from a playoff contender to the WORST TEAM IN THE LEAGUE (though they still managed to destroy the Sixers the other night, not to mention they scored 70 points in the first half of that game).

Now Gasol comes back from injury to find that the team never came under new ownership and is still up for sale, his coach was recently fired, and his team has gone from competitive to awful. So- now he feels it's time to go someplace else. He recently asked for a trade from the Grizzlies.

Hold on here, so your team fell from grace due largely to your absence, and now instead of trying to move along with this season and rebound next year, Gasol figures he might as well jump ship as quickly as possible.

He might want to get out of one of the toughest divisions in the league. The Grizzlies have to compete for a division title against Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston (and even though the Hornets are still rather poor, they are on the upswing)

OK. Where does he go?

Who needs a dominate big man? My first thought would be an Eastern Conference team, I hear Jerry West was already talking to at least Chicago about moving Gasol. Maybe Boston? Knowing Danny Ainge, he'd be stupid enough to make that deal. What about the Kings or the Warriors? Maybe Ron Artest could be involved in a Pau Gasol deal? Or, Golden State may move more of their people to acquire the mobile big man. My only other real options could be Atlanta or Charlotte, but neither of those teams are anywhere near being contenders.

Your thoughts?

Ok That dude is a little Ridiculous

Alright, that guy is a little ridiculous.

Though he makes some great points about Eddy Curry, and he really is accurate about there not being many other options to consider at center in the Eastern Conference. I think he's going a little over the top with how good Curry is. I am not sold on Curry's consistent play or his ability to take over a game. I mean I will admit he is playing strong basketball right now, and that he is greatly improving with his consistency- but I want to see if his play continues to improve through next season, or even resulting in a playoff berth. Because right now, he is in a race for Most Improved Player Award, but he isn't getting th Knicks to get into the playoff hunt.



I will agree that he could very well be a reserve on that Eastern Conference team. He will not start. But the Knicks are better than the Sixers.

Eddy Curry should be an All-Star

So I was going to write a long rant about how Eddy Curry should definitely be on the East All-Star team this year, but then I found this video on YouTube:

This guy is on it: Curry is playing well consistently while still having room for improvement.

Eddy Curry (19 ppg, 7 rpg in 34 minutes/game) is only 24 years old and is shooting 58% from the field!

The Fate of Ron Artest?

Is Ron Artest too crazy to play anywhere? He certainly isn't doing for the Kings what he did last year when they team went from nowhere to playoffs with his arrival from Indiana.

The Kings are under five hundred in a vicious Pacific Division that contains a couple Western Conference powerhouses such as the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers, not to mention a Golden State?!?!??!?!?! team that is on the rise with some guidance from a Hall of Fame coach by the name of Don Nelson who is back for his second stint as the Warriors head coach (since he was the last coach to take a Warriors team to the playoffs back in 1994 with an explosive rookie-year Chris Webber and a slightly younger, pre-cornrolls Latrell Sprewell- oh and throw in the new amazing Mavericks coach Avery Johnson at point who was filling in for an injured Tim Hardaway). Even though the Clippers are falling from their dominance of last season- they still have a better record than Sacramento. The Kings are two and a half games behind the Warriors for last place in the division. They are also 2-8 in their last 10 games.

Do you dish Artest? Yes, I hear he already doesn't like it in Sacramento. Where does he go and what do you get for him? Will it happen this season? What will happen to this former NBA Defensive Player of the League?