Race Against Time

More than halfway through the 2009-10 season, the NBA’s expected elite stands at the top. With the Cleveland Cavaliers stock rising, the Boston Celtics seem to be moving in the opposite direction. Bruised and battered, it seems age isn’t just a number anymore. After assembling their Millennium version Big Three in Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce, as well as an extremely talented supporting cast. The Celtics, led by Defensive Player of the Year Garnet, raised their 17^th banner in an already historic stadium. It seemed the new Big Three where ready to form their new Celtic dynasty and etch their names amongst some of the greatest to ever play. They came back the following year even stronger, posting a 27-2 record and a 19 game winning streak heading into their Christmas Day showdown and finals rematch with the Lakers. The Lakers snapped their winning streak with a little redemption; trying to wash away the bitterness the Celtics left them with after their 39-point demolition of the Lakers.

Things seemed to move in slow motion for the C’s after that. The once always-reliable Kevin Garnett began his string of knee problems. His intensity seemed to work at his disadvantage, pushing himself to return too early. This led the Celtics without their floor general throughout the last quarter of the season and into the playoffs. Their dreams of repeating were shattered by the Orlando Magic. After wearing themselves out in an epic seven game series with the Chicago Bulls, a series that need seven overtimes, the Celtics fell to the Magic in seven games after leading the series 3-2.

Then began the 2009 offseason, with trade rumors circulating their budding point guard Rajon Rondo and their three-point specialist Ray Allen. Danny Ainge, Celtics general manager put these rumors to rest, but stated if he had to make changes he would not hesitate to do so. 

Maturity had been the Celtics problem with Rondo. There was no denying his talent. With Garnett out, Rondo averaged a near triple-double in last year’s playoffs against the Bulls. Despite that, the Celtics were ready to trade the soon to be All-Star point guard due to his inability to grow up.

Ambiguity and controversy has surrounded this Celtic team and will eventually lead to its demise. Garnett is once again playing injured, refusing to rest his knee and legs that have logged over 40,000 NBA minutes, which is good for 19^th overall and third amongst active players. Joining him on the injured list is key free agent acquisition Marquis Daniels, who has played sparingly since joining the team, and captain Paul Peirce, who recently suffered a left foot sprain. Despite not being injured, Ray Allen is averaging career lows across the board and reportedly is once again being shopped by the Celtics. Allen has made it clear he would love to come back to the Celtics but doesn’t believe he will be offered a contract.

It seems the only player playing up to expectations is the player they were most worried about, Rondo. Despite earning his first All-Star appearance, the league leader in steals is still surrounded in some controversy, recently hinting to the Boston Herald that there are locker room problems.

“We gotta make a change and do something quick…I can’t really elaborate on it too much, but I think we’ve just got to be a team with no agendas. We’ve got to play unselfish, you know?”

Rondo went on to explain how the camaraderie and togetherness has completely changed since their championship run. Rondo was given a five year 55 million dollar extension this year, so he is in Boston for the long run, but what about the rest of the team. They have signed Rasheed Wallace to a three-year deal, who has seen his production drop as well, averaging career lows in rebounds and points but on pace to receive his usual amount of technical’s. Ray Allen becomes a free agent next year and Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are a year older trying to limp their way to another title.

When they were brought together in the summer of 2007, the Celtics new it was a race against time. Winning a title their first year opened up an opportunity to have something special. Unfortunately, the two parts of the NBA that cannot be controlled are injuries and age, both working against this historic franchise.

The King Needs to Take Flight

With the All-Star Game in close reach, and the majority of the participants announced, everyone’s suiting up for Dallas 2010.  Everything seems to be in order with the exception of some arguable players in the All-Star game, but even putting that aside, something’s missing.  At last year’s Dunk Contest, one time winner Nate “Kryptonate” Robinson leapt over Dwight “Superman” Howard on his way to a second Slam Dunk title.

Apparently the ambiance got the better of The King himself Lebron James who was watching on the sideline, telling TNT reported Cheryl Miller, "Right now, I’m preliminary putting my name in the 2010 dunk contest...Lebron James is saying in 2010 in Dallas stadium…I’m putting my name in the dunk contest.” When it was time to announce this years participants for the 2010 Slam Dunk Competition in Dallas, a few superstars passed up on it. Kevin Durant preferred to defend his HORSE title while Lebron is…no where to be found?

A week prior to releasing the names on the list, Lebron said he was 50-50, only to end up being left off the list. Was it due to the fact that Dwight Howard decided not to do it? Maybe, but more than anything else, it’s got to be the hype.  If Lebron James, “The Chosen One”, “The King”, were to participate in the dunk contest, anything short of best ever would be looked at as a disappointment.  There is no doubt the man could and probably would win (with no disrespect to any of the participants) considering this human highlight reel throws down a monstrous dunk at least every game. With his speed and quickness in the open floor, opposing players are nothing more than big pieces in a Lebron James pinball machine (Just ask eventual teammates Damon Jones and Delonte West).

To make things even more interesting, in their senior year in high school, Lebron James won the dunk contest against Shannon Brown, one of the four contestants chosen to perform in Dallas. Lebron’s victory was even questioned after their faceoff (make the decision for yourself, Shannon’s 360 gave me déjà vu of ‘Nique, but more on that later).

Last week, “The Big Communicator” Shaquille O’Neal half jokingly brought up the idea that would send shockwaves through All-Star Weekend in Dallas. Shaq said out loud,” As his manager, I will only allow ‘Bron to do the dunk contest if Vince Carter comes back out, if Kobe comes back out and if another big name comes back out…Tweet it. Facebook it. Email it and hopefully it gets out. Vince, we’re calling you out. Kobe, we’re calling you out.” No word from Vince, but Kobe made it clear he had no intentions of reviving the dunk contest…but, what if?

Shaq’s ludicrous statement to bring back dunkers past their prime to face Lebron is a bit farfetched, but regardless, would be nothing short of spectacular. If anyone where to ask me, “what’s the first thing that comes to your mind if I were to say 1985” (or ’88 for that matter), I would immediately say the heavyweight fight the original “Human Highlight Film” Dominique Wilkins and Michael Jordan put on for the world in their two dunk contests. Two young superstars in their prime going blow for blow, dunk for dunk, in one of the greatest dunk contests in history.

Now we can’t get greedy, Shaq’s idea is nothing more than a fantasy, but it would truly be a shame to not only the dunk contest’s legacy but also Lebron’s legacy if the King doesn’t take flight at any dunk contest.

See You In Dallas (Maybe)-All-Star Snubs

Thursday morning the NBA announced the reserves for the All-Star game in Dallas. As there is every year, there is always a player that doesn’t get in a year he deserves, and player that got in a year he didn’t deserve. In the case of not deserving, the answer (no pun intended) is obvious. Allen Iverson, making his 11^th All-Star appearance, is averaging 14.5 points a game, his second lowest in his career. Despite that, his fan base is still extremely large and potent, (although he’s probably not liked all too much in Memphis) voting him in as an All-Star. To save the NBA even more embarrassment, an undeserving Tracy McGrady was edged out in the final weeks by very impressive 35 (turning 36 a week before the All-Star Game) year old by the name of Steve Nash. Joining Nash in the West is Kobe Bryant (12 time All-Star), Carmelo Anthony (three time All-Star),  Tim Duncan (12 time All-Star), and Amar’e Stoudamire (five time All-Star). Representing the East is Allen Iverson and Dwayne Wade (six time All-Star),  Lebron James (six time All-Star) and Kevin Garnet (13 time All-Star) at the forward positions, and Dwight Howard (four time All-Star) at center.

All the starters were voted in by the fans (I think that was obvious,, while the reserves are picked by the NBA itself.  Seven reserves are making their All-Star game debuts, and all are very deserving. Reserves in the west are Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Brandon Roy, Kevin Durant, Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, and Zack Randolph. In the East you have Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose, Joe Johnson, Paul Peirce, Gerald Wallace, Al Horford, and Chris Bosh. I am extremely glad to see some new faces at the game, and some that have been deserving of an All-Star spot for a few years. The first that comes to mind is Utah’s young stud Deron Williams, who ironically is from Dallas. Williams posted career highs of 19.4 points and 10.7 assists a game last year and didn’t make the team. Unfortunately due to the overload of talented guards in the west, it took him five years to make it here.  Although they are deserving, it seems the following will have to wait at least another year to get their shot. Here comes the snubs…

The catalyst as I like to call him, Chauncey Billups has been nothing short of MVP caliber both this year as well as last year. Billups is averaging a career high in points at 19.2 and posted a career high in points in a game early this season with 37 to go along with 8 rebounds and 8 assists. In the eight games Billups hasn’t played this year the Denver Nuggets, who are second in the Western Conference by only 3.5 games to the Lakers, have gone 3-5. With Billups in the line-up, they have gone 27-10, proving just how important Billups is to this team.

Chris “Kaveman” Kaman is averaging eight more points per game since last year and a career high 20.2 a game along with 9.1 rebounds a game, helping keep the Clippers relevant in the Western Conference playoff hunt.

Josh Smith, somehow someway won’t be in Dallas for the All-Star weekend. Not for the dunk contest (deserving), not for the HORSE game (deserving) and not for the All-Star game (more than deserving). His teammate Al Horford made the team despite Smith averaging two more points and 1.7 more combined blocks and steals. This guy is a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year (just ask Dwight Howard) and has shown huge steps in maturity, leading the Hawks to an impressive record.

I heard someone criticize David Lee’s number because he was in Mike D’Antoni’s offense. That is ridiculous, just because a certain player flourishes in a certain coach’s offense, there is absolutely no reason to mark him down. Many players do terrible in certain offense and can’t even see time on the floor (this time ask Superman’s kryptonite Nate Robinson about that) but their praised once they come back and do well. With numbers like 19.4 points a game, 11.4 rebounds a game and 3.4 assists per game (that’s first among all centers), David Lee is an All-Star. 

They Still Believe

No one will ever forget the 8^th seeded Golden State Warriors knocking off the first place Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2007 playoffs. It could have been the fact that the Mavericks had won 67 games that season, or maybe the fact that it was the Warriors first playoff appearance in 30 years. It could have even been the sea of yellow “We Believe” t-shirts that flooded the Oracle Arena and made their way across the nation, but what really stuck out was the group of nomadic misfits that brought it all together: Stephen Jackson, Baron Davis, and others banding together with young players like Monta Ellis to help the Warriors finish out the season on a 16-5 run to squeeze into that last playoff spot.

            The 2008 offseason led to the slow breakup of the “We Believe” era for the Warriors. The year before, Jason Richardson had been traded for rookie Brandan Wright, and in the offseason Baron Davis opted out of his contract to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers. Fed up with the organization, Stephen Jackson and Monta Ellis expressed their criticism and their desire to leave. Stephen Jackson was eventually granted his wish to leave after he was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats on November 16^th, 2009.

            Baron Davis started out his Clipper career in an uninspiring fashion. He averaged 14.9 points per game; his lowest since his sophomore campaign, and 7.7 assists while shooting a bleak 37 percent from the field. Baron Davis had brought high hopes to Clipper land, joining an already talented roster in Chris Kaman and Al Thorton and emerging rookie Eric Gordon alongside defensive specialist Marcus Camby who the Clippers acquired midseason. Despite all of this, Baron and the Clippers posted a terrible 19 and 63 record, with Davis missing 17 games with various injuries. The Clippers then landed Blake Griffin with the number one overall pick, and had hope of once again making it to the playoffs. Due to recent setbacks though, Blake Griffin is going to miss the whole year due to surgery on his knee. That hasn’t stopped Baron Davis from leading the Clips to a very impressive record. Baron Davis is back on track averaging 16.7 points per game and 8.1 assists per game and taking the Clippers to a 17-20 record, only two games away from matching last years win total. That’s without the rookie sensation Blake Griffin that was supposed to transform this bad-luck franchise. Despite having a winning record at home, the western conference is unforgiving, and the Clippers are still in the 12^th spot, but are only 3.5 games away from the eight and final spot. But with a motivated Baron Davis and a healthy line-up around him, things are looking up for this once unlucky franchise.

            Stephen Jackson has had his share of ups and downs as well. Despite his enormous talent and upside on the basketball court, it was his troubles off the court that had teams scared. After his involvement in the brawl at the Palace when he was among the Pacers, he was traded to the Warriors in a blockbuster deal. After they’re little run, Jackson expressed his desire to leave because he didn’t like the direction this Warrior team was going. He wanted to be traded to a contender, but ended up being traded to the Charlotte Bobcats. Jackson’s impact was not immediate, but now looking back, he has transformed this team into possibly the best-looking Bobcats team in franchise history. The Bobcats are 17-19, and if the playoffs started today, they would have the 7^th seed in the East. On top of all of this, Stephen Jackson is averaging career highs in points (21.1), rebounds (5.2) while averaging 3.3 assists per game.  On January 12^th 2010, Jackson posted both a career high and Bobcats franchise record 43 points on the Houston Rockets. Stephen Jackson has come in and turned this team around from lottery team into playoff contenders.

             In the spring of 2007, the NBA witnessed something very special happen. A group of rebels that were supposed to get swept in the first round of the playoffs, defied history by beating the 67 win first seeded Dallas Mavericks. Now, Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson are both trying to once again defy the odds, this time separately, but what people don’t know, is these are two members from the Warriors pastime that never stopped believing. 

Hungry Grizzlies

When people talk surprise teams of the 2009-10 NBA season, the Kings jump to mind, as do the Rockets, with good cause of course. Both teams have exceeded expectations with major injuries coming to key franchise players, but what about the Memphis Grizzlies. Are they for some reason old news after the whole Allen Iverson fiasco? Well, teams better start marking their calendars because the Grizzlies are slowly becoming a force, and with the youngest team in the NBA, a force that isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

            After winning an average of a little more than 23 games in the past three years, this year seemed to be headed in the same direction. The young team was supposed to be guided by veterans Allen Iverson and Zach Randolph…really? That already sounds like a recipe for disaster, how much veteran leadership could these two bring to the table. Sure Iverson took a team to the finals, but these two had been called everything in the book, “lazy” “immature” “fat” and oh yeah, “practice?” What no one paid attention to after the Grizzlies started off 1-8 and Iverson already complaining about coming off the bench despite missing the preseason with an injury, was Zack Randolph had trimmed 15 pounds and ready to finally commit himself on both sides of the court.

            Things seem to be turning around for the NBA’s youngest team after they have won 17 of their last 26 games with Randolph leading the way with 20.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game and has come up big against the NBA’s most elite. He poured in 32 points and 14 rebounds in an overtime victory against the Cavaliers. Then a week and a half later, dropped 32 points and 24 boards against the Denver Nuggets in another win, proving the Grizzlies can run with anyone in the NBA. Alongside Randolph, blossoming center Marc Gasol control the paint with nearly 10 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. Throw in young budding prospects O.J Mayo, Rudy Gay, and Mike Conley and this team looks like it’s going to be around for quite some time. Already boasting a record above .500 in 18-17, the Grizzlies are only 1.5 games out of the playoffs in a tough western conference where they haven’t been in four years, and it seemed all they needed was a little leadership.

            “He’s having a great season. We made him a team captain and he has really took that leadership role to heart,” bragged his head coach Lionel Hollins, who really should be discussed in the Coach of the Year award. He has meshed this young core well together, splitting the schedule up into five game blocks and setting the goal to win two of those five.

 It’s their drastic improvement on both sides of the court that has led to their success. Offensively, their seventh in the league, which is two behind the leagues best record Los Angeles Lakers, but what’s most impressive, is their focus on defense. They are fourth in the league in defense, beating out their opponents in every defensive category per game: rebounds, blocks, and steals. Adding to that, Memphis is 14-7 when they score 100 points or above, but are a dismal 8-14 when their opponent scores more than 100, proving how important defense is to this young team.

            With a talented young core of players willing to sacrifice for the name on the front of the jersey rather than the back, the Grizzlies are finally coming out of the woods, and they are all hungry for a postseason run.  

Artest Puts Opposing Defense on Arrest

So this is what it’s like. This is what it’s like without Artest. Prior to the season starting, the Lakers were going to go one of two ways with the addition of Ron Artest. Most critics said Artest’s antics both on and off the court will hurt the champions more than it will help them, but their were many believers as well. Most of the believers were really the only one’s whose opinions mattered too.  After Trevor Ariza’s agent scoffed at the idea of signing a mid-level contract, the Lakers offered the same deal to Artest, but not before getting their leader’s permission, and Kobe jumped at the idea, and it seems to have paid off. Early in the season though, the critics were at it again.

“Ariza is going to be an All-Star…Ariza is younger…Ariza is less of a distraction… Ariza is blah blah blah” Sure, Ariza is averaging 16.2 points a game as opposed to Artest’s 12.3…but who need anymore offensive weapons then Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom, and lets not forget to mention Artest is shooting nearly five percent better from than field than Ariza while taking a whopping five less shots than Ariza per game as well. Throughout all this, it’s not the offense the Artest was brought in for, and Artest knows that. In his infamous Hennessey interview, something that seemed to catch everyone’s attention is the fact that Artest boldly claimed Kobe was the leader on offense and Kobe has his supporting cast, and he was the leader on defense, and Artest himself finally has his defensive supporting cast, which seemed to surprised everyone, except Kobe. Kobe agreed with Artest’s bold statements that he may be one of the best defenders of all time, and why not.

The way Ariza plays defense gives the impression that he’s a great defender because he plays the passing lane so well. His gambles on defense either result in a steal, but more than not, result in his man beating him to the basket, and having either Gasol or Bynum get a block, or a costly foul. Artest on the other hand, is a lock-down defender, and one of the best. Early in the season in a game against the Atlanta Hawks, Joe Johnson exploded in the first quarter with Kobe guarding him  for 18 points and shot at a very high percentage. Kobe then gave the task of guarding Johnson to Artest, and Joe finished with 9 points the rest of the game with Artest harassing the multitalented scorer.

“We picked up our intensity, and it all started with number 37,” Bryant said after the game, giving all the credit to Artest despite exploding for 41 points and 8 rebounds to help the Lakers cruise to that victory. 

Even Joe Johnson gave the credit to Artest stating, “I really couldn’t get a good look, and Artest wasn’t helping me because he was faceguarding me.”

That was early in the season without Gasol, now we’ve been able to see how Artest really affects this team defensively. After the Christmas Day embarrassment against the Cavaliers, the previous number one team in the league in defense gave up 110 points per game to their next five opponents with Ron Artest sitting out with a head injury. They even lost one against Phoenix and were pushed to the wire against lottery teams Golden State and the Kings twice, gutting out a victory on Bryant’s last second heroics against Sacramento.

In Artest’s first game back, the Lakers gave up 79 points to a team that averages 99.7 points a game, and that is while giving up 11.5 rebounds and nearly 2 blocks a game with Pau Gasol sidelined with a hamstring injury. Artest’s lockdown defense has him in the running to win his second Defensive Player of the Year award because no one player completely changes the face and attitude of a franchise defensively more then Ron Artest. 

The Washington Bullets are Back

I thought the Washington Bullets changed their name to the Washington Wizards over gun concerns? Well, with 30 games into a disappointing start of the 2009-10 season, the Bullets, I mean Wizards, have much bigger problems now then trying to get back on the winning track. It’s been reported that on Christmas Eve, three time All-Star Gilbert Arenas and 3^rd year point guard Javaris Crittenton pulled guns on each other in the locker room over…a gambling debt? The 111 million dollar point guard pulled a gun on Javaris first after Gilbert wouldn’t pay the younger point guard in a gambling bet.

When your making 111 million dollars (and not necessarily earning it), especially after sitting out a few seasons with injuries, shedding a few dollars to keep your integrity doesn’t seem like too big of a deal. Well, that’s the way it has been for these lowly Wizards. Before the season started, this team was on everyone’s radar to make some serious noise in the East. With All-Star point guard Gilbert Arenas finally returning healthy, he looked ready to lead these Wizards to a deep playoff run. In the preseason, the once very talkative comedian Arenas declined to speak to reporters, claiming this season he wanted to solely focus on basketball. He even shut down his infamous blog to avoid any distractions. It seems since this disappointing season has started, there has been nothing but distractions for the team.

Early in the season when the team began to struggle, there “captain” Gilbert Arenas called out teammates, specifically Caron Butler for their lackluster play and ironically followed it up with a 12-turnover game. Not many teams have been successful when players didn’t like each other (Kobe and Shaq don’t count cause even though they didn’t skip and hold hands, they always played hard and had incredible chemistry), but when players hate each other to the point were they start to point guns at each other, you know you have big problems. There have been talks of trades surrounding the Wizards and I’ve always had hope in this team. With their own personal big three of Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison, and a good supporting cast in Brendon Heywood, Mike Miller and young prospect Nick Young, I figured the team would eventually get it together and pull out a string of victories, especially in the forgiving Eastern Conference. With a disappointing record of 10-20, they are only two games behind the Charlotte Bobcats for the eighth and final playoff spot, but this situation doesn’t seem reversible. Javaris Crittenton’s agent has already refused to resign him and if Gilbert is a convicted felon, his large contract would be void.

It disappoints me to see such a capable team go out like this. With extremely talented offensive and defensive weapons and a proven winning coach, this team had seemed to have a recipe for success. Yet, once again, the Bullets, I mean the Wizards of course, are living up to their name, and if they don’t pull out a miracle act and get it together, they’ll be a magic act and completely disappear in this year’s playoffs.