Michael Jordan the great and the bad…

Michael Jordan was the NBA superstar who appeared at the right time to propel the league to new heights.

Everybody knows when Magic Johnson and Larry Bird came to the NBA in 1979 they help elevate the sport–they were the 2 best players on the best teams. Multiple times the Lakers and the Celtics met in the NBA Finals.

In 1984, when Jordan was drafted, the NBA needed new stars to take over from the Magic and Bird show. Jordan became the savior immediately. He was in the slam dunk contest in 1985 and lost to Dominique Wilkins. In 1986 Jordan scored 63 points in a playoff game against the Celtics.

The NBA league exploded with the emergence of Jordan. He was great for the increase in player salaries, players were now getting lucrative basketball shoe deals and television rating went through the roof. Players like Shaq and Iverson had shoes named after them because of the popularity of the Air Jordan’s.

The dunk contest meant something because Jordan and Wilkins would compete yearly for the title. The two were great scorers who also happened to be great dunkers. Last weekend’s dunk contest was filled with bench players that nobody really knew.

The problem with Jordan’s success was that the NBA marketing was geared towards individual players instead of teams. Now games were be marketed as Jordan and the Bulls against Isaiah and the Pistons. The team aspect slowly eroded.

Many fans knew that Magic and Bird won their championships because of their teammates–not only because of them. People knew Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Kevin McHale and Robert Parrish were also All-Star and Hall of Fame players.

The Bulls team was all about Jordan. Scottie Pippen’s role during their 6 NBA Titles wasn’t appreciated enough by the fans and the media. He never received any big commercial deals and was not mentioned as one of the great players in the NBA. The media would always refer to the team as Jordan and the Bulls.

I blame the media for creating the selfish attitude that many players have now. Everybody believes they are ‘Da Man’ and no one wants to be second fiddle to anyone. Unfortunately, this has now gone to the extreme with 1 player taking twice as many shots as their teammates. Every good player believes they should be highest paid player on the team.

The quality of the team game concept is non existent; sharing the basketball and thanking your teammates for their contribution to victories is minimal. Many small-market teams were destroyed because the second best player didn’t want to be Pippen or Robin to Batman. The Orlando Magic team cornerstones’, Shaq and Penny, feud was over shoe commercials that pitted the players against each other. Shaq left through free agency and the Magic still haven’t recovered.  The Minnesota Timberwolves’ Stephon Marbury was upset after Kevin Garnett got a twenty-million dollar-a-year deal. Timberwolves had to trade Marbury. The Raptors’ franchise hasn’t been the same since Tracey McGrady didn’t want to play with his cousin Vince Carter because he wanted to be ‘Da Man’. Tracey McGrady left through free agency.

The Celtics were able to merge 3 aging stars to win a championship. It worked because at that point in their careers it was more important to win a NBA title than to score a lot of points. Garnett, Pierce and Allen made 2 NBA finals appearances and won an NBA Championship with the Celtics.

The Miami Heat players took a slight pay cut to be together and won a championship. LeBron, Bosh and Wade are working well together again this season.

Some players understand now that it takes a very good team to win an NBA Championship. An individual who shoots and scores a lot isn’t enough to win a title. Bryant was reminded of that lesson when he forced Shaq out of Los Angeles Lakers so he could be Da Man. Kobe didn’t win another title until Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum joined him and Derek Fisher.

The social media discussions to decide who’s a better one-on-one player between Kobe and Lebron are irrelevant. This also a negative aspect of Jordan’s rise to fame because Magic and Bird always talked in terms of NBA Championships they won not who was better one on one. Basketball is a team game. Kobe’s Lakers won’t make the playoffs this year. We shouldn’t care.

The NBA organizations need to go back to building very good teams–not have a franchise player who is being paid maximum contract while the team only wins 30% of their games.

What is your take on Jordan?

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The NBA trade deadline is Feb.21, 2013…

There will be great anticipation this year for next Thursday due to the NBA trade deadline.

This year there are some talented players available. The three most important players available will be the Atlanta Hawks Josh Smith, and the Utah Jazz Paul Milsap and Al Jefferson.

The Hawks won’t give Smith a max contract extension. The team doesn’t want to lose him to free agency this summer and get nothing in return. The Nets apparently are the front runners for Smith’s services. This will reunite former Hawks Joe Johnson and Josh Smith.

The Nets will see why Johnson and Smith never went far in the playoffs as teammates with the Hawks.

The Jazz have to trade either Paul Milsap or Al Jefferson. Since Milsap is 6’6” and Jefferson is 6’10”, many teams are inquiring about Jefferson’s availability through trade.

A rumour is circulating that the Spurs would give up Patrick Mills and Tiago Splitter for Al Jefferson. I believe if the Spurs can get Jefferson it will tip the scales in their favour to make the NBA Finals. The Jazz would get two serviceable players and avoid losing Jefferson to free agency.

The Boston Celtics are involved in a big rumour right now involving Kevin Garnett for Los Angeles Clippers Eric Bledsoe and DeAndre Jordan. I did mention in a previous post that DeAndre Jordan would have to be involved to make this trade worthwhile. This trade would have many people saying the Clippers could win the West. I don’t agree, because Blake Griffin and Kevin Garnett are power forwards–not centers. The Western Conference have a few teams that have the size to create mismatches against the Clippers if they have Garnett and Griffin play together.

The Boston Celtics would be the big winners because they get a few young, athletic players to begin rebuilding their future.

The Toronto Raptors want desperately to trade Andrea Bargnani. Unfortunately, I don’t like the Bargnani and John Lucas III for Carlos Boozer and Nate Robinson. This trade will help the Bulls save some money. Boozers makes 5 million more than Bargnani per year.

Have you heard any good rumours? Which trade will help a playoff team the most?

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Kevin Garnett is having a great career…

Karl Malone is the greatest power forward ever.  He redefined the position with his ability to score with his back to the basket and shooting the 12 – 15 jump shoot. As you can see below, Karl Malone is only behind Kevin Garnett in terms of block shots.

Malone played 18 years in a mid-market, the Utah Jazz, and the best player he played with is also a Hall of Famer, John Stockton. Malone never really played with an above average center. He was guarded often by the center not the power forward when he was on the offensive end.

I also believe, Tim Duncan is a better power forward than Garnett. Duncan overall game is better and he also helped a mid-market be a great organization. His nickname is “the Big Fundamental”. He won 4 NBA Championships with the San Antonio Spurs and they are in contention for a 5^th.

Name	Points	Rebounds	Assist	Steals	Blocks
K. Garnett	25 009	13 671	5172	1719	1954
K. Malone	36 928	14 968	5248	2085	1145
T. Duncan	23 300	12 949	3546	857	2585

Kevin Garnett is a great player who has filled out the statistic categories as you can see above. He is the only player in NBA history to put up the numbers in the 5 categories mentioned above.

This doesn’t make him the greatest power forward ever. Malone played 3 years and Duncan played 4 years in college before playing in the NBA. Garnett came straight from high school to the NBA.

I’m sure Garnett fans will mention his desire and leadership makes him a better player than Duncan. He is not as emotional as Garnett, but this doesn’t make Garnett a better leader than Duncan.

Karl Malone is number one followed by Tim Duncan and then Kevin Garnett.

Who are your top 3 power forwards all-time?

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NBA trade deadline …

The NBA deadline is February 21, 2012.

The best player available is the Sacramento Kings’ DeMarcus Cousins. He is a very talented power forward/center. He has the ability to make a team better. But he is also an immature player who plays with a young team without a leader, an inexperienced coach and a team which is being sold. I can see him playing to his potential on a veteran and winning squad.

The rumour circulating is Kevin Garnett for Eric Bledsoe and Caron Butler. Let’s be serious now.

The Boston Celtics have Rajon Rondo, Jason Terry and Avery Bradley already—why would they need 2 more guards?

This trade will not happen unless DeAndre Jordan is included. The Celtics would need frontcourt help if they trade Garnett. The trade doesn’t make sense for the Celtics.

The team with the biggest need right now is the Miami Heat. They need to get some big bodies that can rebound and give some fouls in the post. The Heat’s lack of size is an issue. The Oklahoma Thunder didn’t have any inside scoring in last year’s Championship series, which permitted the Heat to win an NBA Championship. This year they might not be so lucky.

The Heat required 6 games to beat the Pacers because they have size. Roy Hibbert, David West and Tyler Hansbrough are very good physical rebounders who can also post up and score. Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem can’t be the only inside players for the Heat. The Heat will not win an NBA championship this year without adding some size to their line up. Even a player like Aaron Gray of the Raptors would help them. The Heat doesn’t require a great inside presence, but they do need some big bodies to win a Championship.

Which NBA teams need to make a trade?

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The Raptors’ playoff hopes are…

The Toronto Raptors’ playoff hopes are still alive, but barely.

The Boston Celtics are without Rajon Rondo and Jared Sullinger for the remainder of the season. The Celtics usually use only an eight-man rotation. They don’t really have anybody to step up in place of their injured players. Now Jason Collins, Chris Wilcox, Fab Melo and Leandro Barbosa will have to play more minutes.

Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce will have to play 35 minutes a game, which, due to their age, could lead to injuries.

The Celtics are presently 24 – 23 with 35 games remaining. All they need to do is go 16 – 19 to get to 40 wins, which should be enough to hold onto 8^th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Raptors have to pass the 76ers and the Pistons before they can worry about catching the Celtics.

The Raptors’ current record is 17 – 31 with 34 remaining. If they want to reach 40 wins they must be 23 – 17 the reminder of the season. It is not going to happen.

The Dwight Howard injury will now force the Los Angeles Lakers to keep Pau Gasol. I can’t see them trading Gasol to the Raptors for Andrea Bargnani. The presence of Rudy Gay makes it plausible for the Raptors to go after Gasol. In a weak Eastern Conference, Gay and Gasol can elevate the Raptors to contenders immediately.

Colangelo will attempt the Gasol trade once again in the summer. Bargnani fits the Mike D’Antoni offensive system which encourages the power forward to shoot three point shots.

Do you believe the Raptors’ playoff hopes are still alive?

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The Eastern Conference at the mid point…

The Eastern Conference will be won by the Miami Heat. They will have home court throughout the playoffs. LeBron James is having another MVP season 26.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7 assist per game. Dwayne Wade is having a down year for him season 20.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.4 assist per game. And the final member of the Big 3 is Chris Bosh who is having an average season 17.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.7 assist per game.

Miami’s lack of size may finally cost them. If they meet the Indiana Pacers Roy Hibbert, David West and Tyler Hansbrough are very good physical rebounders who can also post up and score. Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem can’t be the only inside players for the Heat. The Heat will not win an NBA championship this year without adding any size to their line up. Even a player like Aaron Gray of the Raptors would help them. Chris Andersen is not enough. The Heat doesn’t require a great inside presence but they need some big bodies to win a Championship.

The New York Knicks will have to prove to themselves that they can maintain their great start.  Carmelo Anthony was having a great year 29.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.5 assist per game until the Kevin Garnett altercation. Amar’e Stoudemire has only played 8 games so far and still getting into game shape. J.R. Smith 16.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3 assist per game production will slow down once Stoudemire is healthy. Tyson Chandler is averging a double.

The Knicks are 2 – 2 against the Brooklyn Nets, 3 – 0 against the Heat and against the Celtics. In the playoffs they can’t beat the Heat, Celtics and the Pacers. If the Knicks want to make it to the Eastern Finals they would have to beat minimum 2 of those teams. Lack of inside scoring, depend too much on the 3 point shot, lack of bench scoring and leadership will doom the Knicks.

The Brooklyn Nets are over rated. They may win the Atlantic division over the Knicks. The Nets so called best players have no heart. Deron Williams and Joe Johnson are former all-stars who are good at scoring on some nights and disappearing on other nights. This inconsistency will keep them from going to far in the playoffs. Under sized rebounder Reggie Evans against the Pacers will be ineffective. Brook Lopez should get more shots. Kris Humphries should be playing more minutes. If the Nets win the Atlantic Division it will give them hop court advantage until they face the Heat.

The NBA and the television networks would love to see the Nets and Knicks face off in the playoffs. The headlines would be Jay Z and Beyonce vs Spike Lee. Yes, I know neither party is playing but you know the networks and media will take that angle.

The team that is best equipped to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals is the Indiana Pacers. Danny Granger hasn’t returned from injury yet. He still has to get himself in game shape. The key to the Pacers playoff run is when Granger returns how many shots will he take? Right now Paul George is there go to guy. There 3 insu\ide players Indiana Pacers Roy Hibbert, David West and Tyler Hansbrough are very good. My concern for the Pacers is their point guard George Hill shoots too much. They would be in a better position with a pass first point guard like a Jose Calderon.

The Pacers could be the team to stop the Miami Heat representation of the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.

Who do you feel will be in the Eastern Conference Finals?

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Carmelo Anthony is a hot head…

The New York Knicks are a team that will fall apart somewhere along the season. I don’t believe they are mentally strong enough to handle the tough situations they must overcome in order to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.

Carmelo Anthony lost his cool when Kevin Garnett trash-talked him during Tuesday night’s game against the Celtics. Anthony shot 6 – 26 from the field and had 5 fouls. He almost had more fouls than field goals. He has been in the NBA since 2003. He has played in the NBA long enough to know KG likes to give an elbow after the play is over and talk a lot of trash.

I can understand Anthony was overly hyped up about this home game against the Celtics. The Knicks wanted to win and send a message to the Celtics that The Knicks are the new power team in the Eastern Conference.

Instead, the Knicks lost the game to a Celtics team who played without Rajan Rondo. Anthony lost his cool and the Celtics’ team reminded everybody that if they make the playoffs, they will be a dangerous team to face. The Celtics are not done, and the Knicks are not there yet.

Coach Woodson will have to have a serious talk with Anthony. To add to the recent meltdown during the Celtics’ game, Anthony was previously also kicked out of a game against the Bulls. The Knicks are close to getting everybody healthy and show the NBA fans that this season is not a fluke so far.

Commissioner David Stern will have to suspend Carmelo Anthony a minimum of 10 games. It is due to a combination of factors such as: past history of losing his temper and the perception of him waiting by the Celtics locker room can be perceived by fans in a negative manner. The NBA has tried to stomp out thuggish behavior and waiting by the team bus of your opponent after a heated game is a dangerous precedent which needs to be eliminated.

Anthony has said he wanted to talk to Garnett. Everybody with a clue knows after a heated game in which the animosity was high, if they started a conversation it would have escalated into violence. Anthony admitted that his and Garnett actions crossed the line.

I hope the NBA does the right thing by suspending Anthony despite his remorse.

Am I being too harsh?

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The feud started by Kevin Garnett with Ray Allen

The feud between prominent black millionaire athletes has to stop. The media enjoys the fact that Garnett is telling the world he deleted Allen’s cell number and wants no further contact with him. This helps to create drama, build an already intense rivalry and provides for higher ratings.

Mr. Garnett, this is not the Blood and  Crips. You are a basketball player. Basketball is a game, not life. He made the best decision for him. He wants to sign somewhere else, so be it.

Like it or not, basketball players are a role models to many young children; these children may see your dislike of Allen as form of bullying. The hatred Garnett has for Allen is truly unnecessary.

They were Boston Celtics teammates for 5 years. During those 5 years together they had great success and won an NBA championship. Kevin Garnett has played in the NBA for 17 years and has won only 1 championship (2008). Ray Allen was a big part of that win.

You can knock Allen down with a hard foul and not help him up. That’s okay.  Please make up, shake his hand before the game starts and after the game. I hope this feud doesn’t last long.

Do you agree with my observation?

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