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?

Enjoy your day!

 

All-Star weekend take away…

Kobe Bryant is trying to make himself relevant by playing shutdown defense and talking smack with LeBron at the All- Star game.

LeBron James is the best basketball player on the planet. There is no disputing it.

Kobe Bryant is a great scorer. I never thought he was a great leader. This year’s Lakers debacle once again shows Kobe can’t lead a team. He can’t say that the Lakers didn’t have enough talent on the team. Dwight Howard and Steve Nash are two players who have won many accolades during their NBA careers. Ron Artest was a key member of the Lakers’ last championship team.

Yet Kobe blames everybody but himself for the lack of team chemistry and leadership. Mike Brown was fired early into the season and was portrayed as the problem. He must be feeling better now because clearly the team hasn’t really played much better with Mike D’Antoni as coach.

Can anybody please explain to me why Steve Nash is in a commercial with Magic Johnson and Chris Paul? Unfortunately, Nash has 2 MVP awards, which make him one of the all-time greats. It is my biggest pet peeve that he won 2 MVP awards. I believe he deserved 1(the second one only). Nash is not one of the NBA’s top-5 point guards of all-time.

A two-time MVP couldn’t help the dysfunctional Lakers get together and challenge for home court advantage in the NBA playoffs. Instead, they are fighting for their playoff lives.

I have a feeling Chris Paul won’t sign with the Clippers in the summer. The Los Angeles Clippers should’ve signed him during the season. Paul is saying he is happy being a Clipper and wants to stay with the franchise. Raptors and Cavaliers fans remember what happened to those organizations when the stars left for Miami. There is no rumour presently saying that Paul is leaving. It is just a feeling that I’m getting.

I’m happy the Toronto Raptors’ Terrence Ross won the dunk contest. I hope he doesn’t become the next Gerald Green. Green has been in the NBA seven years during which he won the 2007 dunk contest andappeared in a few other dunk contests. He has made absolutely no impact in the NBA.

The dunk contest should be eliminated from the All-Star weekend. I see much better dunks on You Tube from players who aren’t in the NBA.

I was impressed by Kyrie Irving winning the 3-point contest this weekend.

The All-Star game itself was boring. The NBA can’t force players to play harder. An idea that is circulating right now is to add 3 roster spots to each team. This may lead to a more competitive game.

I have been involved in park basketball games which were much better game than the All-Star game.

Enjoy the second half of the season!

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?

Enjoy your day!

Kobe Bryant the NBA greatest…

Kobe Bryant is the NBA’s greatest scorer to have never played college basketball. Some will say LeBron James is better than Bryant. I’m only talking about one aspect of basketball, which is scoring. LeBron James will be the greatest player to have never played college basketball.

Remember when the Charlotte Hornets drafted Bryant 17 years ago and he demanded to be traded? Who would have thought this player would eventually score over 30 000 points?

In the NBA history there have only been 4 members of this exclusive club: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (36), Karl Malone (36), Michael Jordan (38) and Wilt Chamberlain (35). Kobe Bryant is the youngest in the group to hit the 30 000 plateau at 34.

Bryant still has 63 games remaining to score a minimum of 25 points a game, which would add 1 575 points to his total. He could surpass Wilt Chamberlain by year’s end, Michael Jordan by the 30 game mark of next season, and Karl Malone in 4 years. At that point he would have one player left to surpass to become the greatest NBA scorer of all-time. This feat may take him until his 40’s to accomplish.

Bryant works really hard at his craft, keeps his body fit and has the desire to be the greatest scorer. I have no doubt he will be the NBA’s All-Time leading scorer.

Do you think Kobe Bryant will make it to number 1?

Enjoy your day!

Kevin Durant records his 1st triple double…

The three-time scoring champion Kevin Durant recorded his 1st triple double, which is a huge statement to his teammates and the NBA. Now that Durant realizes he can help his team win by also getting more rebounds and assists, Oklahoma City Thunder can be considered a better team than it was last year.

He scored 25 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists against the Golden State Warriors. So far this year, he is averaging 24.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. It took him 6 NBA seasons to realize he could be more than just a scorer.

The time he spent with Lebron James this summer must have helped Durant realize the importance of being a multifaceted player to lead his team to a championship. He may be the front-runner for the MVP award this year with his increase in rebounds and assists.

What do you think KD will have an MVP year?

Enjoy your day!