Archive for June 2011
Need proof that the NBA will have a long lock-out?
- Greg Oden.
- Greg Oden was just offered $8.8 million dollars to stay with the Portland TrailBlazers.
- Greg Oden has spent most of his career injured.
- Greg Oden has averaged less than 24 minutes a game.
- Greg Oden was supposed to be a defensive force, yet he has only averaged around 1 block per game and less than 10 rebounds a game.
- Greg Oden has averaged less than 10 points per game for his career.
- But under the NBA’s current collective bargaining agreement, the TrailBlazers need to pay him nearly $9 million dollars or completely lose out on the investment that they have made in him.
- It would not surprise me if some owner offers Gren Oden, as a restricted free-agent, a multi-year deal that starts at $8.8 million and then goes up.
- The Dallas Mavericks just won the NBA Title. The Dalllas Mavericks had a $92 million dollar payroll.
- The 2010-2011 salary cap was $58 million and the luxury cap was set at $70 million. Yet Mark Cuban had the money and desire to try and buy an NBA Title and it worked.
- Until the NBA has a hard cap, there are going to be haves and haves nots in the NBA.
- And with so many teams losing money despite strong TV ratings and attendance, the NBA owners are going to want to change the collective bargaining agreement to protect themselves from themselves.
Cliff Lee is a hit for the Philadelphia Phillies
- Forget Cliff Lee’s pitching accomplishments for the Philadelphia Phillies.
- How about Cliff Lee the batter?
- With a runner on 3rd and 1 out in a 2-0 game, Cliff Lee hit a sacrifice fly against Josh Beckett and the Boston Red Sox to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead.
- Cliff Lee has 5 RBIs in his last 8 games for the Philadelphia Phillies.
- Cliff Lee is batting over .200 for the Phillies this year.
- Cliff Lee has spent almost his entire career in the American League where he did not bat.
- Yet, Cliff Lee has become a productive hitter which gives the Philadelphia Phillies an additional edge when Lee takes the mound.
- And if Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, and Cole Hamels can continue to be productive batters, this could be the slight edge that gives the Philadelphia Phillies a World Series Title against an American League team that has pitchers who are not used to hitting.
Just imagine if the Philadelphia Phillies were playing well
- The Philadelphia Phillies have the best record in baseball.
- Yet, the Philadelphia Phillies have not really played well.
- Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamel have pitched well for the Phillies.
- However, Roy Oswalt and Joe Blanton have been hurt and largely ineffective when they pitched for the Phillies.
- The Philadelphia Phillies offense has been a major disappointment. The Phillies offense ranks only 16th in baseball.
- The Philadelphia Phillies bullpen has been good, but Brad Lidge has been hurt the entire year. Jose Contreras and Ryan Madson have also been hurt.
- The Phillies bench has been OK, but nothing special.
- The Philadelphia Phillies defense has been steady, but also not spectacular.
- If the Philadelphia Phillies offense can ever approach the level they were in 2008, then the Phillies would easily be the best team in baseball.
Should Terrell Ownes make the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Terrell Owens has Hall of Fame stats. Terrell Owens is among the all-time leaders in catches, yards, and touchdowns.
- Terrell Owens has been a great blocker in the running game which also leads to his Hall of Fame argument.
- Terrell Owens gave a Hall of Fame performance when the Eagles played the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
- Terrell Owens had a Hall of Fame work ethic by keeping himself in tremendous physical shape.
- Terrel Owens was also a problematic teammate which hurts his Hall of Fame argument.
- Terrell Owens had an issue with Jeff Garcia and wanted off the San Francisco 49ers.
- Terrell Owens had an issue with Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles.
- Terrell Owens had issues with Bill Parcells and the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff.
- Terrel Owens did not win a Super Bowl and did not do a tremendous amount of winning which hurts his Hall of Fame argument.
- Terrell Owens had Hall of Fame production; however, Pro Football is the ultimate team sport and Terrell Owens was not a Hall of Fame teammate.
- The fact that despite Terrell Owens’ Hall of Fame production that the question needs to be even asked, answers the question.
- It was debatable whether a franchise was better off with or without Terrell Owens on its team.
- To be a Hall of Fame player, there should not be a debate. Terrell Owens was not a Hall of Fame player.
- Next question.
Who should the Cleveland Cavaliers take with the first pick in the 2011 NBA draft?
- With the first pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers should take the player who they think is going to be the best NBA player regardless of position.
- First, in the short-term, the Cleveland Cavaliers do not need a point guard. They already have Baron Davis.
- If the Cleveland Cavaliers clearly think that Kyrie Irving is going to be the best NBA player, then they should take him with the first pick in the NBA Draft.
- However, Derrick Williams looks like he is going to be a stud. And Derrick Williams is not just potential; he also was a great college player. If the Cleveland Cavaliers think that Derrick Williams has the most potential, then the Cavs should take Derrick Williams with the first pick in the NBA Draft.
- Then, with the fourth pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Cleveland can go in any direction depending who is available. The Cavaliers can go with their point guard of the future with Brandon Knight.
- In the alternative, they could also go with a center with the fourth pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. The Cleveland Cavaliers can draft either Enes Kanter or Jonas Valanciunas depending on who they like better and who is available.
- With Derrick Williams as the Cavs’ first pick in the NBA draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers can be a very good team in 2011 and make the playoffs.
- With Derrick Williams, either a center or point guard from the fourth pick in the draft, and JJ Hickson, the Cleveland Cavaliers will also have a strong foundation for the future.
Is the 2011 NBA Draft a weak draft?
- Every year, the NBA draft produces a couple of good to great players, a couple of contributing role players, and a lot of players who make little or no impact.
- The 2011 NBA draft will not be any different.
- I looked at NBA drafts between 2003 – 2007 in order for there to be time to evaluate these drafts. Here are some of the better players from those NBA drafts:
- 2007 NBA Draft: Kevin Durant, Al Horford, and Joakim Noah
- 2006 NBA Draft: Andrea Bargani, LaMarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay, and Rajon Rondo
- 2005 NBA Draft: Deron Williams, Chris Paul, and Andrew Bynum
- 2004 NBA Draft: Dwight Howard, Andre Iguidala, Josh Smith, and Kevin Martin
- 2003 NBA Draft: LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade
- So while 2011 NBA draft may not equal the 2003 NBA Draft, I am sure there will be at least several impact players.
Where Does LeBron James Rank Among the Greatest Players in NBA History?
- Some have suggested that LeBron James is in the discussion for the greatest player of all-time in the NBA.
- While Lebron James is already among the top players in NBA history, he is nowhere near being in the discussion as the greatest NBA player of all-time.
- In my opinion, LeBron James currently ranks 18th on the list of all-time greatest NBA players.
- The following players, by alphabetical order, rank higher than LeBron James on the NBA’s all-time greatest list:
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, Tim Duncan, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Moses Malone, George Mikan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal, Bob Pettit, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, and Jerry West
- Maybe if LeBron James can win a championship or two, he can move up on the list.
Should the Miami Heat trade for Steve Nash?
- The Miami Heat need a point guard who can push the ball and set-up the half-court offense.
- Steve Nash is still a great offensive player. He is a pass first point guard who is also a knock down shooter. This is exactly what the Miami Heat need.
- Steve Nash has two years left on his contract. The Phoenix Suns are not going to contend for a championship during the next two years while the Miami Heat are on the brink of winning an NBA title.
- So what can the Miami Heat offer that would be desirable to the Phoenix Suns? Chris Bosh. Bosh is a still in his prime star and therefore he is a better fit than Steve Nash for the rebuilding Phoenix Suns. The Phoenix Suns can draft a point guard.
- Chris Bosh was a good player for the Miami Heat, but was clearly the third option. He does not provide the Miami Heat inside with low post moves. He does not provide the Heat with inside-outside basketball. Chris Bosh basically shoots jump shots and drives facing the basket.
- Steve Nash can make up for Chris Bosh’s loss when it comes to jump shooting. Also, Udonis Haslem is also a decent jump shooter for the Miami Heat.
- Also, a front court of Haslem and Joel Anthony provide the Miami Heat better defense and rebounding options as compared to Chris Bosh.
- Hopefully, LeBron James will learn how to play in the post to give the Miami Heat a down low presence.
- With Steve Nash as the helm, LeBron James and Dwayne Wade can just concentrate on being finishers and Nash can be the maestro for the Miami Heat.
What is the difference between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant?
- The difference between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant is that Kobe Bryant is completely dedicated to the sport of basketball while LeBron James is too worried about being the world’s first billionaire athlete.
- While LeBron James is hanging out with Warren Buffet, Kobe Bryant is in the gym working on his post-up game. LeBron James has the greatest combination of size, speed, and strength and yet does not have a low post game.
- While LeBron James is doing commercials for Nike, McDonalds, Sprite, and others, Kobe Bryant is in the gym. Kobe Bryant’s jump shop is far superior to LeBron James.
- While LeBron James is worrying about his next tweet on Twitter, Kobe Bryant is in the gym. Kobe Bryant has the complete package and does not have any weaknesses to his game. Kobe Bryant is completely dedicated to winning.
- LeBron James has been a superstar basketball player because he is the greatest athlete of his generation. However, if LeBron James is truly going to live up to his potential, he needs to stop worrying about promoting Brand LeBron and instead should be solely focused on becoming the best basketball player in the world.
