Dick Bavetta Reffing Game 7: Spurs @ Hornets

Well, I haven’t posted in a while… but who has time to post with all these NBA playoff games on?! I have so many thoughts on the NBA right now, just not enough time to write them all up. But one thing I must bring up is the decision tonight to have Dick Bavetta ref possibly the most important game of the playoffs so far, tonight’s game 7 San Antonio vs. New Orleans. This has all the making of an all-time classic, but I have a terrible feeling that I am going to sitting in my condo at 11:15 PM EST furious at another Dick Bavetta playoff travesty.

Noooooo!!!!!!

Where is the accountability, David Stern? How can the NBA possibly reward this guy after his performance during game 6 of the Cavs-Celtics series? I’m not even going to get into all the foolishness that went on in that debacle, but lets just say I’ve seen Harlem Globetrotters – Washington Generals games that were more legitimate. And what is Bavetta even doing still officiating important games? He should have been banned, arrested and possibly deported after his role in game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals.

But, instead David Stern and the NBA continue to send Bavetta, Joey Crawford, Bennett Salvatore, etc. to fix… errrr, officiate the biggest games of the playoffs. Does Stern have this little faith in the quality of the NBA product that he feels he needs to turn the league into the WWE just to get his most marketable players and teams to advance in the playoffs? I just don’t get it. Why are you trying to ruin the game that I and so many other fans love?

The audacity of the NBA in how they deal with official really is astounding. Not only do they quite obviously officiate games way different depending on arena, team and player involved in each call, but they don’t even make an attempt to appear unbiased. How could anyone argue that Dick Bavetta of all the basketball refs on this planet is the best person to be officiating this (or any) NBA game. Think about that. The NBA could basically choose any referee in the whole world to work these games and Dick Bavetta, Joey Crawford and Bennett Salvadore are the best three people they could come up with. Seriously? You are telling us all that there is no one in the world who could do this better?

Why isn’t Arlen Specter calling for an investigation into all of this? Tim Donaghy was alleged to have fixed over 100 NBA games! And clearly, something else is very, very wrong with how these games are being officiated. And its not like this is something new. I can remember back in 1999 the refs giving every single call to the Jazz in their first round series win against the Kings. Ralph freaking Nader even chimed in on that absurd game 6 from 2002. And lets not forget last year’s Suns-Spurs series, the Heat-Mavs Finals, just about any Lakers game from the Shaq-Kobe era… I could go on and on. God help us all if Lebron ever goes to New York… it will be like the perfect storm of NBA referee fixing.

I would honestly feel better with Doneghy working the game over the guys I mentioned above; at least Doneghy was (from what I can tell) fixing the over/under.

Oh, and one more thing, Stern… I’m not sure if you’re aware or not, but many of us now have DVR/Tivo. This makes it very easy to rewind any questionable call that is made. Combined with clear HDTV, we can easily see these bad calls instantly. So, your strategy of having ABC not show replays on obviously blown calls is not going to stop us from seeing through the BS. (I wonder who got fired today for letting that Lebron jersey pull replay) In fact, if anything, the fact that you are not showing these replays gives more credence to those of us who believe these games are being fixed or at least assisted by the NBA and its refs.

Anyway, I sincerely hope that I am wrong and this game tonight plays out fairly and the only deciding factor is that the better team will win. We will see…

NBA Playoff Predictions

Its been a while since I’ve posted, but I am reinvigorated for the playoffs. An amazing NBA season came to a somewhat uneventful end. The only intrigue over the past few weeks was the battle for the last playoff spot in the West. Now that all the dust has settled on the regular season, I am more than ready for the playoffs to begin.

This year’s Western Conference is loaded and I could see anyone coming out. People talk about the golden years of the NBA being when the Celtics played the Lakers or when Jordan’s Bulls dominated. I never understood that. Sure, those teams were great, but where’s the drama? I would much prefer this year’s scenario where we have 8 excellent teams in the West, each capable of beating any of the other teams. John Hollinger has an excellent piece on just this subject.

Western Conference

I’ll start with my predictions in the West, though I should point out that I have zero confidence in these picks. I wouldn’t be surprised if any of my picks lost in the first round or even if they all went down! Anyway, here we go…

West First Round

Lakers over Nuggets (7 games) – I think people are underestimating Denver, and they can make a series out of this. The Lakers have shown to be the best team in the West, but I think they are vulnerable as long as Bynum’s health is in question.

Jazz over Rockets (5 games) – The Rockets had that great run, but I don’t think they have enough to stay with the Jazz. The Jazz have been on fire down the stretch and I expect them to continue to play well, especially at home.

Spurs over Suns (7 games) – I think the Suns with a healthy Shawn Marion take this. But I still hate the Shaq trade. Amare has been on fire and they have played better with Shaq recently, but I don’t think they play good enough defense to beat the Spurs.

Hornets over Mavs (6 games) – I see CP3 all over this series. New Orleans has been just a flat out better team plus they will have the edge in motivation against Dallas.

Western Conference Semis

Lakers over Jazz (7 games) – Bynum should be at least back on the court by this series. That combined with Kobe’s ability to take over games, the Lakers’ homecourt advantage and the likelihood of the refs keeping it “fair” for the Lakers makes me pick Los Angeles in this battle of what I think are the West’s two best teams.

Hornets over Spurs (7 games) – The Hornets have the big guys to neutralize Duncan down low and CP3 should be able to take over. I think the Spurs age is starting to catch up with them and see them losing a hard fought series here in 7 games.

Western Conference Finals

Lakers over Hornets (6 games) – By this time Bynum should be 100% or close to it. With a healthy Bynum and homecourt advantage, I don’t see anyone in the West staying with the Lakers. look for Kobe to dominate this series in this matchup of MVP candidates.

Eastern Conference

The East seems much easier to predict and I feel fairly confident about my picks here. Of course, I also predicted a Suns-Raptors NBA Finals matchup last year… so take these with a grain of salt.

East First Round

Celtics over Hawks (4 games) – This is a total mismatch on every level.

Wizards over Cavs (6 games) – As much as the NBA would love to see Lebron go further in the playoffs, this Cavs team really isn’t any good. The midseason trade seems to have hurt more than it helped. Even without Arenas, i would give the Wizards the edge. Now that he’s back, I see the Wizards winning fairly easily. Of course, Lebron could always go bananas like he did in last year’s playoffs and make this prediction look foolish.

Magic over Raptors (6 games) – The Magic are the team that no one is talking about. They come into the playoffs red hot and should be able to take out a decent Raptors team.

Pistons over Sixers (5 games) – Detroit is just too deep and experienced. Successful season for Philly as they are headed in the right direction.

Eastern Conference Semis

Celtics over Wizards (5 games) – Remember when Gilbert Arenas predicted the Wizards would beat the Celts in the season opener, then they got blasted by 20? Thats pretty much how I see this series going.

Pistons over Magic (7 games) – I agonized over this pick more than any in the East. I think the Magic are an equal team to Detroit, but the Pistons just have too much experience. Usually the effect of experience can be overstated, but this Pistons team plays exceptionally well together (cliche alert!… the sum > parts) and they know all the tricks and when to use them.

Eastern Conference Finals

Celtics over Pistons (5 games) – The Celtics are too good defensively and KG will not let the team lose focus. The Pistons will be exhausted from their last series and when the Celts take game 3 or 4 at the Palace, the Pistons will have no chance in game 5.

NBA Finals

Celtics over Lakers (6 games) – Boy, I went out on a limb here, huh? In the series that everyone seems to be predicting, in the end I see banner number 17 being raised to the rafters of the Garden. To much defense, too much intensity and too much KG and Paul Pierce for a very good Lakers team to handle.

Isiah Thomas Fired?

Isiah Thomas was officially fired this morning.  I’m baffled at this move… what has Isiah done to deserve this?!

NBA Power Rankings – Week 22

Rank – Team – (Record) – +/- Pt Differential – Previous Ranking

1 – Boston Celtics (58-15) +10.4 last week rank: 1
Week results: 3-1

2 – New Orleans Hornets (50-22) +5.0 last week rank: 2
Week results: 3-1

3 – San Antonio Spurs (51-23) +5.0 last week rank: 7
Week results: 4-0

4 – Detroit Pistons (52-21) +7.1 last week rank: 6
Week results: 3-1

5 – Utah Jazz (48-26) +6.3 last week rank: 4
Week results: 2-1

6 – Phoenix Suns (49-24) +4.8 last week rank: 5
Week results: 2-2

7 – Houston Rockets (49-24) +4.3 last week rank: 8
Week results: 2-1

8 – LA Lakers (50-24) +6.6 last week rank: 3
Week results: 2-2

9 – Denver Nuggets (45-28) +4.0 last week rank: 10
Week results: 3-0

10 – Orlando Magic (47-27) +4.8 last week rank: 11
Week results: 1-1

11 – Golden State Warriors (45-28) +3.0 last week rank: 9
Week results: 2-2

12 – Philadelphia 76ers (37-37) +0.7 last week rank: 12
Week results: 2-2

13 – Washington Wizards (38-35) +0.0 last week rank: 14
Week results: 2-2

14 – Toronto Raptors (37-36) +2.9 last week rank: 17
Week results: 2-1

15 – Dallas Mavericks (45-28) +4.3 last week rank: 13
Week results: 1-2

16 – Cleveland Cavaliers (41-33) –0.4 last week rank: 16
Week results: 1-2

17 – Sacramento Kings (33-40) –2.3 last week rank: 18
Week results: 2-2

18 – Portland Trailblazers (38-36) –0.8 last week rank: 15
Week results: 1-3

19 – Atlanta Hawks (33-40) –1.6 last week rank: 19
Week results: 3-1

20 – New Jersey Nets (31-43) –4.8 last week rank: 21
Week results: 2-2

21 – Indiana Pacers (30-43) –1.8 last week rank: 20
Week results: 1-2

22 – Charlotte Bobcats (28-45) –4.6 last week rank: 24
Week results: 3-1

23 – Chicago Bulls (29-44) –2.8 last week rank: 23
Week results: 2-2

24 – Milwaukee Bucks (24-48) –6.7 last week rank: 22
Week results: 0-4

25 – Minnesota Timberwolves (19-53) –6.5 last week rank: 25
Week results: 1-2

26 – Memphis Grizzlies (19-54) –6.2 last week rank: 26
Week results: 1-3

27 – LA Clippers (22-51) –6.5 last week rank: 27
Week results: 1-3

28 – New York Knicks (20-53) –6.9 last week rank: 28
Week results: 1-3

29 – Seattle Supersonics (17-57) –8.6 last week rank: 29
Week results: 1-3

30 – Miami Heat (13-60) –8.7 last week rank: 30
Week results: 1-3

NBA Star/Goat of the Week – Week 21

NBA Star of the Week – Chris Paul

Don’t look now but the Hornets are back on top in the West

Chris Paul – Paul is making a strong push for MVP, leading the Hornets to a 5-game winning streak and the top seed in the Western Conference.  New Orleans has won 7 of 8 overall, including wins over Boston, San Antonio, the Lakers and Houston.  During the streak, Paul has averaged 24 points, 13 assists and 3 steals.  Anyone who thinks that these guys aren’t capable of winning the Western Conference come playoff time. better wake up.

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NBA Goat of the Week – James Dolan

Don’t think we forgot about you, Knicks!

James Dolan – It has been far too long since I’ve posted something negative about the New York Knicks.  Well, apparently James Dolan came out this week and said that he would prefer to keep Isiah Thomas.  WHAT?!  How is this possible?  If i was a Knicks fan, I would demand an investigation.  Something is just wrong with whats going on with the Knicks.

NBA Power Rankings – Week 21

Rank – Team – (Record) – +/- Pt Differential – Previous Ranking

1 – Boston Celtics (55-14) +10.1 last week rank: 2
Week results: 3-1

2 – New Orleans Hornets (47-21) +5.3 last week rank: 5
Week results: 3-0

3 – LA Lakers (48-22) +7.1 last week rank: 7
Week results: 3-1

4 – Utah Jazz (46-25) +6.0 last week rank: 4
Week results: 2-1

5 – Phoenix Suns (47-22) +5.1 last week rank: 9
Week results: 3-0

6 – Detroit Pistons (49-20) +7.1 last week rank: 3
Week results: 1-2

7 – San Antonio Spurs (47-23) +4.5 last week rank: 10
Week results: 3-1

8 – Houston Rockets (47-23) +4.5 last week rank: 1
Week results: 1-3

9 – Golden State Warriors (43-26) +2.9 last week rank: 8
Week results: 2-2

10 – Denver Nuggets (42-28) +3.7 last week rank: 11
Week results: 2-2

11 – Orlando Magic (46-26) +4.9 last week rank: 12
Week results: 2-2

12 – Philadelphia 76ers (35-35) +0.6 last week rank: 13
Week results: 2-1

13 – Dallas Mavericks (44-26) +4.6 last week rank: 6
Week results: 0-3

14 – Washington Wizards (36-33) +0.2 last week rank: 14
Week results: 3-1

15 – Portland Trailblazers (37-33) –0.6 last week rank: 15
Week results: 2-1

16 – Cleveland Cavaliers (40-31) –0.3 last week rank: 16
Week results: 2-2

17 – Toronto Raptors (35-35) +2.9 last week rank: 18
Week results: 1-3

18 – Sacramento Kings (31-38) –2.4 last week rank: 17
Week results: 1-2

19 – Atlanta Hawks (30-39) –2.2 last week rank: 21
Week results: 2-1

20 – Indiana Pacers (29-41) –2.1 last week rank: 22
Week results: 4-0

21 – New Jersey Nets (29-41) –5.2 last week rank: 19
Week results: 1-3

22 – Milwaukee Bucks (25-44) –6.5 last week rank: 24
Week results: 2-1

23 – Chicago Bulls (27-42) –2.7 last week rank: 20
Week results: 1-3

24 – Charlotte Bobcats (25-44) –4.9 last week rank: 23
Week results: 1-2

25 – Minnesota Timberwolves (18-51) –6.5 last week rank: 26
Week results: 3-1

26 – Memphis Grizzlies (18-51) –6.0 last week rank: 29
Week results: 3-1

27 – LA Clippers (21-48) –6.5 last week rank: 25
Week results: 0-4

28 – New York Knicks (19-50) –7.0 last week rank: 27
Week results: 0-3

29 – Seattle Supersonics (16-54) –9.0 last week rank: 28
Week results: 0-3

30 – Miami Heat (12-57) –8.4 last week rank: 30
Week results: 1-3

NBA Star/Goat of the Week – Week 20

NBA Stars of the Week – The Houston Rockets

The Rockets have been playing pretty well

The Houston Rockets – In case you haven’t heard, the Rockets have won 22 straight now, including the last ten without their supposed best player.

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NBA Goats of the Week – The Miami Heat

The Heat are embarrassing

The Miami Heat – Horrible… just horrible.

NBA Power Rankings – Week 20

Rank – Team – (Record) – +/- Pt Differential – Previous Ranking

1 – Houston Rockets (46-20) +5.5 last week rank: 4
Week results: 4-0

2 – Boston Celtics (52-13) +10.4 last week rank: 1
Week results: 3-1

3 – Detroit Pistons (48-18) +7.7 last week rank: 5
Week results: 2-1

4 – Utah Jazz (44-24) +6.0 last week rank: 6
Week results: 2-2

5 – New Orleans Hornets (44-21) +5.0 last week rank: 7
Week results: 2-1

6 – Dallas Mavericks (44-23) +5.0 last week rank: 9
Week results: 4-0

7 – LA Lakers (45-21) +7.0 last week rank: 2
Week results: 1-2

8 – Golden State Warriors (41-24) +3.1 last week rank: 8
Week results: 2-1

9 – Phoenix Suns (44-22) +4.8 last week rank: 10
Week results: 3-0

10 – San Antonio Spurs (44-22) +4.2 last week rank: 3
Week results: 1-3

11 – Denver Nuggets (40-26) +3.9 last week rank: 11
Week results: 3-1

12 – Orlando Magic (44-24) +4.8 last week rank: 13
Week results: 4-0

13 – Philadelphia 76ers (33-34) +0.8 last week rank: 14
Week results: 3-1

14 – Washington Wizards (33-32) –0.1 last week rank: 17
Week results: 3-0

15 – Portland Trailblazers (35-32) –0.7 last week rank: 15
Week results: 2-2

16 – Cleveland Cavaliers (38-29) –0.3 last week rank: 12
Week results: 2-2

17 – Sacramento Kings (30-36) –2.5 last week rank: 18
Week results: 2-1

18 – Toronto Raptors (34-32) +2.9 last week rank: 16
Week results: 0-4

19 – New Jersey Nets (28-38) –5.1 last week rank: 22
Week results: 2-1

20 – Chicago Bulls (26-39) –2.5 last week rank: 20
Week results: 1-1

21 – Atlanta Hawks (28-38) –2.4 last week rank: 21
Week results: 2-2

22 – Indiana Pacers (25-41) –2.4 last week rank: 23
Week results: 1-2

23 – Charlotte Bobcats (24-42) –5.0 last week rank: 19
Week results: 0-3

24 – Milwaukee Bucks (23-43) –6.7 last week rank: 24
Week results: 0-3

25 – LA Clippers (21-44) –6.3 last week rank: 25
Week results: 1-3

26 – Minnesota Timberwolves (15-50) –7.2 last week rank: 26
Week results: 1-2

27 – New York Knicks (19-47) –6.6 last week rank: 27
Week results: 1-2

28 – Seattle Supersonics (16-51) –8.7 last week rank: 28
Week results: 0-4

29 – Memphis Grizzlies (15-50) –6.9 last week rank: 29
Week results: 0-3

30 – Miami Heat (11-54) –7.9 last week rank: 30
Week results: 0-4

NBA Awards (*so far)

Here is a look at my top ten candidates for NBA awards as of today (March 16):

Most Valuable Player:

1. Kobe Bryant
2. Lebron James
3. Kevin Garnett
4. Chris Paul
5. Tracy McGrady
6. Dwight Howard
7. Tim Duncan
8. Steve Nash
9. Dirk Nowitzki
10. Chauncey Billups

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Rookie of the Year:

1. Kevin Durant
2. Luis Scola
3. Al Horford
4. Jamario Moon
5. Carl Landry
6. Al Thornton
7. Thaddeus Young
8. Juan Carlos Navarro
9. Joakim Noah
10. Mike Conley

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Most Improved Player:

1. Andrew Bynum
2. Rajon Rondo
3. Rudy Gay
4. Travis Outlaw
5. Jose Calderon
6. Hedo Turkoglu
7. Ronnie Brewer
8. John Salmons
9. Jordan Farmar
10. Kendrick Perkins

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Coach of the Year

1. Rick Adelman
2. Byron Scott
3. Doc Rivers
4. Maurice Cheeks
5. Phil Jackson
6. Don Nelson
7. Jerry Sloan
8. Flip Saunders
9. Nate McMillan
10. Eddie Jordan

NBA Star/Goat of the Week (Week 19) – Tracy McGrady & Mark Cuban

NBA Star of the Week – Tracy McGrady

McGrady and the Rockets can do no wrong

Tracy McGrady – Even the injury to Yao Ming cannot slow the Rockets down.  McGrady has carried the Rockets since Yao’s injury and their win streak is now at 18.  In three wins last week, McGrady averaged 32.3 pts, 7.7 ast, 5.0 reb while shooting 56% from the field.

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NBA Goat of the Week – Mark Cuban

Cubes is now anti-blogger?

Mark Cuban – According to the Dallas News, Mark Cuban has banned all bloggers from the Mavs locker room. Apparently, bloggers wrote things that Cuban doesn’t approve of so they lost their access.  Of all people to pull this… what a hypocrite!

NBA Power Rankings – Week 19

Rank – Team – (Record) – +/- Pt Differential – Previous Ranking

1 – Boston Celtics (49-12) +10.3 last week rank: 2
Week results: 3-0

2 – LA Lakers (44-19) +7.5 last week rank: 3
Week results: 2-1

3 – San Antonio Spurs (43-19) +5.0 last week rank: 1
Week results: 2-2

4 – Houston Rockets (42-20) +5.0 last week rank: 5
Week results: 3-0

5 – Detroit Pistons (46-17) +7.6 last week rank: 4
Week results: 3-1

6 – Utah Jazz (42-22) +6.3 last week rank: 7
Week results: 4-0

7 – New Orleans Hornets (42-20) +5.0 last week rank: 9
Week results: 3-1

8 – Golden State Warriors (39-23) +3.2 last week rank: 8
Week results: 3-1

9 – Dallas Mavericks (40-23) +3.8 last week rank: 6
Week results: 2-2

10 – Phoenix Suns (41-22) +4.2 last week rank: 12
Week results: 2-2

11 – Denver Nuggets (37-25) +2.5 last week rank: 13
Week results: 2-2

12 – Cleveland Cavaliers (36-27) –0.4 last week rank: 10
Week results: 2-1

13 – Orlando Magic (40-24) +4.3 last week rank: 11
Week results: 2-1

14 – Philadelphia 76ers (30-33) +0.9 last week rank: 14
Week results: 3-0

15 – Portland Trailblazers (33-30) –0.7 last week rank: 16
Week results: 2-1

16 – Toronto Raptors (34-28) +4.0 last week rank: 15
Week results: 2-2

17 – Washington Wizards (30-32) –0.4 last week rank: 17
Week results: 1-2

18 – Sacramento Kings (28-35) –2.4 last week rank: 18
Week results: 1-3

19 – Charlotte Bobcats (24-39) –4.6 last week rank: 24
Week results: 4-0

20 – Chicago Bulls (25-38) –2.7 last week rank: 22
Week results: 2-2

21 – Atlanta Hawks (26-36) –2.8 last week rank: 20
Week results: 1-3

22 – New Jersey Nets (26-37) –5.2 last week rank: 19
Week results: 0-4

23 – Indiana Pacers (24-39) –2.5 last week rank: 21
Week results: 0-3

24 – Milwaukee Bucks (23-40) –6.5 last week rank: 23
Week results: 1-2

25 – LA Clippers (20-41) –5.8 last week rank: 25
Week results: 1-3

26 – Minnesota Timberwolves (14-48) –7.4 last week rank: 29
Week results: 2-2

27 – New York Knicks (18-45) –6.3 last week rank: 26
Week results: 0-4

28 – Seattle Supersonics (16-47) –7.7 last week rank: 27
Week results: 0-4

29 – Memphis Grizzlies (14-45) –6.5 last week rank: 30
Week results: 1-2

30 – Miami Heat (11-50) –7.8 last week rank: 28
Week results: 0-4

Two Teams No One is Talking About

The consensus around here (Boston) and most of the country is that no one wants to play Cleveland come playoff time. After what Lebron did last year to the Pistons, I can sort of see that point. Even with Lebron playing out of his mind, I don’t see Cleveland as that scary of a team for either Boston or Detroit. The Cavs are 10-9 since Jan. 25 including losses to Seattle, Milwaukee and Chicago. it doesn’t seem like the trades have made the Cavs any better. They are a slightly above average team before and they are a slightly above average team now. Sure, they have the most unstoppable player in the game, but not much else.

Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic are 13-5 since the end of January and 4.5 games ahead of the Cavs. They have been the better team than Cleveland this season and are playing much better basketball right now. Lebron might be the best player in the NBA, but Dwight Howard ain’t that bad either. And he has a lot more help. In a matchup of the Cavs and Magic, Orlando would have 3 of the top 4 players.

And the team that absolutely no one is talking about is the Washington Wizards. Its amazing that the Wizards have maintained a near .500 record this season with the injuries that they have had – especially after their 0-5 start. If both Arenas and Butler come back at 100% (or close to 100%), the Wizards could be a very tough matchup for anyone come playoff time. And, yes, I realize that this is a very big “if”. But the Wizards were rolling along last year until injuries to the same two guys virtually ended their chances. The good news for Wizards fans is that the players surrounding the big 3 of Arenas, Jamison and Butler have drastically improved this season.

So while the Cavs get all the hype, its the Magic and (possibly) the Wizards that I see as the biggest upset threats to the two top teams in the East.

So be careful what you wish for Celtics and Pistons fans…

Ten Things I’m Sick of…

Dwyane Wade finally got in Chuck’s “Fave 5″… Yesssss!!

1. David Lee – I know he’s white. I know he plays in New York. I know everyone else on the Knicks sucks. But enough already Knick fans, he’s not the next “Great White Hope”. He’s not untradeable. He’s just flat out not that good. So just stop telling me how great David Lee is. He’s a decent role player, nothing more. I’m sorry that he is the only bright spot in New York (actually, I’m not).
2. Hubie Brown – Hubie jumped the shark years ago when he traded his perm-fro for the Caesar dew. Nowadays, I can barely watch a game that Hubie is broadcasting. Even worse than his talking in different persons and tenses is his 100% agreement with the referees on every call. Maybe I’m just used to Tommy Heinsohn, but don’t insult my intelligence by defending clearly awful calls with bullshit explanations and then telling me it was an “easy call”. Why is Hubie Brown still around… where is Bill Walton these days? At least give me Tom Tolbert.
3. Dwyane Wade getting in Charles Barkley’s “Fave 5” – Enough already! Its not even a bad advertising campaign, but stop beating me over the head with this. I can’t even get T-Mobile service in my area and I live right outside Boston. D-Wade should just concentrate on helping the Heat reach the 15 win mark.
4. Lebron talking about being a Global Icon – Dude, just play basketball. Why don’t you win a championship first, then worry about being the first billionaire athlete. I don’t need to see you hosting the ESPYs (actually I didn’t) or talking to Jay-Z during games. Just play basketball, appear in basketball commercials and maybe host SNL if you really feel the need to force your non-basketball life on the public.
5. Carmelo Anthony not playing defense – ‘Melo just makes no effort at all on defense and if there is a worse defensive player in the league than Carmelo, I haven’t seen him. The Nuggets could be so good… but not until Anthony either starts giving much more effort or learns how to defend.
6. Jose Calderon – Sure, he has low turnovers and he did an unexpectedly great job filling in for TJ Ford, but Calderon is not an MVP candidate. I actually saw seemingly legitimate sources put Calderon on the All-Star team over Paul Pierce! His adjusted +/- is +0.3. Calderon is not a difference maker.
7. PER (Player Efficiency Rating) – With all apologies to John Hollinger, this is just a garbage statistic that means very little. Current players in the top 50 include: Carl Landry, Leon Powe and Amir Johnson. Adjusted plus/minus is a much better indicator of player performance. For those truly interested in basketball stats, steer clear of PER and check out the stats on these sites: 82Games and BasketballValue.
8. Joakim Noah – I just hate you, Joakim. Please go away.
9. Manu Ginobili flopping – Ginobili is having a outstanding year, playing at a near-MVP level. But the non-stop flopping and flailing makes it very difficult to like this guy. He must have grown up watching the diving Argentina national futbol team (aka the Argencheaters), but this is the US and fans here don’t appreciate it.
10. Terrible teams on nationally televised games – The NBA has an inflexible schedule they make before the season that they won’t change no matter what. For this reason, we have been subjected to the Miami Heat over and over again this season. Plus, we have six more national Heat games to go… they’re on pace to be the first NBA team ever to have a greater number of games on national TV than total wins for the season. On the plus side, the country gets to watch the 24-36 Bulls play three times over the next four nights. Sweet!

NBA Star/Goat of the Week – Week 18

NBA Star of the Week – Kobe Bryant

Kobe might finally be happy with the Lakers

Kobe Bryant – Kobe is making a serious case for MVP. This week’s numbers… 34 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast, 2 stl and 1 blk while shooting 50% from the field and 82% from the line. Highlights of the week include 52 points in a big win against Dallas and this.

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NBA Goat of the Week – David Stern

Stern has let all Sonics fans down

David Stern – It looks certain now that the Sonics will be leaving Seattle and there’s only one person who can truly be to blame… NBA Commissioner David Stern. The Sonics have been in Seattle for 40 years, have an excellent fan base and Seattle is a major market. The bottom line is that the NBA should not be leaving a market like Seattle to go to Oklahoma City, no matter what kind of arena they promise to build. Stern could’ve and should’ve done better. Long time Seattle fans are devastated.

NBA Power Rankings – Week 18

Rank – Team – (Record) – +/- Pt Differential – Previous Ranking

1 – San Antonio Spurs (41-17) +5.3 last week rank: 2
Week results: 4-0

2 – Boston Celtics (46-12) +9.7 last week rank: 3
Week results: 4-0

3 – LA Lakers (42-18) +7.1 last week rank: 1
Week results: 3-1

4 – Detroit Pistons (42-16) +8.1 last week rank: 5
Week results: 2-1

5 – Houston Rockets (39-20) +4.6 last week rank: 4
Week results: 3-0

6 – Dallas Mavericks (39-21) +4.0 last week rank: 8
Week results: 2-2

7 – Utah Jazz (38-22) +5.5 last week rank: 6
Week results: 2-2

8 – Golden State Warriors (36-22) +2.5 last week rank: 10
Week results: 3-0

9 – New Orleans Hornets (39-19) +4.9 last week rank: 7
Week results: 2-2

10 – Cleveland Cavaliers (34-26) –0.6 last week rank: 9
Week results: 2-2

11 – Orlando Magic (38-23) +3.9 last week rank: 12
Week results: 2-1

12 – Phoenix Suns (39-20) +4.6 last week rank: 11
Week results: 1-2

13 – Denver Nuggets (35-24) +2.7 last week rank: 13
Week results: 2-2

14 – Philadelphia 76ers (27-33) –0.4 last week rank: 16
Week results: 2-1

15 – Toronto Raptors (32-26) +4.1 last week rank: 14
Week results: 2-2

16 – Portland Trailblazers (31-29) –0.8 last week rank: 17
Week results: 2-2

17 – Washington Wizards (29-30) +0.1 last week rank: 19
Week results: 3-1

18 – Sacramento Kings (27-32) –2.1 last week rank: 15
Week results: 1-3

19 – New Jersey Nets (26-33) –4.7 last week rank: 18
Week results: 1-2

20 – Atlanta Hawks (24-33) –2.4 last week rank: 21
Week results: 2-2

21 – Indiana Pacers (24-36) –2.1 last week rank: 22
Week results: 2-2

22 – Chicago Bulls (23-36) –2.9 last week rank: 20
Week results: 1-3

23 – Milwaukee Bucks (22-38) –6.6 last week rank: 23
Week results: 1-3

24 – Charlotte Bobcats (20-39) –5.7 last week rank: 25
Week results: 1-2

25 – LA Clippers (19-38) –5.1 last week rank: 24
Week results: 0-4

26 – New York Knicks (18-41) –6.1 last week rank: 27
Week results: 1-2

27 – Seattle Supersonics (16-43) –7.3 last week rank: 26
Week results: 1-3

28 – Miami Heat (11-46) –7.2 last week rank: 30
Week results: 2-2

29 – Minnesota Timberwolves (12-46) –7.2 last week rank: 28
Week results: 1-3

30 – Memphis Grizzlies (14-44) –6.2 last week rank: 29
Week results: 0-4