NBA Lockout-My Take

So the NBA lockout starts tonight, well tommorrow at 12:01 am. No one is truly surprised that it happened, it was inevetibable. There are various reasons floating around as to why the Lockout is indeed taking place, I am not a fan of many of the theories at all. While they all may have some truth to the matter, it still comes back to money. This didn't truly trigger my mind until I heard what percentage of the revenue sharing the players were getting. I than thought about the NFL and it's lockout and it's revenue sharing, in the NFL the players are in the minority in this area. Whereas the NBA, the players are in the majority and that's where the issue is. The NFL players are in the low 40's when talking what percentage of the revenue they get. The NBA players were recieving 57% of the revenue, think about where the league is going right now and all the momentum they have built. The league is finally getting back to the good old days where it was just as strong as the other sports, namely the NFL and MLB. The last lockout crippled the NBA's popularity, in the last decade the NBA has made up for that loss much of it coming recently. The NBA owners don't want to be on the minority part of this momentum, they can't stand to watch the players make even more money under the old CBA. I can understand each side and where they are coming from, but unlike the NFL the NBA season is further away. This is why I don't have faith in this lockout seriously endangering this season, the closer we get the more pressure it will be on both sides to get a deal done to keep this momentum going. Neither side can really afford for a season to be loss, but unlike the NFL the NBA owners are at risk. The small market teams who have franchise players in the last years of their deals cannot afford for the same type of free agency that may occur in the NFL. That being of players with over 4 years of service becoming full flegged unrestricted Free Agents, that will surely cripple all small market teams. I belive the owners and players in the NBA don't have as bad a relationship as their NFL counterparts. Especially with that draft class of 2012 on the horizon, the NBA cannot afford it after the unpopularity of the 2011 NBA draft on a larger scale. I can't promise you that it will start on time, but I can assure you that the owners can't afford to play hard ball for long. There will be an NBA season and I don't think it will be shortened by much, the other reason being the world having other leagues. There is only one league for NFL players to realistically consider and that's the NFL. The NBA has to face the fact that players can make EVEN MORE money in the leagues outside of this country, that could and will kill the NBA's brand. Keep all that in mind as this Lockout goes into effect....

NBA Draft Grades-Southwest

San Antonio- Gave up George Hill to get much needed youth in Kawhi Leanord, Corey Joseph, Davis Bertans, and Adam Hanga. This is why the Spurs always remain in contention, they know when to make moves. Joseph is beyond underrated and should benefit from learning from Tony Parker before taking the reigns himself. Leanord should be able to contribute right away at the 3 and wouldn't surprise me if he has the starting gig heading into the playoffs. Grade: A+

Dallas-Took Jordan Hamilton and traded him to the Nuggets, also acquired Rudy Fernandez to bolster that already strong bench. The newly crowned champs traded a prospect for a proven player, great move. Grade: A

New Orleans- Received an incomplete, had no draft picks this year.

Memphis-Josh Selby was one of the best players in the country coming out of high school last year. Selby is an explosive scorer, a legit top 10 talent, he just had a rough freshman year due to injuries and other issues. He is a 6'3 combo guard, although I believe he will challenge Mike Conley for the starting PG spot eventually. Grade: A+

Houston-Marcus Morris and Donatas Montiejunas are two very talented young PF's, the issue is where they landed. The Rockets have a plethora of forwards on their roster both at the 3 and the 4. It will be hard to get these kids playing time, unless of course they unload some of the guys in front of them and that's not too likely. Grade: C

NBA Draft Grades-Pacific Division

Lakers- I love the Darius Morris pick, not only does he fill a need but he gives them great size at the PG position standing 6'5. He's a true PG and that will help the Lakers immediately. Andrew Goudelock should provide scoring punch off the bench, he might just be the best shooter in the draft from deep. They selected Ater Majok with their "reach" pick, Majok was a former Uconn Husky and is extremely raw. Grade: B+

Phoenix-Landed Markieff Morris, should fit nice next Robin Lopez with his ability to stretch the floor via his jump shot. Grade: B

Golden State-Klay Thompson, Charles Jenkins, and Jeremy Tyler should all be able to help immediately. Thompson and Jenkins form a great second unit backcourt. Tyler gives them some much needed size and athleticism on the block. Grade: A

Clippers-No 1st round picks, so the Clippers selected Georgia teammates Travis Leslie and Trey Thompkins with their 2nd round picks. I believe both of these kids will surprise people, the Clippers picked up 2 guys with good upside. Can never have enough depth. Grade: B

Sacramento-Jimmer Fredette, Tyler Honeycutt, Isiah Thomas are 3 guys with the potential and ability to provide an instant impact. If the Kings improve, you can look back at this year's draft as the reason why.

Draft Grades-Northwest Division

Oklahoma City-Great Combo Guard in Reggie Jackson, could play either guard spot. All-around player could be in the roation if Harden does indeed start next year, either way Jackson is a great addition to this young team. Grade: B+

Denver-Got Kenneth Faried, Jordan Hamilton. True case of addition by subtraction in getting rid of Raymond Felton and handing the reigns over to Ty Lawson. Hamilton is a flat out scorer, you can never have enough of those on the roster. Faried is a blue collar player that will play tough D and rebound the ball, once again you can always find room in your rotation for guys that play hard. Grade: B+

Utah- Ernes Kanter and Alec Burks give the Jazz more young pieces to build around. Pairing Kanter with young Derek Favors will give the Jazz an intimidating post presence for the future. Burks is only a consistent jump shot away from being a complete shooting guard, the kid is a great slasher, and has the ability to be a more than capable defender. Grade: A+

Portland- Selected two guards, Nolan Smith and Jon Diebler. Smith like Kemba Walker is a natural born leader and winner, he should be able to help the team in a 6th man capacity immediately. Diebler will help fill some of the void from loosing Rudy Fernandez as he is a great shooter from 3. Grade: C+

Minnesota- While Derek Williams may not find a spot in the starting line up, there is no questioning this kid's talent. Talent alone will help the coaches to make time for him in the rotation. Malcom Lee is yet another UCLA combo guard, at 6-6 he can play both backcourt positions. Lee fills a huge need for the Wolves at the 2, great athlete and very good defender make him a great backcourt mate for new point guard Ricky Rubio. Grade: A+

NBA Draft Grades-Southeast Division

Miami- Norris Cole from Cleveland State has lottery talent and would have made more noise during his collegiate career had he attended a larger school. At 6'2, 175 Nole is a "true PG" in every sense of the word. He is one of the fastest guards in this year's class, should really inject some fuel into Miami's up-tempo offense. Grade: A+

Orlando- Had two 2nd round picks, they selected Justin Harper and Deandre Liggins. Harper is a talented stretch-4 that can contribute with his ability to not only shoot the rock, but handle as well. Liggins is a true lock down defender. Grade: C+

Atlanta-Keith Benson was their attempt at landing a center, Benson is 6'11 217 pounds. The book on Benson is that he has upside, but for a team that really NEEDS to get a big, I believe they fell short. Grade: F

Charlotte- The Bobcats are truly rebuilding as they were part of that 3-way trade as well. What better way to start a rebuilding project than to select a PG. Kemba Walker is a proven leader and winner, they also had a good reach pick in selecting Bismack Biyumbo who is a defensive stalwart. The kid is extremely raw, but he should be able to contribute on that end of the floor immediately. Grade: A

Washington- Love the selections of Chris Singleton and Shelvin Mack. Is Jan Vesely good enough to supplant Blatche at the 4? Singleton fills a need at the 3 and is a great defender. Mack should provide a steady hand leading the 2nd unit. Vesely can provide an impact, but I'm not sold on him. Grade: B

NBA Draft Grades-Central Divison

Chicago-Don't like the "reach" pick only because he plays the same position as Jimmy Butler. Heard that the Bulls want a veteran shooting guard, but it couldn't of hurt to take a young guy with upside at the position. Grade: C+

Indiana-Acquired George Hill in trade with the Spurs, Hill should be able to provide an immediate impact and offer veteran leadership. Fills a big need with his ability to play both the 1 and 2. Grade: B

Milwaukee- Jon Leur is a 7 ft highly skilled F/C, Tobias Harris is a young SF with great upside. Also part of a 3-way trade that led to the departing of Corey Maggette and the arrival of Capt Jack aka Stephen Jackson. Grade: B+

Detroit- Selected well for where they were, however I'm not sure if Brandon Knight is a PG. The kid is talented and can really shoot the ball, just not sold on his ability to play the point. Kyle Singler was a good pick to bolster their bench, never hurts to have a guy with that kind of experience coming off the bench. Grade: B

Cleveland- I can live with the selection of Kyrie Irving with the #1 overall pick, as the PG is one of the most important positions on the floor. I like Tristian Thompson, but I truly believe he was a BIG reach at that point in the draft. I don't believe you should draft a guy that can't start that high in the draft. I just can't see him supplanting J.J. Hickson at the 4. Grade: B

NBA Draft Grades-Atlantic Division

Boston-JaJuan Johnson is a good shot blocker and his former Purdue teammate E'twaun Moore is a complete shooting guard. Both of these kids should be able to get into the rotation and make an impact. Grade: B+

New York-Iman Shumpert is a big combo guard. Don't know if he can run a team yet, but his talent on D makes him well worth the pick. Josh Harrleson fills a need for the Knicks, a bit undersized at 6'10 270 he should be able to play next to Amare providing defense, rebounding, and toughness. Grade: B

Philadelphia-Nikola Vucevic and LaVoy Allen, filled a need by selecting Vucevic. They need a true center, he's 7ft and 260 pounds. That should allow the 76ers should slide Speights down to his natural position at PF. Grade: B

New Jersey- Marshon Brooks is the best shooting guard in this year's draft in my opinion, he should also be able to step in right away and start along side. Bojan Bogdanovic is a talented small forward who was the second leading scorer in the Euro League this past season. Jordan Williams is an undersized center, but I see him as a good sized PF when paired with Brook Lopez can give the Nets a nice foundation in the paint for the future. Grade: A

Toronto- Selected Jonas Valacinus kind of reminds me of the guy that's already there in Bargaini without the offensive talent. I hope I'm wrong, I had hoped the Raptors would have selected a true PG. Grade: C+

Addition by Subtraction-USA Mens Soccer

The United States Mens National team has hit it's peak under Bob Bradley, it is time to move on. The talent pool from which the US has to choose from has grown through the years, so it's no longer an issue of not having the talent to compete. I have been trying to hold my tongue, the reason being Bradley has had success during his tenure. I also thing he is also the reason that the US hasn't reached it's full potential. It's his philosophy, they attack only to fall back when successful which only results in failure against the elite teams in the world. Case in point, the recent game against Mexico for the Gold Cup title. The US jumped out to an early lead of 2-0, anybody that's ever played soccer or been around the game knows that 2-0 is the worst place to be. The reason being that 2 is not enough to kill the will of the opposing team, 3 is that number in soccer at which teams perceive the door is officially closed. Much like American football aka the NFL, teams that go up and play prevent defense at the end of games often lose. The same is in soccer when score early and fall back to just defend and hope the time runs out, it seldom results in a win. Mexico was down 2-0, then went on a 4 goal run that ended the game. Soccer is truly a game of momentum, when the other team senses that you are no longer attacking you are at their mercy. Think of the talent that the US has been blessed with at the forward positions and they don't attack, when healthy Charlie Davies and Jozy Altidore are scary tandem up front. Add Landon Donavan, Clint Dempsey, and Michael Bradley in the midfield and you would think the US had the pieces to put major pressure on opposing defenses. By falling back so often, it puts an insane amount of pressure on the US back line and goalie Tim Howard. He does an amazing job considering the amount of duress he's under against elite teams. The back line never really gets a chance to rest, not only because of the formation but the philosophy. I do give Bradley credit for bringing Freddy Adu back into the fold, the reason being he may be one of the only true center attacking midfielders this country has. We've yet to see him with the opportunity to distribute the ball to the combo of Davies and Altidore, while flanked by Donavan and Dempsey. This country has the pieces, the best way to get the US to the "elite" level may be through subtraction.

Shawnna's 2011 NBA Mock Draft

1 CLE-Kyrie Irving
2 MIN-Derrick Williams
3 UTAH-Enes Kanter
4 CLE-Jonas Val
5 TOR- Brandon Knight
6 WAS-Jan Vesely
7 SAC-Jimmer Fredette
8 DET-Bismack Byombo
9 CHAR-Kawhi Leonard
10 MIL-Klay Thompson
11 GS-Kemba Walker
12 UTAH-Chris Singleton
13 PHX-Tristan Thompson
14 HOU-Donatas Motiejunas
15 IND-Marcus Morris
16 PHIL-Nikola vuc.
17 NY-Markieff Morris
18 WAS-Alec Burks
19 CHAR-Marshon Brooks
20 MIN-Jordan Hamilton
21 POR-Kenneth Faried
22 DEN-Tobias Harris
23 HOU-Iman Shumpert
24 0KC-Kyle Singler
25 BOS-Tyler Honeycutt
26 DAL-Davis Bertans
27 NJ-Chandler Parsons
28 CHI-Justin Harper
29. SA-Nikola Mirotic
30 CHI-Travis Leslie

To Be Or Not To Be MVP, That Is The Question...

It hasn't even been a full month since Derrick Rose has won the Maurice Podoloff trophy, better known as the NBA MVP award, and talks are stirring that he did not deserve it. Now, the argument that I hear from most people is that it's not his resume from the regular season that's causing the drama, it's the post season performance that has everyone thinking twice. The problem that I have with that is, this award is for the Most Valuable Player for the regular season, post season has it's own trophy. Then you have all of your other doubters out there who for what ever reason didn't think Rose had that great of a season. I'm not really sure if the people saying this are actual NBA fans or just angry Miami fans who are trying to find a way to not think about how re-Dirk-ulous that game 6 performance was from their team. All year long Rose has shown that age doesn't matter when it comes down to leading your team to the number one seed overall and taking them to the Eastern Conference Finals with virtually no help. Loul Deng was the second most consistent player on that team all season, and Deng essentially is a 3rd option on most teams. Rose, Deng and the Bulls made it work, 62-20 was how they finished the regular season grabbing the number one overall spot. In the 2010-11 season, we saw a Bulls team that played great defense and had a decent offensive scheme, but we all knew they still needed at least one more piece to succeed. Rose averaged 25.0 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds a game not to mention the fact that his 3point percentage went from 22% in his rookie season to 33% this year. This shows how much he has worked to improve his game and how high his ceiling really is. So if you don't give the Podoloff trophy to Rose, who do you give it to? Howard, Bryant, James? What most are not looking at is the bigger picture and that is the fact that if you take Rose off of that team and Howard, Bryant, and James off of their teams, which team will be the most successful. The Bulls would most likely have the worst record out of all 4 teams mentioned, why, because Rose had the least amount of help. Let's move into the playoffs because this is what seems to have everyone in an uproar. Rose averaged 27 pts, 7 asst. and 4 rebs. a game in the post season this year. The difference here is that Rose shot a not so pretty 39% from the field and a horrible 25% from behind the arc. Does he need to improve in those categories for the Bulls to move on, yes! Does he also need to help so he won't have to take so many shots, YES! The numbers are deceiving due to the simple fact that Boozer was non-existent, and Noah is just not an offensive threat in the NBA, and Deng plays so many minutes and has the duty of guarding some of the leagues best scorers his focus is on the defensive end. The turnovers were a small problem as well, but as a pg, because you have the ball in your hands just about every possession you are going to have some bad one's from time to time. Don't get me wrong, Rose's performance in the 10-11 postseason was far from great, but being only 22 years old and seeing what he's done thus far, almost by himself it's incredible. I'm sure he's going to hit the gym harder this summer because of how he performed in the playoffs and the final result of the season. I think once again you will see a much improved Rose and hopefully, the Bulls front office will also make some adjustments to that roster and bring the young boy some help.

Owners Can't Agree, Not The Players

The most recent news coming out of the current NFL lockout situation has been that the owners, not the players, are the ones who are holding progress up. Apparently, a certain amount of owners do not feel like the agreement being discussed amends the problems they had with the most recent CBA signed in 2006. If this was going to happen, it was supposed to be amongst the players, not the owners. They were supposed to be the unbreakable force that was going to oppress the players. Force them to sign a deal by locking them out of work and not paying them. Funny how it works out sometimes. Not that this deal is done or near done for that matter, and as a fan I just want football, but I do find some humor in this. I haven't always been under the opinion that all professional athletes are just in it for the check and don't care about what fans have invested emotionally and financially in their favorite teams. But you do get that vibe now and again when you hear about the numbers being discussed and the attitudes some of these guys have. I too thought that if this kind of disagreeing or financial disputing was going to happen, it would happen amongst the ranks of the players, not the owners. But alas, I was wrong. And happy to be. Throughout this whole lockout situation, it has been more apparent to me that the players just want to play. With all the social media and radio and what have you, they have been able to be more personable and vocal in their opinions. A lot of times these sources of audio and content have been bad for today's athlete, but today I feel like I know the guys I root for better than ever. So, I guess if I'm trying to take something positive out of this ridiculous lockout, it's that I in some small way feel united with the players, and not just the guys that I root for personally, in just wanting Football as quickly as possible. There's enough money to go around for everybody. The fans should know, we foot the bill.

Xavier Silas Interview

I'd like to thank Xavier Silas for taking the time out of his busy schedule to answer these questions. Silas was the NCAA's 7th leading scorer this season at Northern Illinois. He averaged 22.3 points and 4.6 rebounds this season while shooting 45% from the floor and 41% from deep(3's). Silas got to the line quite often and made the most of it connecting at 85%, keep your eyes and ears open on Draft Night to see where he goes!!


WKT: How much of an influence did your dad (James Silas) have on your decision to play basketball if any?

XS: My dad had a lot of influence. He is the reason I started to play. As a youngster Id see how he was respected and loved by the Spurs community and I loved that. I also saw how he'd use his fame and knowledge to help others and I really liked that. I want to be just like him.

WKT: Your freshman year at Colorado you averaged an impressive 29.5 minutes, how was your transition from H.S. Basketball to College Basketball?

XS: The transition was easy since I went to prep school. I went to Brewster Academy and we played in the NEPSAC, which is the most competitive high school league period. So after I went up against guys going to pretty much every school you can think of every night I was ready for the Big 12 and it showed.

WKT: In just 2 years at Northern Illinois you finished 23rd on their Scoring list, what does that mean to you just hearing that?

XS: 23rd? I should've been higher than that, there's always more work to do.

WKT: You're an extremely versatile scorer, looking through box scores really drives that point home. You had multiple 30 point games this year and even a 40 point game. You finished 7th in the NATION in scoring, what's your secret to being such a "complete" scorer of the basketball?

XS: A lot of gym time, A lot of skill work, and a lot of mental preparation. Basketball isn't just a game or a job to me, its a lifestyle. Eating right, sleeping right, etc. Its everyday all day. Im 100% committed to creating the right situation for my current situation, Joe Sharpe taught me that.

WKT: If you hadn't injured your ankle prior to Conference Post Season Play, do you think Northern Illinois could have been in the mix to win the Conference Tourney?

XS: Oh no question

WKT: If you were an NBA scout, how would you evaluate Xavier Silas?

XS: A tough kid who is seasoned, polished and proven. Wont get out worked.


WKT: I enjoyed your video(s) on Dime's website, what led to your decision to dress up for each workout? Was it solely your idea, or was it a piece of advice you received prior to the start of the workouts?

XS: I have always been the one who overdresses. I dressed like this on road trips during the season. I just got done with this bulls workout and I have a full Ralph Lauren suit on. Its just who I am.

WKT: What are your thoughts on your Pre-Draft experience, namely the workouts?

XS: It is a crazy experience. So much travel and the competition is really intense because we are only on the court for an hour. Overall it is a good time but it is more about your body of work, not about these workouts.

WKT: What's a part of your game that you feel needs improvement?

XS: l'll get with my guru, Sundance Wicks, and figure out what I need to tweak and rep. But when I ask teams what I need to work on they just tell me keep doing what I do.

WKT. How well does your game translate to the next level in your opinion?

XS: It well translate beautifully, no more double teams or box and ones. It will be a wonderful thing. follow me @xaviersilas

Chris Singleton Interview

2011 NBA Mock Draft

The Draft is roughly a week away, check back to see how we did!!

1. Cleveland- Kyrie Irving 16. Philadelphia- Jeremy Tyler

2. Minnesota- Enes Kanter 17. New York- Josh Selby

3. Utah Jazz- Derrick Williams 18. Washington-Kenneth Faried

4. Cleveland- Jonas Valanciunas 19. Charlotte- Marcus Morris

5. Toronto- Brandon Knight 20. Minnesota- Marshon Brooks

6. Washington- Chris Singleton 21. Portland- Markieff Morris

7. Sacramento- Kemba Walker 22. Denver- Tobias Harris

8. Detroit- Tristian Thompson 23. Houston- Nikola Vuceuic

9. Charlotte- Kawhi Leonard 24. Thunder- Justin Harper

10. Milwaukee- Alec Burks 25. Boston-Jajuan Johnson

11. Golden State- Klay Thompson 26. Dallas-Bismack Biyombo

12. Utah- Jimmer Fredette 27. New Jersey- Tyler Honeycutt

13. Phoenix-Jordan Hamilton 28. Chicago- Xavier Silas

14. Rockets- Jan Vessley 29. San Antonio- Jon Leur

15. Indiana- Donatas Montiejunas 30. Chicago- Charles Jenkins

Congrats Dallas Mavericks!!

I'd like to congratulate Dirk and the Mavericks, the best team won the NBA Finals. Dirk really impressed me this season with his mental toughness, I've never really been a Dirk fan per say (probably still not) yet what he showed me this year was enough for me to have gained much more respect for his game. Dirk getting a ring will only enhance his legacy, not only did he lead his team through the tough Western Conference; but many of those Finals games were won by him putting his team on his shoulders. In the closeout game, his team was there for him as he struggled. His team came to play and they ended up routing the Heat in South Beach!! I think one of the things that wasn't really thought about going into this series was the experience that the Mavs had, this was a veteran laden team. This is why they performed so well down the stretch in tough games, all of these players have been down those roads before. Not to mention Coach Rick Carlisle, Carlisle was brilliant throughout these playoffs with his game plans and adjustments. Looking back on it, Carlisle truly out-coached EVERYONE of his counter parts and his team always looked the most prepared. They truly befuddled LeBron James, James said multiple times that he couldn't get to the paint. I don't think it was true, it only appeared that way. The same thing was happening when Wade attacked the basket, difference was experience as Wade was still able to slice through the defense. It was almost as if the Mavs deliberately attacked LeBron's basketball IQ, he thought he was doing the right thing by not forcing it; yet he ended up settling for the Jumpers that the Mavs wanted him to take. I'd like to credit my My M.O.S teammate Miss Shawnna for bringing that up extremely early in this series, she mentioned that Carlise's ability to stick to his game plan would pay dividends and she was right! Jason Terry and Deshawn Stevenson backed up their talk with very great basketball, Tyson Chandler finally reached his potential and anchored this defense to a Championship. The Mavs have some in house things to take care of as several key members of this team are unrestricted free agents, it only gets better for them next year as they will have a healthy Caron Butler!!

Josh Wells Interview

Khalil Conteh Interview

Why I PIty LeBron James...

I have never been a fan, but I've never wished failure upon him either. Mr. LeBron James has reached an extremely tough place in his life, this is the first time that he's had to truly look at the man in the mirror. Mr.James had done an incredible job of living up to much of his hype upon entering the NBA. He had a lot of you fooled, you saw flashes of brilliance and instantly projected those moments to those of dominance. Flashes of Brilliance and the ability to be dominant are on two opposite ends of the spectrum, Mr. James has the ability to affect the game in so many ways that it seemed logical to confuse that "potential" with projected reality. Many of you failed to judge him on one of the most important things when it comes to sports, the thing that beats inside your chest. That intangible is what allows extremely talented players to transcend into that upper echelon of Super Star, the place where Legends reside. I often remember a quote I've heard several times, "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." This statement speaks volumes when I think of Mr. James. Fact: he is by far the most talented player in the NBA. The problem is that he doesn't truly work hard, his supporters get blinded by the boxscores. While he may have had a triple-double, if you look at the bigger picture Mr. James surrendered 21 points to Jason Terry. If one were to take a step back and look at this entire playoff run, one would be able to see that the player that Mr. James has been responsible defensively has gone off in every round. Andre Iguadola had a decent series, Paul Pierce burned him(when he wasn't in foul trouble), Luol Deng had his best playoff series ever, and we even had a resurgence of the "Matrix" when Shawn Marion was exremely productive in Games 1 & 2. The reason Marion has been a little quieter was that Mr. Wade is now responsible for him defensively. Jason Terry had a terrible first 2 games when guarded by anybody other than Mr. James, since Mr. James has been on him Terry has become a signifigant contribtor offensively. Many people also become enamored by Mr. James offensive stat lines, back to that triple-double last night..Mr. James wasn't very efficient in getting to his 17 points on 8-19 shooting. Enough people are already piling on Mr. James, I'm not trying to add to it I just want people to look at the bigger picture when they look at him. Mr. James never had me believing that he had the intangibles to be the player everyone wants him to be, this is not an I told you so, it's simply a reminder that one should wait before blindly hitching yourself to a player for what he "could" be. There is another part of this that many might not want to hear, Mr. James isn't the best player on the Miami roster. He's just the one with the most "upside," this happens in football all the time. It's just no one (the media) wanted to take the time to look at the big picture before calling Mr. James the future of the leauge. For example, very few saw Wade becoming this type of player because of his lack of "upside." Wade's intangibles on the otherhand are what allows him to be so dominant, I think Wade's dominance is something that Mr. James is struggling to adjust to. I'm sure Mr. James has been the best player by far on every team he's played on, only this time that isn't the case. I'm sure it's apparent to him, but I think he's struggling to find out who he is vs the "hype." The Heat aren't going to accomplish anything prior to Mr. James just accepting who he is, but as long as he continues to be worried about what everybody thinks than the "Decision" is going to be the "Reason" that the "Big 3" failed. Mr. James does have the ability to figure this out, the problem is that it starts from within. When he learns to tune out all voices but his own, that's when the "Decision" will have payed off. I'm thought I would be happy if and when this happened, instead I feel nothing but sadness and pity. Adversity does different things to different people, hopefully this guy can come out the other side a better man. If not, than he's going to be remembered forever as basketball's version of Alex Rodriguez. Mr. James, like Mr. Rodriguez has been blessed with all the God given tools. It's up to Mr. James to get his heart to start beating, whether that happens or not let this be a reminder that you shouldn't fall in love with "upside," the intangibles go a lot further.

Game 4 Recap

What a game, what a game! This has turned out to be a great series, especially since many wanted to crown Miami as soon as we knew they would be playing Dallas in the Finals. So where do we start with this particular game. It seemed to have started just like all the other games, then at a certain point Miami turns up the intensity and takes a nice double-digit lead. Here is the thing, they should know by now same as we as fans know, you can not count the Mavericks out at any time. They find ways to manufacture baskets the same as a baseball team who may be down a few runs. They don't go straight for the long ball, they get a couple doubles, a couple singles and the next thing you know the game is tied, this is what Dallas has done the last three games. The 4th quarter of every game is where it has been won with the exception of game1. The tables have turned, it seems like Miami is the team whose back is up against the wall when it comes down to the 4th quarter where as before they were the team tormenting everyone they played this post-season, in the 4th quarter. Dallas' defense has been great late in the game, and they are making the necessary baskets. Although some of their guys are not playing their best, (Barea, Terry, Kidd), they know it's all business in the 4th. Last night we saw a Dallas team that was a little more hungry then Miami. Lebron James did not play a good game last night, and that didn't help the cause for Miami. 8pts in four quarters of basketball when playing 45 minutes is unacceptable when you are Lebron James. But in all honesty, they were still in the game without him doing much on offense, but I'm sure if James gave you at least 17 (his average in the series) this would have been a different outcome. The way he played last night was not the same attacking James we've seen this whole postseason and I think this is another thing that may have hurt Miami Tuesday night. The play that won Dallas the game though was the one on one match up with Dirk and Haslem. Haslem is a great defender don't get me wrong, but we saw this same play in game 2 on Bosh, and game 3 on Haslem although he missed that one I'm still taking Dirk nine out of ten times. I just don't see them beating Dirk every time when it calls for a last shot, or an isolation. Why not double Dirk and make some one else beat you? Well they didn't, and Dirk took advantage of the match up. Remember, to end game 3 that's the match up they were given and Dirk missed the last shot, but not on this night. Knowing he wasn't shooting the ball that well, for him to go to the basket was the right "basketball play". So now it's up to "The Big 3" of Miami to tie this game up. Who was the hot man last night, Wade, but due to an almost disastrous turnover the Heat have to put up a shot that they really did not want, so give credit to the pressure of the Mavs defense. Now the series is tied up 2-2 and remember we are still in Dallas. I think whoever wins game 5 will go on to win this series.

Contracts - Food For Thought

So in this great City of Chicago, bad contracts for our sports teams have become somewhat of a sore subject. Now I'm sure the same can be said for many other cities. After all, who likes a bad contract and when isn't it a glaring problem concerning the future of your favorite team? However, if you're taking a look at the 4 major sports (Football, Basketball, Baseball, and Hockey) you can be sure to find at least one of them on every team. You can argue that the Bears and Blackhawks in this topic don't have a bad contract. Overpaid though....Julius Peppers? Jay Cutler? Brian Campbell? Maybe. But that's an argument for a different blog. That's nothing compared to what Chicago baseball and basketball fans have had to watch this spring/summer. The Bulls signed Carlos Boozer to a 5 year 80 million dollar deal at the beginning of the year only to watch him play terrible defense all season (and postseason) and have only 3 (that's right 3) 20-10 games in the postseason. Rumors have already been circulating that the Bulls will be looking to move him this offseason. Which may prove difficult with that huge contract and the threat of a labor halt looming. He's 29 and turning 30 this November but clearly looks much older than that getting his shot blocked numerous times per game. You can blame it on the "turf toe" but his game was already spiraling down before that injury occurred in the Pacers series. Bottom line - this guy is not who the Bulls thought they were bringing in. But his name has been dragged though the mud enough. Lets move on to the South Side of the city where the White Sox have managed to spend tons of money on very little production. Adam Dunn is batting .176 so far this year. He can't hit lefties and has been sitting in favor of Brent Lillibridge who by the way is also out slugging Mr. Dunn this year. If anything, that's what is most concerning. Adam Dunn is only slugging .309 this season. That's more than 200 points off his career average of .514. You can say it's early, but Sox fans don't want to hear that anymore (probably because it's not that early anymore and he hasn't shown many flashes of what was paid for). That contract is 4 years at 56 million. Yuck. Potentially and even worse looking contract on the south side is Alex Rios. He's batting an unhealthy .199 slugging just over .300 and also has been seeing plenty of time on the bench to make room for productive players. He's signed through 2014 with a team option for 2015 getting paid 7yrs 70 million. There's a reason Toronto waived him to begin with. He has been a decent player throughout the years and a good defensive center fielder but not for that kind of cash. We don't even need to bring up the terrible contracts on the North side of town...those fans have just accepted it at this point. Everyone knows Alfonso Soriano should be arrested for stealing the Cubs money because he's terrible and getting paid 18 million a year to be just that. Perhaps a more glaring issue now is the Aramis Ramirez deal because at least he's been productive up until last season. Where did all that go? Now you have two guys with bad contracts stinking up the joint, and a third one in Zambrono calling his squad a Triple A team after Marmol blows a save. At least Ramirez will be gone after the season, but still one more year of Zambrano as he is unlikely to waive his no trade clause and 2 more years of Soriano as no one is likely to want him, even if the cubs eat most of what's left on his deal. I don't know about you, but if I could do some things over again...I'd start by sending these options back to the kitchen.

NBA Finals: Game 3 Recap

NBA Finals Game 3 Podcast

NBA Finals Podcast w/Miss Shawnna

NBA Finals Game 1

Game 1 is in the books and the Miami Heat are 3 wins away from their goal. The Big 3 were just part of another total team effort as the Heat beat the Mavericks 92-84. Dallas came into this game with a high octane offense, the Heat came into this game boasting one of the NBA's better defensive units. Well defense won this game as Miami held Dallas to just 37.3% shooting, Dallas did hold the Heat to 38% in the loss. Many people assume that the Heat spend an absurd amount of time at the free throw line, well not in this game as Dallas had 32 attempts to the Heat's 26 attempts. Miami didn't even take advantage of their trips to the line only connecting on 73% of them. Dallas played some pretty inspiring D for a half, the only member of the Big 3 that went off in the 1st half was Bosh. Bosh finished with 13 points and 7 rebounds, Mario Chalmers had a great first half as well knocking down several 3's! Dirk was Dirk througout the night getting his points with ease, the Mavs led at the half. The 2nd half started with a run by the Mavericks, then the other 2 of the big 3 got going. They combined for 17 points in the first half and they EXPLODED for 29 points in the 2nd half. The difference down the stretch was Miami's defense hit another gear, they were EVERYWHERE. Their rotations were perfect, every shot was contested, and they got out in transition. If Miami's defense continues to play at this level, Dallas can really be in some trouble. Other than Dirk, the Mavs really struggled to score. They need production from their bench and they hardly got any in Game 1. Game 2 is Thursday in Miami, Dallas needs to shoot better to steal Game 2. They aslso need to be just as focused on D!!

-Dirk has ruptured a tendon in his non-shooting hand
-Dallas shot only 1 two point attempt in the first 16 minutes
-LeBron hit 4 of 5 shots from three
-Miami won the battle of the benches 27-17