Wednesday, July 30, 2008

My Thoughts On This Blockbuster Trade

I just recently heard the breaking news.

Ron Artest is heading to the Houston Rockets for Bobby Jackson and a first round pick.

Well first you have to give credit to the Rockets G.M. Dawson for pulling off this magnificent trade. Hell, this trade is so beautiful that he should be getting a raise in his salary.

Now as for the Maloof brothers you got to be furious if your a Kings or an non Rocket fan at them. I've been hearing for years that this team is in "Rebuilding Mode". Well, I'm tired of hearing this from the Kings front office. Those fans in Sacramento are easily one of the best fans in the league. They have been patient enough with this organization.

Why would you trade for a 35 year old if your in rebuilding mode?


I am honestly disgusted with the Maloof brothers right now. They had their chance to get quality young players for Artest. They could've gotten a player like Lamar Odom with someone like Luke Walton or Vladimir Radmonvic. Instead you take a 35 year old who has NEVER played a full NBA season healthy. Even if Bobby Jackson some how plays the full season healthy he still wont be able to bring the production Lamar Odom can put up.

The Sacramento Kings are the worst team in the league now talent wise. Their gonna make a good coach like Reggie Theus look like nothing when their at the bottom of the NBA. The only quality players they have on this team is Beno Uriuh, Fransisco Garcia, Brad Miller, Miki Moore, Shareef Abdur-Rahim (When healthy), Bobby Jackson (when healthy), and Kevin Martin.

This Kings management has to do something quick if they don't want to be the joke of the league. I have nothing else to say about this organization. I'm done. Their a complete waste of my time. I'm sorry to all loyal King fans.

This trade automatically puts Houston in front of everyone in the league. I dont even think my Lakers match up well against this team. Their starting line up will be looking like this:

C. Yao Ming/ Dikembe Mutombo
PF. Luis Scola/ Carl Laundry
SF. Ron Artest/ Shane Battie
SG. Tracy Mcgrady/ Brent Barry/ Steve Francis (great player when healthy)
PG. Rafer Alston/ Luther Head

Thats an amazing staring line up right there. Look for this Rocket team to be one of the leagues best defenses due to the trade.

Why I pick the Rockets over the Lakers?

Now that the Lakers lost Ronni Turiaf and couldn't sign someone like Kwame Brown to body up on Yao Ming they dont have a good back up big man to compete with this strong Rocket team. Criticize Kwame Brown all you want but one thing you cant take away from him is his defense. He is actually the best defender to match up with Yao Ming that this league has. Second that comes to Brown is Kendrick Perkins.

This is what really hurts the Lakers, The Rockets have the two best one on one defenders in the league. We all know that when it comes to crunch time the Lakers offense goes from the Triangle Offense to the Kobe Bryant offense. Kobe will have to be on the top of his game to beat Ron Artest and Shane Battie on offense. Kobe will probably be to tired to out last both of these defenders. Then again, Who am I to question the best player in the league?

As of right now

Rockets > Lakers.

I did feel this Rocket team was already gonna be in the top 5 in the league when Yao returned because they finally started to click together. Now with Ron Artest their arguably the most stacked team since the 04 "Dream Team" Lakers with Malone, Payton, Kobe, and Shaq.

However the biggest disadvantage that the Rockets have is Ron Artest. Let me explain.

As much as I love this trade for the Rockets they forget how devilish Ron Artest can be. He is not the guy thats gonna bring joy to the locker room. Hes known to be a chemistry killer. Remember Ron Artest was on that very talented Pacer team, playing with players like Jermaine O'Neal, Reggie Miller, and Stephen Jackson. Slowly but surely due to Ron Artest behavior the team went down hill.

What does Ron Artest need?

Its simple really he needs a "Leader". Tracy and Yao aren't those kind of leaders that can change Artest like a Kobe Bryant or Kevin Garnett can. Artest needs someone like those two to be at the top of his game.

If the Rockets can solve that big problem they have in hand they'll be one hell of a team.

Top 3 Teams In The League Talent Wise:
1. Houston Rockets
2. Los Angeles Lakers
3. Boston Celtics

This is the toughest the league has looked since 1998.

Thank you for reading

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Get it done - Sam Amick

"Sam Amick, the writer from sacramento who re-ignited the Lamar for Artest trade rumor, was interviewed on a sacramento radio show on 7/8 and discussed the Ron Artest situation. He actually drops quite a bombshell in the interview that I'm shocked hasn't broken widely...

He said in the interview that a lower member of the Buss family basically told Mitch to get it done. "Get it done" as in get a deal for Artest done. He mentions the same pieces he did in his blog. We would have to give up Lamar and take on Kenny Thomas.

"
_________________________________________________________________________
Now I'm not to sure if the Lakers should pull through with this trade. Lamar Odom has said in the past that hes wanted to finish his career as a Laker. People don't realize how much drama this man has encountered in LA. His first year as a Laker his grandma passed away. She was the one who took care of him as a child when his mom passed away at the age of 13. So that had a big impact on his life emotionally. He still was able to go throughout the whole season playing with heart. Two Summers later his son Lamar Jr. passed away at just six months because he couldn't breath.



The death of his son led to sadness. He then showed up to training camp that Summer out of shape because he was to discouraged to play basketball. Yet on the game opener VS the Phoenix Suns he put on one of the greatest games hes ever played. Without Kobe Bryant he led his team to victory over the heavily favored Suns.



He put up:

34 points on 50% shooting, 13 boards, and 6 assist.



At one point in the game he hit a break away three which led to a Phoenix time out. During that time out Lamar got a little emotional because he was doing it for his loved ones.



Lamar Odom is here to win a championship unlike Artest who cares about the money a little bit more. Artest is a great player don't get me wrong but he lacks that heart which Lamar shows everytime he steps on the court.



Artest actually was asked if he would take less money to play for a championship team and he said: "Not in a million years" Thats how important money is to this talented young man.



If I'm Mitch Kupchak I do NOT trade Lamar and trade players like Radmonovic, Mihm, and Farmar.



Lamar would be a great fit when Bynum comes back. Pressure would not be on him. That means he can be what he always wanted to be a rebounder and good passer on offense. He would be a complete mis- match for many at that position (SF) because hes a 6 - 10 ball handler who can run the floor, post you up, defend, rebound, and make good passes out of the triangle offense. One thing that he does not posses is a good consistent outside jumper. That is one of the reasons why they want Lamar out. They feel you need to be able to shoot the ball to be a great SF.



Which is ridiculous if you ask me. We already have enough shooters on the floor. Gasol, Bryant, and Fisher. Good old fashion offense is scoring in the paint not taking jumpers.



Men are made in the paint - Bill Walton

Thank you for reading.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Proffesional Sports = Business

Many people think that professional sports is some kind of joke. They think that these players just go and play basketball, baseball, football, and soccer then come back home like the little leagues.




People don't take in consideration how hard these players like Kobe Bryant, Leonel Messi, Vanessa Williams, Tiger Woods and so on work everyday to be the best they can be. These hard working athletes put in the extra time to be the best they can be. Their the best for a reason. They weren't born being the best. They had to work to be the best.




Then there some dumb people who say "Why dont teachers earn more money than a professional athlete when their making a difference in the world?"

You should ask the government that question. Hell, ask them why Prostitutes earn more money than teachers when their giving people AIDS. NBA/ NFL/NHL/FIFA/MLB do not get money from the government like schools do. These sports make their own money by themselves. Their job is to earn money by making people like their sport.




For Example:

We all know Soccer is the worlds primary sport. However, in America its not as popular as Football, Baseball, and Basketball. Thats why the MLS is bringing all these players like David Beckham and C. Blanco just to name a few to make Soccer look good in America.




More fans = More Money.




Stupid quote I once heard. "These players are having fun when they play basketball when teachers like Mrs. ***** are trying to make society better.


"

Thats a ridiculous statement.




Sure these athletes have fun when they play their own respective sport.




But then again heres the real question, Arent you supposed to love what you do for a living?

Heres another dumb statement
"I can run like these basketball players if you pay me a million dollars"

They dont get the point. These players don't put in all the extra sweat when their already getting payed big bucks. They do it because they love it.




Heres one of Kobe Bryants daily routines which he doesn't have to do because hes already guaranteed 136 million for the 7 years hes playing for the Lakers.




The workout is the called the "666 workout". 6 hours a day, 6 days a week, 6 months a year.




Consists of:
2 hours of running
2 hours of basketball
1 hour of Cardio (boxing, jump rope, etc)
1 hour of Weights which are listed below:

Day 1 & Day 4
Bench press
Lat pull-downs
Incline press
Military press
Abdominal crunches

Day 2 & Day 5
Lateral dumbbell raises
Bar dips
Tricep press-downs
Bicep curls
Abdominal crunches

Day 3 & Day 6
Back squats/Front squats
Leg curls
Leg extensions
Calf raises
Abdominal crunches

I would love to see the haters do that while playing a 82 game long NBA season + playoffs and Olympics.




Like I said pro sports is a business. You have to watch what you do because you know the media watching you. You have to watch how you spend the million dollars you have. You sometimes have to back stab your your fans and former teammates to be on top like Elton Brand just did to the Clippers by signing with another team.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

My Take On Shaqs Rap

Shaq is truly one of the greatest players to ever play the game. He literally changed the game because he was so dominate.

How did he literally change the game?
Shaq was so dominant in the 90s that the NBA had to put in a 3 second violation just to keep him away from the paint. He was just to strong to keep out of the lane in his prime. He was dunking on everyone when he got in the paint. The NBA wont admit that Shaq was the reason but its clear that Shaq had something to do with the rule change.

Now, he has always been dominant but people give him a little to much credit than he really deserves. Shaq has always had a great player along side him to make him look good. I'm not talking about just a good player. I'm talking about franchise players who can lead their teams to championships as well.

First he had the great Penny Hardaway who was having a great career until the injury bug hit him. The man was averaging 22 points and 7 assist in only his 3rd season.

The problem was that Shaq & Penny had trouble working together. All of this tension made Shaq leave and sign with the LA Lakers after getting swept by the Chicago Bulls.

Now that he left to the Lakers he would team up with the future of the NBA Kobe Bryant. Lets keep in mind Kobe Bryant did not start for the Lakers his rookie season. He was actually the 3rd string SG for the Lakers at the time. Shaq did not win a title until they finally gave Kobe time to play and develop. Thats right Shaq was not leading a talented Laker team to the finals until Kobe finally developed. Keep in mind Kobe began starting for the Lakers in his 3rd year. Where he immediately put up 20 points on 46% shooting along with 4 assist and 5 boards. The following year where Kobe was a starter for 2 years now with his new coach Phil Jackson they won a championship. That year with the help of Kobe Shaq won the MVP of the league.

Its funny how people think Shaq carried Kobe to a title. Keep in mind Micheal Jordan didn't win a title until Scottie Pippen came off the bench and helped him win it. With Shaq getting all the half deserved media attention Kobe started to get angry with the situation. Kobe knew he was the best player in the league at the time yet hes treated as the side kick to Shaq.

After the Lakers winning 3 straight titles they began the 02-03 season slowly. Which led to conflict between Kobe and Shaq. Kobe began with Shaq being out of shape while Shaq told reporters that Kobe was shooting the ball to much. All of this conflict led to the Lakers losing to the Spurs that year and losing to the Pistons the following year in the finals. If these two could've played together even with the media favoring Shaq they could've won as many titles as they pleased.

Its funny how stupid people are in thinking that 04 Piston team was better than the Lakers when really injuries and bad chemistry affected the Lakers. Lets not get off subject because I've covered this a million times. Stupid fans will never understand.

After getting beat by the Pistons in 04 Shaq Demanded to be traded. Not only was he mad at Kobe but he was mad at Jerry Buss for not giving him the contract extension he wanted because he felt Shaq was getting out of shape.

This is where Shaq goes to the Miami Heat and pairs up with another great upcoming star Dwayne Wade. People then started blaming Kobe when Shaq won another championship even though they ignore the fact that Shaq was carried to the finish line by Dwayne Wade. Dwayne Wade was the one who won finals MVP while Shaq was getting the UNDESERVED CREDIT AGAIN. Its funny how Shaq got swept the very next year by the Bulls when he had a injured Dwayne Wade. Yet hes portrayed as some kind of hero.

Then Shaq actually had the guts to say this after Pat Riley told him he needed to get in shape. He yelled at the hall of fame coach saying "maybe you should get me some better players to work with". Shaq then leaves the worst team in the league Miami Heat and injured Dwayne Wade and goes off and pairs off with Amare Stodemare and Steve Nash.

Shaq has never had a bad team to work with. While Kobe was setting pick and rolls with Kwame Brown and dishing it out to Smush Parker to hit the open jumper. Amazing thing is that Kobe still led that team to the playoffs with 45 wins in the tougher Western Conference while averaging 35 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assist per game. Kobe also had his team ahead 3 - 1 with the much superior Suns at the time. Kobe could've been in the second round if this were the old Shaq era rules with the best out of 5 series instead of 7.

Then you see Shaq insult Kobe in his rap when he was the one that got kicked out of the first round while a injured Kobe (torn ligament) led his Bynum less Lakers to the finals.

Heres is what Kobe said about Shaqs rap.

When
Asked how he took the video, Bryant shook his head and said, “I didn’t take it any kind of way whatsoever.”

Its pretty obvious whose the mature one out of the two. Kobe.

In Shaqs rap he also blames Kobe for his divorce which happened this year to be specific. He said Kobe ratted Shaq out during his trail.

How in the hell are you going to get a divorce for something that happened 4 years ago? Shaq has no sense. Hes the one who needs to grow up and move on like Kobe did a long time ago.


I love it how Shaq also says this in his rap.

"That's like Kareem saying to himself he better than me"

Shaq right there just disrespected a legend. Last time I checked this man had more championships and MVPs than you do. Kareem played at a high level even when he was 40 years old unlike Shaq. Kareems the NBAs greatest scorer with 38,387 points while Shaq still 10,000 + points behind him with 26,286 points. Shaq has no business comparing himself to Kareem Abdul - Jabbar.

Kareem > Shaq easily.





Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Sasha Vujacic Guarantees

He basically said the Lakers will go all the way next year.

Heres his statement he told reporters

“Next year, especially with Andrew and the same group, we won’t be short two games like we were this year; I can guarantee you that,” Vujacic said. “We are going to work really hard. Personally, I’m going to work myself really hard in the gym all summer. We want to win it. We lost our first (NBA) Finals, and I think we have a lot more to go.



Wow! Remember this Laker team is one of the youngest groups in the league. Their oldest player is Derek Fisher who is only 33 years old. Having this NBA finals experience helps them a lot.



Its pretty obvious their a very talented and confident YOUNG group. With Bynum they feel they can destroy anybody even the world champions Boston Celtics. With Bynum Lakers are just much more stronger and longer than any other front court in the league. Bynum and Gasol are both 7 footers. Along with a work horse like Lamar Odom their just to big to box out during rebounds. Perkins played against a much smaller player (Odom) and got him in foul trouble in the first 4 games of the series. Perkins will have a tougher time over powering a strong 7 footer like Andrew Bynum.



That would make defensive match ups completely different for the Celtics. The back court would be the same match ups but the front court is a different story. This would be the defensive match ups Celtics would have to go with.



Rondo on Fisher
Allen on Bryant
Paul on Odom
Kevin on Gasol
Perkins on Bynum

This creates a lot of problems for the Celtics. Gasol would get Kevin Garnett in foul trouble. If Gasol is committed on being aggressive like he was game 5 of the NBA finals. Garnett is not strong enough to contain Pau Gasol and not be able to keep him away from the rim like Kendrick Perkins can. Dont believe me go back to game 5 where Perkins wasn't there to guard Gasol and that got Garnett in a lot of foul trouble.



People need to realize that Kevin Garnett is not THAT good of a 1 on 1 defender.



What made Kevin Garnett Defensive Player of The Year?

Kevin Garnett is a good "Defensive Anchor". He sees the floor very well and tells his players where to rotate when the ball moves. Hes a good help defender. Hes a good weak side shot blocker. Him being a player that plays with a lot of passion at both ends, inspires his teammates to play hard on defense. He lead his team to being the leagues best defensive team in points allowed and low field goal percentage.



I mean honestly people, if DPOTY award was about 1 on 1 defense you would see players like Kobe Bryant, Shane Battie, Ron Artest, and Bruce Bowen take it every year. Kevin Garnett won the award simply by being a great defensive anchor.



Its like saying MVP should go to the leagues best player. Then Kobe would have it every year.



Getting Garnett in foul trouble would be even a bigger problem for the Celtics. Sure you can put in Leon Powe or PJ Brown but Lakers could easily outrun their heavy line up. If Celtics put in Big Baby Glen Davis or Posey that would create length problems while they guard Gasol.



Celtics just do not match up well with a healthy Laker team. Its funny how this Celtic team fooled all of you in thinking their such a good offensive team. They did just average 100 points during the season. While a Bynum less Laker team averaged 108 points on 48% shooting. Lakers just decided to not to play defense during the finals.



Heres another quote that made me happy.



Bynum said this: In an interview toward the end of the regular season, Bynum said he wanted to stay with the team and did not necessarily expect a maximum contract extension of about $80 million.”I just want to be a Laker,” he said. “As long as they treat me right, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t have to be max [money] for me. I just want to be able to live comfortably and take care of my family.



Bynum is proud to be on the greatest franchise of all time. He knows hes wearing the jersey of possibly the greatest players of all time Kareem, Magic, Wilt, and Shaq all wore.



Bynum is only 20 years old. After Kobe the torch will be passed down to the young fella.



His best year will be

25 points and 14 rebounds.





According to BetExpress. com the Lakers are 2-1 favorites to win the NBA championship. Which is next year 08 - 09.



* Lakers 2-1
* Celtics 4-1
* Spurs 8-1
* Pistons 10-1
* Hornets 15-1
* Suns 15-1
* Jazz 15-1
* Cavs 15-1

Like I said before I'm comfortable as a fan. This Laker team will most likely surpass the Celtics in titles.



We'll see you next year Boston. Except this time Lakers will have home court advantage in the finals.




Lakers are the team of the future - Bill Walton