Last year, the same situation happened. The San Antonio Spurs are playing the Miami Heat for the NBA championship. I was excited for this new matchup last year, but now I feel like it is a repeat of last year. I like when a different team comes into the finals and no one really knows what to expect out of them but with these two you already know what you are going to get. Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Tony Parker, Dwayne Wade it is the same as last year. However, the NBA switched the NBA Finals format to 2-2-1-1-1 instead of just 2-3-2. I think it is nice that they are changing it back but I find it funny that when San Antonio gets the home court advantage they switch the format. I just think it is a bit funky but I am sure it is just for the better of the league. Anyway, let me get to my predictions on the NBA Finals. I think that the Spurs will win this in 7. I think the Spurs will take game 1, Miami will take games 2 and 3, San Antonio will take games 4 and 5, Miami will take game 6, and San Antonio will take game 7. This is my opinion and I can explain why. The Spurs have the experience along with the youth. The experience is coming from Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Tim Duncan. The youth comes from players like Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. Miami has great players like LeBron, Wade, and Bosh, but they don’t seem to have enough youth out of rookies. I just don’t think they can win a third straight ring. Anyway, these are my NBA Finals predictions, tell me in the comments below who you think will win and what you think will happen in the NBA Finals. Thanks for reading and please comment!
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The time has come. After about a month of NBA Playoff basketball, the teams have narrowed down to four: The Miami Heat, the Indiana Pacers, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s not much of a surprise for most of us. These four teams made it but not so easily. Their competitors shocked them into better play. Miami is the only team that actually got a break, but the rest of these teams had to duke it out. The Pacers had to go to game 7 to get rid of the 8-seeded Hawks, and they had to play the Wizards in 6. The Spurs were awaken in the first round against the 8th-seeded Mavericks with the series going to 7 games, but they blew by the Trail Blazers in the next round. Finally, the Thunder with season MVP Kevin Durant, were annoyed by the tenacity of the Grizzlies taking the series to 7 games, followed by some favorable calls to send the Clippers fishing in 6 games. Now, the finals are hear. Two exciting matchups with the number 1-seeded Pacers vs the number 2-seeded Heat, and the number 1-seeded Spurs vs the number 2-seeded Thunder. My prediction is that we will see the Heat vs. Thunder face off for the championship. Let me tell you why. If this was the beginning of the season, I probably would have picked Indiana, but the way Indiana has struggled against teams like the Hawks and Wizards, I have no choice but to go with the Heat in 6. I feel like the series will be tied 2-2 and Miami will steal a game on the road, and go back to the finals. For the Pacers to truly have a chance, their offense will have to dominate with stellar performances from George, Stephenson, West, and Hibbert. I feel that if one of them is not making shots, the Heat will burn them. Although, I’d prefer the Pacers, my opinion on this match up favors the Heat over Pacers in 6. Now, the Thunder versus the Spurs is a more competitive match up. The Thunder swept the Spurs in the season series, and to me I am going stick with the way the regular season went. I am going with the Thunder in 5 games. I think San Antonio will get game 1 but then lose the rest. In my opinion, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are way too much for the San Antonio Spurs. Consider the one-on-one match ups. Tim Duncan is guarded by Serge Ibaka, Tony Parker is guarded by Russell Westbrook, Manu Ginobili is guarded by Thabo Sefelosha, and Kawhi Leonard is guarded by Kevin Durant. The Thunder have the edge in each case so I really can’t see the Thunder losing this series to the Spurs. I predict that the Thunder will take it in 5 games. I hope I am wrong because I’d prefer to avoid another matchup between the Heat and the Thunder for the title. Although the rematch between KD and LeBron will be fun to watch, it would have been nice to shine the spotlight on some other great players in the league. What do you think? Do you think there will be any upsets during the finals? Please comment and let me know your predictions. Thanks for reading. Please comment! There are moments in your life that you will always remember. And one of these moments happened to me yesterday. I had the opportunity to be a guest on an awesome sports radio show talking basketball. And it was all during a vacation to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. @AverageJoes1450 is in Massachusetts is now my favorite radio show of all-time. The host was Kyle "KB" Belanger (@kylebelanger1) who I got to know and he is a really nice guy. The experience of being on this radio show was incredible. To be honest, I was a bit nervous before the show but once I was by the microphone and had my headset on I felt as if I were right at home. It was a lot of fun talking with Kyle and his co-hosts and answering some tough questions with my brother against two interns. I had an unbelievable time. It was an exhilarating experience and I’d do it again in a split-second. My brother and I hope to pursue a career in sports media someday. Listen to the interview below... While the radio show was clearly my vacation highlight, the hall of fame was pretty awesome too! I had a great time traveling back in basketball history and exploring the unlimited amounts of great players. MJ, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem, Magic, Bird, Russell, Mikan, Ewing, and so many more great players to discover and learn about. If you are going to Massachusetts soon and reading this right now, the Hall of Fame is the place to go. If you are small and want to know what it feels like to dunk on a basketball rim, then you can enter the dunk line at the basketball court below all of the basketball memorabilia and you can dunk like my brother and I did. I have to say, it was pretty cool. There are also various types of baskets. They even have one replicating the early days so the net is a bucket, it is awesome! If you love basketball, you should certainly consider planning a trip soon. In Boston, we also were able to catch the Celtics versus the Wizards at TD Garden. I enjoyed being in another stadium where you could literally feel the love for the Celtics, even during a down season. The game was pretty much a throwaway but the Boston pride and spirit was certainly alive in TD Garden. This has been a vacation to remember. And it came at the right time because it was pretty much a season to forget with the Knicks (and the Celtics for that matter). Kyle Belanger "KB" and The Average Joe Show. (@AverageJoes1450 is on from 5-7 PM) Website: 1450TheHall.com and the Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152776927469517 In the comments section below, tell us if you have ever had an experience on the radio as a caller or a guest speaker. Also, if you have been to the hall of fame tell us your thoughts. As always, thanks for reading! Please comment. With the NBA playoffs starting yesterday, I was thinking about all the underdogs and the definite winners of each series. Like I did last year, I will be making predictions on the NBA playoffs in the 1st round, 2nd round, conference finals, and the finals, but today we start with the NBA’s 1st round predictions. We will start with the East and then move to the West. First up, Pacers-Hawks. The 1 seeded Pacers are preparing to take on the 8 seeded Hawks in a best-of-7 series. My prediction for this series is Pacers in 6. The way the Hawks have been playing this year makes me feel like they can win 2 games against a very stacked Pacers team, but I feel like the Pacers are just way too dominant. Next, the Heat play the Bobcats. My prediction for this series is Heat in a sweep. I like the Bobcats making their second appearance to the playoffs this year, but I still don’t think they can pull off their first playoff win in franchise history. I know I am not the biggest Heat fan in the world but I still think they will move on to the next round. The 3 and 6 seeds in the East are the Raptors and Nets. My prediction for this is Nets in 6. The Raptors did a great job getting into the playoffs and gaining home court advantage but they are playing a way more experienced team. However, I still think the Raptors can pull out 2 games. The Nets can probably take this one easily because of the way they have been playing since the all-star break (The top record out of all teams since the all-star break). Lastly for the East, the Bulls-Wizards matchup at the 4 and 5 seeds. Many people may not think that this series will last too long but I think the Bulls will win in a 7 game series. These two teams will matchup very well against each other but I feel like Joakim Noah and the Bulls are too good for the Wizards. It will be tight, in my opinion, but the Bulls have got this. These are my predictions for the Western Conference. Now, to the West side of the conference. 1 vs. 8 in the West is the Spurs and the Mavericks. The Spurs, to me, have got this in 5 games. The Spurs should win the first three but Ellis and Nowitski won’t let a sweep happen on their home floor but they will get beat in the 5th game. Trust me, it will happen. The Spurs are just a complete machine walking up and down the floor getting buckets and playing slow and boring defense. No offense to the Spurs but it is true, and they were still able to pull out 62 wins out of 82 games this season. The 2nd and 7th seed series are the Thunder and the Grizzlies. My prediction for this series is the Thunder in 5. The Thunder do have Westbrook for this series unlike last year so now they have more than just 1 scoring option in Kevin Durant, but now they have Russell Westbrook as well. The Grizzlies may be a grind out team but the Thunder are too much for them. 3-6 seeds for the Western Conference are the Warriors and the Clippers. I think the Warriors in 6 will win. Yeah I know, crazy right? I think the Warriors will steal a game on the road and clinch the games at home. That is what I think of this series, yeah I know. Lastly, the 4 and 5 seeds for the Western Conference are the Rockets and the Trail Blazers. I pick the Trail Blazers in 6. The Blazers dynamic duo of LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard happen to come in two of the weak spots for the Houston Rockets. As for James Harden, Wesley Matthews or Nick Batum can stop him or at least contain him during this series. Howard will have a clinic inside but the Blazers may start using the Hack-a-Shaq strategy to stop him. These are my predictions for the Western Conference. I am so psyched for all of these playoff series and how players can shine throughout the world. But what I am also excited about is to hear what you guys think about the playoffs. What is the most exciting series of the playoffs? Do you disagree with some of my predictions? Who do you think will be key factors for certain teams? I want to hear what you believe about these NBA Playoffs. So, thanks for reading! Please comment. One last note: The radio show blog coming out soon. The full interview can be heard in my next blog.
The New York Knicks have been battling for the eighth seed for a while now and after about a month of hard-fought games, they stand 1 game behind the Atlanta Hawks for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Tonight, the Knicks play the Jazz and the Hawks play the 76ers. I feel like the Knicks are certainly capable of defeating the Jazz like they did last year on Utah’s home floor, however I feel like the 76ers may lose to the Hawks. Hopefully, after losing 26 of their last 27 games the 76ers can pull out their second victory in the last 28 games. Michael Carter-Williams might go off or something like that, you never know! Most importantly for the Knicks, they need to defeat Utah tonight after defeating a tough Golden State squad by 5 points. Anyway, let’s get into some key matchups that I am looking at seeing in both games. The point guards for the Hawks and Sixers will be a matchup I am looking forward to. Jeff Teague and Michael Carter-Williams are good young talent for both of these teams. In the long run, I feel that Carter-Williams will be a better player and I feel that he has the advantage over Teague because of his height and quickness. The point guards for the Knicks and Jazz game will certainly be cool to watch as well. I would like to see if Raymond Felton can keep up with the fast Michigan point guard Trey Burke. The key to this game will be if it comes down to the wire because Burke has hit big time shots in crunch time situations. Another key matchup will be the small forwards for the Knicks and Jazz game. Carmelo Anthony and Gordon Hayward are matched up in this category and they are both phenomenal players. Carmelo is Carmelo but Hayward is more of a diamond in the rough type of guy. He was picked up from Butler in the NBA draft and he has been a great pickup by the Jazz. Carmelo easily wins this matchup because he is way too skilled for Hayward. My final key matchup is the power forwards for the Hawks-Sixers game in Paul Millsap and Thaddeus Young. I feel that Millsap is bigger and stronger than Young but Thaddeus has speed and quickness on his side against Millsap. I can’t wait to see this matchup. I also can’t wait to see both of the games. What do you think? Do you think that there is a matchup that is worth mentioning that I forgot about? Tell me, what are your thoughts? Anyway, thanks for reading and please comment! Last night, the Knicks 8- game winning streak ended in a disappointing loss to the Cavaliers. Running up leads as much as 17 points in the first half, all things pointed to a Knick win early on. But in the second half, they just couldn’t deliver on the floor and the Cavaliers dominated 106-100. Once again, the Knicks pulled at fans heart strings. The winning streak had seemed too good to be true but we got our hopes up as they kept on winning. We started to believe again. Facing a team like the Cavs who were minus Kyrie Irving, they should’ve jumped on this opportunity and kept the streak alive. They just didn’t bring it on the court in the second half. With the playoffs around the corner, they Knicks can’t afford to throw away games. There’s only 12 games left until the playoffs and this includes match up against the Heat, Warriors, Nets and Bulls. Die hard Knick fans won’t give up easy and will be walking a tight rope for the next few weeks. We’ll root against the Hawks and keep the dream alive for as long as possible. There is still hope. I still believe the Knicks can pull it off but not if they have a repeat performance of last night’s game. What do you think? Do you think the Knicks can begin a new winning streak or are you done with this season? Can they make the playoffs? Let me know what you think. Don’t be surprised if you hear basketball fans in New York humming Pharrell Williams. After all, there are three great reasons for them to be very happy right now. First off, the Knicks are on a winning streak and every single win has been by 10 or more points. Secondly, Phil Jackson has become the President of Basketball Operations for the Knicks. Lastly, Selection Sunday is today, which means March Madness is right around the corner. Let’s begin with the Knicks and their continuous winning streak to push for the playoffs. They finally started winning! We have a chance to make the playoffs now as long as the Hawks lose some games. At this point in the season, it was do or die. At least they are making a good run for it and there is still hope for the playoffs. They are moving the ball, Hardaway Jr. is playing great, Melo is being Melo, and everything has clicked for them. They beat Minnesota 118-106, Utah 108-81, Cleveland 107-97, Philly 123-110, Boston 116-92, and Milwaukee 115-94. Fortunately, this streak seems to be gaining momentum, and if we become extremely consistent, we can hopefully win most of our last 15 games. Let’s go New York Knicks! Phil Jackson is coming home. It’s about time they did something like this!!! Phil Jackson is with the Knicks once again. OMG! Let’s talk some history with him. He was a member of the champion 1969-70 and 1972-73 New York Knicks squads. Crazily enough, those were the only two championships the New York Knicks had ever won. He coached the Bulls from 1989-1998 and in 1991, ’92, ’93, ’96, ’97, and ’98 the Bulls were champions (thank you Michael Jordan). He then went to the Los Angeles Lakers as coach from 1999-2011. In these years, his team would be victorious in 2000, ’01, ’02, ’09, and ’10. Off of these teams he has had 11 championships as a coach and 2 championships as a player. Because of the great history of Phil Jackson, I am excited for the future with him as the President of Basketball Operations for the Knicks. Happy reason #3. Onto the thing that all NCAA basketball fans have been waiting for, Selection Sunday is today. I am curious to see where all of the teams turn out and I hope to see a lot of energy and excitement from these young players. I’m mostly a NBA fan but I know of many names in the college game such as Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Marcus Smart, and Doug McDermott. I think that Witchita State can do pretty good in the tournament, possibly get to the Final Four. I hope that every game is down to the wire and that my bracket is right. Even if I don’t get a perfect bracket, I can hope right? How about you? Are you as happy as I am to be a Knick fan right now? It’s been a long, hard season so it’s nice to be able to smile again. Please comment and thanks for reading! It’s finally all-star weekend in New Orleans and we are hungry for some great action from some of the best players in the world. I always loved Friday night with the Celebrity Game and the Rising Stars Challenge (rookie-sophomore game), and I always desired for All-Star Saturday Night with the Shooting Stars, Skills Challenge, Three-Point Contest, and the Slam Dunk Contest. They both are always a lot of fun to see, but this year, I am most interested in the all-star game because of all the east-west mania in all the events and the dunk contest is a team event. I don’t like that! I liked Saturday night when it was not all about the East-West stuff, I mean come on! This is why I am more interested in the NBA All-Star Game more than anything else in New Orleans. Anyway, I feel that most all-stars certainly deserved to be all-stars but some did not have a great year and they did not deserve it in my opinion. Well, let’s go into these ratings. Let’s start with the Eastern Conference: Fully Deserved: Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers Point Guard) - It’s KYRIE! Yeah, he certainly deserved this appearance. Even though his team is not great right now, he still averages 21.5 points per game and 6.2 assists per game. He also still has that great crossover, well deserved. Joakim Noah (Chicago Bulls Center) - Great job this year, got into the 4th seed without Derrick Rose again, averaging 11.9 points per game and 11.5 rebounds, fully deserved. Paul Millsap (Atlanta Hawks Power Forward) - Phenomenal job carrying team into 5th seed without all-star center Al Horford helping out, averaging 17.6 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game at the power forward spot, well deserved. John Wall (Washington Wizards Point Guard)- Beautiful job carrying Wizards into what could be their first playoff appearance in a while, averaging 19.8 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game and 8.5 assists per game, fully deserved. Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks Small Forward) – 62 Points for Carmelo in one game, thank God he is in this team. Even though my Knicks led by Carmelo are not doing great this year he still averages 27.3 points per game and 8.6 rebounds per game, fully deserved. LeBron James (Miami Heat Small Forward) - Yep, it’s LeBron. His Miami team is in the 2nd seed right now just behind the Indiana Pacers who cannot have a better season, he averages 26.5 points per game, 7 rebounds per game, and 6.6 assists per game, fully deserved. Paul George (Indiana Pacers Small Forward/Shooting Guard) – If Paul George did not make the team this year, I’d be shocked, he has his Indiana Pacers squad in the 1st seed at 40-12 and he averages 22.2 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game, well deserved. In the Middle: Roy Hibbert (Indiana Pacers Center) – Hibbert is a center who can dominate in the low post and occasionally can pull off a hook shot once or twice, but I think Paul George was the only Pacer fully deserving of this all-star game, but he averages 11.8 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game. I don’t know where to put him. Good job this year. Demar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors Shooting Guard) – DeRozan is having a very good year with his team averaging 22.4 points per game but I would have much rather liked to see Kyle Lowry in this game over DeRozan. Still, good job this year. Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat Shooting Guard) – Wade, wade, wade. I think we have had enough of him in the all-star game. He is getting older but still averaging 18.7 points per game. I honestly think that he should get on with his all-star years and just forget about it. I don’t know what to think of him. Good job for the Heat so far this year. Not Deserved: Chris Bosh (Miami Heat Power Forward/Center) – Chris Bosh is the third best player on the Miami Heat. Come on man! This guy only averages 16.6 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game while mostly playing center for the Heat. He does not even average as many rebounds as Carmelo or LeBron and he is a center/power forward. This guy should not be here. Not deserved. Joe Johnson (Brooklyn Nets Shooting Guard) –Joe Johnson is having a decent year with Brooklyn averaging 15.2 points per game but seriously??? Brooklyn worked as a team to get to the 7th seed it was not just one player. I don’t feel like he deserved this all-star game. Not deserved. Now the Western Conference: Fully Deserved: Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder Small Forward) – KD! Kevin Durant is having a breakout season and is so far, in my opinion, the MVP of the league by far. Durant averages 31.5 points per game, 7.8 rebounds per game, and 5.5 assists per game. Also, Durant carried his Thunder without Russell Westbrook to the 1st seed in the extremely difficult Western Conference. KD! Superstar for sure. Fully deserved. LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland Trail Blazers Power Forward) – Aldridge has had a phenomenal season with the Trail Blazers and Damian Lillard. Currently tied for the 3rd seed in the West with Houston, I feel they can do well when it comes to the offseason. I mean, when averaging 23.9 points a game and 11.4 rebounds per game at the power forward spot, how could this guy not be an all-star? Fully Deserved. Dwight Howard (Houston Rockets Center) - D12 or Superman as they say, has done phenomenal work this season for the 3rd seeded Rockets, averaging 18.8 points per game, 12.5 rebounds per game, and 1.8 blocks per game. To most people, Howard is considered the best center in the game today and I can easily agree. Great job Dwight! Well deserved. Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers Point Guard) – Lillard is having a great season with the Trail Blazers and he has the highest clutch percentage in the game today. While averaging 20.7 points per game and 5.7 assists per game, his Trail Blazer squad is tied for the 3rd seed with Houston. They have improved since last year and they are a very fun team to watch. Good job Damian! Fully Deserved. Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers Point Guard) – Chris Paul or CP3 has had a great year with Los Angeles. While putting a separated shoulder behind him, CP3 has averaged 19.2 points per game and 11.1 assists per game pushing his Clippers to the 4th seed in the Western Conference. He has done well as always and is definitely deserving of his 7th appearance to the All-Star Game. Well deserved. James Harden (Houston Rockets Shooting Guard) – James Harden has had a phenomenal season pushing his Rocket team to tie with the Blazers in the 3rd seed and averaging 23.9 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, and 5.3 assists per game. In his second season as a Rocket, I feel they can do some work in the playoffs. That’s Harden for you! Fully deserved. Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks Power Forward) – Dirk Nowitzki at 35 years of age averaged 21.7 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game as a 7 foot jump shooting power forward. He is certainly deserving of being named to his 12th all-star game and putting up great numbers at his age. He also put the Mavericks into the 6th seed of the Western Conference. Well deserved. In the Middle: Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers Power Forward) – Blake Griffin is pretty much the same as Kevin Love, he is doing great averaging 24.2 points per game and 9.8 rebounds per game but he is not really a starter for an all-star team. He made it the last two years when averaging nothing like his numbers today and he still started. Good job though for BG. Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs Point Guard) – Parker is questionable to me. He averaged 17.7 points per game and 6.2 assists per game so far this year and at his age I don’t think he would bring too much excitement to the all-star game anyway, but his Spurs are in the 2nd seed so I just don’t know what to do. Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves Power Forward) – K-Love is not really questionable as an all-star, but I just don’t know if he should be a starter or not for this game. His team is not doing too great in the West but he still averages 25.8 points per game and 13.2 rebounds per game but I just don’t think he should start. Definite all-star though. Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors Point Guard) – I feel that Curry is a bit overrated and everyone should check the game winners that he missed when chucking it with his left hand to try to win but it did not hit the rim. He is doing well averaging 24.6 points per game and 9 assists per game but he shoots nearly 20 times each game and his team is barely in the playoffs at the 8th seed. He is deserving of the position of being an all-star off the bench but not as a starter to me. Not Deserved: Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans Power Forward) – Anthony Davis has been putting up pretty good numbers this year with 20.5 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game and he leads the league in blocks per game but I don’t think he should be here over people like DeMarcus Cousins or even Serge Ibaka. DeMarcus Cousins averages 22.5 points per game, 11.7 rebounds per game, 1.6 steals per game, and 1.2 blocks per game. Which is better? You tell me. Just because the event is in New Orleans does not mean that someone has to represent the town. Not deserved. These deservings were my opinions but I also would like to hear other people’s thoughts and ideas. Please comment below and tell me if you agree or disagree and who you would have liked to see in the All-Star game. Thanks for reading and please comment! Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day everyone! Hope you had a good day celebrating a man that would back down from nothing to stand up for what he believed was right. If you think about everything that Martin Luther King Jr. has done for this country it is phenomenal. I look up to him because of his strength, leadership and compassion for people. He has helped make this country better for people of all ages. Thank you Dr. King for all your well doings and happy birthday! On such a special day, I had a phone interview with J.R. Inman to ask him about how feels about Dr. King and of course, basketball! Read below for my Q&A session with J.R. Inman. As always, I welcome your comments. Mike: Well, today, being Martin Luther King Jr. Day, how did Martin Luther King affect you? JR: Well, I think that Dr. King not only affected me, and obviously the other minority people of color, he affected our whole society -- people from various cultural backgrounds, that have different upbringings and come from different ways of life. More than anything, I think that Dr. King represented unity. I believe that as a nation, as a country, and as a people --because of people like Dr. King-- we’ve been able to be a stronger nation, we’ve been able to get many things accomplished, and it speaks volumes about the type of person that he was. His message of nonviolence in a time of civil disobedience is something that I not only respect, but I use that as motivation for all of my endeavors, because in the 1960s, there were a lot of things going on in our country. What he was able to accomplish was incredible. So, certainly given the roadblocks that he had, if he can make those accomplishments during his life in the 60s, certainly we should be able follow him and do the same thing in 2014.
Mike: How would you characterize your experience in the D-League so far? JR: It’s been quite an experience. I have had the opportunity to play with, and against, current and former NBA players. So, you know, they talk about the Developmental League being a farm-seeded link, some even say a direct link, between amateur basketball and basketball at the highest level, the NBA. Personally, it has given me the opportunity to play in front of NBA scouts every night and to build some relationships and networking opportunities with some of the biggest people in the business. Mike: I see that in 6 games you averaged a double-double with 11.5 PPG and 10.0 RPG. How long do you think you can keep up this level of play? JR: Well now, that statistic was dating back, but now I’ve played around 15 games. Right now I am actually currently inactive, which means I am still practicing with the team, I’m still on the roster, but I am not playing in the actual games. For instance, we have a game today that I will not be playing. We have about 12 or 13 guys on the roster currently, and for game day situations you can only play or suit up 10 guys, so it is a situation where I would hope to get back on the floor as soon as possible. Mike: To date, what would you say would be your highlight of the season? JR: My highlight of the season? I can only speak on the best statistical game I had where we played against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and I had 18 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 3 assists. I was scoring in multiple ways, inside, outside, really showing my full skillset and it was an exciting game. It was a pleasant experience because it was so far, and my signature game that I had, in terms of efficiency.
Mike: There have been various times this season where you have been moved to the center position and you have had to play against bigger and stronger guys but you have been able to contain them. What gives you the momentum to go up against these bigger and stronger guys and being able to stop them? JR: I think that my experience playing in the Big East basketball conference, combined with my professional experiences abroad, have equipped me with the skills and the knowledge to be able to play against big guys. If you look at the NBA all-time defensive centers, like Ben Wallace, who at 6’9” was the defensive player of the year at the center position, being able to guard guys like Shaq and you say how does he do that? Defense is about desire and discipline, but it is also about technique and leverage. If you can simply get lower than your man, and you can hit him first to initiate contact, even if he is bigger and stronger than you, you can counter balance his strength with your technique. It’s science. Basketball, more than anything is a science, and that is why I have been able to do what I do when I play against guys who are bigger and stronger than me. I use my speed and I use my leverage to try to get lower, and I also initiate contact to push him out of the paint so he doesn’t have easy post position. Mike: You have started 14 of your 16 games this season, and have really made an impact on the court. Your efficiency rating has been at +11.62, which is the third highest on your team. How are you keeping yourself so consistent? JR: Overall, I am just trying to find my game. A lot of times, especially on this level, when guys are trying to make the NBA, sometimes people are overly aggressive and they try to do things that they are not overly comfortable with to try to impress scouts. In reality, a scout that is looking at you is either going to like your game or not. And at this level, if they are even looking at you, they have some interest in you. It does add some pressure but I just go out and play my game and not worry about trying to impress anybody, but it is actually very interesting that you just told me that stat that I had the third highest efficiency rating in the team. There are so many aspects and there are so many variables that go into each and every game, each and every player being out on the floor that, no, it is not always the best guy, it is not always the most team-oriented guy on the court. There are so many factors that can determine the outcome of the game, the outcome of a team, and its construct. It is just important not to focus on those factors and just to focus on readiness and being prepared and waiting for your opportunity. Mike: That is all I got. Is there anything else that you would like to add? JR: I would like to say that we have been struggling in terms of win/loss however, this is an experience that I will never forget. I am appreciative, but you know, I came a long way, I was the 8th round draft pick in the D-League draft. I went from being the 8th round pick to starting 14 of my 16 games. Most players that we drafted are not even on our team anymore. In fact, we only have four players currently, from the original training camp roster, that are still with us. So, the fact that I was able to defy the odds by going from an 8th round pick to becoming a starter in just a month span, it speaks volumes of my work ethic and I just think that is something in itself and an example for young children to understand. Some kids, especially in the high school level, they may say, "Oh coach doesn’t like me because I don’t get much playing time" but where you are at today has nothing to do with where you will be at tomorrow or the next day. As long as you put your best foot forward each and every day, you can continue to work hard to reach your goals and aspirations. I believe there is a saying that the crane always rises to the top and that is what happened with me and the 87ers. Thanks for reading and please comment! The weather wasn’t the only thing cold in New York last week. The Miami Heat lost their steam in the Big Apple against both the Knicks and the Nets, which both had great games against the Heat. The Knicks capped off their four-in- a-row winning streak last night in Philadelphia, winning against the 76ers, 102-92. While that was a great win, nothing is as sweet as beating LeBron and company. So, let’s take a closer look at Miami’s northern freeze by summing these games up. First, the Heat against the Knicks on Thursday, January 9th: The whole game was a LeBron-Anthony show. LeBron does a dunk and Carmelo pops a three. It was so fun to watch. At the end of the half, the Heat led by 5. The Heat had momentum, but the Knicks had more. By the end of third, the Knicks regained the lead to make it 75-71. In true New York style, the Knicks sent chills down the backs of Miami fans as their team was toppled 102-90. LeBron ended up with 32 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. He also had 6 turnovers. Wade had 23 points. However, he had a plus-minus of -14 and went 0-6 from the free throw line. The Knicks had a much better stat line. Carmelo Anthony had 29 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and only 2 turnovers.
Next, the Heat headed over to Brooklyn on Friday, January 10th. The Nets-Heat game went into double-overtime and was exciting from start to finish. At the end of the first half, the Nets were up, 53-45. The Heat were still not doing good as the Nets took a 12 point lead at the end of the third, making the score 76-64. The Heat began to warm up a little to tie it at 89, extending the game into its first overtime. LeBron failed in the clutch again when he tried to tie the game at 93-91 but charged into Shaun Livingston instead, which fouled him out of the game. This was LeBron’s first time fouling out since April 2nd, 2008 against Charlotte in the regular season, which I think is absolutely ridiculous and the refs should open their eyes when it comes to LeBron and fouls but I will save that for another blog. Anyway, Norris Cole hit a jumpshot to tie it up so they went into their second overtime period. The Nets then outscored them 11-2 to finish them off with a 104-95 victory. The Nets’ plus-minus were incredible as Paul Pierce had a +21 plus-minus with 23 points, Joe Johnson and Kevin Garnett both had a plus-minus of +18, Shaun Livingston had a +11, and Alan Anderson had a +10. Johnson had 32 points, Garnett had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and my player of the game, Shaun Livingston had 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists while playing 51 minutes. Great job by both teams getting W’s while to cool off the Miami Heat. While the temps were certainly tough for New Yorkers, it was a great week to be a Knicks or Nets fan. I thought both teams played well and I was very happy. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think. Please comment.
Okay, I admit it. It’s been pretty hard to write about the NY Knicks lately, even for a diehard fan. But last night provided a flicker of hope for Knicks fans, even if it doesn’t last long. The Knicks Iman Shumpert let loose last night after a season-long slump held him down. He scored a career-high 27 points and went six for eight from the three point line! To cap off the night, he jumped higher than the rim to tip in Melo’s missed three with absolute finesse to help secure the win. I was happy for Shumpert, who has not been much of a factor for the Knicks. This night belonged to him and it was a sweet victory in an otherwise sour season for Knicks fans. Thinking about this season, I started to feel bad for the Knick players and thought about what I would say to them if I could give them a pep talk about this season. My advice to the Knicks and every other player in the NBA is to remember they’ve already won. They have the best job in the world. Whether they win or lose each game, they’re already are all winners. They are living the dream of so many people, a dream most will never have come true because they may not have the talent, the strength, the height, or maybe even the luck that is needed. But they did! I would tell each player to think back to when they were 12 and what the game meant to them at that time. I would tell them to hold on to that feeling and never let it go. I would tell them to enjoy every day they are on the court and to give it their best shot each and every game. I would tell them to live in the moment. And I would remind them that nothing lasts forever and that seasons change. Just ask Iman Shumpert. Thanks for reading! Please comment. On Sunday in the NBA D-League, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants played the Delaware 87ers. Both teams worked hard but you know there is only one winner. The Fort Wayne Mad Ants won the game 108-100. Although the 87ers lost, J.R. Inman had a great performance with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists in this game. This is an NBA caliber performance. He really showed what he can do on the basketball court. This shows that he is NBA ready. Thanks for reading! Please comment. This is part two of the first blog. "87ers Home Debut Success!" This is part one of a two part blog. On a very snowy Sunday, I went to see J.R. Inman and the Delaware 87ers in the NBA D-League play against the Canton Charge in their first home game of their inaugural season. It was lots of fun and I got in a couple of interviews with former NBA player Kendall Marshall and J.R Inman. The game was close at the beginning with the score at 35-26 with the Delaware 87ers in the lead. J.R. Inman and the 87ers really worked hard to keep the lead and ever since then, they started to pull away. At the half, the 87ers were up 64-49 and they seeked victory. At the end of the third, the 87ers were leading 107-79 and everyone thought it was over but the Charge would have none of that. The Canton Charge outscored the 87ers in the 4th quarter 33-14, but it would not be enough. The Delaware 87ers pulled out a victory in their first ever home game with the score at 121-112. After the game, I got autographs from everyone on the team and I got an interview with J.R. Inman with all of the cameras pointing at me and I had a lot of fun doing it. Here are the transcripts for J.R. Inman and Kendall Marshall. J.R. Inman Interview Mike: What do you think were some key factors in tonight’s victory? J.R.: I think that we pushed the ball very well. I think that we controlled the tempo which is something that coach always talks about, getting out early in transition and getting into our sets quickly. You give your hat off to the other team because they ran the floor and did some good things but I think we executed very well and that was the reason we were able to be effective. Mike: How does the team look this year? Do you think you can make a run for the playoffs? J.R.: Well, this is our first home game and home win so we’re definitely looking to build off that. We have two wins in the season, two back-to-back, so hopefully we’ll get some momentum. We’ve got some new guys that are really helping us fill in some holes that we had earlier in the season so I think that is all positive stuff and I think we are going to have a good year.
J.R.: Again, you know, it’s a process, this is my first game back from being inactive, so I was just happy to be out there again with the guys and it is my second game of the year and I’m just looking to keep building. Mike: It appeared they were calling it tight and you got in foul trouble throughout the game, what do you think you can do in the next game to prevent this without losing your aggressiveness? J.R.: Well, like you just said, it is important to remain aggressive throughout the whole game, sometimes when you are being overly aggressive and the refs are calling it tight, especially in the post, where it’s a battle down there, you definitely want to keep working around and getting in front, which is what I was trying to do, but you have to learn the principles, stay true to what you always learned on the defensive side, getting around in front, not using your hands but using your feet, certainly, you know there was a couple of questionable calls, but overall, I think the officials did a very good job and you just hope that next game, I don’t get in foul trouble as early as I did. Mike: It was great to see you play tonight, anything you want to add or tell your fans like myself about the rest of the season? J.R.: I think it is going to be exciting, it is always good to be a part of an inaugural season, for us this is a very exciting experience for the people of Delaware, and just the Developmental League in itself, with the relationship that this team has with the Philadelphia 76ers, so I just want to encourage people like yourself and everybody that came out today and was watching on YouTube to keep supporting us, and we’ll have a good year. Kendall Marshall Interview Mike: What do you think were some key factors in tonight’s victory? Kendall: Some key factors tonight were, I think, we shot the ball extremely well. It helped us get out to a big lead, and we were able to set a cushion. The fourth quarter was a little tough, but we still pulled it out. Mike: How does the team look this year? Do you think you can make a run for the playoffs? Kendall: That’s the plan, you know, we are starting to play well right now, we won two games in a row, so hopefully we can build on that. Mike: Opening home debut tonight, do you think it was a good performance by the team? Kendall: As long as we got the win, I’m happy. Like I said, the way we want to start out at home, you know, a new franchise, and we got another one on Wednesday. Mike: You were making a lot of your shots, scoring 16 points, how do you feel about your individual performance? Kendall: I felt okay, I think it would have been nice to knock down a couple more, but I said that our whole team shot the ball well and that is what I am most happy about. A few days ago, I talked with an international star who might be in the NBA one day. His name is Gerald (J.R.) Inman and it was an honor to speak with him. I asked him about his life and about the history of his basketball career. I was fascinated at some of the things he said and I wanted to share his sayings with the world. He has been to many NBA training camps, played with some of the players you see daily, and was once a Harlem Globetrotter. Also, he gave me an EXCLUSIVE! Read to the end to find out. Mike: When was the first time you ever touched a basketball and do you remember the very first shot you made? J.R.: Well, can’t say I remember the very first shot that I made, I can just reflect on my earliest basketball memory when I was 8 years old I played at PAL in Rockland County, New York, and my father was my first coach, and he encouraged me to work hard and basically I played multiple positions because he believed that at the age it would be at my personal benefit to just maximize my skills everywhere on the court and we won the championship that year when I was 8 years old. As a young kid I was exposed to success, competitive greatness, and just wanting to win and achieve my goals. Mike: What was the first AAU team you made? J.R.: First AAU team I made was the New York City Gauchos in the Bronx New York. Mike: Who did you play for in high school and college? J.R.: In high school, for St. Joe’s Regional in Montvale, New Jersey, I also played AAU basketball with the Tim Thomas players which is a world renowned organization. I played with the likes of J.R. Smith, Gerald Henderson, Wayne Ellington, Earl Clark, and so many other players that you probably see on your television set all the time. For college, I played at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Mike: When did you make the choice that you were going to commit your life to basketball? J.R.: Once I realized that with a little rubber ball with black lines running through it, one could open up windows of opportunity that will not only expose them to futuristic happenings in the future but it also gave me an opportunity to receive a full college scholarship and not have to pay for my education. J.R.: Humbling, I was away from friends and family, I was in a different environment unfamiliar to my own, I really had to adjust to different cultural customs and eating habits and just the life of a professional athlete in general just getting paid for playing the game you love is a big responsibility because you are on a public sphere where people can evaluate you daily and most of the time you’re judged based off of two things, wins and losses. Mike: What was your greatest game of all time? J.R.: Greatest games of all time, I have to take it in levels, high school, it was when we, St. Joe’s Regional vs. Episcopal Academy at Kennedy High School and that was fall 2005 and Episcopal featured 2 players I already mentioned Wayne Ellington who went on to play at the University of North Carolina and got drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves and Gerald Henderson who played at Duke and then went on to play for the Charlotte Bobcats. These two were McDonald’s all-American players and I was a top 75 recruit but I was certainly not ranked as high as they were and I remember telling the tournament director that St. Joe’s was going to win because we had the greatest defensive backcourt in the country, I was talking about Jason and Devin McCourty who are NFL quarterbacks to this day, they were in the backcourt with myself and two other players so I remember telling the director that we were going to win the game. When the game starts from start to finish, I just dominated the game, I wound up with 36 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, and 3 blocks, something like that. We won the game by 5. Wayne Ellington had 19 points and Gerald Henderson had 21. So for me, that was when I realized how good or how high of a level I am able to play this game on. Mike: That’s Awesome! J.R.: And in college I had certain things you know I would say probably my last game was my career high and I had a 26 point and 13 rebounds game, there are a couple of games out of my career that I kind of remember, but those two probably stick out the most. Mike: Was that your highest scoring game? J.R.: No, I played in the Pro AM East Orange campus in East Orange, New Jersey summer league one year and actually I was still in college I was only 19 years old playing against grown men so it was a good experience and I had 40 points in that game, I played for the NJ Roadrunners with Randy Foye. Mike: So what I understand is that next month is a big month for you can you explain to me what is going on and how you are feeling? J.R.: Well every year the D-League has a draft with11 rounds I believe, on November 1st of every year where players will be selected and report to their teams and they go through a 2 week training camp period where cuts are made and the talent is being assessed and evaluated and if you are lucky to make it to the end of November and the season starts early December, then from there they go over every D-League player and they might get an NBA call up. Basically, that means the team contacts your agent and says they want to extend a 10 day contract to play for us. Mike: What is your career high in rebounds? J.R.: I had a couple of 22, 23 rebound games. Mike: Which coach were you most influenced by? J.R.: Coach Reginald Sainte Rose he was my first coach at St. Joe’s and he was my Theology teacher pretty much my four years there I looked up to him. Mike: What did he do to make you feel this way? J.R.: He did not show favoritism and he did not expect or demand a lot out of his players. Mike: When you were younger, what player or players did you look up to? J.R.: I looked up to and my favorite player of all time is Kevin Garnett, I love the intensity and enthusiasm that he brings to the game and he is a fierce competitor and a future hall of famer. Tracy McGrady was another one of my favorite players growing up, obviously he was hit by the injury bug but in terms of natural talent in his prime there was no one else who was better besides Jordan himself. Mike: Have you had any game winners? J.R.: Yes I have, actually. My junior year the first year of the Prudential Center when it was built I hit a fade away one legged three pointer at the buzzer against Seton Hall, our last game of the season. It was crazy because I caught the ball with 3 seconds left and I kind of like jumped up and threw it up but I always remember to hold my follow through because that is the most important part, it’s not really your feet but like your follow through will direct where the ball goes so that is just what I focused on but and like got my picture in the Star Ledger so it was kind of like a big deal. Mike: So what I understand is that next month is a big month for you can you explain to me what is going on and how you are feeling? J.R.: Well every year the D-League has a draft with11 rounds I believe, on November 1st of every year where players will be selected and report to their teams and they go through a 2 week training camp period where cuts are made and the talent is being assessed and evaluated and if you are lucky to make it to the end of November and the season starts early December, then from there they go over every D-League player and they might get an NBA call up. Basically, that means the team contacts your agent and says they want to extend a 10 day contract to play for us. Mike: Good luck with that. J.R.: Thank you I’m trying to get there. Mike: Has any NBA team shown interest in you? J.R.: There was the San Antonio Spurs training camp, I was invited to the New York Knicks training camp, and I have been to some unofficial practices for the Nets and their affiliates. I was drafted by the Sioux Falls Skyforce in 2011, most recently received interest from the Springfield Armor which is the minor league team of the Brooklyn Nets, so it is pretty much all coming together I guess the next step is meeting Jay-Z and me asking him for a sit down conversation. Mike: What advice would you give to younger players with basketball dreams? J.R.: I would tell them to work hard for their goals and strive for perfection and encourage them to look at basketball as a window of opportunity to make their ultimate dreams become reality. Mike: When you were growing up, what NBA team did you route for? J.R.: Bulls. Mike: Are you still a fan of that team? J.R.: I was not a fan of them, I was a fan of their players, Scottie Pippen and Toni Kukoc were two of my most favorite players of all time. And obviously there was Michael Jordan. Mike: Which teams do you think will lead the NBA this year? J.R.: I think the Miami Heat, I know everybody does not want to admit it but they are good, man, now that they have added, what’s his name? Mike: Oden. J.R.: The big man Greg Oden, I think he could give them something but Michael Beasley was who I was thinking of, huge pickup for them. Mike: Can you tell me something about your Harlem Globetrotter days? J.R.: It was cool, I went on an East Coast tour, it was like 7 cities, I got a chance to touch some people’s lives with the game of basketball and that shows you an appreciation of the social status of a professional athlete that there are kids that really admire and look up to you and they have fun and they want to see you and you have got to always give back and show your appreciation on the court. Mike: Is there anything that I haven’t asked you that you might like to add? Possibly an Exclusive? J.R.: Yes, actually. On August 13th of this past year I signed with J.R. Harris and his sports agency “PEM360, Personal Emissary Management”. J.R. Harris is an NBA certified agent who represented Cliff Robinson who has over 18 years of NBA experience. This is the presentation I have been waiting for that could be the difference maker in me getting a realistic shot at the NBA. Mike: WOW!!! Is there anything else? J.R.: Just hoping Spike Lee reads your article and contacts you about it for further questions because at this point everyone in the NBA knows who I am because of where I have been and my resume speaks for itself and that’s all about that connection and that is what we are talking about. Social media has impacted our society so much more than it ever has in its most recent years, and that’s what I am trying to and that’s how I plan on taking that extra step just getting out there, talking to people, meeting people, seeing who knows who, so if I was blessed to have an opportunity to meet somebody like Mr. Spike Lee or Jay-Z, somebody like that and I feel that it will be that easy because once they submit my resume with my video footage and player profile it becomes easier when you can match all of that with a face. That’s what I hope my life brings for me next. This is the end of the interview. I cannot believe it! J.R. Inman has the agent that Cliff Robinson had! This is insane. Now, J.R. has an even more realistic shot at getting into the NBA! You might see him on your television sets. I’m extremely excited about his chances and I’m rooting for him all the way. Well, thanks for reading and please comment! This weekend I was bored and had nothing to do, so I decided to share my voice with the world when it comes to the best basketball players of all time. This list includes people from the 50s all the way to today’s players. These are my true opinions for this list. If you disagree with any of my
decisions, please tell me about it in the comments. Let’s get started! #20: John Stockton Career Stats: 13.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 10.5 APG, 2.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 10 All-Star Appearances Stockton was an incredible point guard for sure. He holds the most assists ever record with 15,806 assists for his career. He also holds the most steals ever record with 3,265 steals for his career. #19: Isiah Thomas Career Stats: 19.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 9.3 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 11 All-Star Appearances Thomas was an overall incredible player with the Detroit Pistons. He won 2 championships, got 1 NBA Finals MVP, and got to the All-NBA First Team 3 times. #18: Karl Malone Career Stats: 25.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 12 All-Star Appearances Malone was one of the best scorers ever with 36,928 points which was the second most points scored in one person’s career. He also made the All-NBA First Team 11 times and won 2 MVP awards. #17: Jerry West Career Stats: 27.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 6.7 APG, 12 All-Star Appearances West was a very great player on both sides of the floor, offense and defense. He was on the All-NBA First Team 10 times and he was on the All-Defensive First Team 4 times. #16: George Mikan Career Stats: 23.1 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 2.8 APG, 4 All-Star Appearances (only 7 seasons) Mikan was a solid big man in the paint for the Minneapolis Lakers winning 4 championships with them. 6 out of 7 seasons, Mikan made the All-NBA First Team and is considered the face of the 40s and early 50s. #15: Moses Malone Career Stats: 20.6 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.3 BPG, 11 All-Star Appearances Malone was an incredible center and won one championship with Julius Erving in 1983. He was a 3 time NBA MVP and he made the All-NBA First Team 4 times. #14: Elgin Baylor Career Stats: 27.4 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 4.3 APG, 11 All-Star Appearances At small forward, Baylor played like a big man that can also shoot from anywhere. In the 1961-62 season, he averaged 38.3 PPG and 18.6 RPG. He also made the All-NBA First Team 10 times. #13: Charles Barkley Career Stats: 22.1 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 9 All-Star Appearances Charles Barkley is considered one of the top power forwards of all time and I agree. He won the NBA MVP in the 1992-93 season and he made the All-NBA First Team 5 times. #12: Tim Duncan Career Stats: 20.2 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 3.1 APG, 0.7 SPG, 2.2 BPG, 14 All-Star Appearances Duncan is a very solid power forward who still plays today. He won 4 championships, made the All-Defensive First Team 8 times, and he made the All-NBA First Team 10 times. #11: Shaquille O’Neal Career Stats: 23.7 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.6 SPG, 2.3 BPG, 12 All-Star Appearances Shaq was a very great body in the paint and he won 4 championships. He was the NBA Finals MVP 3 times, he won the NBA MVP in the 1999-00 season, and he made the All-NBA First Team 8 times. #10: Hakeem Olajuwon Career Stats: 21.8 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.7 SPG, 3.1 BPG, 12 All-Star Appearances Olajuwon was one of the best post players to ever play. He won the NBA MVP in the 1993-94 season, he made the All-Defensive First Team 3 times, and he is also the all-time blocks leader with 3,830 blocks for his career. #9: Julius Erving Career Stats (NBA): 22.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.8 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 11 All-Star Appearances Career Stats (ABA): 28.7 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 4.8 APG, 2.4 SPG, 2.0 BPG Erving was a great player in the NBA and in the ABA, winning 2 championships in the ABA and winning 1 championship in the NBA. In the NBA, he won the NBA MVP award in the 1980-81 season and he made the All-NBA First Team 5 times. #8: Larry Bird Career Stats: 24.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 10 All-Star Appearances Larry Legend was one of the best shooters of all-time, no doubt. He also won the NBA MVP 3 times in a row and he made the All-NBA First Team 9 times. He still holds the highest amount of points in the three point contest with 24 points. #7: Magic Johnson Career Stats: 19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 11 All-Star Appearances Earvin “Magic” Johnson was one of the greatest players of all-time because he won 5 championships and got 3 Finals MVPs. He won 3 NBA MVPs and made the All-NBA First Team 9 times. #6: Oscar Robertson Career Stats: 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 9.5 APG, 12 All-Star Appearances The Big O once averaged a triple double in a single season with 30.8 PPG, 12.5 RPG, and 11.4 APG. He also won the NBA MVP in the 1963-64 season and he made the All-NBA First Team 9 times. #5: Bill Russell Career Stats: 15.1 PPG, 22.5 RPG, 4.3 APG, 12 All-Star Appearances Bill Russell was one of the best rebounders of all-time. In one game, he grabbed 51 rebounds for the Celtics. He won the NBA MVP 5 times and he was mostly known for his defense. #4: Kobe Bryant Career Stats: 25.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 15 All-Star Appearances Kobe still plays today and is known for his 81 point game, his 5 championships, and his incredible clutch abilities. Kobe made the All-Defensive First Team 9 times, he made the All-NBA First Team 11 times, and he won the NBA MVP in the 2007-08 season. #3: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Career Stats: 24.6 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.7 SPG, 2.0 BPG, 18 All-Star Appearances Kareem is mostly known for his sky hook but he also won 6 championships. He won the NBA MVP 6 times, he made the All-Defensive First Team 5 times, and he made the All-NBA First Team 10 times. He is also the leading career points with 38,387 points for his career. #2: Michael Jordan Career Stats: 30.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.3 APG, 2.3 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 13 All-Star Appearances Michael Jordan is considered one of the best players of all-time for various reasons. He won the NBA MVP 5 times, he won 6 championships and won NBA Finals MVP for each of them, he scored 63 points in a playoff game which is still a record today, he made the All-Defensive Team 9 times, he made the All-NBA First Team 10 times, and he is known for how incredibly clutch he was. #1: Wilt Chamberlain Career Stats: 30.1 PPG, 22.9 RPG, 4.4 APG, 13 All-Star Appearances Wilt Chamberlain is mostly known for being the only player in NBA history to score in triple digits. Yes, he scored 100 points in a single game. He only won the championship 2 times but he did not have any help on his team. He won the NBA MVP 4 times, he averaged 50.4 PPG in one season, he averaged 48.5 minutes per game one season, he made the All-NBA First Team 7 times, he made the All-Defensive Team 2 times, and he is the leading rebounder in a game with 55 rebounds and for a person’s career with 23,924 rebounds for his career. That is why I think he is the best of all time. This was my list of the greatest players of all time! Did you agree with any of them? Did you disagree? Who do you think is the greatest of all time? Tell me about it in the comments section. Thanks for reading! Please comment. Basketball fans of all ages enjoyed Saturday night’s game in the Under Armour Elite 24
tournament. At times during the game, Team Coney Island dominated Team Bed Stuy, taking a lead of as much as 30 points. However, Bed Stuy never gave up and made a strong comeback, eventually losing in a tight game with a final score of 114 to 109. What can you say about a game in New York, under the Brooklyn Bridge? The atmosphere had plenty of New York energy and it was clear the game was for serious ballers and their devoted fans. The perfect stage was set and many did not disappoint! For example, Isaiah Whitehead stole the show for Team Coney Island coached by Mario Elie. Whitehead’s numbers were 26 points and 10-18 shooting. Meanwhile, Tyus Jones’ crossover abilities were clearly impressive and Justin Jackson was a reliable shooter starting the game off 7-7. Team Bed Stuy was coached by Pearl Washington and had some standouts as well. For example, Emmanuel Mudiay was a standout for team Bed Stuy, scoring 22 points and fighting to the bitter end. Stephen Zimmerman and Kelly Oubre also played well to come back from the 30 point deficit. Stanley Johnson ended with a phenomenal 25 points and put on a show. During the game, I think some of Team Bed Stuy’s substitutions were questionable. I would like to have seen Zimmerman get some more playing time and I think the team would have benefitted from more passes. It almost seemed like whoever caught the ball was going to shoot it. Overall, it was a pretty exciting game with many incredible performances such as Isaiah Whitehead’s 26 points, Stanley Johnson’s 25, and Emmanuel Mudiay’s 22. When Team Coney Island went up by 30 points, Stephen Zimmerman and Kelly Oubre lead the charge for a comeback. However, Tyus Jones, Justin Jackson, and Isaiah Whitehead maintained control and finished them off. Anyway, did you check out the game? What did you think of it? What were some of your favorite plays? Anyway, thanks for reading and please comment! Last night, the Under Armour Elite 24 3 point contest and slam dunk contest took place under the Brooklyn Bridge. There was a lot of fun, excitement, and surprises throughout the Three-Point and Slam Dunk contests. I had a great time watching it on television and only wished I was there in person! Let’s start with that three-point contest. It consisted of Joel Berry, Devon Booker, Justin Jackson, Malik Newman, Kelly Oubre, Romelo Trimble, Rashad Vaughn, and Dion Wiley. I will focus on the leading scorers. Wiley went first and got 11 out of a possible 30 points. Romelo Trimble ended with 12 in the first out of three rounds. Malik Newman scored 13 and lastly, Devon Booker with an incredible 19. These four shooters moved into the next round and the top two scores would make it to the finals. In this second round, Wiley went first again and ended with 8 points followed by Trimble who split his first round score in half by getting 6 points. Newman had 12 points in the second round clinching him a spot in the finals. Booker cemented the other spot by putting up another incredible 15 points. So, for the final round it’s Newman versus Booker. After scoring 13 in the first round, 12 in the second, Newman scored 11 in the final round. Booker went 19 in the first round, 15 in the second round, and won the final round with 16 points. Booker led the scoring in every round so it was a well-deserved win! He also showed that he knows how to put on a good show. Now, for the dunk contest. The six contestants competing in the Under Armour Elite 24 Slam Dunk Contest were Stanley Johnson, Derrick Jones, Theo Pinson, Ivan Rabb, Justise Winslow, and Seventh Woods. The highest score you could get was a 40. Winslow and Johnson ran out of time and were unable to make their dunks within the 30 seconds allowed. The first round scores included Rabb with 17, Pinson had 18, Jones scored 35 and Woods earned 40. Jones scored high by jumping over two seven footers, and Woods stole the spotlight with an alley-oop-between-the-legs dunk. The second round was exciting with lower scores: Rabb had 18 points, Woods disappointed with a 28, Jones had 29 and Pinson had 29. This meant that the finals would be Jones versus Pinson. I have to give it to Derrick Jones for his creative attempts but he was not able to complete the dunk. This meant that all Theo Pinson had to do to win the dunk contest was to make the dunk. Instead, he decided to have some fun. He brought out his mom and put her near the basket. I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT! I’ve seen people jump over teammates, random fans, automobiles, and more. However, Pinson brought out his mom and jumped over her as she proudly smiled. I had never seen someone jump over one of their immediate family members. Pinson completed the dunk with style and got a perfect score of 40. He was crowned Under Armour Elite 24 Slam Dunk Contest Champion and earned every bit of the title. He made it fun to watch and was quite a showman! Overall, both contests were a blast to watch. These guys really know how to shoot and slam. Devon Booker had a total of 50 out of 90 possible points from downtown for the whole competition, and Theo Pinson had a total of 87 out of a possible 120 points. These two did pretty incredible for their competitions. Congratulations to them both! I can’t wait to watch tonight’s game and see them in action. Thanks for reading and stay tuned tonight for the Under Armour Elite 24 Game where Team Coney Island coached by Chris Mullin will take on Team Bed Stuy coached by Pearl Washington. The game starts at 7:00 PM ET. Who do you think will win? Please comment! On Saturday, I went to the packed Big Strick Classic where the best high-school players of NYC played against some of the best high-school players in the USA. However, before I get to the main event, let’s talk about the dunk contest! These guys could fly, man! Derrick Jones jumped over Stephen Zimmerman and Myles Turner, two seven-footers and jammed it in. The champion, however, was LaDarius Chester who can flat out fly. The dunk contest was a thriller and I videotaped part of it, so be sure to check it out. Anyway, it’s game time. On team USA, Stephen Zimmerman started the game out solid with a layup, a three pointer, and a couple of blocks. Kelly Oubre was very effective when taking it to the rim and also played very good defense. Ahmed Hill and Carlton Bragg also did very well off the bench for the USA team getting some nice layups and dunks. For team NYC, Rawle Alkins did a very good job at getting to the rim and finishing while Cheick Diallo was a key factor getting lots of points off of the boards and sticking the ball back in the basket. However, none of these players were the main storyline at the Big Strick Classic on that Saturday night. The main storyline was on the NYC team, and his name was Isaiah Briscoe. Crossover, crossover, fake left, right, in and out dribble, back up, cross over again, spin around, jump, give a no-look pass and slam dunk! He was amazing out there. After that, every time Briscoe touched the ball, the crowd would stand up and start cheering, waiting for another incredible move. My brother and I were going insane at the Big Strick Classic when he had the ball. He was doing every single dribble move and fake out you can think of. Crossover, in and out, spin moves, behind the back, between the legs, head fake, drop step, left and right and left again. He had all the right moves and wanted to make sure everyone knew it. Anyway, it was a close game through the first three quarters. During the fourth quarter, the NYC team started to pull away from the USA led by Briscoe and Diallo. Showcasing their talents, Briscoe rocked the crowd as Diallo rocked the boards. The NYC team won 126-110. Final stats included Zimmerman with 19 points and 6 rebounds; Oubre scored 22 points; Diallo closed with 21 points, 13 rebounds; and Briscoe had 11 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Also, Carton Bragg ended up with 13 points. In my opinion, these were probably the top five 5 players from Saturday’s NYC vs. USA matchup. Kelly Oubre was named the tournament MVP and it is easy to see why. He has a great shot, can drive hard to the rim, can finish dunks and layups in style, and is a great defender. My experience at the Big Strick Classic Friday and Saturday was incredible and I hope to go to many more kinds of basketball competitions like this because these guys have so much talent. I had the chance to interview some of the players as well as basketball trainer Sammy Clark, Team Nike Head Coach Bingo. It was one of the best times I have ever had. I have included some highlights from my interviews below and please check out our Photos section on the site. While at the Classic, I was lucky enough to interview some players and other key people behind the scenes. I’ve selected a few highlights below: My question: What NBA players are you most like and why? Stephen Zimmerman: I am probably like a lot of different players for different reasons, like I have Tim Duncan’s footwork, but I want to have Blake Griffin’s explosiveness. Kelly Oubre: A lot of people tell me I play like James Harden because we’re both lefty’s, we both like to get to the rack, shoot treys all the time, so you know I look up to him a whole lot. Isaiah Briscoe: D-Will and Nick Young. I got a body like D-Will but I have an attitude like Nick Young, the way he carries himself. I look up to him. Rawle Alkins: I think I play like LeBron James because I can rebound, pass, block shots, play good defense, I play for others. Ahmed Hill: Russell Westbrook. Carlton Bragg: Kevin Durant. I like the way he carries himself and I like his style of play. He’s fast, he can dribble and that is what my style is like. My question: What do you think is the most important quality for a basketball player? Ahmed Hill: His desire for the game, his heart for the game. It makes you want to compete every day. Kelly Oubre: Attitude. You can’t go anywhere without having the right attitude. If you have a hard work ethic, you can go far. Carlton Bragg: Their character. Character brings out a lot about you and lets people know who you really are. Isaiah Briscoe: Staying focused. Just keep your head straight and listen to your family, they got the best interest, and, just stay level-headed. Stephen Zimmerman: They need to have a good basketball IQ. Rawle Alkins: IQ, because you could have all the talent in the world but if you don’t know how to be smart in the way you play the game, then you really can’t do too much. You have to know the game.
Bingo, Head Coach of Team Nike Another opportunity I had was to speak with Bingo, the head coach of Team Nike. He told me about how the Big Strick Classic was formed as a way to honor street ball legend, John Strickland. He explained to me how Strickland was one of the greatest street ball players in NYC history and how he personally coached him. He told me that coaching John Strickland was one of the funniest things you can ever do because he had such a great sense of humor. He also said that “it was a pleasure to coach him”. Thank you Thank you to all the players for giving me interviews. It was a great experience for me and I am rooting for all of them! Thank you to Mr. Clark for taking the time to speak with me and sharing his basketball wisdom and insights. I’d like to thank Bingo for taking the time to speak with me and allow me to learn more about John Strickland from someone who knew him well. A special thanks goes out to the Big Strick Classic organizers Chris and Nadia Richardson, DJ Rocky Bucano, Don Sparks from @BigStrickGame, Bobby Bates and Tone Turner who was great both days. As always, thanks for reading and if you have a moment, please comment. Last night, I got a glimpse of the potential future of the NBA. I went to the Big Strick Classic in NYC and saw some of the top high school players in the country. These guys are amazing. They include Stephen Zimmerman, Rawle Alkins, Kelly Oubre, and more. I was lucky enough to interview Zimmerman and Alkins, and some other people involved with the Big Strick program including basketball trainer Sammy Clark, and Bingo, who is head coach of Team Nike and had actually coached Big Strick himself! Like me, this was Bingo’s first time at the Big Strick Classic. I will post more about the interviews tomorrow. Meeting these players was like looking into the future. It was a fascinating experience. I sat at the top of the bleachers watching two scrimmages and witnessing players making explosive dunks, cool layups, long-range jumpers, and many smooth crossovers and fake outs. I’ve never seen so many dunks in two games. Stephen Zimmerman , Kelly Oubre and Rawle Alkins were some three players that really floored me! Here are my impressions of these two ballers:
Some other key standout highlights from the Classic included Ladarius Chester’s between the legs alley-oop to himself and two-handed it in the basket, Zimmerman’s fake pass over his defender’s head leaving the guy totally dumbfounded before sinking a three in his face, and a few half court shots from a couple of players prompting many “oohs” and “aahs” from the crowd, including me and my brother. The Big Strick Classic was a great experience for me. I had lots of fun interviewing and meeting the players, many of which will make it to the pros. When they do, I will be able to recall this night with excitement and remind everyone that I predicted the future. Please comment and let me know your thoughts! Also, check out my photos section of the event! The Knicks have officially signed Ron Artest, oh wait, I mean Metta World Peace. We have finally got one of the toughest players in the NBA. It’s a great thing too! The last time that the Knicks had a player that showed such heart and grit from the last I can remember was Charles Oakley from the 1995 season. We have a great player in Metta World Peace now and if you can remember way back when he was on the Indiana Pacers, he was pretty good too. He did make the all-star team in 2004 in Indiana when he was in his prime. I know that Ron Artest is out of his prime now, but he can still be very helpful for the team. Whether it is on the bench, in the locker room, at practice, or live in a game, Metta World Peace can get these Knicks the momentum they need to win games. I feel that he will encourage them into working on the things they need to work on. Metta World Peace, I feel, is developing the three-point shot. If he can consistently step back and shoot the three pointers, he can really help the team. World Peace, as we know, is a hard-nose smash mouth basketball player and he will do anything for a win. So, if Metta World Peace can step in on defense to take the charge, I feel that every hustle play that he does is extremely helpful to the team. He is the one to guard Kobe, LeBron, Durant, Westbrook, Rose, Rondo, CP3, Wade, Curry, the list of good players goes on and on, but he can lock all of them down on the defensive side so that they cannot score. There are two things that I am afraid of with having Metta World Peace though. #1: Suspensions! Only a year ago did Metta World Peace get suspended from elbowing James Harden in the head which lead to him getting a concussion. Pacers vs. Pistons enormous fight! Artest suspended the rest of the season and some of the next season. He has been suspended more than that but those are the two that I wanted to mention. Point is, I am afraid of Ron Artest possibly getting suspended in the 2013-14 season. Metta did state that he was glad he wasn’t drafted by the Knicks in 1999 because he was not ready for New York. #2: Getting older! Metta World Peace is clearly getting older and the bad part about that is possibly getting injured. World Peace will probably get injured this upcoming season, and I expect that, but it depends on how bad the injury is. Point here is, Metta World Peace is getting older and I am afraid of him getting injured. The good thing is Metta World Peace always keeps himself in good shape. How do you think Metta World Peace will help the Knicks? Anything bad? Tell me what you think in the comments. Also, #BRINGBACKKMART or not. Thanks for reading and please comment! Special Shout Out to all Twitter die-hard Knick fans for making @MettaWorldPeace #ComingHome2 campaign a success: @SpikeLee @jerryhoover65 @SdotBallTalk @mijoRAW @masterluke76 @_kingkev @Mrlivelifewong @MilfAndCookies5 @DaBigTyme @forevershinin @TheGeneral705 @Kingjaffejo_NYK @SKEETYBOY07 @TheRealDurasell @Nieves2428 Special HashTag Shout Outs: #NBABrothersBlog #ComingHome2 #KnicksTape #KNICKSFOLLOWTRAIN #MWPWMD #KnicksFam #KnicksNation and finally #OrangenBlueSkies Year Round!!! Hello everyone, today I am going to make my
predictions for the NBA Draft which goes on tonight. I am really excited to see who goes where in the draft, especially the Knicks who have the 24th pick in the first round of the draft. I am going to do only the first round for my mock draft. I have done my research and I am ready to get these picks started. How about you? Here are my first round picks. Cleveland Cavaliers R1N1: Otto Porter (Georgetown) Orlando Magic R1N2: Nerlens Noel (Kentucky) Washington Wizards R1N3: Cody Zeller (Indiana) Charlotte Bobcats R1N4: Ben McLemore (Kansas) Phoenix Suns R1N5: Anthony Bennett (UNLV) New Orleans Pelicans R1N6: Trey Burke (Michigan) Sacramento Kings R1N7: Victor Oladipo (Indiana) Detroit Pistons R1N8: C.J. McCollum (Lehigh) Minnesota Timberwolves R1N9: Shabazz Muhammad (UCLA) Portland Trail Blazers R1N10: Alex Len (Maryland) Philadelphia 76ers R1N11: Kelly Olynyk (Gonzaga) Oklahoma City Thunder R1N12: Steven Adams (Pittsburgh) Dallas Mavericks R1N13: Shane Larkin (Miami) Utah Jazz R1N14: Michael Carter-Williams (Syracuse) Milwaukee Bucks R1N15: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Georgia) Boston Celtics R1N16: Sergey Karasev (Triumph Moscow) Atlanta Hawks R1N17: Dennis Schroeder (Germany) Atlanta Hawks R1N18: Rudy Gobert (France) Cleveland Cavaliers R1N19: Allen Crabbe (California) Chicago Bulls R1N20: Mason Plumlee (Duke) Utah Jazz R1N21: Isaiah Canaan (Murray State) Brooklyn Nets R1N22: Gorgui Dieng (Louisville) Indiana Pacers R1N23: Giannis Adetokunbo (Greece) New York Knicks R1N24: Tony Mitchell (North Texas) Los Angeles Clippers R1N25: Tim Hardaway Jr. (Michigan) Minnesota Timberwolves R1N26: Jamaal Franklin (San Diego State) Denver Nuggets R1N27: Jeff Withey (Kansas) San Antonio Spurs R1N28: Reggie Bullock (North Carolina) Oklahoma City Thunder R1N29: Glen Rice Jr. (NBA D-League) Phoenix Suns R1N30: Ricky Ledo (Providence) These are my first round picks. Do you agree with them or do you disagree? Tell me in the comment section who you think should be changed up. Did you think that someone who was not mentioned here should be here? Tell me! Anyway, thanks for reading and please comment. Hello everyone, I’m here today to show you how I thought the each Knick player individually did throughout the season and throughout the playoffs because there were players that were different in the season than they were in the playoffs. I thought that some people did better in the season than they did in the playoffs. This is why I decided to make to separate grades, playoffs and regular season. We will start off with the reserves on the Knicks. Quentin Richardson and Earl Barron do not qualify.
James White-Regular Season-D, Playoffs- DNQ. What a disappointment! I thought this guy could play! It turns out that all he could do is dunk. I think he only had one highlight the whole season. What more can I say, Knicks, please get rid of this guy! He did absolutely nothing this season except get in the dunk contest and get one highlight! Kurt Thomas (When he was on the Knicks)-Regular Season-D+, Playoffs- DNQ. He did well for his role which was a bench warmer but if he had gotten more minutes, then this grade could have been judged more fairly. Rasheed Wallace (Before Retirement)-Regular Season-C-, Playoffs- DNQ. Rasheed had a good final year of his career this year with the Knicks for the time when he was not injured. He did well for his time, but he could not stay away from injury. So, Rasheed have a good life outside of basketball. Alright! Marcus Camby-Regular Season-C-, Playoffs- DNQ. Camby had some pretty solid work with the Knicks this year and I think that he gave it all he got. If we could get him next year, I would love to have him back! Those were my grades for the reserves, if you do not agree on something, come talk about it with me in the comments because I like to see what other people think about stuff. Anyway here are the role players and the sixth man of the year. Steve Novak-Regular Season-C-, Playoffs-DNQ. Novak was having a fine season for his role at the role player and I thought that we should stick to the same strategy throughout the playoffs. We did not. This guy played about 2 minutes in our whole NBA Playoffs when in a regular season game he had been playing a good 10-15 minutes. Why would Woodson change the strategy? If you are winning, keep doing what you are doing. Don’t fix what is not broken! Amare Stoudemire-Regular Season-C, Playoffs-DNQ. Stoudemire again had troubles with injuries for the second straight year and I think it is time to consider trading him. I gave him a C because he is still dunking out there with all the pain on him. I give him credit because after every injury he went through he toughened it out and came back out on the floor and for that I give him credit. Jason Kidd-Regular Season-C+, Playoffs-D-. Jason Kidd was one of those players that had a great regular season and lost it all in the NBA Playoffs, I cannot even remember if he scored in the playoffs against the Celtics or Pacers. Please write in the comments below if you remember this man making a shot in the Playoffs. In the regular season, however, the whole thing is a different story. He did very fine in the regular season and I thought he was a great addition to the team. Then, the playoffs arrived and all matters with Jason Kidd were downhill. Anyway, he did retire at 40 years of age and is now the Nets head coach and I wish him the best of luck with that. Chris Copeland-Regular Season-B-, Playoffs-B-, Was this guy a shock to us all or what? Nobody even thought he would be on a team this year and it turned out that he is actually a very fine player who hits shots when you need them. Copeland did show up in the playoffs and played the way he did in the regular season. He gave us a huge boost in the season and in the NBA Playoffs, he was phenomenal. Copeland, this is your team stay with us! Kenyon Martin-Regular Season-B, Playoffs-B+. Kenyon Martin was a solid player for the Knicks in both the regular season and the playoffs. He would dunk the ball and give the Knicks the momentum that they needed to win. Then, he would scream at the crowd when he blocked a shot or dunked it and the crowd would jump up and down and they would go crazy. I remember sitting at home watching this guy get me out of my seat going nuts. Point is, Martin thank you for helping us with a great season! JR Smith-Regular Season-A-, Playoffs-C+. Choke in the playoffs! I’m sorry JR but you did not help us after that elbow on Jason Terry in Game 3 of the 1st round. After that happened, JR could not do anything, he was missing shots that he would usually make all the time and he is one of the reasons why I think we got out by the Pacers in the playoffs. In the regular season, though, I could never stop applauding you. Making every shot, putting an incredible dunk in every single night. Awesomeness! If you had only shown up in the playoffs it would have been a totally different story. If it was my choice though I would still get JR back for next season because he did well in the regular season and the Knicks could use someone like that this year. These were my grades on the role players, do you think I was correct or do you think different comment about it below and I can see what you think. Now, the starters and the coach. Raymond Felton-Regular Season-B+, Playoffs: C-. In the playoffs this man was failure. Our starting point guard in one of the playoff games against Indiana scored 4 points! Are you kidding me? That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of before. Felton is supposed to be the second scoring option behind Carmelo in the starting lineup and he is giving us 4 points in the whole game! Sorry, Felton but you deserve a C- for that performance in the playoffs. In the regular season he was better but still struggled. At least he did not have 4 points in a game on a consistent basis. Pablo Prigioni-Regular Season-B+, Playoffs-B+. Another shocker right here. Nobody thought that 35 year old Pablo Prigioni was going to be on an NBA roster for his first year in the NBA. He shocked the world, the steals, the threes, the veteran, he had everything. He helped the team so much this year and he was one of the reasons why we even got to the 2nd round and got to six games in that second round. He truly played his heart out and I cannot thank him enough for giving the Knicks another big boost. Thanks Pablo! Tyson Chandler-Regular Season-A-, Playoffs-C. Here is a player who did not show up for the 2nd round of the playoffs. Tyson Chandler got owned by Roy Hibbert in six straight games, oh wait that was the whole series against the Pacers, why would you betray us Tyson! Why? However, in the regular season he was a dominant force on the boards putting up two 20 rebound games and getting an alley-oop jam every single game. Good job by Tyson on the regular season, not so good in the playoffs. Iman Shumpert-Regular Season-A-, Playoffs-A-. Never let this guy go! Iman Shumpert tore his ACL in game 1 of the NBA 1st round against the Miami Heat, and it looked like it really hurt. He came back during this season and worked hard to get back to his normal strength. He played great in that elimination game in the playoffs with those 5 three-pointers and those clutch buckets. Also, how about that ferocious jam in game two of the Conference Semifinals, that was awesome. Shumpert has a lot of time to develop and can become a really solid basketball player when at full strength. Good season, Iman. Carmelo Anthony-Regular Season-A, Playoffs-A. Melo, you are going to win a championship one of these years, just keep working. Carmelo Anthony had one of the best regular seasons of his career averaging 28.7 points per game in the regular season and winning the scoring title, but if you think that is good enough. He averaged 28.8 points per game in the playoffs! Finally, a clutch performer! This is what a star has to do for his team, put up big numbers. Melo did some incredible things throughout the season including a 54 win season, a division title, home court advantage for the first two rounds, and the second seed in the Eastern Conference. Thank you so much Carmelo for everything you have done! Please do this next year and we will keep inching closer to that ring. Melo, next year is the one! Mike Woodson-Regular Season-A, Playoffs-D+. Big Difference! In the regular season, Woodson was up for Coach of the Year in the NBA and was almost able to coach the East All-Stars. He got the Knicks a division title, 54 wins, and the 2nd seed in the East. I give a lot of credit to Woodson for that and I applaud everything that he did in the regular season, but the playoffs were a whole different story. He was screwing up every game and that is why I gave him a D+ in the playoffs. If Iman Shumpert hits 4 straight three-pointers to end the 3rd quarter in an elimination game, would you take Shumpert out for the 4th quarter. Sounds stupid, right! Woodson thinks different, he subs him out in the 4th quarter and we lose the Knicks are now out of the playoffs. What do you think the main reason was? WOODSON!! Mike Woodson just needs to make smarter decisions and he will be fine. These were my predictions on each Knicks players grade, do you have a different opinion on what their grade should be? Tell me in the comments below. Please comment and thanks for reading! Hello again, I heard news about the Houston Rockets trying their best to get two of the NBA’s most dominant players. If this happens, I believe that their team will be extremely dominant already having superstar James Harden on the roster and adding two more superstars would be phenomenal. In my opinion, I think they would finish 1st or 2nd in the West if this were to happen to this Houston Rockets team. The only problem that I think they might have is how to include everyone. Chris Paul is included all the time because he will be the point guard and he will always have the ball. The problem though is how to get James Harden the looks he wants and to get Dwight Howard his points by backing down in the post and dunking over people. However, since they have one of the greatest point guards and leaders in the NBA, I think that Chris Paul could work this out between Harden and Howard. Another issue for the Rockets is Jeremy Lin. First of all, in the playoffs, backup point guard Patrick Beverley really showed himself to Kevin McHale and the Rockets by doing very good things. Plus, if Chris Paul comes, then Beverley might be the backup point guard for him in the Rockets roster and then where would Lin go? Maybe he would be the backup shooting guard for James Harden, I don’t know. If the Rockets get at least Chris Paul, I would consider trading Jeremy Lin. How about Omer Asik? He would probably be backup for Dwight, but if I were the coach of the Rockets I would have him start at power forward and Dwight at center. If I was the coach and we got CP3 and D12, my lineup would be Chris Paul, James Harden, Chandler Parsons, Omer Asik, and Dwight Howard. Many different people may or may not have different opinions about this but this is what I think the starting lineup should be if Chandler Parsons decides to stay in Houston. If that were the lineup in the opinion of mine, I think that the Rockets finish at least 4th in the NBA. Last season, the Rockets did very well and got the 8th spot in the NBA Playoffs which meant they would play the Thunder. This series to me was one of the most fun and most entertaining series I have seen during the playoffs. They managed to win 2 games after going down 3-0 in the series but they were eliminated on their home floor in Game 6. 2012-13 Season Result: Eliminated in First Round. They definitely improved from the year before where they did not even make the playoffs, so it was a good season for them. However, if this goes through and they get CP3 and D12, I think they might go to the Finals. If they get both of those players and keep James Harden, Omer Asik, and Chandler Parsons, I think that they cannot go any worse than the Conference Finals in the WEST! Anyway, I think that the Rockets would do very awesome if they got Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. But I want to know what you think? Do you think that their lineup should be different? Do you think Lin can find a spot on the roster if this happens? How far do you think they will go if this happens? Tell me in the comments. Thanks for reading and please comment. Hi everyone I am back with my NBA Finals predictions, I was 1 of 2 on my Conference Finals Predictions. I thought that it would be a Memphis Grizzlies vs. Miami Heat championship, however, it turned out to be a San Antonio Spurs vs. Miami Heat championship. So, here are my NBA Finals predictions. The NBA Finals include the Western Conference Champion San Antonio Spurs facing the Eastern Conference Champion Miami Heat. I think the Spurs will take it in 6 games and Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich will win their 5th title together. There are various reasons why I think this will happen. The first reason can be traced back to the 2007 NBA Finals when the Cavaliers and Spurs faced off against each other in the NBA Finals. LeBron was on the Cavaliers at the time and the Spurs had Parker, Ginobili, and Duncan just like they do now. The Cavaliers got swept by the Spurs and the Spurs had won their 4th title. Now LeBron is in Miami with more help, but I do not think that the older Dwyane Wade, who is now past his prime, and Chris Bosh, who has played poorly throughout these playoffs, are going to be much help for the Spurs. My second reason is based on the player-to-player matchups. Here they are: Starting Point Guards: Tony Parker vs. Mario Chalmers. I think this is an obvious decision. In my opinion, Tony Parker will make Chalmers look like he is just another player, which he is to me. Anyway, Parker will make him look like he has never played basketball before. Tony Parker wins, point San Antonio. Starting Shooting Guards: Danny Green vs. Dwyane Wade. Dwyane Wade wins, point Miami. Enough said about that matchup. Starting Small Forwards: Kawhi Leonard vs. LeBron James. LeBron obviously wins this matchup, but I think Kawhi Leonard will defend him well and get his point average down 3 or 4 points. Still, LeBron will dominate here. LeBron wins, point Miami. Starting Power Forwards: Tiago Splitter vs. Udonis Haslem. I think that the way that Splitter and Haslem have played throughout the playoffs is phenomenal. Both players have been huge parts of their team, and without them, I don’t think either team would not be where they are right now. I just think that Splitter is a bit better than Haslem, because of his ability to rebound the ball and put it back up and in the basket. Splitter wins, point San Antonio. Starting Centers: Tim Duncan vs. Chris Bosh. The way Chris Bosh has played during the post season, this has become an easy win for Tim Duncan. Tim Duncan wins, point San Antonio. Bench vs. Bench Lastly, the benches are close but ultimately my vote goes to San Antonio because of Manu Ginobili being on their bench. So my matchups tally up as 4-2, San Antonio. My bet is on San Antonio Spurs defeating Miami in six games to win the 2013 NBA Finals in 6 games. Of course, I wish I was writing this and comparing the Knicks versus another team but it wasn’t in the cards for the Knicks this year. But there is always next year!!! As far as this season, who do you think will win, Spurs or Heat? Who do you want to win? Why? Anyway, thanks for reading and please comment and let me know! New York teams are like no other. And so is their press coverage. Just ask any New York coach…even when they take their teams to the playoffs, they can be given a ticket out of town. Just look at what happened in hockey with New York Rangers (ex) coach recently. The firing of the Rangers coach made me start thinking about the NY Knicks coach Mike Woodson and what his future with the Knicks should be. Mike Woodson had many good things happen for himself and his Knicks this year. First off, he led the Knicks to a 54-28 record and we got the 2nd spot in the Eastern Conference. We got home court advantage with the help of him and won the Atlantic Division title for the 1st time since 1994. He also was able to reel in the veteran players like Jason Kidd, Pablo Prigioni, Rasheed Wallace, Kenyon Martin, Kurt Thomas, and Marcus Camby. Also, how about Mr. Copeland, he had a phenomenal year this year. His first year in the NBA at the age of 29 and he was able to do what he did throughout the regular season and the playoffs. Wow! Woodson did just fine with Copeland for sure. This is pretty good for his first year as a head coach! I just hope he can build on his progress and get us further into the playoffs next year. In the regular season, he was a really good coach. In the playoffs, though, not so much. He coached well in the series against the Celtics, but the Pacers’ series was a bigger test and I think he failed. Still, overall I would give him a passing grade as head coach – not the best in class but definitely, passing the test. While there were some good things he did, there were some bad Woodson memories from this season too. During the season he did a respectable job, but I think he turned people of in the playoffs with some questionable coaching decisions. In the playoffs, we lost in 6 games to the Pacers in the Conference Semi-Finals. In our last game of the season for the New York Knicks, I can remember when Iman Shumpert had hit 3 three-pointers in a row to make it a one point game. He stayed making three pointers until the quarter ended. Then, for the fourth quarter, of all people, he takes Shumpert out of the game and when he comes back in later, he misses the three. Coach, I got to tell you something simple, if a guy is feeling from everywhere on the court, KEEP HIM IN THE GAME! That makes absolutely no sense! If your role player is making shots left and right you are not going to take him out are you? Uh, whatever…not your best moment Mike! Overall, I think Woodson has done pretty well with the squad he coached during the 2012-2013 season. But should he coach in the Big Apple again next year? Will the fans be as forgiving without a ring next year? What about the year after that? If I were the one making the decision, I would most certainly give him the chance next season. I think he has earned it in a town with die-hard fans and a level of press scrutiny like no other. He had to try and put a team together with a lot of older players in his first full year as a head coach. He did it. He led us to a 54-28 record, an Atlantic division clinch, the 2nd seed in the playoffs, guaranteed home court advantage for the first two rounds of the playoffs, and reeled in players like Chris Copeland. I think he had a decent first season as a head coach and regardless of what his contract is, I think that he should stay here again next year. What do you think? Different opinion? Tell me about it in the comments. Thanks for reading and please comment. |
Mike V.
My name is Mike V. I am an enormous basketball fan. I also am a die-hard Knicks fan. After graduating 5th grade, I started writing this blog at the age of 10 in the summer of 2012. Archives
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