A Weekend with the Stars

This is a post I wrote for the Sweet Home Sports website magazine.

Well that was fun. This is the response given by most spectators after the popular all-star weekend which included an unbelievable dunk contest, followed by a phenomenal three-point contest, as well as a repetition in the skills competition. These events may have just been the highlights of the weekend.

When it came down to Sunday night, East versus West, the game was “ok”. Yes, the match-up between the best of the East versus the best of the West was just OK. And that’s stretching it. Players were just goofing off and, dare I say it, having a good time. What these players don’t understand is that the fans want to watch a fun and intense game. But the players felt otherwise. They were throwing alley oops to themselves, and in the case of LeBron James, some did not even complete them. The West crushed the East 153-132, as Kobe’s 31 points, six assists, and six steals were enough to name him the MVP of the game, but not enough to keep the fans in their seats.

So why did I go through the trouble of writing this article? It was the night before that left television sets running. Unknown stars began to shine and the families sitting at home were on the edge of their seats. The dunk contest began with a couple of lackluster, anonymous players, besides 6′11” Dwight Howard. And what did these players do? They made it so their jerseys were selling the next day. Defending champion Nate Robinson exploded, throwing alley-oops to himself while finishing his superb dunks in Michael Jordan fashion, who was in fact judging the contest himself. Even after time expired, he still put smiles on fans’ faces with his off the backboard 360 slam. Dwight Howard managed to stun the crowd with a sticker placement of his face, 12 feet 6 inches off the floor, while still completing the fanatic dunk. But the real story came with the winner of the losers. That’s right, Gerald Green, of the horrendous Boston Celtics really put on a show. And why shouldn’t he during this magnificent weekend? Green came out with ridiculous slams, causing the crowd’s jaws to drop lower and lower. Green came out of the gates hungry, catching a pass from teammate Paul Pierce off the side of the backboard, and putting it in with a two-handed slam. And that was the least impressive of the night. Green came out again, this time with a Dee Brown jersey, and jumped over Nate Robinson while still completing the dunk. Oh, and did I mention he covered his eyes in the process? This historic move gave him a bid to the final round when Green jumped over the scorers table, still having enough air to finish off a perfect windmill slam. And when I say perfect I refer to the judges, who scored Green with a perfect 50.

But that was not the only intriguing part of the night. Jason Kapono easily took the three-point contest without even trying. Kapono was well into the final round before he unleashed his true potential. As soon as the clock started, Kapono began draining three pointers as if they were lay-ups and received an unbelievable 24, crushing former champion Dirk Nowitzki and tying the final round record set by Mark Price of the Cleveland Cavaliers. And that’s not even the end of it. Dwyane Wade defended his trophy with another Skills Challenge win, making it a second consecutive victory and blowing out Kobe Bryant, the second place winner. So as the clock ticks closer to the start of the second half of the regular season, players begin to regroup, putting the past behind them, and preparing for buzzer beaters, explosive dunks, long distance-shots, and a weekend’s worth of action.

Cinderella Man

Six. That's not enough for the former NBA champion who wants another gold ring on his finger. That's right ladies and gentlemen, Scottie Pippen wants in. The 41-year old veteran desires a life in the old days, and what's better than winning another championship to add to your resume? Pippen understands his situation and believes that he still has the skills. So what are his chances to join the Bulls and bring them their first ring since Michael? Very slim. Pippen says he "would only do this for a contender," a selfish comment in my opinion. Pippen's late comment is truly a result of his passion for basketball.

His desire to play and want for glory have driven him where most past NBA all-stars go, back to the court. But according to previous statistics, history is not in favor for the comeback players. Michael Jordan, 3 years after his last season as a Bull, joined the Washington Wizards to put up 22.9 points per game, almost six points less than he had posted up last season. And the next season? A measly 20.0 points per game. Now those are still fairly good statistics for a 38-year old player. But for MJ, those stats are unacceptable. Moreover, Pippen is entering a new generation of basketball. What Scottie doesn't realize is that the game has changed since he left, revamping the role of the big man and the lack of defense. Pippen's superb defensive skills, along with the perfect combination of offensive aggressiveness, allowed Pippen to stand out amongst most NBA players in history. But his age is finally catching up. Scottie just can't keep up with his lack of conditioning and his fatigue will ultimately strike. Now I fully support Pippen's decision to return to fame, but it won't be easy for #33. He will have to learn to adapt, and he will have to do it without #23 by his side. If Pippen goes to a team like Miami or San Antonio, teams he is considering at the moment, he will learn to cope with the fact that he may not even start. With a player like Tim Duncan or Dwyane Wade, Scottie may not even be truly influential.

But Pippen's purposes lie far beyond his role as a player. In fact, he is acting more as a coaching figure and improving the game for his teammates, especially on the defensive end. As old as Pippen is, his knowledge for the game will never be forgotten, and his tranquil and pleasing personality is big enough to fit in any locker room. Pippen hopes to make a difference on and off the court, taking each player's attributes to the next level with his love for the game. Scottie, almost an emulation of Jordan, has always been known for his heart and passion for the game. He has shown that he can still handle the big league's, and wants to prove all those critics that say he can't succeed in his comeback. Although I concur with most of the statements made on Pippen, I sincerely wish he does prove each and every opposing critic wrong, especially me. By succeeding in his new career, Scottie Pippen would bring hope to the NBA, and hopefully spark a change in the game once again.

The Best in the Business

The votes are in and the players are waiting patiently. Which only event can you see an alley oop from Tracy McGrady to Kobe Bryant? That's right. The All-Star game is just five days away and you know what that means. The halfway point of the NBA season is near completion and everyone begins to ponder over the best of the best. I'm talking about the 2006-2007 MVP award. Although it is a bit early, too many fans are already on the edge of their seat waiting to read that sweet headline whether it's their favorite player smiling on the front of that Sports section in the paper. And where's the fun in the MVP poll without a little opinion.

As the players begin to blossom over the first half of the season, their rankings for MVP begin to emerge. Names like Steve Nash, Gilbert Arenas, and LeBron James are uttered on a daily basis. But who really deserves the honor. Although it seems unlikely, Nash is the favorite once again to take this year's trophy home. If the all-star Suns point guard wins once again, he will join Wilt Chamberlain and Celtic teammates Larry Bird and Bill Russell as the only players to win MVP three years in a row. And why not? Nash has clearly improved over the years, handing out a career best 11.8 assists and 19.3 points per game. But that's not all. Nash has set a personal record in three other categories, posting amazing numbers in field goal percentage (53.6%), three-point percentage (49.0%), and three pointers made (2.5 per game), all silencing the opposing critics. This 6'3'' play maker has controlled the Suns offense for three years now, winning the MVP award for the two full seasons he has carried them. And what happens to the Nash-centered team when he's gone? They lose two out of three games, both being home games against the young Bulls and pitiful Hawks. And what about last year when Nash was hurt? The Phoenix Suns managed to lose the three games without their star point guard.

So why shouldn't Nash win the MVP? Without Steve, the Suns look like a little league basketball team, kids just throwing up shots, hoping one of them goes in. And if that's still not enough to persuade you, then what else would? The only top candidates that are really on my list are Dirk Nowitzki, Gilbert Arenas, and LeBron James. And do these players even compete? Arenas is averaging almost 30 points per game (29.0 to be exact), and an astounding 6.2 assists and 4.7 rebounds. But is this really enough to compare him to such a high profile point guard like Nash? It's a blowout. Nash almost doubles his assists, and it wouldn't surprise me if he did at the end of the season. I know that Arenas averages ten more points and 1.4 more boards, but when you are surrounded by players like Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudemire, and even Raja Bell, you don't have to put up 30 points a game just to give your team a chance to win. And why don't we look at the history. Besides the fact that the Wizards are slightly better this year, going from number four in 2006 to number 2 presently, these players emulate last years statistics. Arenas is practically miming his past stats (going from 29.3 PPG, 6.1 APG, and 3.5 RPG to 29.0 PPG, 6.2 APG, and 4.7 RPG). And Nash, although slightly as well, improved his attributes as well (going from 18.9 PPG, 10.5 APG, and 4.2 RPG to 19.3 PPG, 11.8 APG, and 3.3 RPG). And the outcome in the MVP race in which both these players were in extremely similar situations they are in now? Drum roll please... Nash won by a landslide, taking 57 out of a possible 125 first place votes. How big of a landslide was this? Second place was Kobe Bryant with 22 votes, less than half the amount Nash received. And how do other players such as LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki fair in this heated competition? Not too well considering both have surprisingly dropped since last year, lessening their possibilities for bragging rights.

So it's easy to see that Nash could be a clear cut winner if all goes according to plan. But usually that's not what happens. Maybe LeBron will go on a scoring rampage, putting up 35 PPG in the month of March. Or Nash might go up for a lay-up that wasn't there, and injure his elbow for a month in the process. Who knows? But one thing is for certain. This is the NBA, and anything goes, anything.

Clash of the Titans

As the minutes counted down prior to the Lakers-Cavaliers game, every basketball fanatic was asking the same question: Which NBA All-Star will take his team to victory tonight? The answer: Neither. Although the Cavaliers closed out the game on a 35-23 run, LeBron was not the reason to celebrate. In fact, it was the unpopular, looked over, and unsung heroes that climbed the mountain to victory, and yes, did it while carrying LeBron James on their backs.

The Lakers-Cavaliers match up is always an entertaining sports event. And as everyone knows, it is because of two constantly uttered names: Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Whether it's asking which one is better, or questioning who is closer to being the next Michael Jordan, the two continuously rank atop the season scoring leaders. But is this necessarily a good statistic? Before going into last night's game, the scoring leader in the previous four games, whether it was Kobe or LeBron, ended in a loss. And the tradition continued. Bryant, who is averaging an astounding 28.6 PPG (which many fans view as a low for him), put up 36 against the unrequited Cavs, doubling LeBron's measly 18 points (eight points under his 26.2 average). But Bryant came up 9 points short as the Cavaliers cruised to victory in Cleveland 99-90. However, unlike what most fans would believe if they heard the Cavaliers won, James was not responsible for the tight victory. It was two other Cavaliers, one of which has probably never been uttered from the mouth of any basketball fanatic: Sasha Pavlovic and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. These European heroes combined for 38 points and shot 50% (15-30) from the field. Pavlovic, who scored a team high 21 points, came up big in the fourth quarter, racking up 13 and giving the Cavs another tally in the win column. Isn't that funny? Pavlovic led the Cavaliers, not LeBron.

But the Cavaliers still have much to improve if they want to be considered the Eastern Conference Champions. The omnipotent Kobe Bryant was unstoppable, putting up jump shots, getting to the free throw line, and dunking over heads at will. Bryant shot 12-24 from the field, adding 7 rebounds and 6 assists to his impressive 36 points. Not to mention he shot a perfect 11-11 from the charity stripe. And that's not all. Kobe led his team in times of distraught, and down by eleven after the first half, gave the Lakers a three point lead entering the fourth and final quarter. But Bryant was out of gas. And who was there to help him? Lamar Odom? Andrew Bynum? No, no one picked up Kobe when he was down. No one took the shot during the pressure situations. And how did this result in the Lakers' favor? It resulted in a depressing nine point loss. Once Cleveland finally found an answer to Kobe's "immortality," they doubled him up and pressured him on every possession. Kobe went scoreless in the last 3:39 of the game and the Cavs came out hungry, surpassing the Kwame Brownless Los Angeles Lakers. So if someone were to ask me if I would rather take Kobe over LeBron I would respond with: "It's not important whether I have Kobe or LeBron, they're both incredible. The real question is who would the other four players on the court be?"

Temper Tantrum

Although I have been discussing a vast amount of basketball topics, I feel that the NFL is still in a debacle over one issue that has lasted several weeks. LaDainian Tomlinson, the 2006-2007 MVP, has continued his case over the Patriots victory celebration. He claims that Bill Belichick, coach of the New England Patriots has "no class". Are you serious? Three time Super Bowl winner and the most respected coach in the present day NFL has no class? I think someone did not get enough sleep before the game.

Although I love watching Tomlinson run the ball and break records each day, I have completely lost respect for this athlete. Is he mad over the famous "Lights Out" dance that those Patriot players performed, or did his fuse go off when the Chargers watched the clock expire and their playoffs hopes retire? I think it could be a little bit of both. Moreover, Shawne Merriman should have been the one complaining, not LT. This obscene gesture that LaDainian has continued to dwell over will only hurt him and his team. Belichick, on the other hand, went on to coach the AFC to a pro bowl victory, and yes, without talking to Tomlinson. LaDainian has clearly overreacted on this situation and if anyone has no class, it's him. If Tomlinson is feeling any emotion right now it should be embarrassment because he has truly humiliated himself in-front of millions of fans. Now I don't feel that this problem will continue into the next season (at least I hope it does not), but I do see commentators and analysts discussing the hostility between LaDainian and the Patriots during their next meeting, and that is something that should not happen. It is Tomlinson's responsibility to resolve this issue once and for all. There are too many other issues involving coaching (and there are a lot of vacancies among teams) and free agency for this minor detail to blossom into a heated rivalry. This is an unnecessary matter that will only grow unless LaDainian Tomlinson proves to the public that he has "class".

Jews in Sports

A short comment written on modern and historic Jews in the sports world.

I watched Shahar Peer and Serena Williams' match a few weeks back and it was pretty intense. Even though Serena did ultimately dominate the entire tournament, Jewish athletes are beginning to emerge around the sports world. Historically, many Jewish athletes are popular not just because of their religion, but because of their skills as a player. Sandy Koufax, for instance, is a phenomenal pitcher, one of the best in baseball. And Hank Greenberg led the Detroit Tigers to World Series victories in his outstanding MLB career. And let's not forget about swim champion Mark Spitz who is credited as the greatest Olympian swimmer in history.

These sports figures not only reveal the success in Jews throughout the sports world, but also put their beliefs before their careers. Koufax is highly remembered for sitting out a World Series game on Yom Kippur. And what happened next? He pitched a magnificent game and ultimately won the World Series title. These players perfectly combine their culture with their daily lives, and choose what is permanent (religion) over what is temporary (their sport).

Originally posted on:
https://www2.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4096067883535400378&postID=6112961129379793185

The Man of Our Dreams

A comment discussing the issues with those beloved Chicago Bulls. And MJ, if you're reading, this you're the perfect man for the job.

I’m actually a Chicago Bulls fan myself. Born and raised in the city. But lately, I’ve just been to “wishy-washy” about this team. First, they go on a small slump to start the season, showing once again that they can’t win on the road. Then Skiles picks them up and leads them up to the great teams of the East. But they continue to lose road games and continue to shift from losing to winning to losing again too much. This team really needs to get it together if they really want to be considered a contender in the East. Now I know that Ben Wallace joined them in the offseason, which definitely stepped up the defensive unit, but they still don’t have what it takes. They NEED to win games in the end, those close ones that seem to creep away from them every time it comes. Not to mention the inconsistency. Who knows what kind of numbers Hinrich will put up, and whether or not Gordon will be hot or cold during the game. This team needs to be consistent, needs to focus more, and needs to step it up overall. They have too much young talent to throw their chances away and they have the best bench in the entire NBA. This team has what it takes and more, but they really need that elite player to hit the buzzer-beater or pull off the upset. Until they obtain that guy or at least use EVERY weapon on their team (and trust me they have at least 7 or 8), they won’t even stand a chance to teams like the Heat or the Cavs, who both have the big time players in Wade and LeBron. The only consistent behavior they maintain is being inconsistent.

Originally posted on:
http://sweethomesports.com/bulls/?p=53#comments

Offense: The New Defense?

As the first official post of this blog, I would like to bring up a topic that has come to every sports maniac's mind. As it is a quite popular statement, most people live by the "offense wins games, but defense wins championships" modo. This has been a true statement for years on end and even when the offensive minded teams go far in the playoffs or postseason, they almost never take it all. But recently it has been brought to my attention that the new saying is looking like "Defense wins games, but offense wins championships." Although defensive teams such as the Chicago Bears or San Antonio Spurs have been at the top of the list for present sports talks, the offensive teams have stolen the show.

Examples of these offenses can be seen throughout the sports world and are slowly growing. The Indianapolis Colts, the #1 offense in the game (maybe not statistically but you know they are) just took on the #1 defense, those Chicago Bears. I'm a huge Chicago Bears fan myself and I love the D that they bring to the table, but I think it's time they looked at the offense or they're going to kiss goodbye to another shot at that Lombardi trophy. The Colts showed offense does win championships and the Bears showed they need offense to win championships. I mean there is bad, and there is appalling, and then there is Rex Grossman. I stuck behind this guy through thick and thin, and it got pretty thick at times. But when you go to the super like that and come out the way he did, it doesn't surprise me that the defense has picked him up time after time (just look at the Bears-Cardinals game).

Now shifting to another sport, basketball, one offense has blown away every defense in the league. Yes, I am talking about those scorching Phoenix Suns and scorching is an understatement. To have TWO 15 game winning streaks in ONE season is unheard of. In fact, had they not lost those few games in the start of the season, they would be looking to take that best record in NBA history, which was set by the astonishing Chicago Bulls of 1996. This team has proven themselves over teams such as the Spurs and Pistons, and gone beyond. And the #1 team in the league overall, the Dallas Mavericks, are an offensive minded-team as well. Yes, they have been focusing on defense under coach Avery Johnson (who has really exemplified his true capabilities over this team), but when you have a 7 foot 3-point shooter you have to be excited to get the ball into his hands.

Both the Suns and Mavs, two teams with two MVP candidates (Nowitzki and Nash), have changed the face of basketball not only by impressing all those sports critics that believe in impenetrable defense, but also surprise the fans with no-look passes or one handed-dunks. Is it surprising that the two best offensive teams, not to mention best record teams as well, are the most fun to watch? No, of course not! These teams have caused players to do double-takes saying "did that just happen?" And teams like the Spurs or Pistons don't even have a chance. When you have a seven second shot clock like the Suns do it's hard enough just getting back to your side of the court before Nash dishes out a pass to Bell for an easy three. If no one takes charge soon it's going to turn into a sports blood fest; teams just drafting Quarterbacks or Point Guards and basketball games ending in scores like 150-140.