AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

By Paul Casey Gotham

It is that time again. Let’s hear from you readers. We had another week of stellar performances. Pick the ONE (1), UNE, UNO that stands out to you, and tell us a story.

It’s been forty years since it last happened and despite the protests of some that it even get a chance to occur, including the primary beneficiary, a triple-double in an NBA game took place on Christmas day.

LeBron James gets my POTW.

Not only did James turn a triple-double, but he accomplished the feat in Los Angeles. James dropped 27, grabbed 11 boards, and dished out 10 assists as the Heat dried up the Lakers 96-80 in a game that wasn’t even as close as the 16-point difference. The triple-double was James’s 31st of his career as Miami won for the 14th time in their last 15 games.

Billy Cunningham was the last NBA player to get a triple-double on Christmas Day. Cunningham did it in 1970.

Earlier in the week, Lakers’ coach, Phil Jackson voiced his opposition to NBA games on Christmas Day as did LeBron James. Orlando’s Stan Van Gundy has been fined by the league in the past for his comments about holiday games. Van Gundy switched his tact to sarcasm this year.

In case anyone is wondering, I feel a little after this week’s POTW nomination.

Who gets your POTW?

There is often nothing funnier than capturing a facial expression or occurrence at the right time, or, should we say, the most inopportune time.

I challenge you, loyal readers, to view the picture below and provide a captivating caption that will cause “the shores a-crowding” with “people all exulting.” Should you provide the wittiest of captions, for you the flag will be flung and the bugles will trill.

This week, we have Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra during a recent loss to the Dallas Mavericks:

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra reacts during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2010. Dallas won 106-92. (AP Photo/Mike Fuentes)

You’ve got the context, now make like the father of free verse and create the best caption you can in the comments below.

by Patrick ‘Rey’ Reynell

At the 1997 NBA All-Star weekend, the league introduced its 50 greatest players in commemoration of its 50th anniversary. The selection process had actually been completed several months earlier by media personnel, former players and coaches, and former and current general managers and team owners.

As its web site boasts at NBA.com, the list – at the time of its release – consisted of “one hundred and seven NBA championship rings. More than 400 hundred NBA All-Star Game selections. Nearly one million points scored.”

Some of its members reach back to the late 1940s such as George Mikan and Dolph Schayes. Others were more recent retirees such as Larry Bird and Isaiah Thomas. The list also included active players at that time such as Karl Malone and Patrick Ewing. Even Shaquille O’Neal, though only playing in his fifth NBA season, found a place amongst the 50 greatest.

The list rightfully spans both the foundation, innovation and modernization of the game.

No true guidelines exist for its compilation. For one, the names were presented sans-position, which allows only the best on the list. Secondly, statistics dominate the selections but can differ greatly from player-to-player.

32,172 points separate the list’s top and bottom scorers (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,327; Bill Walton 6,215).

44 MVP awards appear, but 33 of those awards have gone to just 9 of the players (Jabbar 6, Jordan 5, Russell 5, Chamberlain 4, Magic Johnson 3, Bird 3, Moses Malone 3, Karl Malone 2, Bob Pettit 2).

Of the over 100 NBA championships on the list, 9 of those players never won (Gervin, Ewing, Thurmond, Maravich, Baylor, Barkley, Karl Malone, Bing, Stockton).

The reasons various, the accolades vast, the selection venerable.

Thirteen NBA seasons have now passed since the 50 greatest were chosen. Two more NBA seasons will complete the NBA’s 65th year, so why not start thinking about adding 15 players to expand the greatest list to 65 – one for each year of the NBA’s existence.

Now, this is not a novel idea and has been done at the 60th anniversary by TNT. If you so choose, you can view their 10 additions at Hoopedia. That list, however, is not an official addendum to the NBA’s, so don’t feel obligated to include any of their picks should you decide to take a gander.

And because 15 is a lot to keep track of, let’s do this in three parts, 5 players at a time.

For this first part, pick the 5 players who you think absolutely, 100%, indisputably must be added. And remember: these players may still be active, or you may feel that someone long-retired just missed the cut the first time in 1997 and finally gets his due.

After a few days of discussion, we’ll tally the votes and move on to the next 5. As always, explaining your picks is a welcome form of discussion.

Here are my first 5 additions:

Bob McAdoo - Hall of Fame, 2X NBA champion, won an MVP in 1975 with Buffalo with whom he also won Rookie of the Year in 1973. An innovator at the post position because of his ability to shoot from the outside consistently (at 6’9″ tall). Though his total points and rebounds put him near the middle of the list of 50 greatest, remains the last player to average 30 points and 15 rebounds in a season.

Kobe Bryant – 5X NBA champion, three of those as the team’s No. 2 guy and the last two as the No. 1. Won a regular season MVP and last two Finals MVPs. Scoring champion twice who averaged just over 35 ppg in 2005-2006. Has over 25,000 career points, which would put him at eleventh on the 50 greatest list.

LeBron James – Over 15,000 career points in just seven NBA seasons. Back-to-back MVPs in that time. Averages 27.8 ppg, 7 assists and 7 rebounds (just a note: his playoff averages in each category are better). 34 career triple-doubles with 6 of those coming in the playoffs (had a triple-double in first career playoff game).

Tim Duncan – 4X NBA champion, 3X Finals MVP, 2X MVP. Only other plays to win multiple MVPs in regular season and Finals are Jabbar, Bird, Jordan, Magic. Great passer (3.2 apg) for a big man and even better defender (2.3 bpg). Easily a double-double for career (21.1 ppg, 11.6 rpg).

Allen Iverson – In less than 1,000 career games: 24,368 points (26.7 ppg), 5,624 assists (6.2 apg), and over 2 steals per game. Won MVP award in 2000-2001. Helped modernize the game today by creating an east-to-west style of play that opened the floor and encouraged ball-handling and penetration like never before. Today’s point guards break down defenses with crossovers Iverson mastered at Georgetown and the NBA. Uncanny ability to score around the basket despite often being smallest player on floor.

So there are my first 5 additions. You can agree, refute, or (in the spirit of Mt. Otsego) just add your ‘splinters.’

Part 2

Doug Benc/Getty Images

>Joe Johnson wanted for theft

In case you’re like me and avoid the contract numbers, Joe Johnson left the 2010 free agency bonanza with the most money. The Atlanta Hawks will give him a reported $120 million for the next 6 years. That’s around $10 million less than Dwayne Wade and LeBron James. And don’t forget they fired their coach, the one who improved Atlanta’s record every year he coached them.

This has to be one of the worst contracts and worst front offices in professional sports. Not that this needs validation, but here’s some career playoff stats:

Dwayne Wade: 26.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 6 apg, 1.65 spg (2010 playoff low in points- 26)

Joe Johnson: 16.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.6 apg, .9 spg (2010 playoff low in points – 8 twice)

Who is Johnson’s agent? I want him to help me close on my next house.

>Chicago no slouch in the East

It seems like despite the Heat’s acquisitions, nobody wants to sleep on the Chicago Bulls. They have one of the best scoring point guards in the league, an energetic 6’11″ center, and now a legit power forward and a sharp-shooter. How must Deron Williams feel after Boozer and Kyle Korver fled Salt Lake City to join forces with Rose and Noah? When will his contract expire because I don’t see him in a Jazz uniform much longer.

Tom Thibodeau, the Celtics former defensive mastermind, will take the helm from Vinny Del Negro. The offensive weapons seem to be plentiful for Thibodeau, but can he recreate the defensive tenacity that made the Celtics so playoff-immortal?

Boozer seems like a better fit than Chris Bosh would have been; Boozer likes to play with his back-to-the basket and will create some space for a driving Rose and quick kick-outs for a Korver or Deng. Though I haven’t seen him play much since college, many NBA analysts are high on Taj Gibson and his possible rise as a second or third scoring option.

>LeBron James would be a great professional wrestler

People ask every once in a while which athlete would be the best at crossing over to another sport. A common answer is LeBron James to football. He was, after all, an all-state pick in high school. But since James’ new favorite term is “it’s business,” what about LeBron James to the WWE?

Come on – the spectacle Thursday night was something that I’m sure made Vince McMahon wonder, “Hey! He’s stealing my ideas!” What better industry to be a part of than the narcissistic adventures of bikini-brief clad, bodybuilding, novice actors?

I think LeBron practiced his speeches so well he started to believe them himself, the same way these wrestlers eventually morph into their characters in their real-lives. Has anyone reminded him that despite believing that Cleveland couldn’t put together a good supporting cast, they were the best team the past two seasons with over 60 wins in each?

He even referred to himself in the third person several times. See – just like The Rock used to do! He’s perfect for a WWE run. Just as in wrestling, businesses have to reinvent themselves in order to remain appealing.

Just look at these two videos and see if you can tell which is associated with the NBA and which with professional wrestling (Press play for both videos at the same time and mute them. I gaurantee you’ll chuckle):

I never thought a twitter post announcing a contract would come off as taking the higher ground, but thank you Kevin Durant for showing us what professionalism means in the 21st century!

>Should loyalty matter?

For a moment , try to forget how James decided to let Cleveland know he was leaving. The thing I’m most confused about is loyalty in sports. Dirk Nowitzki decided to re-sign with the Dallas Mavericks. He stayed loyal to his organization and will remain the first scoring option. James spurned loyalty to possibly become Wade’s Magic Johnson. Who has the better chance at titles?

Where do we stand as a fan base? Dirk probably won’t even bring the Finals back to Dallas. James on the other hand will undoubtedly reach the Finals multiple times in the next six years.

I think it’s safe to say most felt it was Nowitzki who needed to put loyalty aside and go somewhere to be the no. 2 guy, not James. Yet everyone wants to throw James under the bus and claim he isn’t competitive. Is this solely about who tries to do it alone, or who tries to create their best path to a championship?

Who made the better basketball decision? Let’s hear it from the ‘Pine.’

By Paul Gotham

Passing of Brookshier and Salinger

With the passing of Tom Brookshier and J.D. Salinger, so went a tiny piece of my youth.

Growing up during the sports-starved decade of the 1970s, any televised sporting events were required viewing. Before cable television, sports fans had to plot their schedules according to that rare television broadcast.

Sunday afternoons in the fall mandated a hunkering down in front of the tube. Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier always had the early game. It was those guys who educated millions on the intricacies of  football. I was sad to hear when CBS chose to not continue Brookshier’s contract. Sadder still this week to learn of his passing.

Ironically, it was Brookshier, a former Philadelphia Eagle, who nurtured my love for the New York Giants. A former defensive back, much of Brookshier’s analysis of the Giants focused on New York’s ability to stop the ball. Of course, in the 70s he would not have had much of a choice. The Giants’ offense personified ineptitude. The thought crossed my mind that it was Brookshier who introduced the influence of defense to me.

I always enjoyed Brookshier’s wit and his ‘call-’em-as-he-saw-’em’ attitude.

If imitation is the finest form of flattery, then J.D. Salinger has received his share of props here on the Pine. I have used Salinger’s wisdom on more than one occasion. I am not the only one to make reference to The Catcher In The Rye. JD has taken the novel’s cover for his profile picture. Fans have been been promised that upon his death, we would see more of his work published. I look forward to it.

Sweet Sixteen

With his straight-set victory over Andy Murray, Roger Federer nabbed his 16th Grand Slam title. While he is not my favorite, there is no questioning Federer’s singular talent. The guy takes on all comers and continues to win. It will be interesting to see how history treats Federer. Because  tennis lacks the American influence of decades past, Federer’s accomplishments seemed to get dismissed by the casual fan. Many will contend that Federer has no one out there who can truly test him. A serious viewing of one  Grand Slam tennis tournament would prove differently.

West lobbying for contraction

N.B.A. hall-of-famer, Jerry West wants the Association to reduce its number of teams. For a variety of reasons – on the court performance, market size, revenues, and overall improvement of the game, ‘The Logo’ wants the NBA to cut back from its current number of 30 teams. West’s arguments make sense, and people are listening.

Instead of an all out contraction, I would love to see the NBA consider the tier system of English Football along with relegation. I have suggested this idea before, and it could work well with the NBA and give the game a niche.

Free of the minor league systems of MLB and the NHL, the NBA could trim 10-12 teams and create and second tier league. Then the developmental league could also come into play. With relegation at the end of the season, teams would move up or down according to performance on the court. This format could have an immediate impact on play. First off, teams would be less inclined to lose by design for the purpose of gaining a favorable draft position. Second, young players might think twice about skipping college. If a teenager knows he might end up with a second tier team and not make much money, college might become a more attractive option.

Speaking of losing by design

New Jersey’s Nets seem in position to get the most ping pong balls for next June’s draft. Can you imagine IF the Nets get John Wall. Then, can you imagine IF the Nets swing the deal to get LeBron. Heavy on the ifs, but food for thought.

Duquesne cuts four programs

In a cost-cutting move, Duquesne University cut its baseball, wrestling, men’s swimming, and men’s golf programs. This is just another in a line of small schools not being able to keep up with cash cows of the big conferences. Hofstra eliminated its football program as did Northeastern. And these are just the ones I know of. When a free-market system becomes survival of the fittest, there is something wrong. I am not going to contend that Duquesne baseball is vital to the American fabric. But when programs like this go away, opportunities go with them. Something needs to be figured out, so that any other programs considering termination can avoid such a fate.

Got any rebounds and putbacks? Post them here.

>Much Ado About Dunking

I was at a conference all last week. I briefly caught ESPN one day in my hotel room and noticed that a video of the infamous LeBron-James-getting-dunked-on-at-his-own-camp surfaced. In case this hasn’t been stuffed down your throat yet, here it is:

As we all expected, right? This was no big deal. Of course, many have over-analyzed this thing and want to explain why “it was weak” and so on. The major lessons all fans, especially young ones, are these:

1) A dunk is still worth two points or in the case of a pickup game, one.

2) EVERYONE gets dunked on at some point. It’s like an average hitter taking a great pitcher deep for about 460 feet. It happens, and it happens to the greats. I still remember a very young Allen Iverson crossing Michael Jordan over and Kevin Johnson dunking over Hakeem Olajuwon.

3) Hype breeds ignorant, hateful critics. There are many out there who want to see guys like LeBron James and Dwayne Wade fail for no reason. They’ll take any miniscule detail and use that as some viable evidence.

Thank goodness the tape came out and it’s now over.

>NBA Players not on the move

2009 Free Agency has been a whirlwind since it started this offseason. Many have changed teams, most recently point guard Andre Miller leaving the Sixers to go play with Brandon Roy in Portland for three years and $22 million. But there have been some names not moving as quickly as expected.

Sticking with point guards, who wants Raymond Felton? The Blazers went with the thirty-three old Miller, and who can blame them. But Felton’s numbers are not much different than Miller’s, and his salary last season with the Charlotte Bobcats was $4.1 million. Felton, however, is only twenty-six.

The Bobcats have another young point guard in D.J. Augustin who’s only twenty-one and made under $2.5 million last season. I’m surprised that the Bobcats and Felton have yet to reach a deal and that there doesn’t appear to be too many offers coming in from other NBA teams. The point guard position seems to be much less of a worry in the pros than it is in the college ranks.

Lamar Odom remains on the market. He and the Lakers have resumed negotiations after the Lakers rescinded their first offer. The Miami Heat have also shown Odom some options and Dwayne Wade has openly expressed his desire to bring the Rhode Island product to South Beach.

David Lee continues to search for suitors. The New York Knick met in Vegas recently with Portland but no formal offers have been announced. I thought Lee drew a lot of attention during this past season and he would sign quickly elsewhere. Knick teammate Nate Robinson also remains on the market.

I heard news of the Memphis Grizzlies possibly not re-signing Syracuse product Hakim Warrick in order to possibly sign Allen Iverson.

The Atlanta Hawks’ Marvin Williams is still classified as a restricted free agent. The latest update on his negotiations with the Hawks was on July 12. Hoops World says that the demands of Williams ($40 mil) and the amount the Hawks are willing to offer ($37.5 mil.) make it very likely that he’ll re-sign with Atlanta.

Sekou Smith, a writer at Hawks Blog, finds the title of HoopsWorld article to be a bit of a misnomer and cites some evidence that the projected offer/deal was simply not true. Smith goes on to provide his take on several different scenarios for the former UNC standout.

>If the WNBA has news, does it make a sound?

As of 3:44 PM on Saturday, ESPN.com’s lead article was the WNBA all-star game. I enjoy taking in a game once in a while. But for some reason, the games rarely make the news, which is why I was pleased to see the San Antonio Stars’ Becky Hammon and the Indiana Fever’s Tamika Catchings gracing the front page of ESPN’s web site.

Since the start of this WNBA season, I’ve heard the following news stories while giving the TV a cursory examination:

1) The Phoenix Mercury sold their jersey rights to LifeLock. Now the sponsor, not the team’s name, stretches in large font across the Mercury jerseys.

2) Candice Parker returned to the Los Angeles Sparks a couple months after giving birth to her first child.

3) Diana Taurasi was recently arrested for DUI.

That’s literally it; all the details are from memory. Anything else I know about the WNBA I looked up, and I watch ESPN and other sports stations much more than usual over the summer time.

Back to ESPN’s article. They pointed out the various strategies the WNBA had for promoting some interest in the all-star game. Among them were some of the players and analysts blogging and using twitter during the game.

When I went back to ESPN to view the box score, I couldn’t find a link to the game anywhere. And this was less than an hour after its conclusion. I had to go to the WNBA’s own page on ESPN.com.

David Sherman/NBAE/Getty Images

The Chicago Sky’s Sylvia Fowles dunked and pretty convincingly. Only thing is that the rest of players cleared out of the way so she could have a clear path to do so.

Many think the financial folding of the WNBA is inevitable now more than ever. It’s a shame to think that another women’s sports league will see its demise, after women’s professional soccer has made its return this year.

The WNBA conjures up so many negative connotations from “Joe Sports Fan” that it’s hard to imagine it ever being mainstream in America. Unfortunately, many of these “sports fans” have probably never seen a DI girls basketball game or professional game up close and in person.

On a personal note, congratulations to Temple-alum Candice Dupree. The fans voted Candice a starter for the first time in her WNBA career and she scored 12 points. She currently plays for the Chicago Sky and averages 15 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2 assists a game this season.

Got any NBA news or comments? Take a seat on the bench and let your ‘pickins’ be heard.

>Boston signs Rasheed Wallace; Celtics showing their desperation?

The 2008 NBA Champions signed Rasheed Wallace to a two-year deal. The thirty-four year old forward leaves the Detroit Pistons behind after winning an NBA Championship and apparently cleaning up his act since his Portland “Jail” Blazer days.

Brian Babineau/NBAE/Getty Images

This signing makes sense on paper. For one, Wallace can play inside or out. He’s someone that can be a valuable substitute for both Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins or play alongside either as the four or five. He defends well with a 6’11″ lanky frame – arms that seem to stretch forever.

But isn’t he, and many other of the Celtic players, on the decline? So basically this is a signing to win another ring in the next two years, right? Certainly this group won’t win one after that.

I can’t help but think of Wallace’s lack of performance against an East contender, The Cleveland Cavaliers. With Iverson out, Wallace scored double digits once in the first round against the Cavs. In the final game, he shot 0-7 and scored a big goose egg. Not only was he outmatched athletically (the younger Anderson Varejo just simply beat him up and down the court every time), but he was outmatched in terms of determination.

I thought he “packed it in” after game one of that series. He showed little to no emotion and almost appeared to be pouting most of the series. This signing seems eerily similar to the risk the Celtics took with Marbury. The payoff can be very nice, but if things don’t work out like he wants, then the whole plan can backfire.

I expect to see the Celtics jump out of the gate early in 2009-10. The question will be can they sustain that through the playoffs. If Kevin Garnett is healthy, perhaps. If not, I don’t see an aged Rasheed Wallace making too much of a difference against the Cavs and Orlando Magic.

>Nike only has itself to blame for the LeBron James getting dunked on fiasco

I can’t believe the controversy surrounding Jordan Crawford’s now infamous dunk on LeBron James during a pickup basketball game. If you’re immune to such pointless drivel, let me catch you up to speed. I, too, wondered why this was a story at first.

At the Nike sponsored LeBron James Skills Academy held in Akron, Xavier sophomore Jordan Crawford dunked on the reigning NBA MVP in a pickup game. The game was being filmed, according to a press release from Nike, when it wasn’t supposed to be. The film was confiscated by Nike officials because the cameraman broke the video footage rules of the camp.

Ironically, Nike has created quite the hubbub by confiscating the video in what some are allegedly saying is a way to protect the “King” James image. Certainly getting dunked on by some college kid at a camp bearing your name is bad, right? But did Nike really think this would be that big of a story? Crawford has said in a few interviews that the dunk wasn’t even that big of a deal when it happened. Why? Because it happens more times than we realize. Nike created the very media blitz they THOUGHT they were avoiding by confiscating the tape.

Ryan Miller, the young videographer, wrote on what really happened in the exchange after the dunk. Seems as if Nike doesn’t tell the story behind the tape confiscation too accurately. According to him, he was being allowed to tape the whole time. Only after the game and a friendly exchange with James did Nike officials approach Miller. They asked for the tape and said they’d give it back the next day, which we now know never happened.

Thank goodness Ryan Miller shed some light on the ridiculousness of this public image obsession and the lengths companies like Nike will go for good business.

In case my paraphrasing is off, you can read Ryan Miller’s accounts here:

Witness Protection Program: Notes from My LeBron James Camp Confiscation

Ryan Miller’s Response to Nike’s LeBron James Skills Academy Video Statement

If you have an extra five minutes, here’s an interview with Jordan Crawford concerning the “incident.”

Since we’ll never see Crawford dunking on LeBron James, here’s evidence that “King James” is not immortal in the game of basketball. Courtney Lee, from little ol’ Western Kentucky, throwing a couple down on James in the playoffs.

Got some NBA news or comments? Take a seat on the bench and let your ‘pickins’ be heard.

(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Kobe Bryant: the youngest player to reach 20,000 points.

LeBron James: the youngest player to reach 10,000 points and the quickest ever to 12,000.

As is always the case with great players, nobody expects you to stop them. You just need to somehow contain them. The “you” in this season’s case is the Orlando Magic’s Mickael Pietrus. The 6’6” wing player from France guarded James in the Eastern Conference Finals. Now with his team in the 2009 NBA Finals, he is the “Magic Man” who must try to contain the scoring machine that is Kobe Bryant.

Don’t believe for a second that Pietrus doesn’t welcome the challenge. It’s written on his face every game as he assuredly chews his gum and keeps the poise of a wildcat stealthily hunting its prey. Maybe that’s how he got his nickname, “Puma.” If Pietrus plans to live up to that nickname in the Finals, he’ll have to be as sneaky as a wildcat, too.

Orlando General Manager Otis Smith knew what he was getting when he signed Pietrus from Golden State. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy knew it, too. After signing him in the summer of 2008, Van Gundy said Pietrus would “Go to Cleveland and he’ll probably guard LeBron James . . . and guys like that at the two.”

Pietrus has been labeled a “versatile player” and most importantly a “lockdown defender.” The Magic knew that a defensive player like Pietrus would be an imperative part in competing for the NBA Title. With the rest of the pieces in place, Orlando took only one season to conquer the East and now vie for the title against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Though Bryant and James are great scorers, the defensive assignment changes drastically from one to the next.

Against James, Pietrus guarded a barreling locomotive. James benefited from an extra two inches and could easily shoot over Pietrus. More times than not, however, James looked to create by attacking the lane. Pietrus was able to keep James in front of him most of the time and challenge shots and passes with either hand.

Pietrus also benefited with Dwight Howard playing the middle and knew that even though James might be able to turn Pietrus’ hips and gain the advantage, the defense would rotate. Many times though Pietrus remained square with James, forced him to the block and baseline, and didn’t get his hips turned and succumbed to a clean look at the basket. James was forced to rely heavily on his teammates to knock down outside shots.

The Eastern Finals turned out to be more about the strength of Pietrus than anything else. Based on game one of the Finals, he will have to match wits in guarding the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant.

Pietrus challenged every jump shot Bryant took off the dribble. Because he and Bryant are the same height, Pietrus kept him relatively contained and went literally hand-to-hand with him on shot attempts. Bryant may have realized that he wouldn’t shake the equally quick and tall Pietrus every time.

Bryant attacked the middle of the floor and only attempted one three-pointer for the game. A majority of his shots came between 10-17 feet, mostly near the elbows. This is where Bryant outsmarted Pietrus.

By attacking the elbows, Bryant used Pietrus’ momentum against him. Bryant would either make his way to the rim or jump-stop. If he jump-stopped, Pietrus’ momentum often didn’t allow him to stop with him thus creating a little space. Bryant could take the shot or kick it out.

If Pietrus was able to anticipate the jump-stop, Bryant would utilize his pivot foot. Pietrus would overcompensate and close out on Bryant as he pivoted away from Pietrus as if to attempt a fade away jumper. When Pietrus recovered and closed down, Bryant would either up-fake and try to draw the foul or completely step across Pietrus and shoot a leaner.

Bryant ended up shooting 9-19 from that range, but also made all 8 of his free throw attempts. (Some of these attempts came off a Laker pick-and-roll).

Looking at the stat sheet, Mickael Pietrus looks like the worst defender of all time. The Magic allowed James to average over 35 points per game. In game one of the Finals, Kobe Bryant took Pietrus and Courtney Lee for 40 points and 8 assists. But to say Pietrus isn’t getting the job done is missing the point.

Pietrus is so versatile that he can physically match the two diverse styles of Bryant and James. Undoubtedly, he will give up a massive amount of points. But watch closely – he is making things a little more difficult for each player than it appears. Only Pietrus can remain so confident after giving up so many points.

The harder of the two challenges will in fact be Kobe Bryant. His understanding of the game and how to score reach beyond that of the youthful LeBron James. Bryant had his way in game one and showed everyone that basketball is as much mental as it is physical. For all his athletic prowess on the court, Kobe Bryant is also one of the smartest players to ever play the game.

We’ve seen that Pietrus can get it done physically on the defensive end, but these Finals will show if the “Puma” will prove his stealth if he can match wits with wits with Bryant.

Dear LeBron,

Well it has been 3 days since you and the rest of the Cavaliers were eliminated by Superman and the Orlando Magic. Not sure what you are up to these days. Resting some place warm? Hanging out with friends, playing Playstation 3 ? I recommend the Tiger Woods golf, but play the game for awhile before taking on Tiger. You can’t make too many mistakes or he will beat you.  By the way, I don’t know what the big deal is about you blowing off the press after your loss on Saturday. After such a great season and honestly, I thought you were at least going to the Finals – I don’t blame you for being down! I mean, I was pretty down after getting knocked out of the playoffs for softball last summer. My team really didn’t play up to its potential in that game and we lost to a team we had beat twice already.  I know I didn’t want to talk after the game either and that was just softball. Even the beer didn’t have its usual dirt cleansing appeal. I was bummed man, so I know how you feel right now.

But I am mainly writing to you to appeal to a side of LeBron Jamses, I hope exists. I know you will be entering your final year of your contract next year – which is why I plead to you – re-sign with Cleveland!  Look, I know you can probably go somewhere where the stage burns a little brighter. It is pretty obvious that the Knicks are clearing room in their salary cap to try and sign you. I am sure there will be a few others as well. But I ask you to stay in Cleveland and become the King of the NBA there. Don’t worry about the stage being big enough. If and when you get there, David Stern will make sure the stage will be big enough. That is just what the Commish does. But the fact is – Cleveland needs you and in someways, I think you need Cleveland. Anyone can go to New York or L.A. to win a championship, but it takes someone special to win a championship outside of the big basketball cities. Yeah I know M.J. won with the Chicago Bulls, but let’s face it – what were the Bulls before Jordan? Were they even relevant before Jordan?

Also, I have to admit that it is refreshing to see different teams this late in the NBA playoffs.  The Lakers sure are there again, and really they have been playing just well enough to get by teams. But having Orlando, Cleveland and Denver in the Final Four was – well, refreshing to say the  least. To me, that adds to the appeal for the NFL, that gets lost on the NBA and Major League Baseball. I think  Major League Baseball is catching on and I hope the NBA is as well.  It is good for the league and for fans to know their team has a chance to win a championship every year. That is all fans really need – a chance.

Look, I know you want to be like M.J. and something tells me that you have a chance to surpass the accomplishments of M.J. . Trust me, I know that saying ALOT!  But I think you have the game and you are right on par with him, from a career standpoint. It wasn’t until Jordan’s 4th full season that he won his first MVP and it wasn’t until his 7th season that he won his second MVP and his first championship.  Well, in your 6th season in the NBA you finally won a MVP trophy and I am sure a championship isn’t far behind.

I know you caught a lot of criticism after Game 1 for passing the ball off to Delonte West. I defended you on that one and I still think you made the right play. Look you needed to take the shot in Game 2 and you hit it. Just imagine where the series would be right now if Delonte had hit that shot.  Sorry, you are right, let’s not think about it. But let’s face it – Ben Wallace, Anderson Varejo  and  Zydrunas Ilgauskas weren’t going to get you by Dwight Howard. Two of those guys weren’t fast enough to handle Superman and the other wasn’t strong enough. And Wally Szczerbiak and Sasha Pavlovic were the answer on the wing? Now that is funny.  If I am not mistaken, Wally’s $10 million dollar contract comes off the books and if Big Ben retires, well there is another  $14 million. That opens up quite a bit of space under the cap for Danny Ferry to work with and you know guys will want to come play with you.  Hey, who wouldn’t want a chance to play for a championship every year?

The fact is, you will make money wherever you go. But how much is enough? You are already making a ton in endorsements. Do you really think you will  make THAT much more? You also have to ask – which is more important. Is all the money in the world worth it?  Or can you put a price on winning a championship close to your hometown of Akron, OH?? To me, that’s priceless.

Sincerely,

A NBA Fan

www3.whig.com/whig/blogs/dobservations

As amazing happens, however, players need to remember that humility should follow. Amazing attracts the attention of the media, fans, and outsiders alike. So when amazing occurs, as it often has in the 2009 playoffs, players need not forget that doing something incredible does not require an idiotic reaction.

I’ve been more than disappointed in some of the NBA players and their “amazing” reactions. Rather than basking in the glory of a big shot with some form of ethical jubilation, they’ve often chosen words and actions bordering on self-righteousness and obscene.

Chicago’s Ben Gordon displayed histrionics more suited for a prison gang fight after some of his big shots in the first round. After hitting a big three while in Chicago, he turned to the crowd near midcourt and decided to display his excitement by grabbing himself below the equator. At home. To his home fans. Toward his team’s bench. The one’s cheering for him. Ben, rubbing your brilliance in someone else’s face is bad enough, but what sense does it make to rub it in the face of your supporters?

The boastful display of one’s superior performance hasn’t been limited to those playing in the game. Kevin Garnett seemed as visible on the bench in his designer suits as he would have been on the court in his Celtic green. Maybe someone in the Celtic’s organization forgot to tell him this. After many big shots and game-changing plays, the camera often panned to Garnett who most of the time was jawing with the opposing players’ bench using a choice of words not even acceptable in some bars.

I liked Denver’s Chris Anderson and his amazing defense until his moment of foul mouthed absurdity. After picking up his fourth foul against Dallas, he sat down on the bench and the camera caught him at the perfect time expressing his displeasure. He exclaimed the referee made a call equal to bull feces.

This normally doesn’t bother me because players often express their frustrations forgetting for a moment about the cameras capturing their every move.

But this particular one was beyond unnecessary considering “The Birdman” nearly severed a player’s arm at the shoulder in an attempt to block his shot from behind. I’d hate to see what Chris would say in the event a referee actually made a bad call. It might be a tirade that would make former Temple basketball coach John Chaney cringe and say, “Chris – watch the language.”

Eddie House seemed to hit an endless amount of big shots during these playoffs. It’s hard not to think they were big shots, since after every single one he either turned to the opponent’s bench to express his the magnitude of his magnificence or ran down the floor in what seemed like a schizophrenic shouting match. The Magic’s Rafer Alston probably did what most of us non-Celtic fans wanted to do: slap some humbleness back into House’s obviously swollen head.

Thanks to Eddie House, the theatrics after shots can come at any time during a game now apparently. I thought usually such celebrations and superfluous screaming came after game winning shots. Denver’s J.R. Smith proved to me otherwise.

The other night in game three of the Western Conference Finals, Smith hit a three point shot against the Lakers to beat the third quarter horn. He commenced to yelling at the Laker’s Sasha Vujacic as if Vujacic just hit on his girlfriend. Smith was promptly assessed a technical foul as he skipped away like Reggie Miller in Madison Square Garden. Trash-talking at the end of the third quarter didn’t do much good as the Lakers won game three and seized the series lead on the Nugget’s home court.

Please don’t take any of this the wrong way: players should express their exhilaration after amazing moments in the playoffs. I enjoyed watching Boston’s Glen Davis run a 4.2 forty after making the game winning shot against Orlando in the first round. I loved seeing the NBA’s MVP, LeBron James, hit a three-pointer to win it against Orlando in the Eastern Conference Finals as his Cavs teammate Sasha Pavolic hung on for the ride afterwards.

All that I ask is that players realize the influence they have and to display a celebratory decorum that all fans can appreciate and watch over and over again. I want amazing to happen in every game. That shouldn’t have to mean that the decay of anything ethical in the NBA occurs with it.