I'm not sure if it's because I'm no longer on the West coast, or the fact that I like to go to bed rather early (sorry...I just can't hang anymore). It could be that maybe I'm too cheap for the NBA League Pass, or it's also possible there is just too much NBA to cover it all. But, what ever the reason, there are a few things I'd like to see more of in the NBA. I mean, the best part of NBA All-Star Weekend was being reminded that there is more to this league than what's going on in South Beach, L.A., New York, and OKC, or of course, where Dwight is going to end up. Now, those are all great stories and deserving of our attention, but there is more out there, and All-Star Weekend reminded me of that. Here are a few things, going forward, I'd like to see more of:
Kyrie Irving
I don't know if it's just me, but it seems like this guy is almost forgotten about, despite the fact that he is having a spectacular rookie season. He's the clear cut leader, in my opinion, for rookie of the year. He's taken on the burden of becoming the leader of a rebuilding team, and the hope of a heartbroken city (Cleveland thanks you, LeBron), and he's done it all with little to no national coverage. If Cleveland isn't playing the Heat, they hardly even get a mention on ESPN. Irving is averaging almost 20 points per game, with 5 assists, and a few rebounds. These numbers are on par (maybe even slightly better) than Derrick Rose's rookie year, and yet I hardly hear about this guy. During the Rising Stars game, in which Irving won MVP, he couldn't miss from 3 point land. I know there isn't much defense in that game, but seeing him play made me want to see more.
John Wall
Another victim of being on a terrible team is John Wall. This guy may be one of the fastest people to move with a basketball that I have ever seen. He is quick, has incredible handles, amazing court vision, and he can explode in a heartbeat. If Blake Griffin had actually played the year that Wall was drafted, we might be talking about John Wall as last year's rookie of the year. His play can be, at times, a little reckless, but when you're team is so terrible, what more can be expected?
Minnesota Timberwolves
Yes, the whole team. I know they are a measly .500 team at best right now, but they are fun to watch. Kevin Love is easily becoming one of the best power forwards in the game. His outside shot is second to none, winning the NBA 3 point shootout. He is fourth in the league in scoring, behind Kobe, KD, and Lebron. His nearly 14 rebounds per game are second only to Dwight Howard, and yet he is never talked about with the likes of any of the aforementioned. I love the way Ricky Rubio plays. His creativity is unmatched, he is a true pass-first point guard (5th in assist per game), and he's no slouch on the defensive end (averaging over 2 steals per game). Derrick Williams, while not overly impressive during the Dunk Contest, has had a few Top 10 highlight dunks this year. I have a feeling that in time, he will grow into a pretty good player. Add J.J. Barea, Martell Webster, and Michael Beasley and the sum is a fun, young team to watch....if you ever get the chance to.
The Rest of the NBA
Listen, nobody can argue with what the Heat are doing, but it's not really that much of a surprise. They are doing exactly what everybody expected them to do as early as last year. I also love watching Jeremy Lin, but Lin-Sanity is not the only storyline in New York. Dwight Howard doesn't want to play in Orlando, and the sooner the Magic come to grips with that, the better off they'll be. Kobe is still Kobe, but the Lakers are not still the Lakers of a few years ago, they're not even the most exciting team in Los Angeles. There is so much more going on in the league. Brandon Jennings is amazing, but who wants to watch the Bucks? Deron Williams may be the best point guard in the game, but if we're not talking about where Dwight wants to go, we don't hear anything about him. The Spurs, despite being one of the oldest teams in the league, are quietly having one of their best years. Oh, and there's also the Chicago Bulls, who have the best record in the league. Yes, better than Miami and better than Oklahoma City...and last year's MVP, Derrick Rose has been battling injuries all season long.
I know that the NBA, like all sports, is driven by ratings. I'm also aware that teams like Milwaukee, Washington, and New Jersey don't exactly drive those ratings through the roof. But the future of the NBA is happening now, and a lot of us are missing it. The casual fan just doesn't have enough exposure to these other storylines, and is therefore missing out on some great and exciting basketball. So, until they change things I'll either be staying up later, springing for League Pass, or just continue to hope the NBA decides it's not all about ratings.
Looks like it's gonna be some late nights for me...I love this game!
For more, follow me on Twitter @JustACasualFan
Showing posts with label Lakers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lakers. Show all posts
Monday, March 5, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Where Is THAT Hero?
"3...2..Guerin shoots...1...IT'S GOOD!!! KNICKS WIN!!" That's the way the story always played out in my head...on my court. Even when I missed the shot..."He was fouled!"...but, I always took the shot. And, if you are anything like me, then you also had those moments. The moments we grow up wishing we could have...shooting the game winner...becoming the hero. Never once, in the thousands of moments like that, did I ever pass the ball. I don't know if that makes me a poor player, and maybe that's the reason my highlight reel is limited to pickup games on local courts, but I always imagined myself being the one...the one to win it all. With the 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend coming to an end, I'm left wondering if LeBron James had those same moments, or did he just...pass the ball.
Listen, let me be abundantly clear...I know it was JUST an All-Star game. I know it means nothing. I know he is still, by far, the best basketball player in the game. So why doesn't he take the potentially game winning shot? Didn't he dream of moments like this? Didn't he picture himself as the hero? All-Star weekend, in every possible aspect, lacked those great moments that I grew up watching. It's kind of sad that leading up to the game, Kenny Smith's back to back half court shots in the Shooting Stars challenge, was one of the better moments. There was zero defense, and a complete lack of competitive nature in the Rising Stars game. So much talent wasted. Seeing just how good Kyrie Irving and John Wall are was a real treat, but that was overshadowed by an overall boring scrimmage. The 3-Point Shootout was alright, but nobody really went off. Then there was the Dunk Contest with its over-hyped and completely ridiculous "Intensity Meter". I don't really need to explain what a let down it was. No superstars, no moments that made me jump out of my seat, only one round...and NO judges?? The judges' reaction to the dunks was half the show in the past, but then again what legend is coming out to see these guys? There weren't even that many celebrities in the crowd, except Diddy, but he was more of a prop than a spectator. Then the game began, and I again felt let down...until LeBron came alive in the second half. He was making shots that were simply amazing. He took over and showed the world the he really is the best player in the game. He was unstoppable. The East was down by 20, and because of LeBron, they were within one basket of winning. These are those moments we wish for. The ones we've taken thousands of times. Jordan, Magic, Bird, and Kobe relish these moments, but not LeBron. He passed the ball. Even with Kobe in his face, prepared to officially pass the torch to him, screaming for him to take the shot...he passed the ball. It was picked off, and shortly after a Blake Griffin free throw...the game was over. The East, and LeBron had lost.
And, so it was, rather than seeing LeBron take another step toward greatness, the 2012 NBA All-Star game (and weekend as a whole) will be one that I'll eventually forget. LeBron, DWade, and the Heat will likely win the NBA Finals. And, unless LeBron dominates them, he will continue to have his greatness questioned. We will continue to wonder where is THAT hero? The one who takes the shot?
"3...2.......
For more, follow me on Twitter @JustACasualFan
Listen, let me be abundantly clear...I know it was JUST an All-Star game. I know it means nothing. I know he is still, by far, the best basketball player in the game. So why doesn't he take the potentially game winning shot? Didn't he dream of moments like this? Didn't he picture himself as the hero? All-Star weekend, in every possible aspect, lacked those great moments that I grew up watching. It's kind of sad that leading up to the game, Kenny Smith's back to back half court shots in the Shooting Stars challenge, was one of the better moments. There was zero defense, and a complete lack of competitive nature in the Rising Stars game. So much talent wasted. Seeing just how good Kyrie Irving and John Wall are was a real treat, but that was overshadowed by an overall boring scrimmage. The 3-Point Shootout was alright, but nobody really went off. Then there was the Dunk Contest with its over-hyped and completely ridiculous "Intensity Meter". I don't really need to explain what a let down it was. No superstars, no moments that made me jump out of my seat, only one round...and NO judges?? The judges' reaction to the dunks was half the show in the past, but then again what legend is coming out to see these guys? There weren't even that many celebrities in the crowd, except Diddy, but he was more of a prop than a spectator. Then the game began, and I again felt let down...until LeBron came alive in the second half. He was making shots that were simply amazing. He took over and showed the world the he really is the best player in the game. He was unstoppable. The East was down by 20, and because of LeBron, they were within one basket of winning. These are those moments we wish for. The ones we've taken thousands of times. Jordan, Magic, Bird, and Kobe relish these moments, but not LeBron. He passed the ball. Even with Kobe in his face, prepared to officially pass the torch to him, screaming for him to take the shot...he passed the ball. It was picked off, and shortly after a Blake Griffin free throw...the game was over. The East, and LeBron had lost.
And, so it was, rather than seeing LeBron take another step toward greatness, the 2012 NBA All-Star game (and weekend as a whole) will be one that I'll eventually forget. LeBron, DWade, and the Heat will likely win the NBA Finals. And, unless LeBron dominates them, he will continue to have his greatness questioned. We will continue to wonder where is THAT hero? The one who takes the shot?
"3...2.......
For more, follow me on Twitter @JustACasualFan
Friday, February 10, 2012
Jeremy Lin...No Catchy Play on Words
I haven't been this excited to watch the Knicks in years. Jeremy
Lin has completely changed the atmosphere that surrounds the New York
Knicks. How long will it last? I'm not sure. Could it be more than just some catchy play on words in the stands (Lin-Sanity, All He Does is Lin, Lin, Lin, or my favorite Linsane in the Membrane)? Can it be more than just
an atmospheric change? Can it be the culture change that New York
basketball has so desperately needed? I think so. Fans of the Knicks
have become so accustomed to losing, that even when an all-star laden line up (Amare, Tyson, and Melo) failed to live up to their promise...we accepted it. We scoffed at people who would suggest that this team
is actually worse off now than it was prior to acquiring Melo. We were
okay while Melo scored 30 in a loss, because hey...at least somebody is
doing something. At least we have an all-star on the team. This is the
end of that way of thinking, this is...well, at the very least can be
a new era in New York. Will Jeremy Lin continue to average 28 points a
game? I seriously doubt it, but I am willing to believe that he is the
answer Knicks fans have been looking for. A player who inspires his
teammates, promotes their success before his own, and plays the game the
way we used to play when we were kids...with excitement. The Knicks,
for the first time in years, actually look like they are ALL playing
defense. They play like a team. They play for each other, not
themselves. They have done this all without their leading scorer, and
top big man...both, the seeming future of this franchise.
Amare will return soon, after mourning the loss of his brother, and Melo is sure to return to the lineup not long after that...and what happens then? The ball has consistently gone through the hands of Carmelo Anthony all year long, and in doing so Amare Stoudemire's points per game is down over 7 a game, and where is that production? Carmelo is the Knicks leading assist man with just over 4 per game. That means he touches the ball almost every play that he is in the game, and yet only finds (or even bothers to look for) another scorer 4 times....FOUR!?!? Lin has averaged 8 in the last 4 games (all wins). Can the two superstars co-exist without being the main floor generals also? Tonight it seemed the only way to even have a chance at stopping Lin was to double team him. That was with Jared Jefferies, Billy Walker, and Landry Fields on the floor. Will teams be able to afford double teaming Lin with Amare and Melo on the floor? Only if Carmelo allows Lin to run the offense. Lin has made it clear that he wants to feed the big men the ball, that he wants to constantly get his teammates involved, and I believe that Stoudemire will be the biggest benefactor of this way of thinking...if he plays the game as he has always played. And Carmelo? Well, he can still be Carmelo...only let Lin create openings for him, so he isn't forcing up shots that he doesn't need to take. I mean Jared Jefferies had 9 points in the first half...imagine what Lin can do for Carmelo.
It's only been four games, I know that. Tonight was clearly the biggest win of them all, as they were able to withstand a late Kobe Bryant rally, and shake off the Lakers. The Knicks are 6 games back in the Atlantic division and play sub .500 teams 5 out of the next 6 games before playing Atlanta and Miami. Amare will certainly be back by then, and Carmelo should be right behind him. There is plenty of time to right this ship. I'm excited! Knicks fans are are excited! The Garden is rocking harder than when Jay-Z killed it on his Fade To Black concert. And the future just may be now...just may be Jeremy Lin.
For more, follow me on Twitter @JustACasualFan
Amare will return soon, after mourning the loss of his brother, and Melo is sure to return to the lineup not long after that...and what happens then? The ball has consistently gone through the hands of Carmelo Anthony all year long, and in doing so Amare Stoudemire's points per game is down over 7 a game, and where is that production? Carmelo is the Knicks leading assist man with just over 4 per game. That means he touches the ball almost every play that he is in the game, and yet only finds (or even bothers to look for) another scorer 4 times....FOUR!?!? Lin has averaged 8 in the last 4 games (all wins). Can the two superstars co-exist without being the main floor generals also? Tonight it seemed the only way to even have a chance at stopping Lin was to double team him. That was with Jared Jefferies, Billy Walker, and Landry Fields on the floor. Will teams be able to afford double teaming Lin with Amare and Melo on the floor? Only if Carmelo allows Lin to run the offense. Lin has made it clear that he wants to feed the big men the ball, that he wants to constantly get his teammates involved, and I believe that Stoudemire will be the biggest benefactor of this way of thinking...if he plays the game as he has always played. And Carmelo? Well, he can still be Carmelo...only let Lin create openings for him, so he isn't forcing up shots that he doesn't need to take. I mean Jared Jefferies had 9 points in the first half...imagine what Lin can do for Carmelo.
It's only been four games, I know that. Tonight was clearly the biggest win of them all, as they were able to withstand a late Kobe Bryant rally, and shake off the Lakers. The Knicks are 6 games back in the Atlantic division and play sub .500 teams 5 out of the next 6 games before playing Atlanta and Miami. Amare will certainly be back by then, and Carmelo should be right behind him. There is plenty of time to right this ship. I'm excited! Knicks fans are are excited! The Garden is rocking harder than when Jay-Z killed it on his Fade To Black concert. And the future just may be now...just may be Jeremy Lin.
For more, follow me on Twitter @JustACasualFan
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