Soldiers of Sport

The Gold Medal will once again, as it did Beijing, rest on the chests of the USA Men’s Basketball team.  Although international play has clearly improved drastically over the last 20 years; the USA has again imposed it’s dominance going undefeated throughout the games of the 30th Olympiad.   And yet, I feel as though I owe this team (for what it’s worth) an apology.

To find out why I owe them an apology, and for all things hoops related, visit Oncourt Onslaught.

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What More Can He Do?

The coronation of the King is complete. LeBron James is an NBA Champion, an NBA Finals MVP, and above all, he has become the leader we all expected him to be. Yet, I'm sure there are still those who will question his greatness. Never has there been a more scrutinized player. But, why?

For more on this and other NBA topics visit Oncourt Onslaught.

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#WhatDidTheyDoToYou

What did they do to me?  “They” being the Miami Heat; the LeBron James/DWade…sometimes Chris Bosh, Miami Heat.  What did they do to me?  That’s a fair question.  But this goes beyond LeBron and his ridiculous claims of winning “not 2, not 3, not”…ahhh, you know the rest.  Beyond DWade’s declaration that they were “arguably the best trio to ever play the game of basketball”, even before they had ever played a game together as members of the Miami Heat.  Yes, this goes beyond that P. Diddy concert-like introduction they held down in Miami.  My dislike for the Miami Heat goes much further than that.  Let me explain myself a little before going any further....http://oncourtonslaught.com/?p=1116


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And Then There Were Four

The game was far from beautiful.  It featured atrocious shooting from both Boston and Philadelphia.  No one player stood out as the heroic savior of a game seven...until Paul Pierce (on a questionable charging call)  fouled out with just over four minutes left in the game.  It was at that point, that a savior stood up in Boston.  It was at that moment when Rajon Rondo put his team, the city of Boston, and their hopes of a championship on his back.....http://oncourtonslaught.com/?p=1087

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Failing to Exist

It was the choke seen ’round the world.  Seen by everyone except the one man it was aimed at, LeBron James.  And who was the one that fired off that shot?  Some guy....

For more go to http://www.oncourtonslaught.com/?p=1060

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When Going Hard Means Going Home

The Knicks finished the season going 18-6 after parting ways with D'Antoni.  Carmelo caught fire in April, scoring just under 30 per (29.8), and shooting 46% from the field and behind the arc.  The Knicks were 6-3 during that stretch.  They beat Orlando, Atlanta, Boston, and the number 1 seed Chicago Bulls.  Iman Shumpert looked like a defensive veteran, Baron Davis was holding down the point in Jeremy Lin's absence....

For more go to  www.oncourtonslaught.com/?p=1030

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And The Award Goes To...

Thursday of last week, prior to game 1 of the Heat vs Pacers series, Pacer coach Frank Vogel said of the Heat, that they were "...the biggest flopping team in the league".  He elaborated further by saying, "Oftentimes, they're falling down even before contact is even being made."  While those statements may be founded in a certain amount of truth, they also cost him $15,000.  The next day, while on the Doug Gottlieb show, Zach Randolph said, "The biggest floppers is the L.A. Clippers...by far."  No word as to whether or not that will cost him anything.  I'm fairly certain there will be no fine for me saying that I've always felt that Manu Ginobili and the Spurs were the biggest floppers in the game (sorry Hood).  It seems everyone has an opinion on what is the latest trend in the NBA.  During the Heat/Pacer's game 1, NBA Commissioner David Stern said, "I think it's time to look at (flopping) in a more serious way."  Stern added, "It's not a legitimate play in my judgment. I recognize if there's contact (you) move a little bit, but some of this is acting. We should give out Oscars rather than MVP trophies."  I couldn't agree more, but who gets the Oscar?  Furthermore, who wants to see it rewarded anymore than it already is.  I just wanna watch a game. 

For more go to http://oncourtonslaught.com/?p=1025

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The Rest of the Stories

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!


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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.......


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