Talking All-Stars, Lebron, and more….

This is going to be sort of an NBA round-about column. So first things first, anyone catch Lebron last night against Portland?

Where’s The Love?

I don’t think this is even a discussion at this point, but LeBron is better than Kobe, he’s better than Nash, he’s the best player in the league. And he should win MVP. I just said the other day that Nash is STILL the MVP, but he and Lebron are running neck-and-neck. Who means more to their teams? I could go either way, but right now I’m leaning towards Lebron. But people still seem to think KG will win MVP and that Kobe is a better player. Well those people are wrong.

K-Ci’s obviously tellin this lady what he wants to nickname Dwight Howard

Next to the All-Star picks, we already know who’s going to be the starters (Kobe, AI, Melo, Duncan, & Yao out west, with J-Kidd, Wade, LeBron, KG, and Dwight Howard, who NEEDS a nickname like Jodeci needs rehab, out east). The only one of these i have a problem with is Kidd. He is not an all-star. Chauncey Billups has been the best point in the East by far. It’s not even close. Kidd’s points and defense is down. And his team stinks. He does not deserve to be an all-star, but more on him later. After that, you could argue Wade or the two Nuggets. But basically, all of them fit a starting role. Iverson is really a combo guard on the Nuggets. So I have no real argument with him being the starting point, since he’d probably make the team anyway. Even though Nash and CP3 deserve it more. But they’ll make the team anyway. As for ‘Melo, you could put Dirk here. But while ‘Melo’s season isn’t as impressive as last year, Dirk is drastically worse than last year. It’d be arguable which Mav I’d even put on this team between Dirk and Josh Howard. They’d both be borderline picks. And Melo is the best SF in the West. Period. And Wade? Yeah, his team stinks. But is he the best SG in the East? Yes. Is he a big fan-favorite? Check. So yes he deserves to be there.

We will run on the assumption that Dirk, Amare, Nash, Ginobili and CP3 are sure shots in the West, and that Billups, Tough Juice, CB4, and Paul Pierce are sure things in the East. That leaves two open spots in the West, and three in the East. The West probably gets one more forward and one “wildcard.” The East gets one more guard and two “wildcards.” Carlos Boozer probably gets the West Forward spot, though I would go with David West.

The new “In” NBA Analysis: David West is underrated

Yes Boozer has a higher PER than West, but West plays on a better team, and West absolutely demolishes him in +/- (10.5-0.9). That tells me that West plays incredibly better on the defensive end. And, by the looks of things, New Orleans is going to only get CP3 in the game. When’s the last time the team with the best record in a conference only got one all-star? Actually…don’t answer that. But West is getting snubbed. Especially considering, with all the conference’s guard depth, that the final “wildcard” spot will be a guard.

So who gets that final spot? It probably comes down to four guards (Baron Davis, Tony Parker, Brandon Roy, and Deron Williams) and two forwards (Shawn Marion and Howard). I was going to favor Marion over West, but the Suns are going to get 2 all-stars already, and the Hornets have a better record. Plus it’d be nice to see a perennially overlooked player (West) make the team. As far as the “wildcard”, Davis probably gets it and deserves it, but Parker, Roy or Marion might get it over him. If so it’d be a tragedy. Baron is easily the best player of the four. And has had such a sensational year. He deserves his recognition. Although it is required as a Kings fan, that I mention that Kevin Martin has a better PER than any of the four of them.

“Andray, I have no time to hold your hand now. I Must Scoooooore!” (In Spanish)

In the East, one spot goes to the perennial “second Piston” which will probably be Rip Hamilton, though I would argue that Rasheed Wallace deserves it more. And he definitely deserves it over any of the other Centers in the East. Forreal, who is gonna pose as the East’s backup center? It was leaked this morning that Joe Johnson gets the second spot. I’d say you probably have to have a Hawk in there, either him or Josh Smith. As for the third spot, I have no clue who gets it. It probably comes down to Jose Calderon, Antawn Jamison, Michael Redd, and Ray Allen. This is where that Kidd nod comes into play. Because I think this is a two-horse race between Calderon and Jamison. Obviously, if Kidd doesn’t go and Billups starts, Calderon is the backup PG, and Jamison is the “wildcard.” But for me, it’d come down to which team has the better record. Right now, by half a game, thats Calderon. Though i think the NBA, given a choice, would go with Jamison. Personally, I’d take Wallace over both of them. But the league seems to have an agenda against him. He deserves to be an all-star.

So to sum up the column, Lebron’s the best, West is gonna be snubbed, Baron should be the final West All-Star, the NBA hates Rasheed Wallace, Kidd shouldn’t have been an all-star, and Calderon’s gonna get snubbed. Nice!

-J

[Ed. Note: I was dead wrong about Baron and D. West.  D. West and Roy made it over Baron, which is a crime.  But I was dead on about what happened in the east.]

The Best WRs in the NFL

Yes, they’re divas (sometimes). Yes, they tend to lip off more than other NFL players. And yes, they are maybe the “skilled” player on the field. But Wide Receivers don’t seem to get as much pub as QBs or RBs. They won’t generally help your fantasy team as much either.

Who’s #1?

Plaxico Burress recently said that the Giants’ receivers are as good or better than the Pats’. Randy Moss recently called himself the greatest receiver of all-time. But who IS the best of today? We are gonna count them down, from 30 to 1. First i want to say that this is not purely based on stats. Although our top receiver’s stats were pretty impressive to say the least. But you’re not gonna to convince me that Roddy White is a better receiver than Santana Moss, because his numbers were better. One bad year does not mean you’re done as T.O. and Randy showed us this year. Next i want to say that this is based on the premise that this season does have some importance, so if you didn’t even play (ahem, Marvin Harrison), it’s pretty tough to judge you and you didn’t make the list. So it’s really some sort of combination of past performance, performance this year, and taking into consideration the system they play in. Obviously, the fact that the Panthers had to roll their quarterbacks out in wheelchairs affected Steve Smith’s production. For the record, last year’s top 5 would have been some combination of Harrison, Smith, Ocho-Cinco, TO, and Randy. So enough with the small-talk, lets go to the top 30, our top receiver may surprise you:

‘Cuz someone HAS to catch some passes….

Derrick Mason falling out of his wheel chair to catch a pass

30. Derrick Mason, BAL (103 rec., 1087 yds., 5 TDs, 1 Fum, 10.6 avg.) - Mason played with a two-headed monster at quarterback. One sucked ‘cuz he was old and couldn’t throw. The other sucked ‘cuz he threw too much. Either way, the fact that the passes were mostly thrown at a 33-year-old, way-passed-his-prime receiver show how little talent Baltimore rolls out on offense every week.

29. Roddy White, ATL (83 rec., 1202 yds., 6 TDs, 3 Fum., 14.5 avg.) - Roddy will one day be a star. But that one day is going to have to wait until a.) the Falcons get ANYONE else to throw to (look at Crumpler’s numbers this year), b.) he gets a decent QB, and c.) he stops dropping balls. Obviously, he wasn’t as bad with the third as he has been in the past. He’s very close to making “the leap,” but we’ll see if he can put together back-to-back solid seasons.

28. Bobby Engram, SEA (94 rec., 1147 yds, 6 TDs, 1 fum, 12.2 avg.) -On talent alone, Engram has no place in the top 30. But on pure reliability, Engram has become a solid #1 receiver in the league. Now, he isn’t even the top receiver on his team (unranked Deion Branch is), but he’s Hasselbeck’s security blanket. And he seems to be the only receiver on this squad that can hold onto the football.

Young guys on the Rise

27. Marques Colston, NO (98 rec., 1202 yds., 11 TDs, 1 Fum., 12.3 avg) – This is another guy that can’t seem to hold on to the football. He was last year’s feel-good story, but this year he had expectations. And although he quietly put up some great numbers, he was more memorable for dropping the football. If he can get those drops under control, he’s a real threat to the top of this list. He’s huge, and is a great end-zone target.

26. Santonio Holmes, PIT (52 rec., 942 yds., 8 TDs, 2 Fum., 18.1 avg.) - Everybody’s preseason pick for a breakout season was injured most of the year and missed 3 games. Still given that, he just missed a 1000 yard season. He was, essentially, Plaxico Burress’ (via Antwan Randle El) 3-years-later replacement as the deep threat in Pittsburgh’s attack. And he’s quick as all hell, can catch the football, and dominated the early season pass attack. When he went down with an injury towards the end of the season, it took a lot out of the football team.

Santonio narrowly avoids another DUI

25. Greg Jennings, GB (53 rec., 920 yds., 12 TDs, 1 Fum., 17.4 avg.) – Everyone will remember Jennings for catching that game-winner against Denver, or catching Favre’s record setter. But he had quite a good year in his own right after following Holmes in the draft last year. He emerged as Green Bay’s deep threat, and showed pretty good hands on a bad-hands receiving core.

24. Bernard Berrian, CHI (71 rec., 951 yds., 5 TDs, 1 Fum., 13.4 avg.) - Last year he was simply a deep threat, this year he became the team’s top WR. Now, the Bears got worse, but it was no fault of Berrian’s. His receptions and yards went up, and his fumbles went down, as Rex’s favorite target. Now, if the Bears can ever get Rex or Muhsin Muhammad fixed. They’ll be alright.

23. Dwayne Bowe, KC (70 rec., 955 yds., 5 TDs, 0 Fum., 14.2 avg.) – Usually these numbers would put you in the rookie of the year discussion. But not in the year of Adrian Peterson. Nevertheless, Bowe emerged as KC’s other receiving threat (complementing Tony Gonzalez…..or actually, vice versa). Chew on this: LSU lost the top overall pick (Jamarcus Russell), and the draft’s best rookie receiver in Bowe, and still won the National Title this year. But Bowe was quite a surprise. Everyone talked about Ginn, but Bowe was the real deal. Now if Brodie Croyle could actually get him the ball more….

Bowe knows football…

Solid, but not Spectacular (By the way, I would’ve put Plax here a month ago, but one of the under-discussed stories of the playoffs is his rise to finally reaching his full potential as an elite receiver)

22. Kevin Curtis, PHI (77 Rec., 1110 yds., 6 TDs, 0 Fum., 14.4 avg.) - One of the NFL’s most underrated receivers finally went to a team that could give him a chance, and he delivered. Another under-told storyline of this season. Unfortunately, McNabb was hurt all year and the team went down with him. He reminds me of Wes Welker (white, un-athletic possession receiver). He’s the exact opposite of Reggie Brown. Brown’s the deep guy who should be great but isn’t. Curtis is the possession guy with little talent or athletic ability, but is great at what he does.

21. Joey Galloway, TB (57 rec., 1014 yds., 6 TDs, 0 Fum., 17.8 avg.) – First of all, anyone who rates Galloway as an elite receiver is overrating him drastically. He’s still quick despite his age, but he doesn’t have the size or break-away speed as some of his peers. He also has never been the greatest route-runner. Nevertheless he’s a solid top receiver on a running team. He’s been the deep threat his whole career, and seems to have good chemistry with QB Jeff Garcia.

20. Donald Driver, GB (82 rec., 1048 yds., 2 TDs, 1 Fum., 12.8 avg.) – Driver has always (since he’s been in Green Bay) been Favre’s favorite target. And why not? He’s one of the better possession receivers we have in the NFL. He does, at times, have slippery fingers but that’s been a Green Bay problem as a whole. And Driver gets more of those passes to drop than anyone on the team. This was one of the NFL’s most explosive teams, but what’s up with just 2 TD’s? Favre threw 28 this year!

19. Roy Williams, DET (63 Rec., 836 yds., 5 TDs, 2 Fum, 13.3 avg.) – Old reliable for Detroit missed the final 4 games this year. He also seems to be relegated to Detroit’s #2 option when Calvin Johnson is healthy (which he wasn’t enough to make this list). However he’s still quite a good receiver. How the receiving core in general reacts to Martz’ firing will be something to watch next season.

18. Chris Chambers, SD (66 rec., 970 yds., 4 TDs, 1 Fum, 14.7 avg.) - Keep in mind that this was playing only 10 games. I’d put him higher on the list, but I’m penalizing him for missing those games. I used to think he was better than Burress, but after Burress’ playoff ascention, I’ll give the nod to Burress. For now. But Chambers will be higher on the list next season. He is their best WR during the Tomlinson era (Gates is not a WR!), and will have an even better season with a Training Camp to prepare.

Chris Chambers jumps for joy to be out of WR-hell, er Miami…

Really Good WR’s who had Down Years

17. Lee Evans, BUF (55 Rec., 849 yds., 5 TDs, 0 Fum., 15.4 avg.) – I am one to believe that Evans’ bad season was more the result of Buffalo’s QB’s being brought out in baby strollers. The word out of Buffalo is that the team is trying to re-commit to giving Evans the ball, and the winner of the QB battle next year will be the guy who can put the ball in the hands of the team’s best playmaker (Evans, of course). Evans only had 2 games with more than 5 receptions, and that is unacceptable.

16. Santana Moss, WAS (61 Rec., 801 yds, 3 TDs, 2 Fum, 13.2 avg.) – The ‘other’ Moss battled injuries all season, had bad quarterbacks, and still put together a string of gutty performances to end the season and get the ‘Skins in the playoffs. What this means for the next season is unknown as the ‘Skins have a whole new set of coaches. But when healthy, Moss is one of the most explosive WR’s in the league. Of course the hard part is keeping him healthy.

15. Hines Ward, PIT (71 Rec., 732 yds, 7 TDs, 0 Fum, 10.3 avg.) – Hines took a step backwards this year, but still became the Steelers’ record holder in every major receiving category. He was hurt for the majority of the season, missing two games. But he’s still very important to what the Steelers do, and we’ve all heard about how he’s the “best blocking WR in football.” I fully expect him back among the elite next year, if he stays healthy. But the uprise of young Holmes should challenge Hines for the team’s top receiver.

Hines and college pal Champ Bailey reminisce on old times

14. Andre Johnson, HOU (60 Rec., 851 yds, 8 TDs, 1 Fum, 14.2 avg.) - ‘Dre is also one of the league’s top receivers when he’s healthy. However he hasn’t been able to stay healthy recently, even now that he has a decent quarterback. He missed 7 games this year, and not coincidentally, the team lost 5 of the 7. The team went 6-3 with him in the lineup. Plus he looks like Joe Johnson.

13. Torry Holt, STL (93 Rec., 1189 Yds, 7 TDs, 2 Fum, 12.8 Avg.) - Now, on paper, this does not look like a bad year for Holt. But in 2003, Holt grabbed 117 passes for 1696 yards and 12 TDs. However, he has fallen under 100 rec./1300 yds plateau the last two seasons. He looks like he might have lost a little bit in his game, but it could also be that the Rams’ O-Line can’t keep Marc Bulger upright. Only time will find out. But Holt still makes those acrobatical catches, and still has to be planned on by opposing defenses every week.

12. Anquan Boldin, ARI (71 Rec., 853 yds, 9 Tds, 2 Fum, 12.0 Avg.) - Anquan had another solid season for Arizona. While he did miss 4 games, he also gave us a couple games over the 150 yd. mark. The Cards ended up being right about what we expected, but they will be better if their top-notch receiving core can stay healthy.

Anquan forgot the two at the end

3 Guys On The Rise

11. Brandon Marshall, DEN (102 Rec., 1325 yds., 7 TDs, 3 Fum, 13.0 avg.) – If anything good came out of Javon Walker’s injury, it was Marshall’s rise as one of the best WRs in football. He made “the leap” this year from one of the better #2 guys in the year, to a top-notch wideout and Walker is going to have to come back and complement him. Putting up 133 yards agains the Jags was probably his best game of the season. With Cutler’s up-and-down season, and Henry’s suspension, Marshall was the offense’s lone bright spot.

Brandon Marshall’s even ’sharper’ than Darren

10. Braylon Edwards, CLE (80 Rec., 1289 yds, 16 TDs, 3 Fum, 16.1 Avg.) - If Marshall surprised everyone by making “the leap,” Edwards surprised absolutely no one. Everyone expected him to one of the next great receivers, and this season he finally lived up to the billing. He was helped significantly by the emergence of Derek Anderson at QB, and should team with Kellen Winslow to form a formidable duo of play-makers for the next (hopefully) decade in Cleveland.

“Hey Guys! I finally made ‘the jump’!”

9. Wes Welker, NE (112 Rec., 1175 yds., 8 TDs, 10.5 Avg.) - Wes was a surprise in that the average football fan hadn’t heard of him until this season. He wasn’t in that we all figured he’d put up big numbers in New England. He is the ideal slot receiver, and the perfect compliment to Moss. What we didn’t expect is for him to lead the league in receptions (tied with TJ Houzhmanzadeh). Everyone who picked up Welker on their fantasy teams was very happy all season.

Play that funky music, white boy

The Elite Receivers

8. Larry Fitzgerald, ARI (100 Rec., 1409 yds, 10 TDs, 3 Fum, 14.1 Avg.) – Larry missed a game against Cleveland but still matched his career high in yards, matched his career high in touchdowns, and came just short of his career high in receptions (103). Altogether it made quite a season for Arizona’s top receiving threat. For the high-flying Cards, Fitzgerald is their franchise player. It’s only a matter of getting that defense together.

And, as Michael Jackson….

7. Plaxico Burress, NYG (70 Rec., 1025 yds., 12 TDs, 0 Fum, 14.6 avg.) – Plax was injured most of the season, but still managed to post a career high in Touchdowns. But it was his outstanding performance in dominating the best secondary in football in the NFC Championship game, that vaulted him into the elite class. It was the stuff of post-season lore, 11 receptions for a buck 51 in destroying the best corner combination in football. As someone who watched him in closely as a huge Steelers fan, I’ve always criticized him for coming up small in big games. But he proved me wrong against the Packers, and must now be always taken seriously as an elite receiver.

So Plax, what’s it like taking a team on your back, and bringing them to the Super Bowl?”

6. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, CIN (112 Rec., 1143 yds., 12 TDs, 2 Fum, 10.2 Avg.) - As Cincinnati’s possession receiver, he’s played second fiddle to Chad his whole career. But he’s starting to get his own share of attention after leading the league in receptions. The Bengals had a bad year altogether, but don’t blame it on the starting receivers. They have the best pair of starting receivers in the NFL. And TJ’s fiery, he talks smack, and he has an attitude problem, but he backs it all up with his play. And in the end, that’s what you need the most in your wide receivers.

5. Steve Smith, CAR (87 Rec., 1002 yds., 7 TDs, 1 Fum., 11.5 avg.) - This is the last time Smith’s reputation keeps him this high. If he has another average season, he’s gonna fall drastically in most people’s eyes. While Smith battled injuries as well, the key to his performance is QB Jake Delhomme. If Delhomme can stay upright enough to get Smith the ball, he should have another “Steve-fuckin-smith” season, like, say 100+ catches, 1500 yards, 12-13 TDs. If not, look for Smith’s stock to drop.

4. Chad Johnson, CIN (93 rec., 1440 yds., 8 TDs, 2 Fum., 15.5 avg.) - Just watching games this season, you’d think Johnson had a bad year. In fact, i did too until i looked at his numbers. True, he lost his first AFC yardage title in 4 years, but it was actually a career high. The word is that he wants out of Cincy, and wants to go to Miami. People rag on Johnson and Housh for talking too much and trying to takeover the team. But, they are the team’s best players. And isn’t that what they’re supposed to do?

There wasn’t much to celebrate for Ocho Cinco this year

3. Terrell Owens, DAL (81 Rec., 1375 yds., 15 TDs, 0 Fum., 16.7 avg.) – T.O. had, at 34 years old, his best season since 2001. It seems strange to say, but T.O. has been the team leader, a model teammate, and even cried when defending his quarterback. He had a terrific season and jumped back into the argument for best WR in football. But it wasn’t quite enough, as his team was upset in the playoffs. The fall-out over this is thus far limited, but this loss stung in Dallas.

T.O. and the ‘Boys couldn’t quite escape Big Blue

2. Randy Moss, NE (98 Rec., 1493 yds., 23 TDs, 0 Fum., 15.2 avg.) - Randy is better than T.O. because he has better hands. Let’s just get that out of the way. He probably has the best hands in football. In fact, that dropped pass against the Giants in week 17 was so ironic because he was so wide open, he was about to break the Touchdown record, and he has such great hands. He had a season for the ages, set a league mark for receiving touchdowns, and was the most skilled player on the best team in football. He’s probably going to get his first ring, and he absolutely dominated football this year. But he wasn’t quite the best receiver in football.

Randy “supaman’s dat hoe”

The Best of The Best

1. Reggie Wayne, IND (104 Rec., 1510 yds., 10 TDs, 3 Fum, 14.5 avg.) – In a year that saw Peyton Manning look human, and Marvin Harrison lost for the majority of the season, someone had to step up and lead the offense. It turned out to be Wayne, seen mainly as Harrison’s little brother through the years. Reggie, like Plax, had a reputation for not showing up in big games. This year he showed up big in almost every game. He topped 100 yards six times, lined up both outside and in the slot, and was easily the Colts’ offensive MVP this year. And he actually beat Moss in receptions and yards. Harrison did go down, but Peyton will tell you that Wayne was likely to move into the top dog role anyway. But like Harrison, Wayne kept quiet. He lets the T.O.’s and Moss’ and Ocho Cinco’s do the talking. He just shows up and does his job. And he does it better than anyone in the NFL.

Yeah, I’m the best. AND what??!!

Who YOU got?

-J

“S.A.N.T.A.N.A’s Town”

(c)

So Johan Santana is a Met. He can join Juelz in NYC. But he is not going to be a Yankee. This is the best possible situation for the Red Sox. Santana doesn’t go to the Yankees, and they still keep Ellsbury and Lester. A Mets/BoSox world series is lookin pretty good right now. The Red Sox did not need Johan Santana. It was actually pretty ridiculous that they were even trying to get him. How you gonna have Beckett and Santana on the same staff? That’s a lil over the top. Plus, if you pay Santana that salary, Becket is gonna flip. He’s gonna want even more money. And it’ll keep goin on and on until the Sox go broke. It’s an ego thing. The two best pitchers in baseball. How they gonna fit on the same staff?

For the Yanks it was a good move too. How they gonna mortgage their whole future for one pitcher? Especially now that they’ve finally started to build a farm system? But their gonna have to realize (and Yanks fans will too), that this team just isn’t as good as the Sox anymore. They may be in the future, but not right now. They might not even finish second in the division. Lookout for the Blue Jays. Yanks fans have to be patient. They are building this team the same way Boston rebuilt after the 04 title. But can Yankee fans wait a couple of years before this team is in championship contention? Why don’t we ask a diehard Yankees fan?

-J

B I G L O S S

Huge loss for the Yankees. Yankees have only 1 good pitcher in their rotation in Wang. I definitely think they will still go after a pitcher or two this off season. Any sports team in New York is a win now team. The biggest city in the world has no time to rebuild, New Yorkers can’t even spell farm system. Yankees need to make a major move for an arm because the playoffs looks really far from here. I say the Yanks bring back Vida Blue, Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan… they would definitely win more games their the current rotation. I just tell it how it is.
(<—–THIS GUY??!!)

-L-

Steve Nash for MOP not MVP

Steve Nash is a very good player, but is he the Most Valuable Player or the Most Overrated Player. I pick the MOP. Picking Nash as the MVP two years in a row might be the biggest mistake since giving Canada an expansion team. Has there ever been such an obvious mistake? I’m no Nash hater, I just tell it how it is. Here the reason why Nash was never an MVP and should never even be considered one again in the future.

Nash is anti-defense
Steve Nash might be arguably the worst defender in the league. Even the most average of point guards overachieve against Steve Nash because of his lack of defense. If defense wins championships, Nash is opposite of champion.
In the month of January, six opposing point guards scored 7+ points over their averages for the season. Struggling Kirk Hinrich who is averaging 12.5 pt/gm scored 31 against Nash. Also, 77 year old Sam Cassell (13.2 pts/gm) scored 32 points in his wheelchair. Other’s who scored over their averages against defenseless Nash include Larry Hughes, Earl Watson, Jamal Tinsley, and CP3 (who already averages 20.6 a game). Nash is Helen Keller to defense, he can’t see or hear it.

he’s not even MVP of his own team
How can Nash be the MVP of the league if he isn’t even MVP of his on his team. I’m not saying that Nash doesn’t make his teammates better, but the Suns already have two other all-stars on the team in Stoudamire and Marion. Both are arguably better than Nash and are equally important to the system. Yes, Nash is the glue and creates the shots for these guys, but who wouldn’t get double digit assists with two all-stars and a fast paced offense. You can put Stevie Wonder out there and he would dish out 13 assists a game. I think the MVP of this team is the Matrix who not only averages a double double in points and rebounds, but also gets you steals, blocks, and assists (also their best defender).

Mavs better without him
The Mavericks got better when Nash left. They went to the Finals and the next season they finished with the best regular season after the “MVP” left. How does a team get better when an MVP leaves the team? Well one reason Nash didn’t work in the big D is because he did not have the “big D”. Defense is what helped the Mavs get into the finals. With Nash gone they were able to play some defense instead of give up 347 points a night. The other reason that people overlook is because he cannot play in a half court offense. For more detailed reasons why Nash didn’t work out in Dallas see http://www.slate.com/id/2143226/.

I’m not trying to “Nash Bash” but the guy is getting credit he really doesn’t deserve. It’s like me getting an MVP for urinating. I’m assisting, but it doesn’t take too much effort on my part for it to happen.

-L-

Do you Watch Games?…..

Or do you just skim thru ‘em?

First of all, how can you hate on a Santa Clara guy?

Best Point In The L
Secondly, look at the numbers. Point blank, even with Nash’s defensive liabilities (which aren’t as bad as they used to be), he still manages to produce 8.8 more points per game than his opposing point guard. His team as a whole manages 21.2 more points per game than their opponent with him on the court. That’s destroys the other top points in the league like CP3 (11.7), who yesterday you called an MVP-candidate; Jason Kidd (5.9), who is usually considered Nash’s closest rival, Jose Calderon (-0.7), who people are actually considering an all-star, Chauncey Billups (14.3), and the closest, our own Baron Davis (16.0).
MVP race
Kevin Garnett and Lebron James, the two usually considered the favorites for the MVP race, are at 13.1 and 14.5. That means they are not nearly as important to their team’s success as Nash is to the Suns.
You want to talk about the “Best Player In the League”? That’s not Nash, that’s Kobe or Lebron. You want to talk about the “Most Valuable Player” that’s still Nash. You should read “Seven Seconds Or Less” by Jack McCallum. In it, you will see the weird dynamic that surrounds this team. Nash is the superstar. Marion is the best player. But Nash gets all the credit, and while Marion is jealous, he likes Nash too much to take it out on him. Marion would not be nearly the player he is without Nash. Same goes for Stoudemire. Same goes for Raja Bell (what was he before Nash??). Barbosa? Diaw? Check. Check. Coach D’Antoni has a part in the book, where he asks Nash how long he has left in the tank. “Because when you retire, I’m quitting.” That says it all right there.

-J

Welcome/Best team in the NBA?

J: Welcome to Your Wrong, the blog where L is always wrong. Here I will be telling the truth and L will be telling us his mis-guided opinions. I am your host for this ride, and L is ridin’ shotgun. Anyway what should we start with? I’ll start with this. Who’s in your fav. 5?

J

5. Cleveland Cavs – Impressive wins over the Lakers and Wizz, with a tight loss to Phoenix in the middle, and there’s no harm in that. As much as I hate to put a team with this shitty a supporting cast this high. They’re playin’ that well.

4. Boston Celtics – I’m really startin’ to hate all Boston area teams. But there’s no denying how good they are. A loss sans KG to the Magic ain’t too shabby. But after a “gimme” game in Miami, they got Dallas on Thursday, then Cleveland on Tuesday. So we’ll see what this team is made of quite soon.

3. Phoenix Suns – With all the complaining about how they’re “underperforming,” they’ve quietly won 5 of the last 6, dropping only the shocker to Minnesota.

2. Dallas Mavericks – This gives me 3 teams i hate in my top 5. But after lookin’ like a shell of last season for most of the year, they’ve only lost two games in January. Plus, is this still Dirk’s team? I’d have to say ‘no’……

1. New Orleans Hornets – Yeah, thats right. The Hornets are the best team in the L this year. They could get an argument to deserve three all-stars, though they’ll probably only get one (CP3).

But that’s it, those are the five best teams in the NBA.

L

Top 5 teams :
Picking the first 4 teams are easy but there is debate with the 5th team.

1. Celtics (34-8): Easy choice here. When the big three are healthy who can beat them. No team will beat this team in a 7 game series. Their bench is getting better and role players are stepping up (like Rondo, Perkins and even Big Baby). Besides the recent losses they are still the team to beat (only when healthy).

2. Hornets (31-12): They may have the best starting 5 in the league. 2 legitimate all-stars in Paul and West. CP3 has to be considered in the MVP talks thus far in the season. Chandler is a great defender in the paint who can pull every board that comes his way. Two great shooters for CP3 to kick out to. This is a scary team to face come playoffs. I just question their depth.

3. Suns (32-13): Steve Nash is playing better than ever. I think they miss Kurt Thomas in the paint for defense, but they are still a championship contender. They are more hungry after the way they got outed in the playoffs last year. Look to see them in the Western Conference finals.

4. Piston (31-13): The best team chemistry in the league. The defense is still solid. Maxiell is great off the bench, but not having Webber could hurt down the line. If they don’t run into Lebron they have a great chance at the Eastern finals.

5. Mavs (30-13): This was a tough choice. They are still playing great with Dirk having another great season. Josh Howard has stepped it up and their defense is solid. J Kidd??? If and when he comes to Dallas they are definitely a top 3 team in the league.

Almost made it:

Lakers – not without Bynum

Cavs – one solid point guard away from being an elite team

Spurs – age is looking like a real problem

That’s where I see it as of end of Jan. Let the debate begin.

-L