Extending the Olive Branch to LeBron James

No other star athlete has ever been publicly disliked more than LeBron James.

It could've been said that Barry Bonds held that title, or maybe Alex Rodriguez, but now that title is firmly in LeBron's hands.

Despite the way LeBron buried himself even deeper by mocking Dirk Nowitzki's sickness, making excuses for his poor play in the fourth quarter, and seemingly saying he was superior to the rest of us, I'm going to extend the olive branch to him.

I've never been a fan of James. Not because I think he's a bad player, but because of his attitude. He showed it again in the 2011 NBA Finals.

However, James finally came out and said the right thing. Whether it was scripted or not, he came out and said "I'm not superior to anyone".

He also went on to basically say that his comments may have been misunderstood about saying that at the end of the day fans have to go back to their everyday lives.


Hands down, if James plays the game he's capable of playing, then the Miami Heat win in five or six games.

Instead, the Mavericks win in six claiming their first ever NBA championship.

I'm willing to wipe the slate clean with James and see how he carries himself next season.

His Miami Heat, or I should say Dwyane Wade's Miami Heat, will be back next year to make another run for the title.

The Eastern Conference is very watered down and the Heat's only real obstacles will be the Bulls and maybe the Knicks.

Although James will never be on Michael Jordan's level in my book, he can at least turn his public image around if he quits burying himself with egotistic remarks and lame excuses.

He has way too much talent to not eventually win an NBA championship, so let's wipe the slate clean and see how he acts next season.

LeBron Makes His Epic Return to Cleveland Tonight

Possibly the most anticipated regular season game in NBA history occurs tonight in Cleveland at Quicken Loan Arena.

Cavaliers guard Mo Williams compared it to an ex-girlfriend coming to your wedding. In this case the ex-girlfriend ditched you for a super model that ended up not being so attractive. At least not so far.

Going into the season many expected the Heat to be better than their record (11-8), and for the Cavaliers to be worse than their record (7-10).

It's hard to imagine how the passionate Cavaliers fans feel heading into this game, and for a lot of them this will be the equivalent of the Cavs winning a championship if the they pull off the win.

Don't be surprise if that happens tonight. We've already seen a few ordinary teams rise up above their normal selves and get the win. The Grizzlies are the only team with a record below .500 to take down the Heat, which was just less than two weeks ago.

The Heat have gotten every team's best shot this season, and the Cavs are going to multiple that by a 100 to try to bring this win home to the Cleveland fans.

Security will be extremely high compared to a normal game and rightfully so.

I'm hoping to see LeBron fail miserably tonight for making a deal with the devil and doing it in the most classless way possible.

With that said, I hope no one does anything overboard tonight, like threatening LeBron's physical health. We all have to step back and remember this is just a game.

Cleveland fans need to focus all that rage into harming LeBron mentally, but certainly not physically in any way. I'm sure some bonehead will go overboard and I hope that person gets the punishment they will deserve by being an idiot.

The LeBron Era Starts Off Slow in South Beach

The Celtics have been coined as one of the best defensive teams in the NBA ever since they assembled their own Big Three just a few seasons ago.

They proved that last night by holding the Miami Heat to just nine first quarter points, something that LeBron and company struggled to fight their way out of the rest of the game.

There was way too much one-on-one action going on at the beginning of the game. In fact, LeBron did the best job at trying to get his teammates involved. His unselfishness led to a lot of unforced turnovers, which he pointed out after the game.

Despite not being a big LeBron fan to say the least, I though LeBron played great last night. It almost looked like he was playing for Cleveland all over again, just with different players around him.

In the second half LeBron began to play more of his game and take on the form of the LeBron we all came to know in Cleveland. He began slashing to the basket and putting points on the board while everyone else on the floor were spectators.

He finished with 31 points even after the slow start. His rebound and assist production was down though as he finished with four rebounds and three assists.

Dwyane Wade was almost a non-factor the entire game, and understandably so. He was rusty due to sitting out all but three minutes of the preseason.

Chris Bosh didn't look all that great either if you judge him based on his offensive performance. He still showed how good he is in the rebound department.

It's obviously going to take a few games for LeBron, Wade, and Bosh to learn to play together effectively. They can't all be the players they use to be.

The Celtics proved that they're still the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. They played smarter from start to finish. This was most likely a preview of a matchup that will most likely happen in this season's Eastern Conference Finals.

It will be interesting to see if LeBron takes on the same approach that he took at the start of last night's game, or will he take on the style of play that he had in Cleveland when he had little help.

Cleveland Fights Back Against LeBron

Fans in Cleveland will be fuming over the LeBron James ditching them for Miami for years and years to come.

It didn't help that LeBron poured salt on the wound by going on national television to make this announcement that he was leaving.

LeBron had every right to leave if he felt that he coudn't be successful in Cleveland, but natives of Cleveland has every right of being disgusted over LeBron using an hour of primetime television to make sure everyone knew about it.

Videos of fans burning LeBron jerseys must have bruised LeBron's enlarged ego a bit. Eventually that huge banner on the high rise building was also taken down.

Needless to say we were all witnesses to LeBron's obsession with everything being about him. Even more so than Terrell Owens.

We've already seen Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert go off on LeBron. Here's a few quotes from that statement that was released shortly after the announcement:

• " You (Cleveland) simply don't deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal"
• " I personally guarantee that the Cleveland Cavaliers will win an NBA championship before the self-titled former 'king' wins one"
• The self-declared 'king' will be taking the curse with him down south"

There was plenty more to this drawn out statement to Cleveland fans and here's the link if you want to check it out in its entirity.

Fans and players alike have to be happy to see their owner stepping up to the plate in this situation. Yes he is a little crazy for thinking that the Cavaliers will win an NBA championship before LeBron James will win one but at least he's passionate about his team. A majority of owners just care about the boat loads of cash they pull in.

He felt betrayed and no one else has more of a right to feel this way then Dan Gilbert. All this nonsense about Gilbert's comments being racist is just absolutely ridiculous. Jesse Jackson needs to just do us all a favor and stop acting like it's still the late 1800's.

As for LeBron and the Miami Heat, people couldn't have jumped on the bandwagon any faster. Unless the NBA starts allowing more than one ball on the court at the same time, then this thing isn't a done deal. The Lakers are still a more complete team and the favorites in my book.

I've been saying this for a while now. Don't sleep on the Chicago Bulls. This team is really good and they could easily be a top three team in the East. You also can't forget about the usual suspects of the Magic and the Celtics.

Nothing is said and done about the stacked Miami Heat turning into a championship team, much less a dynasty. Take a deep breath people.

Reviewing All Of LeBron's Options

The free agency landscape is finally starting to take shape, but of course there's still one major thing that is missing and that is where in the heck LeBron James in going to end up.

We'll find out live on ESPN tomorrow night as LeBron has announced that he will have a one-hour TV special that will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of America.

Everything is pretty much laid out on the table for LeBron to make his decision. Here's the significant deals that have happened so far:

• Amar'e Stoudemire signs with Knicks
• Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh sign with Heat
• Carlos Boozer signs with Bulls

LeBron stands to benefit from all of these situations, but each situation offers a diferent opportunity for LeBron.

If LeBron truly cares about nothing but being a part of a possible dynasty, then he needs to take less money and go to Miami and join Wade and Bosh. This would undoubtedly be the best trio of stars the NBA will have ever seen if it happens.

If the most important thing to LeBron is starting his own legacy and maximizing his global brand then he'll go to the Knicks. He'll be in the biggest market in the world playing in New York.

If the most important thing to LeBron is remaining loyal to his hometown and the city that has embraced him so much for the first seven years of his career then he'll stay in Cleveland. Of course he'll greatly sacrifice his chances of winning an NBA championship anytime soon, but that wallet will be a lot fatter.

As great as all of these scenarios are in their own unique way, Chicago is still the best destination for LeBron. By signing with Chicago he would be going to a team that is already at the very worst the third best team in the Eastern Conference with the recent addition of Carlos Boozer.

How's this starting lineup sound: Derrick Rose, LeBron James, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, and Joakim Noah.

But does LeBron want to play in the enormous shadow of Michael Jordan? If he's smart he'll let that go and give himself the best opportunity to not only win multiple championships, but still play in a great basketball market.

Hands down Chicago is the best fit for LeBron after the addition of Boozer.

Analyzing LeBron's Next Destination

Absolutely no one knows for sure where LeBron James will be next season. Probably not even LeBron himself.

If LeBron does end up leaving Cleveland, and shattering the hearts of Cavs fans everywhere, then he won't do it because of money. More than likely Cleveland can offer LeBron just as much money as any other team can thanks to their cap space.

However, if LeBron's top priority is winning a championship anytime soon then he's has to get out of Cleveland. The last few years have shown that he just doesn't have the supporting cast that it takes to win a championship.

We saw that first hand in Game 5 of the Celtics series when LeBron had one of his worst games of his playoff career. The Cavs fell apart like a wet newspaper as soon as they realized LeBron was not going to be his heroic self.

Championship teams don't rely on just one player, even if it is one of the best the game has ever seen. Whenver Michael Jordan had a bad game, which he did, his supporting cast was always there to stop the bleeding.

He's already admitted that winning a championship is all that matters to him which leads me to believe he's not coming back to Cleveland.

His best option if he wants to win a championship as soon as possible is the Chicago Bulls. This team is full of young talent that's only going to get better. They played right with LeBron's Cavaliers in this postseason, but were lacking just one more playmaker.

If LeBron would have been on the Bulls instead of the Cavs this season then you're looking at a Bulls sweep of the Cavs, hands down.

Critics of this scenario say that there's not enough room for LeBron and Derrick Rose, but I beg to differ. Rose is a laid back player who doesn't need to ball in his hands to be effective. You also got rising stars like Joakim Noah and Luol Deng to help LeBron out.

This is going to be a dangerous team in the Eastern Conference in a few years, with or without LeBron.

Even though LeBron's personal brand will sky rocket if he goes to either the Knicks or the Nets, these two teams don't give him the best chance to win a championship. He's better off staying in Cleveland if he wants to use that reasoning.

Some people are guessing that he'll go to the Clippers and try to create a legacy of his own with a new franchise, much like Jordan did with the Bulls. However, LeBron cares too much about his personal brand and playing on the west coast will keep him from getting that mass appeal.

It's really a shot in the dark at guessing where LeBron will be next season, but if winning championships is truly his top priority then Chicago is his next stop.

LeBron's Top Five Choices

1. Chicago- supporting cast: Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, Brad Miller
2. New York- supporting cast: David Lee, Al Harrington, Tracy McGrady, Chris Duhon
3. Cleveland- supporting cast: Antawn Jamison, Mo Williams, Anthony Parker
4. LA Clippers- supporting cast: Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Blake Griffin, Drew Gooden
5. New Jersey- supporting cast: Devin Harris, Courtney Lee, Brook Lopez
   

LeBron or LeHype?

There's no question that LeBron is the most talented player in the NBA, and maybe of all-time for that matter. However, that doesn't always mean that he has what it takes to take this Cavaliers team to an NBA title.

One thing is definitely for certain. This team has little chance at defeating the Celtics in their 2nd-round series if LeBron James can't figure out this puzzling elbow injury that has just surfaced.

Just seconds before closing out the Bulls last night, LeBron grimaced in pain forcing him to shoot a free-throw left-handed causing it to clank off the rim.

LeBron did his best to pull Cavs fans out of panic mode by insisting that it's nothing serious and that he'll be fine.

That elbow may be fine enough for him to play, but will he be 100 percent going forward? He's got till Saturday to figure out what's up with it.

Even with LeBron healthy I'm not sure this team has what it takes to defeat the Lakers in the NBA Finals or the Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals.

If the Cavaliers fall up short yet again then Cleveland can say bye bye to LeBron. The truth is LeBron is sick of being a star player without any rings. It's a huge blow to his ego to not have a ring by now.

I'm still not sold on his supporting cast when it comes to this upcoming series with the Celtics and the remaining two series after that. The recent play of Antawn Jamison does give this team a fighting chance to get to the NBA Finals.

Either way I would not be surprised if the Celtics take the Cavaliers to seven games and the Magic sends them home packing again.

Even a player as talented as LeBron can't live up to the enormous amounts of hype that is continuously put on his shoulders. The funny part is he brings most of it on himself with his "look at me" persona. That's why if his team comes up short again I'll do nothing but laugh.

It's different when a player like Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, or Chris Paul comes up short. They play the game in a respectful manner that makes me cheer for them over a player like LeBron, even if LeBron may be more talented.

Looks can only get you so far in this world, and so can talent to a degree.

Let The Feuding Begin Between Lakers and Thunder

Usually it's a player that starts the fireworks prior to the start of a playoffs series, but this time coach Phil Jackson got the ball rolling.

Jackson made a bold statement saying that Kevin Durant gets special treatment from the refs which pads his scoring totals each game.

"Yeah, by the calls he gets, he really gets to the line a lot, I'll tell ya," Jackson said.

Durant is obviously not happy about the remarks and views them as disrespectful, and I can't blame him one bit for feeling that way. However, Durant has to use this as a positive influence to help propel the franchise to it's first series win since becoming the Thunder.

There is some truth to Jackson's comment. Durant led the league in free throw attempts and tied with LeBron James in free throw attempts per game at just over ten a game.

However, you can't blame Durant for that. If anything it should be viewed as a strength of Durant's because it means he's being aggressive. Is that not what every coach teaches? To drive to the basket and draw a foul if anything else.

It's a two way street and Jackson should take a look at his own star player who also gets some of that "superstar treatment" from the refs.

It's unfortunately part of the game. The NBA wants their stars to succeed and put up big numbers night in and night out. Like almost everything else in this world, it's a business that's driven by making the most money possible.

You can't come down on Jackson too hard because Kobe Bryant, arguably the NBA's best player, attempted almost 300 less free throws that Durant did. Once again though, you can't blame Durant for that.

The Thunder should not be taken lightly by the Lakers going into this series. They're a very talented team and playoff inexperience is the only thing that really could hold this team back from making a solid run in the playoffs.

I'm sure the NBA is happy to hear Jackson's comments because it will certainly impact the ratings in a positive way.

NBA Leaders In Free Throw Attempts

1. Kevin Durant- 840
2. Dwight Howard- 816
3. LeBron James- 773
4. Dwyane Wade- 702
5. Amare Stoudemire- 632
   

Nets Owner Out of Line In Altercation With Fan

The most recent episode in the Nets' disastrous 2009-2010 season featured a verbal altercation between Nets CEO Brett Yormark and a disgusted Nets fan who illustrated that disgust by wearing a paper bag to the game.

Supposedly Yormark started the altercation by asking the fan why he was wearing a paper bag on his head. If you're fan of sarcasm then you'll love the response the fan gave the CEO...."because the Nets are so good". This is all according to the New York Daily News.

First of all, Yormark probably needs to attend a few customer relations seminars after this incident. I understand it's upsetting for people to bash your team, but these people paid to see your horrible product. You can't let your anger get the best you.

Even the most simple management positions teach the old cliche of "the customer is always right". In this scenario, how could you argue that this fan wasn't right?

A McDonald's manager can't lose their cool on a customer because the customer complains that their cheeseburger tastes like crap. This situation is obviously on a much larger scale, but it's no different.

The Nets are knocking on death's door by current being another lengthy losing streak away from holding the record for most losses in an NBA season.

Since the altercation Yormark has responded with a promotion that will reward fans with a Nets prize pack if they wear a paper bag to the game. Oh how contradicting of you Mr. Yormark.

Maybe this lit a fire under the you know whats of the Nets players because they snagged their eight win of the season last night over the Kings in front of a measly 10,000 fans.

Wear your paper bags in confidence Nets fans because I wouldn't want to be seen at a Nets game these days either.

The All-Star Game Gets a Record Attendance

Over 108,000 people packed into the new Cowboys Stadium to see players like LeBron James, Dwight Howard, and Kevin Durant put on a show that was badly needed for the NBA.

I'm among the many people who are surprised as too how many people showed up for the All-Star game. We're talking about almost 100,000 more people showing up for this game than any other regular season game.

You also have to take into account the even the Dallas Cowboys couldn't get a crowd this large to one of their games, and football rules in Texas. It was the largest crowd recorded in this building's short history.

The NBA has a lot to be proud of after last night.

It makes you wonder that if all NBA arenas could fit this many people, or even half, could they fill them up?

Judging from the highlights the game's best definitely put on a good show for the fans. Especially Dwyane Wade who showed off not just his scoring abilities, but also his underrated passing abilities as he dished out 11 assists. He took home All-Star MVP honors.

As of recent years the winning conference has usually produced the eventual NBA champion and this year the East took it by two, 141-139.

Once again, mad props to the NBA for putting together a great weekend of entertainment. The NBA's All-Star weekend use to be the best of any sport and it looks to be climbing back up to the top once again.

All-Star Top Performers

• Dwyane Wade (MIA): 28 pts, 11 asst, 6 reb, 5 stl
• LeBron James (CLE): 25 pts, 6 asst, 5 reb
• Carmelo Anthony (DEN): 27 pts, 10 reb
• Chris Bosh (TOR): 23 pts, 10 reb
  

The NBA Season Is Rolling Along, And I Couldn't Care Less

What ever happened to the NBA that was of the 1980's and even the 1990's? The days when players played a strong defense and showed a lot of teamwork.

Today's NBA seems like a bunch of really good players who are just competing for themselves.

Just recently LeBron James and Dwyane Wade took the court against each other. It wasn't even about the matchup of the Cavaliers and the Heat. The media and the average fan was more concerned about just two players: LeBron and Wade.

I just can't muster up the energy to watch an NBA game anymore. It's all full of sloppy defense and ball hogging. You don't believe me? Watch the next game on TNT or ESPN and tell me that the superstar on each team doesn't hog the ball.

The main play that is used by every team in the NBA these days is the isolation. The play where the superstar gets the ball, clears out the rest of his team, and attempts a shot. If he doesn't make the shot then he's normally fouled thanks to a league that his trigger happy behind the wistle.

Half of the time when I'm watching an NBA game I feel like I'm watching a free throw shooting contest, not a basketball game.

There are still some great players in the NBA who don't just rely on hogging the ball. Steve Nash is a great example, and so is LeBron James in some cases. There's several more but the NBA still needs a lot more. It's losing it's popularity compared to the other sports.

As of right now the NHL is saying to the NBA, "Come on down and see how it feels to be at the bottom".

Not only is the NBA filled with no teamwork, but it's also turned into a league with very little parody. The same teams are in it every year. A monkey could probably make a prediction for the two conference champions and have a great chance at being correct.

That's my rant about the state of the NBA these days. Take it or leave it. Whether you agree with me or not, the NBA is slowly declining into a sport that no one really cares about until the playoffs roll around.

Will The Real Memphis Grizzlies Please Stand Up?

It's to probably no one's surprise that the Lakers, Celtics, and Cavaliers are all once again rolling through their respective seasons. However, there is one team that's surprising me and that's the Memphis Grizzlies.

We're talking about a team that is historically one of the worst franchises in NBA history. That looks to be changing as this team is finally starting to show it's maturity. Players like Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo are turning into All-Stars while support players Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph are also pulling their weight.

Don't look now but the Grizzlies actually have a very solid team. What proves that the most isn't so much the games they are winning but also the games that they are competing in. No longer are the Grizzlies just target practice for the NBA powerhouses. The Celtics found that out a week ago as they escaped Memphis with a five-point win.

Outside of the Lakers, the gap between the worst teams and the best teams are closer than you would think. Three games separates the current eighth spot from the third spot. We've seen plenty of upsets already during this young season and the Grizzlies have had a share of them.

The Grizzlies already have wins over six playoff teams from last year, including wins over the Nuggets and Cavaliers.

There's a lot of basketball to be played but the Grizzlies are trying on that Cinderella slipper and it might just be the perfect fit.

Iverson Returns to the City of Brotherly Love

Hollywood couldn't have written a better plot for the way that Allen Iverson's career is probably going to end.

This isn't breaking news or anything, but Iverson has returned to the city that he grew up in and ultimately built his Hall of Fame career.

Since leaving the Philadelphia 76ers in 2006 Iverson has bounced around the league with brief stays in Denver, Detroit, and Memphis. He must of really disliked Memphis because he only suited up for a meager three games.

He looked pretty decent in those three games earlier in the year for the Grizzlies. He averaged 12 points a game and added three assists a game.

The reason why it didn't work in Memphis is for one primary reason. He wanted to be the star and the go-to guy, and Memphis wanted him as a role player. A guy who came off the bench and gave the team instant production. Iverson would rather be continuous production.

He's going to get that chance with his second tour in Philadelphia. Coach Eddie Jordan has already said that he plans on starting Iverson the rest of the season. They are pretty thin at the guard position anyway.

This was the kind of break that Iverson needed to end his up and down career. Now he's got a chance to lead a team full of average players and carry them to the postseason. He's already done that a couple of times with this franchise, most notably the 2001 76ers that went to the NBA Finals.

As great as that would be, I dont think "The Answer" is the answer this time around. He's more of a suggestion. He'll help this team win ten more games than they would without him, but that's not going to be enough to make the playoffs. Don't forget, the Eastern Conference is a lot deeper than it use to be.

Great story here, but Iverson's tears aren't going to bring the same success that was brought the first time around.

Current Guards in Philly

1. Andre Iguodala (19 ppg, 6 apg)
2. Lou Williams (17 ppg, 5 apg)
3. Willie Green (8 ppg, 2 apg)
4. Jrue Holiday (5 ppg, 2 apg)
5. Royal Ivey (2 ppg, 0.5 apg)

Allen Iverson Career averages: 27 ppg, 6 apg

Nets Make History, And Not the Good Kind

Records in sports come and go. Almost everyday there is a record set in the sports world. Well the record the Nets set tonight in the NBA may stick around for a while.

The Nets went to 0-18 after their 16-point loss to the Mavericks, and the schedule doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon. To keep this thing from getting way out of control, they better sneak out with a win against the Knicks on Sunday or who knows where this infamous start to season will end up.

Previously the worst record to start a season was 0-17 and was held by the 1988 Miami Heat and the 1999 LA Clippers. Well the players from those teams can finally get some sleep at night.

How fortunate does former Net Vince Carter have to feel after being dealt to Orland in the offseason? Christmas definitely came early for him.

It's hard to believe that any team could be this bad in professional sports. Surely these guys could get one win out of 18 opportunities. Apparently not.

After looking over the roster it is pretty clear why their such a bad team, but even bad teams win once in a while. Outside of Devin Harris this team's best player is probably Rafer Alston if that tells you anything.

They've already fired head coach Lawrence Frank who had been with the team for a while. You can't blame them for that. There's no excuse for a team starting 0-18.

You might be able to make a case for a team starting 0-6. Maybe the schedule was really tough or there were some key injuries, but there's no excuse for this.

Even though it's tough, I'm going to look at the glass half full. The NBA season is still very young and there's 64 games remaining to try to finish off with some of your pride still intact.

Godspeed New Jersey Nets. Godspeed.

2009 NBA Preview: Western Conference

The Western Conference use to be the dominant conference of the NBA, but now the power has shifted to the Eastern Conference. So who are the few top dogs in the West? Can the Lakers continue their dominance, or is someone else ready to step up in the wild west.

Pacific Division

Does this division even require any analysis? I will be surprised if the Lakers lose more than two games against opponents from this mediocre division. Phoenix use to be a worth adversary to the Lakers, but they've regressed substantially over the past two seasons. This division race, if you can call it that, will be over after the first two months when the Lakers already have a double digit lead in the standings.

Predicted Order of Finish: Lakers, Suns, Clippers, Warriors, Kings

Northwest Division

The Northwest was a three team race last season with Denver eventually pulling out the division win. In fact, Denver had a great chance at taking out the Lakers in last year's conference finals, but that's neither her nor there. Denver is a trendy pick for a conference title this season, but the rest of the division will make it tough for Carmelo Anthony and company. Even Oklahoma City and Minnesota will be improved from last season so look for a lot of competitiveness in the Northwest.

Predicted Order of Finish: Nuggets, Jazz, Trail Blazers, Timberwolves, Thunder

Southwest Division

The Southwest is hands down the toughest divsion in the NBA. Every team outside of Memphis have great shots at making the playoffs and possibly winning this division. Trevor Ariza was a huge pick up for Houston in the offseason, but it's still uncertain when Yao Ming will be back. Due to the uncertainty of Yao's return, I like the veteran Spurs to take another division title. However, don't forget about Dallas and New Orleans. They'll be in the mix too and probably snatch up one of the eight playoff spots when it's all said and done.

Predicted Order of Finish: Spurs, Rockets, Mavericks, Hornets, Grizzlies

Conf. Finals Predictions

Celtics over Cavaliers
Lakers over Spurs

Finals Prediction: Celtics over Lakers

2009 NBA Preview: Eastern Conference

It seems like the NBA season just came to a close as the Lakers won another NBA championship at the expense of the Orlando Magic. And what about those Orlando Magic? Are they a lock for another conference title, or is LeBron ready to finally get the NBA ring? I got answers for you.

Atlantic Division

The Celtics have completely dominated this division for the past two seasons, and it's probably going to continue for the 2009-2010 season. The only negative thing I can find with the Celtics is their age, but I actually think that still benefits them more than it hurts them. The Celtics also added another seasoned veteran in Rasheed Wallace who will add rebounding, perimeter shooting, and down right attitude. And there's not exactly the best competition in the Atlantic division. The Sixers will be the only team that will even make it interesting, but it will still be another easy division title win for the Celtics.

Predicted Order of Finish: Celtics, Sixers, Raptors,Nets, Knicks

Central Division

This division is the most competitive division in the East by far. Cleveland, Detroit, and Chicago all have valid argument for winning the division this year. You all know about Cleveland acquiring Shaq to give LeBron some help. One of the reasons the Cleveland couldn't get by Orlando last season was because they had no size in the middle. Well they definitely fixed that problem. Detroit will be an average team at best but will be nowhere near where they were just two seasons ago. I see Cleveland winning this division by just a few games over Chicago.

Predicted Order of Finish: Cavaliers, Bulls, Pistons, Pacers, Bucks

Southeast Division

Orlando won this division pretty convincingly last season, and now they have aging veteran Vince Carter to help out with the scoring. They lost Hedo Turkoglu, but frankly they're better off without him. And of course Dwight Howard will continue to be the beast that he's always been. Don't sleep on Miami making some noise this season. They snuck into the playoffs last season without a lot of experience and they can do it again this season. They have Dwyane Wade for crying out loud, so anything is possible.

Predicted Order of Finish: Magic, Heat, Bobcats, Hawks, Wizards

Eastern Conference Winner: Celtics over Cavaliers

Celtics, Raptors Make Splash in Free Agent Market

A few big splashes occurred in the NBA free agent market over the weekend.

First and foremost, the Celtics added even more star-power to their already loaded roster. They added another big man in Rasheed Wallace from the Pistons.

We all know what Wallace is capable of as far as his basketball ability, but can he stay out of trouble. Wallace would be dumb if he didn't. This is by far his best chance, and maybe his last chance, that he'll ever get at winning another NBA title.

With the addition of Wallace, the Celtics become the favorite in the Eastern Conference. Not only have the Celtics added more size to their roster, but also another legitimate jump shooter as well.

Opposing defenses are going to have fits trying to plan for a team that can beat you from so many different directions.

The other major occurrence in the free agent market also happened in the same division. The Raptors added some great veteran leadership by picking up Hedo Turkoglu from the Magic.

This addition makes the Raptors a solid playoff pick for next year. Turkoglu has a ton of components that can help the Raptors next season, the major one being on the defensive side of the ball where the Raptors always seem to struggle. Turkoglu is the type of guy you can build a team around and the Raptors will benefit greatly from this addition.

It's somewhat of a surprise that Turkoglu signed with Toronto over Portland, which is where it looked like he was going to go at first. However, Turkoglu cited that he like the city of Toronto over Portland. If that's how you want to pick the teams you play for, more power to you, Hedo!

Both the Celtics and the Raptors instantly improved their teams with their acquisitions over the weekend, and the Raptors will probably be the only team that will even cause the Celtics to break a sweat in the Atlantic division.

NBA Free Agents: Buy or Sell?

Some big named players are now free agents heading into the offseason and that begs the question of whether their teams should keep them or send them packing!

Hedo Turkoglu( Orl)

Turkoglu had his moments this season where he was greats and his moments where he was mediocre. Despite being a little inconsistent, Turkoglu is still a polished veteran who knows how to step up during the postseason. The Magic definitely need to keep a balanced veteran like Turkoglu around to make another championship run. Verdict: Buy


Lamar Odom (LAL)
This may be somewhat of a no-brainer, at least for me. Odom proved this season that he just wants to win, even if that means coming off the bench. Odom was one of the key ingredients in the Lakers championship this season. There's other players I would move out before I considered getting rid of Odom. Besides Kobe, he's arguably the second best player on that team and would be starter for any other team in the league. Verdict: Buy

Allen Iverson (Det)

As ESPN's Skip Bayless likes to call him, "Me Myself and Iverson" is slowly starting to take the same course that Stephon Marbury took. He did nothing to help the Piston's this season and proved to be more of a negative than a positive. Just look at how the Nuggets flourished after he left. The Pistons could get something good in return for Iverson as well. There's still plenty of desperate teams who would trade the bank for Iverson. Stick with Rodney Stuckey, who has proven he can be a solid point guard, and get Iverson out of the Motor City. Verdict: Sell

Shawn Marion (Tor)

Marion came over from the Heat late in the season and played 27 games for the Raptors. Even though his production has hindered slightly, the Raptors should still keep him. Outside of Chris Bosh, the Raptors have little to work with in the rebounding department. They need a solid player like Marion who can have an impact on the game in so many ways. The Raptors have to get consistent help for Bosh otherwise they'll continue to be an average team at best.
Verdict: Buy

Ron Artest (Hou)

I saved the toughest for last. Artest played a vital role in making the Rockets the third best team in the Western Conference. The problem was his offensive game went extremely cold when it mattered most. Artest is one of the best defenders in the league, no doubt about it. But this comes down to a choosing either Tracy McGrady or Ron Artest. There's not enough cap room to keep both. The Rockets were missing offense, not defense, in the postseason and T-Mac will provide that when he returns. As great as Artest was defensively, he's still has to go. Sorry Artest, it's only business. Verdict: Sell

LeBron Exhibited Bad Sportsmanship After Game 6 Loss

All athletes are taught from a young age to be good sports and to shake the other team's hands, even if you lose. LeBron must have skipped that part.

Professional athletes are suppose to be role models to young athletes all over the world. What is a young, aspiring Lebron fan suppose to think when he sees his idol storm off the court and not shake anyone's hand after losing? He's probably going to side with his role model and think it's OK to not shake the winning team's hand.

LeBron's excuse made me laugh even more: "It's hard for me to congratulate somebody after you just lose to them. I'm a winner." He also went on to say, "If somebody beats you up, you're not going to congratulate them."

Wow, really? That seems like bad sportsmanship 101 right there. I saw an interesting point in an ESPN.com forum that said that fighters in the UFC, arguably the fastest growing sport in the world, almost always shake each other's hands after a fight. LeBron wouldn't fair to well in that sport or any other sports where sportsmanship is important. I'm sure LeBron would have been more than happy to shake their hands if he would have been on the winning side.

LeBron couldn't even swallow his pride enough to shake his own Olympic teammate's hand after losing to his team. This shows me that LeBron still has a lot to growing up to do before I start putting him in the same group as Michael Jordan or even Kobe Bryant.

There's no denying that LeBron has probably the most talent the game has ever seen, but LeBron obviously has some maturing to do before he sees his first NBA championship.

Say Hello to King James...Your MVP

It was announced earlier today that LeBron James will be named the NBA's Most Valuable Player for the 2008-2009 season. It was really to no surprise.

Going into this season I felt like LeBron still had a lot to prove to put him on the same level as Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade. He's definitely done that this season by carrying the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 66-16 record. There is no other player that is more valuable to his team than LeBron is to the Cavaliers.

LeBron averaged over 28 point per game, seven rebounds per game, and seven assists per game. Oh yeah, he also made a strong case for the Defensive Player of the Year award.

Needless to say, he's earned my up most respect after this season and he's lived up to all of his hype. Now LeBron just needs to work on ESPN's Skip Bayless, who is his biggest critic.

The only other player that had even an argument for MVP was Dwyane Wade, because like LeBron, he had little to work with around him and still carried his team to the playoffs. What puts LeBron ahead of Wade is where he carried his team compared to Wade.

Kobe Bryant is still arguably the best player in the league, but there's no way he is more valuable to the Lakers than LeBron is to the Cavaliers.

As for Dwight Howard, we all know he is a beast inside the paint. However, Howard had his moments in the season where he was less than stellar and his offense still has room for improvement. You can't forget how great the Magic looked without Howard in closing out the Sixers the other night.

The only career accomplishment left for LeBron to really achieve is win an NBA championship, and he's got a great chance this year if he can get past the Lakers. After all, he's only 24.

From top to bottom, the Lakers are the better team, but LeBron has carried this team on his back all season and I can't count him out to do that again.

I can't get ahead of myself because the Nuggets are looking really good in the West and you still can't count out the Celtics if Garnett sneaks his way back into the lineup.

Here's my final list of nominees for this year's MVP running:

1. LeBron James- 28.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 7.2 apg, Led team to 66-16 record
2. Dwyane Wade-30.2 ppg, 7.5 apg, 31% 3pt, Lead Heat to 28 win swing from last season
3. Kobe Bryant-26.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.9 apg, Lead Lakers to best record in Western Conf.
4. Dwight Howard-20.6 ppg, 13,8 rpg, 2.9 bpg, Defensive Player of the Year