Long overdue version of 'The Clicks'

As football season and more importantly fantasy football season has begun, basketball has been pushed to the background. Now that I have finished all three of my league drafts and scored high points in 2 out of 3 of the leagues in Week 1, I can turn some attention back to my favorite sport.

• Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports: "Bryant has won the respect of his teammates, but he doesn’t run in the big cliques on the team. LeBron is the ringleader of the young players, and Kobe goes his own way. He’s won his teammates over with his ferocity, his insatiable need to win, but no one ever gets close to Bryant. He’s a loner, but he learned to lead."

• The Painted Area: "However, in looking at USA Basketball rosters over time, what's notable about the 2008 roster is that the U.S. actually did bring a team of All-Stars for a change - the roster actually hasn't resembled an All-Star team so much since 1996. Perhaps part of the Team USA struggles this decade can be attributed to the fact that they haven't had enough stars, rather than not enough role players."

• The Wages of Wins Journal: "These two players played for the 1984 NCAA title, a game where Ewing’s Georgetown Hoyas proved victorious. Ten years later Ewing and Olajuwon met in the NBA Finals. This time it was Hakeem’s Houston Rockets that won the title. The competition for titles at the college and professional level has joined these two players in the mind of basketball fans. But which player is 'better'?"

• Eric Musselman's Basketball Notebook: "The inability to accept responsibility for our actions and behaviors is a result of insecurity. By accepting responsibility one feels they are admitting to being weak, powerless, or an opportunity to lose the respect of others. It may cause one to feel they will lose their sense of value and importance."

I almost posted a dozen links from Eric Musselman's Basketball Notebook. It is one of the best blogs on the net. Great stuff.

Back in the Rightful Hands

Amazing. Simply amazing. I never thought I could be so giddy for a Team USA victory. After Team USA defeated Spain 118-107, I was ecstatic. But why? It was supposed to happen, right? But, they did not blow the Spaniards out as most expected. Everything was set up for an easy USA win. Spain's best ball handler and leader, Jose Calderon, was injured and unable to play. Then early in the game, one of USA's biggest weaknesses was no longer. They were knocking in threes from all angles. USA seemed destined for a blowout win and the gold medal finally back in their hands. But, Spain fought back. As the clock ticked towards zeros, the score somehow got closer and closer. Spain was within 4 with a few minutes remaining. It was not going to be easy. What did Team USA do? They inserted their best lineup and got the ball in the hands of their best players. Lebron made a critical layup and snagged some key rebounds. Dwyane Wade hit a big time three-pointer adding to his game-high 27 points. Kobe went off in his favorite quarter and scored 13 of his 20 points to go along with 6 assists and a memorable 4-point play.

The image above says it all. Team USA felt the same way I did. They were ecstatic. During the medal ceremony, they were giddy. And when our national anthem was played, they were at peace. USA basketball was at peace. The gold medal was back where it belonged.

There has been much debate about whether the "Redeem Team" could compete with or possibly defeat the "Dream Team" from the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. I re-watched 2 games (Croatia and Angola) from the 1992 Olympics this past week along with the entire 2008 Olympics and exhibition games. I honestly do not know who would win.

The teams would attempt to establish their own vastly different styles of play. The Dream Team played an NBA style game. They did not run as much. They played half-court defense with limited pressure. They ran a half-court offense where they passed incredibly well but also iso'd their players a considerable amount. The one place where the Dream Team would dominate is down low. David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, and Karl Malone would demolish Carlos Boozer, Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh. USA's lack of interior depth would be devastating. But, the Redeem team would make up for this with their punishing pressure defense and fast-break offense. The Redeem Team is unstoppable in the open court. Who would Larry Bird guard? In 1992, he was years past his prime and his bad back had pretty much given out on him. He could hardly stay in front of the Angola players. He would be a liability against the Redeem Team. Additionally, the Dream Team was never tested in 1992. They never had to fight back. Obviously, they had the players to do it, but they were never forced to do it collectively. The Redeem Team was forced and they succeeded.

In 1992, there were 3 international players in the NBA. A year ago, the NBA had 90 international players. The international scene has changed completely. Therefore, to try and look at the statistics or point differentials is useless.

The most interesting thing about the comparison is that it can actually be made. It has been 16 years since the Dream Team. In any kind of athletic competition, the best team of an era almost always will defeat the best team of 16 years prior. They quality of the game and the athletes simply progresses. The athletes are generally more skilled. They are bigger, faster, stronger, and quicker than their predecessors. The fact that most people and experts believe that the Dream Team would still defeat the Redeem Team shows you how great the Dream Team actually was. They were gods among boys during those Olympics.

Let us not try to figure out which team was better but just enjoy the truly magical shows they both displayed.

Gold Medal Game Preview

• Team USA has been sometimes inconsistent but mostly dominant on their way to the Gold Medal game.

• Kobe had a terrific offensive game versus Australia as the U.S. blew them out after a strong 3rd quarter.

• In the semi-final Argentina, Team USA came out strong leading by 20 after the first quarter. They put on cruise control somewhat but were in command throughout with Argentina only threatening once.

• Luis Scola played the best game against the USA that anyone has played this Olympics. He was very sneaky and skillful underneath and Team USA had trouble containing him.

• Now on to Spain. This will be the toughest game of the tournament.

• I believe Spain held back somewhat in their group play game with USA, expecting to meet them again in the Gold Medal game.

• It appears that their best guard, Jose Calderon, will miss the game. This severely diminishes Spain's already low chances of victory. But, they can pull it out if the USA cannot find their range and Spain plays almost perfectly.
  

• Spain has the most talented team besides the USA and they match up decently (it's impossible for any team to match up well).

• Lebron James is scary good. I cannot wait to see what he is going to be like in 4 years, the middle of his prime. He has the ability to be the best basketball player ever. If he develops a consistent jump shot and 3-ball, he will have no trouble scoring 100 points in a game.

• I apologize for the lack of updates, but I just moved and it has been difficult to post. Will have another update following the Gold Medal game. I 'boldly' predicted a gold medal for the USA earlier this month and I stand by that prediction.

USA vs Greece Thoughts

• Best performance of the tournament by Team USA. That 2nd quarter was both dominant defensively and incredibly fun to watch.

• Dwyane Wade has been the team's best player thus far. His energy off the bench sparked the 2nd quarter explosion. He competed spectacularly on both ends of the floor. Expended so much energy that he asked to come out of the game in the 2nd quarter. Clearly, Wade took the 2006 loss personal. He had a determined look on his face all game.
  

• The pick and roll defense was much improved from 2006. Chris Bosh defended superbly deflecting passes and hedging hard to prevent guard penetration.

• Additionally, the overall half-court defense was much better. Less penetration was allowed and less wide open threes were given up. There is still room to improve.
  

• Bosh is earning significant minutes due to his great touch around the basket and ability to finish after receiving contact. His feet on defense are also more active than Howard.

• Team USA's free throw shooting was very poor (13-23) and is a concern going into their matchup with Spain.

• The prime of Jason Kidd's career is over. He is no longer a top tier point guard. He will still be effective for a few more years, but he is no longer in top form. Regardless, he has had a terrific career and is one of the best PG's off all time.
  

• Deron Williams had a few careless plays that makes me question his focus and commitment. He should watch how Dwyane Wade plays the game.

• Next, USA battles Spain on Saturday Morning. Possible gold medal game preview.

• Check out this spectacular play before NBC rips it down.
  

USA vs. Angola Thoughts

• First off, Team USA knowingly did not bring their A-game to this matchup. Coach K gave them the day before off to rest. Consequently, USA looked sloppy and unfocused at times throughout the game. No problem. The goal of Team USA is not to blow out every opponent. The goal is to win the Gold. They knew that even their worst game would probably be enough to defeat Angola. Therefore, any serious analysis of their play in this game would not be very enlightening.

• Kobe went 0-8 from 3-pt, but none were really bad shots. He is going to need to continue to take those open looks, but hopefully make a few more.

• Angola took advantage of USA's continued poor 3-pt defense. This is one of Team USA's biggest weaknesses and will continue to be exposed as they face off against better teams in the next few days.

• TrueHoop noted that Chris Kaman might actually be a better 12th man off the bench than Carlos Boozer. Interesting to think about as Kaman suits up for Germany while holding American citizenship.
  

• The next opponent, Greece, will be the roughest and most physical matchup for Team USA.

• It appears as though Jason Kidd has become the de-facto starting PG. He plays for the first parts of both halves before Chris Paul and Deron Williams come in to play the major minutes. I think this is a great move by Coach K. It keeps Paul and Williams working hard and motivated to come back in 2012 as the next starting PG.

• During the final episode of ESPN's 'Road to Redemption' series, Dwyane Wade stated that this is probably the last time that he, Lebron and Carmelo will play on the same team together. They have been together every summer since their rookie season. But, a split would be a major disappointment. In 2012, they will still be 3 of the best players in the world and will be needed for another pursuit at the gold. It looks like Team USA will field younger, inexperienced teams in the future and not be able to keep up with countries whose players play for them until they are no longer able.

USA vs. China Thoughts

• The best part of the game was the classic NBA on NBC music; it gave me chills.

• The energy in that building was truly amazing. None of this year's NBA Finals games contained that much excitement and anticipation. The energy did lessen as the lead grew but it was incredible to listen to and watch.
  

• I was not as excited as the national media was about Team USA's performance. There are several areas in which the team needs to improve.
  

• With the speed and athleticism of the team, Coach K has emphasized pressure defense. Pressure defense does not mean gambling for deflections and steals on every possession. The pressure is intended to force the other team to cough up the ball. USA needs to apply pressure while staying in front of perimeter players and forcing them to make difficult shots.

• Against China and in several of the exhibitions, USA gambled far too much, forcing other defenders to help out, resulting in wide open 3-pointers. Wade and Kobe have been the biggest culprits.
  

• When USA is able to force turnovers and score in transition, they are unstoppable. But, if they run into a team that takes care of the ball and therefore slows the transition game, Team USA will have trouble. Their half court offense is inferior compared to many of these teams who have been playing together for several years.
  

• The sustained effort level of the team was impressive, especially late in the game when the second unit played extended minutes.
  

• Dwight Howard's back-to-the-basket game is atrocious. He is very ineffective on offense when he is not dunking the ball. Andrew Bynum could be the starting center on this team in 2012.

• The picture above depicts future Laker, Sun Yue, guarding his future teammate, Kobe Bryant. Yue was impressive versus the USA hitting some nice shots and showing no fear while challenging Kobe on a first half dunk.
  

• My late response to this game was the result of a busy weekend, but thoughts on the Angola game should also be up shortly.
  

Off-Season Thoughts

Now that the first official month of the NBA Off-Season has concluded, here are some thoughts:

• In the Elton Brand saga, I believe Mike Dunleavy and the Clippers when they say they had a verbal agreement with Brand. I also do not have a problem with Brand changing his mind and ditching the Clippers. That is the difference between a verbal agreement and a written one. Let's remember that Brand tried to leave the Clippers once before. Back in 2003, Brand (restricted free agent) signed an offer sheet with the Miami Heat. The Clippers matched the 6-year, 84 million dollar offer and retained Brand.
  

• Nabbing Ron Artest was a great, albeit risky move by the Rockets. They have a relatively small window with their aging and injury prone stars, Yao and T-Mac. How will they balance the minutes of Shane Battier and Artest? Artest can defend multiple positions, but he is essentially a small forward (like Battier). The Rockets hope that Artest will contribute some on offense but still be able to defer to their true stars. Defensively, Artest is one of the best, but tends to occasionally lolly gag and take plays and even games off.

• The Warriors have been busy. First, they overpaid one of my favorite NBA players, Ronny Turiaf, with a 4 year, 17 million deal. Then, they overpaid Andris Biedrins. He is young and shows great promise, but was a restricted free agent. They could have waited to see what other teams offered or signed him to the one-year tender (making him unrestricted next season). No other team (NBA or Overseas) would have offered him near the 6 years, 63 million that he received.
  

• Monta Ellis was also overpaid at 6 years, 66 million. He was featured in an unconventional Warriors offense that overvalued his performance. I think Ellis has the potential to be a star, but he has yet to prove he deserves that kind of money. Perhaps I am being too harsh on the Warriors, but you should understand that most NBA players are actually overpaid. We have a league currently with a very small number of teams under the salary cap. Most teams handcuffed themselves with long bloated contracts for players they thought to be their future. I respect a team like the Grizzlies for not maliciously spending their money and holding on to their cap space until they find the "right" players. Talent isn't everything in the NBA. You need "winners."

• The Warriors also signed and overpaid Corey Maggette (5 yr., 50 mil.). Another player who is overpaid simply because of the ability to score points. He will continue to put up great scoring numbers for the Warriors, but he does not fit in their long-term plans. If they were indeed going to pay Ellis and Biedrins, they should have saved the rest of their money for a year like 2010 when Wade, LeBron, Bosh, and others will be available.
  

• The Warriors did well to obtain PG Marcus Williams from the Nets for a lottery-protected first round pick. Williams, a disappointment so far, has great potential.
  

• After making two grave mistakes in the past two off-seasons (Vladimir Radmanavic: 5 yr., 31 mil. and Luke Walton: 5 yr., 30 mil.), Mitch Kupchak did well this July. Radmanavic and Walton are both overpaid and figure to play very little for the Lakers next season. But this summer, Mitch chose not to match the Warriors' offer for Turiaf and convinced Sasha Vujacic to sign a shorter than desired 3 year deal worth 15 million.

• The Chicago Bulls made a good decision locking up Luol Deng (6 yr., 71 mil.), but I think they should be wary of offering Ben Gordon a long contract. With Rose as the PG of the future, Gordon is an undersized SG who should not be overpaid simply because he scores.
  

• Joe Dumars is showing great patience in his desire to trade some of his core pieces. The Pistons should not rush into a hasty decision. I also like the Kwame Brown signing. Maybe 4 mil is a bit much, but 2 years is a good length and Brown has proved he can contribute when healthy (see 2006 Playoffs, not 2008 season).
  

• The Clippers stole a former defensive player of the year in Marcus Camby from the luxury-tax fearing Nuggets. Kaman and Camby together will work well, but the Clippers need to run next year with free-wheeling Baron Davis at the helm. I am not confident that Mike Dunleavy is the right man for the job there.
  

• The Celtics were smart not to offer James Posey a long deal. He will help some in New Orleans but is not worth the 4 year contract.

• Another example of an overpaid signing: Mavericks signed DeSagana Diop to a 5 year, 32 million deal.

• Lastly, Memphis Grizzlies' PG Marko Jaric is now engaged to supermodel, Adriana Lima (shown above).
  

Next week, the Fridge will feature a Guest post detailing the impact and future of American Basketball players overseas.

The Clicks Second Edition

• Chuck Klosterman of ESPN the Mag: "Shaq and Kobe hate each other for real; I'm convinced of this. They despise each other in a way that's not only rare in sports but rare in life. They hate each other so much that neither would ever admit it, lest the other man get some sort of abstract satisfaction from the admittance of the loathing."

• Scoop Jackson of ESPN.com: "During the past three years, though, once Melo puts on a USA jersey, all his flaws seem to vanish. In our minds, and in reality. That dude on whom America is going to have to rely to reestablish who we are in basketball's global market.But if this team is to play for the gold on Aug. 24, it will be because of what Anthony does, more than what any of his teammates do. Why? Keep reading."

• Kurt of Forum Blue&Gold: "How much is a stubborn, awkward head-band-sporting Machine worth? I’m not going to delve into the suddenly competitive Euro market issue, as that’s been covered deeply elsewhere. What I do want to look at is whether [the Lakers] should pay Sasha what he’s asking – a reported $5 million a year over several years (4-5?)."

• Tommy Beer of Hoopsworld.com: "While the 'Summer of LeBron' gets most of the headlines, the (potential) 2009 NBA Free-Agent class boasts some upper-echelon talent as well. Even with Elton Brand and Baron Davis opting out last month, as opposed to becoming unrestricted in 2009, there will be some great players and big-time names up for grabs next summer."

• Yannis Koutroupis of Hoopsworld.com: "Now that the Las Vegas Summer League has come to a close we have gotten our first look at the top ten picks of the 2008 draft against other NBA players. Summer league success/failure has never been a true indicator of pro sucess. but it does give us an idea of what the player's strengths and weaknesses are. Here are the grades for how the top ten picks played in their respective summer leagues."
  

• Highlights from Team USA's exhibition win over Canada

Who really is the greatest-of-all-time?

We love to argue. The subject we argue about most is sports. One of the most commonly held debates is the comparison of athletes from different generations. Examples include: Kobe vs Jordan, Federer vs Sampras, Tiger vs Jack, and Peyton vs Montana. But, since these athletes did play during different eras, how can you really determine who was the better player?

For a lot of people, the answer is the numbers and/or statistics. They argue that once Roger Federer wins more Grand Slams than Pete Sampras, Roger is the best of all time. They argue that once Tiger Woods wins more Majors than Jack Nicklaus, Tiger is the greatest golfer ever. They argue that since Michael Jordan has a higher scoring average and higher FG% than Kobe Bryant, Jordan is the better scorer. To determine who is the greatest at a particular sport, you have to establish criteria. The problem is that two people rarely agree on the correct criteria and waste most of their time bickering over it.

Take Michael Jordan, for instance. I believe him to be the greatest basketball player of all time. Most basketball fans agree. But what criteria are we using when making this claim? Perhaps it is that Jordan led the Bulls to 6 NBA Titles. Except, Bill Russell led his Celtics to 11 Titles...in 13 seasons! Neither the Celtics nor the Bulls had won a title before these two arrived. If not titles, how about the combination of regular season MVP awards and titles. Along with 6 titles, Jordan won 5 MVPs. Except, Bill Russell also won 5 MVPs and Kareem Abdul Jabbar won 6 MVPs to go along with his own 6 titles. Jordan also once won the Defensive Player of the Year award. Bill Russell won the award 10 times. If your criteria is most dominating player ever, then Jordan does not compare to Wilt Chamberlain who has four times as many 50+ point games as Jordan. Jordan is often called the most complete player ever, but take a look at Oscar Robertson. While Jordan's best season was 32.5 pts, 8 reb, and 8 asst; Oscar's best was 30.8 pts, 12.5 reb, 11.4 asst. Now, you may ask how Jordan is the greatest ever after falling short in all these arguments. The simple fact is that Jordan is the only player in each one of these arguments. He is in the conversation no matter which criteria you use. Is he the greatest player ever because of statistics and numbers? No. He is the greatest ever in spite of statistics and numbers.

The reason for this post was to look at how statisics have changed throughout the years. It is easy to see the change in a sport such as baseball. Home-run numbers skyrocketed in the "steroid era," but have fallen almost as drastically since. To examine a less obvious change I took a look at the NBA's league statistics since 1980. I was shocked to see how much they had changed.

Note that 1999 lockout season was not included. Also 3 seasons in the 1990s with a shorter line were discarded for 3PT statistics.

FG% - Peaked at 49.2% in 1984, low of 43.9% in 2004. Are defenses better or are players worse shooters? Coaching and scouting are definitely far more advanced.

3PT - In 1981, 166 threes were attempted at 24.5%. In 2008, highs reached in both attempts (1485) and percentage (36.2%). Players attempt more threes each year.

FT% - Remained fairly consistent through the years. High in 1989 (76.8%), low in 1994 (73.4%), and this past year was 75.5%.

REB - Drastic variations here. Offensive rebounds highest in 1980 (1235) and lowest in 2007 (912). Defensive rebounds have increased in recent years to a high this past season (2524). Is this due to less effort on rebounding or better boxing out?

ASST - Drastic decline from high in 1984 (2153) to low in 2006 (1690). Are players becoming more selfish or are statisticians less liberal about handing out assists?

STL - Similar fall from high in 1980 (772) to low in 2006 (588). Are players better ball handlers or are defenders less aggressive?

BLK - Fallen from high in 1984 (459) to low in 2007 (378).

TOs - Declined from high in 1984 (1567) to low in 2008 (1157). See STL.

PTS - High in 1986 (110.8); low in 2004 (93.4). Has risen since to 99.9 in 2008.

Click for Full Excel Spreadsheet

How can you compare Magic Johnson's statistics of the 1980's with Chris Paul's statistics of today? You can't. They simply cannot be compared 1-to-1. The game has changed dramatically over the years. The average player is by far stronger and more athletic. The level of coaching and strategy has risen drastically. There have also been several rule changes instituted such as illegal defense and hand-checking. Teams such as the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors have gone against conventional basketball wisdom and pushed the pace of the game to the limit. It also seems that the traveling violation is no longer called. Remarkable new talents such as Jordan, Shaq, and now Lebron drastically changed the way officials call games. So who really is the greatest? The answer to this question will always be an opinion, a judgment call. If Jordan played in today's era, would he still have achieved as much? If Shaq played during Wilt's era, what kinds of stats would he have produced? Not only has the physical makeup of the athletes changed over the years, but the numbers have too.

1st Edition of 'The Clicks'

Periodically, I will provide clicks to blog posts and articles that I find very interesting and/or insightful. It doesn't mean I agree with them wholeheartedly, just that I find them very engaging and worth the read. Here is the first edition of 'The Clicks.'

• Scoop Jackson of ESPN.com: "There are four things in life I refuse to do: Crack, video games, MySpace and golf. I've seen the damage all can do, how they can destroy people's lives. And of the four of them, golf, in my opinion, is easily the most addictive -- the one that would ruin my life the quickest if I ever touched a 9-iron."

• Bruce Feldman of ESPN the Magazine: "The crowd fell silent, tracking the two teens as they raced to the hoop. One was a star. One was a nobody. In a little more than 10 years, one would have a $155 million contract, a 24,000-square-foot house with a nine-car garage and a sneaker with his name on it. The other, after spending time at five colleges and in alcohol rehab, would be dead."

• Jon Wertheim of SI.com: "It's 1998 and I'm trying to interview Anna Kournikova. It's a bit like attempting to secure an audience with a world leader, which, Kournikova's handlers would have you believe, she is. Billed as "the most downloaded female on the planet," Kournikova is flanked by a battalion of handlers, agents, managers and other assorted obstructionists."

• Eric Musselman's Basketball Notebook: "What drives all elite performers is a fierce desire to compete—and win. That’s what truly separates elite performers from ordinary high achievers. It takes supreme, almost unimaginable grit and courage to get back into the ring and fight to the bitter end."

• Pete Thamel of The New York Times: "'Are you a dunker?' [Joe] Alexander asked a reporter. 'Well, usually if you’re on a fast break one-on-one with someone and the game is not on the line, you wait for them and dunk on their head. That’s the unwritten code of dunking."'

• Kurt of Forum Blue & Gold: "Seemingly everywhere there is a fascination among some Lakers fans with bringing Ron Artest to the LA. And I don’t get it. I understand being unsure how well Odom will do as the small forward, it’s a legitimate question and concern. But Ron Artest is not the answer."

#1 Player in Country Headed to Europe

The #1 recruit in the country (according to Scout.com & ESPN.com) has decided to forego college and instead, play in Europe. He is the 2008 Naismith Male Player of the Year and Parade Magazine Player of the Year. Brandon Jennings, from Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, had intended to attend the University of Arizona for one season before declaring for the 2009 NBA Draft. But, he recently began to hesitate on this commitment. He had yet to receive a qualifying SAT score when he decided to take his talents to Europe instead of attending college. By foregoing college, Jennings will be able to hire an agent, play basketball year-round, sign endorsement deals, and play a significantly higher level of basketball.

Jennings' decision could spark interest in future youngsters at the opportunity to play in Europe rather than one year at the NCAA Division I level. Of course, that interest will depend upon the success or failure of Jennings in the next year. Brandon Jennings is an 18-year-old, 6'2", 165 lb point guard with incredible quickness and athletic ability. The crucial question is, how will he fair in Europe and how will it affect his future?

Jennings is a prototypical NBA point guard. He is known as a pass-first playmaker with good decision making, great ball handling, and excellent court vision. His weaknesses are strength and defense but both are common weaknesses at his age and will improve in time. One of Jennings' biggest dilemmas will be adapting to the European style of game. But the difficulties he endures will end up benefiting him immensely in the future. He will be playing in the most elite European leagues. In the past, the better players from these leagues have gone on to play very well in the NBA (Luis Scola, Juan Carlos Navarro). Unfortunately, the game will not come easy to Jennings. He will struggle with the different philosophies, different rules, and different offenses. Additionally, Jennings will not be playing against small, inferior high school kids anymore but instead, 25-35 year old mature men. If Jennings can learn how to mesh his current style of play with the European game, he will become a versatile and dynamic NBA point guard. Since Jennings could struggle mightily in the beginning, it could somewhat harm his 2009 draft stock. But, if Jennings is willing to accept the short-term risks, he will benefit from far greater rewards in the future.

This past year, 4 out of the top 5 picks in the draft were freshmen; overall, there were 10 freshmen selected in the first round. There will continue to be many freshmen drafted in the first round as long as the NBA continues the recently instituted one-year-rule. The rule requires players to be one year out of high school and at least 19 years of age to enter the draft. The rule has its advantages and disadvantages. As a basketball fan, it is tremendous. The NCAA season and March Madness have been spectacular in recent years with the additions of players such as Greg Oden, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, and Kevin Love. If not for the rule, all would have most likely proceeded directly to the NBA. The same advantages for the fans are advantages for the NCAA and the NBA. The NCAA makes hundreds of millions of dollars off their superstar "student" athletes. The NBA, in turn, benefits from free marketing of their future superstars. The problem is that the players, the main revenue generators, never get to touch any of the money. Freshmen are adults at 18 years old and should have the right to go professional and earn money for their services, right? Well, Jennings is making a push for that stance by signing a contract in Europe next season. He will make a generous amount of money.

Most of the media is knocking Jennings for his decision asserting that he has no idea what he is getting himself into. They say that he will struggle with the language and culture barriers. He will struggle with the tough practices in sometimes less than adequate facilities. The truth is that Jennings is an 18-year-old kid. He is supposed so struggle with these things. He is supposed to grow as a player and a person during this time in his life. If he is only going to be in college for one year anyways, why not go to a place where he can do the most growing up and do it the quickest. Journeying to a different country might be just what an 18-year-old future NBA star needs. In this day and age of spoiled, coddled NBA players, it would be in Jennings' best interest to avoid becoming just another immature, rich brat. The hardships he experiences while overseas will help him appreciate everything he earns once he does arrive in the NBA. When Jennings retires in 20 years as a perennial NBA All-Star, he will look at this decision as the best he ever made. He will be a better player, and more importantly, a better person, because of it.

2002 WCF Game 6 vs. 2006 Finals Game 5

Now that the 2008 NBA Season has concluded, the remaining topics left to discuss are free agents, trades, and rumors all pertaining to next season. Before that begins, let's revisit a controversial topic from the NBA's recent history. Last summer, NBA referee Tom Donaghy came under investigation by the FBI for allegedly point shaving and altering the outcome of NBA games in which he refereed. During the last year, there has been considerable evidence gathered that shows the scores of the games he refereed to be consistent with point shaving. In addition, Donaghy has confessed to the accusation and provided the FBI with many details about his exploits. In one of Donaghy's statements to the FBI, he claimed that the NBA "fixed" an important playoff game by appointing "company men" to officiate the game. The game in question was Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings. Next to this game, the next most controversially officiated game in recent history occurred in the 2006 NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat. Let's take an in-depth look at both games in question.

2002 WCF Game 6 -- The Kings defeated the Lakers in Game 5 to establish a 3-2 series lead heading back to Los Angeles for Game 6. The Lakers ended up sending the series back to Sacramento behind a 106-102 victory. The controversy exists in a 27-9 advantage in free throws for the Lakers in the hotly contested 4^th quarter. Conspiracy theorists believe that the NBA fixed the game in order to extend the series to seven games. Reasons for the fix are stated to be primarily financially motivated. A 7^th game would mean more money for the NBA. Also, a big-market team like the Lakers going to the NBA Finals also equals more money for the NBA. The Lakers went on to an overtime victory in Game 7 before sweeping the New Jersey Nets for their third consecutive NBA title.

2006 Finals Game 5 --The Miami Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks 101-100 in a dramatic overtime game in Miami giving the Heat a 3-2 series advantage. The controversy here is that eventual Finals MVP, Dwyane Wade, was given 25 free throw attempts in the game, the same amount as the entire Mavericks team. The Heat as a team were awarded 49 free throw attempts. Wade shot 11 for 28 from the field in route to 43 points including game winning free throws with 1.9 seconds left on the clock. The foul called with 1.9 seconds has been deemed very questionable by most observers especially since it was called by a referee (Bennett Salvatore) who was not in position to make the call. The Heat went on to win the NBA title in six games.

There have been numerous opinions formed about these two games from fans and the media throughout the country. NBA games are the hardest games to officiate in professional sports and by simply watching a game, it is almost impossible to definitively determine if the game was fixed or not. Roland Beech of 82games.com has performed a very impressive in-depth analysis of every call made during the two games in question. Beech is a very well respected student of the game who covers the NBA with an intense statistical focus. 82games.com is a tremendous site with loads of unconventional and insightful statistics about NBA teams and players. Since Beech's analysis is very extensive, I will summarize his data and conclusions while providing commentary. Beech took an analytical approach in which he reviewed every call made in each game and determined whether the call was correct, probably correct, 50/50, dubious, or very dubious. He also grouped the calls by the referees. In this way, it can be determined if a team received favorable calls and if a particular referee favored a team

2002 WCF Game 6 -- The referees were Dick Bavetta, Bob Delaney, and Ted Bernhardt. The overall calls favor L.A. barely (55-54). The calls of the individual officials do not really jump out. The largest margin is Bavetta favoring the Lakers (20-15). The one thing that jumps out is that the dubious and very dubious calls favor L.A. (7-2). This is a significant discrepancy and gives argument to Kings Fans that someone was out to get them. Since it is not exactly straightforward to determine how many points each call results in, Beech came up with a 'Points Impact' method. Using the method, he concluded that the Lakers received a net bonus of 6 points from favorable calls. The Lakers ended up winning by 4 points.

2006 Finals Game 5 -- The referees were Bennett Salvatore, Joey Crawford, and Joe DeRosa. The overall calls favor Miami (50-38). The thing that jumps out the most in this game is that Salvatore's calls favored Miami drastically (25-11). Of the other refs, Crawford favored Dallas (17-11) and DeRosa favored Miami (18-12). Another thing that jumps out is the dubious and very dubious calls which favor Miami (5-1). If you throw in the 50/50 calls, the discrepancy is still high (13-5). It should be mentioned that Salvatore also whistled Avery Johnson for a technical foul during the game. Using the 'Points Impact' method, Beech concluded that Miami received a net bonus of 6 points from their favorable calls. The 6 points is very significant in an overtime game but not nearly as significant as the free throw disparity (49-25) could have suggested.

2002 WCF Game 6 -- The Lakers did benefit from a 40-24 free throw advantage, but if you take out intentional fouls, the discrepancy is only 34-24. Additionally, the Lakers were clearly the more aggressive offensive team. The Kings' offense was far more perimeter based therefore you would normally expect a free throw advantage for the Lakers. Additionally, the Lakers were on their home court. As much as the NBA might like to deny it, statistics and the naked-eye show that referees tend to give the benefit of the doubt to the home team on tough calls. This is a MAJOR problem in the NBA. Referees are paid to be impartial and they should be trained to be affected as little as possible by the home crowd. Home teams should not be given an advantage. Unfortunately, the NBA has been favorable to the home team for years and will continue to be. Many Laker fans will point to Game 5 of the same series when the Kings received many favorable calls down the stretch to pull out a close win in Sacramento.

2006 Finals Game 5 -- The same offensive aggressiveness argument can be made in this game. Wade drove to the basket hard countless times and with him and Shaq, Miami was clearly the more aggressive offensive team. The final play of the game has been scrutinized by many fans and analysts. There are claims of a backcourt violation on Wade, two possible offensive fouls on Wade, carrying violation on Wade, and then the eventual foul call for Wade against Dirk Nowitzki. All the possible calls against Wade were overlooked while a foul for him was called. In my opinion, all the calls should have been no calls and the players should have decided the game unless there was a blatant foul. The fact is that none of the calls were obvious and should not have been made. The call that was made was overlooked by baseline official, Crawford, and called by Salvatore from near mid-court. I do not believe the officiating of a game should change in the final seconds but I also think it is inevitable. In any sport or competition that requires judgment calls: As the stakes rise, the game changes.

Of course, all of this analysis could be completely bogus. The referees do not completely control what calls they make. Certain refs are put in positions to make certain calls depending on what part of the court they are covering. In any one NBA game, there are thousands of different intricacies that can affect the outcome of the game. The data presented by 82games.com is the most extensive data that is available on any one NBA game that is open to the public. So take from it what you must. Draw your own conclusions.

Do I think the games were fixed? Absolutely not. Do I think the NBA told their "company men" to give more favorable calls to a particular team? Nope. The games were simply a result of some poor officiating. If you asked me which game was more poorly officiated, I would say the Mavs-Heat game. The call discrepancy of Bennett Salvatore is pretty ridiculous and although it is possible to be just a coincidence, it will be forever questioned.

For 82games.com's full analysis:

2002 WCF Game 6

2006 Finals Game 5

2008 NBA Draft Review

The NBA Draft is one of my favorite times of the year. Each and every potential draftee is thoroughly scrutinized and dissected in every which way. Teams literally use hundreds of complex statistical algorithms to try to determine who to pick. Teams find out what each draftee does with their free time and who he hangs out with. No detail goes unnoticed or unconsidered. From the moment the player declares until the day of the draft, every move the player makes is noted and analyzed. BUT...once the draft occurs, all the hoopla ends. You will not hear about most of the draft picks for years. At that point, some draft picks will be re-evaluated and labeled as "studs," and some labeled as "busts." But, most of the draft picks will never again find themselves as popular as they were for these couple months.

The 2008 NBA Draft was quite eventful. Before I reveal my thoughts, a little background on this draft. Almost every team in the draft says that it is one of the most difficult drafts ever to predict. Different teams are coming to drastically dissimilar conclusions on all sorts of players. Therefore, I did not attempt to preview or mock the draft, but I will review it. One of the common mistakes made in drafting is drafting for need or position rather than simply taking the BPA (best player available). For a simple example of this mistake, see the 1984 Draft and some guy named MJ. Another mistake is the best-case scenario mistake. Too many fans, and some teams, evaluate players based on their best-case scenarios. Teams draft the player with the highest potential or upside. Instead, teams should more heavily value which players have the best chance of reaching their best-case scenarios. These are the players with the strongest character and best work ethics.

Now, I will go through the lottery picks and give my thoughts focusing on the players that I saw play the most and therefore know the most about. Then I will add thoughts on a few post-lottery picks that I liked.

1) Bulls - Derrick Rose -- Easy no-brainer pick. Hall-of-fame potential. Great teammate.

2) Heat - Michael Beasley -- Another easy no-brainer pick. Hollinger's #1 guy by a mile.

3) Wolves - O.J. Mayo -- Grizzlies end up getting Mayo, the guy they wanted badly. Mayo is going to be a solid NBA player, no doubt. But it remains to be seen if he can be a star.

4) Sonics - Russell Westbrook -- Shocker of the draft going this early. Best 1-on-1 defender in the draft. Long, fast, and athletic. Perfect complement for Durant if he can develop into a PG. Decent jumper and ball-handling but must improve upon both. Gets into the lane and finishes easily. All-NBA Defensive 1st Team potential.

5) Grizzlies - Kevin Love -- The most risk-free pick in the draft. Great grab by the Wolves along with Mike Miller. Love has the highest basketball IQ in the draft. Can shoot, rebound, pass extremely well. Mentally and physically tough. Extremely strong. More athletic than people think. Improved defense immensely under Ben Howland last season. Potentially an NBA All-Star, but no chance at being a bust.

6) Knicks - Danilo Gallinari -- I respect Donnie Walsh and the Knicks for choosing the BPA, instead of trying to appease the fans. Do not know much about him except from watching some YouTube highlight videos.

7) Clippers - Eric Gordon -- Have not seen him play much. Known as a great shooter (even though stats disagree) and a solid defender. Small for a SG.

8) Bucks - Joe Alexander -- My least favorite pick of the draft. Passing on Lopez and Bayless is puzzling. Tough, very athletic combo forward, but needs to improve skills in all facets.

9) Bobcats - D.J. Augustin -- Risky pick with Lopez and Bayless STILL on the board. More of a Steve Nash type PG who can shoot, pass, and penetrate. Small in size and cannot defend very well. Good leader.

10) Nets - Brook Lopez -- Lopez finally picked. Steal for Nets. Lopez (with limited athleticism) has potential to be a bust, but his combination of size, length and skilll is promising.

11) Pacers - Jerryd Bayless -- Steal of the first round. Bayless traded to Blazers. The Blazers are scary good, and their GM looks like the best in the business these days.

12) Kings - Jason Thompson -- Confusing, but gutsy pick, could have traded down and gotten him. Put up great numbers at a small school (Rider). Big NBA Frame that he needs to grow into.

13) Blazers - Brandon Rush -- Traded to Pacers. Like the pick. Think more athletic Aaron Afflalo.

14) Warriors - Anthony Randolph -- Similar player to Brandan Wright. Freak athlete. At least three years away from being any kind of productive.

21) Nets - Ryan Anderson -- He can flat out score. Led Pac-10 in scoring.

27) Hornets - Darrell Arthur -- If healthy, one of the steals of the draft. Traded to Grizzlies.

34) Wolves - Mario Chalmers -- Biggest steal of the draft. Quick and heady point guard who can defend the ball and cause chaos on defense. Shot 47% from 3-point range. Takes care of the ball and runs the offense well. Traded to Heat. Chalmers-Wade-Marion-Beasley core is dangerous in East (in a couple years).

35) Clippers - DeAndre Jordan -- #1 overall pick type athleticism. Would have been top 5 pick out of high school. Disappointing freshman season, but was still projected lottery early on. Could become a dominant force if he develops a work ethic and passion for the game. Low risk, high reward pick for the Clippers.

37) Bucks - L.R. Mbah a Moute -- Terrific defender. Think James Posey without a jump shot. Can guard several positions. Will be in the league a long time simply because he plays hard and dominates defensively.

40) Nets - Chris Douglas Roberts -- Richard Hamilton clone who can also flat out score.

47) Wizards - Bill Walker -- Top 10 talent, but has suffered from bad advice and some knee injuries. If healthy, potential All-Star. Traded to Celtics.

Draft Winners:
Heat -- Chalmers and Beasley were both easy picks, but the easy pick is not always made.
Celtics -- Giddens and Walker are both athletic guys who can contribute off the bench when Pierce and Allen are resting.
Bulls -- Derrick Rose.
Pacers -- Hibbert and Rush are solid, experienced winners who will have long NBA careers (albeit as role players).
Clippers -- Solid pick with Gordon, possible superb draft if Jordan turns out.
Sonics and Wolves -- Just because I like Westbrook and Love so much.
Nets -- Got great value at their picks with Lopez, Anderson and CDR.
Blazers -- Stole Bayless. They have been on the draft winners list for many consecutive years now.

Olympics Preview

The 2008 Summer Olympics kick off August 8^th, 2008 in Beijing, China. The biggest story among American sports is the U.S.'s Men's Basketball Team's attempt to win their first Olympic gold medal since 2000. Before I get into the makeup and potential of this year's team, let's review the failures of the past 8 years. After winning their third consecutive gold medal in 2000, the team lost their first international game at the 2002 World Championships since using strictly NBA players. The Americans finished a shocking 6^th in the World.

In 2004, the team journeyed to Athens composed of a group of very inexperienced, young players. Notables on the team were veterans Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson, but also the youngsters Lamar Odom, Shawn Marion, Richard Jefferson, Stephon Marbury, Carlos Boozer, Lebron James, and Carmelo Anthony. In the quarterfinals, the team squeaked by a Spain team composed of Pau Gasol (29 pts) and future NBA players, Jose Calderon and Juan Carlos Navarro. After defeating Spain by 8, the Americans lost to Argentina by 8 in the semifinals. The Argentina team composed of Manu Ginobili, Carlos Delfino, and Andres Nocioni had their way against the porous American defense. Argentina went on to win the Gold defeating Italy by 15.

Following the 2004 debacle, the U.S. committee replaced head coach Larry Brown with Duke Head coach, Mike Krzyzewski. In 2006 led by Krzyzewski, the U.S. team won the Bronze medal again after losing to Greece, a team with no NBA players. Spain subsequently pummeled Greece to win the Gold; Pau Gasol was named MVP of the tournament. A second consecutive bronze medal earned James the nickname 'Lebronze.' Another horrible failure motivated many NBA players to dedicate themselves to returning U.S. basketball to where it belongs. The major addition to the U.S. team was current NBA MVP Kobe Bryant. Kobe led the team to the FIBA Americas Championships in the Summer of 2007. The team coasted to a Gold medal; they dominated opponents by going 10-0 with an average margin of victory of 39.5 pts per game. The team defeated Argentina twice en route to the gold medal. Kobe was one of the standout performers of the tournament locking down the tournament's leading scorer Leandro Barbosa (22 ppg) and holding him to 4 pts.

Now let's get to this year's squad:

Point Guards:

Jason Kidd – oldest player on team by far (35), not the best PG on the team, but provides necessary leadership and experience

Chris Paul – best PG in the NBA, but has very limited international experience

Deron Williams – tough, rugged player who is also the best shooter of the trio

Shooting Guards:

Kobe Bryant – second oldest player (29); will guard opposing team's best perimeter player; significantly less pressure to produce on offense compared to on Lakers

Dwyane Wade – coming off injury-plagued season; his effectiveness is uncertain

Michael Redd – possibly team's premier shooter but is coming off his worst shooting NBA season in years

Small Forwards:

Lebron James – should be able to physically dominate and manhandle opponents as he does in the NBA; his superior passing ability is a big attribute from the small forward position

Tayshaun Prince – selected as 12^th man over Tyson Chandler; probably will only play in blowouts unless team suffers significant injuries, but if needed can defend practically all 5 positions

Power Forwards:

Carmelo Anthony – playing out of position, but has the size to guard and rebound against most international PF's; quickness and versatility will benefit team on offense

Carlos Boozer – toughest guy on team; I worry he will be in constant foul trouble similar to Tim Duncan in 2004

Centers:

Dwight Howard – freakish athletic ability should allow him to dominate opposing centers on both ends of the floor; also must stay out of foul trouble

Chris Bosh – FT shooting ability (84%) could provide him minutes in the clutch

As can be seen, the players that played significant minutes in Athens are all gone. The young guys, Carmelo, Lebron, and Boozer did not play much in Athens but received valuable experience as well as the agony of losing. The starting lineup will be the same as it was last year at the FIBA Americas: Kidd, Kobe, Lebron, Carmelo, and Howard. This lineup has it all: Leadership, Passing, Toughness, Rebounding, Athleticism, and Strength. If teams are sagging off of Kidd and Lebron, Coach Krzyzewski can insert Williams and Redd to create a deadly three-point shooting lineup. There are no glaring weak links on defense on the squad, perhaps Boozer against quick PF's. There are several teams the Americans need to worry about it. Of course the defending gold medalists Argentina will be very tough. Additionally China, with a healthy Yao Ming and youngster Yi Jianlian, could provide matchup problems along with the raucous home crowd they'll bring every game. Carlos Arroyo leads a deceptively tough Puerto Rican team and Spain has quite a few experienced NBA players led by Pau Gasol. The U.S. is in a tough round robin group which includes China and Spain.

I believe this team will coast to the semifinals where they will meet some challenge but eventually win the final two games and return the Gold medal to U.S. soil. The differences in this team compared to the 2004 team are vast. The major difference is the strength and athleticism. The guys that played major minutes in Athens, Iverson, Duncan, Odom, Jefferson, and Marbury have been replaced by Kobe, Wade, Lebron, Carmelo, Howard, Williams. The U.S. team needs to use their athleticism and strength to physically dominate their opponents while staying out of foul trouble. International rules are different; they cannot expect fouls called in the NBA to translate to international play. The next major difference is the point guard play. The score-first mentalities of Iverson and Marbury have been replaced by the pass-first mentalities of Kidd, Paul, and Williams. The last key difference is the commitment to defense. Kobe displayed this commitment emphatically last year at FIBA. The team has the ability to lock down any team in the World and if they can commit to this, they will win the Gold medal.

I tried to keep this post shorter even though I had a lot more detail that could have been included. Draft Review will be up next following this Thursday's exciting NBA Draft.

Part of the Family

I just watched a Lakers 07-08 Season Tribute video. The video inspired me. The Lakers have had an incredible season. Phil Jackson did a remarkable job at managing this Lakers' squad. A criticism of Jackson in the past was that he could not teach and groom younger players. You can throw that theory out the window. Now, the theory is that Phil got thoroughly outcoached by Doc Rivers in the Finals. Practically every analyst and a lot of Laker fans think so. I do not. Is there a possibility that the Celtics were so much better than the Lakers that no matter what Phil did, the Celtics were going to win. I am not saying that Phil did not make mistakes during the Finals and also, there is no excuse for getting manhandled by 40 in the final game. But, Phil did an incredible job coaching the Lakers throughout the season and through Western Conference. The fans that are calling for his firing are completely unfounded and out of touch. Phil is one of the best coaches in the NBA and the perfect coach for this Laker team. For those of you who believe that Paul Pierce completely outplayed Kobe Bryant during the series, here are some statistics, Kobe: 26 ppg, 5 asst, 5 reb, 3 stl, 41%FG. Pierce: 22 ppg, 6 asst, 5 reb, 1 stl, 43%FG. Better numbers yes, but not by much; not to mention Pierce went up against the Lakers' defense which is laughably inferior to the Celtics's. Let us be reminded that Lebron James shot 35%FG in his series against the Celtics.

Now let's get to the real subject of this article. Kobe. During the playoffs many fans and analysts began comparing Kobe to the one and only Michael Jordan. And then when the Lakers lost to the Celtics, the tune changed to 'Can we stop comparing him to Michael now?' The truth is that Kobe himself does not want to be compared to Jordan. Kobe wants to be so much better than Jordan that people do not dare compare Jordan to him. In my opinion, Kobe is a better scorer than Jordan. Kobe is the most talented offensive player in the history of the game. He has it all. He can shoot from almost unlimited range and if he drives the paint, he has every shot, layup, and dunk in the book. In fact, Kobe has rewritten the book. Let's get one thing straight, I am not saying Kobe is a better player than Jordan. The fact is that you cannot accurately compare players from different eras. The best way you can compare them is to compare their performance relative to their era. The problem with this is that certain players play in easier eras than others. If Jordan were in his prime during the 1980s of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, would he have 6 rings? If Magic or Larry were not both around during the 1980's, how many rings would the other one of them have? This is a valid argument but still a weak one. You cannot punish Michael for dominating his competition and also, who is to say that he would not have won 6 titles in any era.

Kobe is 29 years old. Kobe has five finals appearances and three titles. When Jordan was 29, he had two finals appearances and two titles. Can we please wait until Kobe's career is over before we say whether or not he was a better player than Jordan? I guess not. So let's go for it. If you have not yet realized it, I am going to defend Kobe. First off, Kobe has to face zone defenses (which is pretty much what the Celtics played). In Jordan's era, zoning was illegal. Secondly, everyone underestimates just how good Scottie Pippen was. He is one of the 50 greatest players of all time, 10x All-Defensive Team selection, 3x All-NBA First Team selection, and 7x NBA All-Star. During the six title years of the Bulls, here are Pippen's assist averages: 6.2, 7.0, 6.3, 5.9, 5.7, 5.8. Here are Jordan's averages: 5.5, 6.1, 5.5, 4.3, 4.3, 3.5. Pippen led the Bulls in assists in each of those years. If you look at the playoff stats during those years, Pippen led the Bulls in assists in four out of the six title runs. The fact is that Jordan was not always the primary playmaker on the Bulls. Pippen usually created more shots for his teammates than Jordan did. You will not find one year since Shaq left that Kobe has not led the Lakers in assists. Additionally, the quality of Jordan's supporting casts is very misconstrued. In the 1993-94 season, the year after Jordan first retired, the Bulls won 55 games and lost in 7 games to the Knicks in the conference semifinals, led by Scottie Pippen. The Bulls were always one of the league's best defenses. They had perfect role players around Jordan who made open shots and played tough defense. Just because they did not put up great offensive numbers does not mean they were not good. Average basketball fans make the error of only looking at offensive statistics to determine a player's worth. If this was true, guys like Bruce Bowen, James Posey, and Ronny Turiaf would not have jobs.

Here is an excerpt from J.A. Adande's ESPN article: "Do you think Jordan never had a Finals performance with numbers like the 27 points and 42 percent shooting Bryant's experiencing against the Celtics? You must not have watched the 1996 Finals, when Jordan averaged 27 points and shot 42 percent against Seattle."

When Jordan played in the NBA, he was the NBA's darling child. He resurrected the NBA after Bird and Magic left. He alone was making hundreds of millions of dollars for the NBA. If you can believe that the NBA has a conspiracy theory for the Lakers and Celtics to meet in the Finals now, there is no way you cannot believe the NBA wanted Jordan to succeed back then. I, myself, am not a believer in any kind of conspiracy theory about the NBA. As Los Angeles Times writer Mark Heisler put it, "If the NBA is fixing anything, it's doing a really lousy job." Anyways, in those days, Jordan got every call. Any time he drove the lane, he either scored or got a foul. If you watched this year's Lakers series between the Spurs or the Celtics, you can see that the same was not true for Kobe. Magic once told Larry Bird not to stand too close to Michael or they might call a foul.

As for their troubles off the court, everyone is familiar with Kobe's rape accusation in Colorado. The charges were dropped shortly after the trial began. The truth might never be known, but we do know that Kobe committed Adultery. Shocking right, except Jordan did the same….many times. Jordan cheated on his wife numerous times during their marriage and has a former mistress that claims that Jordan promised her $5 million when he retired to keep her quiet. Additionally, Jordan's gambling problems are well known as he once lost $57,000 on golf, poker, and other gambling and then lied about it. My point is that many NBA stars have off-court troubles. You cannot let those issues cloud your thinking when you evaluate them as basketball players. Both Jordan and Kobe have tried mightily to resurrect their images and become respectable role models. I respect both immensely.

Another argument I want to explore is the Tiger Woods comparison. I heard this on ESPN and was dumbfounded at how ESPN discovered another way to criticize Kobe by saying he is not even close to Tiger. Why the heck would you even compare the two? Forget the fact that their sports are not even close to similar. Tiger plays an individual sport. He does not have to work with teammates, encourage teammates, or make his teammates better. He simply has to make himself better. If basketball were an individual sport, Kobe would be the greatest of All-Time. The man scored 81 points in a game. Tiger and Kobe both have personality flaws that are geared towards individual accomplishments. They care about themselves above all others. Tiger did not care about the feel good story of Rocco Mediate last weekend, he wanted to crush him. Kobe cannot behave in this way, therefore he has had to adjust. He learned how to work with his coach and his teammates and has made great strides. Is he perfect? No… not even close. But he is trying hard and that is all one can ask.

Finally, this is to all the Laker and Kobe haters. I love the Lakers and therefore I love Kobe. I am a Laker fan BEFORE I am a Kobe fan. The Lakers are my family and Kobe is part of that family. I treat Kobe like a brother. Sometimes your brother misbehaves and makes mistakes, but you love your brother regardless. I will never argue that Kobe is not sometimes selfish, arrogant, condescending, self-absorbed, or annoying. But he is a brother and a son to Laker fans and as long as he is part of the Laker family, we will support him.

Here is the inspirational video I spoke of: http://www.lakersmedia.com/?p=176#more-176

Video of Kobe against Zone Defenses: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kYBeNQdSCc