2011-2012 NBA Season Power Rankings (X-Mas Edition)

1.) eat are back and with 1 season under their belt they look like the team to beat in the NBA. Can LeBron post up? Will Wade close out the 4th quarters? It's their season to win it.

2.) MVP D-Rose now has a legit 2 guard in Rip Hamilton. The defense will still be solid but will that be enough to get them out of the East?
3.)Is it disrespectful to have the defending champs at #3? When you think about how Marc Cuban let some of his prize asserts in Chandler, and Barrea walk they have holes. Picking up LO from the Lakers for "free" could be a steal.
4.) I love the potentially unlimited ceiling of Kevin Durant but not the unpredictability of Russell Westbrook. If they can come up with a winning recipe, then their fresh young legs could pay off in the playoffs.
5.) The acquisition of Tyson Chandler to anchor the defense and clean the glass is just what this team needed. Hopefully D'Antoni can resurrect Baron Davis of old and bring some continuity to his "shoot first offense."

6.) The Lake show failed to pull off another Gasol like heist in Chris Paul and have yet to add any key players to this aging team. I will never bet against Kobe but things are looking rocky in LaLa land.

7.) Quietly the Celtics are still in the mix with the Big 4. After shopping Rondo and coming up empty, they shipped Big Baby for Brandon Bass and signed Micheal Pietrus. Solid pick-ups but that may not be enough.

8.) Everyone thinks the Spurs are old, but through 50 games last year they only lost 8 times. Something to consider with a reduced 66 game season. A grueling schedule of loaded back to backs could test their health though.

9.) Dwight Howard is the only reason this team is ranked in the top 10. Once he leaves they will drop along with their record. #justsaying

10.) Do you believe in "Lob City?" CP3 will have this team in contention every night, and they should make the playoffs easily. Holes in their bench (no legit SG) will hurt their chances to go deep in the postseason.

11.)Rudy Gay is back and this team is loaded. Please remind me again why I don't have them ranked in the top 5. Oh, because Z-Bo and Gasol just broke the bank and are technically no longer hungry. Coach Hollins should get this team back into the playoffs.

12.) Loads of talent on this team and some of that talent wont be available until March (J.R Smith/W. Chandler in China). Coach George Carl will have this offense primed and new comer Rudy Fernandez should flourish in the Mile High.

13.) My affinity for the Hawks is about to run out. They let Jamal Crawford walk and still don't have a big man to compliment Horford and Josh Smith. They will still make the playoffs and bow out in the 1st round. *Sigh*

14.) If we were ranking off of potential the Blazers would be in the top 10. But we aren't. Oden is still not active and Roy is retired. This team had so much promise 3 yrs ago.

15.) David West (if his knee holds) will be a perfect compliment to Danny Granger. I like them to make some noise in the East.

16.) 76ers are a rebuilding team that doesn't know it. Elton Brand is almost done and they may have missed out on shipping A.I2 as his value may have diminished. This team should hover around .500
17.) I almost forgot about the Jazz..which should justify their ranking. I'm not expecting much from them this season.

18.) The Bucks had a nice pick up this off season in Stephen Jackson. If Bogus and Jennings return to form, they could be the Grizzles of the East from last year.

19.)Houston will start the post Yao Ming error with a roster full of complimentary players, notably Kevin Martin and Luis Scola whom they failed to trade in the CP3 deal. Kevin McHale will have his hands full.

20.)Why wont Steve Nash demand a trade? I know its not his style but he has got to get out of there..and fast.

21.) Name another team that got beat by 25 points in the preseason? I am excited to see Jimmy Wall play an entire healthy season. Expect some trades before the deadline.

22.) The Hornets are building for the future post CP3. I don't think this year will be the start of anything magical.

23.) Ricky Rubio makes his long awaited debut this year and the fans should love him.
Throw in J.J. Barrea and Derrick Williams along with Kevin Love and this team should be exciting.

24.) Stephen Curry should have a breakout year and that's about it for this team.

25.)Jimmer Time! This team will be interesting. Which Demarcus Cousins will show up? How healthy is Tyreke Evans?

26.) Toronto still has a team?

27.) Is Joey D is trying to get fired? Locking up Prince for $27 mill over 4 years! Brandon Knight was a steal in the draft but there is a log jam at SF and PG.

28.)The Nets cant wait to move to Brooklyn, but if they don't land a big time free agent then Williams could wind up across town with the Knicks.

29.)Drake-"Don't Michael Jordan still have his hoop earring in?" Me- "Yes but he doesn't have a team that can win 40 games this year. Good luck Kemba.

30.) Shout out to Dan Gilbert for landing his team at the bottom of the barrell. Teams will be gunning for you guys all year after your latest literary rant.

Peace,

Agent34

MJ Needs CP3!

Ever wonder how it would feel to be called the Greatest Of All-Time?

Fast forward 2 years later and the Greatest to ever play in shorts is proving to be lackluster in a suit.

Meet Michael Jordan.

The Bobcats CEO is having it tough as of late with his hometown franchise.

Charlotte has shipped off both fan favorites Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace to various teams for cap space and lottery picks. Both trades resulted in little to nothing in return player value and his heirness has another problem on his hands...

Meet Chris Paul.

The hometown kid from nearby Winston-Salem (NC) has long thought to be a viable player in the upcoming free agent market with a pending exodus from New Orleans.

CP3 is also a Jordan athlete and has always looked up to MJ growing up as a role model.

So how can a team with enough money to make a max offer in 2012, young tradeable players (DJ Augustin, Kemba Walker. etc) and enough draft picks to sweeten any deal not be in play for 1 of the top point guards in the NBA?

As of now the entire sports world (including the Hornets) knows that Paul wants to play in New York...but the mystique of Michael Jordan has to mean something.

6 Time NBA Champion

5 Time MVP

10 Time scoring Champion

14 Time All Star

6 Time Finals MVP

=

0 Playoff wins

No superstar

1 Frustrated CEO

MJ Needs CP3

Peace,

Agent 34

Who you Got Tonight…Nobody?

Tonight usually kicks off the title question between my circle of friends…

This post was supposed to be about the start of the 2011 NBA Season.

Bulls -vs- Mavericks
OKC -vs- Lakers
Houston -vs- Utah

All of these games are cancelled for tonight and we are all forced to watch re-runs of classic games on NBATV.

The owners and players are still unable to decide on BRI; which is something that the average sports fan knows nothing about. Why should they? Basketball is a SPORT!

Although there is a business side to almost everything in life, the masses could care less about how the revenue of the league is split.

Quite frankly it’s not their business; they just want to see the game played.

The owners and the NBPA can repeat their version of Kanye West’s “Blame Game” over and over but the fans are growing weary of this insane lockout. Do they (both sides) think that due to the heightened popularity of the sport last season that fans will just forgive and forget once/if the season resumes? Have they not heard of the #occupy movement?

NBA superstars are running around the US playing in these charity games (with no defense) as a token of “appreciation” for the fans. This is only a means to stay in shape and make sure that their brands (shoes, name, etc) stay in tact during the lockout. Meanwhile, the owners are playing off of the lack of knowledge of the sports fans and publicly announcing the players’ rejection of a 50/50 split on the BRI.

Such a waste...

Fans know what they want and that’s high intensity basketball played with strategy, charisma, flare, and even a little LA Laker soap opera.

We should be discussing Kobes legacy, Durants emergence, LeBrons 1st ring, The Mavericks Championship…but sadly we can only talk about the night that was supposed to be…

Peace,

Agent34

NBA Players @ Summer Leagues

Often times when someone "Locks" you out of your place of employment there is no coming back.  You may get a nice severance package or maybe your company was mixed up in some bad business and you are left out to dry. 

Well, in the NBA world its a little different.  Although players are not allowed to work out as a team the worlds best players are staying in shape in a new way.  Summer Leagues!

That's right summer leagues, the same summer league team that you may be playing on right now.  Imagine your team picking up LeBron James for 1 game.  That would be the game where you would set the best screens ever, and rebound with the aggression that your old coach wanted you too...but please just make sure you pass the ball to LBJ. 

Several top players are convening on the hottest local basketball circles and showing off their skills to keep in shape and to ultimately give back to the community.  The players don't get paid to come out and risk injury in these games and no endorsement deals are going to come from dunking on a nobody, but the essential concept of "Community" is in full effect.  Most of the times kids get a chance to witness their favorite player perform for free and with court side seats. 

The top 2 Summer Pro-Ams in the country (Drew League-LA, Goodman League-DC) will face off on Aug 20 in DC for bragging rights. 

Below are some videos from the Drew league and the NBA players that came out to show love...

Notable Players:
LeBron James-Heat
Kevin Durant-Thunder
Nick Young-Wiz

Derrick Williams-T-Wolves

John Wall-Wiz

Brandon Jennings-Bucks

Tyreke Evans-Kings

Bobby Brown-Euro League

Demar Derozan-Raptors

Durant at Drew League



LeBron at Drew League

Brandon Jennings at Drew League

Peace,

Agent34

These NBA Playoffs Are Mad!!

It appears that the 2011 NBA Playoffs are literally upside down. 
The conferences top teams are either at home fishing (Spurs) or on the ropes (Bulls). 

One of my newest guilty pleasures is the hit AMC show Mad Men starring John Hamm. 
Thanks to Netflix I have finally caught up through Season 4 and am currently awaiting the anticipated Season5. 

There are plenty of parallels that exist between the "Drama" of the NBA Playoffs and that of Mad Men. 
Here are the Top 10 quotes from the award winning show and how they translate to this years Playoffs...

1.) Joan: “But that’s life. One minute you’re on top of the world, the next minute some secretary’s running you over with a lawn mower.”
Someone should have told this to the Spurs before the playoffs started because its clear they didn't get the memo.  With the top seed in the Western Conference and arguably the best team throughout the regular season the Spurs were the toast of the town.  Thanks to Z-Bo and the Memphis Grizzlies the Spurs are currently home fishing. 

2.) Peter Campbell: "I love you. I'm giving up my life to be with you, aren't I?"
Says Lebron to the other Big 3...
He had the worst plummet in popularity rating in the history of basketball (if you look at how far he fell from) after he announced that he was taking his talents to south beach.   The Heat are looking good so far with a 1-0 lead over Boston in the conference semis.  Its safe to say LeBron has bet the house on this Big Three experiment and so far its looking promising. 

3.) Don Draper: “If you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation.”
Don Draper is the epitome of cool!!
The Hawks seem like they were tired of hearing all of the nay sayers criticize them about their match up with Orlando and last seasons playoff drubbing.  So what Joe Johnson and Co. do?  Took out Superman and his newly assembled team in 6 games.  Impressed yet...well how about a road win over the top seeded Bulls last night.  Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford are proving to be the winning recipe with both averaging 20ppg.

4.) Lane Price: "Am I to entertain your ballad of dissatisfaction, or has something actually happened? Because I am at work, dear."
Although this is a conversation Lane was having with his wife, I wonder if Knicks coach Mike D'antoni has had this with owner James Dolan yet.  After being swept out of the playoffs the NY Knicks are pointing fingers at the sidelines.  Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire are brushing off the coaching change, but its safe to say D'antoni has a stay of execution until mid way of next season. 

5.) Betty Draper “As far as I’m concerned, as long as men look at me that way, I’m earning my keep."
Disgruntled house wife Betty Draper is speaking to her husband Don trying to establish her worth.
CP3 must feel the same way after his Hornets shocked the Lakers in game 1...then went on to bow out in 6 games.  It is true at times he is by far the best point guard in the league, but his current team is not going anywhere anytime soon.  As long as he can put up a stat line like this 33pts, 14ast, 7asts teams will definitely keep looking in his direction.  Can you say 2012 Free Agent!

6.) Roger Sterling: "You know what my father used to say? 'Being with a client is like being in a marriage. Sometimes you get into it for the wrong reasons, and eventually they hit you in the face.'"

This goes out to the Portland Trailblazers who jumped in bed with Greg Oden and got screwed.  How hard must it be to watch Kevin Durant drop 30pts a night and then look down your bench and see a (bad) dressed Oden sulking. (FYI: Oden was drafted #1 overall, Durant #2)
Three years ago Portland was supposed to be the team of the future; now with Roy a shell of his former self and Oden injury prone it looks like the Blazers really got hit in the face. 

7.) Don: "Get out of here and move forward. This never happened. It will shock you how much it never happened."
Did you hear that Dwight Howard??  It never happened, and by it I mean the 1st round exit you just took by your little brother the Atlanta Hawks.  I'll keep this one quick..Run out of Orlando in the middle of the night, Demand a Trade, Recruit CP3, Go to LA/NY/ even BK with D-Will  anywhere just don't stay in Orlando.  Thanks.


8.) Greg Harris: "Joannie, I don’t want to have a fight right now."

    Joan Harris: "Then stop talking."
When couples fight its a lose, lose for both parties because they are in it together..Forever!
Although Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are not locked in holy matrimony they certainly are the cornerstone for the Thunder franchise.  Westbrook has got to understand that Durant is the STAR of STARS and that he needs to be Robin to Durants Batman. (Skip Bayless voice)  OKC needs the offense to run through Durant first then filter down to Westbrook. 

9.) Roger Sterling: "Remember Don. When God closes a door, he opens a dress."
Shout out to the Dallas Mavericks who beat the Los Angeles Lakers last night in game 1. 
Once Caron Butler went down with a season ending injury, most people wrote the Mavs off, I know I did. 
However, they have responded quite well, handling the tough Blazers team and showing some toughness along the way.  Corey Brewer played flawless defense last night and hit some timely shots to help crack the door to the Western Conference Finals.

10.) Lane Price "I feel like I just went to my own funeral. I didn’t like the eulogy."
Here lies the Pacers and the 76ers who both have promising young teams that just weren't ready to get over the hump.  Short and Sweet...better luck next year. 

Peace,
Agent34

Women are NBA Stars!

Have you ever noticed the parallels in life between Sports and Hip-Hop.  They go hand in hand, the budding superstar has to take down the seasoned veteran in order to gain respect in the league. 

Young Money recording artist Drake once rhymed "I could relate to kids going straight to the league/ when they recognise that you got what it takes to succeed /and that's around the time that your idols become your rivals/ you make friends with Mike but gotta AI him for your survival /damn, I swear sports and music are so synonymous/’cause we wanna be them and they wanna be us."

The same dialect applies to women and men.  Surely you have noticed that most women these days date like the typical man does.  You know; a team, a collection of people that all have different roles to play.  Whether it is the superstar who you want to marry, or the rising star that is too childish to take out in public but always delivers a great time. 

Women are NBA Stars! 

Don't believe me?  Just look at their bios compared to your favorite NBA stars....

1.) LeBron James

Introducing the queen of your castle!  She has all the right specs that you look for physically, and constantly performs at the highest level.  Although its been said she has commitment issues, she does seem to be very loyal to her friends. 

You want to wife her, but every time you put her on the big stage she does not perform at the level that you are used too.  Decisions, Decisions..they all come with consequences, hers seem to just lead to more questions. 




2.) Carmelo Anthony

This one has you puzzled!  She is the talk of the town, but is not consistent enough for you to anoint her as the 1.  Sure she just came on the scene, but she was supposed to shut the city down!  This one was supposed to make you whole. 

There a flashes of it, but nothing consistent, not like what was advertised.  You want her to have your back (defense) but she hasn't bought into the system yet.  Time will tell, she said wait until next year, but you want results now. 


3.) Kobe Bryant

The best there is out there.  You know that she is the one, but you are always looking for the next best younger thing. Don't you realize she has been performing at such a high level for so long.  Who else has done that? 

Sure, you may find a riper, more vibrant woman, but will she deliver in the clutch like this one?

Her attitude holds her back, because she knows that she is the sh&%!  Maybe its time you did too..



4.) Kevin Durant

Everybody wanted her on their team last year; and rightfully so, she almost won the MVP. 

She's young, 5'10 (more like 6'10 but that would be weird), incredible range and the humility that all parents appreciate.  How is she not the one? 

You wonder if the pressure of being Next will catch up to her, if it does you will have put all of your stock in one person.  You may have to live with the upside on this one and take a chance.







5.) Derrick Rose

This is no ordinary Rose..this is the real deal.  The true MVP of the league, that came up too fast.  She was the hometown hero that stayed home and is poised to deliver. 

You know her from way back when, but she was not this nice. 

As they said in the movie Life "Little Ms. Mary Rose don' grown up."

Can she be the one?  Its been a while since you've seen her.  Better make good on your second time around. 

Now you see?

Women are NBA Stars too.

Peace,
Agent34

Where's the L-O-V-E For Melo?

"More money more problems, gotta move Carefully"-Jay-Z Aint no Love (Heart of the City)

On this Valentines Day as many people confess their undying love to one another or celebrate the single life; I pose the question..Where is the LOVE for Melo?  Rapper Jay-Z states in his 2000 classic that as your bank account grows the more careful you need to be....like having a $65 million dollar contract waiting on you to sign.  Enter the plight of Carmelo Anthony.

There are only 10 days remaining until the trade deadline, which seems like an eternity in the Melo-drama that is surrounding the Denver Nuggets star.  He has reportedly been traded to New Jersey, Houston, New York, and even the Los Angeles Lakers.  So why has nobody dived head in on one of the top 5 players in the league?

The Knicks want him, but are they willing to gut their roster to get him?  The Lakers seem to be content on sticking it out with Andrew Bynum, although I'm not sure they wont regret that later.  Bynum provides plenty of upside, but he's had upside for 5 seasons now.  Carmelo is a sure thing!  While I too do not want Pao Gasol as my only wall between the rim and defenders, Melo is a pure scorer.  He can free up Bryant even more, and they will have a superstar in the wings when Kobe exits.  Good plan?  I don't know but Melo is still playing wondering when his break will come. 

The constant flirtation by teams has got to be taking a toll on him and his family.  He was just married last summer, but he has to feel like a contestant on the Bachelorette waiting to be chosen.  I feel you Melo, there are a lot of us out here waiting to be chosen.  With only this season remaining on his deal Carmelo holds the final card; the Big Joker if you will, and when you are single and ready to mingle that's a beautiful thing. 

Happy Valentines Day!

-Agent34

Race Relations in the NBA (MLK Edition)

Does Racism exist in the NBA?

Some would argue that out of all the perfessional sports, the NBA is the most racist free of them all. 

Think about it.  Most of the more popular players in the NBA are African American and  roughly 77% of the players are black.  So is it safe to say African Americans are well represented in the league?

A closer look will tell you than in most sports; the race that is most dominant on the field/court also has the higher pressence in the front office...but not in the NBA. 

Michael Jordan stands alone as the only African American majority owner in the NBA. 
Being an owner takes a large amount of capital but a deeper look shows even more variances.

There are only 4 African American presidents in the NBA and people of color only hold 21 % of team senior administrative positions. 

I am worried that the people who bring the fans into the stands, sell jerseys, sign autographs and make organizations rich have little to no say on how the NBA is ran. 

At the annual 2010 Racial and Gender Summit the NBA recieved an (A) for their efforts in being one of the most diverse in mens pro sports in America.  One has to take in consideration that an (A) comes from the fact that other sports are even worse than the NBA and noting how far (loosely use) we have come since the birth of the league. 

Comissioner David Stern has consisitenly set the bar on hiring practices and pushed the envelope for other sports to follow, but is it enough? 

Point blank and simple RACISM exists in the NBA, maybe not on the surface but its there. 

The league is well represented on the court, even on the coaching sidelines but not in the front office nor in ownership.  There should be more representation from a person of color in those positions, to settle for 36% is to say that not even half is ok. 

On this MLK day remember that a dream was realized by thought provoking conversations that sometimes were racey, and tough to swallow but packed with truth and justice. 

Some such conversations need to be continued even in the NBA.

-Agent34