CP3 and LeBron: Mirror Images?

Its no secret that Chris Paul and LeBron James are close friends, its just a fact.  They partnered up in the off season to help lead the USA to gold and they also support one anothers charities every year.  According to CP3 they are like "brothers" and one can certainly see how that bond has grown over the years of competing with and against one another. 

What people do not speak of often is how their careers are intertwined together.  Everyone knows how LeBrons exodus out of Cleveland went and CP3 publicly demanded a trade and was eventually dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers.  Those exits, while different, all lead up to this season as mirror images of one another in terms of pressure to win, and win now. 

Flashback to the off season of 2009 when the Cavs traded for Shaquille O'neal and paired him with a hungry LeBron and the Cavs roster was stacked.  Fast forward to today and the Clippers have one of the deepest and dangerous rosters in the league.  Here's a reminder.. CP3, Griffin, D. Jordan, Jamaal Crawford (via free agency), Grant Hill (via free agency), Eric Bledsoe, Chauncey Billups, Matt Barnes (via free agency), Lamar Odom (sign/trade), Caron Butler, Ronnie Turiaf (via free agency)

With a who's-who roster CP3 now will have the burden of winning in a contract year..just like LeBron had.  The problem is it did not work out for the Cavs and I have to say it might not work out for the Clippers.  Paul is playing with a full deck of cards, by far the deepest team he has ever been on (on paper) and the pressure he will face this season will be more internal than ever before.  The organization has locked up Griffin and would like to have Paul in tow as well, but he will become an un-restricted free agent next summer.  If the Clippers struggle and do not at least make it to the Western Finals (that means beating out one of these guys Lakers, Thunder, Spurs, Grizz) then I could see CP3 bolting for another contender. 

Like LeBron in 09 Paul is the best player on his team and outside of Griffin is surrounded by good (seasoned/old) role players.  Paul (like LeBron) publicized his desire to play with "friends" Carmelo and Amare in New York and I would not rule out a trade or exodus in the off season.  I don't see this working out well for the Clippers and it could be the end of CP3 in LA..at least in a Clippers uniform.  *Hint Hint*

Peace,

Agent34

From Overrated to Underrated!

I remember when Kevin Love was 1st drafted into the league and all of the scouts marveled about his outlet pass.

Outlet Pass??

That has to be the only time in history that someone would be scouted based on their outlet pass. Now, to be fair Love was a phenomenal rebounder in college pulling down over 10rpg, but his stock was not that high.

Both of these factors led me to believe that he was overrated and would not have a role in the NBA. During his first 2 years in Minnesota Love did most of his damage in the paint and under the rim. Last year Love came into the league 10 pounds lighter and armed with a new weapon..his 3pt shot. Quickly, his scoring avg increased and surprisingly so did his rebounding totals, which led to his first all star selection. At the time I thought that Lamarcus Aldridge was more deserving of the nod, seeing how their numbers were similar and the Blazers were playoff bound.

This year Love has been amazing leading the Wolves out of the Western Conference dungeon and into playoff contention. He earned his second All-Star selection while increasing his scoring average to 26 a game while shooting 38% from the 3 point line. He hit a game winner against the Los Angeles Clippers while outplaying another young superstar in Blake Griffin.

Kevin Love has now become the new Larry Bird. No really, he has. He's of similar height as Larry and shoots the ball just as effective...well almost. Lets be honest, outside of Dirk there are no other white players that dominate the NBA, and Love also lacks the athletic ability the same way Larry Legend did but still finds ways to dominate. Last week Love scored 51 pts and pulled down 14 rbs only to follow that incredible performance up with 30pts and 21rbs.

I was so caught up in the Kevin Love hype (and Ricky Rubio) I chose to play with the Timberwolves in an NBA2K12 tournament. Virtually Kevin Love is underrated and in some ways he still is in real life. His rating is a modest 86 and it can be very difficult to score with him due to his lack of size and athleticism as a power forward. However, once I started using him as a pure scorer and not just a back to the basket power forward I started to score with ease using him.

It seems that Kevin is now starting to get the "Love" he deserves as a player on both the NBA hardwood and the virtual world.

I now too have Love for Love.

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

2010-2011 NBA Power Rankings (Pre-Season)

1.)  Who else deserves the #1 Ranking?  Phil Jackson looks to go for a record 3rd 3 peat, and Kobe should primed to match MJ's ring count at 6.  New additions of Steve Blake and Matt Barnes wont hurt but Bynum must be healthy.

2.) The C's are loaded!  How many teams have a second unit that can possibly beat your 1st team?  Shaq is in Gang Green and should be a force in a limited role.  They figured it out late last year, I wouldn't be surprised if they make a deep playoff run again.

3.) The new big 3 have only logged in 3 minutes of action this pre-season.  With Wade sidelined until the opener, they are not deserving of a #1 or #2 spot.  However, once we get to see 3 future Hall of Farmer's on the court at the same time, all in their prime..well then we will
                    reevaluate. 

4.) Compared to other teams Disneyland had a pretty quiet offseason.  Duhon is the new backup point guard and JJ Reddick will push Vince Carter for minutes but everything else is the same. 

5.) I don't know why but I like the Mavs.  They made some positive pickups in the offseason in Chandler, and Beaubois should provide a spark each night. Dirk has to be Dirk almost every night though, but they have the pieces.

6.) Kevin Durant is the trendy pick this year to win the MVP.  Is he ready?  He looked ready in the summer helping the USA to a gold in the Worlds.  His teammates outside of Westbrook and Harden look shaky.  The Lakers wont take them lightly again -- see Denver 2 seasons ago.

7.) Chicago missed out on the Big free agents but they settled for Carlos Boozer.  He is a double double waiting to happen and should pair up good with Noah on the boards.  Just cant help but think about Boozer, Melo and Rose on the same team.  Hmm...

8.) The Jazz acquired Al Jefferson who was a beast in Minnesota to replace Carlos Boozer.  Can he do that on a winning team?  I think he can, and the Jazz should hover around the 5th seed in the West.  They will be no easy pushover come playoff time.

9.) The Spurs are missing something, and that something may be the talented center Splitter who they selected to pair up with Duncan.  Coach Pop vows to insert the running game this year, makes since to get some easy buckets. 

10.) Jennings and company put a 1st round scare in the Hawks without center Andrew Bogut.  That was a favorable match up for them, and I don't expect them to win a series this year or their division.  Teams will be ready for the Deer. 

11.) Is this the year that Greg Oden stays healthy the entire season?  If Oden can stay on the court then they will be trouble.  Rudy Fernandez wants out, but you cant tell when hes on the floor, as he looks like a 6th man of the year shoe-in so far this preseason.  Oh yeah and Brandon Roy is still there. 

12.)  They played so hard down the stretch last year without Yao, imagine how dangerous they will be with him.  They lack perimeter defense with Kevin Martin at the 2, but Courtney Lee and rookie Patrick Patterson should make immediate impacts. 

13.) The Suns will take a step back this year in my opinion.  Sure they have Nash and a happy go lucky offense but Hakim Warrick is no Amare.  Good to see Hedo back on a team with a shot, but they will fall short of the playoffs in the competitive Western Conference.

14.) If Mel were actually going to be in Denver the whole season then they would be ranked higher.  C'mon he is in a NY state of mind and they need to pull the trigger on this trade sooner than later if they want to have a chance at the post season.

15.) Amare looks like the man for the Knicks and rightfully so..but I want Melo in NY!  Nuff said..

16.) The Hawks have made no significant upgrades this offseason so they should be satisfied with making the playoffs and bowing out in the second round...again.  (Yes I'm upset and I live in ATL)

17.) I really like their young nucleus of talent in Mayo, Gay and Thabeet.  Z-Bo is a monster and if Thabeet can figure it out on the fly this year then they will be a threat out West.  I like them to make an OKC type run this year.

18.) The Elton Brand signing 2 summers ago never made any sense, and it still doesn't today.  Too many athletes built around and old classic .  This team lack identity but they do have some talent in AI2, Holiday and Turner.

 

19.) The Bobcats signed Shaun Livingston and Kwame Brown and lost their starting point guard in Raymond Felton.  They will not make the playoffs and Brown will likely ride into the sunset either mid-season or at the end. 

20.) Can you blame CP3 for wanting to leave N.O?  They brought in Ariza but I'm not sure that will be enough.  After Melo jumps to NY then New Orleans will have a troubled star on their hands. 

21.) They have loads of young talent in Wall, Blatche and McGee.  Once you factor in the unknowns of Josh Howard, and of course Gilbert Arenas you have either a sleeper team or a combustible one. 

22.) The Clippers should be ready to make a run at the playoffs with Blake Griffin looking every bit like the ROY.  I expect them to lose a lot of close games, but they will play hard each night.

23.) Golden State has a solid nucleus of talent in Curry, Lee, and Ellis.  However, gone are the other good talents such as Randolph, and Morrow.  They wont make the playoffs but will be fun to watch.

24.)  I really like this team, and I will be personally pulling for them all season.  Tyreke Evans is a stud (Charles Barkley voice) and Cousins will be a force down low..add in their other reserves and you have a decent bunch that will compete every night.

25.) The Pacers are still in my opinion 1 year away from breaking through.  There are only 8 playoff spots (Technically only 4-Mia/Bos/Orl/Chi) and I don't see the Pacers grabbing any of those.

26.) Who is more dissapointed the players or the fans?  Byron Scott will make them competitive but thats about it. 

27.) Michael Beasley gets a fresh start in Minnesota and he looked sharp in the pre-season.  Sadly, the Wolves lost 20/10 Al Jefferson and that is a tough void to fill. 

28.)  Canada, Oh Canada!  No Bosh = No playoffs! 

 

 

 

29.)  They have no true identity..think about it?  A handful of players with no legitimate go to guy in the clutch.  Trade assets galore though, Joey D has got to make a splash in the Big D.

30.) The Nets have got to prove to the world that they are better.  If you think about it they have only added a 19 yr old unproven rookie -- Derrick Favors.  Lottery bound.

You will forgive LeBron by Game #...?

After the fallout of the "Decision" a lot of people jumped off the LeBron Express and felt betrayed by his actions to bolt for South Beach. 

We as students of the game always can find some way to move past the personal decisions of players and just focus on the game while other fans can not.  So, how long before people jump back on the Heat bandwagon and start claiming LeBron the best ever..again? 

Lets take a look at some of the upcoming games that the Heat have and see the timeline for LeBrons return to Worldwide Fame. 

1.) Heat -vs- Pistons Tues Oct 5th
This is the first glimpse of the new look Heat with LeBron, Wade, and Bosh all on center court in exhibition   After a no look alley oop from Wade to LeBron could the masses truly forgive him on Day 1?  Too soon?  Ok lets move forward.

2.) Heat-vs- Celtics Tues Oct 26
In the first regular season game the new Big 3 takes on the old Big 3 (literally) plus some new additions in former teammate of Wade and Lebron; Shaquille Oneal.  After the Heat dismantle the Celtics in the first game of the regular season ESPN will praise the Heat as Championship Contenders.  Will people love him now?

3.) Heat -vs- Magic Fri Oct 29
Superman and company will welcome the Heat to Orlando in this division showdown.  Will Dwight have a field day on the opposing Heat big men, or will LeBron be motivated to go for 50 since Dwight Howard thinks Kevin Durant is a better player than him?  After only a week into the season most fans should be getting the itch to root for King James again. 

4.) Heat -vs- Cavaliers Thurs Dec 2nd
Hopefully LeBron takes out an ad in the Cleveland Plain Dealer personally thanking the fans for their support over his 7 yr career with the Cavs.  If not LeBron could lose some ground as he takes on his old team that he left behind for South Beach.  He will want to play good, but not too good to embarrass the franchise that he was supposed to lead to a title. 

5.) Heat -vs- Lakers Sat Dec 25th
The match up that we will have all been waiting to see thus far is here.  Heat/Lakers on Christmas Day!  If King James and company can dismantle the Lakers (like his Cavs did last year) then EVERYONE (and I mean everyone outside of La La Land) will crown the Heat.  If the Lakers lose they will bounce back, but from a PR standpoint this is a must win for LeBron James and the Heat. 

Peace,
Agent34

Say It Aint So Joe!

"We could care less if [the fans] showed up or not."

Atlanta Hawks Guard-Joe Johnson

Those were the words spoken after a disappointing home loss to the Orlando Magic in Game 3. Superstar guard Joe Johnson struggled mightily during the series vs the Magic shooting 29% and only avg 12 pts a game. He was also booed on Monday night in their season ending game against the Magic. This is my plea to the fans of Atlanta

Dear ATL Fans,

Please swallow your pride and forgive Joe Johnson for his remarks. He is one of the hardest working and most talented players in the league. I know his lack of emotion at times gives off the perception of not trying hard, but everyone is wired differently. Atlanta has the pleasure of being his first choice this summer (unrestricted free agent), but booing the only star player since Dominique Wilkins is not exactly rolling out the red carpet for him to re-sign. Did you see Cleveland booing LeBron when he went 2-11 in a pivotal Game 5 loss? No! Athletes today have the disadvantage of facing the scrutiny of the media immediately after a game. Sometimes players do not express their views in the most politically correct way, but Joe is a good guy. No late night partying, No Arrests, No domestic abuse...all he needs is a fan base that will back him through the good and the bad. The Hawks won 53 games this year, how many do you see them winning with him gone? Winning and losing is a team effort , and although I do understand that the burden usually rests solely on the shoulders of the star, there will be learning curves for every team. Sure the Hawks have been swept out of the semi-finals the last two seasons but they are still a legit center away from being great. Some of the key ingredients may be changed this summer but if the main dish is not served then the entree will not taste right. Think about it.

Peace ,
Agent 34

2010 NBA AllStar Uniforms

Whar do you think about the new uniforms for the All Star Game?  They remind me of the commercial with "All-Day" Adrian Peterson wearing the Nike Armour.  Here aer some pics of both the East and Western Conference Uni's. 

SIXERS-ALLEN IVERSON

MAGIC'S-DWIGHT HOWARD

LAKERS-KOBE BRYANT

NUGGETS-CARMELO ANTHONY











Both jerseys are nice, but I still miss the days when each player wore their own jersey and you couldn't tell who was on what team at times.  Can't wait to see how it goes in Dallas.

Peace,
Agent34

NBA 2K10 Tournament

Some of my closest friends and I held a NBA 2K10 Basketball Tournament on the Playstation 3 console. I warned them that any such tournament would end with me being victorious. Check out the pictures and see who won.

PLAYERS/TEAMS

1. Sly-Up tempo player that loves to go one-on-one with Carmelo Anthony, loves to block shots with Birdman and will nail the walk up 3 with Billups.

2. Justin (Me) -Run and Gun is the name of my game, I believe in the Suns philosophy of 7 seconds or less. Love the 3 Ball, and will lock up on the wing.

3. Marc -This guy plays just like Tim Duncan! He slows the game down and takes high percentage shots with Duncan, and goes in for dunks with Jefferson.

4. DC-He will either blow you out, or get blown out. The C's will trap you to death and he makes sure to turn those turnovers into points.

5. Mike -Emotional player that relies heavily on Rudy Gay. As Rudy goes so does Mike, which wasn't that far.

6. Ewane-Not the most skilled player but he uses the Hawks well and can get more out of Joe Johnson than Coach Mike Woodson can.

TOURNAMENT RECAP

The tournament consisted of a round robin in which each player played everyone once and then the top 4 seeds were placed into a Final Four...

Marc and Sly competing to get into the Final Four...

Final Four is set

Sly and I duke it out for the Championship...


If there was any doubt about my skills on the sticks, I put them to rest...

The evidence of the Blowout

"If you think you're nice Challenge Him!" -Charlie Murphy (Chappelle Show)

I think he was talking about me. Lol

Peace,

Agent 34