NBA Basketball Sucks
Since I was a kid, I have been a Sacramento Kings fan. I loved the Kings back in the old days, when they were a terrible basketball team. When their big stars were Mitch Richmond and Olden Polyniece. Back beforet the Maloofs, Rick Adelman, and Chris Webber put Sacramento on the map as a city that has a successful sports team.
Of course, I loved the Kings even more when they were playing the best and most exciting brand of basketball found anywhere. Bibby, Christie, Webber, Vlade, and Peja running it up and down the court, putting up 100+ points every night, and everyone on the team (ESPECIALLY the big guys) were capable of distributing the ball and putting their teammates in a position to do something exciting. While they had the misfortune of being a great team at the same time as the Lakers (Shaq in his prime was the most dominant player ever, hands down...and Kobe was like a poor man's Jordan. The two together were virtually unbeatable), they provided a lot of excitement and drama, and were genuinely fun to watch.
The new Kings...well, they look like they are capable of making the playoffs. Probably. If they do so, they'll do it the same way that most teams do it...dribble, dribble, pass, dribble, shoot, rebound, shoot, etc. Ho hum.
Right now, there is really very little going on in NBA basketball that is worth anyone's attention, and absolutely none of it is happening in Sacramento. With their drunk driving head coach, their talented but lazy point guard, and their thug-life wanna be rapper star, the Kings have become pedestrian at best.
There are only a few things worth paying any attention to in the NBA, and here they are:
(1) Mark Cuban and his Mavs. I am quickly becoming a Mavs fan. Cuban is like the Billy Beane of basketball, except he has an enormous amount of money to work with. He is turning conventional wisdom on its head, and winning. Giving Avery Johnson a shot at coaching the team was brilliant. Nobody but Cuban would have done that. Cuban commissioned a study at the University of Texas to determine how the new, synthetic ball differs from the old, leather ball. He did this in part to get his team ready for the changes, but also in part to provide hard, scientific evidence that David Stern is a moron. (As opposed to the mountain of anecdotal evidence he already had). No championships for Cuban yet (he ran into the same wall that my old Kings did...Shaq Diesel is unbeatable when he is in decent shape and cares enough to play...but he is not likely to fit either of those categories this year)...but I'm hoping like hell that the Mavs dominate basketball for the next 5 years, and David Stern has to hand Mark Cuban a few trophies. Right now, Cuban is the only thing keeping Stern's weak ass excuse for a league alive.
(2) LeBron James. He is the chosen one. James may go down as the greatest baller of all time, and we are witnessing history. This kid is an absolute freak. More importantly, he seems to understand his place in basketball history, and he is dedicated to playing the role. (Unlike some others...ahem, Tracy McGrady...who had dominant physical skills but no heart whatsoever). I also love the fact that he is playing in his hometown, and his hometown is Cleveland, of all places. He may not stay in Cleveland for the rest of his career (I think LeBron will be a Knick before all is said and done...the Nets are another possibility), but he's their golden boy for the time being, and there's nothing not to like about it.
(3) The resurging Chicago Bulls. Why doesn't Heinrich get the credit he deserves? He is one of the best scorers in the NBA right now. He has been doing nothing but dominating and winning since his days at Kansas. Now, he finally has some help in Chicago...mostly young superstars, and now Ben Wallace to guard the hoop...and Chicago looks like they are ready to challenge for a title. Ben Wallace will get all of the pub, and he is the one who brought this young team over the hump, no question...but don't overlook Heinrich. He's the NBA's best kept secret right now.
(4) The resurging Lakers. Watch out for Andrew Bynum. The kid is good, and he is learning faster than expected. We have seen before what Kobe can do when he has a dominating presence in the post on his team. I'm looking forward to a Kobe vs. LeBron finals. Coming your way in the next two to four years. Bank on it.
So, that's about it. I'll watch the Cavs, Mavs, and Bulls this year. Maybe catch a Kings game or two so I can shake my head in disgust. Probably watch the Kings lose to the Lakers when those games happen. Otherwise, who cares? David Stern and his old-man rules have turned what was once an exciting, innovative league into a snooze fest.
Pro sports in general have been dropping the ball lately (only baseball has been worth watching, but with the caveat that half of what you are seeing is chemically enhanced), but none worse than the NBA. Mark Cuban recently posted on his blog (which is amazing, by the way...I would encourage you all to check it out... www.blogmaverick.com ) that European basketball leagues are currently using the NBA to gain publicity, which will bring in money, which will allow them to retain their best players, which in turn will allow them to create a league that doesn't just complement the NBA, but competes with it. I tend to agree. The best basketball in the world isn't being played in the U.S. anymore, and the NBA has gotten complacent. It isn't about the fans anymore for the NBA. If the NBA doesn't start respecting its fans, someone else will.
Of course, I loved the Kings even more when they were playing the best and most exciting brand of basketball found anywhere. Bibby, Christie, Webber, Vlade, and Peja running it up and down the court, putting up 100+ points every night, and everyone on the team (ESPECIALLY the big guys) were capable of distributing the ball and putting their teammates in a position to do something exciting. While they had the misfortune of being a great team at the same time as the Lakers (Shaq in his prime was the most dominant player ever, hands down...and Kobe was like a poor man's Jordan. The two together were virtually unbeatable), they provided a lot of excitement and drama, and were genuinely fun to watch.
The new Kings...well, they look like they are capable of making the playoffs. Probably. If they do so, they'll do it the same way that most teams do it...dribble, dribble, pass, dribble, shoot, rebound, shoot, etc. Ho hum.
Right now, there is really very little going on in NBA basketball that is worth anyone's attention, and absolutely none of it is happening in Sacramento. With their drunk driving head coach, their talented but lazy point guard, and their thug-life wanna be rapper star, the Kings have become pedestrian at best.
There are only a few things worth paying any attention to in the NBA, and here they are:
(1) Mark Cuban and his Mavs. I am quickly becoming a Mavs fan. Cuban is like the Billy Beane of basketball, except he has an enormous amount of money to work with. He is turning conventional wisdom on its head, and winning. Giving Avery Johnson a shot at coaching the team was brilliant. Nobody but Cuban would have done that. Cuban commissioned a study at the University of Texas to determine how the new, synthetic ball differs from the old, leather ball. He did this in part to get his team ready for the changes, but also in part to provide hard, scientific evidence that David Stern is a moron. (As opposed to the mountain of anecdotal evidence he already had). No championships for Cuban yet (he ran into the same wall that my old Kings did...Shaq Diesel is unbeatable when he is in decent shape and cares enough to play...but he is not likely to fit either of those categories this year)...but I'm hoping like hell that the Mavs dominate basketball for the next 5 years, and David Stern has to hand Mark Cuban a few trophies. Right now, Cuban is the only thing keeping Stern's weak ass excuse for a league alive.
(2) LeBron James. He is the chosen one. James may go down as the greatest baller of all time, and we are witnessing history. This kid is an absolute freak. More importantly, he seems to understand his place in basketball history, and he is dedicated to playing the role. (Unlike some others...ahem, Tracy McGrady...who had dominant physical skills but no heart whatsoever). I also love the fact that he is playing in his hometown, and his hometown is Cleveland, of all places. He may not stay in Cleveland for the rest of his career (I think LeBron will be a Knick before all is said and done...the Nets are another possibility), but he's their golden boy for the time being, and there's nothing not to like about it.
(3) The resurging Chicago Bulls. Why doesn't Heinrich get the credit he deserves? He is one of the best scorers in the NBA right now. He has been doing nothing but dominating and winning since his days at Kansas. Now, he finally has some help in Chicago...mostly young superstars, and now Ben Wallace to guard the hoop...and Chicago looks like they are ready to challenge for a title. Ben Wallace will get all of the pub, and he is the one who brought this young team over the hump, no question...but don't overlook Heinrich. He's the NBA's best kept secret right now.
(4) The resurging Lakers. Watch out for Andrew Bynum. The kid is good, and he is learning faster than expected. We have seen before what Kobe can do when he has a dominating presence in the post on his team. I'm looking forward to a Kobe vs. LeBron finals. Coming your way in the next two to four years. Bank on it.
So, that's about it. I'll watch the Cavs, Mavs, and Bulls this year. Maybe catch a Kings game or two so I can shake my head in disgust. Probably watch the Kings lose to the Lakers when those games happen. Otherwise, who cares? David Stern and his old-man rules have turned what was once an exciting, innovative league into a snooze fest.
Pro sports in general have been dropping the ball lately (only baseball has been worth watching, but with the caveat that half of what you are seeing is chemically enhanced), but none worse than the NBA. Mark Cuban recently posted on his blog (which is amazing, by the way...I would encourage you all to check it out... www.blogmaverick.com ) that European basketball leagues are currently using the NBA to gain publicity, which will bring in money, which will allow them to retain their best players, which in turn will allow them to create a league that doesn't just complement the NBA, but competes with it. I tend to agree. The best basketball in the world isn't being played in the U.S. anymore, and the NBA has gotten complacent. It isn't about the fans anymore for the NBA. If the NBA doesn't start respecting its fans, someone else will.
posted by AdmiralLando at 8:40 AM
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