Glenn? You wait three months to write a new column and the best you can come up with is another NBA column?!?!? In list form!!!! And there aren't even any new music suggestions? You really are as lazy as everyone says. I don't even know why I keep you around as a friend.
There. Hold your emails, I have saved you the trouble. But to make it up to my loyal, dwindling readership, I promise to write five columns this week. And if you believe that, Jeff has a house he wants to sell you.
WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT THE NBA THIS SEASON
1) The NBA is back - The product is better than it has been in years. Scoring is way up and a new generation of young stars (Lebron, Wade, Amare) is providing the league with a jolt. And, fingers crossed, no player has gone on trial for rape or murder yet this year.
1-5-05 - New Year, Same Debauchery
12-1-04 - Behind the Curtain: Poker
11-17-04 - November Thoughts
11-11-04 - Lingerie Ball Recap
10-31-04 - NBA West Preview
10-27-04 - NBA East Preview
10-5-04 - The Fantabulous Houston Astros
Archives
1) Hello, is this Thing On?- !!!
2) Portland, Oregon- Loretta Lynn & Jack White
3) Misfit - Elefant
4) All These Things I've Done- The Killers
5) If You Leave - Nada Surf
6) Worn Me Down - Rachael Yamagata
7) The Unicorns:2014 - The Unicorns
8) Modeling Sucks - Handsome Boy School of Modeling
9) Without MSG, I'm Nothing - Mclusky
10) Jolene - The White Stripes
3) The Sonics and the Timberwolves - I don't think that anyone predicted that the Sonics would be up ten games on Minnesota at the All-Star break. Even after it has happenned, Seattle fans are still expecting to wake up any day now. What is most shocking is that both teams are heading in opposite directions with their rosters intact and without an easy answer as to why this year is different. Look at the other teams who have had a dramatic change of fortune. The Nets and Lakers are losing? Kenyon and Shaq are gone. The Jazz have struggled? Injuries and chemistry issues. Washington and Phoenix are winning? Jamison and Nash have come to town. You can explain away some of Minnesota's problems with the ego issues of Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell, but what got into the water in Seattle? Danny Fortson? You have got to be kidding me.
4) Why I hate the Nets - Jason Kidd beat his wife and no one cares. Instead he gets commercial opportunities and is held up as a role model. Vince Carter admitted to tanking games in Toronto and even telling the other team the play that the Raptors were going to run at the end of games. Now that he is averaging 25, 5, and 5 again, everyone is writing about his "rejuvenation". Sickening.
5) Why I love the Bulls - They started 0-9 but have gone 42-23 since. Seven of their eight rotation players are under 25. They have been winning with defense, hustle, and selflessness. Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler are proving that you can't write a player's obituary at age 21. Chicago is looking a lot like Miami did at the end of the year last year...they are just starting to get it. There is no reason that they can't win a playoff series.
6) High school players are NOT ruining the NBA - McGrady...LeBron...Amare...Kobe... Jermaine O'Neal...Garnett...it is hard to argue that all aren't among the top dozen players in the league. Chandler and Curry are sparking the Bulls rise, same with Rashard Lewis in Seattle. Six (Dwight Howard, Shaun Livingston, J.R. Smith, Josh Smith, Sebastian Telfair, and Al Jefferson) of the eight high school players drafted this past year are already valuable contributors for their teams. Sure there have been busts, but plenty of college seniors flame out too. Players entering the NBA straight out of high school may be negatively affecting the college game, but they are not hurting the NBA.
7) Mavs and Kings Basketball - Neither team has won a championship, but every casual NBA fan owes them a debt of gratitude. They proved that you can win in today's NBA playing an uptempo brand of basketball...a lesson not lost on the Suns, Sonics, and Wizards. Thankfully, the games are finally becoming high scoring and entertaining again.
8) Karl Malone retired without a championship - There is a god.
9) The Rockets are... - A sleeper to do some damage in the Western Conference playoffs? Lottery bound? A surprisingly entertaining team? A poorly conceived collection of talent? Seventy five games into the season, and I still don't have a clue.
10) The 2003 NBA Draft class could be the best since 1984 - 1984 had Jordan, Olajuwon, Barkley, and Stockton. Lebron, Wade, Anthony, Bosh, and Hinrich aren't there yet, but it is easy to see their potential. James and Wade are already among the league's top tier, and Anthony and Hinrich are leading amazing turnarounds for their respective teams. And if you want your friends to think you are smart, start talking up Chris Bosh. He is about eight months away from a round of stories touting him as the most versatile big man since Kevin Garnett. He is going to be a stud...just hopefully he can find his way out of Toronto.
11) Allen Iverson is a stud - Before I start this, let me give you a bit of background. I actually wrote this column yesterday. I was so proud of myself for actually completing a column, that I immediately started another one. That would have worked out swimmingly, except I accidentally saved over this column. That frustrated me, so I quit. Anyways, in the 24 hours since I deleted the original version of this column, Bill Simmons posted a new column that says basically the exact same thing about AI that I wrote yesterday. And since I don't want to look like I'm copying off of him any more than I already do, just go read what he wrote about Iverson. I originally posted the same thing, minus the Stephen A. reference.
12) A early guess at next year's sleeper team - Don't sleep on Golden State. They were sputtering along at 16-38 and then...well, Chris Mullin actually did something right. Speedy Claxton and Dale Davis for Baron Davis? Did the Hornets GM drink a few too many hurricanes at Mardi Gras? For Mullin, that is like going to bed with Janeane Garafolo and waking up next to Naomi Watts. A very injury-prone Naomi Watts, but still... Since the trade, the Warriors are 14-7. All of a sudden, Jason Richardson and Troy Murphy are starting to live up to their contracts. Mike Dunleavy is looking a lot better as a fourth option than he did as a franchise savior. I'm sure their management will find some way to screw it up, but they look like they actuallyhave some hope.
13) And the Award goes to -
Coach of the Year - Scott Skiles, Chicago Bulls. Keeping a team together when they start 0-9 is hard...it is all the more difficult when they are this inexperienced. Teaching this team how to win is one of the more impressive coaching jobs in years. There are many excellent candidates this year. Runners-up: Eddie Jordan, Washington Wizards; Nate McMillan, Seattle Supersonics; George Karl, Denver Nuggets.
Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year - Ben Gordon, Chicago Bulls. Gordon has been clutch all season. He is not as far away from the Dwyane Wade level of star as many think. If nothing else, he is the new Vinnie Johnson. ROY Runners-up: Emeka Okafor, Charlotte Bobcats; Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic; Andre Igoudala, Philadelphia 76ers. 6th Man: Jerry Stackhouse, Dallas Mavericks; Ricky Davis, Boston Celtics; Dontell Marshall, Toronto Raptors.
Most Improved Player - Bobby Simmons, Los Angeles Clippers. Where did this guy come from? He wasn't even very good when he was in college at Depaul. His season is the equivalent of an actor graduating from starring in Booty Call to winning the Best Actor Oscar. Wait...that happened? Runners-up: Ricky Davis, Boston Celtics; Tyson Chandler, Chicago Bulls; Luke Ridnour, Seattle Supersoniocs.
Most Valuable Player - Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers. His team is Atlanta Hawk bad without him. A warrior, everything a player should be. Runners-up: Shaquille O'Neal, Miami Heat; Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks; Lebron James, Cleveland Cavaliers.
