A Possible Remedy to the Injustice of the All-Star Game

Every year after the All-Star starters are announced people start talking 'he got snubbed'. Well, I think it is pretty obvious where the injustices lie in the All-Star starting lineup so I won't go into that because you all have read 100 articles on the subject. That number will double once the entire roster comes out. With all of this talk, I started thinking of a solution to this problem.

Jeff Van Gundy said today on ABC that the All-Star game is too important to these players to leave the starters solely in the hands of the fans. While some of us intelligent fans may take offense to that, we have to stop and realize that our level of NBA intellect does not accurately represent the average fan iq. As we know, the masses are guided by noteriety. Basically, what is being said in the mainstream media about a particular player will influence their vote. To a much more superficial extent, reputation is one of the biggest guiding factors in voters' minds (*cough* AI *cough*). Yes, I understand the All-Star Game is for the fans so the fans should have a say in who they watch. It is good marketing without a doubt.

We have all heard about the expansion of the All-Star roster to 17. I can support that, but it seems a little contradictory to only allow 15 on a standard NBA roster, but all of a sudden up that number to 17. I do see room for the argument to work though.

My proposal is a bit different than the 'Roster-Expansion Argument'. My proposal is to release the names of the coaches and media members who vote for the rest of the All-Star team. The coaches should have a vote independent of anyone else, but the vote from the media should be influenced by public opinion. In other words, it could be similar to the electoral college for the presidential election. Each media member with a vote is assigned a region of voters, similar to how congressional districts are drawn up. The votes for All-Stars come in, and they gather that information to help guide their votes. Of course, the members of the media could just completely ignore what the general vote is, and vote his or her own way regardless due to the lack of incentive to be faithful on the part of the media member (it's not like they have to run for re-election). My answer to that could be the vote for the All-Stars could be split. 50% for the member of the media (who has been guided by the public vote), and 50% the fans vote. So here is how my theory would work.

'Sports journalist X' is responsible for 'Region X'

'Sports journalist Y' is responsible for 'Region Y'

Sports journalist X's ballot looks like this: Starters: East: Lebron, Wade, AI, Dwight Howard, KG
West: Kobe, Tim Duncan, Amare CP3, Yao (all of this is combined for 50% of the vote)

Region X reports: East, Lebron, Wade, Jameer Nelson, Dwight Howard, KG
West: Kobe, Dirk Nowitski, Amare, Deron Williams, Yao (50% of the vote for Region X)

Sports Journalist Y: East: Lebron, Wade, Jameer Nelson, KG, Dwight Howard
West: Kobe, Tim Duncan, Shaq, CP3, Amare

Region Y: East: Lebron, Wade, AI, Dwight Howard, KG
West: Kobe, Tim Duncan, Amare, CP3, Yao

We can expect that there will be few differences in the votes. For example, Lebron, Wade, Kobe, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, and Chris Paul will pretty much be unianimous, barring something drastic, every year. So since Lebron, Wade, Dwight Howard, and KG show up in everyone's East ballot, they are obviously starters. However, AI and Nelson are split. One writer has taken Nelson and one region has taken Nelson. When a tie comes about like this, the fans should have the final say in numbers of votes as is the case of AI and Nelson. If Nelson got more votes, Nelson gets the start, and AI automatically goes to the bench. However, take the case of CP3 above. Everyone has voted CP3 except for Region X. This means that CP3 is automatically a starter even though Region X and Y have split because both writers have picked CP3. If a player gets more writer votes, the player is in, and the general election is meaningless. If more regions pick a certain player and have a higher percentage of vote for that player than writers do, the region wins. For example, lets say combined, all the regions had a 55% vote for Deron Williams, but 70% of writers voted in CP3. CP3 wins. When it comes down to it, a tie will be determined by the popular vote of the fan. In any case, a player that is split, will automatically go to the bench. Essentially, the writer gets the input of the fan, and the fans vote themselves. The writers have act as independent bodies when making a decision with the fans influencing the writers through their feedback.

I think this system gets the best of both worlds. Fans are able to decide split votes as well as influence the decision of the writer, and writers are able to cover up the mistake of fans in the event the fans really got it wrong. It is a sort of checks and balances system.

I have not thought through this system the entire way through so there may be some flaws in my reasoning. Please point them out, and I can make some changes to the theory. Let me know what you all think. Thoughts and opinions are strongly encouraged.

Izzy

Btw, this has nothing to do with basketball, but a friend of mine let me know about this guy, and it is an amazing testament to the human body. Read and watch the video about all the things this man has accomplished and endured in his races.

What is Wrong with the Pistons?

The Pistons have struggled as of late. They have only won 3 out of their last 10. They have gone from one of the elite in the NBA to a team not guaranteed a playoff spot. They have been replaced as one of the Top 3 teams in the East by the Orlando Magic. When I heard the other day that coach Michael Curry was toying with the idea of Allen Iverson coming off the bench, I was shocked. Curry ended up not making that decision, but instead, allowing Rip Hamilton to come off the bench. With all of the uncertainty in Detroit after the Billups trade, I stand here wondering what happened to the Detroit Pistons?

We are looking at the Nuggets right now battling for 3rd place with the Hornets in the Western Conference even without Carmelo Anthony. We look at the Pistons who are fighting with Atlanta for the 4th spot and hear Miami's footsteps right behind them. Could it be that trading Chauncey Billups was functionally throwing away their season. We have seen how Denver has been stabilized by the force that is Chauncey Billups. There is no question that Billups played the same role for the Pistons. The Pistons have handed the keys to Rodney Stuckey, but asking the young players to fill the shoes of Chauncey Billups is asking a bit too much. So now the Pistons are left with two shooting guards who deserve to start. What does Michael Curry do? Does he let AI stay at the 1 and Hamilton at the 2? When does Stuckey get his minutes? If Stuckey is to get better, he has to be gaining experience. Surely that experience can't come if Stuckey is not getting minutes. As you can see, Joe Dumars has put coach Michael Curry in a bad position.

After watching Hamilton come off the bench the other night against Dallas, it seemed to be ok for Hamilton as he finished with a team high, 17 points. AI seemed to be the inefficient one in the game against Dallas. AI only finished with 11 points on 3/9 shooting. The Pistons lost that game, and the Pistons are still struggling to find answers. As I see it, they have 3 problems. A lack of size in the front, inconsistency, and no real rhythmn to any of their games. They also have no real sense of identity. Are they a fast paced team with AI? Are they a half-court team that slowly pounds it inside? Are they a team that needs to just give it to AI and watch? It seems like they are all of those at times. Rasheed Wallace is their only real post threat, but as in past seasons, Wallace has not gone inside consistently, and has hung around the perimeter for much of the time.

I was talking to a friend the other day, and he was telling me that the reason the 76ers went to the Finals in 2001 was due to the lack of talent on the 6ers. I thought this was a peculiar comment coming from a Philly native and 76ers fan, but he brought up the fact that AI was not surrounded by any talent, and it was up to him to lead. He was also in his prime at the time. It is no secret that AI is declining at this point in his career and is looking for help. Is Detroit a good fit for him? No. It is nothing like the 76ers team he took to the Finals in 2001. AI needs the ball constantly, and having to share the ball with Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton, and Rasheed Wallace makes it tough for AI to do what AI does, score.

Detroit has a severe deficiency in the middle. They have Antonio McDyess and Rasheed Wallace at the 4 and 5 spots. Both of those players are essentially forwards. They have Kwame Brown coming off the bench, but few would call Kwame a credible center. Since the Pistons go small, they need to run a fast paced game, and AI can help them do that, but they don't. They constantly get lost in posessions. They hope that one of their playmakers can just throw a shot up. I seldom see plays being run by Pistons. They need a lot more guidance on the offensive and defensive ends. The Pistons have the talent to win games and make the playoffs, but I don't think anyone is thinking Finals, much less past the first round, at best.

A bystander can't help but wonder if Joe Dumars has just conceded the season in hopes of freeing up cap room with AI and Rasheed Wallace's expiring contracts. The Pistons might be one of those teams that are clearing out cap room in hopes of getting a big free agent in 2010. Don't kid yourselves Detroit, Lebron, Wade, or Bosh will not be there in 2010. If I didn't know any better, an early ousting in this years' playoffs probably means the dreaded r-word...rebuilding.

Izzy

Sports Links

For the first time since last June, when the site first started, I'm posting links to some interesting sports stories. More articles to come in the next few days about the Association.

I'm sure a lot of you have heard this, but this is the story of how DWade's divorce is hitting a low point. A lot of people have criticized the NBA for the culture of the players. We have heard of Michael Jordan's divorce, Shaq's divorce, and now Dwyane Wade's divorce. Three of the most high profile athletes in the world have had very high profile divorces, and they all happen to be basketball players? I hope there is no correlation here. Take what you may from this. I'm not sure of what to make of it. I hope it all gets sorted out, and is not that big of a distraction for Wade's play on the court.

Awesome story about Danny Granger's childhood with an emphasis on Danny Granger's dad, Danny Granger Sr. I'll let you all read the details for yourself.

Most valuable sports franchises in the world by Forbes. Unfortunately, no NBA teams, but I suspect that the Knicks would have been on the bubble for the top 10.

Westchester High has put out some really good NBA players over the years. Just a short little thing about Trevor Ariza and how Kobe visited the high school back in the day.

Obama has impacted all of our lives. We have all seen how the reaction to him taking office has been in the NBA. A few NBA players paid top dollar to get tickets to the inauguration. Apparently some people paid around $50,000 a ticket for a seat. Here is a link to show how important this was to the NBA. This is just one example of NBA players and teams reacting to the Obama presidency.

DishingDimes was just featured in this article from a great blog that focuses on college basketball during the college season, but the NBA right when the playoffs race starts getting heated up. Check the site out.

Izzy

The Top 3 Point Guard Prospects in the NCAA

Wake Forest is #1 and it has inspired me to write about the top point guard prospects in the country because that race seems to be the most interesting, and at the forefront of the NBA draft discussion. We will leave Ricky Rubio and Brandon Jennings out of the discussion because they are abroad and I am ignorant of the intricacies of their game and have had limited exposure to watch them play. If you think that my analysis is bias towards Wake Forest because of my affiliation with Wake, I can assure you that I am not. I have been a big skeptic of Wake Forest sports from my entire time I have attended Wake. I have tried to formulate my opinion from a purely objective standpoint. I am just one of many who has written on the subject. Take it for what it is worth.

#1 Jeff Teague: He was a very under the radar player until he helped lead the Deacons to a win over North Carolina. Everyone I have talked to until the last two days, even after the North Carolina win, told me they thought Teague needed 1 more year at Wake. The last two days have shown us how fast Teague has risen on draft boards. He is a mid lottery pick at this point, and if he has a good tournament, I think he can be a top 5 pick easily. Teague also has the luxury of being on a team with 2 other NBA-ready players and a couple other future potential NBA and professional players. Teague has received help from the SF Al-Farouq Aminu as well as the PF James Johnson. Both players will most likely enter the NBA draft this year. I think Teague's help has elevated his play. Wake also has incredible size for a college team with 6 players standing north of 6'9, and it has helped Teague's penetration in the lane and options offensively.

Teague has an incredible ability to find weaknesses in the defense and attack them. When Teague goes to the hoop he goes straight to the chest of the defender. Teague also has an outside jumpshot. When the defender sags off him to prevent Teague from driving into the lane, Teague can pull up and hit a shot, and he hits 3 pointers 52.3% of the time. It makes life incredibly difficult for any opposing defender. Teague is averaging 21.4 ppg, 4.1 assts, 4 rebs, and 2.1 stls this season. Those numbers will catch the eye of any NBA scout. Teague is not a bad on the ball defender. He has active hands and knows how to disrupt shots. Teague also has a negative side. NBA scouts have said that his decision making is questionable, and they don't think he is a pure point guard. I agree with both of those observations. As a fan, I can't complain about Teague's decision making because he makes shots. Outside of that, I can see how that is of concern for NBA scouts. Teague will have a much more difficult time driving to the basket in the NBA. The defenders are faster and stronger than those in college. Teague can overcome those shortcomings with his superior athleticism. When looking at Teague's numbers it isn't difficult to tell that he is a shoot-first point guard who uses passing as a secondary weapon. If Teague improves his passing and decision making in order to increase his assists and lessen the 3.7 TOs a game he has, he can climb to the top 5 in the NBA draft.

#2 Stephen Curry: America has fallen in love with Curry. It may be his boyish looks that make him look like he could have gone to your high school or he could be one of your friends, but as a basketball player, we have to respect what he has done for Davidson. Major conference coaches were also fooled by his looks, but he is proving a lot of doubters wrong. Like Teague, Curry has questions about his decision making, and Curry has admitted to that. Stephen Curry is without a doubt the best player on his team. He is averging 29.1ppg, 6.5 assists, and 3 stls this season. He doesn't have the help that Teague has, but I would still categorize Curry as a better passer than Teague. If teams are going to beat Davidson, they need to throw their best defender on him. Stephen Curry can shoot from virtually anywhere on the floor. Even if the genes came from his ex-NBAer father, Del Curry, there is no question that Curry is one of the best, if not the best, shooter in the country. I think that if Curry gets on the right team, he can be a Rip Hamilton type of player. If he can come off of screens and limit his game to a catch and shoot type of game, he can be successful. Curry has the skill to be a point guard in the NBA, but like I said, his decision making is questionable. Even if he does stay a PG in the league, he should still be a jump shooter, and limit his creativity. I say he should be a jump shooter because he is unconscious when he has a wide open shot. Even with a hand in his face, Curry has showed the world he can deliver a big shot, and make seemingly impossible shots.

I question his NBA ability because of his size. I understand that he is about 6'3, but he has a small frame. Being a ball handler in the NBA requires one to be strong to body up against defenders and protect the ball going to the basket. If we think of the best PG's in the league today, CP3, Deron Williams, Jameer Nelson, etc., they don't fit Curry's stature. Steve Nash may be an exception, but no one is comparing Curry to Nash. I say that Curry should be a secondary ball handler that comes off screens because of his size because that seems to be where most of his potential lies. Rip Hamilton is not known for being one of the strongest players, but has been extremely successful feeding off of screens. The classic example is Reggie Miller. His career did not end up too poorly. Curry will for sure be drafted in the lottery if he comes out this year based on potential and reputation, if he finds an identity, he will be able to use his skills to really help an NBA team. He just needs to find the right combination of all of that.

#3 Jrue Holiday: One of the most sought after recruits in the country and National High School Player of the year prior to coming into college, Holiday has not lived up to expectation. Despite his lack of performance this season, he is still projected as one of the top 5 PGs in this years draft, and still projected to be a better NBA prospect than fellow Bruin, Darren Collison. Holiday has only averaged 9.6 ppg and 2.9 assists, but all of this comes in about 26.5 minutes a game. That is pretty good production from a second string point guard. From what I have seen from Holiday, he is a bit raw. Having said all that, Holiday has a very high basketball iq. He has good court vision, and seems to make very smart decisions. Holiday is the best passer out of this crew, and has the least amount of TOs at 1.9 a game, but he also plays the least out of the other 2 players on this list.

Holiday can undoubtedly help an NBA team, but I don't seem him helping a team out in the next year. Holiday needs about 2-3 years to fully develop as a basketball player. Holiday, like Curry, also has a small frame. He is 6'3 180, but can make up for the lack of size with his basketball iq. Any team that is in need of a guard could draft Holiday and mold him into whatever player they want him to be, as opposed to Teague and Curry who have a very apparent skill set. Holiday is a very good shooter, as evidenced by his 49.2% fg percentage. People should not be worried about Holiday's lack of production this season because we have to remember that Coach Howland is trying to balance their senior guard Darren Collison and Jrue Holiday's minutes. With players like Holiday, we have not seen enough from him to accurately asses his productivity and success in the NBA. A team will take a chance on him because of what he can bring to the table. It is just a matter of if he will bring it to the table...ever.

The Diversity at the Top of the NBA

There was once a time in the NBA where critics of the Conference system lobbied to split the conferences up and make them into an NFL like division system. The tide has changed in the NBA. 3 out of the 4 best teams in the league are Eastern Conference teams. The worst team in the NBA comes from the West (OKC). For the purposes of this post, we should look at the top teams in the NBA, the Lakers, Celtics, Magic, and Cavs, and examine the diversity each of the 4 teams' diverse style. As a fan of the game, it is a joy to watch the differences in the makeup and style of the 4 teams. I'll tell you what I mean.

The Celtics: At the beginning of the season, everyone was talking about the reigning NBA champions losing single digit games. That is not going to happen, and since their loss the Lakers on Christmas, the Celtics went on a bit of a skid. They have regained their swagger, and look like they are back to their old selves. The Celtics are made up around The Big 3. They have their proven superstar in KG, another clutch superstar in Paul Pierce, and one of the best shooters/scorers in NBA history in Ray Allen. Put those 3 together, and some role players, and you have the reigning NBA champions. No other team in the league can boast 3 household names on one team. They proved that they could get the job done with that mix of players. Then we have Rajon Rondo. Rondo has been in a slump right now, but that is expected of his youth. The talent Rondo has at age 22 is amazing. He is a great complementary player to The Big 3.

When it comes down to it. The Celtics have built around 3 key players. It makes them tough to beat because you can lock down on KG all you want, but then you have the problem of Pierce and Allen to deal with, lock down on Pierce, and then you have the same dilemma. Lock down on Allen, and you know the story. It forces teams to be superior on defense. Defense needs to be the #1 priority when playing the Celtics. Throwing single coverage on any of the players means you need to have some really good perimeter defenders to guard Pierce and Allen, and then you need to have a heck of a versatile defender to defend KG. These are the types of matchup problems the Celtics pose every night for opposing teams. A lot of NBA teams try to center around a superstar. The Celtics did that too, times 3.

The Magic: Coming off a season sweep of the Lakers, the first time that has happened in 10 years, the Magic have proven they can play with the best. The Magic have their superstar in Dwight Howard, and they have their great scoring forwards in Turkoglu and Lewis. Another big boost for the Magic is Jameer Nelson. He is putting up career numbers with 16.9 ppg, 5.4 assts, and 1.26 stls. Nelson has proven that he can lead the team. When the Magic's shooters are off, Nelson takes it upon himself to go for 30+. Coach Stan Van Gundy doesn't even need to tell Nelson what they need from him that night because Nelson has that innate intuition of what he needs to bring to the table. Last night was a great example of Nelson and his leadership. He saw his teammates struggling from the floor. He goes 9/18 and drops 28 pts, 8 assts, and 6 rebs, and only 3 TO's against the Lakers. It was a performance from a player who is ready to win.

The Magic have the $100 million man in Rashard Lewis. He is a deadly shooter who is a rich man's Lamar Odom. He can do everything you want, and he brings you a pretty good level of consistency. Of course, Lewis has his off nights, but the Magic have scorers who will pick up the slack. Hedo Turkoglu is also a great player for the Magic. He has consistently contributed at a high level and is 4th on the team in scoring by only .1 of a margin at 16.8ppg behind Nelson. Hedo has also hit big shots for the Magic this season. With Nelson running the show in the backcourt, an up and coming rookie in Courtney Lee, the gunners, Turkoglu and Lewis, Dwight Howard's job is pretty easy. Wrong. Howard is undoubtedly the reason for the Magic's success. He leads the team in every category except for assists. He leads the league in rebs and blks. The one stat that he is not top 5 in the NBA in, is in FG%. That is something Howard needs to improve for the Magic to maintain this success. He only shot 8 for 18 last night against the Lakers, and finished with 25 pts. Some might not think that is of concern for the Magic. I mean, they won. You can't complain. The Magic have built themselves around Howard. They put 2 of the best shooters in the NBA next to him, and a point guard who has risen to his potential, but Howard needs to shoot north of 50% consistently for the Magic to be successful in the postseason. The Magic have proven they are one of the deadliest shooting teams in the league with their record setting 3point shooting night in Sacramento the other night. What is unique about the Magic is how much they have improved since last season with virtually the same team. You would think that with all the movement in the East, and the Magic staying the same, they would not be a top 3 team in the East anymore. Well, they have stayed the same. The Magic got better on the court while a lot of other teams got better on paper. Building around the best Center in the league is not a bad deal either. They are going to make some noise.

The Lakers: The Lakers are looking to make another Finals appearance. They have been hit with the injury bug lately, but the consistency of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol is about all the Lakers need to be a threat. Many argue that the Lakers are the deepest team in the Association. I tend to agree with that assessment. When healthy, they can bring Jordan Farmar off the bench behind Fisher. Farmar could start for 75% of teams in this league. Unfortunately for Farmar, he is playing for one of the 25% of teams that can start a point guard ahead of him. The Lakers are unique in the sense that they have players who can play multiple positions. Phil Jackson is known to have Kobe and Sasha Vujacic to play the 1. Pau can play the 4 or 5, Lamar can play pretty much any position except for the 5, Walton can play 2 or 3, and Ariza can play the 3 or 4. The Lakers also have the most size in the NBA. A front court that can play 2 7-footers and and a 6'10 SF is a pretty tough thing to go against. Put 6'7 Kobe in the backcourt, and the Lakers become a matchup nightmare. Phil Jackson has always been an advocate of size, and the current Lakers roster is proving his philosophy correct.

The Lakers have been centered around Kobe for so many years that people have been reluctant to accept the level of talent the Lakers have on their team. Kobe has come into a role where he has become more comfortable trusting his teammates and being a faciltator and a scorer, and most importantly, knowing when to be in both roles. The Lakers are a team that is struggling to find a level of consistency at this point. One can't argue they are being lackadaisical per say, but one could argue they struggle to effectively execute. The most glaring problem for the Lakers is their lack of defense. The Lakers allow 99.5 points per game, but their strong offense has been able to cover up for that every game, except for 8. The Lakers consistently allow their opponents into the century mark midway through the 4th. That will need to change come playoff time. Throwing their unrivaled combination of size, experience, and talent into the playoffs makes them a huge threat to any team, and unlike any other.

Cavaliers: Lebron James. Not much more needs to be said here. The help of Mo Williams has helped Lebron and the Cavs hold the best record in the NBA. Lebron does everything a superstar should do. He is a freak of an athlete, and is virtually unguardable. If he improves his jumpshot, Lebron is the best player in the league. The biggest highlight for Lebron is his impressive passing ability. We have all seen his bullet passes on SportsCenter, and if he continues his high level of play, I would not be surprised to see them in the Finals.

What makes the Cavs unique is that outside of Lebron, every player is a role player. Obviously Mo Williams is the #2 option, but he feeds off Lebron. Williams has to wait to pick his spots, and go for it. Wally Sczerbiak is the same way. He is a shooter that feeds off of double teams from Lebron. The Cavs also play surprisingly good defense for their lack of size. They only allow 89ppg, the best in the NBA. They average 11 more points than their opponents. You can't argue with that stat. It proves their defensive superiority. Their defense comes from the perimeter. They have shot blockers in Ben Wallace, Varejao, and Ilgauskas (when healthy). Mo Williams is a great on the ball defender, and of course, James' unparalled athleticism makes it hard for any offensive player to get what he wants. I can't even find a comparison to the makeup of the Cavs in the last 25 years. There is almost no contemporary example of a team that has had the success the Cavs have enjoyed without another star on the team. There is an argument for Mo Williams to be that star, but we know that he is playing at this level because of Lebron. Ask the Bucks if they recognize this Mo Williams. This is all Lebron James. He is the future of this league, and maybe the only player we may ever seen that has James' physical build that mixes athleticism and overall basketball skill together to produce what Lebron has produced in his very young career.

All 4 of these teams have proven they are fallible. The Celtics went for a stretch of losing 6 out of 8, the Magic have losses to Memphis and Toronto, the Lakers have back-to-back losses twice this season, and the Cavs have lost to the Bulls. As good as these teams are, they have their vulnerabilities. For the first time in a while, the East is more top heavy than the West. I think the Spurs can challenge the Lakers for a Finals spot, but the race in the East is what everyone will be watching.

Izzy

Welcoming Alex "Buckets" Matthews to the Dishing Dimes team

I'm happy to bring to you Alex "Buckets" Matthews. He will go by the name Buckets on the site (origin of the nickname is still unknown). My first memory of Buckets was when I met him we started talking and naturally, basketball was one of our topics of conversation. Buckets told me, "I know more about the NBA than anyone I know." A bold statement. After getting to know him, he has not disappointed on his NBA knowledge. He is a hoops fan all the way around. From AAU to college to the NBA. He is a scholar.

When asking Buckets about his former high school career, he told me of a humbling moment. He describes the game as a 'playoff game' for his state championship. During the first half of the game, he shot an impressive 5/5 from downtown. Upon making his 5th 3pter of the half, he started doing a taunting sort of walk. This walk caused Buckets to injure his knee, and was basically completely unproductive for the 2nd half. When asked, Buckets described the experience as, "Embarassing."

Buckets hails from an island in South Jersey. Yes, an island, that apparently has a population of around 100 people. He lays claim to, "Every sports team in Philly, except for the Eagles. I'm a diehard Cowboys fan." Who knows? Nonetheless, Buckets is also a student at Wake Forest in his 2nd year here. He is a manager of the currently ranked #2 Wake Forest men's basketball team. When he isn't working for the basketball team or being a basketball nerd, he can be found playing basketball. As you can see, basketball is a huge part of the life of Mr. Buckets. I hope he can show that to the loyal readers of the site. I also hope that he will be able to share his unique insight and perspective on all things basketball. Welcome, Buckets.

My ESPN videos

Sorry I have not been living up to my New Years resolution. I hope to change that when I get back to campus on Sunday. I just got back from a Lakers game. It was an exciting game to watch, but very disturbing to think about after the fact. The lack of defense from the supposedly best team in the league was the main problem. The Pacers shot the lights out, and had it not been for a Kobe Bryant bailout with 3 secs left, it could have been a loss for the Lakers for the second straight time to the Pacers. The Lakers have had a huge problem holding 4th quarter leads. With injuries plaguing the Lakers, it is going to be very important for the team to pull it together in order to raise another banner at Staples Center. Nonetheless, it was good to be back to see my favorite team.

Anyway, as promised, I finally got around to posting the YouTube videos of me on ESPNU. These videos aired on ESPNU the week of 10/27/08. The main topic of the debates were, "Who will win the football game between Wake Forest and Duke?" For the record, Wake ended up winning the game. Had to add that in there. If you don't know, I am the Asian guy for Wake Forest. Enjoy.







I will be updating again soon. We will also be adding another writer to the site to help make updates more frequent. I appreciate everyone's support.

Izzy

The Marbury Mess

Happy New Year everyone. I apologize for not posting with more frequency. One of my New Years Resolutions is to post 3-4 times a week. Holiday season is hectic as we all know. I wrote an article a few weeks ago about waiving Marbury. I still stand by my original opinion of Marbury doing the right thing. This is the Knicks' problem. They created this. If any of you were in this position, most of us would act the same. It is pretty tough to be guaranteed $21 million dollars this year and forgive your boss by accepting $5 million dollars and walking away. Situations like these feed into why some people do not like professional sports. I can sympathize with that. If it were about the game, Marbury would want to be playing. We have to remind ourselves again and again that this is a business. Just like any other market, each party is trying to do the best for his or her respective party. With all this said, this brings us to our most recent Marbury drama.

Marbury has been rumored to be interested in signing with the Celtics. It would be good for every party only if the right things came into play. If Marbury were paid his entire salary by the Knicks for this year and the Celtics just had to dish out the minimum for Marbury, the Knicks would cut ties with the player that has been haunting their surprising season, the Celtics would have the backup pg to Rondo, and Marbury would be in a better situation overall. I would say that New York fans would hate him for going to Boston, but at this point, Marbury going anywhere would make Knicks fans happy. The risk for Boston would be how Marbury can come back and perform. There is no telling how Marbury will play after all the time off. Another consideration would be the reuniting of KG and Marbury. KG claims that he is ok with Marbury coming to Boston. We all know that the relationship between KG and Marbury from their days in Minny was questionable, and reuniting both of them could be potentially harmful to team chemistry. If there were tension between KG and Marbury, locker room relationships may be damaged. A KG/Marbury division in the locker room would be something the Celtics should stay far away from.

For this move to work, Marbury would have to be willing to take a back seat to the Big 3. Marbury should realize this is not Georgia Tech, not the mid 90's T-wolves, not the mid-90's KG, and most importantly, not his team. Marbury will have to put his ego away and take his spot behind a 22 year old Rajon Rondo. It will be a tough transition, but if the numbers work out right, there might be some potential in this move. If I'm Danny Ainge, I don't do this deal. There are to many question marks in this move, and he needs to tread these waters carefully. A Marbury signing could be a very bad PR move. Unless there was a lot to gain from the Celtics, they should keep the group they have. The potential for damage to the Celtics can come from more ways than just the salary cap.

Izzy