The Worst Guys in the NBA

6'11", 253 lb. Kevin Garnett really letting the 6'3, 211 lb. Jose Calderon have it

Many of my blog posts lately have had a negative connotation overall. I'm somewhat of a cynic but it's unintentional. But after reading something about Kevin Garnett today I'm obliged to write this post.

I don't know any of these athletes personally of course, but from being a sports fan you kind of get an idea of who the good guys are. There's also guys in sports who, if you played a game of pick-up ball at the Y with them, you'd probably want to pop them in the face.

Call me a "hater" if you want. These players are pretty well known and may just be your favorite, likely only for their play on the court and not the way they conduct themselves. I'm sorry if that is so. Maybe send him a letter telling him to be a better person or something.

I like to keep the language clean on my blog so I'm not going to say anything worse than "jerk." 

1) Kevin Garnett

He's got quite the reputation as being one of the biggest jerks around. He's the biggest fake tough guy in the league. He's obnoxious. Everyone knows this about KG. He'd be proud to admit it, I'm sure. I don't really care about that, though. Trash talking is fine if he can back it up, and he does with his play. But he takes it too far. It's not all in good fun. He's called Charlie Villanueva (who suffers from alopecia universalis, a medical condition that results in hair loss) a cancer patient. Garnett didn't even own up to that, saying what he meant was Villanueva is cancerous to the league. But that's not even the worst. When Tim Duncan about to shoot a free throw, Garnett allegedly yelled "Happy Mother's Day, mother------!" Duncan's mother famously died of breast cancer when he was fourteen.


2) LeBron James

LeBron isn't a terrible person, but he's everything I can't stand about the NBA. I'm all about athletes being humble, which is why I, along with the city of Cleveland, still haven't gotten over that decision thing on ESPN. Why couldn't he have just gone and signed a contract? Because he's full of himself. I know he's the best basketball player in the world, however much preferential treatment he may get.  He's just unbelievably ignorant. From those comments he made about how his life is so much better than the fans to being a Yankees and Cowboys fan, to the type of fans he attracts (snapback and Beats wearing bandwagoning kids who just bought AJ McCarron jerseys), I just can't stand the guy. His excessive whining, flopping, and traveling is incredibly annoying also. He's not a jerk like Garnett, but I'll never bring myself to be a fan of the King of Traveling.


3) Josh Howard

The NBA is full of wannabe thugs. And who am I to judge them? I shouldn't, but you be the judge of Howard at a celebrity flag football game in 2008, when he said on camera: "The Star Spangled Banner's going on right now and I don't celebrate that s***." He's the kind of guy that had someone take his SAT for him to qualify for college.


4) Stephen Jackson

"Somebody tell serg Abaka. He aint bout dis life. Next time he run up on me im goin in his mouth. That's a promise. He doin 2 much." What the heck is that? Is Ibaka supposed to be scared? Again, why can't basketball players just play the game of basketball? I wish you could just take all the firefighters or volunteer workers in the world and just make them good at sports to replace athletes like Jackson. Sheesh. 


5) Every player with enough of an ego to get a coach fired


6) Latrell Sprewell

He's retired, but he had to be included. Look him up if you don't remember this guy. 

Just Like Old Times

Let me start off by saying I couldn't be happier for Andre Iguodala. For those of you outside of the Philadelphia area, Andre has been one of the most underappreciated athletes I have ever seen. I've written a post in the past explaining the situation. For Dre to sink two clutch free throws after struggling all season from the line to cap off a productive series, one in which he led his team past the Bulls (and completely neutralized down Luol Deng), just makes me so proud of him as one of his biggest fans.

Enough with the gushing for Andre, though. The Sixers have moved on to Boston, and split a pair at the Boston Garden. The series is now headed to Philly, and the Celtics are considerably weaker on the road.

I am a diehard Sixers fan, but that does not factor into my picking them to win in six (I am willing to face the music if they run into a full strength Miami). Here's why:

Iguodala has been able to take Paul Pierce completely out of his rhythm, and Boston needs him if they want to win the series. Having the Paul Pierce of five years ago might have made the difference in the series, because right now, he simply can't get by the more athletic Iguodala.

Spencer Hawes is not enough of an athlete to handle a rejuvenated Kevin Garnett down low. That's what makes Lavoy Allen's emergence so crucial. He's given KG all he can handle down the paint, and is averaging 11 points and 7 boards through the first two games. In last night's one point Philadelphia win, he posted a +21 +/- rating in 30 minutes (meaning when he was in the game, the Sixers outscored the Celtics by 21 points). A rookie who was ranked the worst player in the NBA by ESPN before the season, Allen is showing signs he can have a productive career. His coach believes it too, comparing him to Indiana's David West...

This has been repeated time and time again, but Philly's ability to run against Boston's age has really worked to their advantage. A lousy half court-team, the 76ers must hit the jets off of steals and defensive boards, because Boston's defense can stifle them in the slower-paced game.

Evan Turner is doing more than making the occasional spectacular play. During these playoffs, he's shown he can be a 16-8-5 type guy for a long time. Much improvement from the bust status he had begun to acquire during his rookie season.

Even if my Sixers fail to win this series, though, it's still reassuring to see these two feisty old rivals get back at it like they've done throughout their storied histories. Knowing my team is on the upswing will suffice for now, but this 76er team certainly has aspirations of ousting their northern foe, and whoever comes next.

2011-2012 NBA Preview (Part 1)

Let there be basketball after all. The lockout has actually hyped up this season more than ever, and 66 games actually seems to be a pleasant alternative to the 82-game never-ending schedule. A shortened preseason (two games as opposed to eight) and training camp have allowed the season to launch Christmas day. 

The Chris Paul trade controversy overshadowed what otherwise would have been a smooth transition from the lockout to the regular season, and the league's credibility took a major hit. If you've been living under a rock the past few weeks, searching "Chris Paul trade" on Google should get you back up to date.

Now I'll do my best to predict this season's fate for Paul's Clippers and every other NBA team for this season. Don't agree (which you probably won't in many places)? Feel free to comment.

Eastern Conference:


1) Miami Heat

There's no doubt this team will win a bunch of games. That's not what they are looking to do, obviously. Finishing with the best record in the conference is likely, but a championship trophy is far from guaranteed. If LeBron doesn't develop a killer instinct in the postseason, rings will elude Miami again, something I see happening.


2) Chicago Bulls

They will challenge the Heat for the best record in the conference after winning the regular season last year. Joakim Noah is the x-factor for this team: with Carlos Boozer aging, Noah will need to establish himself as more of a post presence, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.


3) Boston Celtics

The core players of this team, save Rajon Rondo, are dinosaurs. Yes, the Big Three are old. But the lockout helped these guys as much as anyone. They are already experienced playing with each other, so the shortened training camp doesn't hurt them much.  A shorter season is also a friend to Allen, Pierce and Garnett's aging bodies. Jeff Green's absence (heart surgery) will hurt them, and could be what keeps this group from a final run at a championship.


4) Philadelphia 76ers

Many of you will stop reading here. They're my hometown and beloved team, I know. But hear me out. After starting 3-13 last year, this ballclub went 38-28 while still developing. The chemistry is only increasing, and all the young players are only getting better. Evan Turner, Thaddeus Young, Lou Williams, and Jrue Holiday all have breakout potential this year. Turner's jump shot looks eons better after training with Philadelphia shot doctor Herb Magee, and if he gets playing time ahead of Jodie Meeks could still be something special. The entire core of this team returns, so the lack of training camp doesn't hurt as much. I'll be writing a post on them soon.


5) Indiana Pacers

There's a lot of hype surrounding this club going into the season, to the extent of a high conference playoff seed. And why shouldn't there be? One of the top defensive teams in the league brings in David West, a guy who can score almost twenty a game. Couple that with the breakout potential of Darren Collison, Paul George, and Roy Hibbert, and this is suddenly a perennial playoff team. Danny Granger will continue to be the star, but it will be harder to tell when his supporting cast gets going.


6) New York Knicks

We'll see if Tyson Chandler somehow teaches Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire how to play defense, but you can't count on it. We already know Mike D'Antoni won't. This team looks scary on the offensive side of the ball, but teams don't win championships giving up 105 points per game.


7) Orlando Magic

Trading for Hedo Turkouglu last year turned out not to be the move this team needed. That being said, they still managed to finish with the conference's 4th-best record, something they are capable of repeating. Obviously, the key for this team is whether or not they can retain Dwight Howard, something becoming more and more likely, at least for this season, as the days go by. Ryan Anderson is a name to look out for; if he gets playing time ahead of Glen Davis, he could become a serious scoring threat beside Howard. The Jason Richardson signing was questionable from a fan's perspective, but he still provides production. Placing this team 7th seems odd after their past few seasons of success, but they're not the team they once were.


8) Atlanta Hawks

Pretty much all this team did this past offseason is lose Jamal Crawford, a tremendous scoring option. Considering this crew finished 44-38 this past season, the Hawks should scale back their championship aspirations. That being said, if Jeff Teague is able to break out in his first year as starting point guard (if he takes the job from Kirk Hinrich, a guy who we've seen his plateau), then this team could go somewhere.

If you hadn't noticed, these projected playoff teams are the same eight teams that were there last season, just in a totally jumbled up order. As of right now, outside of the Milwaukee Bucks, the remaining conference teams simply don't look good enough to compete, and most of them are rebuilding.  This is the first year in awhile that the East could sport eight teams with winning records in the playoffs, and maybe even have a team miss the postseason playing ball above .500. Try to remember the last time that happened.

9) Milwaukee Bucks

They play tantalizing defense. Problem is, they are so bad on the other end of the ball that the stifling D can't make up for it. Bringing in Stephen Jackson could be the few extra points they need to reach the postseason, and he adds to the core of Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings. Rookie Tobias Harris could make an immediate impact off the bench. If Bogut or Jennings can't make offensive strides, though, come playoff time the Bucks could be on the outside looking in.

Part 2, the rest of the Eastern Conference, will be posted in a few days.

Kevin Love is a Beast

Is Kevin Love the next Kevin Garnett? Or better? Love has emerged this year as an early-season MVP candidate, a 22-year-old who is one of the few bright spots on a struggling Timberwolves roster.

Love's rebounding this year, over 15 and a half a night, is better than Garnett's career high of 13.9 back in his 04-05 MVP year. And in December, Love is scoring 24 per game while pulling down an astronomical 17 boards. He put up a 30-30 game against Amare Stoudemire and the Knicks November 12.

Right now, the only thing separating Love from being the best big man in the game is the fact that he plays for the lowly T'Wolves. He isn't yet at the level of Dwight Howard quite yet because Howard leads the now perennial contender Orlando, as well as the fact this is Love's breakout year, so he isn't established yet like Howard.

Will Love play the role Garnett did for the main part of his career as the standout PF for the Timberwolves, the face of a basement team? Their paths could end up being virtually the same if in the later part of his career leaves for a contender and gets a ring.  It doesn't look like he'll get one in Minnesota anytime soon, but what the young rising star guarantees every night is a 20-15 performance.