I've never committed a foul!

There are some players in the NBA who act downright shocked every time the whistle blows and their number is signaled to the scorer's table. It wouldn't matter if they unleashed a roundhouse kick to their opponent's torso -- it would still be reason enough to cry to the officials. There are other players who feel like they are fouled on every play, especially if they miss the shot. Watching the NBA Playoffs this year has increased my annoyance with the NBA's crybabies, and inspired me to take my buddy's suggestion (the only guy who actually reads this blog) and make a list of the NBA's five biggest whiners.


5. Kobe Bryant
If you've read my other blogs, you'd know Kobe is my favorite player to watch in the NBA. I truly believe he is the best player in the world, but he still makes my list.

Kobe can walk all over most of the refs in this league, and he knows it. If he goes into the paint, one of two things will occur: 1) Kobe will get a foul called on his defender or 2) Kobe will remind the ref that he should have gotten the call.

"You can't do this to me -- I'm the best, the best!"

Granted, when you are that good, your defender often gets out of position and is forced to commit a foul. Nevertheless, he thinks he is always fouled. And when it comes to his own defense, Kobe believes it to be flawless. How many times per game do we see Kobe's sarcastic smile/laugh after his number is called for a foul? All you have to do to track this stat is to look at how many fouls he picks up during the game.

If you don't think Kobe is much of a whiner, all you have to know is this: Kobe led the NBA in technical fouls. As I mentioned earlier, he can walk all over most refs... which makes this statistic even more telling.


4. Tim Duncan
Despite Duncan's reputation as a choir boy, he whines with the best of 'em. You can probably picture the typically-stoic Duncan's reaction after a foul is called (or isn't called). The arms out, the shoulders shrugged, and the already-wide eyes even wider. He then picks up the ball defiantly, slaps it with his right hand, and angrily bounces it back to the referee.

A bigger picture would show the ball in his right hand, ready for triple-threat position

I would love to watch a game where Duncan is mic'd. I can't even imagine what he is actually saying to dispute these calls (or no-calls). I'm pretty sure the language wouldn't be as strong as Rasheed's -- there would undoubtedly be a lot of "shuck's" substituted for sh**'s. Regardless of his "clean" whining, it is whining all the same.

It's somewhat amusing watching the way Timmy's whining has almost disappeared against the Suns. Does he realize he doesn't have a gripe because the refs are doing everything they can to give San Antonio the series? Or does he realize he would be whining about Shaq and knows Shaq could crush him with one blow?


3. Rip Hamilton
Memo to Rip Hamilton: just because you are 6'7", 145 lbs, it doesn't mean you are incapable of fouling the opponent.

"I'm too skinny to commit a foul!"

I blame this attitude 100% on their trade for Sheed...



2. Rasheed Wallace
This choice probably needs less justification than his buddy Rip (above). Living in Portland, I became accustomed to Sheed's "poopy diaper" face following every whistle. It got so old, fans overcame their natural biases and did everything short of whining themselves when Sheed wasn't called for a foul.

The "Poopy Diaper" Face

The main difference between Sheed and the other whiners is that it has never mattered if Sheed was involved in the play or not. In fact, he doesn't even have to be in the game. He would probably make the same gestures if he were in the locker room watching it on a monitor.

As noted earlier, his poor attitude seems to make a horrible impact on his teammates. Before long, they all become whiners, too. Not to Sheed's level, of course. He acts like a spoiled 16-year-old girl when her daddy won't shell out the big bucks to buy her a BMW for her birthday.

He broke the NBA record for most technicals in a single season, only to re-break his own record the following season. He whined about "having" to play in the All-Star Game. Seriously, who does that? Only Sheed...



1. Allen Iverson
I never quite noticed the extent of Iverson's whining until these playoffs. While he whines when he is called for a foul, he does his real damage when he's on the offensive end. Quite literally, AI complains after every one of his shot attempts. I think he should be thrown out of every game in the first quarter. In game four, I saw at least three replays where AI made a shot, was not touched, and still managed to shoot a furious look at Dick Bavetta.

His face may soon be frozen in this expression

Sure, the guy is courageous with his drives to the basket, but more often than not he is the one who is creating the contact. Just because he is so tiny, he is the one who takes the brunt of these collisions. Shooting fouls are created by contact initiated by the defensive player or by a defender who's feet aren't set when the contact occurs. They are not created by a player flying into the lane with reckless abandon and falling hard to the floor.

What irks me even more than AI's constant lobbying for "And 1's" is his overall attitude towards authority. Isn't he supposed to be a full-grown man? He logs more minutes than any player in the NBA, yet still throws temper tantrums every time he is taken out of the game. He publicly criticized George Karl for not putting him back in the game when the Nugs were down by 23 with 7 minutes left against the Lakers. He is constantly involved in self-promotion with regards to his playing through injuries (as if we don't hear about it enough from the announcers). He demands trades and doesn't practice hard ("practice, we're talking about practice!"). As far as I'm concerned, the guy is poisonous to his team and the locker room.

It is frequently mentioned that AI is "the best player pound-for-pound in NBA history." Maybe so. I'd argue that he's "the biggest whiner pound-for-pound in NBA history."

Enver Nuggets -- a Statistical Nightmare

After watching the Lakers-Nuggets game tonight, I decided the Nuggets must have the worst chemistry of any team in the NBA. How else do you explain all of these statistical studs' failure to coexist on a single basketball court?

They have two of the top four scorers in the league. They have the league's top shot blocker (and 2nd best rebounder). They have a solid bench (namely Smith & Kleiza). They even have arguably one of the better coaches in the game (look at Karl's resume). Yet, they barely squeezed into the playoffs and will probably get swept in the first round.

Obviously, their number one problem is there just aren't enough shots to go around. Carmelo & AI are undoubtedly two of the best scorers in the game. In fact, there are only a few players in the league I would rather have taking the final shot with the game in the balance. As we've seen, having two scorers of this caliber can be both a blessing and a curse. Who takes the big shot? In games I've watched, AI has taken the majority of these shots (seniority, I guess). However, there have been a number of occassions where the play seems to be designed for nobody in particular -- whichever big gun has the ball in his hands as time expires takes the shot. What a nightmare.

Is A.I. #1, #1a, or #2?

As for the defense, or lack thereof... "But Marcus Camby won defensive player of the year last year!" "AI has been amongst the league leaders in steals for, forever!" "How can two of the league's best defenders be part of the league's worst defense?" Wow, what a misconception. Sure, these two put up gaudy defensive stats (in the form of blocks, steals, and rebounds), but that doesn't mean they play great -- or even good -- individual defense. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure Camby gave up 36 points to Gasol in Game One. Camby is a terrifically gifted shot blocker, but it certainly helps that he gets countless opportunities against 6-foot-nothing guards that have been blowing past the Nuggets' hapless perimeter defenders with ease.

To keep things short and sweet, here's my conclusion: the Enver (thanks Charles) Nuggets are a fantasy owner's dream and a reality owners' nightmare.

My favorite all-time basketball kicks

I'm fairly categorized as a basketball shoe fanatic. I became infatuated with basketball shoes in elementary school and the love hasn't since died. This love led me to wait in line for the re-issuance of the Jordan IV's and to stockpile weekly allowances to purchase shoes outside of my parents' budget. This love now leads me to devote half of my closet space to shoes I haven't worn in over three years.

Making a list of the "best" basketball shoes of all-time is nearly impossible. If I had unlimited free time and a non-existent social life I could probably draft a top-100 list. However, for sake of time & energy I have narrowed the list to my top five.


5. Air Penny II
This pick is probably pretty controversial. Given Penny's titanic fall-off, I'm not sure anything associated with him deserves a top-5 ranking. To be honest, I probably put them on the list out of fear that this would turn into "the top five pairs of Jordans of all-time" more than anything else. Nevertheless, I think these shoes were sick. When they were released, shoe fanatics like myself were exposed to new levels of consumerism. We began to re-think what we would pay for the best new shoe -- in this case ~$140/pair!


4. Nike Air Force I
I realize that the version in the picture is not the "true" Air Force I, it is the variation created by Nike for Sheed to wear in the 2007 All Star Game. When I was looking for a picture of Air Force I's, this came up and I couldn't pass it up. Sheed has been the twentieth century in-game model of the Air Force I, and the pictured version was only worn by him for one game. That being said, the Air Force I has probably had more influence on Nike's basketball shoe evolution than any shoe outside of the Jordan Series. Air Force I's came back with a bang a few years ago, and any time a shoe can have that kind of impact 20 years after its release, it deserves a spot amongst the basketball shoe immortals.


3. Air Max Force I (Barkley I's)
Interestingly enough, this shoe wasn't even first made famous by Barkley. It was actually brought to the forefront of the basketball apparel world by the University of Michigan's "Fab Five" in 1993. The starting five sported these beauties when they were the most en vogue team since the showtime Lakers. The design was simple but had enough detail to catch the eye. The shoe's design pretty much personified Charles Barkley's game, and that was probably the determining factor in making this list -- my number one qualification is that the shoe must fit the player. This shoe certainly did.



2. Air Jordan XI
I could have easily put Jordan III, Jordan V, Jordan XIII, or Jordan VI in this spot. This shoe narrowly edged out those other versions because it was just a tad bit flashier -- and who was flashier than Michael Jordan? I copped a pair of the black & red version of the XI's, and they certainly didn't disappoint. They fit like a glove, and they're one of those pairs of shoes that when you wear them for the first time you feel like you're quicker and can jump higher. I know they didn't actually expand my physical capacities, but it sure felt like it... most basketball players (who are also shoe fanatics) can associate with this feeling.



1. Air Jordan IV
Maybe I'm partial -- I've owned this shoe twice -- but it wasn't even much of a competition for the top spot on this list. These shoes are everything. They came out before styles got too chaotic, but after Nike had perfected the air pocket and had improved the durability of its products. Oh yeah, they were also worn by the greatest player of all time, just as he was beginning to earn that reputation. Enough said.


Honorable Mention: Air Jordan V, Air Jordan III, Air Jordan VI, Air Jordan XIII, Air Huarache 2K4, Air Zoom Lebron II, Nike Air Up (original Pippens), Air Flight 89, Nike Air Zoom Flight 5 (original Kidd's).

Yes, only Nikes made my list (including honorable mention). I don't think this needs to be justified.

Worst Sports Predictions of All-Time

Seems like we hear it every year, especially around playoff time: "I guarantee we will win this game" or something to that effect. Give an outspoken player a microphone, and let the camera roll. Once relegated to boxers, the art of the prediction has spread to virtually all of America's professional sports.

Normally, coaches cringe at these public displays of arrogance. They seldom do enough to motivate the team of the player making the unabashed prediction. More often than
not, these predictions actually have a bigger impact on the opposing team. Let's face it: the predictions are generally made by the overwhelming underdogs, as the favorites don't have as much to prove. A ballsy prediction by the underdog often lights the fire of the more talented, favored team, giving them extra motivation to run up the score and rub it in the predictor's face. Consequently, we have witnessed several meltdowns of historic proportions after these predictions have been made in recent years.

In the age of the prediction, I had many to choose from in drafting this post. While I normally stick to basketball, I threw in a few football predictions that went sour - they were just too good (or bad) to not mention.

Without further ado, my five favorite predictions-gone-wrong (in ascending order):


5. Anthony Smith's predicted upset of the Patriots

After the Steelers opened the 2008 playoffs with a win, their high-energy safety made a prediction to do what no other team had done: beat the 2007-08 New England Patriots. By high-energy safety, you must be thinking, "Polamalu, right?" Wrong. Anthony Smith. "Who?" My thoughts, exactly.

Smith's comments puzzled virtually every member of the national media. Had he studied any film heading into the game? Did he fail to notice the 6'4 gazelle or the 5'10 spark plug being hit in stride by the best quarterback in the NFL? Even so, he must have caught at least one Sports Center segment that tabbed this offense as the best ever.

If he underestimated the Patriots' machine, he was quickly enlightened. Then he was abused. Then he was stolen of his manhood. Bellichick, Brady, & Co picked on Smith early and often. He got caught in open space and didn't stand a chance. Brady even looked his way when other receivers were wide open. In the end, Smith got scored on twice and looked foolish doing it.

"Anthony, where are you? Ahh, there you are..."

When the dust settled, Smith's Steelers were pummeled 31-14 and he was forced into the fetal position by a Quarterback. After the game, Darth Vader himself (Bellichick) had the following analysis for Smith: "We've played against a lot better safeties than him, I'll tell you. The safety play at that position was pretty inviting." I'll say so. Smith's post-game comment? "We will see them again. Well, it's gonna have to wait until next year at the earliest. Next time, Smith would be wise to just shut up.



4. Gilbert Arenas' prediction to score 50 points against Nate McMillan's Trailblazers

After being cut by Team USA in the summer of 2006, Arenas had undisguised beef with Nate McMillan (an assistant coach on Team USA). From Arenas' blog came the following prediction: "The most important game is on Feb. 11 (2007). Well, it's not the most important but that's the game I'm going to say is my next 50-pointer."

The 50-point prediction came on the heels of multiple (successful) predictions: the 54 pts he dropped on Phoenix and the game-winner against Utah. This prediction didn't go so well. After much was made of his prediction, Arenas dropped 9 pts on a disgraceful 3-for-15 (0-3 on threes) shooting in 33 minutes. Oh yeah, the Wiz also lost by 21 points to the lowly Blazers and Arenas contributed 5 turnovers to boot.

Yes, Gilbert... it was THAT bad.

3. Jerramy Stevens' "sad day" prediction for Jerome Bettis & the Steelers

In the days leading into the 2006 Super Bowl, much was made of Jerome Bettis' return to his hometown of Detroit to play in his first Big Game. Knowing Bettis & his Steelers were the sentimental favorites, little-known Seahawks Tight End Jerramy Stevens made the following comment (publicly): "It's a heartwarming story and all that, but it will be a sad day when he leaves without the trophy."

This statement made headlines leading into America's biggest sporting event, and it woke up Steelers linebacker Joey Porter. Porter responded by saying: "When a guy says something who lines up in front of me every play, I have to like that. He has to see me. There's no way he can hide from me. We have to meet - over and over and over. . . I'll remind him every time I put him on his back." Yikes -- just what Stevens wanted to hear. A 255 pound linebacker with a propensity for violence is relishing the opportunity to put him on "his back."

Did Stevens feel Porter coming on this drop?

And Porter did just that, laying out Stevens on multiple plays. When Porter didn't get him, Stevens heard footsteps and dropped key passes. These dropped balls (most notably the pictured ball in the red zone) may have cost the Seahawks the game. Interestingly, we haven't heard much from Stevens since...


2. Joey Dorsey's "I am Goliath" prediction against Ohio State's Oden

Before Ohio State & Memphis matched up in the '07 NCAA Tournament, Memphis Center Joey Dorsey called out college basketball's golden boy (err, Man), Greg Oden. He called Oden a "little man" (really?), and said he (Dorsey) was Goliath and Oden was David. He also went on to say Oden was "way overrated" and that he would hold the Ohio State "little man" to 9 points and 5 rebounds. Dorsey also said that he would put up 15 points and 20 rebounds against Oden. Calipari must have been ecstatic about these idiotic predictions.

The biggest "little man" in the world

You know the story - "David" beat, no, massacred, "Goliath" just like in Biblical times. Dorsey's line for the game (a 92-76 loss) was 0 pts, 3 reb, and 4 fouls in 19 minutes. Oden? 17 pts & 9 rebounds on 7-8 shooting.

The future still looks bright for Dorsey, though. I'm sure he will replicate the draft position of Oden in this summer's draft (#1 overall). Right...


1. Matt Hasselbeck's coin-flip guarantee

First, my apologies to Seahawks fans for giving you two spots in the top 5. Living in the Northwest, your team has just blessed me with too much good material. This one takes the cake.

In the 2004 NFL playoffs, Seattle and Green Bay were gridlocked in a tie at the end of regulation. The two teams sent their captains to midfield, where a coin toss took place. Seattle won the toss, and that's where all the fun began. Matt Hasselbeck grabbed the mic and estatically proclaimed: "We want the ball, and we're gonna score!"

Watching the game live, I could almost feel the grumble from Holmgren's beer belly. At that point, Hasselbeck hadn't proved anything in the league. He was a poor-man's Favre, high-risk/high-reward type of player with no postseason experience. This was a setup for disaster.

I'll give Hasselbeck a little credit - it was pretty ballsy. In reality, the first part of his prediction came true: the Seahawks did get the ball. The second part? Not so much. Not only did the Seahawks fail to score, but Hasselbeck (Mr. Prediction himself) was picked off by Al Harris. Harris returned the interception for a score on the same play, leaving a dejected Hasselbeck and his bold pronouncement in his wake. Classic.

Uh, Matt, they scored...

I know I have missed some worthy predictions, so make mention of these omissions...

The Miami Meat

I was scanning the daily NBA box scores when one game jumped out at me: Boston 88, Miami 62. 62? 62! To be honest, I didn't even blink about this "game" resulting in a blowout win for the C's.... but 62 points for Miami? From now on, I'm calling the 2007-08 Miami squad the "Miami Meat." It would be a perfect way of commemorating the countless slaughterings that have taken place in recent months.

I don't remember the last time I saw this type of ineptitude displayed on a basketball court, and in the NBA nonetheless. Upon further review, I noted the Meat didn't manage 20 points in any quarter of Sunday's game. I don't care how good the Celtics' defense is -- and it is very good -- 62 points is just plain inexcusable. Two years ago, Kobe scored that much (or more) on two different occasions! MJ dropped 63 on the Bird-led Celtics in a playoff game in the Garden.

Did Pat Riley waive the white flag on the season? Okay, so that was a rhetorical question... of course he did. I dare you to name 4 current players on the Meat's active roster. Tick... tock... tick... tock... okay, I'm guessing you couldn't do it. Outside of Ricky Davis, there really isn't a single recognizable name logging minutes for the Meat these days. The second-highest profile player donning the red & black on Sunday was Mark Blount. Rounding out the starting lineup was Chris Quinn, Kasib Powell, & Earl Barron. The reserves? Even worse: Joel Anthony, Stephane Lasme, Blake Ahearn, & Alexander Johnson. Who are these guys? I'd be willing to bet the casual NBA fan would recognize more names on most D-League rosters right now.

Dead Meat

Look down the Meat's bench these days, and you might think you are staring at a night club entrance line. The problem with that analogy is that there is undoubtedly more game being laid down in Miami night clubs than there is on the basketball court this year. Stern must be beaming at the sight of his dress code in full force: Wade, Williams, Haslem, Marion, Dorell Wright, Daquan Cook, all decked out in three piece suits. Riley's proverbial white flag was raised when Wade was given a shower pass for the remainder of the season, and apparently the rest of the team is getting the same treatment.

Riley is playing for lottery balls at this point, and doing a horrible job of disguising his motives. For a coach of Riley's stature, there is no such thing as a "moral victory." He's going through the motions, drawing up x's & o's during timeouts, but it's not hard to see what he's doing. He's putting together lineups that he knows cannot succeed. After each loss, he knows his Meat are one step closer to securing the best probability of landing the top pick in June. Meanwhile, the Sonics, Grizzlies, and T-Wolves (equally disgraceful) are putting out their best 5 every night, for better or for worse.

He is just salivating at the possibility of nabbing Michael Beasley, and justifiably so. It's not that I'm particularly disgusted with Riley's ever-growing infatuation with Beasley, it's just the way he's going about it that disturbs me. These guys (his players) are making some serious money sitting on the bench and getting soft tissue massages after the games. If I were a season ticket holder, I'd be furious. I'd be demanding a refund for all that coin I shelled out to watch this joke of a season unravel. If I'm an Eastern Conference contender, I'm even more furious. What happens if a team gets into the playoffs because they beat Miami's C squad in the 82nd game?

Riley is compromising the integrity of the game with his scheming and careless disregard for competitiveness. His future as a coach is not in jeopardy, so he is doing everything short of throwing games to improve his 2008 roster. Carlesimo, Iavaroni, and Wittman don't have that luxury. For the sake of justice, I hope the 2008 lottery defies probability and the Meat don't get a top-5 pick...

The Five Most Overrated Players in the NBA

All it takes is one good playoff series, a single spectacular game, even one buzzer-beater for a player to boost his status among the NBA's elite. Before long, he is being praised with the game's all-time greats and all but guaranteeing his spot in Springfield. A reputation can sometimes be a tough thing to gain, but is usually an even tougher thing to lose. Reputations, right or wrong, lead to the notion that a player is either underrated or overrated.

Both sides of the coin are often debated, but I find it more interesting to talk about why a player is overrated than why he is underrated. Without further ado, here is my list of the five most overrated players in the NBA:


5. Dwyane Wade, Heat: Some may scoff at this ranking, pointing to the NBA Championship he won after being in the league just three seasons. I've even heard such absurd comments as "Wade won a title before Lebron, so he is a better player in my book." My response: has Lebron ever played with Shaq, or any player for that matter, that was a viable scoring option? No. The Cavs have never had a better second option than a slow, soft, and certainly goofy Zydrunas Illgauskas.

One of the most frequent sights in pro sports these days

I'll admit, I was on the Wade bandwagon -- until this year. I realize Wade was struggling with injuries, but have you watched any Heat games this year? Silly me -- they are on TNT every week, so how could you not have watched them play? Without Wade, they are pitiful. With Wade, they weren't much better. When Wade hung up the sneakers for the season, the Heat had an NBA-worst 11-54 record highlighted by a stint where they went 1-26. Can you honestly imagine KG, Lebron, Kobe, or Duncan - even paired with eleven of the league's worst players - starting a season 11-54? I sure can't. In fact, I think Wade is surrounded by just as much talent as Lebron and the Cavs are 4th in the East. So why does Wade get mentioned in the same breath as the superstars I mentioned above? I rest my case.


4. Robert Horry, Spurs: I know he doesn't get a whole lot of mention during the regular season, but when the playoffs come around he is getting more publicity than the Beckhams. I swear Marv Albert is going to spontaneously combust every time he utters the phrase "Aw-ry, for three!"

I realize big names are born in the playoffs, and Horry has hit numerous game winners, but let's examine his career stats: 7.0 pts & 4.8 rebs. "Yeah, but he saves his game for the playoffs when it counts..." Horry's career playoff averages? 8.4 pts & 5.8 rebs. He shoots 42% in the regular season and 43% in the playoffs.

Those shots in the final minute have been clutch, no doubt, but what about the other 47 minutes in the game? Is he more valuable than the guys who put up 20+ during the game purely because he has a propensity for hitting the "big one" at the end? Apparently so, because I've heard more than one broadcaster plead Horry's case for the Hall of Fame. If that prophecy ever came true, he would have beat out hundreds, if not thousands, of current and former players who have contributed more to their team's success over the course of an entire 48-minute game.


3. Yao Ming, Rockets: I really hesitated on this one, because I think Yao has all the tools to be one of the most dominant forces this league has ever seen. He is 7'6", yet shoots free throws better than most guards (85%+). It's not that I think Yao has underachieved per say, I just think he has been the victim of unparalleled hype. The first player to come to the NBA from the World's most populous region, this hype was probably inevitable.

That said, he is grossly overrated. I measure a player's worth by the overall impact he has on his team's winning. Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't the Rockets played their best ball while Yao has been out of the lineup? I'm not saying he makes the team worse, I'm merely pointing out his team has continued to improve despite his absense. I hate to bring up King James again, but every time he is out of the lineup, the Cavs play miserably. Same goes for the Suns when Nash is out, and the Spurs when Duncan isn't playing. At this point, Yao is an offensive force who is incredibly injury-prone, a defensive liability, and picks up stupid fouls. Sure, he is capable of putting up 30 & 15 any given night, but does he really make the Rockets much better as a team? If this past month has shown us anything, it's that the Rockets can be an elite team -- with or without Yao.

Part of my claim that Yao is overrated stems from my beef with McGrady-haters. T-Mac has taken most of the heat for the Rockets' underachievement in the postseason, while Yao has escaped criticism for the most part. If you watched the Rockets-Jazz series last year (like I did), you saw McGrady at his best, putting up 25 pts, 7 asts, & 6 rebs per game in the series. By no means did his play lead to the Rockets' demise. The Rockets lost that series because Yao couldn't contain a smaller, quicker Carlos Boozer, giving up 35 pts and 14 rebounds to the Jazz big man in the decisive game 7 (Boozer scored 41 in game 2 of that series, as well).


2. Shawn Marion, Heat: This selection probably has a few of you scratching your heads, and I think I know why. This may be counterintuitive, but Marion is a rare player that has been called underrated so much over his career that he has actually become overrated.

Marion's pouting in Phoenix these past few years has been well-documented, as he has called himself undervalued (despite being paid $16.4M per year) and asked to have more plays called his way. Either D'Antoni totally missed the ball, or Marion just isn't the type of player you can run an offense through. I tend to believe D'Antoni in this case, as he is an offensive mastermind.

Marion will fill up the stat sheet, but he cannot create his own shot. He may be the best "garbage" player in the league, but his team will only be successful if he is surrounded by capable offensive threats and he doesn't have to be a primary option. Case in point: the Heat got no better after acquiring the Matrix and I'll bet his efficiency dips with Wade out. For this reason, I don't think he's deserving of that gaudy contract. If a player's contract is reflective of his perceived worth, I think he is one of the most overvalued players in the league.

Shane has everyone fooled...

1. Shane Battier, Rockets: I know a lot of you Dukies are going to be butt-hurt over this selection. Coach K's golden boy could never do wrong if you're a true fan of the white and blue. His heroics guided Duke to a National Title and his intellect warranted Billy Packer's bona fide man-crush during March Madness.

I know, I know, Shane is "Mr. Efficient." He's as consistent as winter rain in the Northwest. If by consistent you mean consistently mediocre, I agree. Despite playing nearly 37 mpg, he has only managed to average 9 pts and 5 rb per contest this season. For a player who's consistency and fundamentals are constantly praised, I was surpised to find he was shooting a miserable 43% from the field and a below-average 72% from the charity stripe.

It's not that Shane is a bad NBA player, it's just that he is very average. For whatever reason, though, USA Basketball (mainly Coach K) felt inclined to include him on the National Team. I know that the staff is looking for the best "team," not necessarily the best "players." Using that criteria, what makes Battier a better fit than Ime Udoka or Luke Walton? Because he is Shane Battier, "Mr. Efficient," "Mr. Intangibles," or whatever other adorable nickname he earned in college.

In my opinion, Shane Battier has been a bigger beneficiary of his past reputation than any other player in the league. The fact that he was asked to represent our country as one of our best fifteen players is reason enough to call him the most overrated player in the game.



Disagree with any of these opinions? If so, leave some feedback... maybe even your own list of the league's most overrated players.

Sonics' moving East makes perfect sense

Sonics' ownership finally reached a preliminary agreement to lease an arena in Oklahoma City. I guess the writing was on the wall. The franchise has been going downhill - fast - ever since the Glove left town. There was that feel-good year when Shard and RayRay won a playoff series a few seasons back, but the storybook closed as soon as McMillan took his underrated schemes 200 miles south on I-5.

When Clay Bennett took ownership of the club, he said all the right things to keep hometown fans on his side. He even went so far as to unveil an arena proposal that would have kept the team in Seattle. But did anyone really believe him? Bennett is an Oklahoma City native, and he came over just after the Hornets moved back to New Orleans. Seattle was on the verge of relocation when he arrived -- so why would he choose the Sonics as a purchase target if he didn't want to take them to OKC?

Now Bennett has exactly what he wanted all along -- a crop of young talent, a ton of cap room on the horizon, and a city's, his city's, full support as there are no other professional sports teams in town. Mr. Bennett had no problem selling the farm on the franchise and looking to the future, leaving a helpless city and its basketball fans in his wake. What does he care? It was all part of his master plan. I gotta say, the whole thing smells funny. I am a Northwest native, and the Sonics' departure leaves a basketball-shaped hole in the third largest market on the Left Coast.

I'm sorry, but the "Oklahoma City Supersonics" just doesn't have a great ring to it, either. The Space Needle can no longer be affixed to the Sonic emblem, so what will be its replacement? I searched the internet for "Oklahoma City tourist attractions," and this came up #3: http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2738793-omniplex_oklahoma_city-i;_ylt=AsDc6Xogtvf55wcLf301ghCpFmoL. Wow, #3 in the whole city? #1, you ask? A memorial to the 168 people who died in that tragic bombing in 1995. I don't want to sound cynical and I would certainly never make light of such a horrific event, but I just don't see it meeting standard protocal for NBA logos. Moreover, the Oklahoma City metropolitan area population is ~1.2M, compared to Seattle's metropolitan population of ~3.2M. I know Seattle fans have been fickle at times, but its looking more like a sentimental move than a wise business decision on the part of our boy Clay.

Alright, alright, I'll stop my griping. In fact, I'll buy this move on one condition -- the Sonics are moved to the Eastern Conference. I realize that absent a move to New England, Stern wouldn't spend his precious time re-shuffling the makeup of the conferences -- especially when he could be spending that time face down at a beach in Cancun (have you seen that glorious tan?). Just hear me out, though, as I think my proposal makes logical sense.

Seattle/Oklahoma City, Minnesota, and Memphis should play in the East with the rest of the NBA's JV squads. This would improve greatly improve these franchises' chances to be competitive. It would also spare us West Coast fans the frequent matchups with these miserable opponents. To further brighten the line between the two conferences, Boston, Detroit, and Cleveland should play in the West. After all, these are the only three teams that could compete this year in a crowded Western Conference.

Please, spare me your Orlando Magic sentiments. The Magic, an astounding 31-11 in the East, are a pedestrian 14-13 against Western Conference opponents. They will finish 3rd in the East but it would be an uphill battle for them to make the playoffs in the West. To put things into perspective, Phoenix is #5 in the West and has a 22-4 record against the East this year. As far as overall records go, Portland is #10 in the West but would be #5 in the East.

The stats don't lie: the East is absolute garbage this season. Since a two-tiered system will never be employed, at least spare the West's worst from further embarrassment and give them a fighting chance in the East. Give the East powers some real competition night-in and night-out by moving them to the West. The two conferences could have their own playoff systems, and the winner in the East could score a best-of-seven series against the champions of the D-League.

I'll keep dreaming...