As we all know, Sunday at 9 PM is the premiere of Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks on ESPN, exploring “how Miller proudly built his legend as “The Garden’s Greatest Villain.”

ESPN has updated the schedule for the next few months, which will feature a lot more basketball-related films:

• April 3, 4 PM (ABC): Guru of Go, “a fast-paced and emotionally moving story of innovation, triumph and tragedy” about Paul Westhead’s pursuit to perfect the non-stop run-and-gun offense with Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble.
• April 13, 8 PM: No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson, “a look at the still-disputed [brawl while Iverson was in high school] and examine its impact on Iverson and the shared community.”
• June 16, 10 PM: June 17, 1994, which weaves together six events in sporting history, which includes O.J. Simpson’s car chase and Patrick Ewing’s pursuit of a “long evasive championship.”

I glanced at ESPN.com and found this very interesting article. In it, Ray Allen points out the obvious (at least for me) that the voting in the All-Star game needs to be changed. Perhaps not radically, but a change is definitely needed. How can both Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady both be starters for their respective squads? Neither has been anywhere near productive, let alone All-Star caliber. And McGrady hasn’t even played in 5 games yet has a slight edge over Steve Nash, who is a more than legitimate MVP candidate.

I am not too foolish to not see Larry Brown’s point in this case. If this is indeed AI’s last season then I totally believe he should be in the All-Star game. That is not the point. It would just be nice to see a deserving player be rewarded instead of the fan favorite all the time.

Is Ray Allen not one of the top 3 ambassadors for the NBA right now along with Nash and Tim Duncan? Who else would you want to represent your league other than those guys? LeBron may be well-spoken and put together, but he is no Ray Allen. Kobe comes close, but again, he is no Ray.

My favorite thing about this is that Ray has no selfish alternative reason to get involved in this dispute. He certainly wouldn’t gain an All-Star appearance if it were left up to the coaches and players, right? So then he is just doing this because he feels passionate about this subject for no other reason other than it is clearly the incorrect way of doing things. This isn’t a social injustice or anything bordering on serious, but it does matter for a select group of people, so it does have some weight. Especially for those of us who care about who is and who isn’t an All-Star.

As the Gilbert Arenas saga evolves from comedy to tragedy, a familiar topic is once again linked to the NBA. The ever present Hip-Hop culture once again surfaces as a catch all for the actions of Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton. Somewhere along the line David Stern and other league executives decided to marry the NBA to hip-hop and, but clearly they didn’t know what they were getting themselves into.

Given recent player actions, it seems as though the dark side of hip-hop has also managed to infiltrate the league. With its “bling-bling” gaudiness and “I gotta get paid” ruthlessness, this culture isn’t exactly synonymous with the average NBA fan. To the NBA’s credit, welcoming the music of Will Smith and L.L Cool J is a terrific marketing move, one certain to help the league resonate with younger fans. However, when welcoming the mainstream side of hip-hop, the NBA also opened the door for violence, drug-abuse, gang related sub-culture, and other misnomers of traditional thug life personified by players such as Allen Iverson. When he entered the league, Iverson was the poster boy for this thug life ruthlessness; he was a walking middle finger pointed directly at David Stern and his efforts to improve the image of the league.

While it may seem like nonsense to most, all of this is relevant because this is where NBA players live. The majority of NBA players do not grow up in middle class suburbs; they are raised in the gang infested neighborhoods of inner city America. It should come as no surprise to a true NBA junkie that Gilbert Arenas thought it was okay to carry his guns in the Wizards locker room. Those familiar with the ilk of hip-hop culture will understand why Javaris Crittenton thought it was okay to wave a loaded handgun in Arenas face, or even why Ron Artest thought it was okay to head into the stands whit his fists closed, looking to pummel a fan.

NBA players who live the hip-hop life live a life predicated on getting respect at any cost. This includes waving a loaded firearm in a teammates’ face or going after a fan in the stands, simply because somebody disrespected you.

It should be noted though that the NBA never intended for this side of hip-hop to permeate the league. However, all fans are aware of the increased presence of this “street-code” within the game of basketball. Surely, David Stern and other league executives aren’t well versed in the culture of “Stuntin” or “Ridin’ Dirty.” Then again, maybe they are. Can’t you see Commissioner Stern driving to his office in a 73’ Impala, windows rolled down, NWA’s “Fuck The Police” blasting through the stereo, yeah, neither can I. More importantly though, this sub-culture is alienating casual fans from the game.

The Commish: Ridin Dirty

It is increasingly difficult for fans to relate to players like Vince Carter, who, in 2004, was banned from wearing headphones during warm-ups. The inference from Carter is that he wants to block out the fans, and his teammates, right until the opening tip. Or take Latrell Sprewell for example; who foolishly indicated that he would need more that $10 million a year to “feed his family.” Are you serious?

Fans, for their $80 tickets, would at least like to know that the players are interested in being there, interested in connecting with the folks who make it possible for them to coast through their adult lives. How are fans supposed to connect with the sleepy-eyed Tracy McGrady, who looks and sounds like he would rather be at his palatial Houston home in bed? (Trust me, the place is huge, I played golf at the Country Club right directly behind his house.)

The story surrounding Arenas and Crittenton, and the past actions of players such as Artest and Sprewell suggest a lack of professionalism associated with players preoccupied with the “thug life.”

It would be unfair to discuss this issue without noting that, for many of these players, this is the life that they know. Many players who grow up in inner city housing projects witness gang violence first hand. Take a moment to examine the childhood of players such as Lamar Odom, Carmelo Anthony, and even Gilbert Arenas; these are men who grew up with nothing, who grew up with no direction. These men grow up without mothers and fathers and like so many other inner city youth, succumb to dealing drugs or joining a gang just to survive. (Odom, whose father was a heroin addict, lost his mother to colon cancer at age 12. He credits his grandmother for keeping him out of trouble as a boy in his Queens neighborhood.)

Upon entering the league, no real efforts are made to remove gang culture from these players’ lives. Sure, we have a dress code, a code of conduct, and a rookie symposium, but even so, this gang culture never disappears. Other than these few things, efforts to brandish gang culture from the NBA have been futile. In my opinion, a greater effort needs to be made to educate players about professional conduct and the expectations associated with playing professional basketball. Perhaps a more comprehensive rookie symposium that lasts for the duration of a players’ rookie season would help. It is, at the end of the day, a privilege to play in the NBA, not a right.

I have given much of my recent thoughts to the concept of athletes aging, and usually not aging well. It is a stark reminder that greatness is fleeting and quickly replaced by more greatness in a newer and flashy form. Athletes can’t age like normal people, at least not in the realm of sports (not in their personal lives, only on the playing surface/field). They age like milk: it is great and delicious and satisfying until one day it has a nauseous smell and an even worst taste.

The example that hits closest to home is Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq is one of the most dominant players of all time and certainly the most dominant big man of his generation. His sheer girth has enabled him to be one of the four best centers of All-Time along with his freakish athleticism that should not correspond with such a gigantic man.

But, on his fifth team in his illustrious career, Shaq has become an afterthought, not only for the national media but also for his own team. It seems that Mike Brown is all too willing to sit down the big fella in favor of the lineup that notched 66 wins last season. I feel that on more than one occasion Shaq has gone to the bench midway through the first quarter and has not reentered the game until well into the second quarter.

What? This scenario seemed unimaginable 5 years ago. Shaq, an unstoppable monster who could back down any opponent anytime he wanted, being subbed out of a game for sustained stretches without foul trouble. Unbelievable. But it has happened and Shaq has gone from great to a slightly above average center in the blink of an eye.

He has been on the decline for a while now, starting probably when he was still with the Lakers and continuing to increase during his stints in South Beach and the desert. Still, with Miami he was still the best center in the league and with Phoenix, while he wrecked that team and destroyed the Suns’ chances for two seasons, he was still very good, or at least put up good numbers.

But the downturn has become even more noticeable than it was before. He isn’t in very good shape, although he has always had a problem with his work ethic during the offseason, which is part of the reason that he hasn’t won more regular season MVP’s and perhaps bolstered his claim as one of the best centers of all time. He never really developed an offensive game that he could rely on when his body started to fail him and his free throw shooting is laughable as always.

He has become little more than a body at this point. Cleveland brought in the Diesel to be precisely that: someone who can absorb space. Cleveland made a reactionary move because of their dramatic loss to Orlando in the Eastern Conference Finals last year. They had nobody who could match up with Dwight Howard, which allowed Orlando to use the snipers to drain threes while upsetting the heavily favored Cavaliers.

I suppose the benefits of this move could also be stretched if the Cavaliers ever meet up with the Lakers in the postseason. It has already paid dividends this season with the Cavaliers beating both teams. But what about the other 27 teams in the league? How does this move help? The Cavs didn’t trade for the old Shaq; they traded for an old Shaq. He can’t take games over anymore. He is at best a role player and at worst a flat tire that the Cavaliers must play with in order to satisfy his ego, which he has earned with a Hall of Fame résumé.

The Cavs took a huge risk by acquiring Shaq. Sure, against Orlando and LA he could be beneficial, though I think Phil Jackson can devise some scheme to exploit Shaq. But what about the other teams in the league? He only slows down Cleveland’s offense, which isn’t spectacular to begin with. His defense is okay, better than Z I suppose. How does this make Cleveland better against a young and athletic Hawks team or a deep and aging Celtics team? I don’t know and we wont know until the playoffs.

The other player is obvious: Allen Iverson. Iverson has fallen off a steep cliff in the past year and a half. He, like Shaq, was never a player who was in very good shape and it seems to have caught up with him, as he has gotten older.

He has lost a very visible step, perhaps two. All of those years mixing it up in the paint with the giants seem to have caught up with The Answer. I was fooled into believing that Iverson could still drop the occasional 30-point game on an unexpecting defense.  I was wrong, very wrong.

Denver realized his slowing last year and stole Chauncey Billups from Detroit. Then Detroit realized that Iverson was no longer the same Iverson. Then came last summer when nobody snatched up Iverson, leaving him to do his own marketing for teams and finally settling for Memphis. Memphis had a lot of young players who need time to develop, time Iverson didn’t want to sacrifice.

As a result, Iverson quit only to be rescued by the franchise he carried on his shoulders for a decade, leading them to the Finals early in the 2000s. Iverson didn’t hit a wall; he ran into it full force and is still suffering from concussion like symptoms. He went from an all-world scorer into a debatable starter for a mediocre at best team.

It’s sad for me to see these once great players fall from grace and become shells of their former selves. Perhaps it is really sad because this is the same fate that is destined for all of today’s superstars. Nobody is free from this downfall unless they acknowledge their own playing mortality and walk away before it is too late. Nobody wants to have the same end that Willie Mays had. Michael Jordan, the greatest of all time, wasn’t immune to the natural decay that happens when you age, so why would anybody else be?

I have a few thoughts to share about the Spurs, the Celtics, Allen Iverson, and maybe some Real World/Road Rules Challenge if I feel up to it.

I will start with Iverson because, well, why not? It isn’t technically “news” anymore, but Iverson inked a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, with whom he made his Hall-of-Fame case and MVP-worthy status seemingly forever ago. That dynamic will be interesting, but not as much as the events that preceded it.

Iverson, in a matter of weeks, went from being the bellyaching selfish player who couldn’t recognize his own basketball skill mortality to being the kid that nobody else would let play in the sandbox. I am still not sure how he managed to pull this maneuver off, although I am glad he did (probably had something to do with Larry Brown being on his side).

He has become this sympathetic character who desires only to play basketball and to win games, something that nobody could disagree with. When he retired, although I can’t think of one logical person who believed he would stay that way, the typical highlight reels were played on SportsCenter and the sports world remembered exactly what made Allen so great.

I became nostalgic, as did most NBA fans that tuned in anytime after 1996, and longed for Allen to come back and cement his legacy. This isn’t exactly what I had in mind seeing as how the 76ers aren’t on any radar screen right now; however, it is a tremendous runner up.

Now Allen can finish his career where he belongs, in a city that will cherish his remaining minutes on the court and appreciate the tremendous impact that he has made, not only in Philadelphia, but also around the league. That is, as long as he doesn’t have to come off of the bench.

The 76ers have to start Iverson, right? He is certainly a better scorer than Williams at this point and they serve primarily the same function of scoring point guard. He comes to a team with already defined roles, well, I am not sure what exactly Elton Brand’s role is anymore with Eddie Jordan preferring to rest the big man down the stretch. Still, he can come in and contribute to a team that needs Allen as much as he needs them.

Speaking of the 76ers, I underestimated the impact of Andre Miller on the teams he plays on. He isn’t going to be a Baron Davis type of scoring threat or as flashy as Nash or Paul, but he is as solid as they come. Without him, the 76ers are nowhere near as capable (although they did have to deal with injuries), and the Blazers are a far better defensive team.

Okay, on to the next one: the San Antonio Spurs. I watched the Spurs and Celtics game last night while studying for exams and a few things struck me. The first of which is that I must have overestimated Richard Jefferson as much as I underestimated Andre Miller. I managed to forget the impact of age and wear and tear on a player after they have spent around a decade in the league. I thought that Jefferson could breath some new life into the aging Spurs and be a more productive Bruce Bowen.

Well, so far, I have been wrong about that. He hasn’t been a tremendous defensive player and he has resorted to shooting threes more often than driving. There is nothing wrong with playing that way, it worked for Bowen and the Spurs, however, he isn’t as good as I thought he was. Now, this can all be turned around by a winning streak of 8-10 games which is nothing less than typical for a Popovich coached Spurs team.

The Celtics were clearly the superior team last night, at least from what I saw. Kevin Garnett had one of his good days and his knee seemed to hold up nicely. If the Celtics are going to contend late in the year they will pray that Garnett’s knee doesn’t become troublesome down the road. Anyway, he played with his usual fire and passion and displayed that outside shooting touch that made him impossible to defend when he was an upstart in Minnesota.

Now this has become trite at this point, but Garnett single-handedly impacts this defense more than just about any other player in the league (for me it’s a toss up between KG and Howard just because of the fear he puts into players when they think about driving into the lane). He makes everyone around him better and brings the intensity that you need in order to play great defense.

Also, Ray Allen is probably the most eloquent speaker that I have seen on the basketball sidelines this year (including Stan Van Gundy). He acts like he plays: smooth, calm, collected, introspective, and you never doubt for a moment that he is going to deliver. Long live Jesus Shuttlesworth.

Also, when Matt Bonner matched up with Brian Scalabrine I thought that my TV was going to explode. Not only are these two white NBA basketball players who aren’t exactly sculpted, but also they each sport the fire hair. I couldn’t believe what my eyes were telling me to be the truth. A matchup like that doesn’t happen too often, kind of like a solar eclipse in both rarity and magnitude.

And I feel really dumb and shallow about this, but I can’t stand Kendrick Perkins. I mean, I love his play and think that he has developed into a worthy starting center that plays tremendous defense against some of the best in the league, but there is something about him that irks me beyond all comprehension. I think it is his King Tut beard that he is trying to grow, sort of like Rashard Lewis only not as suave. Plus, he just looks angry all the time, when really, he has no reason to be. If he would just shave that chin music then I would love to watch Perkins play at all times.

This is where the Real World/Road Rules challenge stuff would go, but I don’t have the energy to delve into the dilemma on the Champions team. However, I am so glad that Casey was finally sent home and I am really rooting for the Challengers to overthrow the Champions, even though I know that this is a hope beyond all hopes.

Two Future HOF's Right Here.

The Champ gives his thoughts on the game on a restful Thursday evening.

1st Half:

Just thought we’d start off with an inspirational quote from a great player.

Boston puts up eight unanswered points to lead 10-4.

The Champ thinks the Spurs need this win more than the Celts.

Hey remember this?

Richard Jefferson is called for the travel on a fast break. Good call from the refs. I bet the Nets would want him now.

So Rajon Rondo thinks he can beat my man Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans in a race? No way, I don’t even know where Rondo gets these ideas. Sure the NBA is based on quickness, and Rondo is a quick player, but I don’t think he understands how much speed plays into the game of professional football.

Kevin Garnett is really good. The man plays with passion, any person who contends there is no heart in professional basketball hasn’t seen Garnett play. When football players and baseball players win Super Bowls and World Series they pop champagne and celebrate. Basketball players openly weep, don’t give me there’s no heart.

Tony Parker to Richard Jefferson what a pass!

Rasheed Wallace leads the league in technicals, what a surprise.

Reggie Miller on AI: contrite, thoughtful, and thankful.

I love the Ginobili/Allen matchup, two great number 20s.

Michael Finley had a beautiful move to the basket.

Garnett makes a shot to lead 34-29.

Ginobili behind the back and scores! SA still down by ten.

The Paints Dudes must attend to other matters, sorry readers but we hope you enjoy our first half analysis.

I watched the Oklahoma City Thunder and Milwaukee Bucks and it got me thinking about Kevin Durant. Then I thought about LeBron James and how they will ultimately be judged at the end of their careers.

The part of their career’s that will be most scrutinized will be the number of championships they win, if any at all. Is that the fairest objective measure of greatness relative to another player?

I bring this up mainly because I am tired of players being judged solely on the basis of whether or not they won a championship. Well, I shouldn’t say that is always the case. What I am really tired of is having Robert Horry mentioned whenever someone mentions how many championships so-and-so has. Great, he won 7 championships as, at best, a role player next to some truly great players (Kobe, Shaq, Duncan, Olajuwon to name a few).

That is not meant to diminish his accomplishments, he was a critical cog to the teams that won the championships, but was not the unmoved mover of any of those teams. He was like, as are most role players, the second hand on a clock. Sure, it makes the clock easier to read and is a welcome addition, but without it the clock would still operate.

So, I would use championships to delineate the delicate differences between the truly great players in a generation. In that way, you can accurately compare the relative greatness of one player versus another great player. Michael Jordan is the obvious example, as he usually is regardless of topic.

Michael Jordan dominated the 90’s whenever he wasn’t preoccupied with fulfilling childhood fantasies on the baseball diamond. Jordan went against some great competition during his time, defeating them and proving his position as greatest of all time. Jordan won 6 championships during the decade against a Magic led Lakers team, a Clyde Drexler led Blazers team, a Barkley led Phoenix team, a great and in shape Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton Sonics team, and against Karl Malone and John Stockton Jazz team twice. Talk about great competition.

However, Jordan wasn’t the greatest only because he was the best player on a team that won 6 championships, although it was his drive to win those championships that indeed made him the greatest. To assume that his championships were the only judgmental factor is inherently wrong. If championships were the only judge of a great player then Charles Barkley was a failure, as were Malone and Stockton. Obviously, this is not the case. (Kemp is another matter)

So what role do championships play at the end of a career? I would say fairly confidently that they are used more to cement a legacy than create one. Of course, some greatness is spawned from Finals appearances and the career grows from there (Wade is the closest example I can conjure, although he was fantastic before the Finals).

I would put it this way: would Karl Malone be the greatest power forward ever over Tim Duncan had he won even one championship?

What happens to Allen Iverson if he truly is retired and he never won that illusive championship? His lack of a championship defines him as a player almost as much as his scoring average does. He will be seen as one of the greatest scorers of all time but was too concerned with his own scoring to win a championship. The validity of that thought is questionable, had he kept capable teammates like Stackhouse who knows what kind of passer he may have developed into. Still, he is widely viewed as a selfish player who would rather play 1-on-5 than a purely team game.

Had he won a championship, where would he rank among the greats of the game? He would be considerably higher than he is right now. He had his chance against the Lakers back in 2001, although he had no help (no disrespect to Eric Snow, Dikembe Mutumbo, or Aaron McKie). A championship would have meant he was so great as an individual that he carried his team to a stratosphere it had no business being in.

Back to the original topic: Kevin Durant and LeBron James. I have already discussed this topic previously when the idea that Kevin Durant could end up being better than LeBron when all is said and done.

The only way I could see Durant elevating himself above James would be for Durant to win more championships than James, a lot more. James has all the physical tools you could wish for, while Durant is somewhat physically deficient absent his height and length.

LeBron is in essence a bulldozer who uses his considerable strength to bully his way into the paint and muscles the basketball in. Durant plays the finesse game, relying on his innate ability to find the bottom of the basket with almost any shot to succeed.

However, since all-time greatness is determined more by the rings on your fingers than anything else, this matchup will be determined by how many championships they win. This is entirely speculative, but I can easily envision Durant winning multiple championships. The team that the Thunder has surrounded him with is young, athletic, and above all else, extremely talented.

For the next decade or so, they could have a lineup that already has its starting 1-4 set with tremendous talents. How many other teams can say that at this juncture?

LeBron’s future is cluttered by much more uncertainty. Without any word on his future destination, you can’t know whether he plans to stay in Cleveland or start out somewhere new beyond this season. Almost anywhere he goes, if he decides to leave Cleveland, will be a work in progress, unless he really likes the Clippers or decides to go to another team with a superstar in place (Lakers? Heat?). So, with unsteady terms regarding his future, his championship possibilities are not as clear-cut. Of course, he is on a team that can contend right now, and a championship on his end settles this debate for the foreseeable future. Still, it is an interesting discussion.

Playoffs?

1. Los Angeles Lakers: OK, an early home schedule is good and all, and Pau Gasol is back and doing work, and everythings clicking. But, there is no but, the Lakers are the number one team in the league. However, I’m not sure Kobe’s increased scoring is a good sign or not.

2. Atlanta Hawks: Disclaimer: Yes I am writing this after watching their cold effort in their falling to the Orlando Magic, at home. But coming into Monday this team was still on fire, yes they deserve to be here now. Next week? watch out.

3. Denver Nuggets: Coming into the season I was concerned about Denver. Yes, drafting Ty Lawson is a HUGE plus, but they made no offseason moves to improve the team. But then, Carmello Anthony stepped up, he finally is dishing out points and rebounds like a true superstar. Tracking Anthony’s development at a recent trip to the pool really sold me on the Nuggets, they’ve come a long way. They had Allen Iverson around this time last year.

4. Phoenix Suns: Have the Suns winning become bland again? reference my analysis last week because nothing has changed for Steve Nash, Amare Stoudamire and Company.

5. Orlando Magic: Vince Carter takes bad shots. Sometimes. Now Dwight Howard’s lobbying Stan Van to ease up. They aren’t exactly dominating the league. Tough loss to Miami, questionable call? Don’t ask Pietrus.

6. Cleveland Cavaliers: My Cavs are doing alright. Not dominating, not losing. I also feel LeBron has not exactly turned it on yet. The win against Orlando was the most intense of the season, compared to the lackadaisical effort, a win at least, against the Pistons. The Shaq injury does hurt the depth of the team. And JJ Hickson, well expect a bromance post pretty soon from the Champ.

7. Boston Celtics: When did the Celts get so cold? Now theyre barely beating teams like Philly, Minnesota, and New Jersey. OK. No real significant injury problems. Is Iverson the answer? reference Stephon Marbury.

8. Dallas Mavericks: What’s up with past MVP’s having great seasons? Dirk, Steve Nash, Hey even AI’s back in the news. Oh well, the Mavs look alright I guess. West elite? no. Top Four seed? yes.

9. Portland Trailblazers: The three guard combo of Blake, Miller, and Roy was interesting, but maybe the Blazers weren’t as potent. Although I feel that might be a good matchup issue in the playoffs so giving those three guys time on the floor together is a good thing in my eyes. Greg Oden’s coming around too, good for him.

10. Milwaukee Bucks: OK, the Bucks can stay. Brandon Jennings.

(thats all I have to say about the Bucks)

Missing from Last Week:

Miami Heat: Wait until next week. The win over Orlando was huge, and the Champ, maybe just a little bit is starting to finally be won over by Michael Beasley, not for the game winning dunk though, although that helped a little bit.

Okay, so I watched bits and pieces of the Cavaliers and Wizards game when I wasn’t watching Modern Family (Wednesday nights at 9:00 PM on ABC) and I wasn’t really impressed. That is in general and on an individual basis for players on either team, except for Antawn Jamison. And Mike Miller. And the incredible Earl Boykins, but not for the same reason as the other two gentlemen.

First of all, the Cavs have had a problem for a while now, dating back to their series with the Magic, of not remembering that the game is 60 minutes long and doesn’t end until the final buzzer sounds. That may seem a little Madden-esque in its obviousness, but the Cavs can’t seem to put good to great teams away after earning a lead.

The reason why the Cavs lost last night could be attributed to many factors, facing a team with more glaring talent not among them. What I felt was the deciding factor is that Cleveland was outhustled by a Wizards team that needed a victory more than the Cavaliers did. The Wizards outrebounded the Cavaliers 49-35, and 16-6 on the offensive boards.

And there are even reasons for this lopsided rebounding total that can be excused by some on the Cleveland side. The Cavs played without Shaq, who despite his lost talents is still a big body that can sway a rebounding battle, especially with Brendan Haywood. Along with that, energy boost and all around hustler Anderson Varejao was noticeably absent from the Cavaliers.

It is very true when anyone says “you don’t know what you got until its gone”. A player’s value is most noticeable when he is no longer there. It happens all the time to any team that trades a significant player, and is most glaring when it is a midseason move. Remember the Chauncey Billups/Allen Iverson swap? Of course you do, who doesn’t? Billups was the wheels for the Detroit vehicle; he allowed it to flow smoothly and without much interruption. He was the distributer and leader of a team of veterans that lost focus after he left.

I could even notice it with Rashard Lewis being absent from the Magic’s first ten games where his excellent three-point shooting at the power forward position was glaringly absent and teams played the Magic like a standard team with Brandon Bass in the paint.

What does this mean for Cleveland? It means nothing as long as LeBron’s injury isn’t serious enough for him to miss major playing time. The Wizards and Cavaliers will see each other at least two more times, and nobody would be surprised if they met up in the playoffs and rekindled some of that magic from yesteryear. However, a fully healthy Cavaliers team should beat a fully healthy Wizards team more often than not, unless Gilbert can become near superhuman as he has in the too distant past for my liking.

How could I not have spoken about the most recent uprising that Allen Iverson is leading yet? To me, it is the best thing for Allen to do, even though it is some extremely childish behavior (if you don’t give me what I want, I will pout and make it miserable for everyone). Going to New York wont solve his problems, unless his only true problem is he wants to start again.

I thought at this point that Iverson would have seen that the end is drawing near and he should try and cement his legacy in the league by being on a contender once again. But, Iverson has always been the bronco that was impossible to break. You can think that you finally had the saddle on him and were calmly riding him around the ranch when he bucks you 15 feet into the sky only to have you crashing down on your fragile skull.

I thought that the Bobcats are the ideal situation for Iverson until they traded for Stephen Jackson, almost assuring no Iverson and Brown reunion. I don’t understand the Bobcats yet, but I hopefully will eventually. They are going through so much player turnover to try and find an identity that can bring more victories than headaches; maybe Jackson is that piece that can steady the ship.

He assuredly brings some much needed scoring and the Bobcats traded away Raja Bell who is having wrist surgery and Vladimir Radmanovic who didn’t play that often for Charlotte anyway. So I would say that is a net positive for the Bobcats if they can play Jackson at the 2, Gerald Wallace (the human tornado) at the 3 (or visa versa), then they could have some solid scoring potential from their wing players.

I have a Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins episode recap if you want one, and we all know you do. Here it is:

Jack Daniels leads to an angry and drunk Brad who takes it out on his female teammates at first. Then, in a foolish and life-threatening move, Brad focuses his drunken rage onto Darrell Taylor, a muscular black man who was a boxer for 8 years and had a bit to drink himself.

Brad, not realizing the physical harm that could be inflicted, provoked Darrell, sending Darrell into a blind rage where he took Brad to the ground and punched him in the face multiple times. The results were twofold: first, Brad’s eye swelled up and made him resemble the elephant man, the second was both Darrell and Brad were kicked off, leaving the Challengers with only one male competitor left (Dunbar).

Then, Kelly Anne, who is someone who you can watch easily with the volume muted, started arguing with Dunbar because she heard that he was bragging about, uh, having relations with her. Dunbar denied ever proclaiming such heroics, but Kelly Anne insisted and really messed with the little team chemistry that remained.

The actual challenge was not all that exciting; they traversed hanging fences a couple hundred feet in the air. No big deal, the champions won, as always. So the champions sent in Katie to face Kimberly (the secret racist who doesn’t know any better) and they sent in Johnny Bananas (not his real last name, just a nickname) to face Dunbar, the lone male on the challengers. The episode ending with a “to be continued”, which is always disappointing and frustrating since I devoted an hour of my night to see who gets kicked off.

I really hope that the teams are mixed up better next season. For a couple of seasons now, one team dominates, which is not fun. You wouldn’t want to watch a Yankees-Royals series for 3 straight months would you? Next season they are doing a rehashing of “Fresh Meat”, which introduced us to the lovely, Evan, Kenny, Evelyn, Diem, and Casey.

I didn’t like “Fresh Meat” and I am not fond of them doing it again, unless they can’t secure enough former cast members to come back. There really is no difference between these newcomers and the former casts of the Real World or Road Rules; they all want fame and attention but don’t want to do much other than work on their bodies and get paid for it. Still, it’s the principle of the matter.

Onto a more ridiculous topic: the Cleveland Browns. Firing Eric Mangini before the season is over is a bad idea. It won’t turn the team around this season and leaves the team without an identifiable leader. Perhaps though, they could replicate the 49ers last season, which fired Mike Nolan and replaced him with Mike Singletary, who seems to be a good fit with that young team. Who would replace Mangini though? My best guess would be Rob Ryan, twin brother of Jets head coach Rex. He brings fire and enthusiasm, things Mangini seems to be purposefully eliminating from his memory bank.

And to my beloved Brady Quinn, who by all accounts last week, sucked. I can even admit that he did not play well at all. However, his two interceptions bounced off of receivers’ hands, which is in part his fault for not timing the throws better or putting them in a better spot. However, Steve Young, who knows a little bit about playing quarterback, said that not even Peyton Manning or Tom Brady could succeed with the talent level around Quinn (and for that matter Anderson).

The Browns have young offensive talent who may not be as good as some presumed them to be. And those players who could make plays last year were removed by Mangini as an attempt to establish dominance, which seems to me to be inherent with the position of head coach but whatever. Plus, the Browns were facing a Ravens team that was embarrassed and angry about their performance in the previous weeks leading up to the matchup.

All I am saying is that the Browns, and specifically Quinn, had no chance of succeeding. And another thing, everyone who is complaining about the throws during the last couple of seconds during the game that sailed out of bounds should shut up. Did that change the outcome of the game or were they meaningless attempts that were more symbolic than consequential? Sure, I would have liked to see the receiver have an opportunity to make a play, but Cribbs (the target) was triple covered with no hope of success. There were a lot of things to pick apart in Quinn’s game on Monday, but that should not be one of them.

I am starting to believe that Quinn will never be able to succeed in Cleveland, especially not with this coaching regime that removed all confidence he had in them when they benched him. Perhaps a change in scenery is the only way the Quinn can start over and become the quarterback a lot of people thought that he could be.

Seriously though, and I have said this before, Quinn is not the type of quarterback that can succeed with average talent around him. He needs a playmaker to find the openings in the defense. He needs someone who can turn a 5-yard catch into a 20-yard explosion. Or he needs an incredibly great safety valve that he can dump the ball to when in trouble (like he had in Kellen Winslow before Mangini removed him).

Oh, and one more thing. It boggles my mind that the Browns have not given Josh Cribbs the money he not only deserves, but is continuing to earn. He is the only reason the watch Browns games right now, he works hard on special teams (returning and covering), and he has done everything that is asked of him. Yet, the Browns have yet to figure out that it would be a good idea, no, great idea to resign him and give him a lot of money.

Okay, so it’s been a while. I have been inundated with schoolwork and in fact I should be working on it right now. However, you, the people, require near daily basketball interpretation and/or cool/funny pictures. So, hopefully I will provide a little of both.

The first issue that has been running through my mind like Usain Bolt on a coke binge is the whole Allen Iverson, uh, thing. I am very opinionated about the whole thing, I have written about it multiple times. My fundamental view is that Iverson signing with the Grizzlies was a bad idea, not necessarily basketball wise, but personality wise. He doesn’t have that type of personality that will bow out gracefully, recognizing his flaws and adapting to the situation. I have always felt that the right move for Iverson was to go to the Charlotte Bobcats and rejoin Larry Brown. That way, he could possibly start and be the focal point of an offense that needs scoring. Instead he is stuck as a reserve on a Memphis team that is ripe with infighting and futility. Lets put it this way: it’s so bad that Zach Randolph is the best-behaved player on the team.

The Grizzlies as a whole are a mess (OJ Mayo and Rudy Gay got into it with each other, 2^nd overall pick Hasheem Thabeet breaks his jaw, and now Iverson is just gone from the team). The fact that Iverson is rumored to be pondering retirement speaks volumes about the man that Iverson was and is. He is a stubborn, but great, player who made no apologies for the way he carried himself on and off the court. He is the savior and the destroyer of the post-Jordan era of the NBA, the man who either inspired love or absolute hatred for his new age style of basketball and clothing.

The thing that really highlights what separates Iverson from his peers happened very recently. Iverson is relegated to the bench, which he knew before he signed with the lowly Memphis Grizzlies, and bellyaches to the media and hints at possible retirement. Rasheed Wallace, who like Iverson has seen his minutes and play diminish in recent years, has realized his own basketball mortality and accepted a lesser role for a chance to be on a potentially great team. Even the immortal Vince Carter just sat on the bench after missing warm-ups because he didn’t feel he had a complete grip on the scheme. He sacrificed his own ego because he felt that he and his team would be better served if he came off the bench. Iverson would never do that. Then again, it shows why and how Iverson won an MVP and Carter has not. Iverson has the mentality that the best chance his team has is if he wins the game, he has a giant ego, one that enables him to keep chucking up balls even though he struggles to sink half.

It is obvious that if Iverson isn’t committed to sacrificing playing time and his ego for the betterment of the Grizzlies, this little chemistry experiment will fail miserably. But what happens next for Allen? Is retirement really an option for this man, even without a title to add to his resume? I don’t know Iverson so I really can’t say, but I can’t envision him being satisfied with this less than storybook ending to such an illustrious and controversial career. One Michael Wilbon has suggested that Allen Iverson could go to the Cleveland Cavaliers and be the remedy to the struggling team.

Okay, lets break this thing down for a second. The Cavaliers have not had the same magic they had last year, and I feel part of that is Delonte West being absent or not entirely in the game plan. If this is a long-term problem, the Cavs will need to fill that void with a slashing and scoring 2. Is Iverson that piece? I can’t say that the Cavs would be better with him instead of a player like Stephen Jackson. And I am yet to be convinced that Mike Brown is the type of coach who can handle an Allen Iverson personality.

It seems to me that Mike Brown is only in Cleveland as so long as LeBron James is comfortable with his presence. Don’t get me wrong, I like Mike Brown as a person and think he has done tremendous things with the Cavaliers’ defense over the past couple of seasons. However, those aren’t the traits that scream true leader, a la Gregg Popovich, his former boss. Not that he can’t blossom into that type of coach; the supernova that is LeBron currently limits him. LeBron is the alpha dog in Cleveland and will be until he leaves or retires, so that leaves Brown to always be second in command despite his position as coach.

Basically, I don’t think it would work, and in addition I don’t think it will happen.

In the theme of uncertain transitions, lets talk about Brandon Jennings. Only a few games into the rookie’s very first season, he has already been proclaimed as a success and his time in Europe was very beneficial. All I can say is hold on for a while, let the kid breathe and play out more than a month of his career before we crown him the next big thing.

It wasn’t that long ago that he was the poster boy for bad decisions. He was struggling in Europe after skipping his potential college year before leaping to the professional ranks and seemingly everyone used him as the worst-case scenario for the David Stern policy of setting an age limit for the draft. Now, because he explodes for a couple of games, his time in Europe is viewed as a terrific learning experience where he played with better players than he could have in college, and subsequently learned far more than he ever could have if he followed protocol.

Now this is of recent interest because another player followed the Jennings route, only more radical.  That man is Jeremy Tyler, who has been called by his coach “fat” and “lazy”. He is going through similar things that Jennings went through, only Jennings probably was never ridiculed for his cankles. He is already being labeled a bust even though he hardly sees the floor and his former classmates haven’t graduated yet. Could it be a possible cautionary tale for young basketball players who think immediate money is more important than developing the proper technique for basketball? Sure, but so was Jennings until October 27^th. We need to give this kid a break. Do I think he did the right thing? No, then again, I wasn’t being offered $140,000 to play basketball in Israel.

What does that all mean? I have no clue, the only thing I do know is that he should be provided more than a few weeks before we cast a decision about who Brandon Jennings is, just as we should of held off judgment when he was in Europe and barely playing.

Okay, so enough of that, lets talk about the Magic. I really like what they did with their roster in the offseason. I think it is foolish for people to think that Vince Carter has lost that much off of his game that he is clearly worse than Hedo Turkoglu. And I get the mismatches that Turkoglu presented for them last year, I thought it was the critical part of their Finals run from last season. However, Carter is more than capable of going off for 30 points on any given night, and you never really had that vibe from Hedo.

Plus the addition of Brandon Bass will pay dividends for the Magic later in the season when they want to play an almost standard lineup. It is still early in the season, which makes me upset when people have already written off some teams and consider only the Lakers or Celtics as the only options in either conference. Teams need to adjust to new players and that is going to take some time, possibly until the All-Star break. The Magic has not even had Rashard Lewis play a second of basketball because of his “steroid” problems. Any team, theoretically, has a chance to be a serious contender late in the season.

On to something a little less basketball-centric: The Real World/Road Rules challenge: The Ruins. I love all of the challenges since I was wise enough to start watching them. Each season starts with me telling myself that I have far too much to do and don’t feel like staying up late at night in order to watch it. Then, I catch a rerun sometime during the following week and I get drawn in. I know it’s really dumb and just of bunch of juiced up pinheads and vacuous bimbos interested only in money and sex, but I love it. It is a wonder to me how they don’t drop dead from any STD’s, they must have an unusual immunity to potential diseases.

Honestly, it may be one of my favorite shows to watch. There is constant drama because these people fail to realize just how insignificant it truly is, mostly because they will be coming back in a couple of months anyway. And its not like you need to watch every episode in order to keep up, it is pretty simple. Basically, you wont need a guide to it as every episode contains its own unique drama and often a bit of blurred nudity because of some drunken stupor brought on by a bit too much of tequila and some dark issues buried deep inside these titans of the meaningless arena.

This season has been full of love triangles and sometimes squares and pentagons, some underdogs rising to the top, and some deliberate sabotaging that didn’t affect the outcome of the game at all. This sounds like a deliberate plug for an MTV show, and if the good people at MTV wanted to sponsor us at PITP, we would plug any MTV show they wanted. I guess that is my TV update of the week. Unfortunately, it is nearing the end of the season so a lot of the juicy and needless bickering has already passed.

The Teams:

The Custodian:

The Custodian expects LBJ23 to produce this season, will he? probably. Will the guy on his team watching him produce? probably not.

• Steve Nash
• Kevin Durant
• Joe Johnson
• LeBron James
• Pau Gasol
• Al Jefferson
• Brook Lopez
• Elton Brand
• Devin Harris
• Gerald Wallace
• Josh Smith
• OJ Mayo
• Mo Williams

The Franchise:

The Franchise followed the book and took Chris Paul with the #1 pick.

• Chris Paul
• Brandon Roy
• Chauncey Billups
• Carmelo Anthony
• Dirk Nowitzki
• Tim Duncan
• LaMarcus Aldridge
• Carlos Boozer
• Paul Pierce
• Caron Butler
• Rudy Gay
• Tony Parker
• Blake Griffin

The Freelancer:

Will Dwayne Wade bring victory to the Freelancer?

• Dwayne Wade
• Danny Granger
• Andre Iguodala
• Antawn Jamison
• Chris Bosh
• Kevin Garnett
• Troy Murphy
• Mehmet Okur
• Gilbert Arenas
• Rashard Lewis
• Shawn Marion
• Ray Allen
• Nene

The Champ (Pippen Ain’t Easy)

Kobe Bryant leads a stellar squad of studs which almost certainly ensures victory for the Champ

• Deron Williams
• Kobe Bryant
• Kevin Martin
• Vince Carter
• Amar’e Stoudemire
• David West
• Dwight Howard
• David Lee
• Jose Calderon
• Derrick Rose
• Hedo Turkoglu
• Jason Kidd
• Allen Iverson

Fun Fact: These nuggets were fried at a McDonald's in Denver.

History:

Founded as the Denver Rockets in 1968 as a charter member of the American Basketball Association, the Denver Nuggets found modest success, reaching either a tiebreaker or the playoffs every year while they were an ABA team, but this was more likely because of the ABA’s playoff system (eight of eleven teams reached the playoffs each year, and as the league began to contract, eight of ten teams made the playoffs). Of the nine seasons as an ABA franchise, the Rockets/Nuggets (the name changed in the summer of 1974 so as not to compete with the Rockets team name used by Houston) had a winning record in six seasons, and only won three playoff series, reaching the ABA Finals in the last year of the league’s existence. Led by Dan Issel, David Thompson, Bobby Jones, Marvin Webster, and coached by a very young Larry Brown, even after the team moved into the NBA, they were still successful, extending their tiebreaker/playoff streak to twelve.

If these had been invented in the 1980s, Taco Bell's "100 Points, Get a Free Chalupa" campaign would have bankrupted the company. My question: why wasn't it invented sooner?

But when Larry Brown left to coach UCLA, Denver struggled for a few seasons until they hired Doug Moe, who emphasized moving the ball around and a high scoring offense. The Nuggets became a high-scoring offense throughout the 1980s, scoring 100 points or more in 136 consecutive games (an NBA record) and averaging 126.5 points per game (another NBA record) in the 1981-1982 season (and beyond for the 100 points record). That’s a lot of Chalupas. The 1982-1983 season had three Denver players finish 1-2-3 in scoring: Alex English (28.4), Kiki Vandeweghe (26.7), and Kelly Tripucka (26.5). In the 1983-1984 season, the Nuggets had the dubious distinction of having the most points in a losing effort, scoring 184 in triple overtime and losing to the Pistons, who had 186 points. The combined score between the two teams (370) is a current NBA record. Moe coached the team to nine straight playoff appearances (1981-1990), but failed to advance beyond the Conference Finals.

Moe’s retirement after the 1989-1990 season led to the hiring of Paul Westhead, a similarly-minded coach who enjoyed high-scoring games. Denver would set scoring records under Westhead’s watch, but of the dubious variety. In the 1990-1991 season, for instance, the Denver Nuggets allowed 130.8 points per game (a current NBA record) and on one occasion, allowed 107 points to the Phoenix Suns in one half (still an NBA record). Despite leading the league in points per game (119.9), the Nuggets finished with only twenty wins. They drafted future-All Star Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo with the fourth pick of the 1991 NBA Draft, but despite Mutombo’s impressive season, Westhead’s second year as head coach only saw marginal improvement and he was fired.

"With the fourth pick in the 1991 NBA Draft, the Denver Nuggets select... do I really have to read this whole thing? All right... Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo."

Former Nuggets player Dan Issel took over as head coach to begin the 1992-1993 season, but Denver failed to make the playoffs. In the 1993-1994 season, the Nuggets, with Mutombo, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (née Chris Wayne Jackson), and LaPhonso Ellis (the fifth pick in the 1992 NBA Draft), had its first winning season in four years, making the playoffs as the #8 seed in the Western Conference. Facing the #1 Seattle SuperSonics, Denver became the first #8 team to defeat a #1 team in NBA history, coming back from a 2-0 deficit to pull off the upset in overtime in Game 5 (first round series were five games long at the time). In the next series, Denver faced Utah, taking the series to the full seven games, but lost. After a disappointing start the following season, Issel resigned as head coach, but the Nuggets persevered and finished the season at .500, qualifying them for the eighth seed in the West, only to be swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round.

The next few seasons were far from spectacular. In the 1995 NBA Draft, Denver traded with the Los Angeles Clippers for the rights to Antonio McDyess, who would become a familiar face within the Nuggets franchise, as Mutombo left and Abdul-Rauf was traded in the 1996 offseason, while Ellis had injury problems. The Nuggets’ record sank lower and lower, until reaching rock-bottom after McDyess left for Phoenix in the 1997 offseason, tying an NBA record-low with only 11 wins over the entire 1997-1998 NBA season, also tying a single-season losing streak record with 23 consecutive losses. Fun Fact: the Nuggets had the same coach (rookie coach Bill Hanzlik) for the entire season. McDyess returned to Denver and the team slowly awakened, improving to 40-42 in the 2000-2001 season, but quickly regressed after McDyess injured his knee and was subsequently traded to the Knicks. In the 2002-2003 season, Denver’s record was 17-65, their eighth-straight losing record. However, their luck would change in the 2003 NBA Draft.

Enter Carmelo Anthony.

Drafting third behind Cleveland (LeBron James) and Detroit (Darko Miličić), Denver selected future-All Star Carmelo Anthony, fresh from college basketball’s most recent champion, Syracuse. Added to 2002′s acquisition of Nenê (née Maybyner Rodney Hilário) and Marcus Camby from the New York Knicks in exchange for McDyess and 2003′s free agent signings (Andre Miller, Earl Boykins, and Jon Barry), the Denver Nuggets made the playoffs for the first time since 1995, but lost to Minnesota in the first round. Denver kept returning to the playoffs over the next few years and kept coming back empty handed in the first round, losing to the San Antonio Spurs (2005) and the Los Angeles Clippers (2006). Even the addition of Allen Iverson to the Nuggets in the 2006-2007 season could not shake the downtrodden Denver team, as they lost to Spurs in 2007 and the Lakers in 2008, all in the first round. Iverson was traded to Detroit early last season for Chauncey Billups (and two other players) and the Nuggets had their best playoff run ever, defeating the Hornets and Mavericks, but ultimately falling to the eventual champion Lakers.

2008-2009 Record: 54-28 (10-6 in playoffs), 1st place in Northwest Division, 2nd place in Western Conference

Coach: George Karl

Projected Lineup:

• Chauncey Billups, PG
• J.R. Smith, SG (while suspended during the next seven games, we predict Arron Afflalo will take his place)
• Carmelo Anthony, SF
• Kenyon Martin, PF
• Nenê, C

Key Gains:

• Ty Lawson: Won’t be playing much in his rookie season, but look for this “point guard of the future” to do some damage in future years with the Nuggets.
• Aaron Afflalo: I called him a young underperformer in my Season Preview of the Detroit Pistons, as he was only netting five points a game in Detroit. I foresee the Nuggets using Afflalo more frequently than Detroit did, but will Denver be impressed or disappointed with his performance?
• Malik Allen: He’ll be used off the bench, but probably won’t play enough to make too much of a difference scoring-wise.
• Steven Hunter: Yes, I know he has since been traded to Memphis, but I only see gains from Denver’s perspective. Denver saves $3.67 million, they get a 2010 first-round draft pick, and Hunter missed most of last season with a knee injury and it is unknown if/how he’ll be able to rebound. Win-win-win.

Key Losses:

• Dahntay Jones, Linas Kleiza, Sonny Weems: Less money, mo’ problems. With some payroll problems, Denver couldn’t afford to keep these guys around. I don’t doubt that they will be missed (Kleiza could score coming off of the bench), but the question is how much they will be missed.

Quote:

“We got no shot to beat the Lakers.”

—Doug Moe, on whether or not his 37-45 Nuggets could defeat
the 65-17 Lakers in the first round of the 1987 NBA Playoffs.
[The Lakers swept the Nuggets on their way to
winning their tenth NBA championship.]

The Philadelphia 76ers have roots to the beginning of the NBA with the Syracuse Nationals.That team featured Hall of Famer Dolph Schayes and won a NBA title in the 50’s, but it was not until the team relocated to Philadelphia in the 60’s after the city lost the Warriors to the San Francisco. They won a title in 1967 with Wilt Chamberlain anchoring an team that featured players like Hal Greer and Billy Cunningham. Of course the team only won once in that era primarily because of the Boston Celtics dominance.

Projected Lineup:

PG :

Lou Williams: the loss of Andre Miller leaves a deep hole for Philly to fill, expect rookie first rounder Jrue Holliday to see decent time at this position as well.

SG:

Andre Iguodala: as I already expressed in my article on Kevin Martin when speaking on shooting guards, Iguodala is one of the rising stars in the league. The game winner against Orlando didn’t hurt either, it only proves that he is truly the new AI in Philly.

SF:

Thaddeus Young: the game winner against Orlando really boosts my opinion on Thaddeus Young. An average at best SF who will split time with the newly acquired Jason Kapono.

PF:

Elton Brand: If Elton Brand can stay healthy, IF Elton Brand can stay healthy, the 76ers could become a legitimate upset threat and in my opinion could contend in the Eastern Conference.

C:

Samuel Dalembert: proved himself last year to be one of the few centers that could at least hold their own against Dwight Howard. A double-double threat almost nearly night and a valuable player.

Key Gains:

Jrue Holliday, a solid selection out of UCLA who is a scoring threat.

Jason Kapono, a career veteran sharpshooter and beneficial piece to any team.

Key Losses:

Andre Miller, although there was an overall feeling that his time in Philly had expired.

Key Quote:

I’m not really worried about none of that under-the-radar kind of stuff

-Maurice Speights, Sixers Forward

The Pistons combine luck and leprechauns in their playing style, or maybe it's just leprechauns?

History:

Founded in 1941 by Fred Zollner, owner of the Zollner Corporation, the Detroit Pistons were initially called the “Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons,” as we have previously covered on “Inside the Name.”

They joined the National Basketball League and quickly became a force in the league, going to the finals for four years in a row, winning two consecutive championships in 1944 and 1945, and posting an obscene .700 winning percentage in their seven years in the NBL.

Fort Wayne then transferred into the Basketball Association of America, going an abysmal 22-38 before the BAA and the NBL decided to merge, creating the NBA we know today. The Pistons strung together 14 consecutive playoff appearances from 1949 to 1963, but only appeared in the NBA Finals twice (in 1955 and 1956), losing both times. Due to some crazy playoffs formats in the infancy of the NBA, the Pistons had only five seasons of a record above .500. In 1957, the Pistons moved to Detroit.

The Detroit Pistons suffered the same fate of most relocated teams: an extended period of mediocrity. They had a 15-year drought of winning seasons from 1956 to 1971, but managed to qualify for the playoffs eight times in that trough of despair. This is not to say that the Pistons did not have good players, as they had all-star players, such as Dave DeBusschere and Jimmy Walker, and future Detroit mayor and seven-time All Star Dave Bing.

Meet Bing, the current mayor of Detroit. It is known to freeze and crash when doing the simplest of things, much like the city he represents.

The Pistons managed to make it to the playoffs in four consecutive years from 1974-1977, with two more sub-.500 postseason qualifications. The franchise was sold by Zollner to Bill Davidson in 1974, who, in 1978, moved the home arena of the Pistons to the Pontiac Silverdome, located in the suburbs of Detroit.

While the Lions were busy sucking in one part of the dome, the Pistons anxiously awaited to play in the gigantic stadium not intended for basketball.

After posting a franchise-worst 16-66 in the 1979-1980 season, followed by a terrible 21-61 record the season after. In the 1981 Draft, the Pistons selected future Hall of Famer Isaiah Thomas. Isaiah Thomas would become the face of the Pistons franchise during the 1980s. When the Pistons acquired Bill Laimbeer from the Cavaliers and Vinnie Johnson from the Seattle SuperSonics in 1982, the Pistons became a playoff contender once again, stringing together nine consecutive playoff appearances and two straight championships in the 1989 and 1990 NBA Finals. Other notable Pistons players in the 1980s included future I’m a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here! contestant John Salley and future Celebrity Mole: Yucatan winner and Celebrity Apprentice contestant Dennis Rodman. These reality stars helped bring the reality of two NBA Titles to Michigan (but not Detroit, as in 1988, the Pistons moved to yet another Detroit suburb, Auburn Hills).

In what was the highlight of his career, John Salley appeared on a reality show this summer.

The early 1990s was a rebuilding period for the Pistons, as their key players started to retire, and their rising (reality) stars were traded away. They sunk once again to terribleness, enabling to draft Grant Hill (as The Custodian explains, a contender to become “the next Michael Jordan”), who would help lead the Pistons to four playoff appearances, but they each playoff opportunity ended in first-round losses for the Pistons. After Grant Hill was traded to the Orlando Magic after the 1999-2000 season, the Pistons had another sub-.500 season, but quickly recovered. The additions of Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Tayshawn Prince, and Rasheed Wallace in the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 seasons led the Pistons to another NBA Championship in 2004, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in five games.

When most think of the Pistons’ history in recent years, most can only recall the “Malice at the Palace.” And no, not that Malice at the Palace. This “Malice at the Palace:”

Since the Malice at the Palace, the Pistons were very good, posting the #1 record in the Eastern Conference in the 2004-2005 season, reaching the NBA Finals. Over the next few years, they accumulated more playoff appearances, including last year, (again) with a losing record. The Pistons have reached the playoffs eight seasons in a row, the third-longest active streak in the NBA right now, behind the Spurs (12) and Mavericks (9). In their sixty-one seasons, the Pistons have been remarkably average, with an all-time record of 2400-2410.

Fun Fact: The Detroit Pistons have made the most playoff appearances with a losing record going into the playoffs (13). The percentage of playoff appearances with a losing record (33%) is also the highest in the league. Second place goes to Atlanta (9) and Washington (32%), respectively.

2008-2009 Record: 39-43 (0-4 in playoffs, Lost to #1 Cleveland), 3rd place in Central Division, 8th place in Eastern Conference

Coach: John Kuester

Projected Lineup:

• Rodney Stuckey, PG
• Richard Hamilton, SG
• Tayshaun Prince, SF
• Charlie Villanueva, PF
• Kwame Brown, C

Key Gains:

• Charlie Villanueva: His favorite player of all time is Reggie Miller, who first said the phrase that is now the namesake of our blog (as covered in The Custodian’s article “The Clutchicity of Reggie Miller”). Villanueva wears Miller’s number in honor of him, but can he be as clutch as Miller was for the Pacers? The Custodian thinks so, as he wrote in “The Pistons Effect.”
• Ben Gordon: Returning to the Pistons after spending time with the Bulls, Cavaliers, and the Suns, will Gordon be helpful off of the bench, or will the Pistons be the place that his career ends? (See also: “The Pistons Effect”)
• Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers, Jonas Jerebko: Will these draft selections be successes or busts?
• Chris Wilcox: Though Kwame Brown is the starting center for now, will Chris Wilcox prove that he is a better fit for the Pistons?
• Ben Wallace: What a summer for Mr. Wallace. First he’s traded to Phoenix with Pavlovic and cash for Shaquille O’Neal, then his contract is bought out to save the Suns some money, and now he signs a one-year deal with one of his former teams, the Detroit Pistons. Coming off the bench, will he fit within the Detroit system?

Key Losses:

• Allen Iverson: More of a hassle than a help last season, as he didn’t like being on the bench and his back injury didn’t help much, disrupting the chemistry of the Pistons (as The Custodian talks about in “August and Everything After”)
• Rasheed Wallace: Boston, in what has been regarded as a smart move, felt the “Need for Sheed.” The loss of one of their star players will definitely be felt by Detroit in the upcoming season.
• Amir Johnson: What a huge mistake for the Detroit Pistons in trading Johnson for Oberto. I think any team would trade Oberto to get a player like Amir Johnson. The trade value is spectacular, as most teams would rather have a true basketball player, as opposed to beef jerky.

Whoops.

I say “most” because it was rumored that the Los Angeles Clippers once traded a first-round draft pick for a keg of Milwaukee’s Best, thinking it was the Milwaukee Bucks‘ best player. Sure, they were upset for a little while, until they got crazy drunk on the cheap beer, at which point they didn’t care. Hopefully, the Pistons won’t get too fired up (I’m so sorry for that pun) over trading a player for smoked meat, as they immediately waived Oberto.

Unfortunately for the Clippers, this Asian man was not included with the trade. The guy's name? Yao Ling, cousin of Yao Ming.

• Antonio McDyess: The Pistons were looking to re-sign McDyess, but he ended up with the Spurs after they offered him a three-year deal. Will Detroit miss this efficient scorer?
• Arron Afflalo, Walter Sharpe: These young underperformers won’t be missed.

Look for the Pistons to have another losing season, but this time, they won’t be so lucky, finishing outside of playoff contention.

Quotes:

“Any time Detroit scores more than 100 points and holds the other team below 100 points they almost always win.”

—Doug Collins, former basketball coach and
Detroit Pistons player, current TNT analyst

“I’m here to tell you that the Pistons’ fans, based on what I saw, are a bunch of punks. It’s easy to throw beer on top of somebody who’s already down. It’s easy to throw a punch at somebody when you’re behind them. Show us that you’re not a sissy. Just do it right. It just makes me mad. It’s ridiculous. It’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen.”

—John Saunders, ESPN Commentator,
on behavior of Pistons fans at
the Malice at the Palace

Recap:

1. Sacramento Kings
2. Washington Wizards
3. Los Angeles Clippers
4. Oklahoma City Thunder
5. Memphis Grizzlies
6. Minnesota Timberwolves
7. Golden State Warriors
8. New York Knicks
9. Toronto Raptors
10. Milwaukee Bucks
11. New Jersey Nets
12. Charlotte Bobcats
13. Indiana Pacers
14. Detroit Pistons

Team History:

The Grizzlies haven’t always played their home games in Memphis. As some/most of you know, the Grizzlies initially were in the great city of Vancouver. Another notable piece of history for the Grizzlies is that they were the first NBA team to have a website. Other than that, the franchise has been little but a struggling team annually in the draft lottery with a horrific record.

The team has drafted some notable players throughout their still brief existence. The Grizzlies drafted Antonio Daniels with the fourth overall pick in 1997, Mike Bibby with the second overall pick in 1998, and Steve Francis with the second pick in 1999. Much controversy arose after the selection of Francis because he had already made clear his intentions of never playing for the Grizzlies franchise, so instead Vancouver traded Steve to the Rockets in an enormous three team, eleven player swap.

However, the Grizzlies’ fortunes seemed to take a turn for the better when they traded for the third overall pick in the 2001 draft Pau Gasol and then took Duke star Shane Battier with the sixth pick. Now, with a supposedly solid young nucleus, the Grizzlies were looking forward to a bright future. And it was, for a brief and glorious period. From the 2003-04 season to the 2005-06, Memphis made the playoffs. Unfortunately for Memphis, they were swept out of the first round each season to San Antonio, Phoenix, and Dallas respectively.

Since those brief glimpses into success, the Grizzles have reverted back to their losing ways, finishing with less than 25 wins in each of the past three seasons. They infamously traded away Pau Gasol to the Lakers that enabled them to take over the West the past couple of seasons. They have formed an almost solid young nucleus of athletic wingmen who can fill up a scoreboard with ease, drafting Rudy Gay, Mike Conley, Kevin Love (traded for OJ Mayo), and most recently Hasheem Thabeet. They have been in the NBA headlines recently for their signing of unwanted superstar Allen Iverson who has a knack for playing selfish ball.

2008-2009 Record: 24-58, 5^th Place in the Southwest Division, 12^th place in the Western Conference

Coach: Lionel Hollins

Projected Lineup:

• PG: Allen Iverson/Mike Conley – To be honest, I am not sure which one of these players will be the starter for the Grizzlies, and I am not sure which one deserves to be. Iverson’s abilities have been well documented for many years at this point. He is a scorer, first and always. Conley is still developing his game at this point, not quite living up to the hype that surrounded him coming out of Ohio State. With Iverson, the Grizzlies will run out a starting five with one goal: to score, and to score a lot.
• SG:  OJ Mayo/Allen Iverson – Again, even though Allen has expressed his willingness to come off of the bench, I am still unsold on the prospects of that scenario. OJ Mayo had a good rookie season ripe with scoring displays. At this point, he is even more potent of a scorer than Iverson is at his advanced age. Iverson will, if not playing point guard, come off of the bench and try to light it up for as long as he has the warm-ups off.
• SF: Rudy Gay – The ever-underappreciated Rudy Gay. The past two seasons, Gay has averaged 20.1 and 18.9 PPG with a solid shooting average from beyond and in front of the three-point arc. Despite all of his terrific endeavors, he is yet to be considered among the game’s better players. Granted, he hasn’t truly proven anything yet on a scale of any significance, but the kid can score.
• PF: Zach Randolph – The Grizzlies trading for Zach Randolph makes me question their motives. The combination of Randolph, Mayo, Gay, and Iverson is too much shooting and not enough passing. Z-Bo is, beyond all else, a talent. Nobody has questioned his ability to roam the post and put the ball in the basket, but everything else has been.
• C: Marc Gasol/Hasheem Thabeet – Who are the Grizzlies going to play? The “veteran” Gasol (brother of Pau) or the number two overall pick Thabeet? In his playing time last year, Gasol was solid erring on the side of unspectacular. Or they could turn to the very unproven and seemingly easily movable Thabeet. Thabeet is probably more famous for being tossed around like a ragdoll by Dejuan Blair than he is for any blocked shots he may have had.

Key Gains:

• Allen Iverson – I have already delved into the whole Iverson saga, multiple times, so not much is needed here. What he brings is a scoring mentality with a never say die attitude that can save or kill a team.
• Hasheem Thabeet – The rookie out of Connecticut is supposed to bring in some defensive presence along with his 7’ 3” frame. However, some have questioned whether or not he is the next Manute Bol or if he is the next Dikembe Mutumbo. He has a relatively skinny frame that could be easily bullied by bulky centers and forwards.
• Sam Young – A young athletic forward who brings much athleticism and possible scoring acumen to the team.
• DeMarre Carroll – See above. Also was diagnosed with liver disease, but doctors have said this will not affect him until after any playing career.

Key Losses:

• Hakim Warrick – The athletic and potentially talented forward left Memphis for the greener pastures of Milwaukee. The impact of Warrick walking is softened by the additions of Sam Young and DeMarre Carroll.

Season Preview:

Why do I envision a train wreck when I think about Memphis’ upcoming season? I think it is because I know that their team shouldn’t work. The team is composed almost entirely of those players who shoot first and do everything else later (I know Mayo can be unselfish, as can Gay, but they score a lot). Can any lineup that consists of Allen Iverson, OJ Mayo, Rudy Gay, and Zach Randolph really be winners?

Although, this wouldn’t be the first surprise in the history of the NBA. Did anyone really envision Orlando was going to be the best team in the East last offseason? Or last All-Star break? Or before the Eastern Conference Finals? So, anything is possible in today’s NBA, or so KG would have you believe. I still envision the typical season for the Grizzlies, a bad record, in the neighborhood of 30-35 wins, and four players averaging near 19 PPG with everyone else getting the leftovers.

Quote this:

“God chose Memphis as the place that I will continue my career … I met with (Grizzlies owner Mike Heisley), (GM) Chris Wallace and my next head coach, Lionel Hollins.”

- Allen Iverson

Recap:

1. Sacramento Kings
2. Washington Wizards
3. Los Angeles Clippers
4. Oklahoma City Thunder
5. Memphis Grizzlies
6. Minnesota Timberwolves
7. Golden State Warriors
8. New York Knicks
9. Toronto Raptors