Category Archives: NBA

Ok, I’ll get this part out of the way at the beginning, so I’m not accused of being a contrarian, or a LeBron hater, or anything else that people are said to be if they question whether LeBron can actually walk on water… he’s the MVP this year.  The dude is scary good.   I mean, he averaged 30 points, 7 assists and 9 board per game.  That’s awesome.  No doubt.

But, still… the hyperbole about this guy just continues to get crazier.  Months ago, I pointed out that (i) LeBron’s numbers are not all that much better than other superstars who do not get nearly the same amount of credit, and also that (ii) Bill Simmons, among other people, essentially winds up drooling over himself when he writes about LeBron.  Ok.  Whatever.  Been there done that.

This morning, though, I was listening to Mike and Mike on the radio for a few minutes, and their guest was Dickie V.  Now, I know that Dickie V is not really the guy we look to when we hope people will start to turn the excitement down a notch.  But this was out of control.   Dickie V said – and both Mikes agreed with him – that LeBron is on his way to being the best of all time.  Yup.  Numero uno.  He then launched into the typical rant about how amazing it is that LeBron has done so much at such a young age with such a lousy supporting cast.

Is anyone else tired of hearing that, or is it just me?  LeBron is in his seventh season.  Isn’t it about time we start evaluating what he has done instead of what he has the potential to do?  I mean, how many years in the league does he deserve before people stop talking about how much potential he has to be great when he grows up?

Plus, LeBron’s teammates are good.  Very good.  I’ve already blogged about this elsewhere (here and here, for example), and won’t repeat myself.  The bottom line is that there are 4 different guys on LeBron’s team who were once All-Stars. And it’s not like they’re all old and crippled.  They still run, jump, pass, and shoot.  They’d run circles around D-Wade’s “supporting cast.”  Yet, when Dickie V explained why MJ was able to win so many more titles than LeBron has been able to win, he wound up knocking LeBron’s supporting cast, and talking about what a wonderful rebounder Bill Cartwright was on the Bulls.  Seriously.  Bill Cartwright.

There’s more.  Dickie V said – and the two Mikes agreed – that LeBron can score “whenever he wants.”  Yup.  Whenever he wants.  So, presumably, the only reason the Cavs lost any games this season was that LeBron didn’t “want” to win them.

I’m not sure why people need to give him soooo much credit.  He’s awesome.  He’s the MVP.  Until he proves that he can lead a team to a championship, he deserves to be grouped with the other superstars who never won a championship — not with the ones who won six.

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Cheers to the Blazers and the Heat

If things go the way that I predict, the Blazers and the Heat will both be done for the season by this time next week.  The teams remaining will move on, and, when people look back at this season, they won’t think much about the Blazers or the Heat.  Before we get to that point, I’d like to spend a few minutes giving both teams a shoutout, because, the way I see it, they both overachieved.  At least a few people affiliated with both teams deserve a bunch of credit.

Let’s start with Miami.  47-35, for that collection of talent?  Really?  For starters, cheers to D-Wade.  27 ppg, shooting 48%, with more than 6 apg plus a block and a steal.  The dude is a superstar.  If LeBron carried that “supporting cast” to a 47-35 record, people would be talking about him like he walks on water.  (Hey, LeBron carried a much better supporting cast to a 61-21 record, and people talk about him like he walks on water.)

Cheers, too, to the young guy, Beasley, who is starting to find his form, and to the old guy, O’Neal, who has at least a little something left in the tank.  And, while we’re at it, might as well give the obligatory shoutout to the coach, Erik Spoelstra.   I can’t sit here and highlight great coaching moves that he made, but we live in a world where coaches are often graded simply by the results they get, and, well, you can’t argue with the results this dude got from one superstar and a bunch of role players.

As for the Blazers, wow.  Every time I looked up, another Blazer was getting injured.  Even the coach got injured and missed a bunch of games.  They only had Oden for 21 games, and Przybilla for 30.  These guys leaned on Juwan Howard — yes, that Juwan Howard — for 22 mpg over 73 games.  Yet, they finished #6 in the West, at 50-32.  LaMarcus Aldridge is developing into a star (18 ppg and 8 rpg).   Brandon Roy is a bad man.  Very bad.  Andre Miller is one of the most underrated point guards in the league (the dude had THE SIXERS in the playoffs last year), and Marcus Camby, well… 11 boards and 2 blocks per game speak for themselves.

Unfortunately, I think time is running out on both of these squads for this season.  Next year, though, look out.  The Blazers get Oden and Przybilla back.  And the Heat?  According to my secret sources (read: the podcasts that I listen to – publicly available to anyone), Chris Bosh wants to head down there.  That could give Batman Wade the Robin that he needs, and should send the Heat beyond the first round.

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