Five Things That LeBron Taught Me

Before I start, I just wanted to say from a Heat fan,

Thank you for your four years with the Miami Heat. Four Eastern Conference championships, Four straight trips to the Finals, Two NBA Championships. You brought a championship or bust mentality to Miami. The success you brought to the city has been unparalleled by almost all NBA players not named Jordan, Kobe, or Russell. 284 regular season games. 7,919 points, 1,980 assists, 2,225 rebounds, 489 steals, and millions of dollars brought into the city. And for that I thank you. I’m not bitter or sad. I understand what Cleveland means to you. It’s home and that’s the most important thing.

And with that, here’s five things LeBron going back home taught me.

1. LeBron has officially proved that he has a chokehold on the NBA. The fans waited hand and foot for him. Kevin Love, Carmelo Anthony, Luol Deng, Pau Gasol, Trevor Ariza, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and all the other free agents in the league have been waiting in the palm of his hands. He has power. Not like power as in just popularity. No. He has true power. What he wants, he gets. First he wanted to win. He wanted rings, went to Miami and got them. Wanted Shabazz, and the Heat got him. Wanted to go home, and he gets his wish.  And he has passed Jordan and Kobe as the face of the NBA. We as fans have seen him grow, seen him expand to his potential, surpass expectations, and grow into the world’s best basketball player. With that being said, I hope that he will continue to dominate the league and show why people proclaimed him “The King”. Because if he doesn’t win any more rings, those same experts who claim are happy for him, will turn face and shred him again.

2. Miami was and always will be Dwyane Wade’s team. Wade has stayed with one team his entire career and won rings. It’s not as illustrious as a “prodigal son” getting drafted by his hometown team with the first overall pick, but Miami is Wade’s second home. And Wade has embraced his role as the face of the Heat franchise for this generation of Miami Heat fans and natives of Miami.I remember when Wade was drafted critics were shocked and thought he went too high. then came the buzzer beater against the Hornets, the superhuman performance against Detroit in 05 and 06, the extraterrestrial NBA Finals performance that I saw with my own eyes in 2006, and even winning the scoring title in 2009. He’s been my favorite player since he came into the league and proved why Miami hasn’t given up on him.

3. The NBA is a business. Let me say that again. THE NBA IS A BUSINESS. The days of player “loyalty” are gone. Players aren’t really staying on one team for their entire career. Star players like Wade, Kobe, Duncan, Dirk, Stockton, or Reggie Miller who stayed with their team for 10+ years are proving to be a lost art. (Side note: There are players like LaMarcus Aldridge, KD, Joakim Noah, and Al Horford who are approaching that mark, but it’s becoming less prevalent in star). We have so many players like James Harden, LeBron James, are so quick to jump ship to win rings. Even on draft day, players are getting packaged and shipped without even a say. It’s all about the rings and the legacy the player would leave. Even Jordan left the Bulls.

4. Home is always home. No matter what anybody says. And nobody can take that away. LeBron has the perfect chance to write a storybook ending to his career: Cleveland native, drafted No.1 by his hometown team, helps them make it to the Finals, loses a couple of times, leaves home, wins somewhere else, and now wants to help his hometown win a championship. If he wins, it’d be perfect. Almost better than the Jordan ring on Father’s Day. LeBron has been the puppet-master his whole career and now he’s proving that he is a journalist’s dream and nightmare. And this is a segue to my last point.

5. Sports journalists have it rough. For those of you that say sports journalism is easy or is a joke, one guy in LeBron James made EVERYBODY look stupid…except Lee Jenkins. Lee Jenkins had the direct scoop and published the story of the last five years  to LeBron and everybody from Brian Windhorst, to Chris Broussard, Adrian Wojnarowski, and everybody in between was looking so dumb. Speculations made or broke people. Chris Broussard put a percentage on LeBron leaving early, and luckily it paid off because if he was wrong, fans would never trust him entirely again. “Sources” are important and as Brian Windhorst highlighted: “I’d rather be the 70th person to report the news and ensure it’s 100 percent right, than be the first and get it wrong, ruining the lives of so many people negatively.” A story like this caught wind from every direction and places like New York Times, Forbes, and the Wall Street Journal even reported the story. This story was bigger than sports and with a story like this, it thoroughly shows how every detail matters.

 

Until next time,

Will

Report: LeBron James back to Cavs

NBA Finals: Game 2 Preview for Miami Heat

 

Tonight is Game 2 of the NBA Finals, and you know what that means? The bandwagons fans for both teams come alive. Heat fans get to prove they’ve been Heat fans their whole lives (even though they don’t know who Dan Majerle or Rony Seikaly are, but I digress); San Antonio “fans” are all just people that don’t want the Heat to win. Game 2 is going to become an event for the ages, in my opinion. Let’s recap Game 1 for those that didn’t watch it:

• The lead in the game volleyed back and forth between Miami and San Antonio for 3 quarters
• The AC “went out” as the temperature passed 80 degrees inside.
• LeBron’s legs said “Nope.” and cramped on him towards the middle of the 4th quarter
• LeBroning began (just look it up)
• The Heat got spanked in the 4th quarter, ultimately losing 110-95.

 

Now that we went over the tomfoolery of Game 1, I’m looking forward to Game 2. Miami has not lost back to back playoff games in 46 straight games. They don’t really handle losing well. So here’s my 5 tips for the Miami Heat in order to win

First for the Heat:

1. PLAY DEFENSE. The Spurs torched the Heat all game, and Miami was able to keep the game close, until LeBron went down with the cramps. According to ESPN, San Antonio shot 59% from the field. That’s not good. At all. And that percentage hurts more when you see that the Heat were outscored 36-17 in the 4th, San Antonio went 14-16 from the field, and while going 6-6 from the three point line. You can not give up 110 points and win the game. So in order to have a chance, they need to keep the Spurs off the three-point line, force them to take bad shots, and force them to keep turning the ball over.
2. LeBron James- LeBron James will be the main key to determine whether or not the Heat will win. The Heat do depend on LeBron a lot, but rightfully so, you don’t get to win MVP’s and 2 NBA Finals MVP’s without being a star on both sides on the ball It was awful seeing LeBron cramp up late in that game. As somebody who plays basketball, I can attest to getting cramps while playing. It’s one of the worst feelings to experience on the court. His defensive presence on Tony Parker will help the Heat control the tempo. Plus, we all know LeBron can go bananas on the offensive end. When he’s on top of his game, LeBron just goes beast mode and destroys everybody in his sight. I’m hoping to see LeBron go for 50 points, but the Spurs are a great team defensively, and that may or may not be realistic. Look for LeBron to go for more than 30 points in this game.
3. The Bench- Besides Ray Allen with 16 points, nobody else on the bench really scored. Norris Cole and Birdman had 2 points, Battier didn’t score at all, and those 4 were the only 4 that played off the bench. The Spurs’ bench is so deep, the Heat need somebody else besides Ray Allen to score, because when LeBron, Wade, and/or Bosh are on the bench, they have to get scoring. The Big 3 scored 62, the rest of the team had 33 points. The worst thing about those 33 points, besides Allen with 16 and Rashard Lewis with 10, the other Heat players had 7 points. That’s completely unacceptable. So look for the bench to dramatically do better this game.
4. Produce Results While On The Court- Coach Spoelstra played 9 of his 12 players in this game and all 9 played at least 14 minutes. But the Heat need to get production from all the players while they’re on the court. You can”t play 17 minutes in a game and only score 3 points like Chalmers. That’s a huge red flag. Now he was in foul trouble early in the game, but you have to do something while on the court. Work your offense and do all the things that got you to the Finals. Play to the highest level. All the players on the Heat are pretty much defending champions, and they need to act like it.
5. Contain The Core 5 (Danny Green, Manu Ginobli, Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard) and the “other 4” (Marco Belinelli, Boris Diaw, Tiago Splitter, and Patty Mills) – To me, these 5 players all are the keys to San Antonio’s success in Game 1. With Manu’s offense, Parker’s driving and passing abilities, Duncan’s post game, Green’s three-point shooting, and Kawhi’s defense, they prove that the Spurs are almost impossible to beat. Look to keep Manu and Kawhi from affecting Wade and LeBron on defense, and look to make sure a defender is in front of Parker at all times. And look to see if the “other 4” are as involved as they were last game. Those 4 scored 32 points last game and disrupted the flow of the game for Miami’s 2nd unit.

 

This is gonna be a great game and I’m expecting a Miami win to even up the series at 1-1. 109-98 Miami.

Will

 

 

 

Dwight Howard…to the ROCKETS?!?!

Well, the saga is hopefully over. Dwight Howard has agreed to sign to the Houston Rockets and I’m personally happy it’s over. He can now shut up and let his play dictate his pay. He’ll be expected to make $88 million over the next 4 years and left $30 million on the table to leave the Los Angeles Lakers and sign with the Rockets. James Harden, Rockets GM Morey, Jeremy Lin, and Kobe Byrant are all winners here! Hopefully Howard can finally win that elusive championship title…maybe after the Heat win 3 more titles. 

Will 

NBA Free Agency: A New Beginning

Well, my fellow NBA Fans, the season is never over. After seeing a monumental NBA Draft that left the experts in shock, we are left with my second favorite time of the NBA Season, Free Agency. And with Free Agency comes the stories that we hype up, the talks of how our team will win the NBA Finals, and the potential heartbreak of our favorite players leaving our favorite team. And since yesterday marked the first day of the free agency period, here are the 10 story lines I’m looking forward to being resolved (By the way, these are not ranked in any particular order):

1: J.R. Smith: He may be one of the most interesting people in this free agency class. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year, Smith had career highs in points per game (18.1), rebounds per game (5.3) and minutes per game (33.5), all while not starting a game all season! He proved his worth, as he had numerous buzzer-beating shots and 29 20-point games this season. Not bad for a man coming off the bench. But despite these impressive stats, his “disappearing act” during the playoffs left Knicks fans disappointed and the Knicks needing to find another piece to better fit the Knicks offense alongside Carmelo Anthony. And with rumors that New York is heavily interested in Monta Ellis, whoever can grab J.R. “Swish” Smith would either seriously overpay or get him as a steal.

2. Chris “Birdman” Anderson: Every season, there’s always that one free agent pick-up/ trade where a seasoned veteran goes to another team and works magic for a contender, leading them to either a Finals appearance or a championship. In the 2011-2012 season, the Thunder picked up Derek Fisher, and he helped lead the Thunder to the Finals, in the 2010-2011 season, the Maverick picked up Tyson Chandler and he sparked the Dallas defense on route to the franchise’s only championship. This year, the Heat picked up Birdman and never looked back. As I listed in my last post (which you can find a link to below if you didn’t see it), Birdman averaged 15 minutes per game and 4.9 points per game, he helped the Heat fuel a 27-game winning streak and helped the Miami Heat win back to back titles. He brings a high level of energy and defense to any team he’s on and he proved his worth as the Heat went 55-10 after signing him. A team could sign him to their Mid-Level Exception and allow him to be the spark off the bench as a second string big man. Plus fans fall in love with him, so he could bring in some extra media exposure (Did you see Baby Birdman? Tell me that kid didn’t look just like him.)

3. Andre Iguodala: AI has been one of the league’s most interesting players since he came into the league in 2004 and SI. com ranked him as the fourth-best shooting guard in NBA this past season. He’s athletic (He was in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 2006), a solid scoring option (he averages 15.1 points and shoots 46 percent from the field), and a good perimeter defender. And as he approaches his 10th NBA season, he needs to take that next step into being an elite shooting guard that can lead a team to the playoffs with his all-around play. I can see him playing in either New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks (provided New Orleans or Sacramento signs Tyreke Evans).

4. Monta Ellis: Monta Ellis is one of the most underrated two guards in the NBA right now. His speed and elusiveness make him very hard to contain and his career averages of 19.4 points per game, 4.7 assists per game, and 36 minutes per game will be attractive to many teams that can afford him. If any team gets him, he will automatically add a dynamic scoring option at the prime of his career looking to lead a team to a championship.

5. Josh Smith: This man has been through so much over his career. After being drafted back in 2004 by the Atlanta Hawks straight out high school and winning the Slam Dunk Contest in 2005, his career seemed to take off. He gained a reputation as a athletic shot-blocker and had the ability to dominate slower power forwards and shorter small forwards. He averages 15.3 points per game, 34.1 minutes per game, 8.0 rebounds per game and 2.1 blocks per game over his career and at 27 years old, he has the ability to provide teams with defense and solid scoring while giving you good production when he’s on the court. He is the youngest person to record 1,000 blocks and the only downside to J-Smoove would be his maturity. He often clashed with former coach Mike Woodson and he proved to be quick-tempered at times, but overall he can join a championship contender and help out in big ways.

6. Greg Oden: This former #1 pick frustrates me more than excites me. His career numbers: 9.4 points per game, and 7.3 rebounds per game, which isn’t bad for a big man…but those are the numbers he has over  4 years and he’s only played 81 games in his whole career (To put it in perspective, there’s 82 games in an NBA regular season ). And to make it even worse, he was the number 1 draft pick in 2007 ahead of…wait for it…Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Jeff Green, or any other decent player in that draft. And now that the Heat, Cavaliers, Celtics, Grizzlies, and the Spurs want his services, he’s going to have to prove his durability and prove that his knees are made of metal and that he can play up to the #1 draft pick hype.

7, 8, 9, AND 10.

Dwight Howard : DING DING DING DING!!!! The prize of the 2013 free agency class, D12 has a huge battle on his hands, almost like a LeBron James “post decision” type battle. Dwight will have to go back to his Defensive Player of the Year/ MVP candidate/ Slam Dunk Contest winning/ 7’0 center that dominated the NBA during his years in Orlando. If he can stay healthy, stay focused, and be put in a system that works for him ( Because we ALL know Mike D’ Antoni’s system didn’t work for him). Howard’s numbers were almost all down this season as he was plagued with nagging shoulder injuries and a lack of focus from being under the Los Angeles limelight and Kobe’s sidekick. He averaged 17.1 points last season (down 3.5 points from the season before), 12.4 rebounds per game (down by 1.9 from the season before), his minutes decreased from 38.3 per game to 35.8 per game, and  but he did have 2.4 blocks per game, which went up from 2.2 the season before) and his field goal percentage went up from 57.3 percent to 57.8 percent (It may seem significant but that .5 percent is a huge difference when you actually play). So if Dwight can get to back to being…well, Dwight and not D12, then this charade will be all worth it in the end.

Comment if you have any other opinions that you feel are appropriate. Thanks for reading.
-Will

Breaking News

According to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein and ESPNLosAngeles.com’s Ramona Shelburne:

The Clippers have traded Caron Butler and Eric Bledsoe to the Suns, and J.J. Redick and Jared Dudley have been dealt to the Clippers. Redick is expected to sign a four-year, $27 million deal, according to sources. The Bucks will receive two second-round picks in the trade — one from the Clippers and one from the Suns — according to sources. The Bucks are looking to be able to clear some cap space in hopes of resigning Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings. This should be interesting for the Clippers as they look to add assets for newly-acquired coach Doc Rivers and the Suns are looking to bring in some experience to a team trying to move on after Steve Nash.

A Season For The Ages

This NBA season was one of the ages!

We all witnessed excitement at every turn of the season, from the surprising hot start of the Charlotte Bobcats, to the recent Miami Heat championship. And though the draft is in a few days and free agency begins on July 1st, let’s look back on some of the interesting stories that took place this year (Before I begin, this is only my opinion. So if you disagree send me some comments with more stories you found interesting):

1. James Harden being traded to the Houston Rockets: When you heard James Harden was traded to the Rockets, I’m pretty sure you did a quick double take. When I heard who the Rockets traded to get him, they got a STEAL. The Thunder traded James Harden, Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook, and Lazar Hayward to Houston for Kevin Martin  Jeremy Lamb, two first-round picks and a second-round pick. Overall, Houston got a great player in Harden as he posted career highs in points per game (25.9), rebounds per game (4.9), assists per game (5.8), blocks (0.5), free-throw percentage (.851), games started (78) and minutes played per game (38.3). The Rockets made the playoffs for the first time since 2009 and there’s nowhere to go but up for them.
   
2. The Heat signing Chris “Birdman” Andersen: This free agent pick up will probably be one of the most underrated midseason signings in the history of the NBA. Originally signed to a 10 day contract, Birdman was passed up by 29 teams due to his muddy past. Yet, by only averaging 15 minutes per game, 4.9 points per game, Birdman helped fuel a 27-game winning streak and helped the Miami Heat win back to back titles. I think that’s a great feel-good story of the season. (Fun fact: the Heat went 55-10 after signing Birdman)
   
3. Kobe Bryant tearing his Achilles Tendon and the immediate doom of the Lakers : After Kobe tore his Achilles Tendon, the Lakers were lost without him and the Lakers were swept out of the playoffs in the first round for the first time since 2007. Kobe averaged 27.3 points per game, 6.0 assits per game, 5.6 rebounds per game, 84 percent from the free throw line, and had to CARRY this team…to barely make the playoffs on the last day of the season at 45-37. This truly shows that the LAKERS NEED HELP (I recommend a hug to start, then maybe look into a new coach, and get rid of Howard.3a. The Los Angeles Lakers Media Circus: Can somebody please tell me how/why the Lakers even played games this season?? They went out and got Steve Nash in a sign and trade deal. Sounded great. Then they went and got Dwight Howard and traded Andrew “I Make More Money Than 90% Of America and All I Did Was Change My Hair And Go Bowling” Bynum. I did a double take and immediately knew this team was going to fail. But what made it EVEN worse was that the Lakers went 1-4 to start the season, WRONGFULLY FIRED Mike Brown, appointed Bernie Bickerstaff to interim head coach, led them to a 5-5 record, then hired Mike “I Can’t Coach This Team” D’Antoni and snuck into the playoffs on the LAST DAY OF THE REGULAR SEASON! Maybe I couldn’t understand this past Lakers season, but next season, they need to turn it around. Might I suggest bringing back….oh I don’t know… PHIL “11 RINGS’ JACKSON.Just a thought.
4. Steph Curry going off from the 3 point line: Steph Curry was absolutely bananas this year. He made 272 three point shots this year, which is the NBA record for most three point shots made in a season. He proved that he can be a star in this league for a long time to com. Besides, did you see his 54 point game at the Garden? Curry averaged 22.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 1.6 steals, and 45.3% from 3 point range during the regular season for the Warriors so look for him to only grow more as a player and for the Warriors to be serious contenders in the next few years. 
5. Carmelo Anthony winning the scoring title: Carmelo Anthony won his first scoring title after averaging 28.7 points per game and shooting .449 from the field, and normally that’d be acceptable….but it’s Carmelo. No matter what he does, it’s seemingly never enough. He lead his Knicks team to the playoffs and beat the Celtics, but came up short again to the Pacers. He has never been out of the Conference Finals and with Lebron James and Dwyane Wade on the Heat, he may not ever get there either. Carmelo is described as “an incomplete player that never plays defense” and his lack of help around him seems to be his downfall. Until he gets some real help (not including J.R. Smith, who is going in to free agency  and Tyson Chandler), he will probably never get that elusive championship ring.
6. The San Antonio Spurs making the NBA Finals: You have to admit, at the beginning of the NBA season, you predicted the Heat and either the Grizzlies or the Thunder to play for the elusive Larry O’Brien Trophy. The Spurs were “too old”, “not young enough”, or “not good enough to beat the Thunder or the Grizzlies”. But with a savvy, wise, and experienced future Hall-0f-Famer in Gregg Popovich, a “Big 3” in Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli, and Tony Parker, and a good, young group of role players in Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, Gary Neal, Matt Bonner and Tiago Splitter, they made a run through the Western Conference Playoffs and met up with the Miami Heat. We all know how the series ended by now, but as long as the Spurs keep the main nucleus together, they could return to the top of the Western Conference.
   
7. Russell Westbrook’s Knee: After Russell Westbrook went down with the knee injury (torn meniscus in the right knee), the Thunder seemingly just collapsed without him. He had a career high in rebounds per game this season, averaged 23.2 points per game, 7.4 assists per game,and started every game for the Thunder in his five year career (439 to be exact). The Thunder made it out of the Houston series in 6 but lost to the Grizzlies in 5 games. It’ll be interesting to see how he bounces back and brings the thunder to Kevin Durant’s lightning (pun intended).
   
8. Finally, my favorite story of the season, the Miami Heat winning back-to back championships: After finishing the season 66-16, they finished the playoffs going 16-7 while averaging 97.1 points per game and shooting 46.8 percent from the field (highest amongst any team in the playoffs). They fought hard and gave a valiant effort including two series back to back that lasted seven games. The Heat will now try to go for the even more elusive three-peat and will try to do so providing they can resign Ray Allen, Birdman, Mario Chalmers, Juwan Howard, and Rashard Lewis (both Howard and Lewis rarely played so they may be expendable). They have the momentum and with Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh having three straight Finals appearances,  they seem to have full control of the Eastern Conference and regardless of whether Derrick Rose and the Bulls get healthy, the Brooklyn Nets finally get a coach for the whole year, the Knicks become more than just Carmelo, or the Pacers finally stop losing to the Heat, the Heat are here to stay and the NBA better be on notice.
       

   Comment if you have any other opinions that you feel are appropriate. Thanks for reading.
   -Will

Doc Rivers To The Clippers

According to ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan, the Clippers have their head coach…provided the league approves of the trade. The Clippers will give Rivers a three-year, $21 million contract and in return, they’ll send a first-round pick to the Celtics, who agreed to release Rivers from his remaining three year, $21 million contract.  Danny Ainge is now going to have a HUGE challenge on his hands. Not only is he going to have to rebuild the team from the draft, but now he would have to find a new head coach and provide a reason for Kevin Garnett to stay in Boston and for Pierce to not be traded.

Hopefully Doc Rivers can bring greatness to a young team that is on the rise. The Clippers have a nice nucleus with Chris Paul (providing he resigns), Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan. All they need is that coach to prove that it’s not all about lobs, but wins and titles.

NBA Finals Coming To A Close

Well, the end is near. My favorite time of the year is wrapping up and if you didn’t know, I’m talking about the NBA season. 30 teams entered the season with equal hopes and equal dreams. The optimism was high, the hope was alive, the fans were excited to cheer for their teams, and the players were anxious to reach the coveted Larry O’Brien Trophy in June. And now it comes down to a game 7. The two best teams made it to the end and this series between the Heat and the Spurs has had its fair share of roller-coaster rides and memorable moments. Game One it was the improbable shot made by Tony Parker to shock the Heat. Game Two brought us The Block by LeBron James giving Tiago Splitter the business and capping a huge blowout by the Heat. Game Three was the Danny Green and Gary Neal Show as they demolished and shredded Miami’s typically strong defense. Game Four was the bounce back blowout by Miami as Dwyane Wade came alive and shredded San Antonio with glimpses of a vintage Flash. Game Five was Manu’s time to shine and reminded us of how deadly the Eurostep truly is.

But Game Six… Game Six was a game for the ages. This game was full of drama, from huge leads to last minute comebacks to game tying three pointers and defensive stands. Game Six reminded fans everywhere why we love the NBA: because we want the drama, we want the plays to make us drop our jaws and we want to see the good guys win (though there are a lot of people wanting to see the Heat lose). Me being a Miami Heat fan, I’m excited for tomorrow’s Game 7. I’m ready to see the Heat begin the dynasty and win their third title. For the real fans, this title will be so sweet and it’ll only increase the amount of bandwagon fans we get. 

But what will Game Seven bring? Will we see a 540 dunk from LeBron? Will Tony Parker dunk on Chris Bosh? Will Juwan Howard FINALLY play? Only tomorrow will tell…