30 Dec 10 Why the Cavaliers Really Won Sunday

The final score was 117-113, and the Cavaliers remain at 60-17. Lebron went to double Paul Pierce and gave up a crucial three to Ray Allen that really cemented the Celtics victory, but who really won? It's April, the Cavaliers with one more win will clinch the best record in the league for the second straight Reebok Denver Broncos #15 Tim Tebow Realtree camo Jersey
season, and the Cavaliers are playing purely for pride at this point. No Anderson Varejao and no Shaq and the Cavaliers still gave Boston a run for their money. The Cavaliers were down by as much as 18 at one point last night and it looked like the game was out of reach. Lebron did what he does best and gave his team the lead with under two minutes left.As a 15 year veteran, does Kevin Garnett not see the same thing I do? An April meaningless game? He still stuck his nose into Lebron who merely laughed off his intimidation and walked off the Reebok Green Bay Packers #12 Aaron Rodgers Realtree camo Jersey
court in routine fashion. Have we watched SportsCenter lately KG? Your Celtics are being discussed a lot, and not in a good way. You're 34, Ray Allen is 34, Paul is 33, and you just signed Michael Finley who is 37. You're getting old, and this is more than likely your last run ever. Please, keep it down.Must Be a Full MoonThis is just a side note. I've seen lately on Twitter people banging Jamario for wearing his headband over his ears. I think it's hilarious. He's actually done this on every NBA team he's played on. It comes gradually too. He starts out theReebok Green Bay Packers #52 Clay Matthews Realtree camo Jersey
season without many accessories and eventually adds on. Also for you people on Twitter hating about him always smiling, are you serious? I saw it a lot yesterday. Like I said above, it's a meaningless April game. You're really going to knock a guy for smiling all the time? Turn that frown upside down bro. Jeeze.This article is also featured onThe Anetzberger Verdict

29 Dec 10 NBA Playoffs 2010: Western Conference Short Predictions

Chris Graythen/Getty ImagesThis NBA regular was most definitely one of the best to date. The Western Conference once again was dominant, and the drama continued throughout the league.This year the West was hot. Each team that made the cut had 50 or more wins.The match-ups are great and NBA fans should be stoked. This is exactly why I am going to go over the Western match-ups.Battle for Pride: Lakers-ThunderAlready coach Phil Jackson is stirring the pot as he comments on how Kevin Durant is "babied" by referees.Durant had Carolina Panthers jersey
this to say, "If you say that I get superstar calls or I get babied by the refs, that's just taking away from how I play. That's disrespectful to me."This match up should be fantastic, as young superstar Kevin Durant begins a battle with former MVP Kobe Bryant. The Lakers have been playing horrible basketball lately this season, which is why I believe the Thunder will win this series, as they continue playing great ball. The Battle for Texas: Dallas-San AntonioA classic Texas battle will take place in the first round as the Mavericks and the Spurs face off.Dirk Nowitzki and his crew will have home court advantage. Dallas is tough to beat at home and the powerful Mavericks will defeat Tony Parker and company to move onto the second round.Battle of the Cripples: Blazers-SunsThe Portland Trail Chicago Bears jersey
Blazers have had a rough season, with injuries and drama (which won't stop; Brandon Roy is hurt again). But somehow they have managed to win 50 games and earn a sixth seed in the west. Rip City fans are as proud as can be.But unfortunately for Rip City, the Phoenix Suns are on a roll and cannot miss a three-point shot. Brandon Roy may not play in this series due to injury, but that is still not certain.Portland did win the series this season and will pull off a close one, despite injuries, and advance to the second round in six games.The Battle for the Blue; Denver-UtahNow here is a battle for the ages. Denver is most definitely one of the best teams in the NBA, but they have been playing very bad basketball. Melo and crew will need to clean it up if they want to win this series, because Utah is Cincinnati Bengals jersey
playing fantastic ball.This was a tough one, but Denver will clean up their act and use home court advantage to win in seven games to continue to the second round.It will be hard to predict the NBA Finals this year, but for a quick throw out, I see Cleveland playing Dallas before next season.Let start a discussion. What do you think of the western conference?

28 Dec 10 Is Ray Allen One of the Greatest Shooting Guards Ever?

Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesMy top playoff shooting guards list has been controversial, so I am providing my top SG list of all time, aside from finals success. This is all about overall production per minute, not just scoring, but it still takes into consideration finals wins.My formula is at play in this list:41 Ricky Pierce 40 Reggie Lewis 39 Del Curry 38 Danny Ainge 37 Byron Scott 36 Darrell Griffith 35 Derrick Rose 34 Jeff Malone 33 Michael Finley 32 Latrell Sprewell 31 Rolando Blackman 30 Gilbert Arenas 29 Ron Harper 28 Ray Allen 27 Cincinnati Bengals jersey
Jeff Hornacek 26 Sam Jones 25 Manu Ginobili 24 Vince Carter 23 Joe Dumars 22 Bill Sharman 21 Dave Bing20 Hal Greer19 Reggie Miller18 Dennis Johnson 17 Micheal Ray Richardson16 Earl Monroe15 Mitch Richmond14 World B. Free13 Anferne Hardaway12 Sidney Moncrief11 David Thompson10 Fat Lever09 Alvin Robertson08 Paul Waestphal07 Pete Maravich06 Clyde Drexler05 Allen Iverson04 Dwyane Wade03 Jerry West02 Kobe Bryant01 Michael JordanThe G.O.A.T.

27 Dec 10 LeBron James To The Mavericks: Where Both Teams Win

Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesLet face it; Cleveland has its hands tied.They either re-sign LeBron and try to go for another championship with their core group in a very competitive Eastern Conference (as far as the playoffs go), or they watch their superstar walk away and drift into nothingness.Cleveland without LeBron will be a boat without a captain, and also very incompetent sailors.UnlessThey work out a sign-and-trade with the Dallas Mavericks.The Mavericks are more than a dark horse in this year LeBron James sweepstakes.They are a dark Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers 43 Troy Polamalu Realtree camo Jersey
horse that actually provides Cleveland some breathing room to stay somewhat relevant and keep people in the stands.Let explore this scenarioThe Dallas Mavericks can send a combination of Erick Dampier and his $13 million non-guaranteed contract, Caron Butler and his $12 million contract that expires next season, Jason Terry and his $12 million, and JJ Barea or Roddy B, each with a cheap contract.Pack that up with a combination of cash and draft picks and you have yourself another Marc Cuban blockbuster deal.To better explain it, it would be something like this:LeBron James for Erick Dampier, Caron Butler/Jason Terry, JJ Barea/Roddy B, and a draft pick.You can throw in a Cleveland benchwarmer if rotations do not work.Personally, I believe the best scenario for both teams would be Damp, Butler, and JJ Barea.Why does this make sense for Cleveland?With Caron Butler, who is already familiar with Jamison, they will still have an athletic SF that can be productive.They will also have cap room to sign a free agent this summer Reebok Green Bay Packers 21 Charles Woodson Realtree camo Jersey
not named LeBron James by releasing Dampier.And if it does not work, someone like Butler expires next season, when someone like Carmelo Anthony will be available.Also, LeBron goes West for a long time, something Cleveland (and every other Eastern Conference team would not complain about).Looking at Dallas, does this make sense?It is LeBron James, so yes, it does make sense.

26 Dec 10 LeBron James or Kobe Bryant...Why Not Both?

Kobe vs. LeBron has become the new Brady vs. Manning.In the early part of the '00's, Brady had the rings, but Manning had that stats. Then Manning won a ring, and the consensus seemed to be that Manning was the better of the two. Enter Randy Moss into the equation, and Tom Brady sets the NFL record for touchdown passes (passing Manning's mark) while leading the Patriots to 16-0 regular season. Unfortunately Brady's knee got torn up during the first game of the next season and Manning won his third MVP award. The next season Manning Reebok Green Bay Packers #52 Clay Matthews Realtree camo Jersey
won his second consecutive MVP and led the Colts to a 14-0 start, and a Super Bowl appearance. Manning was again the victor in the Brady-Manning duel.We overreact to bad games by great players. Manning threw the game losing pick right into Tracy Porter's hands, and kick started the "Manning is a choker" arguments up again. LeBron put up a 15 point stinker at home in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics, and initiatedthe same the thing for himself.Meanwhile, Kobe's Lakers were on their way to the Western Conference Finals after sweeping the banged up Utah Jazz, and then behind a great Kobe performance, finished off the Suns to make their third NBA Finals in three seasons.This seemed to validate the argument that Kobe Bryant was better than LeBron James. But again, sports fans are some of the most short sighted, irrational people in the world sometimes. Can we really totally disregard the past two regular seasons that were owned by LeBron, and the past two landslide MVP award races?At the same time, Kobe has had great regular seasons the past two years as well, along with winning a title, and his first Finals MVP.In short, Kobe has been the playoff MVP of the past two season, and LeBron has been the regular season MVP. But which one is the better individual player?Let's break it downPost GameEdge: Kobe Kobe has one of the best post games of any guard to ever play the game, at this point in his career. He worked with post move master Hakeem Olajuwon this offseason, and frequently adds new moves. If LeBron learned how to play in the post, he should be unstoppable because of his mix of strength, size, and quickness; but Kobe is a much better post player right now.ShootingEdge: Kobe LeBron gets criticized a little too much for his "poor" shooting, but in reality he's really not a bad jump shooter. He's a better jump shooter than Allen Iverson was, and people weren't always complaining about Iverson's lack of a reliable jump shot.The fact is when LeBron gets in the zone, he can make four threes in a row. However, Kobe is a better jump shooter, and free throw shooter. Shooting is more a part of Kobe's game that LeBron's right now, since Kobe's body isn't quite what it used to be, and that's to Kobe's credit for working on his shot so much. Consistency is the key to shooting, and Kobe is a more consistent shooter than James. SlashingEdge: LeBron With the possible exception of Reebok Indianapolis Colts 18 Peyton Manning Realtree camo Jersey
Dwyane Wade, there is no other player in the NBA that attacks the basket with the same effectiveness as LeBron. Nobody wants to get in the way of a 6'8" monster built like a linebacker. And nobody does.At one time Kobe was a great slasher in his own right, but his body isn't what it used to be. However, he was never as good as LeBron in this category anyway.PassingEdge: LeBronJames is easily the best passing non-point guard in the game today. It's not even close. He always knows where his teammates are and finds wide open teammates for easy layups and open jumpers all the time. His constant driving to the hoop draws the defense to him and allows LeBron to find teammates open on the perimeter.Kobe is by no means a bad passer, but he's not a special passer like LeBron. LeBron has the passing gene only a few have ever possessed in NBA history. This is a huge part of LeBron's game that is sometimes overlooked when comparing him to other players.DefenseEdge: Even Both players have made the All-Defense team the past couple of years, so this one is extremely difficult to judge. One on one, Kobe might be a better defender than LeBron, but that's not the only part of defense. LeBron is a better help defender, and blocks shots regularly. LeBron can also guard a larger variety of players, and is a better rebounder. Both are great defenders in their own areas of expertise.LeadershipEdge: Even LeBron interacts with his teammates better than Kobe, and never fights with his teammates. Kobe, of Reebok Minnesota Vikings 28 Adrian Peterson Realtree camo Jersey
course, had the long feud with Shaq, and has been called out by teammate Pau Gasol for not giving him the ball enough. Throughout his career, Kobe has been spotted rolling his eyes at his teammates, and being harsh on them. LeBron is always patting his teammates on the back, and goofing off with them.However, LeBron's leadership style isn't necessarily the best type. Michael Jordan was never Mr. Nice Guy, but his teammates revered him, and that's the same type of leadership Kobe is trying to emulate. He doesn't lead as well as Jordan, but as the leader of his team, he equals James.Clutch AbilityEdge: Kobe This is one area where Kobe just keeps getting better, and better. Ironically, Kobe's buzzer beaters have been the only part of his game that is missing in the playoffs. Twice have his bricked/air balled game winners been rebounded, and put in at the buzzer by teammates.LeBron is one of the best players at the end of the game as well, but Kobe is simply the best in the NBA in the final twenty seconds (The All Time Clutch Power Trio: MJ, Kobe, Bird), and it's really not even close. Supporting CastEdge: Kobe This is Kobe's biggest advantage over LeBron (along with being in the league twice as long). LeBron has only played with two All-Stars (meaning they were an All-Star the year that he played with them) during his entire Cavaliers tenure (Mo Williams, Ilgauskas), and those were both questionable selections. The Cavs acquisition of Antawn Jamison was supposed to be a big help for LeBron, but he proved to not be clutch and choke in the deciding Game 6 (five points, and five rebounds in 30 minutes counts as choking right?).Kobe has one of the best offensive post players in the NBA, and one of the leagues top defenders on the wing. When Bynum is healthy, he gives them an extra dimension down low as well. Lamar Odom might be better than anybody on Cleveland besides LeBron, and he's the Lakers fourth option. Kobe won a title last season, but if LeBron had switched places with him he would probably have done the same.The Final VerdictThis is really too close to call. There isn't a definitive answer either way. If LeBron was still in the playoffs, and the Cavs were dominating, LeBron would be the choice, but he's not. Personally I still believe LeBron is the best player in the world, but I can accept people who say Kobe is (as long as they aren't obnoxious about it).Basketball is a team sport, and Kobe has a better team. If we could Reebok Minnesota Vikings #4 Brett Favre Realtree camo Jersey
clone the Lakers and put LeBron one Lakers A and Kobe on Lakers B which team would win? We'll never know. And we might never know ifLeBron or Kobe is better. That is until LeBron wins five titles in a row in Chicago with Derrick Rose. (Just kidding....maybe)For now, let's just stop hating and enjoy Kobe, and LeBron for the great players that they are, and reevaluate this when both of their careers are finished.LeBron still has plenty of time to win some titles and pile up the stats, and Kobe isn't going away any time soon.Here's to hoping we'll get a Lakers-whoever LeBron plays for Finals before 2015.

25 Dec 10 Shaquille O'Neal: Why The Diesel Will Not Bring Celtics an NBA Crown

The Celtics are alegendary and historicteam. Who have had great players on their teams throughout the year. From the great Bill Russell to Larry Bird, Paul Pierce, and now Shaquille O'Neal?O'Neal was recently inked by the Celtics to the veterans minimum of $1.4 million over one season with Boston.Many reports and articles have said that "O'Neal is the missing piece or the player they needed in order for the Celtics to win a championship come next season and knock off the Heat, Magic, and Lakers.But I am here to give reasons on St. Louis Rams jersey
why I think adding O'Neal to the Celtics roster is nothing more than adding a has-been body that is going to be sitting on the bench and giving the Celtics a few minutes here and there.Just before you hate on me put aside the name "Shaquille O'Neal", and take in what he hasaccomplishedover the past few seasons (or what he has not accomplished) depending on how you put it.Over The HillShaq is going to going to be 38-years-old heading into the 2010-11 season. I ask myself, does he really think he can still contribute at a high level for an NBA team? Well the answer is now in my opinion: I think that as Shaq has gotten older over the past few years, his productions is decreasing, and his overall value towards a team is lessening and lessening as he is getting older.What Has O'Neal Accomplished Over the Past Few Seasons?Shaq has bounced around from team to team over the past few seasons accomplishing nothing but shot playoff stints for his respected team. He has not been able to produce the numbers, and place as big an impact, as he has in his career prior to the mid-Miami Heat days.No moreDieselin the TankThis is the main factor bringing Shaq down to ground. Shaq has nothing left over teams. Yes, he may score 10 points or what not, but at what price doesTennessee Titans jersey
that cost you when you're defending players like Dwight Howard, Kendrick Perkins, and Amar'e Stoudemire on a nightly basis? He is getting heavier and heavier as the seasons go by, (and it sure as hell is not muscle he is gaining). He can barely run up and down the floor without sweating up a storm, and when he is able to get down the floor you are always seeing him as the last man trailing behind of everyone coming down into the offensive sets.Shaq is still one of the leagues worst free throw shooters, a stat he has had his whole career, and it will not improve. Especially with the Greg Popovich implemented "Hack A Shaq", Shaq could be at the line more times than wanted for him.Lastly, how many minutes do you honestly think Shaq will be able to handle, being a year older? He played only 23 minutes last season with the Cavaliers.What Can Shaq Bring in a Very Limited Role?The last main point is, how valuable can Shaq be if he is playing less than 20minutesa game? We all know that Shaq is at his best getting the ball dumped into him and everyone watching him go to work. But he is getting older and his body is not able to blow by defenders like his days in Orlando and Los Angeles. As well with Rondo improving drastically, and his style of getting in front of everyone on Washington Redskins jersey
the fast break, is not Shaq's forte, to say the least.As I close this article, by last point is just a shout out to Shaq, that instead of tarnishing his image my jumping from team to team in order to get one more chance at a ring.He should just hang up the shoes, call it quits, be happy with his four NBA rings, and relax with his multi, multi-millions.

24 Dec 10 Carmelo Anthony Trade Rumors: What Would Be Fair Value For the Denver Nuggets?

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty ImagesIt is fairly common knowledge by now that Carmelo Anthony would like to continue his NBA career elsewhere.After reaching the playoffs in each of his seven high-scoring seasons with the Denver Nuggets, Anthony now believes that the grass will be greener somewhere else—New York, New Jersey or Chicago to be specific.There is a school of thought that insists on believing that Anthony can still be convinced to remain with the Nuggets. This school draws a parallel between Anthony and Chris Paul, in that they see both players as wanting to see the direction the team is heading before making a commitment.This idea loses credibility when you look at the realistic directions in which the Nuggets can actually head.Kenyon Martin, Arron Afflalo, J.R. Smith all come off the books at the end of the season. Chauncey Billups' contract includes a $3.7 million buyout this summer. Nene's contract is a $11.6 million team option. Assistant coaches Tim Grgurich and Jamahl Mosley, both close to Anthony, are Oakland Raiders jersey
gone. George Karl is in the final year of his deal. Front-office execs Mark Warkentien and Rex Chapman were let go.Clearly an unstable franchise at the moment, with only two real paths from which to choose.The Nuggets, in an effort to show Anthony that they are committed to keeping the current window open, could extend the deals of Martin and Smith. This is highly risky, as the Nuggets would then be stuck with two players they didn't want when Anthony leaves anyway.The other pitch they could make to Anthony is for him to be patient while they blow things up a bit and rebuilt the team around him. This obviously won't be terribly appealing to Carmelo.No, there is really nothing that Denver can do or say that can realistically sway Carmelo Anthony. If the offer of a short extension with maximum dollars, especially given the uncertainty of the labor situation this coming summer, doesn't influence Carmelo to sign, then nothing will.Carmelo Anthony will not be a Denver Nugget next season. That is as close to a fact as you can get in this situation. Even his former college coach knows it."He wants a place he can win," Boeheim told the New York Daily News recently. "And I hope he can do that. He's in the prime of his career. He'd be a great foundation to build a franchise on."The Denver brass have made it pretty clear what they hope to get back in a trade for their star forward. They want a young player with star potential. They would also like one or more high first-round draft picks, and a decent veteran Philadelphia Eagles jersey
with an expiring contract.The Knicks, Anthony's top choice, has not, and probably can not, put together an attractive enough package. Anthony's second choice, the Chicago Bulls, refuse to include Joakim Noah in any trade with the Nuggets. The Nuggets wisely consider that to be a deal breaker.It is highly unlikely Anthony agrees to a trade to Philadelphia or the Clippers, two other rumored destinations.Any deal is obviously contingent upon Anthony agreeing to extend his contract. No team would be willing to meet the Nuggets' asking price for a one-season rental.There was a highly publicized, four-team deal floating around last month that had the Nuggets receiving power forward Derrick Favors, the third pick in the 2010 draft, from the Nets and Andrei Kirilenko from the Jazz, as well as the Nets'protected (1-7) first-rounder in 2012.Despite reports that Anthony blessed the deal, the Nuggets backed out of the negotiations. It is distinctly possible that the Nuggets' management duo of Josh Kroenke and Masai Ujiri were over their heads in attempting to work out such a complex, and important, deal.The Nuggets have recently hired salary cap whiz Pete D'Alessandro, potentially speeding up the process of finding a suitable trade for Carmelo Anthony.The Nuggets will continue to shop Anthony, but might be waiting until after December 15. That is the first day that free agents signed this summer can be included in deals.So what would constitute a fair deal for the Nuggets?It is important the Nuggets are realistic in their demands. The team is at a critical juncture, and losing Carmelo without compensation will cripple this team for years to come. Anthony is doing the right thing in giving the Nuggets ample time to move him, so the team simply cannot blow this.The previously reported four-team deal needs to be revived. It is more than fair compensation for a player determined to walk at season's end.The Nuggets have almost no leverage in this situation. Carmelo holds almost all the cards. If he is silly enough to want to play for the Nets, the Nuggets would be extremely wise to grab the Nets' offer and begin the process of rebuilding their team.The New Jersey Nets are the only team with a realistic shot at trading for Anthony. The longer this process drags on, the more the New York Knicks can just sit back and wait for Carmelo to come to them as a free-agent.There is no way Denver can get equal value for Carmelo. None. With that as a known, the Nuggets Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
have to come to grips with the fact that they are going to have to blow up the team and start over. They need to hope Favors can blossom into a star. They need to trade Kenyon Martin and J.R. Smith,preferablyfor more draft picks. A painful season or two would get them a chance at even more talent through the draft.The Nuggets lucked into Carmelo in the first place. He gave them seven playoff seasons. The time is now for them to hoard draft picks and hope to luck into another franchise player. Maybe even someone with a more well-rounded game.