Can the Knicks Win without Lin

Posted By Dan Dragicevich.

The Knicks are inching closer to the playoffs but they will have to continue to do it without Lin.

The Knicks are inching closer to the playoffs but they will have to continue to do it without Lin. The New York Knicks have looked like a team that has been on a mission to end the season the right way, by making the postseason. Carmelo Anthony has stepped up big lately which is a good sign since his normal all-star stats have been missed dearly these past couple weeks. It seems as if Anthony is starting to take things a bit more personally and he is really picking his game up. In the Knicks last game against the Bulls, Anthony had 43 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block including the game tying shot at the end of regulation and then the game winning 3 pointer at the end of overtime.

Besides Anthony’s stellar play of late, the biggest headline that might be coming out of New York is still centered around Jeremy Lin. The one who is responsible for bringing Linsanity to the world has been sidelined for the past few games because of a knee injury. He even went as far as to say that he will not be able to able to participate in the first round of the playoffs if the Knicks happen to qualify for it. Is this a crushing blow for the Knicks now that their point guard is out? Or does it just mean that someone else will have to step in once again for this Knicks team?

Jeremy Lin is no doubt the savior of the New York Knicks this season but is his absence really a big deal for the Knicks? Since Lin’s massive eruption to the NBA, he is averaged below 15 points a game and his assist numbers have been reduced to a mere 5 a game. He is still their floor general on the floor but there is another young gun who has taken some of the pressure off of the starting point guard role. His name is Iman Shumpert and he has been producing numbers across the board.

Iman Shumpert is a rookie who has had limited minutes throughout the season where he has shown signs of emergence every now and again but has not stayed consistent. With the injury to Lin, Shumpert has been able to get quality minutes and has worked that to his advantage. He has gotten his numbers up around 10 points a game with 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and almost 3 steals a game. Now I know this may not seem like huge numbers, but the way he has worked his way back into the 8 man rotation has really provided a spark for this Knicks backcourt. As I said earlier, he is known to be inconsistent which isn’t necessarily a bad thing because for a back to back game stretch he erupted for 25 points.

The New York Knicks have found a solid two man rotation at the point guard spot but because of injuries there is a reason for Knicks fans to be weary. With the postseason approaching quickly and the Knicks only holding a half game lead for the 8th spot in the East, The Lin injury could be worse case scenario. If the Knicks hold onto their 8th spot in the East they will most likely be going up against the Chicago Bulls who have the league’s best point guard in Derrick Rose. Without a healthy Lin, the Knicks could find trouble slowing down Rose and the strong willed Bulls team. This means that Shumpert will have to take over and have to contain Rose to a reasonable amount of points. I have seen crazy things but you never know what can happen. That’s why they play the game, folks.

Flip-Flop Howard

Posted By Dan Dragicevich.

Dwight Howard was the center piece of the NBA trade deadline even though he failed to be traded.

After digesting this story, I decided to write about it because Dwight Howard, who is loved and is seen in a positive light by many people in the NBA and the public, has been in troubled waters. Last week was arguably the most interesting week the NBA has had since it returned to play after their lockout. The focus was on the trade deadline and who could possibly be traded to another team. There were many interesting possibilities with names like Deron Williams from the Nets being moved and Pau Gasol from the Lakers; but no other player was more looked at then Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.

Dwight Howard

For a while now there had been rumors about Dwight Howard wanting to leave the Orlando Magic because he believed that the coaching staff and front office personnel weren’t doing enough to bring in new talent and to contribute to a championship caliber team. For as long as Dwight Howard pleaded for that to happen it never did and Howard’s trade seemed eminent.

Days before the trade deadline, ESPN analysts had been discussing different options as to where Howard could end up as if to say that this is definitely going to happen. The Orlando Magic however, weren’t going to just let their franchise center leave without trying to retain him. By doing this they pretty much begged him to stay by saying that if you stay we will make sure we bring in new talent. This isn’t Howard’s first rodeo though and he said he would not be coming back to Orlando next season. This is where things took a turn for the worst for Howard.

After hearing that Howard didn’t want to come back to Orlando the following season, front office management decided to throw out all the stops and offer him total control of the team essentially. The Orlando Magic came back with a statement saying that if Howard stays, he has the ability to decide the fates of Coach Stan Van Gundy and the General Manager of the team…. I’m sorry but is that really necessary? I understand that Howard is a franchise player but are you really going to let him have full control of this organization and allow him to make personnel decisions? To me if a player like that wants to leave bad enough then you trade him and get as much value as you can out of him. Howard has been there his entire career and has been to the finals and has not been able to close out a championship. I say you start new and bring in a bunch of new talent and see where that takes you. There is no way I would allow a player to have so much control where he should be able to decide the fates of coaches and GM’s.

After hearing this news Howard decided to stay and said he believes there is enough talent on the team to make another championship run; this was days after he said he didn’t want to be a part of the organization anymore. Unbelievable.

For all I know he could have even flip-flopped again just because he wanted to have fun with the media who knows. Dwight Howard is a standup guy and is loyal to his team but this story just blew me away and he should have talked with some PR people before blabbing away to the media.

Fantasy Playoffs

Posted by Dan Dragicevich.

A few tips to keep in mind as you approach your playoffs matchup…. If you made it.

It has been a long and tiresome season for fantasy basketball owners and all that hard work is about to pay off as the playoffs approach. Depending on what type of league you are in depends on how many people are able to reach the playoffs. For most leagues, it is usually just 4 teams; the top 2 teams in each division and then 2 wild card teams with the best records. For those lucky few teams your decisions will either make or break you and will determine whether you advance or not. For those poor souls who spent hour after hour on the waiver wire trying to improve their teams but just couldn’t; don’t fret because there is still the consolation ladder.

First off the best way to handle the playoffs is to act like it is just another week. Don’t stray away from the norm and stay with what has gotten you there. Just because a player or two is not putting up the numbers they are capable of doesn’t mean you have to drop them and try and pick someone up who has had a few good games in a row. Stay with what works and what has gotten you there and you should be in the fight.

Another thing that most people forget is that the playoff matchups are two weeks long rather than the traditional one week matchup. What this means is that you can afford to be extra patient and if someone has an injury that has kept them out of a game or two and they are an important piece to the team then you can sub them out if you can but there is no need to drop them, just wait.

A third thing that most people forget is that since this is the playoffs, one absence of a player could be the difference so you need to make sure that you are consistently checking your lineups every night in case of an injury or someone is out on rest. This sort of thing really comes into play when you have a full lineup and there are still players on your bench who have a game that night. One thing that can kill you is if you have someone sitting out and you have a fully capable player on the bench who you forgot to sub in.

Basically, the key to winning the playoffs or the consolation ladder is to make sure you are checking your lineups every night and to not worry if someone is playing poorly because more than likely they will pick it up for you. Good luck and may the best team win.

Wilson Returns

Posted by Dan Dragicevich.

With Wilson Chandler back, the Denver Nuggets have a lot of options at the shooting guard and small forward positions.

As the Denver Nuggets keep pace in the Western Conference at (25-21) it seems as if they have been missing a piece to the puzzle that could be them over the top; enter Wilson Chandler.

Wilson Chandler

Before Chandler went overseas to play in China while the NBA was in their lockout, he played for the Nuggets and participated in 21 games. In those games, Chandler averaged 12.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 0.7 steals, 1.1 blocks and 1.2 three pointers. Considering how many games he played in those are pretty solid numbers. He also is a valuable asset because he creates a lot of mismatches for opponents because of his ability to step back behind the 3 point line.

The fact that Denver signed him to a brand new five-year deal means they are preparing to build a core group of players. Those couples of players are Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari and a young point guard in Ty Lawson. Unfortunately the Denver Nuggets are still a dominant big man away from being a top team in the Western Conference. I would have been tempted to say that Nene was their big man who could get them over the hump but management decided to trade him away and retrieve JaVale Mcgee. Now Mcgee is a solid big man who can throw down and play some pretty good interior defense but his problem is that he is too inconsistent in too many ways. Some days he can go off for 25 points, 20 rebounds and 5 blocks and other days he can go for 5 points, 8 rebounds and 0 blocks. Right now Denver’s case is you get what you trade for and right now they are getting inconsistency.

Now that Wilson Chandler has resigned he will be looking for a lot of minutes and to be a big part of the offense. With the injury trend seeming to happen with Gallinari; Chandler will fit right back in and be getting steady minutes. Hopefully for him it will be like he never left.

The Masked Mamba

Posted by Dan Dragicevich.

After Kobe Bryant broke his nose in the all-star game, he seems to be once again on a mission to prove himself.

Once the all-star break ended and the regular season picked back up again, Kobe Bryant told the media that he had no enemies or rivalries in the league. Although he may not show his aggression toward other players, he sure uses it for determination.

In the three games after his injury in the all-star game, Bryant has posted tremendous numbers by scoring more than 30 points in all three games. He has posted scores of 31, 38, and 33 while shooting at a percentage of over .450 from the field. In the pre-game interview before Sunday night’s game against the Miami Heat, Bryant expressed how he had no animosity towards Dwayne Wade after the aggressive foul Wade had on Bryant in the all-star game. This is a perfect example of how Bryant is one of the more wise veterans playing the game.

For someone to say that they are not upset at someone for breaking their nose and giving them a mild concussion in an exhibition match is obviously lying. Bryant never said this, but how could he not be pissed off at Wade for that? Although what Wade did wasn’t a cheap shot; there is still no reason why someone should be playing that aggressive of defense in an all-star game. In my opinion, Bryant is playing this off perfectly because by saying he isn’t mad he can pretty much do what he wants. In last night’s game against the Heat, Bryant could have taken advantage of the situation and fouled Wade as hard as he wanted and it wouldn’t have been known as a “revenge” hit because he said he wasn’t mad. Although Bryant didn’t actually foul him hard in that game, he metaphorically did by posting up 20 points on Wade in the first quarter and then methodically winning the game for the Lakers by hitting timely shots. Bryant ended the game with 33 points and a Laker win and to him that is the most important thing.

As I said before, Kobe has been an unstoppable force these past three games and it seems like if he wants to score 30 in a given night then he will. Kobe is that kind of special player that can almost do what he pleases on the court. Of course he wants to make his team better and to win games, but if he wants to prove a point and post up 30 points in 3 straight games then that is exactly what he will do.

Second Half Headlines

 Posted by Dan Dragicevich. 

Many stories headline the start of the second half of the NBA, especially the health status of Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls.

Many people believe that the Chicago Bulls are the team in the East who will contend with the Miami Heat for a spot in the finals; those people would be correct if one thing holds up.

The Bulls are a great team with Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer, no question, but the issue is whether or not they can hold up injury wise for the next thirty so odd games. Derrick Rose is the biggest issue because of the talent he provides for the team, without him the Bulls are a shell of the team they are with him. Before the all-star break he was dealing with some lower back spasms that were obviously hindering his ability to slice through the lane and dish out the ball effectively.

Another player that has had some previous injury issues is Joakim Noah. Noah plays so hard and with so much intensity that he is always vulnerable to a fluke injury where he turns his knee or ankle the wrong way.

A third player who has stepped onto the injury scene lately for the Bulls is Luol Deng. Deng suffered a leg injury earlier in the year which sidelined him for a few weeks. He also fell awkwardly on his wrist in the all-star game but said he felt fine and it was comfortable.

Another big story line that is hitting the media is the emergence of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Although they only have a record of 18-17, the Timberwolves have a few players outside of Kevin Love who are stepping up. The rookie play of Derrick Williams has been outstanding as of late where he has scored 13 points, grabbed 9 boards and added a block two games ago, and after last night’s game many people could be thinking about picking him up in their fantasy league because he scored 27 points, grabbed 5 boards and again added a block.

The other player who has been flying under the radar the entire season for the T’Wolves is Nikola Pekovic. Pekovic has been quietly having a great year where he is averaged 12.5 points and 7.1 rebounds. Now those may not seem like extremely good numbers but Pekovic is consistent and every now and then he will explode with a double-double going for 30 points and 15 rebounds.

Don’t be surprised if the Timberwolves make a strong run into the postseason and possibly even knock off a team in the first round. Don’t forget they still have the double-double machine and the recent 3 point shooting champ, Kevin Love and oh yeah Ricky Rubio. Mark my words, the Timberwolves are a dangerous team.

NBA All-Star Weekend

Posted by Dan Dragicevich.

With the majority of the focus being on Sunday and the all-star game, are the two previous days necessary anymore?

Sunday’s all-star game has been and always will be the cherry on top of the NBA all-star weekend. With Sunday’s game being no different than usual, the fans and even the players had an entertaining night. With the lack of defense being played and the frenzy of alley-oop after alley-oop seemingly always to either Blake Griffin or Lebron James, the all-star game was a success.

What wasn’t a success about the weekend was the bevy of events that take place on Friday and Saturday leading up to the all-star game. I mean it seems like it is getting a little ridiculous with everything they have now. On Friday, they have the Sprint celebrity game and the BBVA rising stars game, on Saturday they have the D-League all-star game, the Haier shooting stars challenge, the Taco Bell skills challenge, the Foot Locker 3 point shooting contest, and the Sprite slam dunk contest, and finally on Sunday they have the All-star game. Is it me or does it seem like the NBA is having all of these events just so companies can sponsor them? Of course the NBA is out to make their money, but what happened to the days when the all-star break was all about the players and the fans just relaxing and having a good time instead of it becoming a huge advertising party?

David Stern and the NBA are heading in the right direction, especially with many other sports all-star games kicking the bucket (NFL’s Pro Bowl). But is it really necessary to have an all-star game for the D-League? The Celebrity game is one thing, because it provides the fans with names they have heard before and gives them someone and something to cheer about, but unfortunately no one has heard of anyone in the D-League and having one event at the all-star break isn’t going to attract more people to go to the games.

What they should do is get rid of Friday’s events and the Haier shooting skills contest and make everything on Saturday and Sunday. Obviously they have to keep the 3 point shooting contest and the dunk contest because those are staples, but maybe they should try and have bigger names and better dunkers join the contests. No disrespect to Chase Budinger, but do the fans of the NBA really want to see him in the dunk contest? Yes, he can dunk the ball, but what happened to when Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon used to participate in it? 

Lebron James is one of the best dunkers and high flyers of all-time and he has still yet to participate. I think if you are one of the best at what you do then you should feel responsible to participate in an event that showcases the best of the best. That’s the way it used to be and it needs to get back to that way very soon.

Network concedes to Linsanity

Posted by Jon Creem.

Jeremy Lin

If you don't live in the greater Manhattan area then you might not have known that even fans living in the Big Apple were not able to witness Harvard phenom, Jeremy Lin, inspire and ignite the Knicks to their winning ways. Time Warner, who provides the cable to the customers who watch games played on MSG, along with MSG themselves, have been in an ongoing dispute over carriage fees, or the amount of money MSG pays Time Warner to broadcast events.

Since Lin arose to the Knicks starting point guard, complaints from the New York faithful began to increase. As the outbreak of demand continued, pressure by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo drove talks from the companies to make a deal. MSG chairman, James Dolan, and Time Warner Cable chairmen, Glenn Britt, then met Monday, February 13th to finally end the dispute.

What's even more compelling is that even with the Rangers, being in first place and hockey fans fuming, it took Lin's rising celebrity status to get a deal to work. Unfortunately, no financial agreement has been made public, but according to the NY Post, after a deal was made and MSG was back on the air, the network posted a rating of 4.66 and drew 344,272 viewers. The rating was the highest since Carmelo Anthony's Knicks debut.

If your a Knicks (or Rangers) fan, add this to the thank you list for the front office to consider for next year, as contract talks will most certainly heat up as Lin continues to put the team on his back.

Lebron 'Villain' James

Posted by Dan Dragicevich.

Lebron James went from savor of Cleveland basketball to Villain of the entire NBA when he decided to “take his talents to South Beach” and play for the Miami Heat.

When people hear Lebron James’ name in the media what do they think of? My guess is that they remember when he so arrogantly decided to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team he was drafted by, and go play for the Miami Heat. This was a big deal because of the way he did it and the fact that he let a lot of people down who brought him into this league.

Lebron James came into the league fresh out of high school as one of the most anticipated players the sport has ever seen. With his body structure, skill, speed and overall athleticism, people knew he was destined for greatness and that is exactly what he started out as. James was drafted by a horrendous Cleveland team and while he was there he managed to bring attendance up, jersey sales up and the overall hype of Cleveland basketball up. He even managed to help out the economy of the city because people from all over wanted to see him play which created a boom in other businesses such as restaurants and bars. In a nut shell, Lebron James was God in Cleveland, Ohio.

Then in one full swoop his status as God came crashing down. His existing contract was up and free agency suddenly became imminent for James as every team was bidding on him to bring him to their city. Blah, Blah, Blah, we all know how this ended up. The Media made a free agency deal into a huge production and probably about 50% of why Lebron James is hated is because of the media. We all know about “The Decision” that took place on air and how ridiculous that whole thing was. We also know about how when he arrived at Miami with Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, and company, that they basically had a fashion show showcasing themselves in their uniforms and where Lebron so foolishly predicted that they will win “not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, but seven NBA titles.”

So OK, we know about how much of a jerk he is for what he did two years back but that’s not why I’m writing about this. I am writing about this because of something he said a few days ago. Lebron James is under contract with the Heat for two more years with the option of extending his contract for two more and after coming back to Cleveland for the third time to play against his old team, he was asked a very interesting question. When asked if he would ever return to Cleveland he said, “I am open to anything, I don’t know what the future holds but as long as I am healthy I wouldn’t mind coming back.” He also added that he had a lot of good times playing there and that it could be fun coming back. I’m sorry but is he serious? The arrogance of this guy is unbelievable and the fact that he would say that coming back to Cleveland would be fun is ridiculous. I don’t know what the loyalty is like in Cleveland but if the fans have any self-dignity they should openly come out and say, for lack of better words, "go screw yourself Lebron". What he did was the lowest of the low in sports especially the way he did it and to say those things is like a slap in the face to Cleveland fans.

I’m sorry Cleveland but what you have going on now with the young talent of Kyrie Irving and some of the supporting cast around him they can make some noise themselves. Give them a few more years to build and they will be in the playoff race every year.

This is just another example of why Lebron James keeps digging himself into deeper and deeper holes with people around the league, and unless he starts winning to silence some of the critics, he will be one of the most hated players ever outside of South Beach.

NBA weekend wrap-up

Posted by Dan Dragicevich.

This weekend had some interesting story lines, especially the emergence of J.R. Smith in New York.

J.R. Smith of the New York Knicks

As a follow-up to my recent article, I wrote about the in-season acquisition of shooting guard J.R. Smith by the New York Knicks. This weekend he made his season debut when he came off the bench against the reigning champs, the Dallas Mavericks. This was a surprise to many because even though Bill Walker was unable to play, Smith was reportedly still a long shot to play with only a few days of practice with his new team. Well, the Knicks made the right decision and are happy they did because Smith came out on fire scoring 15 points and knocking down 3 treys to go along with 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal. He ended up going 6 of 16 from the field which is a .375 shooting percentage which is right around his average. This is a great sign for Knicks fans because if Smith can stay consistent (which is a big if), he can really take pressure off of Carmelo Anthony who is scheduled to return tonight. Also, Jeremy Lin continued his dominant run by scoring 28 points, dishing out 14 assists, and having 5 steals. The Knicks are starting to develop a great supporting cast for Carmelo Anthony, let’s just hope it doesn’t all fall apart when he gets back.

Another interesting headline in basketball that happened over the weekend was the jab that Kobe Bryant took at the Laker’s front office after their game against the Phoenix Suns. In a post-game interview he explained (with some expletives) that he is very upset about the job that the Laker’s front office is doing with the talks about the Pau Gasol trade. He said, “I'd rather (Lakers management) not trade him, but if they're going to do it, (expletive) do it already. If you're not going to do it, come out and say you're not going to do it.” Bryant didn’t seem too upset when talking about it but he was very serious about it. Although Gasol is playing well, Bryant believes it is having an effect on his game and that it isn’t right what management is doing for him and the team. We’ll see what kind of effect this has on the team because this isn’t the first time Bryant has done something like this. Much like his old coach, Phil Jackson aka the Zen Master, Bryant knows exactly how to fire up his team when he feels they are struggling. For all the Laker fans out there (including myself), I wouldn’t worry about this having a negative effect on the chemistry of the team because Bryant is one of the greatest leaders of all-time to play this game and I think he pulled out the big guns just in time for the Laker’s to make a run leading up to the all-star break.

Knicks making moves

Posted by Dan Dragicevich.

The New York Knicks have been in the news for the last few weeks because of Jeremy Lin’s play. Can another Knick story actually take away from Linsanity?

Everyone by now has officially heard of Jeremy Lin and what he has done to the sports world. He has literally saved his career by performing at a record pace in just a few short games. The fact that Jeremy Lin is such an underdog story is something that everyone can relate to and because he is such a genuine guy, everyone loves to root for him. Jeremy Lin has put Knicks basketball back in the headlines and they are thankful for that, but has the Knicks front office now made a splash of their own?

Yes it is true; the Knicks are back atop the headlines not because of Lin, but because of a free agent signing that they recently made. The Knicks’ front office picked up J.R. Smith from overseas who was playing in China. Smith, who before leaving to go play in China, was a part of the Denver Nuggets organization. He and fellow teammate Wilson Chandler left the NBA because they were afraid of the NBA going into a lockout and were offered a high salary by the Chinese league.

J.R. Smith

This is a big signing for the Knicks because not only do they have the emergence of Lin, a true point guard by definition, but they also have some depth at the shooting guard position now. This will now give the Knicks more options for scoring and will also relieve some pressure from Carmelo Anthony who has struggled at times shooting the ball this season.

While J.R. Smith was a part of the Nuggets, most would say he was an above average player. He has great range, he is a high flyer who can swing the momentum of games, and he has a decent handle on the ball. For his career, Smith averaged 12.5 points a game, 2.8 rebounds a game, 2.0 assists a game, .9 steals a game and shot at an average of .428 from the field. Based on those numbers Smith had a pretty nice NBA career. A few knocks people would say about Smith is that while he can be a tremendous scorer, he can also be very inconsistent. Smith is a very streaky player and when he is hot he can be one of the best scorers in the league but when he is shooting poorly, he is almost invisible out there. The Knicks are obviously willing to take that with a grain of salt and realize that if they want to compete in the postseason with the likes of Chicago and Miami then they need to have all the scoring power they can. The Knicks aren’t worried too much about the other things Smith can do because they are bringing him in for one reason and one reason only, to put the ball in the hoop. They are also hoping that Smith has a bit of confidence in his play coming out of China because while he was there he managed to average an astounding 32.5 points per game. Of course the level of play overseas has diminished, but that’s still very impressive and hopefully can turn into positive play.

The Knicks are doing everything they can to make themselves contenders and the races are heating up. The next few months should be very interesting, starting with all-star weekend.

Mayweather tweets on Linsanity

Posted by Dan Dragicevich.

Floyd Mayweather chimes in on Jeremy Lin and his renewed success with the New York Knicks.

Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. tweeted yesterday that he believes the majority of the reason why Jeremy Lin is getting publicity is because he is Asian. His exact tweet was “Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he's Asian. Black palayers do what he does every night and don't get the same praise.” The argument that was being discussed on ESPN’s First Take was whether or not Mayweather’s tweet was fair or foul. After hearing the conversation, the consensus was that Mayweather’s tweet was mostly foul but it did have a bit of truth to it.

First of all, the tweet was a bit out of line because the media doesn’t want to hone in on a story just because of race as that is not morally right and the media doesn’t want to get any negative publicity about the stories they are covering. Also, the analyst’s on First Take discussed how race has nothing to do with it because even though he is an Asian player and they don’t get much publicity, there are so many more story lines that are capturing the eyes of the world.

Lin, who is the first American-born player of Taiwanese or Chinese descent to play in the NBA has broken many records in his first 6 official starts. Dating back to when the NBA merged with the ABA back in the 1976 season, Lin has become the record holder of total points scored in a players first four starts with 109 points. This wasn’t even done by some of the all-time greats including Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Shaq. Another record Lin broke was that he is the first player to score more than 20 points and have more than 7 assists in each of his first four starts.

Much more than the statistics Lin has been posting, the real story here is the fact that this kid was cut by two different teams at one time and was about a week away from being cut again by the New York Knicks. He has bounced around the league a bit since he was picked up and has even been demoted to the D-league which is the NBA’s developmental league and another way of saying that you’re not good enough to play with the big boys. Lin proved that statistic wrong and is the sensation of America…. Or should I say LINsation.

Getting back to Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s tweet about Lin’s race causing the majority of why he is being publicized is a conversation I would like to flip around. Let’s say hypothetically Lin was actually African-American, would he really be getting as much publicity? Of course we don’t want to think that the media is biased to a certain race and that is not what this is about. But the fact that the NBA has mostly African-American players in it makes other races a minority to the sport and the odds of having an Asian player with as interesting of a story as Lin has is about a million-to-one shot. But does that mean he should be getting more recognition than other players? I don’t think so because the truth of the matter is that if an African-American player was doing the same thing than yes he would be praised just as much as Lin has been. The fact that there are so few Asian players in the league makes it all the more interesting of a story and I think that is where the confusion lies.

What Mayweather tweeted about does have some truth behind it but the way he went about saying it and expressing himself did him no justice. This story isn’t about how the media doesn’t praise Black athletes for their hard work because we all know that they do; this story is just about how much of a fairytale ride Lin has had and if it will ever come to a stop. So even if Lin was African-American there is no doubt that he would be getting national recognition, it is the fact that he is Asian which makes it all the more interesting.

Favorites for the title

Posted by Dan Dragicevich.

The new shortened season in the NBA has made the playoff picture a bit more interesting with unlikely teams having a greater shot of getting into the postseason.

With the struggles that the NBA had to overcome this past offseason with the potential lockout, the NBA is hoping that some good can come out of it. Since the league had to suspend the first month of games, the new revised season was only 66 games. This causes concern with the owners and players because the owners are losing money due to the decrease in attendance while the players are losing money because they aren’t being paid for the games they missed. The one positive outcome that can be taken from this is the hope for a more diverse group in the playoffs.

Every year we see teams who are projected to be at the bottom of the league come out hot and have a fast start. They might come out firing with a 10-3 record but then for whatever reason we see them fizzle out by season’s end, it happens every year. This year is much like the same with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Indiana Pacers starting out hot. Yes you could make the argument that these teams have the talent to be playing well but the fact is that they weren’t projected to be up there. The 76ers are the 3rd best team in the East with a record of 19-9 and the Pacers are in second place with a record of 17-10. In past years we may have said, 'ok these teams started off well but they will not keep it up', that was with the understanding of an original 82 game season. With the shortened season of 66 games, these teams suddenly look like they could be contenders if they create enough room for themselves. Eventhough these teams could be postseason contenders, that doesn’t make them favorites for the title.

The teams that look like they could be playing for a title in June are; the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat in the East, and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the West. I only have one favorite in the West because after the Thunder there are 3-4 teams that could potentially find their groove late in the season.

The Bulls are obviously one of the top teams in the league with the help of the reigning MVP, Derrick Rose. Rose has been phenomenal so far averaging 22 points a game along with 7.8 assists and 3.4 rebounds a game. The offense runs straight through him and with the recent back problems he has been having, the Bulls may need to rely on the likes of Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah, and Luol Deng to get them through the time Rose may miss. The other favorite in the East is none other than the hated trio of the Miami Heat. This one is pretty self-explanatory because when you have the superstars of Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh you will be in the title race every year. As long as the three of them can stay healthy, (which may be a tall order because Wade seems like he is on and off the IR every week) I see no reason why Chicago and Miami won’t be battling it out for the right to represent the East in the finals.

As for the West, it gets a bit trickier trying to decide who will wind up in the finals. As I said earlier, the Thunder look like they are the favorites with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook leading the way. Durant is playing at all-star level once again and after the slow start of Westbrook he seems like he is making up for the lost time. The only problem I see with the Thunder is what has plagued them in the past with their inexperience to play in the big game and their lack of consistent big men.

Then there is the cluster bomb of the 3-4 teams in the West who could make a run at the finals. We have the new and improved Los Angeles Clippers (17-8) who have been playing very well with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, we also have their in-town rival of the Lakers (16-12) who as long as they have Kobe Bryant you can never count them out. We also have the aging San Antonio Spurs team (19-9) where whenever we say they are too old to compete anymore they always prove us wrong, and we also have the reigning champs the Dallas Mavericks (17-11) who have the talent to repeat.

With all these teams in the mix one thing is for sure, you never know who may end up taking home the trophy in June. Last year the Mavericks didn’t seem to have what it takes but they sparked themselves at the right time and it worked. It should be an interesting road to the finals and make sure you have the sleepers in your rearview because you never know who might sneak up on you.

Mid-Year NBA Fantasy Update

Posted by Dan Dragicevich.

The toughest part about managing a fantasy basketball team is finding out where your team stands midway through the year.

For fantasy basketball owners whose teams are struggling, stay positive because one of the best times of the year is the all-star break. This is a vital period of time because it gives you a week to rest up your players and to try and get your injured players back in the rotation. The all-star break is also the perfect time to try and figure out where your weaknesses are and to resurrect those issues by hitting up the free agent market. The first thing you need to do is to find out what categories you’re consistenly losing and to make sure the players you pick up can help you out in those areas. For instance, if you’re losing in assists you don’t want to pick up someone who scores all the points on the team. Seems pretty simple right? But the tricky part is the two shooting percentage categories. If you’re losing in field goal percentage, most people tend to lean towards picking someone up who scores a lot because they think they are good shooters. Wrong. Usually the players who score a lot tend to have lower field goal percentages because they love to shoot, but in reality they make up most of their points from the foul line because they attack the rim. Now that it is a little trickier, let’s take a look at some possible players to pick up.

Field Goal Percentage:

Nikola Pekovic- A recent up and comer, Pekovic really has come on strong as of late scoring double digits in his past 6 games and shooting an amazing .609 from the field.

Free Throw Percentage and 3’s made:

Channing Frye- Someone who was supposed to be picked up in the draft, Frye had struggled early in the year but is playing well now. He is shooting .913 from the line and has made 32 3’s on the year. A big man who can shoot and rebound is vital in leagues.

Rebounds and Blocks:

Bismack Biyombo- The youngest player in the NBA, Biyombo is someone who can be a tremendous defensive asset for a team. His rebound numbers are a little low because of the minutes he’s getting but on the flip side his blocks are extremely high for the minutes he’s getting.

Assists:

Ramon Sessions- The Cleveland point guard has been dishing the ball out well as of late, tallying 16 and 13 assists in his last two games. He is averaging nearly 6 on the year.

Steals:

Iman Shumpert- With 47 steals on the year, the New York Knick guard is averaging 2 steals a game which is pretty high for a category like that.

Points:

Jordan Farmar- The key to finding a player who can score points coming off the waiver wire is not looking at who has the highest total, but to find out who is on a hot streak. In this case I would say pick up Jeremy Lin but pretty much everyone has discovered the new sensation so now I would say Jordan Farmar is next in line. Farmar has scored double digits in 11 of his last 12 games and has been playing well as of late.

Injuries Piled High

Posted by Dan Dragicevich.

With the shortened season in the NBA, there seems to be a heavier dose of injuries this year. Injuries are a part of every sport but it’s hard to ignore the argument that the shortened NBA season is the reason for flurry of injuries. 

Professional athletes are expected to perform at a high level day in and day out with the expectation of being able to be physically and mentally fit. That is definitely a legitimate request to ask someone when they are being paid to play a sport. But is it fair to still ask them to be fit, even when before the season starts the league is staring in the face of a potential lockout? Sure, these players are supposed to be working out on their own and staying fit, but because of the suspended season players are denied access to all of their teams facilities which is where the majority of them workout. So how should we look at this seasons exceptionally high number of injuries? Should we blame the players for not staying on top of their game or should we blame the league for not allowing players into their teams facilities to work out?

The way I look at this issue is to blame the majority of it on the league, but not all of it. Yes, I believe that the players should be staying fit on their own and doing what is expected of them, but I also don’t think it’s right for the league to ban them from their own place of work. First of all, it’s the leagues fault that the season is suspended, in the midst of a lockout, and the whole reason why these players are losing money and not being able to return to work. Costing your employees money is bad enough, and now you are not allowing them to even work out and uphold their responsibility to stay in shape for when the season starts. That’s just poor management by the league and now they are seeing the consequences of it.

Some of the star players that have been effected by injuries this season are; Kobe Bryant, Chauncey Billups, D.J. Augustin, Carmelo Anthony, Eric Gordon, Andrew Bogut, Jason Kidd, Manu Ginobili, Zach Randolph and the list goes on and on. Yes, some of these players have been on and off the injury list throughout the season but the fact that there are so many of them is an issue. A lot of them have been through injuries because they came into the suspended season out of shape and that affects whether or not injuries can occur.

Once again I am pointing the finger at the league for the injury issue because of the fact they didn’t allow the players into their own facilities. I understand injuries are a part of the game but the season isn’t even half way through and already there are numerous serious injuries to star athletes.

Young Guns of the NBA

Posted by Dan Dragicevich.

Players like Kyrie Irving and Ricky Rubio are always fun to watch because of what they bring to the game. They’re young, flashy, and very talented; but for loyal NBA followers who doesn’t know this? So here is a list of some notable players you may need to keep an eye on as their stock rises.

Starters: First things first, you can’t start to look at up and coming players if you don’t know about the young superstars of the league. ​

Kyrie Irving: A point guard out of Duke University, this kid has lived up to the hype of being the number overall pick for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Irving is the total package you look for in a point guard; his open court speed is tremendous, his decision making is that of a veterans, and he has the ability to step in right away and be that floor general everyone looks for. Oh and one more thing, he can score with the best of them. ​

Ricky Rubio: Similar to Irving, Rubio is that everyday point guard who can act as that “coach on the floor” because of his ability to control the team. Although his scoring and speed may not be as great as Irving’s, Rubio backs his game up with his incredibly flashy passes that always seem to be in the right place at the right time. His style of play seems very European to many people, and it should, considering he played in Spain for a year before coming to play in the U.S. for the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team that drafted him two years ago.

Up and Coming: These are the players that were overlooked by many teams and now are starting to perform well which has the other teams shaking their heads in dismay. ​

Jeremy Lin: It’s weird but it seems as if all of these “young guns” are guards and I guess that is accredited to teams wanting to establish their backcourts first so they can have some quality leadership. That is exactly what you get with Jeremy Lin; a point guard for the New York Knicks, Lin has come on strong as of late with a huge couple of games in a row. In his first three games he started he has had 25, 28, 23 points. He is not the most vocal player but he leads by example with his play. With some injury problems for the Knicks, look for Lin to continue to breakout. ​

Bismack Biyombo: After talking a lot about guards with the previous players, let’s go in the completely different direction with Bismack Biyombo. Biyombo is an interesting player because first of all he is only 19 years old which currently makes him the youngest player in the NBA and second of all he is not the offensive type. Biyombo is a power forward/center and he is an absolute monster when it comes to defense. He is a shot blocking and rebounding specialist that gives you solidarity inside the paint. Although he isn’t known as a confident scorer, his rebounding ability allows him to clean up the offensive glass and get some easy buckets under the basket. Look for Biyombo to have a defensive player of the year type year in the near future. ​

Dark Horse: My dark horse is a person who came out of college expected to play better than he has but with a slow start in his pro career he seems as if he has found a home in L.A. with the Clippers. ​ ​


Randy Foye: Switching back over to another guard for my dark horse pick, I chose Randy Foye, a guard for the L.A. Clippers. As I said Foye was thought to be a solid starter coming out of college from Villanova but with some issues he has crept into the shadows the past year or two. What makes him suddenly a viable pick is the fact that Chauncey Billups has a torn Achilles tendon and will be out for the year so they have to call on the young Foye to pick up his minutes. Foye has performed well coming off the bench and I see no reason why he can’t continue his play. He is an athletic guard who can move well on and off the ball and can hit the open shot. Look for Foye to start to breakout and become a playmaker.