Is there Enough fuel in the Tank?

Post Game

The Cavaliers and Celtics went head to head tonight, and I was pretty excited for this game. I mean who wouldn’t want to watch the number one ranking team, Boston Celtics, verse the Cleveland Cavaliers so called “number one player in the league this year”, LeBron James. There are a lots of statistics which project that LeBron James can be comparable Michael Jordan (not in my book as previous posts show), although his stats have been pretty impressive lately; over the last six games, James has averaged 37.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 9.5 assists, not to mention he has contributed four triple-doubles in 14 games. On the other hand Boston is the only team in the league with three players averaging at least 19 points.

Entering into the game the Cavs were 8-3, but won three straight games for the first time this season. Boston Celtics, 11-1, also had won three straight games so I knew it was going to be a good match. The only disadvantage I felt was going to hinder the Cavaliers was the fact that this was their third game in four nights, not to mention they play my Pistons on Wednesday making it four games in five days. Not much of a recovery time if you ask me.

These are two teams I am hoping nothing but a down hill slope for them because they are both massive threats to the league this year. When I do watch teams that I am not pulling for I tend to always root for the underdogs. The Celtics were underestimated since this 2007-2008 season even started, and have shocked media with their Cinderella story record of 11-1.

Results

Unfortunately, my cheering did nothing for the Celtics, LeBron James brought his game yet again tonight, scoring 38 points in overtime giving Boston their second loss of the season, 109-104. However, I give props to LeBron’s teammates, Drew Gooden and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, stepping up and playing a huge role in the game. Drew Gooden scored a season-high 24 points, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 15 points and 14 rebounds to the Cavs victory.
What was shocking the most for me was that the Cavaliers' top players for this game (James, Gooden, and Ilgauskas) outscored the leagues Big Three, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce 77-64. That right their tells you why Boston lost. The whole season LeBron has really been the only player producing for the Cavs. ESPN Sportscasters would say how LeBron had no help on this team, but that was not a factor tonight.

What hurt the Celtics the most was in their effort in overtime. LeBron James hit a key three pointer and Boston allowed Cavs number 23 to go 6 for 6 from the free throw line in overtime.
Allen, Pierce and Garnett once again led the Celtics, but it wasn’t enough to triumph over Cleveland. Allen was the leading scorer for the Celtics with 29 points. The sad part of that is that his shot was not on tonight, he missed 15 of his 25 shots. Garnett and Pierce both finished in the double digits Garnett having 19 points and Pierce added 16.

My fear is that the Cavs are coming off of a huge victory over the Celtics and a four game winning streak, this is enough to fuel them for Wednesday night against Detroit. No worries though were ready.

Selfishness Gets You Nowhere

What has come of pro athletes never being satisfied? When I say satisfied, I don’t mean winning or loosing satisfied, I mean money wise? Last year pro-basketball player Kobe Bryant made over 17 million dollars in salary, and16 million in endorsements, for a total of 33 million dollars. In the same time frame, pro-baseball player Alex Rodriguez made 22 million in salary and 6 million in endorsements, adding up to 28 million. If you ask me both athletes are selfish, whiny players. Some of the poorest countries in the world don’t yield that kind of capital a year, yet that is not enough for either of them. Both of these athletes are looking to be traded, they will never be satisfied with the love of the game because they have been overpaid.

With over a month into the season Kobe Bryant has still not backed back from his trade demand, at this point, it only makes sense to me for Kobe to stay with the Lakers. What he fails to realize is that last May he quote, “always dreamed about retiring as a Laker. I just hope and hope that something can be resolved. Something can be figured out. Just something so I can stay here and be in this city and be with the team I love." I you love the team you love won’t worry about the paycheck.

They have started the season stronger than most thought. They are ranked eigth over all, being 6-3 with huge wins over the number two ranked team, the Phoenix Suns who have playoff written all over them. Last I heard the Chicago Bulls were the last rumored team looking to be trading with Kobe. The sad thing is, is Kobe is all for being traded to the 27th ranked team who are only 2-7. That has now backfired for Kobe as the General Manager for the Bulls, John Paxson, is focusing on lower-key players.

I must admit I don’t follow baseball as much as I do basketball, but A-Rod’s situation sparked my interest. Alex Rodriguez is not even that great of a player if you ask me, his playoff stats were horrible this year, andd I would never want that greedy player on my team under any circumstances. I would even take it as far as blaming him for their postseason results in 2004-2007 for his batting averages. Many argue that maybe he wants to get out of New York because they have a below average pitching staff, but they can’t be that bad if they are MLB champs.

For any sane athlete who loves the game for the game, and see potential in their team would not leave, but for athletes like Kobe and A-Rod over 25 million dollars is not enough to support them.

As a result of their selfishness no team wants them, and I love it! A-Rod singed with the Yankes again, which I don’t think they should have considering he was not happy with their ofering of 28 millions last year. As far as Kobe, his options are limited, my guess is he’ll remain with the Lakers at least till the 2009 season.

The #23

In today’s society what do we consider a superstar of sports? Is it individual statistics and the overall number or the amount of impact a player brings to the game and their teammates?

Many feel the need to compare LeBron James to the infamous Michael Jordan and several feel that since LeBron stats and performance was impressive his first year in the league as an eighteen year old that he was going to be better than MJ, but there were several players in the past who would also make the jump to the pros straight from high school, you have Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant who are two prime examples of this.


I want to go below the surface of the statistics of points and rebounds and look at something that I feel is unnoticed. I feel the crucial factor of why Michael Jordan will always have the lead on LeBron is not the individual statistics he had but mainly the experience he gained and the mountain he climbed. The adversity that Michael overcame while growing up and being cut form his high school team because he was not “good enough”, to then going to University of North Carolina, a major D1 school, and playing for Dean Smith is one heck of an accomplishment in its self. But that didn’t stop the young athlete, Michael Jordan lead his team and scored the winning shot in the 1982 NCAA championship game, than was named college player of the year in 1984. North Carolina was a feared school in the eighties mainly because of Michael Jordan, but it did not come easy for him it was filled with a long road of hardships and struggle. His success continued as he progressed into the pro’s, Michael Jordan won 6 NBA Championships, earned a total of 14 MVP awards, was selected to 14 All-Star games, and won 10 scoring titles. These are just a few of his accomplishments.


LeBron's groundwork the past three years in the league has not been about strengthening his skills and building a strong foundation, it's been about show-casing his skills, and keeping the fans entertained. Yes, you do have to keep your fans happy, but from here on out LeBron can’t have a bad game without critics pointing it out, from here on out he has to perform and maintain the stats. Winning games and the number of playoff he makes or championships he wins is the media’s focus.

I could ramble on about the stats of both player but the main thing I am trying to point out is that there was something special that Michael brought to the hardwood, and it was more than what the box scores showed at the end of each game. The mountain that MJ climbed to reach the peak success is more of a story than LeBron’s. LeBron is a phenomenal player who will continue to grow and accomplish numerous achievements on the court, but will never amount to MJ. When I think of basketball and the number twenty-three Jordan is and always will be what comes to mind. So I ask you, what do consider being a superstar, the mountain climbed or how pretty it looks?

How Long Will the Streak Last?

The third week is now approaching the NBA season and the Boston Celtics are the only team remaining with an astounding perfect record of 5-0. Unfortunately my Pistons encountered their first loss of the season last week against the Chicago Bulls, with a final tally of 97-92.

A lot of talk has been brought up about the Celtics 5-0 record so far this year. If you ask me I feel that their victories are based on the team high scoring trio of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett. The three players act as if they have been playing together for years. Yes all three are talented players, but the reason why the three click so well and the Celtics have been so successful this year is due to what each bring to the table offensively. Each have different offensive games, Paul Pierce is proficient at getting creating space for his own shot, Ray Allen moves well without the ball and has a jump shot, and Kevin Garnett producer from the high and low post.

With their wins it has moved the Celtics up in the power rankings pushing my Detroit Pistons down. We’ll see how long this streak of theirs lasts, like forward of Net’s Richard Jefferson stated, “they are not going to be undefeated all year.” I am seeing the Celtics playing the role that the Mavericks did last year, playing their hearts out the whole season than going home in the playoffs.

Unfinished Business for the Pistons

Visualize the Detroit Pistons up by two with thirteen seconds remaining in the final quarter of the Eastern Conference championship game. The game in is their hands, all they have to do is play thirteen seconds of solid defense, and they were off to the NBA Finals.

Cleveland has the ball at the top. “Thirteen…twelve…eleven…”, at this point I remember walking away from the television last year thinking that the Pistons were going to the Finals.

I mean let’s think about it, they deserved every bit of it. Loosing a key power-forward Ben Wallace in the season they managed to pull off 53 wins, earning them the number one seed in the Eastern Conference.

But unfortunately, everything came crashing down for the Pistons last season in the final moments of Game 5 in the Eastern Conference Finals. The image I am left with of the Pistons last season were those final seconds. Tayshaun Prince, one of the NBA's best defenders, was guarding LeBron James. As the seconds were ticking away, LeBron drives the lane with nine seconds remaining, and all you see is Tayshaun Prince ducking and moving out of the way while LeBron James exploded through the lane bringing down the Palace with a thunderous dunk.

Not how I envisioned my team ending their season, and let me tell you it was a heartbreaker.

Fortunately, each year every team gets a clean, new record. The Pistons are off to a good start this season; they managed two road game wins without the assistance of their starting shooting guard, Richard Hamilton. Surprising his absence was not due to injury, as which seems to be the issue for several key players this year, but for the birth of his first child. Their current record is 3-0; they managed to pull off their third win by the skim of their teeth on Sunday against the Atlanta Hawks (92-91) Richard Hamilton being the second leading scorer for the Pistons with 21 points. At the end of the 2006-2007 NBA season the Pistons were predicted to finish third over-all for the 2007-2008 season, falling behind Houston, predicted to win it all, and San Antonio Spurs (2).

Detroit’s next game is this Thursday, November 8th against the Chicago Bulls. I am a faithful fan and believe that with the amount of new and old talent that Detroit has this year and their exquisite defense; they are going to defiantly be in the Finals. They have some unfinished business to settle this year, and 3-0 is not a bad way to start. They have thier first game against LeBron and the Calv's November 28, there is some payback to be delivered. Go Pistons!

Opening night was none the less what everyone expected for most teams, but I want to take a look specifically at the Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavalier game.

Now I know there are some huge LeBron James fans out there, I mean who wouldn’t like the infamous LeBron James; he is every kid’s idol, if they are not wearing his shoes they have on his clothing line. I am not going to take anything away from him, he can play some basketball but what I can’t stand is when people compare him to being the next best thing to Michael Jordan. We heard all this talk in the off season of how he has been training like never before and was going to excel this year. So you mean to tell me that in their opening game against the Mavericks, having three fouls in the first half and a total of five rebounds and ten points are comparable to Jordan? I think not.

I know some of you fans would argue the fact that yeas be was double teamed and the calls were questionable, but come on people he is suppose to quote unquote be the next Michael Jordan. Yes we are all entitled to a bad game but Jordan would have never let that happen.

In all fairness though, I think Barkley said it best "Cleveland did LeBron James a disservice by not getting him help (player wise) in the off season. Also, by playing Larry Hughes at the one where he struggles." In lesser words the Cavaliers were embarrassing on opening night with their Halloween uniform on.

On a higher note LeBron James found his game two nights later against the New York Knicks. He exploded for 45 points and nearly downed the Knicks with a victory of 110-106. LeBron showed his all around game that night, but I still wouldn’t compare the American superstar to Jordan!