Passin' the Torch - Small Forwards

"I leave the game in good hands. So many great stars are rising and playing the game. I have passed on the things that Dr. J and some of the great players--Magic Johnson, Larry Bird--have passed on to me; I pass on to these All-Stars here, as well as to the rest of the players in the NBA. I want to thank you all for your support. Now I can go home and feel at peace with the game of basketball."
Michael Jordon, 2003 NBA All-Star Game

Welcome back to Passin' the Torch! I would like to first apologize in advance for not sticking with my own rules for this particular post. Most of these guys are not 25 years of age and younger, but they all fit the most important criteria of this series: players who are/will be the future of the NBA. When I first decided to do "Passin' the Torch", I was particularly excited about doing the small forwards post. So let's get right to it!


Rudy Gay (24)
2009-2010 Stats

FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PTS
.466	.327	.753	5.9	1.9	1.5	0.8	2.1	19.6

Rudy Gay is one of the most athletic players in the NBA today. Time and time again I've seen his high-flying highlights on the NBA TV Top 10. Although he's known more for his spectacular dunks, he is also a gifted offensive player. He is the best wing scorer the Grizzlies have and that's been proven by his ability to slash to the rim and hit the occasional jumper. What Gay needs to work on now, to supplant himself as one of the best small forwards in the game, is a consistent jumper and his defensive skills. Gay has yet to really prove himself as the go to scorer on the Grizzlies, but this year is a great opportunity for him to take his game to the next level and prove that he's worth all those millions the Grizzlies spent on him this past summer.


Andre Iguodala (26)
2009-2010 Stats

FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PTS
.443	.310	.733	6.5	5.8	1.7	0.7	2.7	17.1

Andre Iguodala is what you call a "Jack of all trades" type of basketball player. That simply means that he can do anything and everything on the court. He led the 76ers in points, assists, and steals and was second in rebounding. He's had some trouble producing wins on a struggling Sixers team, but he is still one of the better small forwards in the NBA. He's very athletic and a great defender. He played very well along side Kevin Durant this past FIBA Tournament as the lock-down defender for Team USA. During the season Iguodala only averaged 13-14 shot attempts a game, whereas players like LeBron James and Kevin Durant averaged at least 20 shot attempts a game. Iguodala is better suited as a sidekick than the head honcho. As proven this past summer, Iguodala played well next to Durant, who was the unquestioned number 1 option of Team USA. With all the pressure of scoring off of Iguodala, he could focus on other parts of the game, like defense.


Carmelo Anthony (26)
2009-2010 Stats

FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PTS
.458	.316	.830	6.6	3.2	1.3	0.4	3.0	28.2

Carmelo Anthony is one of the most gifted offensive players in the NBA today. He can literally score from anywhere around the court. At 6'8 and 230 pounds, he's very strong and deceptively quick. He can hit jumpers from anywhere around the court and take it to the rack with strength, as proven by his 8-9 free throw attempts a game. Carmelo is already a top 5 small forward in the NBA, but not in the top 5 of best players in the NBA. He's definitely worthy of the title of a franchise player, but he will need to continue to grow his leadership to ever want to reach the title of the best in the game. Whether Carmelo stays in the Mile High City or moves to a place with brighter lights, he'll need to lead his team deep into the playoffs to reach the status Durant and James.


Kevin Durant (22)
2009-2010 Stats

FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PTS
.476	.365	.900	7.6	2.8	1.4	1.0	3.3	30.1

Here is where we start getting to the elites. Kevin Durant is in conversation to be one of the top 3 players in the NBA and he's only 22 years old. He led the Thunder to the playoffs last year scoring 30 points a game and more impressively, led team USA to the gold medal in Turkey. Watching him play in the FIBA tournament proved to me that this kid is no fluke. The way he scored under pressure and constantly delivered when it counted showed how good he really is. Durant and James will definitely be battling for the title of the best in the NBA once Kobe is gone. He's shown so much maturity and talent at a young age. I wouldn't count out OKC as the number 2 seed in the West, behind the Lakers. The Thunder will definitely be a dark horse in the playoff race and contenders for the title for years to come.


LeBron James (26)
2009-2010 Stats

FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PTS
.503	.333	.767	7.3	8.6	1.6	1.0	3.4	29.7

Hate him or love him, LeBron James is one talented basketball player and there hasn't been anyone as gifted and versatile since Magic Johnson. His ability to find team mates and make his team better is a gift that only the greats have. He took a horrible, and I mean horrible Cavaliers team to the playoffs multiple times and even to the NBA Finals one year! For him to average almost 30 points, 7+ rebounds, 8+ assists, 1 block, and 1 steal a game is beyond insane. He wasn't a 2 time MVP for nothing. He's been this successful on a bad team, but imagine what he can do with a good one. I see LeBron and the Miami Heat winning multiple championships in the near future and far future. Once Kobe retires, I wish every other team in the NBA team good luck. If James wins multiple championships (by multiple I mean at least 4 or 5), he will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest to ever play the game.

Runner Ups: Danny Granger (27 - No one in the NBA (25 years of age and younger) has a chance at beating out these players to be the best, but I give Granger credit in being a very talented player. If he was 25, he'd definitely be ahead of Gay on the list)

Check out Passin' the Torch - Point Guards edition and Shooting Guards edition if you haven't already! Link is below:
Passin' the Torch - Point Guards
Passin' the Torch - Shooting Guards

Passin' the Torch - Shooting Guards

"I leave the game in good hands. So many great stars are rising and playing the game. I have passed on the things that Dr. J and some of the great players--Magic Johnson, Larry Bird--have passed on to me; I pass on to these All-Stars here, as well as to the rest of the players in the NBA. I want to thank you all for your support. Now I can go home and feel at peace with the game of basketball."
Michael Jordon, 2003 NBA All-Star Game

Welcome back to Passin' the Torch. What I would like to do in this series is highlight young players who will be considered the best of the best. When Jordan gave that speech at the All-Star game, players like Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan were listening. Now Kobe and Duncan are considered the best and will soon (or not so soon) be giving up their titles as The Best. This week's edition will be focusing on shooting guards in the NBA that are 25 years of age and under. Personally, I feel that the shooting guard position is a bit lacking when it comes to young talent in the NBA, but there are a few notable players in the shooting guard spot.

O.J. Mayo (22)
2009-2010 Stats

FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PTS
.458	.383	.809	3.8	3.0	1.2	0.2	2.5	17.5

Simply put, O.J. Mayo is a scorer. Since his days at USC, he's always been known as a player who puts the ball in the hoop. Whether it be through penetrating through the paint or hitting a deep three, scoring is what Mayo does best. If he wasn't on a team with people who dominate the ball, he could easily be scoring 20+ points a game. Even with Zach Randolph AND Rudy Gay on his team, he found a way to score 17.5 points a game last year. Although he is one of the better young guards in the game, his skills are limited to scoring. Whether that be the fault of being on a team with people who need the ball in their hands or a lack of skill, Mayo doesn't have what it takes to be called the best. Until he takes his game to the next level, he'll just be known as one of the better scoring guards in the game.


Eric Gordon (21)
2009-2010 Stats

FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PTS
.449	.371	.742	2.6	3.0	1.1	0.2	2.3	16.9

Eric Gordon has really been impressive the last couple years. He's a very solid wing scorer who can slash to the hoop or knock down the open jumper. He has a big body so he's strong when going to the hoop to draw a foul and can play defense with his size and strength. His inability to score more points is more because of him being on a team with players who demand the ball (i.e. Baron Davis, Chris Kaman) and less because of a lack of talent. Although Gordon is a very solid player, the best he will ever be is a very good role player. The Clippers are quickly becoming Blake Griffin's team, but that should only help Gordon as he should find more shots opening up for him with defenses focusing more on Griffin and Kaman. Look for Eric Gordon to be more aggressive on offense and defense this upcoming season.


Tyreke Evans (21)
2009-2010 Stats

FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PTS
.458	.255	.748	5.3	5.8	1.5	0.4	3.0	20.1

Besides Tyreke Evans, only three other players in the history of the NBA averaged 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists as a rookie. This just proves how talented of a player Evans is. Not only is Evans strong, but he is also very quick. His ability to penetrate through the lane with his size and quickness gave many defenses difficulties in guarding him. Along with his scoring ability, his rebounding and assisting are very impressive. Not many guards have a knack for rebounding, but that is not the case for Evans. Playing alongside DeMarcus Cousins this year should only further prove how talented Evans is. The main thing Evans will need to work on is a consistent jump shot. Once he's able to hit consistently from long range, he'll be almost impossible to guard. Look for Evans to really improve this year and possibly lead the Kings to surprise playoff berth.


Monta Ellis (25)
2009-2010 Stats

FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PTS
.449	.338	.753	4.0	5.3	2.2	0.4	3.8	25.5

If there's one thing that Monta Ellis is good at, it's putting the ball in the hoop. He was 6th in the league in scoring this past year. Ellis is such a talent on offense because he can do everything with the ball. He can hit the open jump shot, he can take it to the hoop, and he can even dish it to open team mates from time to time. Although Monta Ellis is one of the better young guards in the game, he will not be known for much if he doesn't start winning. Now that he has a future All-Star running mate in Stephen Curry and low-post talent in David Lee, he'll have lots of help to put up some W's for the W's. He probably won't score as much as he did last year, but that is a fine price to pay if his team will start to win some more games.


Brandon Roy (26)
2009-2010 Stats

FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PTS
.473	.330	.780	4.4	4.7	0.9	0.2	2.0	21.5

Alright, so let me explain myself. I understand that Brandon Roy is 26 years old and technically, he should not belong on this list. But, come on, this list needed someone worthy at the top. Like I said earlier, the shooting guard position is a bit lacking when it comes to superior talent, so I had to include some top notch talent. Brandon Roy is the 3rd best shooting guard in the league, only behind Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade. He's the leader of the Blazers and their best player. The question to ask here is, "What can't Roy do?" Watching this guy play is amazing because he can do anything and everything with the ball. He can score, he can pass, he can rebound, he can play defense, and the list goes on. He's probably one healthy Greg Oden away from a deep playoff birth. If Brandon Roy can stay healthy this year and the Blazers can get all their players back safe and sound, this Blazers team will be a surprise threat in the West.

Runner Ups: Not sure if any runner-ups belong here because the talent pool is pretty shallow. If I could, I would probably put Mayo and Gordon in the runner-up list, but I needed at least 5 players.

Check out Passin' the Torch - Point Guards edition if you haven't already! Link is below:
Passin' the Torch - Point Guards

Passin' the Torch - Point Guards

"I leave the game in good hands. So many great stars are rising and playing the game. I have passed on the things that Dr. J and some of the great players--Magic Johnson, Larry Bird--have passed on to me; I pass on to these All-Stars here, as well as to the rest of the players in the NBA. I want to thank you all for your support. Now I can go home and feel at peace with the game of basketball."
Michael Jordon, 2003 NBA All-Star Game

Michael Jordan "passed" on the game to a handful of amazing superstars: Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson etc. Who would these superstars pass on the game to once it's their time to go? This is the first part of a five part series I would like to call, "Passin' the Torch." In this series I would like to highlight the top 5 players (25 years of age and below) in their respective positions (PG, SG, SF, PF, C), currently playing in the NBA today. This first part will focus on point guards.

Stephen Curry (22)
2009-2010 Stats

FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PTS
.462	.437	.885	4.5	5.9	1.9	0.2	3.1	17.5

Stephen Curry is as complete as they come when it comes to point guards. He can shoot, dish, rebound, and play some defense. He's quick on his feet and with his brain. Although he was just a rookie last year, he displayed great maturity being able to lead the Warriors at the point and co-exist with Monta Ellis in the back court. This year is looking good for him as his assist totals should go up with the pick and roll machine, David Lee, working with him. I see Stephen Curry becoming one of the top PG's in the NBA in the near future. But to be considered one of the all-time greats, he's going to need to start leading his team to wins and possibly some championships.


Russell Westbrook(22)
2009-2010 Stats

FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PTS
.418	.221	.780	4.9	8.0	1.3	0.4	3.3	15.7

Westbrook is probably the most athletic point guard in the NBA today. His ability to get to the rim is amazing because of his quickness and athleticism. Westbrook's mid-range jumper is also very solid. Although he never really had a starting gig as a point guard in college, he learned quickly how to lead a group when coming to the NBA (thank you Tae for the correction!). Playing alongside Kevin Durant and the rest of the Thunder, he averaged an astounding 8 assists per game. Not only is he getting his assists, but he got just under 5 rebounds a game. He will definitely be flirting with a few triple-doubles this coming year. His defense is also notable being able to average a steal a game. He is definitely one of the better defenders in his position. The only downside to Westbrook's game is his field-goal percentage. He only shot about 41%, so he needs to work on his shot selection and consistency.


Derrick Rose (22)
2009-2010 Stats

FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PTS
.489	.267	.766	3.8	6.0	0.7	0.3	2.8	20.87

Rose is quite possibly the fastest and strongest point guard in the game today. He is a beast when going to the rim and any player would have trouble keeping up with him. He can single-handedly break down defenses, even good defenses (i.e. 2009 playoffs against the Celtics). With a post player to pass the rock to now, Rose's assists should go up this year and even more solidify his status as one of the best point guards in the game. The biggest downfall to his game is his lack of a jumper (from beyond the arch) and lack of defense. He's the only point guard on this list that doesn't average at least 1 steal a game. Not being able to hit beyond the arch is not that big of a deal, but if he adds that to his already dominating game, who knows what his limit is? This guy could soon enough be the best point guard in the NBA if he continues his growth.


Rajon Rondo (24)
2009-2010 Stats

FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PTS
.508	.213	.621	4.4	9.8	2.3	0.1	3.0	13.7

Rajon Rondo is probably the best team leader on this list. With or without the Celtics Big 3, Rondo has proven his leadership abilities. He was able to help guide the Celtics to the 2008 NBA Championship, and I would be hard pressed to think the Celtics could of done it without him. Although he might not be the scorer that Paul or Rose is, we all know that Rondo can score when he needs to. Rondo is very crafty with the ball. You don't know if he's going to drive it to the hoop or pass the ball to find an open team mate. His court vision is excellent and he is definitely one of the best passers in the game today. Another highlight is Rondo's defense. His length and quickness definitely helps and is one reason why he was the league's steals leader this past NBA season. Although Rajon Rondo's abilities on both ends of the floor are excellent, one thing he really lacks is a consistent jumper. He won't scare teams away with his jump shots or free-throw shooting, so that is something he can definitely work on. But despite this crutch, Rondo's playing-making ability and defense are more than enough to rank him as one of the best point guards in the game.


Chris Paul (25)
2009-2010 Stats

FG%	3P%	FT%	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PTS
.493	.409	.847	4.2	10.7	2.1	0.2	2.5	18.7

CP3. What can I say? This guy is THE best point guard in the league right now. Although he only played 45 games last year, when healthy, this guy is unstoppable. I know a lot of people will say Deron Williams is the best point guard right now, but I have hope in Chris Paul. He is the ideal point guard. He can score, dish, rebound, defend, and win. He's led the league in assists and steals in previous years, his FG%, FT% and 3P% are amazing and he can grab rebounds. A point guard is supposed to lead his team on the court and make his team mates better. That is exactly what Chris Paul does. He even made Tyson Chandler look good! Barring any more injury to Paul, I believe he'll take the title as the best point guard in the league.

Runner Ups: Deron Williams (26 - Would be up there on the list, but is 1 year too late!), John Wall (20 - still has a lot to prove, but will be on this list sooner than later), Aaron Brooks (25 - lightning quick and a scoring machine, didn't quite make the list b/c he isn't as complete as his fellow pg's above), Brandon Jennings (21 - talented beyond his age, but not as good as the top 5)

2020 Player of the Decade is...

photo credit: msn.foxsports.com

First things first. The best player in the first decade of the 2000s...KOBE BRYANT. You can debate Shaq and Tim Duncan in there, but my list has Kobe at the top. 5 Championships out of 10 possible? Yeah, he's definitely my pick. So who takes the crown for the second decade in the new millennium? My guess has 2 guys at the top. LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Who will be the best?

Here are the lists of individual accolades up 'till now of the 2 superstars.

LeBron James
1st Over-All pick in the NBA Draft (2003-Cleveland Cavaliers)
NBA Rookie of the Year (2003-2004)
6 All-Star Game appearances (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
2 All-Star Game MVP awards (2006, 2008)
2 NBA MVP awards (2008-2009, 2009-2010)
NBA All-Rookie 1st Team (2003-2004)
4 All-NBA 1st Team selections (2005-2006, 2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010)
2 All-NBA 2nd Team selections (2004-2005, 2006-2007)
2 All-Defensive 1st Team selections (2008-2009, 2009-2010)
Olympic Basketball Bronze Medal (2004)
Olympic Basketball Gold Medal (2008)

LeBron James averaged 20.pts, 5,9 ast, and 5.5 reb a game his rookie year and is 1 of 4 rookies ever to do so in the history of the NBA. In his rookie year, he took the Cleveland Cavaliers from 17 wins to 35. By his 3rd year, he led the Cavaliers to a 50-win season and a trip to the NBA playoffs breaking an 8 year absence in the post-season by the Cavs. By his 4th year, James led the Cavaliers to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1992, beating the Detroit Pistons to take the Cavaliers to the 2007 NBA Finals. This was the Cleveland Cavaliers' first ever NBA Final appearance in franchise history. Since 2006, LeBron James has led the Cavaliers to the NBA playoffs, at least making it to the Semi-Finals of the Eastern Conference every time. In the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 NBA seasons, James led the Cavaliers to the number 1 over-all record in the NBA.

Kevin Durant
2nd Over-All pick in the NBA Draft (2007-Seattle Supersonics/Oklahoma City Thunder)
NBA Rookie of the Year (2007-2008)
1 All-Star Game appearance (2010)
NBA Rookie-Sophomore Game MVP award (2009)
NBA All-Rookie 1st Team (2007-2008)
1 All-NBA 1st Team selections (2009-2010)
FIBA World Championship Gold Medal (2010)
FIBA World Championship MVP award (2010)
NBA Scoring Leader (2010)

Kevin Durant was a decorated college player his freshman year at the University of Texas and had much to prove coming into the NBA. Durant averaged 20.3 pts, 4.4 reb, and 2.4 ast his rookie year, winning the Rookie of the Year award. He led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 50 win season and the 8th seed of the Western Conference by his 3rd year in the league. In that same year, Durant captured the NBA scoring title, averaging 30.1 points, becoming the youngest player ever to do so at the age of 21. He was the focal point, on a young Team USA, who led the United States to a decisive win over Turkey in the gold medal match-up, scoring 28 points, with 7 for 13 shooting from 3-point range.

At this point in their careers, LeBron has accomplished a lot more than Durant has. He has more MVP trophies and multiple playoff berths. Whereas Durant has only been to the post season once and is yet to hold any NBA MVP trophies. LeBron's been in the league 4 more years than Durant, but if health is never an issue, Durant looks poised to reach every accolade LeBron has. This year, Durant is likely to reach the playoffs again with another 50 win season and likely to win the MVP award (barring any injury). Not to mention, Durant seems to be a lock on the 2012 Olympic team, and if the top players from 2008 return, I don't see anyone beating that team for the gold medal.

Regardless of what's been done so far by these two players, I'm pretty sure that they will be apart of plenty more All-Star games and All-NBA 1st team selections in the near future. So the list of accomplishments by both players will grow and comparing the two will get even harder.

Putting aside the individual achievements, lets look at the numbers to get some answers. For the 2009-2010 season:
LeBron James averaged 29.7 pts, shooting .503 from the field, .333 from 3-point range, and .767 from the free-throw line. James also averaged 7.3 reb, 8.6 ast, 1.6 stl, and 1.0 blk a game.
Kevin Durant averaged 30.1 pts, shooting .476 from the field, .365 from 3-point range, and .900 from the free-throw line. Durant also averaged 7.6 reb, 2.8 ast, 1.4 stl, and 1.0 blk a game.

Scoring wise, James and Durant are two of the most dominant and dynamic scorers in the league. Durant will probably give a run at the scoring title again this upcoming season with James going to Miami, but they both can score the basketball at will. LeBron scores more of his baskets inside, averaging an impressive 50% shooting from the field, but Durant is a much better shooter from 3-point range and the free-throw line, averaging, respectively, 36% and 90%. They both are also very impressive defensively as they average over a steal per game and a block per game. The only noticeable difference between the two is in assists where LeBron averaged a stunning 8.6 assists this past season. LeBron has a knack for finding open team mates, and that is something that Durant will need to learn to do as he continues to grow his skills.

After all the facts, the verdict is...

Only time will tell. Individual accolades like MVP trophies, All-NBA 1st team selections, scoring titles, etc. are great and all, but they won't prove someone is the best (i.e. Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Karl Malone). For me, it comes down to whoever has the most Championship rings by 2020. Winning the final prize (multiple times) is what gets you the title of Best Player in the NBA for the 2nd decade in the new millennium. Also known as the title of the Best Player in the NBA after Kobe Bryant retires.
photo credit: NBA / Getty Images

Top 5 Candidates for Most Improved Team (2010-2011)

The crazy ride of the summer of 2010 for the NBA is finally coming to an end, and as the dust settles, these 5 teams are looking like the most improved.

#5 - Los Angeles Clippers, Washington Wizards, Sacramento Kings (Tied for 5th)

For these 3 teams, the future rests in the success of their young players.

The Los Angeles Clippers (29-53) improvement depends solely on how healthy Blake Griffin is. If Chris Kaman and Eric Gordon continue their solid play from last year, Blake Griffin joining the team can only be a huge plus. Baron Davis will have to cut down on taking bad shots and begin to get his team mates involved. The Clippers also have 2 good looking rookies in Al-Farouq Aminu and Eric Bledsoe. Look for these rookies to get some playing time to help the Clippers. With Blake in their starting line up, the Clippers are looking to be a team on the rise. Let's just hope the Clipper's curse is broken with Blake Griffin.

The Sacramento Kings (25-57) proved to have a draft steal in Tyreke Evans who averaged 20.1 ppg, 5.3 reb, and 5.8 ast his rookie year. Evans, who won the Rookie of the Year award last year, attained a lot of inside help this year when the Kings drafted DeMarcus Cousins with the 5th pick. These 2 players are looking to be the franchise guys the Kings need to build their team around. With the addition of a solid center in Samuel Dalembert and a core in Omri Casspi, Jason Thompson, and Carl Landry this team will be a much improved team this year.

With the number 1 pick in this summer's draft, the Washington Wizards selected John Wall. He is no doubt the future of this Wizards team, and it's improvement will depend on how well John Wall plays. What happens with Gilbert Arenas is still in question, but the Wizards are looking forward with their number 1 pick. Wall's scoring and play-making ability should help young guys like Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee succeed and the signing of Kirk Hinrich is a plus for this young squad. Look for guys like Al Thornton and Yi Jianlian to make some contributions also. With more playing time together, this team should be a lot better than last years debacle of a team.

#4 - New York Knicks (29-53)
The New York Knicks have finally found their franchise player in Amare Stoudemire. His offensive ability alone can lift this Knicks team to a higher ranking and it doesn't hurt to have a young, talented player in Danilo Gallinari to help. Although Raymond Felton is no Steve Nash, he is a much better point guard than Chris Duhon and should help this team. With solid wings in Wilson Chandler and newly acquired Kelenna Azubuike, this team is looking to get at least 10-15 more wins. Also, look out for Timofey Mozgov to be a sleeper for the Knicks this upcoming season. Now only if they can somehow get rid of Eddy Curry's contract...

#3 - Houston Rockets (42-40)
What are the two most important words to the Rockets? Yao Ming. He is the difference maker for this Rockets squad. If he's healthy, the Rockets instantly become a play-off contender. Without him, they stay below the playoff cut. But looking at this team, it has all the ingredients needed to build a championship contender. Aaron Brooks is a lightning quick point guard who can penetrate and shoot lights out. Kevin Martin is an above average shooting guard who can score if given the chance. Battier is the designated defensive stopper, who can knock down the occasional 3. You have Luis Scola as the hardworking, hustling, big man to help along side Yao Ming. Then you have a young group in Kyle Lowry, Courtney Lee, Chase Budinger, and Jordan Hill who should round out this teams bench nicely. It's the makings of a great team, but without Yao Ming they will never get beyond good.
The Rockets are hoping they won't be seeing Yao in any suits this upcoming season.

#2 - Chicago Bulls (41-41)
All-Star point guard, check. All-Star post-scorer, check. Insanely hard-working, team-energizing center, check. 3-point shooters, check. Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, or Chris Bosh, unavailable. So, so close! Although Chicago didn't get any of the Big 3 of the Summer of 2010, they still came out with a talented, low-post scoring machine. They will definitely improve to the top 5 in the East and maybe even the whole NBA. This team will rely heavily on Derrick Rose's play-making abilities and newly signed Carlos Boozer's inside scoring, along with Noah's defensive hustle. Look for Brewer and Korver to jack up plenty of 3's, while their bench gets solid minutes. If Coach Thibodeau gets this team and not just Noah to love defense, they will definitely be one of the most improved teams in the NBA.

#1 - Miami Heat (47-35)
47 wins and 5th place in the East with a horrible team? Dwyane Wade is pretty darn good. With the addition of LeBron James and Chris Bosh, this team is automatically a contender for the NBA Championship and the favorite for the number 1 seed in the East. That gives them the label of most improved team in the NBA. Having solid backups in every position helps too. Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem will play key roles on this team. Big Z, Joel Anthony, and the rest of the bigs will need to focus on rebounding and defending. Eddie House and James Jones need to do one thing and that's make 3's. Barring any significant injury to the Big 3, this team will be hard to beat. Even though the Lakers, Magic, and Celtics say they aren't scared, I know no one would want to face them in the playoffs.Miami's Big 3 (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh) sittin' pretty after their big summer.





Writer's Note
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Teamwork wins Championships

One thing I love about basketball is the importance of team play. When a team is playing together, it's a thing of beauty. Even if one team has the best player, a team with less talented, but team oriented players, can win.

In 2004, the Los Angeles Lakers were set to face the Detroit Pistons for the NBA Championship. This finals match up was considered a classic David vs Goliath battle where the Los Angeles Lakers were heavily favored to win it all over the Detroit Pistons.

The Lakers had the likes of 3-time NBA champions in Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal along with newly acquired All Stars in Gary Payton and Karl Malone (congrats to the Mail Man for his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2010). These guys were household names when it came to talking about basketball. Each in conversations to be the best player in their position of all time.

The Detroit Pistons had a much less glorified group of players. Chauncey Billups had played for 4 different teams with minimal success before coming to the Pistons in the '02-'03 season. Rip Hamilton was known more for his college days in UConn rather than his pro days with the Washington Wizards, before joining the Pistons. Tayshaun Prince was barely a sophomore and not much was known about his abilities as a player because of his limited play during his rookie year. Ben Wallace had some credentials as he was a 2-time Defensive Player of the Year, but apart from that accolade, he didn't have much playoff success with the Pistons. The most notable of the Detroit Pistons was Rasheed Wallace for his success on the Portland Trailblazers and he had not even joined the team until after the All-Star break in 2004.

It wasn't easy for the Pistons to get to the Finals either. They had to play amazingly in order to get there.

Everyone remembers "The Block," by Tayshaun Prince on Reggie Miller. It was with this kind of hard effort and defense that brought the Pistons to the Finals.

Kobe Bryant averaged 25.1 pts, 5.3 reb, 5.8 asts and 1.9 stl in his first 3 play off games that led the Lakers to the 2004 NBA Finals. Shaq averaged 20.0 pts, 13.9 reb, 2.8 ast, and 3.4 blk. These are the kind of numbers that win you championships in the NBA. For the Pistons, only Rip Hamilton was averaging over 20 pts per game, averaging 21.5 pts during the playoffs. The next leading scorer for the Pistons was Chauncey Billups who was only averaging 15.2 pts during the playoffs.

Not only were the Pistons outmatched in star power, but they were outmatched offensively. Defensively is where the Pistons had the edge. Although the Pistons seemed to look like a team of second-rate misfits, as a team, they defended very well. For the regular season, the Pistons held teams to 84.3 points per game, being the top defensive team in the NBA for the 2003-2004 season.

These Finals were a straight battle of offense and defense. In the end, defense prevailed. Although Shaq and Kobe continued to score, the Pistons held the Lakers to just 81.8 points per game in the Finals. No one else on the Lakers team averaged more than 10 points except Shaq and Kobe. Kobe was held to 38.1% shooting and the rest of the Lakers were held to just 33.9% shooting. Kobe and Shaq took a combined 197 shots and the rest of the Lakers took a combined 183 shots. On the other hand, the Pistons had 5 players average in double figures. Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton both averaged 20+ points for the Pistons during the Finals.

The difference between both teams was that one team actually played like one. Instead of focusing on the inability of the Lakers to share the ball and get team mates involved, I praise the Pistons teamwork and unselfish attitude. Their strict discipline on defense led to their opportunities on offense. Internally, there was no conflict of who deserved the ball. Everyone knew their part and did their job.

If you're ever looking for a team to model after, I suggest the defensively minded, team oriented 2003-2004 Detroit Pistons. They displayed the definition of team unity as they took apart the talented, yet individually focused Los Angeles Lakers (it only took the Pistons 5 games as they won 4-1). Just ask Kobe how it went...

Who is Jeremy Lin?

Well, he's an Asian-American (specifically Taiwanese-American) kid who grew up in Palo Alto, California. While living in Palo Alto, he went to Palo Alto High School. After high school, Jeremy went on to attend the prestigious Harvard University, graduating with an Economics degree.

Don't you feel like you've heard this story before? Asian kid with immigrant parents studies hard so he/she can attend an Ivy League school to graduate with some sort of business, medical, or law degree. Yeah, I'm pretty sure you've heard this one.

So let me spice up the story a bit. Jeremy Lin is also a basketball player. He led his high school to a CIF State title in 2006 and was considered by many California publications as the player of the year. He didn't receive any scholarship offers from Division I schools, so he decided to go to Harvard University. Although he was known for his basketball, Jeremy still had to pay Harvard's full tuition because the school did not offer sports scholarships. In his senior year (2009–10), Lin averaged 16.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.1 blocks, and was a unanimous selection for All-Ivy League First Team for the second time in his college career.

Getting a bit more interesting? After graduating Harvard, he was offered a spot on the Dallas Mavericks Summer League team. During the NBA Summer League, Lin garnered much attention after his tremendous play against the #1 draft pick, John Wall. Here are some highlights from that game...

After playing in the Summer League, Lin was offered a contract from his favorite team growing up, the Golden State Warriors. With this signing, Lin has a great opportunity to shine in the NBA. Lin is the first graduate from Harvard to play in the NBA since the 1953-54 season, when Ed Smith appeared in 11 games with the New York Knicks. Lin is also the first Asian-American to play in the NBA since Wat Misaka, a Japanese-American, played in 1947. Misaka was also the first non-white player to ever play in the league. When asked by ESPN writer Kevin Arnovitz, "How important is the [Asian-American] identity stuff," Lin replied by saying, "You know, it's important but not as important as my being a Christian. That's first and foremost the most important thing to me when it comes to my identity."

Although I wish Arnovitz would have followed up on Jeremy's statement that being Christian is important to him, he didn't. Haha. So here's a more in depth interview about Jeremy Lin's faith and how important it is to him regarding basketball (please read!).
The Faith and Fate of Jeremy Lin
There is also a second part to the interview. Link below.
Jeremy Lin, Faith, and Ethnicity

What a great encouragement it is to see a fellow Asian-American succeed where it's been 60+ years for anyone else to do so. But it's an even greater encouragement to see a fellow Christian succeed. I know I'll be tuning in to watch a few more Golden State games than usual, to see Lin play on the hard court. My hope and prayer for Jeremy Lin is that he would really use this opportunity to show Jesus whenever, wherever, however he can. He's already proclaimed his faith, now it's up to him to show it.

So who is Jeremy Lin? A Taiwanese-American basketball player? Yes, but more importantly, he is a Christian. God bless and Good luck in the NBA, Jeremy!

If LeBron wins, nothing else matters.

Ever since LeBron joined Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, there's been a lot of talk about how LeBron was taking the easy way out to winning a championship. People said he would never be considered the greatest because he wouldn't have been able to "do it on his own." It didn't help his cause when Jordan recently said, "There's no way, with hindsight, I would've ever called up Larry (Bird), called up Magic (Johnson) and said, 'Hey, look, let's get together and play on one team.' " But how valid is this statement in LeBron's case?

Now don't get me wrong. There are a lot of things LeBron said and did that made him look like an egotistical jerk (i.e. "The Decision," leaving Cleveland hanging out to dry, etc.). LeBron should have done the mature thing and let Cleveland ownership/management/coaching staff/players know that he was planning on leaving instead of making it this unnecessary made-for-TV spectacle.

But back to the topic at hand...I don't understand why LeBron's greatness is automatically challenged because he decides to play with the leagues best. The funny thing about what Jordan said was, even though Jordan never would've called Magic and Bird, Magic and Bird wouldn't have even picked up Jordan's phone call.

Magic and Bird were winning championships before Jordan. No question Jordan was great during their time, but why would Magic and Bird need Jordan? They were already considered great and potential greatest of all time players. I might also add Jordan didn't win his championships until Magic and Bird were done winning theirs.

The argument still in the air though is that LeBron would still be known as the player who couldn't "do it on his own." Now looking back at history, I don't know if there is any player who was able to do it on their own. We think of the Magic-Bird era, and Jordan in the 90's as the players who "won it on their own," but if you ask those guys, there is no doubt in my mind that they would say they wouldn't have been able to win without great team mates.

The Lakers and Celtics in the 80's are essentially what the present Lakers and the new look Heat could potentially be. The Lakers and Celtics had the best players of the league on their respective teams during their time. If you want to see stacked, I'll show you stacked.

The Lakers had the GREATEST point guard of ALL time on their team. They also had arguably the best center of all time in Kareem. Big Game James Worthy is arguably a top 10 small forward of all time. We're talking 3 of the greatest in their positions of ALL time. If you want to get even more specific, during the 80's era, these 3 were also considered the top players in the NBA.

Now let's look at the 80's Celtics. Ever heard of Larry Bird? Yeah, he's the greatest SF of all time. Kevin McHale is a top 10 PF of all time with no doubt. Parish was a great center who averaged double-doubles during his days with the Celtics and was a top 5 center during that time.

Besides having the greatest players ever on their team, the Lakers and Celtics also had GREAT role players. You had Michael Cooper, Byron Scott, and Kurt Rhambis just to mention a few on the Lakers. The Celtics had the likes of Dennis Johnson and Bill Walton. But the point to prove is that these two teams had some of the greatest players in their position of all time. Heck, they had some of the greatest players to EVER play basketball on their teams. That's why they won championships. That's why they are considered dynasties. You need the best to be the best. No doubt Magic and Bird were the faces of the franchise, but they had AMAZING help from their team mates.

So the point is proven that you need superstars and not just a superstar to be considered the greatest. But how about that one guy...Jordan was it? HE did it all on his own right? WRONG. He had a top 10 SF of all time, Scottie Pippen. Jordan also had a ridiculous rebounding machine in Dennis Rodman (on the Bulls 2nd 3-peat), who is an arguable top 10 PF of all time. He is without a doubt one of the greatest rebounders of the game. Jordan also had great team mates in B.J. Armstrong, Horace Grant, Toni Kukoc, Steve Kerr, and Ron Harper. All though Jordan's teams didn't have all the superstar power as the Lakers and Celtics did, he still did have arguably one of the best trios ever to play together when he, Pippen, and Rodman played together, winning 72 games in 1995-1996.

We don't dock Magic, Bird, or Jordan for playing with great players. Than why can we do so to LeBron? On the outside, I would consider this Miami Heat team to be like the great teams of the past. You have the best SF in Lebron James, the 2nd best SG in Wade, and Bosh, who is a top 5 Pf in his own right. Like I said earlier, you need the best to be the best.

Greatness is measured by championships first and foremost. If LeBron wins 5+ championships, than he will definitely be considered one of the greats. But that's the thing...LeBron MUST win to be great. I don't blame him for leaving Cleveland. He spent 7 years (around an estimated half his career) there and he played out of his mind doing all he could. Jordan atleast had Pippen, and LeBron never had his Pippen (sorry, Antawn Jamison is NOT Pippen). Kobe is arguably the 2nd best player to ever play the game, and he just couldn't do it on his own. I'm sure Kobe would have left L.A. had the Lakers not signed Pau Gasol. Kobe needed his Pippen and he found his in Gasol. It's a winning formula.

This season is looking to be a great one. Anyone else excited?