NBA Look-Alikes.

 My brother and I always seem to find NBA players who either look like other celebrities or people from our own personal lives. Say hello to another list...

 Antoine Walker, Al Harrington, Richard Jefferson & Charlie Villanueva are the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

 Antonio McDyess is Tommy Davidson

 Rick Adelman is Gene Hackman

 Luis Scola is Russell Brand

 This is just a preview. More to come...

Award Tour '09.

 My awards for the 2008-2009 NBA regular season:

 MVP: Dwyane Wade - You already know why.

1st runner-up: LeBron James - He still hasn't peaked. Scary.

2nd runner-up: Kobe Bryant - There's no need for a 2nd runner-up, I just couldn't live with not putting Kobe on this list.

 

 Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard - He led the L in rebounds and blocks. Also, the rest of his team doesn't play defense.

1st runner-up: LeBron James - How many times this season have you caught a sportscenter highlight of LBJ stopping a fastbreak with a gravity-defying block?

 

 Rookie of the Year: Derrick Rose - I didn't want to give it to him, but he's played solid basketball for a playoff contender the entire season. He runs the Bulls, and that's reason enough to give him the award.

2nd runner-up: Brook Lopez - I was going for O.J. Mayo as my ROY before the season began, but he doesn't even get second place honors. O.J. hit the wall. Lopez outplayed Dwight Howard in a one-on-one matchup.

 

 Sixth Man: J.R. Smith - He didn't turn it on until down the stretch, but that's when it matters most. 

2nd runner-up: Nate Robinson - Jason Terry is really a starter, there's no reason for him to come off the bench behind guys like J.J. Barea (whom I still have love for). Nate really is a sixth man, and his energy and explosiveness off of the bench are second to none. I'll agree that he lost his composure as the season progressed, but it's only his fourth year.

 

 Most Improved Player: Devin Harris - Yes, Lawrence Frank basically gave him the freedom to do whatever he wants. Still, did anyone really think he was going to be this good?

2nd runner-up: No one comes close.

 

 Coach of the Year: Jerry Sloan - That's right, Jerry Sloan. Deron missed games. Boozer missed games. AK 47 missed games. Okur missed games. And that old man still got them into the playoffs with 48 wins.

2nd runner-up: Mike Brown - LBJ had a better season (statistically) last year. All the Cavs did this year was add Mo Williams. Mike Brown is up 20+ wins from last season with basically the same squad. I'll agree that this was the first full year for many of Cleveland's players from last year's midseason trade, but that is canceled out by the injuries faced by many of those same players.

ESP(N).

 I cannot tell the future. 

 And I hate the Jazz. 

 8 teams. 

 50 wins. 

 Not happening.

Post Script.

 Let's hope the L shows Brook Lopez some love.

In '09-'10 Season, The Thunder Could Make Some Noise (Pun Intended).

 On April 7th, espn.com reported that Blake Griffin would be declaring for the 2009 NBA Draft. Wow. What a surprise. But that did get me thinking... Blake Griffin is an Oklahoman. Not only was he born in Oklahoma, he has also spent all of his basketball career up to this point in the Sooner State. Why not spend the rest of his career there?

 Yes, I know I'm getting ahead of myself. The Draft is still a few months away, and the Thunder will not end this year with the NBA's worst record. But the lottery system gives OKC a solid chance at landing the number one pick, a year after bagging the 4th overall pick (Russell Westbrook), and two years after grabbing the 2nd overall pick (Kevin Durant - Reigning ROY). Clearly, the Thunder lose. A lot. But all of this losing has helped them put together a young core of players, who one day may turn the former Seattle SuperSonics (am I even allowed to type that?) into playoff contenders again.

 If you don't think KD is going to be one of the top players in this league (Yes, up there with LBJ and Wade), then you're probably like everyone else out there. Which is fine. Because when I say "I told you so, " you'll know why. Russell Westbrook is having a phenomenal rookie season, even though guys like Derrick Rose and OJ Mayo are sharing the rookie spotlight. I had the pleasure of watching Nenad Krstic when he played for the Nets (thank you, YES Network), and the seasons preceding his injury were solid. If he stays healthy, and plays for an entire season, his numbers are sure to match the one's he put up while playing in New Jersey. Jeff Green went only a few spots after Durant in the '07 Draft, and after an All-Rookie season, is putting up even better numbers (16.8, 6.7, and 2 as of April 9th) in his sophomore year.

 And sorry Thabo, but if the Thunder have it my way, you'll be contributing off the bench while Mr. Griffin holds down this spot. Clearly he has yet to make the jump into the L, but if he does what most of us believe he is capable of doing, then this is quite the young and talented starting five. One that starts three forwards, but one that can also run and score.

 Unfortunately, their bench doesn't look as promising, and as of right now is especially guard heavy. The entire team needs to work on its defense. Also, it will be difficult for this young squad to break into the group of  competitive Western Conference teams (not every young team can be as successful as the current 50 Win Blazers). If the Mavericks finish the '08-'09 season strong, it will be the second year in a row that all 8 West teams in the playoffs will have finished the season with at least 50 wins. The Thunder are not winning 50 games next year, so unless Mr. Stern throws them in the east (which would be hilarious), don't expect an 83rd game for the Thunder. However, with a starting lineup like the one previously mentioned, OKC will definitely shock some of the more elite teams in the L, and take a giant step towards becoming more intimidating than their name.

Wade In '08[-'09].

 I LOVE KOBE BRYANT. Just ask my significant other, older brother, or occasional best friend. I want to name one of my sons after him. They all know this, and now you do too (not really... because no one's there). However, the Kobe is not MVP. Nor is that guy who plays out in Ohio somewhere. Yes, LeBron James' 28-7-7 is amazing. See, Mr. Bryant and Mr. James have at least two things in common: Neither of them went to college, and they're both battling for the second spot behind a guy who did. Dwyane Wade. This is not a knock on my favorite active NBA player, nor a knock on the man I hope to one day see running the show at the world's most famous arena. Actually, this is an attack on the guys who have the privilege of voting for the NBA's regular season MVP.

 Your system is flawed. Plain and simple. You guys actually gave Steve Nash back-to-back MVP trophies. The Big Cactus (He was still the Diesel back then) should've taken home the first one. And the second? Maybe Mr. 81? And no, not because he dropped 81 points in order to bring his team back from a 14 point deficit at halftime against the Raptors. And not because earlier in that same season, he outscored the Mavs 62-61. By himself. In three quarters. and then sat out the 4th. More so because he did all of that (and much more - check his unquestionably accurate wikipedia page) while playing for a team that started Smush Parker, Chris Mihm, and Kwame Brown. They won 45 games, after winning only 34 a season before.. Kobe averaged 35.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.8 steals. He only missed two games. Ball Hog? I think not. That's an MVP caliber season.

 

 How about last year, when you gave the Kobe his long overdue first trophy? LBJ averaged 30 points, just under 8 rebounds, and over 7 assists. Yes, those are his real stats (this time, I used nba.com). That is insane. The Cavs overhauled their roster, including many starting positions, late in the season. No one really seemed to be comfortable in their role, except for LeBron. And that's why he was the MVP. Despite all of their issues, he led them to 45 wins, which was actually less than the amount of wins the Cavs had accumulated the year before that. AND the year before that. If winning 50 games is actually a part of your criteria for MVP (which it is... don't deny it), then why hasn't the King taken one home yet?

 

 This season's two and three (sadly, LBJ is second and Kobe is third) provide more than enough reasons as to why D-Wade deserves the MVP this year. Who is the Heat's second best player? Definitely not O'Neal, who just got there and is not the same player he used to be. Maybe one of their rookie starters. The safe bet is Udonis Haslem. The Laker's second best player? Pau Gasol. The Cavalier's second best player? Mo Williams. All Star reserves. THIS YEAR. I would think you'd be considered the most valuable player when you're doing it all by yourself. Like Kobe in '06. Like LeBron in '08. Like Dwyane in '09. Wade does everything, and without him, there's a good chance the Heat would be on their way to consecutive 15 win seasons. If you take Kobe and Lebron off of their respective teams, you still have 45+ wins. Yes, Kobe and LeBron make both of those teams 60+ winners. But let them duke it out for Finals MVP, while Wade, with an entire franchise on his shoulders, adds another piece to his collection and attempts an upset in the first round.

The Hate List (Part I).

 This entry will be the first of many featuring my personal Hate List. Am I concerned about what people may think? Not really, it's not like anyone reads this blog. And if you are reading this (... you're not), and you know me personally, then you know that I could care less about what you think. Seriously.

I Hate:

• People who think I care about their opinions.
  
• Brown people. Not Black people who actually have brown skin, but the smelly ones.
• People who wear Armani Exchange (especially oversized guidos who enjoy shopping in the kid's section).
• Guys who wear their fitted caps turned backward, and let it hover over their excessively gelled hair.
• Guys who dye their hair ridiculous colors (leave that to Rodman... and I only say that because Dennis could easily kill me).
• People who wear Uggs. And Crocs.
• People who claim that the non"mainstream" artists that they listen to are SO MUCH better than those who are in the mainstream. Most of the bands and rappers you listen to are just waiting to sell their soul to some record company and complain about how you steal their music.
• Most mainstream artists. 
• The current state of Hip-Hop. That's from top to bottom, and includes every region in the United States. Leave the Dirty South alone, there are a lot of rappers from the East and West Coasts and Midwest who suck.
• The Boston Celtics. 
• The San Antonio Spurs.
• Gilbert Arenas (Yes Hibachi, you are definitely number zero in my eyes).
• People who like the same music I like.
• People who like the same clothing and footwear I like.
• People who forgot how to match. I can't believe this is in style now.
• Seriously. Why are you wearing 8 colors? EIGHT.
  

 I'm done for now. And yes, I am a hater.