Magic-Lakers Final Preview

The so-called dream matchup of Lebron and Kobe was not to be. Dwight Howard and his Orlando Magic will face off against Kobe and the Lakers. The Magic proved in the Eastern Conference Finals that they are a very good team. They are by far the best team in the East (maybe next year Sixers).

This is a very interesting matchup because both teams have a player that cannot be defended. Dwight Howard is the hardest player to defend in the NBA. His height and strength combined with his explosiveness make him unstoppable.

Kobe Bryant cannot be stopped most of the time (Hint: key word is most). Kobe is a shooter who can drive to the basket. Shooters are not always consistent. Maybe the Magic will be able to stop Bryant by putting two of their best defenders on the Laker star. Bryant's driving ability will be neutralized by Howard. When Kobe drives, one sound will signal the end of a Laker possession. That sound will not be swish, it will be Swat!

Of course, everyone one knows the supporting casts will ultimately decide which team wins. Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant will both come to play like stars, but which role player will step up for each team. The Magic have a bunch of three point shooters who can put away a game when they are hot. Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis are both top notch three point men.

Will Trevor Ariza step up for the Lakers in the Finals like he did against Denver? I think he will but the Magic have to avoid the stupid mistakes Denver made. They cannot be lazy with the ball late in games because Ariza is an intense defender who is always looking for the steal. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum are good big men but they may be stopped by the defensive proness of Dwight Howard and backup Marcin Gortat.

Overall, I think the Magic will win the series in seven games. The refs will hold the destiny of Howard in this series. They can't call the cheap fouls on Howard every time Kobe gets within one foot of him. Then again Howard has to be smart and not commit anymore technicals.

The Magic will win the championship because Dwight Howard is unstoppable and the Magic shooters can put a game away before you know it. Bye, Bye Kobe.

Sixers Hire Jordan

As I was watching the Phillies-Nationals game, an alert was put on Comcast Sportsnet reporting that the Sixers have found their new head coach. Eddie Jordan will be the coach for the 76ers next year. Jordan has coached part of eight seasons in the NBA, with the Kings and Wizards. So Jordan definitely has the experience.

Jordan made the playoffs with the Wizards four consecutive seasons, form 2005 to 2008. But he has only reached the second round once in his career. His best season was in 2005 when he lead the Wizards to 45 wins and made it to the second round.

Do I think this is a good hire? Well, you can't really tell until next season. I am not going to come and say that this is a great hire or a mistake. We simply don't know until the next season.

Sixers Stun the Magic

The Philadelphia 76ers have just finished a great thriller of a game in Orlando against the Orlando Magic. It was Game 1 of the series and the Sixers won the game, 100-98. Andre Igoudala hit the game winning shot with 2.2 seconds left in the game. The Magic are the big favorites in the series.

I missed the first half of the game, but I saw the whole second half. The Sixers were came back from 18 points in the second half to win the game. The Sixers played great defense in the fourth quarter and executed great on the offensive side of the ball.

Andre Igoudala hit a fade-away jumper from the foul line to win the game for the Sixers. Hopefully, this fantastic win will fuel the Sixers throughout the series.

Temple Gets NCAA Bid

The Temple Owls will be going to the NCAA Tournament. We know that for sure after the Owls beat the Dusqusne Dukes in the Atlantic 10 championship game. The Owls were impressive in the game, especially Lavoy Allen. The sophomore forward Allen scored 10 points and grabbed 14 boards.

Dionte Christmas is the go-to-guy in the Owls offense. Christmas had 29 on the game, and went a fantastic 7-16 from the three point line. The Owls have been playing really well. Last night, they beat Xavier, who were heavily favored and ranked at the time. I did not see that game because I was at the Sixers last game at the Spectrum (scroll down for full story).

I think Temple would have gained an at-large bid to the tourney anyway with their win over Xavier. But now, at least there will be no doubts. Temple is hot right now, and that's the key to making a run deep in March. I think the Owls can make a run. I see them as an 8-10 seed right now. Tomorrow the brackets will be announced.

Sixers Win in Last Game at Spectrum

I just got back from the Spectrum to watch the Sixers play their last game there before it is knocked down. It is an historic moment in Philadelphia sports because the Spectrum hosted the Sixers and Flyers for many years. Although, they no longer play their, both team's championships have come there. Many former Sixers were there including Julius "Dr. J" Erving and Moses Malone.

The Sixers ended up winning the game 104-101 over the Chicago Bulls. It was a hard fought game for the Sixers and they deserved to win. Thaddeus Young played a terrific game, scoring 31 points. He is really progressing for a player only in his sophomore season in the NBA. Another good, young player, Marreese Speights, added 10 off the bench for the Sixers. I think these two players will soon be the face of the Sixers.

Before the game, Dr. J made a nice speech, basically thanking all of the Sixer fans. It was a nice token from a guy who has become an icon in this city. When they announcing the former players there, the Doc's cheers were probably twice as loud. It was a special moment for all Sixers fans.

I am very happy I attended the game. I (along with many other Philly fans) have made many memories at the Spectrum. No, it's not as big or convenient as the Center, but it sure does get a heck of a lot louder in there. The floor is sticky and the hallways are cramped (forget about leg room), but the Spectrum will always be "America's Showplace."

The reason they are blowing up the Spectrum? It's to build a hotel combined with a mall. I don't know where they are going to get the money for that but that's the plan. And, quite frankly, it's a waste of a stadium. Who needs more hotels or malls? I would much rather have the Spectrum.

No Sixers in the All Star Game

The 2009 NBA All Star rosters have been announced. There were no Sixers elected to the squad. Elton Brand certainly did not earn the spot (although he may win the "Biggest Waste of Money" award). Andre Iguodala isn't consistent enough to win a spot among the stars. But I think I could make a case for point man Andre Miller. Miller is the best player on the Sixers. Well, he seems to be playing the best at least.

Miller averages 16.2 points per game, to go along with 6.3 assists. That means he usually contributes 22 points per game (add the points and assists). Even though Miller is shooting style a little bit unorthodox (I wouldn't exactly call it a rainbow), he comes up clutch game after game for the Sixers.

Shaquille O'Neal also was elected to his 15th All Star contest. Most people will argue against this decision. They will say that Shaq is too old, and they only voted him in because of his popularity. Basically, they are calling him a has-been. I support Shaq going to the All Star game. He still has great numbers for a center (18.2 ppg, 9.1 rpg). The fans vote, so you know it is a popularity contest. Shaq is liked by the fans because of his personality. Maybe if Andre Miller showed some of Shaq's personality, it would be him going to the All Star game.

U.S. Basketball Redeems Itself

The U.S. men's basketball team has finally done it. They beat Spain in a surprisingly exciting game. Dwayne Wade was the leading scorer for the Americans, collecting 27 points off the bench. Kobe Byrant also scored 20 points for Team USA.

No, I didn't stay up 'till 2:30am to watch the game. I watched the replay this morning, and I was surprised by how close the game was. The final score was 118-107, but the game was closer than that.

Spain was within two as late as the fourth quarter, but the United States just overpowered them in the end. I bet the whole U.S. men's basketball team is relived that the could capture the gold in Beijing, after getting the bronze in Athens.

This team has really surprised me. No, I wasn't surprised that they won the gold. I was surprised by the amount of teamwork they exhibited. This wasn't the typical U.S. basketball team. Each player had a role and each player focused on fulfilling that role. The typical U.S. basketball is full of star players trying to be the hero.

It was almost like a home game for the Americans. the Chinese were supporting the U.S. team, mostly because they were amazed by the NBA stars. Another reason might have been the controversial picture that was taken of the Spanish basketball team. All the players posed for a picture, in which they stretched out their eyes, trying to make fun of Asians.

Igoudala Locked Up

Sources have just told ESPN that the 76ers and Andre Iguodala have agreed to a huge multi year deal. The deal would keep the forward/guard in a Sixer uniform until 2014 and pay him 80 million. He averaged close to 20 points per game last season along with 5.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists. Iguodala is also a very good defender. Don't expect Iguodala to average as many points because now the Sixers have a proven scorer in Elton Brand. Iguodala was a restricted free agent.

This will set up two good players in their prime for a long while, which the Sixers were unable to do with Allen Iverson. Elton Brand (the other player) is also locked in a deal with the Sixers. The 1-2 tandem of Brand-Iguodala (and possibly Thaddeus Young) will put the Sixers on the map in the East.

Iguodala is especially lethal in fast break situations, and he can also drive to the hoop. One of the most breath-taking players in the game, Iguodala can dunk on big men in the lane. Although Iguodala is not the greatest shooter, he can still knock down some long distance shots. Very streaky as a shooter.

So now with Iguodala signed, general manager Ed Stefanski can sit back and watch the Sixers shoot to the top of the East. Knock on wood (or Elton Brand's Achilles tendon). Anything can happen in basketball, just look at the Sixers surprise season last year.

I am actually excited for Sixer basketball for the first time in several years. I remember what the papers were saying about the Sixers last around this time. The Sixers will finish in the lower part of the standings and will wait a few as young players mature and money for free agents pile up. And you saw what happened.

U.S. Basketball Team Beats China

The U.S. men's basketball team beat China today in their first game. The host country stayed in the game until halftime, but the Americans pulled away in the third quarter. The final score was 101-70. Yao Ming (left) played well for China (even though he wasn't 100%), scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. He looked better than most people thought in his first game back from a foot injury. The top scorer for the United States was Dwayne Wade, who came off the bench. LeBron James also contributed 18 points.

The U.S. team showed it was ready to win in these games. While China is not one of the best teams, they are no pushovers. This was one of the first times I have seen real teamwork from the U.S. in the Olympics. Four players (Wade, James, Dwight Howard, and Kobe Bryant) scored in double-digits, but none more than twenty.

The defense really stepped up in this game. It seemed like every other possession resulted in a turnover for the Chinese. The U.S. team recorded 14 steals. Like I said before, the U.S. men's basketball team will win gold.

Olympic Preview

The 2008 Olympic games are set to start in Beijing this Friday with the opening ceremonies. Here are some of the major stories surrounding the games:

Micheal Phelps Chasing History: Swimmer Micheal Phelps has a chance to win eight gold medals. If he does, he will break Mark Spitz (another great swimmer) record for most gold medals in one Olympics (7).

I watched Phelps in Athens and I think he is the greatest swimmer ever. I think he will win the eight events. It seems like he breaks a world record every time he swims (and it's usually his record he breaks) It's not going to be easy, but he is definitely capable of doing it.

U.S. Men's Basketball Team Determined to Win: Our men's basketball team will be on the spot in these games. This team was dubbed the Redeem Team, and for good reason. The U.S. didn't win the gold in Athens and has struggled in international competition.

This team, stacked with NBA Stars like LeBron James (right), Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, Chris Paul, and Dwight Howard, is clearly the most talented. But they're always the most talented, so let's see if they can translate that into wins.

The problem with the U.S. basketball team in the past has been lack of teamwork. The U.S. basketball program thinks it can just put together the best players and start playing in the competition. Too bad basketball is a team sport, and the players have to work together. Whoa! That's a surprise.

Coach K is urging the media that his team is ready to win gold in Beijing. I think they'll win too.

Air Quality: Everybody is talking about how badly polluted the air is in Beijing. This is a major concern among the athletes. Chinese officials are trying (but not succeeding) to reduce the pollution.

41-Year Old Dara Torres: U.S. swimmer Dara Torres says she feels better than ever at age 41. That's seems tremendously unlikely, because swimmers usually reach their peak in the early-to-mid twenties. The same question enters everybody's head: Is she doping? I remember another athlete who "peaked" when he was older (Barry Bonds, otherwise known as the King of Steroids)

Steroids Cast Shadow Over Games: Steroids are threatening to ruin track and field. Track and field used to be the top dog in the Olympics. But now many of its premier athletes have been uncovered to doping. This issue is driving fans away from the sport (including me). But let's not talk about the bad things until after the gold medals are awarded and the syringes thrown away.

Some Odd Olympic Events: Table tennis and badminton seem odd here, but they are very big events in China. Handball. When I saw handball on the list of Olympic events, I had to laugh. Something you and I played as a kid is now a profession. Imagine a guy applying for a job and for past professions, he writes pro handballer.

Note: I will not be able to post this weekend because I'll be away.

Artest Rockets to Houston

The Houston Rockets have just pulled off a major trade with Sacramento Kings.  The Rockets will receive forward Ron Artest.  The Kings will get Donte Green (he'll be a rookie this season), Bobby Jackson, a first round draft pick next year, and cash considerations.  Artest averaged 20.5 points last season.  Donte Green had a good year with Syracuse, averaging 17.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game last season.  He was picked 28th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft.  Bobby Jackson averaged a little over seven points per game this season.

I think this trade works out for both teams.  The Rockets get a top notch forward, both on offense and defense.  Artest will join Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming in Houston.  Their outstanding starting lineup will look like this (2007-08 stats in parenthesis):

PG Rafer Alston (13.1 points per game, 5.3 assists per game)

SG Tracy McGrady (21.6 ppg, 5.9 apg)

SF Ron Artest (20.5 ppg, 5.8 rebounds per game)

PF Luis Scola (10.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg)

C  Yao Ming  (22 ppg, 1o.8 rpg)

That's pretty good.  All of their starters average double-digit point totals.  The Rockets finished 5th in the tough Western Conference.  They got beat in the first round by Utah last year in the playoffs.  If everybody can stay healthy, the Rockets may be able to crack the top three in the Western Conference.

Artest was not happy in Sacramento, and I think the Kings should be content with the trade.  Artest can be a distraction for them as they enter rebuilding mode.  They will get a rookie (Donte Green) with loads of potential, and they will also get another first round pick.  This trade works out for both teams.

Donaghy Sentenced

Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in prison for gambling.  Donaghy pleaded guilty to the gambling scandal.  He gave gamblers inside information.  He also tried to indict other referees.  To read the whole report, click here.

Tim Donaghy is a rat who casted a dark shadow over the integrity of the NBA.  First, he alters games for money.  One of the worst things you can do in sports, maybe the worst.  Then, he tries rat out other referees and blame the league.  

I hope Tim Donaghy is the only referee involved in gambling.  The NBA better hope he is.  But if he's not, the NBA will lose a tremendous amount of fans and respect.  I want to believe Donaghy is a freak case, but the truth is; nobody knows.  Maybe that technical foul on your team's best player was because the ref had 20,000 on the other team.  Maybe the ball that was way outside that the ump called strike three was because he wanted to make more money.

Donaghy is a ugly reminder that people aren't always honest in sports.  Steroids was a reminder (and a wake-up call) for baseball.  I think he got what he deserves; 15 months is a awful long time in jail considering he pleaded guilty.

I think that not just David Stern should take this as a warning, but all major sports commissioners.  And I hope that this will not happen again.

The Name Game

As you probably know, the Seattle SuperSonics are moving to Oklahoma City.  The new Oklahoma City team will not be named the Sonics, nor will they share the same colors.  The NBA recently announced that they have trademarked the new team names to the Barons, Bison, Energy, Marshalls, Thunder, and Wind.

These seem like pretty pathetic names.  Come on, the Wind?  Their slogan's going to be: we're gonna blow you away.  The fans on one side of the arena stand up and blow softly to create a eerie wind in the arena.  I also saw that the Oklahoma state waltz is called the Oklahoma Wind.  Not really an imposing team name.

No offense to the WNBA or the MLS, but the Energy sounds like it should be in women's basketball or Major League Soccer.  Marshalls is a bit too long.  My limit for team names is seven or eight letters.  The Bison and Thunder are alright.

I've come up with a couple good team names.  How about the Oklahoma City Outlaws or the Oklahoma City Wranglers.  I was also thinking about the Oklahoma City Pistols, but I don't think the NBA wants to encourage young fans (or their players for that matter) to buy pistols.  The Oklahoma City Slickers also rolls off the tongue.

The Oklahoma state game bird is the Wild Turkey(above).  That could be interesting: the Oklahoma City Wild Turkeys.  For more Oklahoma symbols click here.

I encourage you to contribute other creative names for the new Oklahoma City basketball team.

New Forward in Philly

Elton Brand is going to be a Sixer.  He gave the Sixers a verbal agreement last night and should sign a contract today.  The Sixers hope that the addition of Brand will make them a real contender.  I think it will.  Assuming they sign restricted free agent Andre Igoudala, this is what their starting lineup would be:

PG Andre Miller

SG Andre Igoudala

SF Thaddeus Young

PF Elton Brand

C   Samuel Dalembert

I like that starting lineup.  You got Andre Miller at point guard, one of the best assist guys in the league.  He'll find Brand open down under.  Igoudala at shooting guard, he was the Sixers top scorer last season with a shade below 20 per game.  Thaddeus Young at small forward, he really got it going late last season, averaging double-digits in the playoffs.  Of course, Elton Brand at the other forward position.  Then you put Dalembert at center, he averaged a double-double last season.  Not only do I think this move will improve the offense, the defense also looks pretty good.  With Brand and Dalembert in the frontcourt, nobody is going to score easy baskets in the paint.  Igoudala is also a fine defender.

The Sixers will also have a good bench.  Guard Willie Green (12 points per game last season) will be good off the bench.  Young Guard Louis Williams (11 points per game) was a pleasant surprise last season, look for him to step in when Miller needs a break.  Forward/master rebounder Reggie Evans (7.5 rebounds per game) will step in to give Brand a blow.  Forward Jason Smith, who was a rookie last season, should also see some playing time

Starting this season, I think the Sixers will prove to be one of the elite teams in the East.  They are not yet up to Celtic level, but they size up pretty well with the other top teams in the East.  The Cavaliers are good, but if you can shut down Lebron with good defense, then you should beat them.  The Pistons have great chemistry and talent at all positions, but are getting old.  Those are the teams I see to give a challenge to the Sixers (good thing their not in the West).  

The Sixers, at best, could finish second or third in the East.  At worst, they could finish fourth or fifth.  That is if Brand can stay healthy, which he didn't do last season.  Brand played in a mere eight games because of a ruptured Achilles tendon.  

Overall, this is a good move by the Sixers.  They needed a go-to guy down low and they certainly got it with Brand.  This move should help them become a major contender in the East.   

Brand to Sixers?

ESPN reports that the Sixers are entering the bidding war for talented free agent Elton Brand.  The 29-year old big man is a unrestricted free agent and is the best player on the market.  ESPN reports that the Sixers, already 11 million under the cap, will free up even more money by trading away guard Rodney Carney and center Calvin Booth.  The Sixers are competing with the Los Angeles Clippers (Brand's team last season) and the Golden State Warriors for Brand.  The Clippers and Warriors currently have more money under the cap then the Sixers but the Sixers could have up to 15 million if they trade away Carney and Booth.  ESPN reports that the Sixers are working out a deal that would send the players to Minnesota.

The Brand situation is a bit complex.  Brand opted out of his contract with the Clippers that would have paid him 16.5 million this season.  He wanted the Clippers to pick up someone else to complement him.  The Clippers certainly did that when they signed point guard Baron Davis away from Golden State.  The Clippers thought that would be enough to lure Brand back.  But then Golden State offered him a deal and now the Sixers are interested.

The Sixers say that they will do all they can to sign Brand, who is a force in the paint.  If they can not sign Brand, then the Sixers will continue their hunt for forward Josh Smith. 

Elton Brand played in only eight games last season because of injury.  In the 06-07 season, Brand averaged 20 points and a shade under 10 rebounds.  Over the course of nine seasons, Brand is averaging a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds.  

The Sixers should do their best to try to sign Brand.  Brand would have more of a positive impact than the other free agent the Sixers are targeting (Josh Smith).  Just think of the combination of Samuel Dalembert and Elton Brand in the front court.  I'm not saying that adding Josh Smith wouldn't be an improvement, but he seems like another Andre Igoudala.  You need different kinds of players to make a team work.

The Sixers should trade away Rodney Carney and Clavin Booth, if it gets them closer to signing Elton Brand.

Oden Out for Season

The first pick in the last NBA Draft, Greg Oden, will be out for the season. Oden had microfracture knee surgery and that will make him miss the season while he recovers from it. Oden just went to the doctor to check on his knee that was hurting and the doctor said he needed the microfracture knee surgery. Oden was supposed to make an immediate impact this season with the Portland Trailblazers but know they will have to wait one more season. Oden was also injured most of his college career but still played good and took Ohio State to the championship game. Oden only played one season in college and had big expectations for the NBA. So does fellow rookie Kevin Durant, Oden is constantly compared Durant, who was the number 2 pick in the draft. There is much speculation about who will be a better NBA player, but everyone now knows one thing: Durant will have a head start.
With this injury to Oden, one has to think that mabye he is injury prone. He got injured in college and now is out for his first season. Will he play poorly when he comes back and then suffer from injuries for the rest of his career? I don't think he will be plagued by injury, I think it was just tough luck that he has the injury he has. I think he will comeback and be a star in the NBA but he will just have to wait