RASHEED WALLACE ... Definite Maybe.

there have been reports saying Rasheed Wallace is planning on coming out of retirement and joining a struggling Lakers squad.  which would be all fine a dandy if he were gonna play backup to Pau Gasol but one has to wonder why they are signing another big man when we need a PG!  the speculation is that the Lakers are planning on moving Pau Gasol to get a quality point guard.


as an avid Laker fan I have to wonder WHAT THE HECK THEY ARE THINKING?  


Rasheed is a 37 year old retiree and hasn't played a minute since game 7 of the 2010 finals.  they say he is in great shape but I'm not too sure who "they" are and whether I trust whatever "they" have to say.  


it would be one thing getting this Rasheed:

or even this Rasheed:

even this Rasheed played well behind Kevin Garnett:

but who knows what Rasheed will look like as a 37 year old coming out of retirement.  


I would absolutely love to have Rasheed Wallace as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers but as a back up to Pau Gasol.  if they trade Gasol and ask Sheed to to the heavy lifting at PF, I don't see how that's gonna work out.  are they gonna start Josh McRoberts or Troy Murphy?  I just don't know what they are thinking.


Jim Buss is destroying the Lakers and only one thing can save him .... if he can pull a big name.  but I DO NOT see that happening.  Jim is not Jerry.  Mitch is being relegated to press conferences and answering phones while Jim is trying to make the Lakers "his" team but I don't trust his decision making.  he didn't go for Chauncey Billups.  he didn't go for Baron Davis.  he didn't go for Nate Robinson.  he did trade for Chris Paul so I gotta give him props for that but there were others out there that he didn't pursue.


the Laker front office looks like it's in shambles and doesn't look like it'll get any better until it gets much, much worse.  we the Laker faithful can only sit, pray and hope for the best sooner than later.




hey Jim or Mitch ... I got an idea.  keep Pau, keep Sheed release Luke or Kapono and try to get Aaron Brooks.  what do you think?

Blake Griffin: Man Of Finesse!

watch the following clip and think about what impresses you most about this play.

Griffin has hops.  Griffin has hang time.  Griffin can throw down the baddest dunks.  he's been there, we've seen that.


but why does Griffin have to fall so ugly on this play?  basketball players that wipeout usually do so with some level of grace and some sort of style.  on this play, my man falls with neither.  it seems he filled his style quota for the dunk on the delivery and left none for the recovery.


I know it's a small thing but watch it over and over you won't help but smile a bit.


you wanna hear another thing that made me smile?  a friend of mine posted this on Facebook:


once you lick the frosting off a cupcake, it becomes a muffin ... and muffins are healthy.  you're welcome.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

can anyone tell me?

Is Your Game Right?

there is plenty of talent that goes unseen and unheard of as they are passed on by college recruiters and by NBA scouts.  as you read this post, there are literally thousands of guys out there who are busting their respective behinds to try and make a career out of hooping it up.  New York Knick Jeremy Lin is one of the most recent examples of this.  his story tells all the underdogs out there that even if you get overlooked, you can work hard and still make it.  

but even as the great LINstrument of Destruction can attest, although hours upon hours in the gym, eating right, playing in summer leagues and getting your name out there can possibly score your that coveted NBA contract, it doesn't prepare for everything else that comes with being an NBA star.  constant media coverage, interview opportunities and fan attention can have an adverse effect if you are not prepared for it.


many a baller spend so much time on their game that they don't think about the side effects of being a star.  here are some tips to help you to keep your star rising and not make yourself look like baboon in front of the world.


1) MAKE SURE YOUR TEETH IS RIGHT.
2) ACT NATURAL ... unless you are naturally a moron.  then act unnatural.
3) SMILE as much as you possibly can .... but only do this if you've already done number one.
4) every once in a while ... BE SEEN AT A MCDONALDS!  then people will relate.
5) SPEAK CLEARLY.
6) MAKE SURE YOUR THREADS ARE RELEVANT!  not like Metta World Peace or Dennis Rodman.
7) DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT PRACTICE!
8) DON'T GO TO COLORADO!  (ask Kobe.  he'll verify)


if you do these 8 things, you will navigate your way through superstardom without making yourself look like an idiot.




you're welcome.

For the Love of the Game...or Money?

Terence Jones, Fab Melo, Jared Sullinger, Harrison Barnes, and Perry Jones III were arguably considered in the top 10 pro prospects of last years NBA draft had they not decided to stay in college. With the eventual NBA lockout looming on the horizon, these fabulous five forwards foresaw a financial faux pas and chose to stay in school for the love of the game.

Check out the top 10 picks from the 2011 NBA draft:

1 Cleveland Kyrie Irving 6-3 191 PG Duke Fr.
2 Minnesota Derrick Williams 6-8 248 SF/PF Arizona So.
3 Utah Enes Kanter 6-11 259 PF/C Kentucky Fr.
4 Cleveland Tristan Thompson 6-9 227 PF Texas Fr.
5 Toronto Jonas Valanciunas 6-11 240 C Lithuania Intl.
6 Washington Jan Vesely 6-11 230 SF/PF Czech Republic Intl.
7 Sacramento Bismack Biyombo 6-9 243 C Congo Intl.
8 Detroit Brandon Knight 6-3 177 PG/SG Kentucky Fr.
9 Charlotte Kemba Walker 6-1 184 PG UConn Jr.
10 Milwaukee Jimmer Fredette 6-2 196 PG BYU Sr.

Other than perennial power house schools Duke and Kentucky, who manage to reload every year, none of the college programs represented by the top 10 picks of last year are in the top ten this year. Arizona, UCONN and BYU made impressive runs in the NCAA Tournament. With the eventual champions UCONN surging behind the brilliance of Kemba Walker.

Texas underachieved last year, losing to Arizona in the tournament and are in a rebuilding year this year. Arizona lost to UCONN in the Elite Eight in quite possibly the best game of 2011, and are now trying to figure out how to win without Derrick Williams. BYU had a Haley's comet like year that won't soon be duplicated, especially now that they are playing basketball in the West Coast Conference, which is weaker than the Mountain West Conference. And UCONN is lost with out Kemba.

In the wake of NCAA investigations regarding Ryan Boatright, self imposed sanctions stemming from poor cumulative grades, and health concerns with their head coach Jim Calhoun, UCONN can be optimistic with the notion of being invited to the NIT this year. Following this year the magic of Big East basketball will be gone as well. What made the emergence of last year's Huskies so miraculous, was their impressive hot knife through butter like swath through the Big East tourney. Under the hot lights of Madison Square Garden, Kemba and his band of warriors fought off the best to become the best.

The misfortunes of Texas, Arizona, UCONN and BYU can be traced back to the decisions of Tristan Thompson, Derrick Williams, Kemba Walker and even Jimmer Fredette wanting to create fortunes for themselves by going into the NBA draft. Jimmer could have requested a red shirt year, citing his phenomenal year and urging the NCAA to keep him around forever in order to gross more revenue for the NCAA. If those that run the BCS were involved with that decision, then Jimmer would become the first ever 24th year senior. They would have kept him around until the time his kids became NCAA eligible.

In stark contrast of the teams struggling this year are the teams of those fab five forwards who decided to avoid being locked out and instead enjoy being a college kid and chase a championship. Terence Jones, Fab Melo, Jared Sullinger, Harrison Barnes, and Perry Jones III. Kentucky, Syracuse, Ohio State, North Carolina and Baylor, ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll Week 15 (Feb. 13) as numbers 1, 2, 6, 7 & 10.

Kids stay in school...unless you don't mind being locked out for several months and you are guaranteed MILLIONS of dollars.

Cue the Bone Thugs N Harmony track...

FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. IS A RACIST HATER!

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a prime example of why some people need to have an "idiot auto-edit" feature implanted in their head. Preferably some where in between his brain and his ignorant mouth, there needs to be a "stupid" proof mechanism in place to shield the world from anymore oh his feeble-mindedness. Evidently Mayweather Jr. has taken far too many punches to the head. Furthermore, to his point that black players do what Jeremy Lin does every night is not only ignorant but it is blatantly false. I have no issue with him voicing his opinion, but when he failed at mixing in facts with fiction he just looks like a fool. In Jeremy Lin's first 4 starts of his career he scored more points (109 points) since the NBA/ABA merger in 1976-1977, also he became the first player in NBA history to tally at least 20 points and seven assists in each of his first four starts. I hope Floyd Mayweather Jr. has enough brain cells left to read and comprehend that last sentence. MOST BY ANY PLAYER. That includes black, white, brown and Asian players.

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/knicks/post/_/id/11556/jeremy-lin-named-east-player-of-the-week

Let's all hope that Mayweather Jr. either shuts up when his racists thoughts are spawned by his slowly deteriorating insignificant half of a brain, or that he realizes the error of his ways quickly and apologizes to EVERYONE for his remarks.

Unfortunately the "Dream" is still not yet a reality.


http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/7572690/floyd-mayweather-says-new-york-knicks-jeremy-lin-spotlight-race-not-play

Rumors

Dwight Howard & Big Baby to Warriors for Monta Ellis, David Lee & Ekpe Udoh. Also Clippers close to signing J.R. Smith? Hmm...

Dear NBA coaches & Commissioner Stern,

We collectively would like to inform you that you are all out of your minds. We feel that you have all been fooled into thinking that you know what's best for the league. Those players that you have chosen as the reserves for the 2012 NBA All Star game are neither qualified nor are they deserving of being an All Star this year.

To quote Sir Charles Barkley, "the All Star game is NOT a lifetime achievement award!"

The following are undeserving and we agree that basketball fans all over the world will concur.

Western Conference Reserves:

Steve Nash (Phoenix)
Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas)
Tony Parker (San Antonio)
Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City)

Eastern Conference Reserves:

Joe Johnson (Atlanta)
Paul Pierce (Boston)
Deron Williams (New Jersey)

Thank you for making it easier for us to work harder in the off season.

Sincerely yours,

Kyle Lowry (Houston)
Rudy Gay (Memphis)
Nene (Denver)
Ty Lawson (Denver)
Josh Smith (Atlanta)
Lou Williams (Philadelphia)
Danny Granger (Indiana)

BIGGER THAN YAO MING?

With his entrance into the NBA, Yao Ming ushered in an era of tremendous growth for the game of basketball primarily in China but also on the international stage as a whole. Hoisting the hopes and dreams of a country of 1.3 billion people proved to be as much of a physical impossibility as it was a mental and emotional strain. Eventually the great wall of Yao Ming's 7 foot 6 inch frame couldn't hold the weight and his feet crumbled like those statues of ancient Greece and Rome. And just as with the fall of Rome gave birth to a new era, we see a new hero rising from the ashes...the ashes of Harvard University?

Jeremy Lin's bio:
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/jeremy_lin/bio.html

We're Talking Lakers and Celtics ... Again!

so ... the Lakers and Celtics play tonight.  


guess what ....


NOBODY CARES!!!


in the few years since they last met in the finals, both clubs have had their share bad off-seasons and trades that didn't turn-out-to-be.  these 2 elite clubs .... the 2 GREATEST franchises in NBA history ... have been shelved as teams of the past while the younger generation of superstar players and teams come in and dominate scoreboards and headlines across the NBA.


the question "Who's gonna win tonight?" is not as interesting as it was a few short years ago when both teams were expected to win their respective conferences.  so instead of asking "Who's gonna win tonight?", I'm gonna take a page from ESPN First Take and ask the question they asked on their show.  


Who has a better shot at making the Finals: Lakers or Celtics?


I asked Buddha (an avid Celtics fan and future post writer here on Dalai Lama for 3!!!) this very question an this was our exchange:


Buddha:  That's a difficult question. Celtics are getting healthy and playing well but they haven't beat anyone with a winning record yet. Lakers are v not as deep without Odom & Kobe is playing at a high level & Bynum is playing well too, but bench is still weak. They way they're playing now I'd say the Celtics but there are still a lot of ifs.
Me: I would say the Lakers have a better chance (but not by much) because of the conference they play in. I think the C's will have a harder time beating the Heat and the Bulls in a 7 game series than the Lakers will have beating the Thunder, the Mavs, the Spurs, the Clips or the Grizzlies. I'd say Lakers but just barely.
Buddha:  But the biggest if is if other teams can knock out both The Heat and The Bulls. So the Lakers have the path of least resistance especially since Memphis doesn't have Zach Randolph & Thunder still have a lot of growth to go through with end of game management specifically in regards to Westbrook. Trailblazers are streaky and Spurs are still dangerous. Clippers will go far but I don't think they can make the Finals without Chauncey.
Me: I concur.

What do you think?

Newest Lob City Resident: Kenyon Martin

What's old news?  The basketball scene in Los Angeles has completely turned upside down.  The Clippers have added some serious ballers to make a run in the west while the Lakers lost a vital piece of their 3 tries at the title (winning 2) and have replaced him with .... nothing.  The Lakers roster is filled with people that will just fill spots on their roster.


What's old news?  The Clippers added top PG Chris Paul, veteran leader Chauncey Billups (while retaining their starting PG from last year Mo Williams) and veteran swingman Caron Butler to play with uber-jumpers Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan while the Lakers added ... Jason Kapono, Josh McRoberts and Troy Murphy.  


Hmmmm ....


What's new news?  (well ... relatively new)  The Clippers improved their depth in the front court by adding Kenyon Martin to back up Griffin at PF and The Lakers .... well ... they just beat Denver for their 3rd win on the road ... ALL SEASON.


While the Clippers are clearly showing they are committed to putting together a squad of contenders, the Lakers are showing nothing.  They can't make a solid acquisition to save their lives.  Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak manage to address the PG situation by sleeping on Chauncey, missing out on Baron Davis and not signing Nate Robinson.  


Are the Lakers gonna be able to do anything to make this season worth it?  Kobe is getting old so his window is closing, Pau is on the downside of his career and Andrew Bynum can't stay healthy for a full season.  Meanwhile the bosses in Lakerland sit and do NOTHING!  


Meanwhile across town, the Clipshow add quality players, elite talent and veteran savvy.


Wow.


This post wasn't supposed to be about the Lakers and the Clippers.  After complaining through this post for the last little bit, maybe I should say what I originally came here to say.


Welcome to LA Mr Martin.

Best Point Guards in the NBA.

So, the other day I was watching First and 10 and they had, Laker alum, Kurt Rambis on with Stephen A. Smith discussing their top 5 point guards in the NBA. I couldn't find the actual footage but here is a video link with only Mr. Rambis.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=7532487

My top 5 are...

1. Chris Paul - I actually like Williams better and think he is overall better. That being said, I feel Paul is more of a winner than Williams. Paul seems a little bit more deceptive when playing. He seems to flow effortlessly. Again, my top two are pretty much a tie.

2. Deron Williams - I love his overall game on the court. Yes, i said love. While watching he always seems in a hurry and will run out of energy. Yet he never does. I think he could be more into basketball than he is off the court. I still feel he should have stayed in Utah or went somewhere else. Again, its a close second for me here.

3. Derrick Rose - Boy has skills. Its hard to be "The Man" on a team when you're a point guard, without some help. As much as some might like his supporting cast, I'm not a fan. I would rate Rose higher but he needs to close games more often. Missed free throws lately, ouch. That being said, I still like him. Develop more of shot and clutch gene and he moves up.

4. Rajon Rondo - I like his game quite possibly the most. He gets his teammates involved and wins by doing the other things besides scoring. Yes, It's nice when you have Teammates with the names of Pierce, Allen, and Garnett. But they are older, so... Yes, I wouldn't want him to take the last shot in crunch time. See last sentence. He does get steals, rebounds, assists, whatever you need him to do in crucial moments. He not brash and full of himself but stays humble. Needs to find a new team or start recruiting people.

5. Russell Westbrook - He's athletic as any one in the NBA. He can score. He can play some D. He can pass. He's not consistent. He's a bit too selfish. He's young. He has a super star next to him. Can he learn and be humble enough to make it higher. Time will tell. I like the possibilities.

Thats it. There are others, some old, some not. But thats my top 5. What are yours?

I'm an armchair Ref

Hi everyone, I'm here to write articles for basketball, even though I've never played the game. (You're supposed to kick the ball in the basket goal right?)