Five Second Half Things To Look Out For

1.  The trading deadline.  Vince Carter to the Rockets or Spurs?  Amar'e Stoudamire to the Bulls or Cavs?  Other (obviously more interesting, duh) names that could be on the move include Tyson Chandler, Richard Jefferson, Caron Butler, David Lee, and of course, the human trading chip, Raef LaFrentz.

With the obvious exception of LaFrentz (who should be lauded for the sheer slight of hand it took to convince any team to offer him a contract), those are some pretty big names.  Problem is, as Chad Ford mentions, most teams are hesitant in this economy to pick up big contracts. 

2.  How much longer can Orlando play at a top tier level without point guard Jameer Nelson?  Out for the season with a torn right labrum, Nelson lead the team in 3PT and FT%, and was second on the team in FG%.  Some how I doubt Tyronn Lue and Anthony Johnson will be able to keep things afloat.

3.  Who will come out as the California champions?  The Lakers, or the rest of the Golden State?  I'd seen someone mention this somewhere, but I didn't believe it, so I did my own research, detailed as it may be.  Currently, the Kings/Clippers/Warriors are up 43 to 42 over the Lakers, far as wins are concerned.

4.  Speaking of the Lakers, will they even remotely take their foot off the gas to let the rest of the conference in?  Likely not.  The Spurs and Nuggets, two of the hottest teams in the league, have been unable to make up much ground over the past two weeks despite playing over .700 ball.

5. Finally, and most importantly, will the Bucks have to resort to petitioning the league to allow them to only play three or four players instead of five?  As it's going now, that may not be that far off.

BONUS THING TO LOOK OUT FOR:

K-Mart and Al Harrington have paired up (why they didn't get the real K-Mart, Kenyon, I'll never know), and the only question that remains is how many kicks will Big Al sell?

When It's Not About The Game...Then What Is It About?

That's the question people that actually pay money to see the New Jersey Nets play on a semi-regular basis have to ask themselves.

Last night I also attended a professional basketball game, in my home state, to see the Nets play my favorite team, the San Antonio Spurs.  Tickets weren't too expensive, only 30 bucks to sit in the lower bowl of the arena.  Arena, of course, is a loose term.  More like airplane hanger, as it seems as if the roof is about 700 miles above you, giving you that real warm and cozy atmosphere.

The Izod Center.  That's where the Nets play their home games.  Formerly Continental Airlines Arena.  Formerly Brendan Byrne (former NJ governor) Arena.  This eternally deserted arena used to house the Devils (they're a hockey team), but even they have since split.  Apparently, the fans have followed suit.  On average this year, the Nets have failed to sell at least 25% of the seats for home games.  And that's what they've been unable to sell, not the actual body count.  Unless people are dressing up as seats, that percentage of empty chairs is definitely a bit higher.

And so, it begs the question, when it's not about the game, what is it about for fans at Nets games?  This one featured a top Western Conference squad (albeit a boring one), a near triple double (That's Mr. Duncan, to you), good execution (only 13 turnovers total for the two teams), great defense in spurts (the Bowen/Carter battle is a fun one for those that like one on one defense), and Vince Carter playing like he wanted to get traded--right then and there in the second quarter.  As far as regular season games played not between any combo of Lakers/Celtics/Cavs go, it's not terrible.

One of the NBA's slogans over the past year or so has been, "The NBA, Where Amazing Happens".  

Taking a cue from the league, the Nets should adopt their own slogan for their arena:  "The IZOD Center, Where People Come To Remind Themselves of Why They Hate NBA Basketball on a Fairly Regular Basis".  

No atmosphere, no fans, more screaming for the T-shirt toss than the game, and a luxurious food choice that is highlighted by bone dry chicken tenders.  Sounds like a recipe for some ol' fashion NBA fun.

The All Don't Give A Crap Team

Thursday night, I sat on my couch, alongside my sleeping brother, watching the final quarter and overtime of the Celtics/Lakers tilt.  The game was a good one, as are so many of their match-ups.  The Lakers, despite having played (and won) the night before in Toronto, came down and wore out the Celts, sweeping the season series.

Watching the game, I couldn't help but think we'd all be better off if they'd just cancel the rest of the regular season and let the Celtics and Lakers duke it out for the championship.  Wait until Andrew Bynum gets healthy again, and then throw them into a seven game series.

I know this post isn't about that game, but I have to do two things.  First, commend Paul Pierce for his defense on Kobe Bryant.  Living in someone's shorts for the final quarter plus has to be uncomfortable, so I applaud the effort.  Second, who would think that Glen Davis would wind up, a couple of years into his career being a more valuable player than his college running mate Ty Thomas?  That's not to say Thomas won't be better, but, Big Baby?

Anyway, on to the subject of this post...

Lamar Odom might as well be one of the Hardy Boys, because he's long been one of my favorite mysteries.  Sometimes, like last night or the 03-04 season, he plays hard and the results are nearly always positive.  Often, like the Finals last year or several years on the Clippers, he fades into the background, content to do nothing other than fill out the requirement the NBA puts on each team to play with five guys at any point in a game.

And so, watching him last night, I go to thinking, in a league filled with guys that often play lethargically and minus effort, who would make the All Don't Give A Crap Team?  Read on.

C - Erick Dampier

This guy must wake up laughing.  Damp had one good season in his entire NBA career.  Check it out.  Coincidentally, that lone good season came when he was in his contract year.  I swear, it feels like in games I've seen him "play" in, he'll just pick up two quick fouls in the first quarter on purpose so he doesn't have to come back in until the third.  And, as is the case with most of these guys, what actually bothers me is that he could be a good defensive player, rebounding and blocking shots, if he actually tried all the time.

F - Lamar Odom

Doesn't often try hard, fades in out of big games (or any game for that matter), blah blah blah.  Though out of this whole group, he's easily the most talented.  Six feet ten inches, Odom can dribble with either hand, take the ball up court, drive to the basket, post up (not great, but he can do it), shoot the ball, rebound...You get the point.

F - Tim Thomas

Mr. Don't Give Crap himself, this guy pisses me off the most because he's from my home state and he could've been so much better.  Thomas has made a career, somehow, out of being a guy that has a ton of potential (never over 16 ppg). Ray Allen once said that Thomas could be the best player in the league if he wanted to be.  Don't get Jordan, or I, started on sports cliches.  No he couldn't be.  Best player in the league?  Jeez(us Shuttlesworth), take it easy.  Thomas can score from anywhere on the court (and has) but just doesn't care to play defense (see proof, stage left) or ever try hard other than jacking up long distance 3's.

G - Ricky Davis 

Here's a guy that cares, just not about the right things.  He's a selfish s.o.b. that once tried, successfully, might I add) to get himself a triple-double by shooting at his own rim to secure a 10th rebound.  No, I'm not kidding.

G - Vince Carter

I've talked about this before, but the general gist is a refrain that I'm sure you've all heard before.  Carter can one night dominate and look the part of a top 5 player in the league, and the next, you barely know he's there.  His consistently high numbers might distort the idea that he doesn't always try, but the proof is in the pudding (or, more appropriately, in the watching of him play).

Here are a few others that I didn't mention but I know would make the bench or some kind of second string (if they cared enough to try out):  Eddy Curry, Baron Davis (sometimes), Jerome James, and Kwame Brown.

There has to be others.  Who is on your favorite team that doesn't give a damn?  I know I'm missing people.  Get at us.

As Usual, They Got It Wrong Again

Every single year, in every sport, there's a player or two that is some how, some way, left off an All-Star game roster.  Now, I know that a lot of players say they don't care.  A lot of fans say (and they're right, largely) that it doesn't matter, who cares?

Well even if we're operating under the assumption that no one cares, and it doesn't mean that much, there's just certain levels of stupidity that even I can't tolerate. 

You could make honest cases for Ray Allen, Vince Carter, Carmelo Anthony, Jason Terry, Paul Millsap, Rajon Rondo and others.  

But, let's be fair here, just as easily you could also make solid cases against each of them.

Allen only is scoring 18 ppg, and two other Celtics made the team.  Carter is having a great season, but how many Nets can you take when they're playing as poorly as they are?  Melo's missed about a month, and even so, his numbers aren't staggering by any stretch.  Terry's a 6th man that's putting up a great scoring season, but others on the team have better overall numbers.  Paul Millsap is having a solid season, no doubt, but, there's better players at his position that didn't make it.  Finally, Rondo's has truly had an up-and-down season and though most of it has been up, he just isn't playing better than the other points on the roster.

The issue I have is the blatant one, the biggest one, literally.  One Shaquille O'Neal, being selected as a reserve.  Forget the fact that The Big Cactus or The Big Aristotle or The Big Bad Contract Situation or whatever he calls himself nowadays doesn't even always play on back to back nights.  Forget the fact that he's only averaging 18 points a contest.  Forget basically everything about him.  The issue isn't him, so much as whose spot he is taking.

Why, under God's green earth, Al Jefferson wasn't selected is so far beyond my normal, human, non-NBA-insider's mind that I struggle to even finish this post because my brain hurts so much.

Consider that Jefferson is only one of three humans in the NBA that average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds a game.  Consider further that of these three (the other two are in the game, by the way--Duncan and Howard), he is averaging the most points per game, by three.  Consider even further that some how last year, despite averages over over 20 and 10 at the break, he also wasn't selected.  

The only possible explanation I can think of is that his inclusion in the game would be representing the worst team out of any of the other selected players.  Still, the Wolves are 7-3 in their last ten, and frankly, aren't very good.  Not all Jefferson's fault.  

How this has happened twice now, is simply astonishing.  Jefferson, at only slightly above 2 mil a year could be the biggest bargain in sports right now, but he won't be an All-Star.  

Why?

 

I have no clue.

Good When He Wants To Be?

The buzz player in the NBA, before the LeBrons and Dwyanes and Carmelos, was a man that played north of the border.  Hailing from one of the more sacred institutions in college basketball, Vince Carter was supposed to be it.  The next big thing.

And for a while, he was.  For the first three years of his career, Carter dominated.  Dunking over people, jumping over people and then dunking on them, Carter was all over highlight reels.  He was a force and in some crazy circles because of his collegiate heritage, considered to be the next MJ.

Now, since his Airness has left the game, the public has been desperate to find some unwitting sole to fill his shoes.  No one can, no one will.  To ask Carter or LeBron or Wade or anyone else to do it is a bit much.  Still, Carter ultimately wilted under the enduring pressure to live up to his UNC predecessor.  But that wasn't what changed Carter into the man we see today.

No, it wasn't the pressure of being the next Jordan, or even all of his injuries.  Those two things contributed, sure, but the biggest issue came on a spring day in 2001.  Carter, staying true to a promise he'd made to his mother, had finished his requirements at UNC, and was going to graduate.  He wanted to walk with his classmates.

Only problem, it was the morning of an obviously enormous game for the Raptors---Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semis against the 76ers.  But still, Carter was assured that he'd be able to make it back from the ceremonies in time to play in the game.  He'd wind up missing the game-winner with 2.0 seconds left, leaving many to blame his frequent flyer miles as the reason for his poor performance.

For doing something that most athletes are condemned for not doing, Carter was punished in the public sphere.  His desire was questioned, his motives and "heart" as well. 

And so, since that point, the Carter we see now is a shell of himself.  He sleep walks through games, rehabs, and even seasons.  However, his greatness is proven in that he only once has averaged under 20 points per game, and has a career average of nearly 24 a game.  

So you may be wondering, who cares?  And if not that, why are you telling me this now?  Well, kind readers, I bring this to your attention because last night I watched VC play against the Spurs and he continued to remind me how great of a player he is when he wants to be.  Jordan railed against that cliche in a previous post, and I can't argue with him.  I hate when people say that, but it rarely is more true than with Vince Carter. 

He's one of the only players I've seen that can so effortlessly float through a game, barely making an impact, and then coming away with 25 points and 7 boards.  Then another night, drop near 40, and hit game tying and game winning shots.  

All this says about him is that he's maddeningly uninterested.  His numbers and effort this year remind us of how great he is, but yet he seems content to stay on a team building for god knows when.  

Great when he wants to be...Cliche, certainly.  But, in this situation, frustratingly true.