Playoffs? playoffs??

Bracketology

The best part of the season is finally here! I lost my fantasy championship. But it's alright, because the playoffs are here and i get to see once again how embarrassingly wrong my predictions go. But you know what. i'm back to give my radical picks. Radical picks sure to go wrong. And along with entertaining Anime style titles to fit each playoff series.

Prediction sure to go wrong: This will be the most entertaining playoffs ever.

"This is my time. It's my damn time!"
Lakers vs. Nuggets
Kobe and Iverson are both sayin it. But let's be for real, the nuggets have absolutely no defense. As bad as the Laker defense is, it is no where near the mangled mess the nuggets are. As much as I love Allen Iverson, he will have his heart crushed by the Lakers.

Lakers in 5.

New kids on the block had a bunch of hits, and they'll make the Jazz sick.
Jazz vs. Rockets
This is not a series i'm really looking forward to watching. I don't think you can really call any basketball game smash mouth, but this is gonna be tough and grind it out ball. Two great coaches playing for every yard on each possession. This is might be shocking. T-mac will finally win, in game 7. I know I say it every year. But this is the year "where amazing happens". It's gonna be a thing to watch him lift his hands, grab the monkey off his back, and cry in victory.

Rockets in 7

The Shaqtus Pricks San Antonio!
Suns vs. Spurs
I really have to give it to them. The trade looks like it's a success. Well... success would be a championship i suppose. But they do look better than they did with Marion. Because somehow Shaq has turned Amare into a FREAK. He pretty much has just sucked Marion's skills into his body, and now he's a superhuman creation of both of them. Holy crap. That is bad news for the Spurs. Seriously. If Amare doesn't have D up Duncan, and ends up guarding Oberto. wow. it's over. I know never to pick against San Antonio, but i'm tellin you... They're done without Horry.

Suns in 6.

Dirk-alicious will eat his apples red delicious.
Hornets vs. Mavericks
Chris Paul is good. If you don't believe that, you must be an avid American Idol viewer. I believe in Chris Paul, and that he's easily the best point guard in the game. I don't believe in the other guys though. Tyson Chandler and Mo Pete especially. I also believe Jason Kidd has gone overlooked after he got traded. He's gonna take it upon himself to be the superstar. And he'll do it. He's gonna wear Chris Paul down with his huge body. And Dallas is gonna come up on top.

Mavs in 7

Baby Hawks don't have the big ticket.
Celtics vs. Hawks
come on. KG will dominate. but i'm gonna give them a 2 game scare. I think they're gonna surprise everyone. not by winning. heck no. but 1... maybe maybe 2 games. but i'm gonna give them the benefit of the doubt.

Celts in 6

Agent Zero snipes down the King. too bad the King is bulletproof.
Cavaliers vs. Wizards
I can't freakin wait to watch this. I really wish they weren't playing each other, so i can root for both of em. Dag. But i believe the Leastern Conference is pudding in the hands of LeBron and chumps. LeBron's remarkable run begins here. man... i really wish Gilbert would have put the Pistons on the hibachi. oh well.

Cavs in 6

Dwight Howard dunks on the used car salesman.
Magic vs. Raptors
Close games, but Hedo's gonna close. can't believe i just said that.

Magic in 5

The I don't care series
Pistons vs. 76ers.
I'm pretty sure i won't watch a game. Just want to see some Iggy highlights.

pistons in 4

Ok the reason why i think that this year will be the best playoffs ever...

Semi's
Kobe vs. T-mac: Lakers in 5.
Best Friends, Nash vs Dirk: Suns in 7.
King > Big 3: Cavs in 6. yea i know. i'm crazy
Pistons vs. Magic: Pistons in 5.

Conference Finals
Kobe vs Shaq. Suns vs Lakers. Holy Moly: Lakers in 7
King James of the Palace: Cavs in 6. a repeat of a certain 25 of the last 26 shots.

Finals
Best player in the NBA? LeBron vs. Kobe. : Lakers in 6


now that's a playoff! best playoffs ever. you heard it hear first.

The Clippers one stop quick fix off season!

I'm back in LA ya'll!! That's just the beginning of the problems though...

If I ever received a job in an organization, I wouldn’t want to be a coach, trainer, secretary, or any of that. My talents are best suited as a General Manager. Hey just check my resume. My notorious reputation for ripping people off in fantasy leagues has to translate somewhat right? How about dominating computerized GM’s in NBA 2k8? No? Maybe you think my skills wouldn’t be applicable in the big leagues, but believe me, if I were running the show, I’d some how steal Dwight Howard for Malik Rose. Ok maybe not that ludicrous, but I’d have a city ready to give out free hugs, and 29 other places in the nation getting their pens handy for some hate mail!

Anyway, on to the main course, here it is owners and GMs! Your guide to fixing your crappy franchise. No need to thank me. Just put the plan in motion. We’ll get to seeing some great basketball in no time!

First up.

Mr. Donald Sterling and the Los Angeles Clippers.

One of my buddies is a huge clippers fan. I respect that. I don’t understand how they’re able to commit to such painful torture. I don’t think I’ve ever watched a full Clipper game on TV. I swear, I’ve fallen asleep every time.

No more. It’s time. It’s time for a change. Hey! Ya’ll deserve it. So let’s see where we’re at.

Current record: 23-55. Yikes.

Cap relief:
Paul Davis, Dan Dickau, Nick Fazekas, Shaun Livingston, Smush Parker, Quinton Ross: which totals: 7 million.. not bad.. not enough though.

Cap Killers:
Cuttino Mobley – 8.3 mil for 3 years... EW
Tim Thomas – 5.6 mil for 3 years... Gross
Corey Maggette – 7 mil for 2 years... serious?
Chris Kaman – 8.6 mil for 5 years... might work out.

Needs: The most important thing is to change the attitude of the franchise. You need to bring in a guy that gives the team swagger and a winning mentality. (a-la Sam Cassell). They have a great X’s and O’s coach. And two good food frontcourt players. What’s missing? One thing that they do need though, is a number one scoring option. Elton Brand is not a number one scoring option. He is one of the best number two options. He is not a superstar. (I thought they’d be perfect with Vince Carter, Allen Iverson, or Ray Allen who were all on the market before) Al Thornton does have potential to be that guy. I might wait it out with him. The two guard spots are where the Clippers lack the most. They need major help there. Is Shaun Livingston coming back? I have no clue.

Draft: They’ll likely end up with the 6th overall draft pick at their current pace which leaves them in great position to pick these two guys.

O.J. Mayo – Bear with me. OJ’s got moxie. He’s got that bad boy image. He’s gonna bring some kind of glitz and glamour to tinsel town. This dude is not the next Kobe Bryant, or LeBron James. I honestly think he’ll be the next Jamal Crawford. But it’s exactly what the Clippers need. A guy who’s not afraid to take any shot, at any moment. Who brings publicity, (any publicity is good publicity unless it’s Artest) and makes the team matter. Could he score 20 ppg his rookie year? Unlikely. But could he be an integral cog getting the Clips to the playoffs? Absolutely.

Eric Gordon - "Do-it-all combo guard. Big-time range on his jump shot.
Great shooting off the dribble. Excellent finisher at the basket. Great speed. Excellent athlete with explosive leaping ability. Good handle. NBA body. Excellent basketball IQ. Hard worker. Good, physical defender." - Chad Ford

Free Agency: If any of the free agents (sans Shaun Livingston) asks for more than 1.5 million per year, they have got to be insane. It’s like a who’s who of D-leaguers.

Shaun Livingston? He’s got potential! Oh shut up. Even if he does, he went down in one of the ugliest injuries ever. Let Miami pay him 8 million and let him go.

There is no money to make a play at a big time free agent. So gottta make some trades.

Trades: 1. Sign and Trade Shaun Livingston, Quinton Ross, Josh Powell, and an Unprotected Future First Rounder for Jose Calderon and Joey Graham.
Jose Calderon is good. He’s real good. He’s an efficient point guard developing into a really good point guard. Before he becomes really valuable, now’s the time to snatch him. Actually, he’s already gotten to that point, but his stock is still barely pre-all-star status. Yes. Josh Powell might be the next David West. Yes Shaun Livingston is talented. But he’s NOT going to be the next Magic Johnson people! Stop it with the ridiculous comparison. Jose Calderon is good now. And he’ll get the ball to Chris and Elton when they need it. Jose is disgustingly efficient. He’s a potential 50/40/90 guy. That’s right. 50% from the field, 40% from three, 90% from the line. That is disgusting. It’s exactly the type of point guard you need for a slow down half court set. Think about the lineup, Calderon, Mayo, Thornton, Brand, Kaman, Maggette. That’s deadly. For Toronto, it picks up three nice young pieces, some cap relief for an expendable but valuable piece, and getting a good pick by banking on the Clips being horrible.

2. Corey Maggette and Cuttino Mobley 2008 2nd Round Draft Pick for Vince Carter and Trenton Hassell.
The Corey Maggette era must end. It’s time to move him before he really becomes useless. Shipping him off with the salary of Cat Mobley? Awesome! What we get in return? What the hell Vince Carter? I am holding to my analysis that all the Clippers truly need is a number one scoring option. Vince Carter is a bona-fide scorer. I don’t care if you say his knees are gone; he can still get to the rim, step out and shoot. The stupidity of Lawrence Frank has honestly led to the demise of Vince Carter. How can you not run the break with Kidd, Vince and RJ? Keeping them clamped up in a half court set… shame on you Lawrence. Shame. Vince is selling at a discount price, and I think it’s time to nab him up. Will it back fire on the Clips? Possibly. But just as Shaq’s short reign in Miami boosted their franchise for a short time, I think Vince Carter can boost the Clippers ratings from 0 to a couple of guys walking around the street saying “bingo!”

Do this Donald, and I promise better days. You just have to get creative with the roster, and cross your fingers for a healthy Elton Brand. You can do it Clippers!

- Hibachi

Best player in the NBA? Kobe vs. LeBron

Someone settle this! please!

This bloggers humble opinion on the most debated subject currently driving sports forums mad.

I think that the world has fallen in love with LeBron James. Hey, I don't blame them. They love that he's gifted, talented, and all the while a humble young man. I love LeBron as much as the next guy! He's carried my fantasy team all season. But... while he might be the more likeable person, he's clearly not the best basketball player to the Alpha Dog: Kobe Bean Bryant.

Stats aren't the only thing that determine greatness. I mean if you look solely on stats, LeBron should be the best player in the NBA. Chris Paul and maybe Marcus Camby there after. Yet we all know for a fact that there are only two people that stand on top of Mt. Basketball. Here I'll break down in category in a head to head match up between the best of the best.

1. Offensive Skill Set - LeBron can shoot the 3, and drive to the basket like a freight train ready to smash through brick walls. He shoots 48% from the field because he drives to the rim as often as possible, and leaves us in awe with an array of spectacularly ridiculous dunks. Stan McNeal quoted a scout, "LeBron doesn't need a midrange game. He shoots the 3 or he attacks. When he goes to the rim, he sheds bodies. No one can stop him." wow. That is impressive.

But that still doesn't deny that his game isn't complete. Everyone knows LeBron can improve. He has flaws in his game. While he has range, he can't shoot consistently. He can't bail out his team when the shot clock runs down. His free throw shooting is abysmal (my team has lost free throws 16 out of 18 weeks. That's with everyone else shooting 75% or better.) LeBron if you read this... practice your freakin free throws! gosh...

On the flip side... Kobe Bryant has the best offensive skill set…

wait for it…

EVER in the history of the NBA. Better than Magic, Better than Bird, Better than Wilt, and yes… even better than Jordan.

No one can match his ability. He can shoot from any where at any moment in time on the court. ANYWHERE. He'll shoot 3's, midrange, out of bounds, half court, full court, in the stands. Wherever. These aren't just stand still and collect yourself shots. These are fadeaway, falling out of bounds, off the dribble, on the run, pull up, turn around, and the infamous "are you kidding me?!?" shots.

He can drive the lane and he finishes. He dunks. He tomahawks, he windmills, he does 360s. He makes ridiculous up and under layups, flip shots, finger rolls or do anything under the basket to get him 1 + the foul.

And we haven't even begun to talk about his low-post game. Where his fundamentals make Carlos Boozer look like Shawn Bradley. He shakes, shimmies, fades, drives, and makes defenders look like statues.

AND....He makes his free throws.

Edge – Kobe by a landslide.

2. Defense
LeBron is one of the best help defenders. He reads passing lanes extremely well, and comes over for blocks on the weak side. His weakness though is staying in front of his man. Granted, he is getting better. (probably from the tricks he and Michael Redd learned from Kobe this past summer) He... i wouldn't say locked down... but made Kobe miss plenty of times down the stretch due to LeBron's improving defense.

Kobe though has very few flaws on defense. He reads passing lanes as well as LeBron. Yao, Rip, AK have already become victims of Kobe's tenacious blocking ability. Kobe is an all-NBA defender time in and time out. Because he isn't just the best at the offensive end, he shuts guys down on defense. (as we saw with barbosa at FIBA). The only problem is that he can't sustain it over the course of 42 minutes because he's required to carry such a heavy burden on offense. Which is no excuse if you want to be the best player in the NBA.

Edge – Kobe by a small margin.

3. Passing
This is Lebron's "forte". He loves to pass. He's got amazing court vision, and he sees the floor working like a beautiful symphony. He works to find his guys and has delivered countless no look passes that occur on Sportscenter on just about highlight possible. There haven't been many that have complained about playing with LeBron. They have no fear that he'll get them the ball.

Kobe's most underrated ability is his passing. As my friend Joe says "He passes. You don't think he does, but he does. And if he didn't have Kwame Brown (who couldn't catch a cold, naked in Antarctica) for 3 years then he'd avg. more assists than the 5.7 he already does." That guy was their starting center. He doesn't get minutes in Memphis. MEMPHIS. There's a reason the Lakers still get points even though Kobe's triple teamed. He finds open guys.

Edge – Lebron. by a small margin. mostly by reputation.

4. Rebounding
Lebron is bigger, and taller than Kobe. He should average more rebounds. But this is about more than stats. Rebounding is all about desire, and Kobe Bryant wants the ball as much as any other guy. As shown in the showdown against LeBron, he eluded 3 men, and jumped over another 2 to grab a crucial rebound. He wants the ball. Yet he's only like that during crunch time. LeBron plays just as much on the perimeter as Kobe, but averages more rebounds.

Edge – LeBron.

5. Clutch
Lebron leads the league in 4th quarter points
Kobe doesn't have to play in the 4th quarter. When he does, they win.

When the blood is fresh, I want the Black Mamba to strike. Kobe's killer instinct is unrivaled. I want the ball in the Black Mamba's hands.

Edge – Kobe

6. Toughness
Lebron sat out 6 games because of a sprain in his finger on his non shooting hand.
Kobe completely tore a ligament in his pinky and hasn't missed a game.

Edge – Kobe

I'm gonna stop there.

Ask LeBron himself who he thinks is the best player in the NBA. Maybe 10 years from now, 5 years from now, or even 1 year from now LeBron will be better. But this year...to quote my good buddy one more time "There may be someone better at basketball on the moon or on Mars or on the planet Krypton, but on this planet, the best player's name is Kobe Bryant."