Have NBA refs ruined the game?
I don't believe that games are rigged on a regular basis, but I'm with you on how soft the league has become. Sometimes you can't even breathe on someone without getting whistled. It also bugs me how a lot of players act like they've been stabbed after getting fouled, and even more so when they make the "But I thought we were friends!" face when someone fouls them hard. Going off on a tangent: I don't particularly care about how these guys are off the court since it's not like we'll ever hang out with them, but I think that their off-court personalities are another indication of how the league has softened. No more trash-talking. Lots of fake tough-guys. Some of the league's best players acting like a bunch of attention-starved 3 year-olds in social media. And worst of all, the bromance culture. Guys would rather be friends than rivals, it seems. Finally, blame David Stern and his vendetta against the Spurs, which is one of the most respectable organizations in the league.
Do you think the NBA Playoffs are predetermined?
Let's not rule anything out just yet. Ever since the NBA got caught with it's pants down, I've been very skeptical of this league. It's blatantly obvious who will win the championship this year. I sometimes think Stern and all the chairmen, marketers and CEOs all get together and decide who they will push to become the face of the league. Sheed said it best when he referenced the NBA to the WWE.
Why isn't Wilt Chamberlain considered the greatest of all time?
I used to argue with people that Wilt was the greatest of all time. People like to say he never had any real competition at the time, as he was such a freak of nature, but what they fail to remember is that he played against Bill Russell, one of the greatest defenders in the history of the game…and still wreaked havoc:What the numbers show is a decade of head-to-head battles from 1959 to 1969 during which Chamberlain shattered virtually all of the NBA's scoring and rebounding records while Russell collected championships. Over 10 seasons, they played 142 games against each other with Russell winning 85 and Chamberlain 57. The stats show that in those games, Wilt averaged 28.7 points and 28.7 rebounds while Russell averaged 14.5 points and 23.7 rebounds. Chamberlain scored 50 or more points seven times against Russell, including a high of 62. Russell's highest scoring game against Chamberlain was 37. And, of course, in that decade of squaring off, Russell won nine championships to Wilt's one. [1]This shows me that Chamberlain was absolutely great, but they couldn’t win championships due to the lack of a supporting cast.Like I said, I USED to make this argument, but that changed when Michael Jordan came back from playing baseball. After that, we saw a different Jordan, one that could consistently make long jump shots and 3-point shots, while still being incredible at driving to the basket, still a top defender, and still leading his team to win after win through sheer will.That’s why I used to make that argument…not any more.Footnotes[1] NBA.com: Two giants: Russell, Wilt scrapped on court, laughed off it
How long do you think LeBron James will play in the NBA?
Lebron James’ physicality is probably what makes him such a dominant player. In terms of his longevity he is actually proving to be lasting. He is constantly working on his body so the chances of him not simply being strong or quick enough anytime soon is quite low. He is always looking for ways to increase the length of his career - most recently he has been seen working out on his air bubbles. The progression of his game has also seen him come away from the post more, playing more on the perimeter either as a shooter or looking to drive - either scoring or kicking it out. Lebron is no amateur. He knows what he has to do in order to play for the maximum amount of games that he can.However, the situation he finds himself in at the moment - with Thomas out injured - could potentially have some lasting effects. Lebron is quite frankly tearing it up. As to be expected, but he is doing so playing at a fast pace and really driving the lane a lot more than perhaps last season when he had Kyrie to do that for him. His game at Point Guard just shows how much the team are relying on him. And his current minutes! He is averaging around 38 minutes per game. While this is certainly is not unheard of, for a 32 year old forward to be playing this amount of minutes - if not occasionally a lot more - while playing the style of basketball that he is, it is bound to take a toll.That being said, I still see Lebron potentially playing as long as someone like Vince Carter. Frankly, if VC can play for that long I cannot see it being an issue for Lebron, barring a bad injury. He has said himself he would love to play long enough to play in the NBA with his son, either against or with him. And for that to happen, he wont be leaving the Association any time soon.
Magically, you have the ability to make any basketball shot in an NBA game, but your power only works in an actual regulation game, not in practice or preseason. You cannot be blocked. What do you do to make an NBA team?
There is no way you make an NBA roster if this power doesn't work in practice or in any other place than the season itself. This is the NBA. Nobody will give you a roster spot because you SAY you have this ability but there's no way to actually show it.So this is my plan.- Buy good tickets to a regular season game.- Invade the court at some point and before the guards catch you, hit a full court behind-the-back and no-look shot.- Become a mid-level internet star.- Do the same thing /shot exactly one year later.- Become an immortal/god internet phenom.That's it. I don't want to work hard and continue to find ways to prove my magic. I would just live from my internet fame and become rich without having to worry about the NBA and travels, injuries, playing defense, conditioning, etc. Have in mind that even when I could make every shot I take, I would still have a hard time getting the ball against an NBA athlete. They would just put a man to guard me all game long and I wouldn't be able to receive the ball against his length/athleticism. Also, I would suck on D.
Why does ESPN advertise Kobe as the clutchest player when these numbers and figures say Dirk is? (Read all)?
Its ESPN are you actually expecting them to do anything other than overhype the top players. People have underrated Dirk throughout his career its a joke. Dirk is a top 3 YES top 3 player in this league because he has had to carry this team ever since Nash and Finley left. After they left his best players were Howard and Terry who are inconsistent. Devin Harris wasnt as great in Dallas as he is in New Jersey. And he took this team to the finals in a STRONG Western conference. He had a 50 game performance against the Suns in a game in the WCF that season and took an inconsistent group to the finals. Like it or not people Dirk is a top 3 player in this league but is overlooked because people like LeBron James is overhyped by the media. Dirk is better than LeBron and is not that far off from Kobe he is a clutch player and a decent defender and he makes his teammates better. Michael Finley's best years were with Dirk. Josh Howard's best years were with Dirk. And for a 7 foot guy he has such a great range which makes him more deadly. And he is a great FT shooter with percentage in the high 80s every year. And yes Dirk is more clutch than Kobe. ESPN is a garbage network period they just want to hype the most marketable players and Dirk doesnt fill that mold. Dont take anything they say seriously.