The NBA Lockout: Views from the man of random intelligence

It is officially Thanksgiving, and there is lots to be thankful for. However, during the down times, one of the escapes we look to, the NBA, is currently not on. Unfortunately, it may not be on until February, if at all this season. 

Personally, I believe if an agreement is not made by the middle of the January, perhaps the entire season should be lost. At that point, the most games you would get would be 40/team, and millions in revenue and ads would already be lost. Plus there would be much more risk for injury due to lack of conditioning and being around your teammates. Look how many injuries have occurred in the NFL this year due to their lockout. They only lost 1 preseason game,  but they lost out on the proper conditioning and coaching that keeps players in better shape. Plus this is professional basketball. Many players are already talking about going overseas to play ball. The NBA is in trouble indeed.

It is definitely a sad state of affairs. The NBA is at a peak moment of excitement, unseen since the 90s when Michael Jordan's Bulls dominated the decade.  Since then, the Western Conference with Kobe Bryant's Lakers, The Dallas Mavs, Spurs, have been on the forefront. The past few seasons, teams such as the Celtics, Heat, Bulls, Magic, and even the Miami Heat with LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, have made the league balanced and much more exciting.  Now we may miss out on that because of greed. Greed, plain and simple, by owners and players alike. 

David Stern has performed an admirable job of building the NBA's image into a clean, competitive one. But now he may have to build from scratch.  For those reading this that don't fully understand the lockout, here it is in a nutshell. It is the millionaires (players) versus the billionaires ( owners) .  Thus far, both sides are greedy and can't reach middle ground on an equal share of team revenue. Something will have to give. But when?

Chris Rock made a joke in the 90s about being rich and being wealthy. Shaq, Kobe, and those are rich. But those billionaire owners such as Mark Cuban of the defending champion Dallas Mavericks are wealthy billionaires. And they write the lucrative checks to these pro players. 

What both sides fail to realize is that even more money is being lost by continuing to postpone games. We're approaching the time where the much anticipated Christmas Day matchups are coming, and the All-Star game in February. The Christmas matchups obviously will not occur unless an agreement is met soon, and the All-Star game could be as late as April, just like in 1998-99, also a lockout season.

Now I will still watch the NBA, play fantasy basketball and be a fan even with a reduced schedule.  But I honestly look forward to 2012, when the NBA starts slowly returning to the fine, exciting league it once was. 

Happy Thanksgiving and I'm thankful for all that read my posts!

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Top 10 NBA players as of current

The NBA is currently in a lockout, prompting ESPN to run a top 100 list of players. Myself and most of my friends were outraged at the list as it was flawed even by the casual NBA fan's standards. One of my friends (and NBA enthusiast) Jesef Williams, constructed his own list less than 24 hours later. After a long weekend where my other friend, Rashad, got married and I was feeling tired, I've compiled my own list. For those that know Jesef, the list consists of the same players, just in a different order.

1. LeBron James

Yes he doesn't have a championship ring yet, and he is not a clutch player in crunch time (like Peyton Manning and John Elway both were before they finally won championships). However, he is hands down the best athlete in the game, and makes his teammates around him better. He can score, play above average defense, and he has his own unique game. He has already been to two NBA Finals. He will not be denied a ring forever.

2. Dirk Nowitzki

It's hard to ignore arguably the best all around big man in the game right now who can hit the 3, gets his teammates involved and finally got a championship of his own, beating LeBron's Heat. The Mavs contend every year for one simple reason: Dirk. An awesome player and defender that's soo hard to contain.

3. Dwight Howard

Superman has to make the top 3. He's a great big man far as blocks and rebounds, and being a game changer. Like LeBron, his legacy will be incomplete without a ring. However, like Dirk, he is so dominant and hard to contain. Dirk's jump shot and championship ring, puts him above Howard though.

4. Kobe Bryant

Although he's aging and has dropped off a little, he's still a dominant player, and the person you want having the ball in the closing minutes with the game on the line. He's the most accomplished player on this list, from scoring to defense to even championships (appeared in 7, won 5). Say what you will about his character, but his legacy, ability, and game play are not issues.

5. Chris Paul.

CP3 is easily the best PG in the game right now. He's never seen the NBA finals, but his fortitude and beastly statistics assure he can get there with the right teammates around him. He can score, steal, dish the ball off to set the offense,and his rebounding and foul shots aren't bad.

6. Derrick Rose

Many folks, including Jesef, would flip flop D Rose and CP3. Derrick Rose is phenomenal, and has a great team around him. He has resurrected Chicago, a team long down since Jordan's departure. However, he is not as polished, nor does he have the ability and experience of Paul. He cannot be dismissed though as a prime time player.

7. Kevin Durant

Another awesome player, best swingman in the game. He scores, hits the 3, and with PG Russell Westbrook, have given the Thunder quite a reputation. No one wants to face KD35 or OKC in the NBA playoffs. This team, of which Durant is the centerpiece, is only a couple of playmakers away from being like the Mavs, Heat, or Bulls

8. Dwayne Wade

I realize he is ranked low, especially for someone who has an NBA ring (albeit earned when Shaq was with the Heat). However, he is top 10 worthy because of his skills, and his ability to gell with a superteam in just 1 season. He has flaws in his game, such as his shooting, that keeps him from being ranked higher.

9. Carmelo Anthony

I'm biased in this choice being a Knicks fan. Melo is awesome and can drop 25-30 points on a given night. However, he is not multi-dimensional, and doesn't play a lot of defense. He has also proven that is almost useless without a healthy, dominant big man.

10.(tie) Deron Williams and Amare Stoudemare

One player is a PG that's only a 2nd tier compared to CP3 and D. Rose, another is a NY Knick who is dominant and makes his teammates better. Both players, however, haven't been anywhere near the finals. They are great at their position, including Stoudemare, who can play either C or PF with ease like Dirk. Stoudemare may get a slighter edge because he's more dominant and has more talented teammates, while Williams is more explosive.

I wish the NBA season would start already, so we can see how good these guys really do!

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