I love the last week of the season

It's been a while. Anyway, as usual, these last few days of the regular season have given us the most random, out of left field performances of the year. So here are, in no particular order, my favorite unexpected explosions of this regular season's final few days;

- Ramon Sessions suddenly becoming a clutch shooter, then putting up 12 points, 6 rebounds and 13 assists, followed by a 20, 8 and 24 and then a 25, 7 and 14, with a combined 7 turnovers in those three games.

- Aaron Gray averaging a promising 16.8 points and 10 rebounds per 40 minutes and never getting any burn, then putting up 19 and 22 on the one day he gets 35 minutes.

- Milwaukee and Chicago exploding for a 135-151 final score, less than 72 hours removed from two putrid performances where the Bulls managed a meager 84 points against Orlando and Milwaukee was held to 86 by Boston.

- Andre Brown managing a 13 point, 13.5 rebound per game average over his last 4 games. Before this remarkable stretch, Andre had cracked double figures once in the points column and never grabbed more than 7 rebounds in a game in his two-year career.

-Solomon Jones, he of the gaudy 2.4 and 1.9 career averages, playing 2 minutes and 25 seconds and registering a zero accross the boxscore.

- Jeff Green and Kevin Durant averaging a combined 71 points and 21 rebounds in the Sonics' games against Golden State and Denver, both teams fighting for their playoff lives.

- Sean Marks coming into the Portland game with season totals of 43 points and 23 rebounds, then boosting those numbers with a 16 and 13 double-double.

- Juan Carlos Navarro taking 20 field goal attempts against the defensive stalwart that is Denver. And making 5, unfortunately...

- Jason Collins multiplying his ppg by 3.5 for a 7 point performance against Portland, which was predictably followed up by a double doughnut in points and rebounds.

I'm sure more will come, stay tuned...

An unusual All-Star Weekend

As I was reading a few articles on the ASG and the festivites surrounding it, I realized there were quite a few things that caught my eye. So, here's a list of the most interesting, unusual(probably worthless...) facts about the 2008 All-Star Weekend:

- The Rookie squad features three players who are 27-years old. The Sophomore squad's oldest player is Brandon Roy, who is 23.

- With 968 points through 50 games, Kevin Durant has already scored more total points in his rookie season than anybody on the Sophomore roster managed to put up last season.

- The rookie squad has players who have won a World Championship, an Olympic Gold Medal and a Euroleague championship. The biggest sophomore accomplishment is a toss-up between Jordan Farmar and his UCLA team getting blown out of the NCAA Title Game and Boobie Gibson's Cavs being swept by the Spurs in last year's Finals.

- Juan Carlos Navarro has played in 120 official with Spain's Senior National Team. 5 of the 9 sophomores have yet to play in 120 NBA regular season games.

- Luis Scola made his professional debut in 1996. His rookie teammate Kevin Durant was 7 years old.

- LeBron James is making his fourth ASG appearance at age 23. Rookie-Sophomore Challenge participants Brandon Roy, Luis Scola, Jamario Moon and Juan Carlos Navarro are older than him.

- Dirk Nowitzki is shooting 29.1% from three this year. Juan Carlos Navarro, Jordan Farmar, Rudy Gay and Andrea Bargnani are all shooting between 38 and 40%. Dirk is in the Three-Point Shootout, the other guys aren't.

- Rookie Al Horford averages 10 rebounds per game, more than All-Star forwards Carmelo Anthony (starter), LeBron James (starter), Kevin Garnett (starter), Chris Bosh, Dirk Nowitzki, Amaré Stoudemire and David West.

- Jerry Stackhouse got more votes than Brandon Roy, but less than Baron Davis. Combine Roy's and Stackhouse's votes and you still wouldn't get to Baron Davis' votes. Roy is an All-Star, Davis isn't.

- Only three of the top 10 vote-getters play for teams beneath .600

- Andrew Bogut and Andrea Bargnani got more votes than Joe Johnson.

The Baron Davis Snub

It seems like many people now agree that Baron Davis was on the business end of one of the biggest ASG snubs in recent history. I, for one, agree. Not only is Baron having the better season, but his team is also having more success as well.

For the one-on-one comparison, I don't think there is any way you could defend taking Roy over Davis. Baron is putting up 22, 5 and 8 a night, adding 2.5 steals every night, shooting 42% from the field and 35% from three. Meanwhile, Roy checks in at 19, 5 and 6, while shooting 46% from the field and 33% from behind the line. In addition, he manages a mere 0.9 spg, while playing 38 mpg, only one minute less than Davis. You could argue Roy gives you a better performance from the field, but his 2-pt shooting percentage is .486, while Davis' shoots at a 47% clip from inside 23-9.

Now, you could certainly argue Davis' lower percentage is a result of playing in a much less structured system. While Roy gets most of his shots in an orderly, "find the best shot available" manner, Davis is pretty much required to take the first available shot, be it an easy one or not. Thus, Baron's ability to hit at nearly the same rate while taking, usually, much more difficult shots, needs to be taken into consideration.

As far as defense goes, Roy's totals over 103 career games in blocked shots are less than what Davis managed as a rookie, considering Roy has started all but two games in his career when Davis' first start came in his second campaign. As far as steals goes, Roy's season high is 3, while Davis has at least matched that number 7 times in his last 10 outings. I know you cannot measure defensive performance based only on statistics, but in this case at least, numbers don't lie.

Now going to the offensive end, who would you rather have if you were in need of a big-time performance? A guy whose career-high in points is lower than Dennis Rodman's, or a guy who has put up 20-plus two out of three times this season? If it comes to playmaking, Roy has never put up more than 11 assists. In the month of January alone, Baron surpassed that total twice. As far as rebounding, both players are pretty much equal, although if you ask me I'll take the strong, athletic guard over the guy who knows where to be most of the time. Knowing where to be might help you get to the ball, but it won't be much help you get it when Trevor Ariza outjumps you and dunks it on your head.

Getting to the point that really riles me up, people say Roy deserved it because his team is having more success. How exactly is that so? Golden State isn't quite lighting everyone up at 29-19, but they've pretty much beaten the teams they were supposed to beat and lost to those who were supposed to beat them. Now, when it comes to Portland, they got hot for a while, and now seem to have come back to Earth. If you take away the Warriors' start without Captain Jack, they win at a 71% rate, while taking their 13-game streak away from Portland leaves them with a poor .424 winning percentage. Even giving Portland a 9-4 record in that streak, they come in at 51%. In short, take away the bizarre or unusual circumstances, and the Warriors are the much better team.

Now, some are saying Roy deserves his All-Star bid because he has led the Blazers to loftier heights than expected. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you are supposed to suck and then, while playing to your fullest potential and catching a few breaks, only manage to be in 9th place out of 15, I don't see where the "over" in overachieving comes in.

All in all, Brandon Roy is having a great season, but he shouldn't be an All-Star. With Roy at full speed ahead, the Blazers might give their first-round opponent a series, IF they make the playoffs. In Davis' case, I don't think there's much doubting the Warriors will get to the postseason, and once there, I wouldn't want to face them. Roy has overachieved, but Davis has performed better than expected too. And when greatness is expected, that is much more than an overachievement.

Who is the second-best center in the East?

Today I came across a thread in Niketalk wondering whether Andrew Bogut is the second-best center in the Eastern Conference. I'll admit I thought the answer was quite clear at first, but as soon as I actually gave it some more thought, things got blurry.

I will start by saying that Dwight Howard is the best center, not only in the East but in the whole Association. 22 points and 15 rebounds every night out is Hall of Fame-worthy production. After that, I will not use Chris Bosh as a center for this entry's purposes, for two reasons: he establishes his jumper and then goes to the paint (unlike Ilgauskas, for one, who tries to bang and, when it is given to him, will take the J), and he is listed as a forward and generally starts as a forward. Simple enough.

I also do not consider Shaquille O'Neal a top center in the East, because I like my players to actually play. Yes, Shaq will still have a 25 and 10 performance every so often, but he misses at least 25 games a season. It's not like he's that valuable when he plays either, as we can see from the Heat's 9-4 gazillion record, so he's scratched from the list. Same goes for JO.

Now that those four are out of the way, I will list those who I think are candidates for the number 2 spot, along with their stats for this season. And yes, I count Rasheed Wallace as a center because he does start at the 5, and because he bangs inside more often than not.

Rasheed Wallace: 12.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 2apg, 1.5bpg, 1.3 spg, 42.6%fg, 75.3%ft

Andrew Bogut: 13.6, 9.2, 2.4, 1.6, 0.7, 53.1%, 56%

Sam Dalembert: 11.4, 10.2, 0.6, 2.4, 0.4, 52.4%, 71.8%

Emeka Okafor: 13.4, 10.4, 0.7, 1.8, 1.1, 53.9%, 54.8%

Zydrunas Ilgauskas: 13.7, 9.5, 1.3, 1.4, 0.5, 48.2%, 82.1%

Seeing that we have the stats up here, I will assess the group in three categories; offense, defense and clutch performance.

Offense;

although he may have the second lowest scoring average of the guys in this list and the lowest fg% by far, I would still go with Rasheed Wallace if I needed my starting center to score 25 points. His low shooting percentage is explained in part by the fact that he takes 4 threes a game. Zydrunas Ilgauskas comes in a close second, but he doesn't have the ability to blow by his man that Sheed still showcases at times. Also, Rasheed has one of the most unstoppable moves in the NBA, his fadeaway from the left block. As for the other three candidates, it is pretty much a wash, although I guess Okafor has the most potential for a big scoring night, since he has a tendency to pile up offensive rebounds.

Bogut, Okafor and Ilgauskas may score more than Wallace, but they are, at worst, the third options for their teams. The Pistons play a system designed to get shots for, in this order, Richard Hamilton, Chauncey Billups, Tayshaun Prince and then Wallace, and he still puts up similar production, so he gets the nod here.

Defense;

Sam Dalembert doesn't put up mind-numbing statistics, but he is one of the best shot-changers in the League, and he has the ability to guard a perimeter player should he get caught up in a switch. If a perimeter player is being guarded by Big Z or Bogut, that's a near-automatic 2 points. Rasheed doesn't block many shots, but he is the soul of one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, and rarely does a center light up the Pistons.

This leaves us with Sam, 'Meka and Sheed as the clear-cut top 3 of the bunch as far as defense goes. Sheed, however, is eliminated from top defender honors because he has a big, comfortable cushion to fall back on, and uses it more than Flip would like. Jason Maxiell is a shot-eraser, and both McDyess and Prince are great at help defense, which in turn covers up many of Wallace's mistakes.

We are left now with Dalembert and Okafor. Okafor has had much better years when it comes to rebounding than the current season, but we must take into account the fact that he has a high-rebounding 2-guard and Nazr Mohammed by his side, which can explain the decrease. When it comes to Dalembert, he has always been capable of averaging 10-plus rebounds, he has simply been way too inconsistent. On some nights, he's a guaranteed 12 and 15. On others, he's Eddy Curry without the tattoos and the lard, having had 11 nights where he's picked up 6 or less rebounds, including a one-rebound stinker. Basically, 75% of the time Dalembert is a monster on the boards, but when he doesn't have it, he really doesn't have it. Okafor, meanwhile, has only had 6 bad performances on the boards, and has had 7 6-plus offensive rebounds outputs.

As for shot-blocking, Dalembert is more of a help defense shot-blocker, a la Marcus Camby. Okafor, however, is the last of a dying breed, the rim guardian. Much like 'Zo and Mutombo before him, Okafor ends up on a lot of posters. However, he sends back at least twice as many dunks as he allows. Also, it's worth noting that 'Meka has had 18 games in his career where he has rejected at least five shots.

Thus, and by the virtue of his better man-to-man defense and higher level of consistency on the glass, I think this department goes to Emeka Okafor.

Clutch;

neither of these 5 players will go down in history for their crunch-time exploits, since most centers only get game-winners via putbacks or defensive collapses. Big Z bombed in last year's Finals sweep. Rasheed is remembered for "leading" Portland to their legendary Game 7 collapse in the 2000 Conference Finals and for a defensive breakdown that allowed Robert Horry to hit the game-winning three in Game 5 of the 2005 Finals. Dalembert picked up a couple double-doubles in his last trip to the playoffs. Bogut was severely overmatched against Sheed in his lone postseason appearance, and Okafor hasn't sniffed the playoffs yet. Clearly, this isn't a bunch of Reggie Miller-like performers we're talking about.

However, we can ask ourselves one question; which of these guys would you want taking the biggest shot? Dalembert and Okafor have no range. Ilgauskas and Bogut do, although I wouldn't want Z to take a three or Bogut to get fouled and take his pathetic ft% to the line. Again, Roscoe P. Wallace is left as the best alternative. And, for that, I think he takes the silver medal in the Eastern Conference centers ranking. He might not be outstanding at any one thing, but you can trust him to do almost anything well. And that's more than you can say for the other four guys.

Eddy, could you please try?

Glancing at the Knicks-Warriors box score, something caught my eye. Eddy Curry has never been known for his rebounding prowess, but this year things seemed to be even worse. In 28 mpg, Eddy Curry just barely averages 5 rebounds per game. For a guard or a small forward, those are good numbers. For a 6'11'', 285 (probably more like 315) lbs center, that is awful. Tonight, EC managed 4 rebounds against one of the thinnest frontlines in the NBA, in a game that featured 97 missed field goals.

The average Knicks game includes 160 field goal attempts. Prorating those numbers to 28 minutes, Eddy Curry is in there for 93 field goal attempts every night. The combined field goal percentage of the Knicks and their opponents is 45.5%, which means that there are roughly 51 rebounds available in Eddy Curry's playing time. And somehow, he only gets 5 of them. He's bigger than anybody he plays not named Shaquille O'Neal or Yao Ming, and yet he can only grab one in every 10 rebounds made available to him.

Now, I could find a way to excuse Curry for his poor production if he played alongside an athletic freak like Dwight Howard, a rebounding monster like Carlos Boozer or a desperate, high-energy rookie like Sean Williams. However, Curry mostly shares the froncourt with Zach Randolph, who can barely clear Fon du Lac's phone book leaping off two feet, Quentin Richardson, who's 6'6'', and David Lee, who is severely undersized as well. And still, Curry sucks at rebounding. Some frontcourt players use their face-up game as a reason behind their small rebounding numbers, since they're usually away from the paint. However, Curry's next long jumper will be his first this year, so that line of thought is thrown out as well.

I will not go into a detailed scouting report into why Curry doesn't crash the boards very effectively, because there is absolutely no need to look at it in any depth; Eddy Curry doesn't rebound because he doesn't want it. Period. No ifs or buts about it. He has the body to average double digit rebounds. He has the agility, surprising as it may seem from a look at his physique, to average double digit rebounds. He has the soft hands to average double digits rebounds. And if he doesn't have the playing time to average double digit rebounds, it's because he lacks the desire to average double digit rebounds.

I'll now give you the cold, hard evidence;

- Andris Biedrins, a card-carrying member of Skin and Bones Inc., went off for a career-high 26 rebounds against the Knicks

- Reggie Evans averages 12 rebounds against the Knicks, 8 against everybody else

- When the Lakers visited MSG, Kobe Bryant corraled 11 rebounds. Eddy Curry picked up one.

- Eddy Curry has two double digit rebounds performances all season. Jason Kidd, 7 inches shorter, has 16.

- Bonzi Wells averages as many rebounds in 4 fewer minutes. Bonzi Wells is a 6'5'', chubby shooting guard who plays alongside Yao Ming, Chuck Hayes, Luis Scola and Carl Landry.

Eddy, if you want to live up to your considerable potential, earn at least a quarter of your ridiculous salary and maybe, just maybe, one day take the Knicks to the playoffs, there is only one thing you have to do; want it. Go ahead, try it. Maybe you'll even like it enough to become the dominant low-post presence we all envisioned a few years ago.

José Calderón, All-Star

José Calderón doesn't have a signature shoe. His jersey isn't exactly a prized possession, and he does not look much like an NBA player. Hell, he didn't even start full-time until Al Horford knocked TJ Ford out. And still, he has to be an All-Star.

I will put this very bluntly: José Calderón is, at worst, the third-best point guard in the Eastern Conference. His numbers may not blow you away at first, but looking a bit deeper you find that he may just be the best PURE point guard in the League besides Jason Kidd. By pure point guard, I mean pass-first (eliminating Chauncey Billups, AI and Baron Davis), manage your defense second (eliminating Tony Parker, Deron Williams, Chris Paul and Steve Nash), then find your own scoring opportunities a distant third, shooting only when the shot is there.

I'll ignore his individual statistics for now, and look simply at what Toronto has done with Calderón as its starting PG. Since the unfortunate Ford injury, the Raptors have picked up W's against Dallas and Boston, at San Antonio, at New Orleans and beat the NBA's hottest team, Portland, in a game where Calderón coughed it up only 3 times in 54 minutes. Even if the record shows the Raptors are only 10-9 since they made Calderón a full-time starter, five of those losses came against Phoenix, Detroit, Boston and another surging team, the Cavs.

Calderón's biggest merit this season has been leading the Raptors to victories when they're supposed to win, keep them in the games they should get blown out of, and even pull off a few upsets here and there, best exemplified by tonight's three-point play against the Celtics. In a team that has lost its first-string point guard and a workhorse in Jorge Garbajosa , in a team whose star in the making, Andrea Bargnani, has actually regressed in his sophomore season, in a team where Kris Humphries and Rasho Nesterovic play significant minutes, Calderón has kept the ship afloat.

Now, for the numbers, the Spaniard's stats are the best of his still-short career. He's putting up almost 12 points and 9 assists every night out, and that includes coming off the bench for one-third of the season. He's a member of the 90-50-40 club, no small feat for someone who has to take good shots while still finding above-average marksmen Jason Kapono, Carlos Delfino, Juan Dixon, Anthony Parker and even Chris Bosh, who's sitting at 50% shooting from long distance this season. The most important thing for Calderón, as the brain of a young team, is not to make mistakes, and he might just be the best player in the NBA at taking care of the ball, as his insane 5.6-to-1 assist to turnover ratio demonstrates. To give this number its proper importance, here are the assist to turnover ratios for the NBA's premiere PG's;

Tony Parker: 2.4-to-1

Chauncey Billups: 3.5-to-1

Steve Nash: 3.3-to-1

Chris Paul: 3.9-to-1

Allen Iverson: 2.1-to-1

Jason Kidd: 2.8-to-1

Baron Davis: 2.9-to-1

Deron Williams: 2.6-to-1

As we can see, Calderón's output in this department is almost 50% higher than his closest competitor's, and doubles Jason Kidd's, Tony Parker's, Deron Williams' and AI's.

In short, José Calderón is a pro's pro, a guy who, night in and night out, fulfills his duty, and then some. A point guard must find his teammates and make their job easier, and Calderón does that (Chris Bosh has twice as many 30+ games in the 19 games since Calderón took over than he had in the first 23). A point guard should not be a gunner, but should have the ability to make the shot when it's there, and Calderón does that, as evidenced by his shooting percentages. A point guard should lead the way in the defensive department, and the Raptors are 7th in the League in scoring defense after being in the middle of the pack last season. A point guard should show the utmost confidence, both in himself and in his teammates, and Calderón does that, piling up assists but taking the deciding shots when need be.

If you still doubt Calderón should be in New Orleans in less than a month, please refer to tonight's game against Boston; not only did he put up 24 and 13, not only did he make the game-winning layup while being fouled, but three other Raptors had 20+ points. Good players are on their A-game in the big stage, but only a select few manage to dominate and help his teammates perform at peak capacity. José Calderón is one of them, and for that, he should be an All-Star.

What the hell are YOU doing in the NBA?

Jason Collins should not play in the NBA. He should not play in any top European team. Hell, make him two inches shorter and I don't even picture him as an NBDL benchwarmer (no offense to the D-Leaguers). I appreciate the hard work Jason has put in to get himself a scholarship to play in one of the top conferences in the NCAA, get drafted by a decent NBA team and hang around for 6-plus seasons. I understand that not every NBA player can be a star, or even a good role player, but Jason Collins' presence in the world's best basketball League is an insult to every single sports fan.

If I base my anti-Collins stance on a strictly stats-centric argument, some will understand my posture and nod in agreement, and some will drop to their knees and ask the basketball gods why they have allowed such disgrace to be brought upon us.

Overall, his career numbers are 4.6 ppg and 4.5 rpg, respectable numbers for a journeyman, but appalling for an almost full-time starter. What really is a slap in the face is the fact that this season's numbers might just make up the most disastrous stat line in the history of sports:

1.4 ppg

2.1 rpg

0.2 spg

0.2 bpg

0.5 apg

0.6 TOpg

2.6 PFpg

16mpg

The fact that if you add his steals per game, points per game, blocks per game and assists per game, you'll still have a lower total than you'd get by adding his fouls and turnovers is pathetic. The fact that his 45% fg shooting is an improvement over his career 41% is horrible.

The fact that he shoots 33% from the line is enough to make Ben Wallace shake his head in disgust.

The fact that he still plays in the NBA is sad. Period.

Some will argue that his value really lies on his defense, which can't be measured in numbers. Well, the defensive stats show that he blocks a shot once every 5 games, and that's coming from the center position. He picks up a steal as periodically as he rejects a shot attempt, to keep with the putrid simmetry of his (lack of) performance. And, if we're gonna argue that his contribution can't be measured, I'll bring you the production that can, in fact, be measured: that of his opponents.

- In 5 combined games against the Nets this season, Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph have put up 20+ 4 times.

- Andris Biedrins scored 16 on 7-11 shooting against NJ

- Pau Gasol went 9-15 from the field against the Nets

- The offensive juggernaut that is Jason Maxiell averages 14ppg on 64% shooting from the field vs NJ this season

- Amare Stoudemire scored 28 on 11-16 shooting when the Nets came to Phoenix

- Johan Petro, of all people, had the game of his life against the Nets, going 10-for-15 en route to 22 points. Yes, the same Johan Petro that averages 3.7ppg

- Emeka Okafor, he of the feathery touch, has shot 10-of-11 from the field in two games against NJ this season

I'd look for more numbers to support my theory that Jason Collins is in fact a cyborg created in the former USSR to sabotage basketball's popularity in the US, thus allowing Russia to sneak up and become the world's foremost basketball factory, but I think I've made my point. Jason Collins, please, leave the game of basketball alone.

Kenyon Martin, or what could have been

I have been one of Kenyon Martin's biggest fans for a while. Back in 2001, he was a young, exciting player who tried to dunk any ball he caught within 12ft of the basket, who hustled his backside off and who was becoming an improving outside shooter. In the 2002 Finals, he was the only Net with a pulse besides Jason Kidd, and the unnoficial 2002 regular season MVP's pulse must have been quite accelerated, because he could not hit water from a boat for most of the series.

During the offseason after being swept from the Finals, K-Mart was one of the most intriguing players in the league. In his 35-point Game 4 performance, he displayed a shooting touch that most hadn't seen, or even expected from him. He repeatedly blew past Robert Horry and finished at the rim, either with a ferocious throwdown or with a little finesse half-hook. When his man backed off, Martin dropped 17-footers like his name was Rip Hamilton.

That summer, I thought we were about to see Martin become Rasheed Wallace 3000; a deadly outside shot, a tenacity rivaled by very few, the most athleticism in a big man since Shawn Kemp's prime and the conviction that any shots thrown around his basket should be sent back to the seventh row. In 2002-03, his numbers didn't change much, but he and JKidd confirmed that they had become the best alley-oop duo since The Glove and The Reignman. and the Nets showed they were for real by tearing through the Eastern Conference again.

In the process of reaching the Finals for the second consecutive year, Martin used the series against Boston to not only take a giant step toward superstardom, but also take away Antoine Walker's star status forever. If K-Mart could put up a similar showing against Tim Duncan in the Finals, he would become a household name. Things didn't go quite as planned, and what seemed like a poorly-timed case of the flu that sabotaged Martin's Finals performance was, unbeknownst to all of us, the beginning of the end.

Sure, the 2003-04 season gave us Martin's finest statistic output, saw him become an All-Star and sign a huge deal with Denver in the offseason. It would all go downhill from there. During his first year in Denver, Martin couldn't justify the big money that went his way, as his averages dropped in pretty much every category. Things would improve next season, I thought. It's not easy adjusting to an anarchic team when you've spent the last three years playing alongside the greatest point guard of your generation. The altitude must have been a factor early in the season, and his conditioning suffered accordingly throughout the year. This was Melo's team anyway, and all Martin had to do was be an energy guy, albeit a great one at that. All of the above could have been reasonable explanations to excuse K-Mart's poor production, as well as give hope that he'd get back on track the following year.

All the "following year" was good for was confirming that Martin was declining, his numbers closer to his injury-riddled rookie year than to his All-Star season. Even more worrysome, Martin missed 26 games with an injury and picked a fight with George Karl in the Playoffs, leading to a suspension.

At the outset of the 2005-06 season, I had started to hope Martin had morphed from an offensive force who occasionally rebounded with gusto into a full-time enforcer. His scoring numbers were smaller than ever, but he was crashing the boards like a middle-class man's Charles Oakley. That lasted for all of two games, and then his season was over, with many thinking the two words that put a premature end to his campaign would be forever engraved in his career's epitaph: microfracture surgery. When one surgery turned into two, I admittedly gave up, thinking there was no way a player who relied so much on supernatural physical abilities could come back from not one, not two, not three, but four severe injuries (don't forget he broke his leg twice in a one-year span between his senior year at Cincinatti and his rookie year with the Nets).

Early this season, I saw glimpses of the vintage K-Mart, but I didn't want to buy in only to be disappointed again. Little by little, I was being drawn into watching Martin again. Maybe I wasn't getting many 17-10-4-2-2 performances, but I'm pretty sure both of us would sign for a guaranteed, healthy 12 and 7 every night. Then tonight happened.

As I watched him against the Lakers, I was having flashbacks to June 2002. His 14 first-half points were more about finesse than brute force, perfectly exemplified by a smooth jumper from the elbow towards the end of the second quarter.

By halfway through the third, he had a double-double. His only points after halftime came on a ferocious jam after putting Kwame Brown out of his misery by pretending to use a subtle fake right when all Martin used was his sheer willpower. For some reason Kobe ended up iso’d on the right wing against Martin, and what would have seemed like an easy drive for Mamba turned into a jumpball-forcing block by K-Mart. As if to remind us all of what used to be, Martin won the tip, and gave us yet another glimpse into the past by blocking Ronny Turiaf a couple of plays later.

In between all these plays that get box score attention, we witnessed as Martin set some of the most ill-intentioned screens the Lakers have seen this season. In the fourth, Martin kept funneling Lamar Odom into uncomfortable shots with Marcus Camby protecting the basket. In one play, he chased down a loose ball and started the fastbreak, something that seemed imposible just 6 months ago. He picked up a couple fouls, but they were good, hard fouls, negating the possibility of an and-1.

We even saw some retro attitude from Martin, staring Vujacic down after the Lakers’ guard blatantly flopped and Dick Bavetta bought the act. Of course, where the K-Mart of old would have been T’d up, today’s version diplomatically pleaded with good ol’ Knick. AI is certainly not JKidd when it comes to passing, but that didn’t deter Martin from rolling hard to the hoop after several screens, even if he wasn’t rewarded with the alley that could have allowed him to produce an emphatic oop.

In the end, things were a bit too much like they were in 2002. Martin tried, but his team didn’t follow. Martin hustled, but his teammates didn’t want it bad enough. Martin scored early, but he couldn’t sustain his production. Martin, again, left it all on the hardwood, mentally and physically, but it didn’t suffice. I just hope the basketball gods are kind enough to let this warrior write the final page of his own book.

Hall of Fame Snubs, part 2

Spencer Haywood

Spencer Haywood will be remembered for being the first player to leave college early to play professional ball and for inspiring the creation of the "hardship clause", an aptly named provision that allowed those in financial difficulties to play in the NBA before their college class had graduated.

In the late 1960's and early 1970's, there were many African-American college athletes with hopes of playing pro ball who were living in the pampered world of NCAA stardom while their families back home could barely piece together a hearty meal. Spencer Haywood would not stand for that, and he challenged the basketball establishment, the pro leagues and the NCAA. The one reason this man is not in the Hall is the same reason he should be a hero for every underclassman who has ever been draft-eligible; he is the man who gave them the chance to dream about making the league early.

When Spencer Haywood succesfully battled the powers that be and was granted the right to feed his family by playing a game he clearly had the ability to dominate, he signed his own death sentence, politics-wise. From then on, owners frowned at the fact that they would not only have to sign athletes to longer contracts, but those contracts would also be worth a lot more money since struggling professionally at age 19 or 20 will season you faster than dominating in the NCAA. Commissioners frowned, for he opened the door for what the elite saw as young thugs and immature players. Fans frowned, because these players were, in their eyes, negatively affecting quality of play, since they had not played in a structured college system long enough (or at all, in some cases). To this day, players frown, because many think he's nothing more than an attention-starved old man who holds a grudge against those who have been succesful.

(Props are very much in order for LBJ, Melo, Shaq and a select few other NBA stars for making sure their teammates know their history, as well as a huge shout-out to Alonzo Mourning, who has worked to keep Haywood's legacy alive, and KG, who started his MVP speech in 2004 by thanking Spencer Haywood)

I don't know Spencer Haywood personally, but from all the interviews and features I have read on him, he seems like a sincere human being, somebody who does not seek recognition for selfish reasons. From what I gather, Spencer Haywood is a man who fights for his legacy not to be forgotten, for his legend not to be overshadowed by his controversial court case and his cocaine use. He fights, as he once said, "to make it better for the next man".

Now, Spencer Haywood should be enshrined simply for the fact that he fought the power, won, and his victory gave the basketball world the chance to witness the rise of players like LeBron James, Kobe, T-Mac, etc. It's not only the prom-to-pros crowd who has Haywood to thank, but also every single player who left college early. If you don't think underclassmen declaring early has made that big an impact on the NBA, just look at last year's All-NBA teams. Out of 15 players, only Steve Nash and Tim Duncan played out their college eligibility. For perspective's sake, four American players in that list never set foot on an NCAA hardwood.

However, lest you think this was just an average player, I'll list a few of his accomplishments:

- Led the gold medal winning 1968 US Olympic Team in scoring

- Led the NCAA in rebounding his sophomore season, complementing his 21.5 rpg with 32.1 ppg

- Rookie of the year and ABA MVP in his rookie season, putting up 30 ppg and 19.5 rpg

- 1970 ABA All-Star Game MVP

- 4-time NBA All-Star

- 19.2 overall career ppg, 9.3 overall career rpg

- 1980 NBA champion

As you can see, this man should be in the Hall of Fame. Let's go through the basic requirements for enshrinement. Long, productive career? Check. Dominance, both in college and pro ball? Check. Team success? Check. Undeniable impact on the game? Check.

Unfortunately for Spencer Haywood, you can also check the box right next to "Pissed off the basketball oligarchy?".

Links

Since I am a highly professional procrastinator, I have decided I will help my brethren by having a "Links" section, where they will find enough information to get through the workday. In no particular order, here are some of my favorite sites for procrastinating purposes. Some are well-known, some are a bit more obscure, but you will find entertainment in all of them.

http://www.truehoop.com/

This is a great site to get bulletpoints on all things NBA, ranging from last night's games to interviews to history features. Good for about 60-90 minutes of wasted work hours everyday.

http://www.slamonline.com/

If you enjoy SLAM's paper edition, you'll be even more pleased with its online offer. This is as complete a package as you'll get from a free website, offering full-length articles, links to the biggest stories of the weekday, videos, a good amount of short features and an entertainment corner which definitely lives up to its name. Can provide up to 2 wasted hours daily, if used correctly.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/nba_experts?keyword=Too+much+Rod+Benson

I must admit I haven't seen Rod Benson play since he was in college, but his blog provides insight into the life and times of a D-Leaguer. What I really like about this blog is that, as a player in the D-League, Rod has that working-class appeal that NBA superstars lose. We see he's just a regular guy who makes 12K a year and has trouble getting into an LA nightclub, and he doesn't brag about some of the crap Arenas blogs about, because he can't afford it, pretty much like the vast majority of us. Brief but satisfying, you'll be able to spend 15-20 unproductive minutes looking into the life of Rod Benson.

http://www.niketalk.com/

I stumbled upon this board about 6 years ago as a sneaker-obsessed teen. I haven't even browsed the sneaker-centric forums in at least 18 months, but the Sports & Training and General forums will keep you "busy" for at least an hour every day. The "funny pictures" threads are especially priceless.

Hall of Fame Snubs, part 1

According to its own website, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's mission is to "honor and celebrate basketball's greatest moments and people". Although that statement could be shred to pieces by any 12 year-old smartass ( how exactly do they plan on enshrining Tony Delk's inexplicable 53-point outburst back in 2001, along with the facial expressions by Jason Williams resulting from said outburst?), I won't dwell on whether it is gramatically correct or not. What I will dwell on, however, is one simple fact: that mission statement is a boldfaced lie.




For any basketball fan, this is the equivalent of Dubya announcing Irak was loaded with WMD's. It is sad enough that many members of the basketball media put the HOF in a pedestal, but it is even sadder that this corrupt institution is shoved down our throats by the NBA and, in recent times, even the Euroleague. This is a flawed institution, with a voting process shadier than the Florida elections circa 2000. A quick glance at the requirements for one to be enshrined under the "contributor" category should eliminate any hope of the Naismith Memorial ever becoming a politics-free institution. I quote textually:


What constitutes a "significant contribution" shall be determined by the BHOF, its Screening Committee(s) or Honors Committee(s).

I understand that it is impossible to create an actually objective list of requirements to fit such a broad spectrum of definitions as those brought along by the word "contributor", but the quote above is too damn ambiguous. What we as fans do by celebrating the choices the Hall makes under these criteria is allowing the voters to turn the requirements into "What constitutes a significant contribution shall be determined by whoever has the biggest influence in our buddy system network".

Now, I could very well spend a lot of time just pointing out flaws in the Hall of Fame's system, but I think I can make myself more useful the basketball community making the case for people who have shaped the game of basketball from the hardwood, players whose "significant contributions" should not be ignored. For this list, I have chosen players based on their on-court exploits, and absolutely nothing more. I will update this list regularly, and the more snubs take place, the more I'll write.



The HOF is supposed to celebrate what these people did for basketball, so whatever these players did within their private lives should be a non-factor, unless we are talking about a convicted murderer or a criminal of that magnitude. Without further ado, here is a list of players who, were the HOF deserving of the pedestal it rests on, would have never been snubbed.


Dennis Rodman


Take a look at the picture above this entry. I would not want this man to date my sister. I would not trust this man to be on correct behavior for more than 10 seconds. I would not let this man within 100 yards of a single drop of alcohol. I certainly would never go to him for lifestyle or fashion advice. If I needed somebody to play relentless, in-your-shorts defense, rebound as if his life depended on it, provide an enforcer's presence on a finesse team and run through a brick wall to win a basketball game , Dennis F***ing Rodman (middle name courtesy of Shaquille O'Neal) would get an offer from me faster than AI can go baseline to baseline. Simply put, this man is the single best rebounder the NBA has seen in its modern era.



I know many voters would rather amputate their own hands with a toothpick than allow Dennis Rodman to be enshrined in the HOF for the same reasons that have made him a B-List Celebrity after retiring. The tattoos, the cross-dressing, the earrings the size of an adult Chihuahua, the wild hairstyles, the "you have to be kidding me" relationships, the drunken running of the bulls and the still-vivid image of him kicking a photographer, during a game no less, are what hold many self-righteous committee members back from giving this man their vote.

However, what the voters are forgetting about when they choose to look only at the ugly image of Rodman's public behavior is that there are much prettier images to see: there's Rodman, in those god-awful short shorts, tipping and jumping his way to 11 offensive rebounds against Shawn Kemp in Game 2 of the '96 Finals, only to do it again in the deciding Game 6. There's Rodman, at the age of 39, battling his way through non-calls and the bullseye on his back to grab 16 rebounds before being ejected for sitting on the court (I kid you not). There's Rodman, still skinny and mostly tattoo-free, averaging 18-plus rebounds per game. There's Rodman, no longer as skinny and now very much tattooed, allowing David Robinson to concentrate on putting together his defining offensive season. And finally, there's Rodman winning five rings.



There is a lot of talk about Robert Horry making the Hall for his playoff heroics and his seven rings. If The Worm isn't in, I cannot see how Big Shot Bob could even be in the conversation. Rodman won five NBA titles, being absolutely decisive in the last two by getting into Karl Malone's head. If I were awarded a place in the Hall's committee, I would not look at Dennis Rodman off the court. I would look past his appearance and his pedestrian 7 ppg career average. I would look past the suspensions, the taunting, the countless technicals and ensuing jersey-throwing. I would look past the wedding dress, and I would look past the wrestling matches. There is only one picture I would look at: 16.2 rpg from 1990 to 1998, at 6'6''. 34 rebounds in one game, matched up with Dale Davis. Air-tight defense against anyone from Magic Johnson to Karl Malone to Michael Jordan. 5 rings.



If you looked past all the crap, Dennis Rodman's career really makes a beatiful picture.

Disclaimer: I am fully aware that The Worm hasn't been oficially retired for 5 years. However, if anyone is willing to bet that he'll make the Hall, I'll be glad to take the wager.

Quick Introduction

Hey;

sports blogs have become a near-epidemic, and many of them present pompous introductions peppered with grandiose proclamations deeming them worthy of your time. I will skip that section, and go straight to what you will actually find in this here blog;

- a look at the biggest issues around the NBA, from a lifelong fan's critical perspective

- a few articles here and there which will hopefully spark discussion and thus give us the chance to at least dream of affecting basketball's long-standing old boy network's decision-making. Us being the average basketball fan, of course.

- a heavy dose of sarcasm, an open dislike for certain basketball personalities, a blatant man-crush on Juan Carlos Navarro and a more subtle one on Stephen Jackson, the occasional unsolicited prediction, and some random forays into politics and other issues that have nothing to do with basketball

- links to any article, website, blog, YouTube video and, here and there, comments on any movie, book or media that catches my eye. Yes, this includes an undetermined number of shameless plugs.

With that being said, I hope everyone enjoys reading this.