It's a Fake!

Now that we're a few games into the NBA season, we've had some real nice surprises both good and bad. We've got pretenders and contender's, so let's take a look. My team, the Knicks, we're pretty much being given the Atlantic Crown, but some poor early play has led to bad losses, I mean the Bobcats, really!? Starting with the Atlantic, the 76ers are looking like a great young team that could be the next Thunder, with a mix of homegrown talent and hustle play, they're looking like legit contenders. The Knicks, despite being in second place right now, should really be higher. They have a bunch of stars on their team and a pretty decent bench, but each game it seems we win with a tight margin or get blown out. Chandler is doing his part, but it seems like if Melo doesn't score 40 a game, they stand no chance. Boston is an aging team, and was something that was expected a long time coming. Allen still drains the 3's and Rondo is a great PG, but this team doesn't dominate as much as it used to. Toronto and New Jersey are just horrible. There's no talent in Toronto and New Jersey needs someone that can collaborate with Deron. Until next year with the big move to Brooklyn, NJ will decide nothing in the Atlantic. The Central will definetaly be won by the team I have picked for this year's NBA Champions, the Chicago Bulls. Great talent on the starting 5 as well as off the bench. And with an easy conference, it should be a first or second seed for the Bulls. Indiana has been a surprise, especially with wins over Boston and Atlanta. If they keep it up, they'll be a presence in the playoffs. The rest of that division is a joke really. The Cavs are a .500 team that has young talent but lacks that Lebron je ne sai pas. Milwaukee just has Jennings, end of story. And the Pistons seem to be doing worse and worse, so hopefully the lottery will cheer em up. Arguably the strongest division in the league is the Southeast, which has Orlando, Miami, and Atlanta, which are all playoff bound teams, along with Charlotte and the lowly Wizards. Orlando, it's a bit tricky to predict how they'll do, considering we don't know if Howard will be traded in the next 5 minutes or not. Miami, the Big 3, what more can you say. I hope they suck, but we know they have that co-MVP callibur team in Lebron and Wade, Bosh can come too. Atlanta is looking like it will make a huge run in the playoffs in my opinion. Charlotte has proven to be a joke, and the Wizards are probably getting the number one pick. So that's the East.

In the West, you have high scoring talent and LOB City. The Northwest really only has two teams competing, including statistically the best team right now in Oklahoma City. Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka is a terrible tandem and that bench is nasty. With great defense and explosive offense, especially with that win over the Mavs earlier, this team will do damage in the playoffs. Utah is a contender, but doesn't have a strong team honestly, it's the weak division that gives it all it's wins. Portland is just hanging around, while Denver and Minnesota have wasted talent. Especially K-Love, who is averaging a ridiculous double double for the season. The Pacific has both good and bad. LOB CITY LOB CITY LOB CITY. It's LA, and it actually exciting on both sides. CP3 and Griffin make a great team, while Kobe seems to be scoring 40 every game lately. Hats of to DeAndre Jordan, who's really made the Clippers a competitive team. Phoenix is a declining team with the great and powerful Steve Nash, who hopefully is traded to a contender. Golden State had high scoring talent, but the record doesn't show for it. I really thought they would have had a better season. Let's not even talk about the Kings. It is le embarassing! The southwest is also a decent division. San Antonio is off to a hot start and I think they can take the division. Despite Manu out for a while, they still seem to keep winning. Dallas is another aging team, and although they have championship calibur players, I don't expect much from them this season. Then again, no one did last year. Memphis, Houston and New Orleans round out the bottom 3. All three teams currently have sub .500 records, and I expect it to stay that way. Bulls, Heat, Clippers, Thunder. These are teams that go above and beyond. Knicks, Lakers, Miami, step ya game up! and Wizards, Suns, Nets, better luck next year. Suck for Luck!

An Oldie But A Goodie

With the NBA season in full swing now, the typical players are making the headlines. From LeBron dropping 30, to Griffin's sick dunk, to Howard's tough block. How bout some love for a two time MVP, seven time all star, 3 time all-nba first team, and my favorite player in the NBA, Steve Nash. This guy is scary good, almost averaging a double-double for his career to go with Nashty passes and a .900 career FT percentage. So he doesn't dunk, and doesn't get crazy blocks. What he does do is crazy crossovers, pinpoint passing, clutch scores, and makes every player around him better. The MVP point guard was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, but grew up in Canada. He always loved sports, and was highly involved in soccer and ice hockey, but didn't start playing basketball until he was eight. From there he went to St. Michaels University school where he nearly averaged a triple double for his senior year. After high school, Nash went to Santa Clara University and would later be drafter by the Suns. After two seasons with the Suns, Nash went to Dallas but returned to Phoenix in 2004, and has been there ever since. He's had great seasons with players like Stoudemire and Nowitzki, but there's no player like Nash. He does so much for the team and for his community, always involved in charity's and bettering the Phoenix community, that makes him my favorite player. He'll play injured, he'll play in the clutch, and he'll play until the clock reads zero.
Nash has also brought us some thrillers, particularly some playoff games against the Spurs and the Lakers. Nash won his MVP's in back-to-back years (2005-06), joining the exclusive club with names like Larry Bird, LeBron James, and Michael Jordan. This two time MVP does so much for a team in terms of numbers and leadership that it often goes overlooked. Along with being a gifted basketball player, Nash also had the opportunity to play soccer for the National Canadian Team. Although he declined the offer, he has done great strides in Major League Soccer too, as he helped bring the expansion Vancouver Team to life, and holds a strong interest in becoming a minority owner of a Premier League team, preferably his favorite team, Tottenham Hotspur. He's also trained with the New York Red Bulls and hosts soccer charity games with superstars like Thierry Henry and Kaka.

He's a team leader who, as Charles Barkley once put it, he doesn't have it in his cards to win an NBA Championship. With weak offensive players put around Nash for this season, I highly doubt they make the playoffs, and guarantee that they won't win the championship this season. He has only a handful of years left in him, with his prime well behind him, but it happens to even the greatest of players. Sometimes it just doesn't work out.

Christmas Day Picks

We've been waiting all year long for this. It'll be a shortened season, but who gives a F---. The NBA is back, and we've got 5 great games for tip off. Big stories for the year include the signing of Chandler to the Knicks, Paul's trade to L.A., and the Heatles going for round 2 of their run. Already dubbed as the favorites, the Heat look to rebound after last year loss in the NBA finals. Rose has admitted that he hasn't forgotten about last year, and Kobe has been vocal about the lack of management in the loss of Odom and the miss for CP3. As we look forward to the NBA Christmas day games, we look forward to the season long, never ending drama of "As the NBA World Turns".

Teams in CAPS are the teams I have winning.
Celtics vs. KNICKS
Tipin it off in the capital of the world, as we have the Knicks showing off their brand new player in Tyson Chandler to go along with Amare and Melo. And while the Boston three party comes to crash New York's party, we're in new york, they've got an electric offense, and they didn't go quietly last season. I've got the Knicks taking this high scoring affair.
HEAT vs. Mavericks
The rematch of the NBA Finals last year, as the Sith battle the Jedi for control of the galaxy. Where have I seen this before? Anyway, James and Wade, and the third wheel, go into Dallas to face Dirk and the defending champions. The camera will be focused on James as those banners go up, and look for James to take control of this game. An aging Mavs squad won't keep up with the flaming Heat, so I've got the Heat winning, say by 10.
BULLS vs. Lakers
It's the showdown of MVP's in a Hollywood showdown. D-Rose and crew face Kobe in what should prove to be the game of the day. The Lakers, who recently lost Odom, look to prove that they are L.A.'s A-Team, while Rose goes out to prove that his number last year were no fluke. I have them as the NBA champs, and my pick for tomorrow. Too much depth for L.A. to handle. Bulls are taking this.
Magic vs. THUNDER
Whether D12 would remain in Orlando during the post lockout was up in the air every single day. To my surprise, they never gave him up, and now they have 1 season left before he becomes a free agent. That means they must be able to show they can compete with the best in the league. Enter Thunder. This young, exciting team features the high flying antics of Durant and the dominating defense of Surge I-block-ya. With a playoff atmosphere in the arena, look for Durant to overcome the Defensive P-O-Y and his magic in O.K.C.
CLIPPERS vs. Warriors
Here's one of the more exciting teams in the league with Griffin making the jams, even more now that they added Paul and give Kobe a run for his money. While the Warriors do have a good team, the Clippers will simply over match them in this Golden State matchup. Now let the dunks begin!