 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Tickets
Buy or Sell
To buy or sell tickets to
any Basketball game
make sure to use
Legalball.com where all
transactions are
guaranteed!
For L.A. Lakers, New
York Knicks, Houston
Rockets, Boston
Celtics, Chicago Bulls,
Denver Nuggets,
Philadelphia 76ers,
Miami Heat, Detroit
Pistons, Cleveland
Cavaliers,
or any other NBA TEAM
By: Keith Dobkowski, NBA News Writer
January 26, 2005
The NBA season has reached its halfway point and is nowhere
near its preseason goals. Well maybe that is not entirely true.
The NBA is having quite a season it is just hard to notice
amongst all the bad news surrounding the league.
Scoring is up. Bad teams from last year are good this year.
There are young players that appear to understand how to play
the game of basketball. The fast break is back. And there are
several more reasons that lead us to the conclusion that we are
halfway through a great NBA season.
Problem is the Throw-Down in Motown. The 2004 – 2005 season
will always be remembered for the fight between the Indiana
Pacers and the Detroit Pistons’ fans. All were in court this week
and will be back in April. With both criminal penalties and civil
suits to come, the Throw-Down in Motown will not disappear
anytime soon. With Stephen Jackson returning to the court this
week and Ron Artest to return either for the playoffs or next
season, the Throw-Down will be shown again and again.
Add in to the problem section Latrell Sprewell verbally assaulting
a fan and complaining about not being able to feed his family on
$10 million per year. And add in Michael Olowokandi refusing to
leave a nightclub until being tasered and arrested by the police.
And add in Carmelo Anthony’s movie career where he explains
how to knock off a snitch. These stories are being replayed over
and over and have drowned out many of the successes of this
NBA season.
The NBA has had plenty of successes this year. From the major
trades that have been made to the development of star players
to the return of the run and gun, the NBA is quietly having its
best season in nearly a decade. Here are the stories and the
second half predictions.
There has never been hype around a player such as that that
surrounds LeBron James. At 19 and now 20 years old LeBron is
playing the game as if he were a seasoned vet. He is averaging
25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists per game. More
than that, LeBron has led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the second
best record in the Eastern Conference.
Not since Magic Johnson was a 20 year old leading the L.A.
Lakers to the NBA championship has such a young player been
so good. LeBron has the full understanding of the game. An
understanding that only the very best of all time seem to grasp.
He makes his teammates better and thus the Cavs are winning.
It is this understanding that separates LeBron from his
contemporaries such as Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant, and
Carmelo Anthony. It is the difference between a great player
and a superstar.
While many jumped on the bandwagon last year predicting that
Anthony and LeBron would lead the NBA into the next
generation as Magic and Larry Bird once did, it appears that
LeBron’s running mate will be the Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade.
Wade is a team first player who is averaging nearly 24 points
and 8 assists per game. Wade showcased his talents in the
over-hyped meeting between Shaquille O’neal and Kobe Bryant
on Christmas day. As Shaq had fouled out, it was Wade lead
with sheer determination as they were victorious in overtime.
Hopefully we will see these to battle it out in the Eastern
Conference Finals.
The Phoenix Suns have brought back a showtime style of ball not
seen since the 1980s. With the entire team running and
gunning the Suns are leading the league by averaging over 108
points per outing. This style of ball has caught on as four times
as many teams are averaging over 100 points per game than
last season. The Suns weakness is their inability to play without
Steve Nash on the floor. The Suns had streaked to their best
start in franchise history only to lose six straight once Nash went
down. Since Nash’s return the Suns are back and winning.
The Sacramento Kings, Seattle Supersonics, and Dallas Mavericks
have all joined the run and gun offense. The Kings have a
different scoring leader every night and can no longer count on
Chris Webber for long stretches. The Mavs are led by all-world
Dirk Nowitzki who is averaging 27 points and 10 rebounds per
outing. And the Sonics are rejuvenated as Ray Allen and the
gang are hoisting up threes at a record rate.
Of note is the Baby Bulls who have passed .500 and should even
make the playoffs for the first time since Michael Jordan hung
them up. The Washington Wizards who are playing winning ball
with Golden State Warriors’ rejects. And the Orlando Magic who
have benefited greatly from the number one pick and the return
of Grant Hill.
The big trades of the summer have continued right on into the
season. First up was Vince Carter who left Toronto, admitted
taking nights off, and moved to the New Jersey Nets. Other big
names that could possibly be moved before the February 24th
trading deadline include Jason Kidd, Baron Davis, Sprewell, and
Jalen Rose.
Current rumors has Kidd headed to the Mavericks or the
Minnesota Timber Wolves, with the Golden State Warriors
crossing their fingers and hoping the local boy will come home.
The biggest rumor right now has Baron Davis and Jamaal
Mcgloire leaving New Orleans and headed to Cleveland for
Zydrunas Ilgauskas who will be a free agent at the end of the
season. Finally both Sprewell and Rose have been rumored to
be on the way to Miami to join Shaq and the crew.
The negative surprises of the first half have surrounded the T-
Wolves, Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz. All were supposed to
battle for the championship in the West and now only the T-
Wolves will make a playoff run. The T-Wolves have only been
getting consistent play from MVP Kevin Garnett. Sam Cassell has
been injured and Sprewell is only showing up occasionally. Look
for the T-Wolves to make a move in the next month. The
Nuggets have stepped back after a successful run last season.
Anthony, who was supposed to be a leader, has struggled on
the floor and has not shown any improvement from his first
year. And the Jazz lost Andrei Kirilenko early and have yet to
recover.
PREDICTIONS FOR THE SECOND HALF
West: The Lakers will falter and miss the playoffs. The West will
finish Spurs, Suns, Sonics, Kings, Mavericks, T-Wolves, Memphis
and Rockets respectively.
East: The race for the eighth spot will come down to the Magic,
Sixers, Nets, and Chicago. The East will finish Heat, Pistons,
Cavaliers, Pacers, Wizards, Sixers, Bulls and Magic. With the
Sixers getting the third spot due to winning the Atlantic Division.
Rookie of the Year: Emeka Okafor
Coach of the Year: Mike D'Antoni
Most Improved Player: Grant Hill
Most Valuable Player: 1. Steve Nash 2. Shaquille O’neal 3.
LeBron James 4. Tim Duncan 5. Ray Allen
NBA Champion: Spurs defeat the Heat in seven.
CONCERT
TICKETS
Or Sell
Your Extras
Using Legalball
Baseball Tickets
NFL Tickets
NBA Tickets
College Football
High Crime rates in the NBA...
Our Sports Law and Sports Business Experts know why
High turnover in Major League Baseball...
Our Sports Law and Sports Business Experts know why
Steroids in the NFL, MLB, and Olympics...
Our Sports Law and Sports Business Experts know why
Legalball.com will address both Sports Law and Sports Business issues and give
readers an inside understanding to both what happens in sports and why it
happens…
So For Sports Fans who desire to know WHY things happen…
Our Sports Law and Sports Business Experts know why
LegalBall.com - "A Different Pitch on Sports News"