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As I don’t have much time these days to post full blown posts about what’s going on around the league, I have come to resort to short bullet thoughts of what I find interesting in the NBA. Here was part 1, and today is part 2.

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1) “Rasheed Wallace replaces KG in the All-Star game”!? I didn’t see Rasheed being mentioned anywhere as an All-Star snub when the picks were originally made, so I was particularly bewildered at this decision by David Stern. With my man Hidayet Turkoglu having a truely worthy All-Star season statistically, being Mr. 4th quarter on so many occasions, and hitting more big shots than Kobe and LeBron combined…I must say I am really pissed off. Rasheed is averaging 13 and 7 and his team is only one spot ahead of Orlando. He has also let it be known that he doesn’t want to be an allstar and prefers to use the time to relax with his family. Hedo on the other hand has been dieing to get in. This is just straight unfair, and I don’t know what kinda games Stern is up to, but he really screwed up this time, his decision is unacceptable on so many levels. Put it shortly, Screw You Mr. David Stern.

2) I keep hearing how Boston is 16-0 against the West and as amazing as it sounds..it really isnt all that. Half of those games were against non-playoff bound teams. Not hating, just saying.

3) Respect to Kerr and the Suns organization for pulling off the move for Shaq. While they did have the best record in the West, it was clear they weren’t going to beat the Spurs or Lakers in a 7 game series. Shaq ironically gives them a better chance to beat the Lakers and the Spurs, but a lesser chance to win that championship. The way it is now without Marion (and let me just say Marion was one of the most underrated forwards in the league for a long time), I can easily see a first round exit to the likes of the Golden State Warriors.

4) Side note to all GM’s, coaches, and execs who we keep hearing whine about so and so trade that was really unfair:  Hey, don’t cry at the media when someone does a better job than you! While Popovich is out there crying about the Gasol trade, the Suns tried to do something about it rather than complain….Seriously, out of all people Popovich should keep his pimple face shut.

5)I said before the season started how the 82 game marathon was becoming boring and redundant, but clearly I didnt see the race in the West developping. Now THAT is how you fix the boredom of 82 games! It’s great to be a basketball fan now, as one loss by a western conference rival can actually have huge repercussions. Don’t expect Dallas to rest its stars this year, or Steve Nash having full massage sessions in the 4th quarter. The regular season now actually matters..yey for us!

6) A different kind of excitement is developping in the Eastern conference with at least two spots open to abysmal teams. Pretty much everyone except for the Miami Heat still has a shot.  Here’s what I actually said in my preseason predictions and I’m sticking to it:

10. Weaker teams in the East will have the dilemma of fighting for that 8th Playoff spot or getting a top 3 draft pick

Only a handful of games will separate the East’s bottom 8 team and GM’s will go by that long age instinct that rebuilding to get in the Playoffs in the future, is better than getting in the Playoffs now.

7) I personally hope the NBDL horse competition doesn’t see light in the NBA. I really can’t see how it won’t be Nate-Robinson-in-the-dunk-contest-painfully-cringing-to-watch bad. Unless of course you have Gilbert Arenas going off against LeBron James or something - then I can see how LeBron taking a freethrow, or Gilbert putting on his LeBron traveling impressions can be good fun.

 8) Speaking of the All-Star game which is expected to disappoint after crazy hype for the 1587th season in a row - a couple of easily applicable changes can turn the event into truely the most exciting weekend in all of sports. First off, like many people have already suggested, make the All-Star game into USA vs the World. Americans pick the American allstars, while all other votes decide the International Allstars (this rule might have to change if we start seeing more Chinese players in the NBA). As it is now, the Allstar selection process is clearly wrong, and keeps hurting players and fans. Also, a USA vs International match can truely be competitive, exciting, and meaningful - unlike its current state. In this age of globalization, NBA expansion internationally, and USA’s power becoming par with the rest of the world…this is a no brainer! Who really would be against this idea…Stern will have you believe its the average fan, but as an average (ok maybe slightly extreme fan) I tell you I want this.

9) Oh and since I’m making requests now on behalf of fans, let me assure you we would want to see 1vs1, 2vs2, 3vs3 little tournaments. 1vs1 tournaments would be strictly for light guards (Iverson, Rafer Alston, Nash, Chris Paul, Nate Robinson etc). 2vs2 and 3vs3 tournaments would require players to pick players outside their own team. So likely pairings will be friends (Carmelo and LeBron together), or family (T-Mac and Vince), or old college teammates (Arenas and Richard Jefferson). This will help players bond closer to each other, and can help create unexpected All-Star game rivalries. For example perhaps LeBron and Carmelo might seem  like the perfect two vs team but then veterans like Kobe and Kidd decide to team up one year to show them whos boss. Really, besides superstar egos getting upset, you can’t go wrong here.

10) Reason why there is never any clarification on what constitutes an All-Stars or MVP is simply because the ambiguity creates great conversations. If there was a strict pecking order of the requirements of an MVP, you wouldn’t have such involvement from fans and proffesional analysts, and people wouldn’t care as much. Ever wonder why All-Stars are much more highly talked about than All-NBA teams? In fact it should clearly be All-NBA teams that have more importance because they are decided at the end of the season and by a panel of the smartest in the business (or I would like to believe it to be so). So what I’m saying is ambiguity in rules, in outcomes, in matchups, in key decisions all works in favour of the NBA. While you might be upset that the Suns didn’t get to play at full strength versus the Spurs last year, or that Kobe and LeBron will probably never meet up in the playoffs…it is this kinda of what-ifs and uncertainty that feeds the minds of sports fans. So don’t expect a memo from the NBA anytime soon explaining what they believe constitutes an MVP.

11) Since we’re on the topic of MVPs, I might as well tune in with my mid-season pick. Most people agree that it should be either LBJ, KB, KG, or CP3. While I do believe CP3 is having a great season, for me it is the CPU that has proved to be the most valuable this year. Without my personal computer, I would never be able to follow the crazy race in the Wild Wild West, keep up with blockbuster trade news, or have access to those cant-live-without NBA rankings by the top analysts (you know the ones where self-acclaimed experts like John Hollinger put the Raptors ahead of the Suns). Imagine the Hornets without Chris Paul..ok now imagine the world without CPU. And besides, I’m pretty sure the CPU has better stats.

12) I have time and again let it be known how annoying I find stats, because they never tell you the whole story and often are blindly used in making key decisions. So when I hear about LeBron’s case for the MVP and hear that the Cavs went 0-6 without him this year, you know I go completely berserk. For me, that exact ’statistic’ is the reason why LeBron SHOULDN’T be MVP. He had a small jammed finger and admitted himself that if it was the Playoffs he would definitely play. Then you look at who their opponents actually were: Detroit, Toronto, Boston, New Jersey, Washington (you know, the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 8th seeds in the East today) and you realize that those were games where Cleveland not only needed their so called MVP just to compete, but they must have been hugely let down by their star abandoning them. Kobe, similarly has had couple of injuries throughout this season including a recent dislocated finger but he goes out and competes no matter how succesful he is. And the way the West is looking, a 0-6 run without him might have cost them the season. But of course you wont find this kind of analysis on ESPN, because they might as well be married to the guy.

13)  About Kobe: be careful what you wish for. The Lakers have now become one of the favorites to win the championship, and with great responsibility comes great pressure. This time around, weak teammates, the strength of the West, and having to do it all on his own will no longer be acceptable excuses. It’s all or nothing. Either he’s the second coming of MJ or he’s simply a wanabe. I mentioned last time that these next couple of season will determine his legacy, but I never thought it would be this clear. It’s simply time to put up or shut up. It’s not everyday we get this clear black and white stories that shape sports history, but for the NBA the time is now. Grab some popcorn and enjoy the show.

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This is proving to be the most exciting NBA season in recent memory. There’s countless other things on my mind right now, but this year more than any other deserves its fans to actually watch the events rather than just read about them. I can tell you my personal thoughts but as I have said, there is no right or wrong anymore. Allstars, champions, MVPs - these have all become subjective opinions and no so-called authority has more of a valid oppinion than you do.

Go watch Chris Paul and Kevin Garnett with your own eyes and decide for yourself who’s sweat and tears means more for their team. Watch as the Suns and Lakers duel it out for that top spot in the Pacific Division and see for yourself who is the better team, who will likely be the champs.  

It’s truely a great day for the NBA when whether you’re a NBA exec, a proffesional writer, or a casual fan - you’re all equally excited at what you witness, and clueless to what happens.

oytun is loving the game.
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