LAKERS FLIP THE SWITCH

Looks like the Lakers CAN turn the switch on.  I’m not ready to hand them their 3rd NBA Championship in as many years but… You have to admit, since the all-star break, the Lake Show has been playing like we all expected them too.  They won their 4th in a row today, AT Oklahoma City.  Not bad, especially after they destroyed the Clippers a few nights ago and walked into Portland and stole one there too.  Today’s victory was big for the Lakers.  Everyone’s been talking about how Kevin Durant and his band of merry men are the team to beat, the young up and comers. 4 of the Lakers starters were in double figures.  That’s how you spread the love. They’re 7 games behind San Antonio and probably will end of 2nd in the West. 4 out of their next 7 are against the Heat, Mavericks, Magic and Spurs. I’m predicting they win 3 out of 4.  I don’t think they match up well against the Heat.  But hey, it makes for a great game.

NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND: BOOM OR BUST?

Well, it’s finally over.  All the entourages in Los Angeles can now leave the streets of downtown LA, the strets surrounding Staples Center, Figueroa, Pico, 9th.  Thanks for coming.  When I was growing up, the NBA All-Star weekend was awesome.  Dunk contests involved the best of the best; Dominique Wilkins, Spud Webb, Michael Jordan.  As the years passed by, the talent pool started dwindling.  You began to have one or two stars and a bunch of no-name scrubs.  Was there any doubt Blake Griffin was going to come out with this weekend’s crown?  Sure he jumped over the hood of a car, but is it that big of a deal? Most of the dunks were a little bland: 360, elbow in rim ala Vince Carter, taking off from the freethrow line… How many times have we seen that?  The problem for these participants is that there’s only so many variations you can do before you start repeating.  And what happened to Lebron James participating this year?

As for the All-Star game, it is what it is. Did anyone think that Kobe Bryant wasn’t gonna come out and take 26 shots and try to win the MVP on his home court?  He played well, no doubt, but you might be seeing the last All-Star MVP he wins.  With the likes of Durant, Lebron and D-Rose, Kobe is an old man in a young man’s game. And for all those that want the All-Star game to mean something like homecourt advantage in the finals, I have one comment for you… BAD IDEA.  MLB does it, and it’s simply not fair.  These teams bust their asses all year to have the best record and to “earn” homecourt.  The last thing you want is putting it all on the line in some exhibition game. I will say one thing though, the players need to give a little more effort, maybe play some defense.  A combined score of 291 is ridiculous.

DERRICK ROSE IS LEGIT

It’s time to give credit where it’s due. Derrick Rose is the quickest point guard in the league. Derrick Rose is the best scoring point guard in the league. Derrick Rose is averaging 8.5 assists and 1 steal a game. Dare I say he’s the best point guard in the league? Remember,  a point guard has to have that unique ability to score, penetrate, and dish.  And oh yeah, some defense wouldn’t be bad.  I always liked Steve Nash but he never played defense.  I love Rajon Rondo but he’s not enough of an offensive threat.Deron Williams is probably the only comparable guard out there, but he’s got 4 more years of miles on him and I’m pretty sure that Rose is a step quicker.  I’ve never seen someone change directions quicker than Rose.  Let’s not forget Chris Paul. The epitome of a true point guard.  16 ppg and almost 10 dimes, not bad, but not Rose. One last kid I’m gonna mention is Russell Westbrook. I think him and Rose are gonna be going at it for the next decade. I still think Rose is the cream of the crop.  The scary thing is he’s only 23 years old and has years of getting better.  We already saw his 3-point shot improve from 22% in his rookie year to 36% this year. His points per game, free throw %, assists, steals, blocks and rebounds are all increasing each yet.  I’d like to see his shooting percentage over 45% but he’s pretty much on the border.  Enough strokin’ this guy.  He’s money. All we gotta do is give him a nickname, ‘cuz “Pooh” ain’t cutting it. P.S. he’s got the prettiest teardrop floater in the league.

CELTICS OWN THE EAST

If there was any doubt who the best team in the Eastern Conference was, it was put to rest today.  The old-time Celtics handed the Miami Heat their 3rd head to head loss this season. If you told me that Paul Pierce would have 1 point and Ray Allen would shoot 5-14 and the Cs would win, I would’ve laughed you right out of TD Garden.  On top of that, no Shaq?  Well, let me tell you how they pulled it off…RAJON RONDO! Triple-double, instant energy, this kid doesn’t back down from anyone.  I still would like to see what he’d do on a team without a bunch of hall of famers but he’s should be in everyone’s top point guards in the league list.  How about Glen “Big Baby” Davis leading the Cs in scoring, off the bench, with 16? Disappointing game for the Heat… choke city from Lebron for going 1-2 from the line with 12 seconds left and the Heat down by 2. Can someone tell me what happened to Eddie House’s instant offense? I give credit for the Cs for doing what they do.  Right now, they’re my pick to win in it all in June.  I’m not jumping on the bandwagon, I’m just stating the facts.  By the way KG still keeping his thuglife image strong with a cheap-shot pick against Mike Miller.  What happened to the Big Ticket? Someone needs to put him on his ass. Kudos for D-Wade for sticking up for his teammates.

SUPERBOWL SHUFFLE

Superbowl XLV is 1 day away, and it’s time to place your bets. With the NFL playoffs winding down, you’re gonna want to enjoy this Sunday.  Now if your a Packers’ or Steelers’ fans, you might wanna stick with the just the prop bets. But if you’re a gambler, the Superbowl is the mecca of spots betting. And Doc Sports is the site to get your fix: they got spreads, odds,  prop bets, the works. Now the question is, who’s going to win?  Oddsmakers have Pittsburgh as 3 point underdogs.  The same Steelers who are making their 3rd appearance in 6 years. The same Steelers with Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, Troy Palomalu and that nasty defensive unit. The same Green Bay Packers who got shut down by the Chicago Bears in the 2nd half. The same Packers who have a whole 2 players with Superbowl experience. I think you know where this is headed.  I picked the Steelers when they were 2.5 point dogs, and I’m stickin’ to my guns.  Not only will the Steelers cover, but they’ll win this game too. Trust me. Now go to DocSport and make some money!!!

DESEAN JACSKON: MAD LOVE

Let me preface this by saying that I’ve been hating on DeSean Jackson since he was playing in Cal.  He’s the epitomy of the modern day athlete: talented, cocky, and a shit-talker. But as I was surfing the web today, I came across a different DeSean Jackson.  One who put his stardom and fame to good use.  It seems that a 13 year old kid got beat up by a group of 7 teenagers.  How “tough” of those 7 kids to pick on 1 guy.  The state of our society and our children these days is freakin’ pathetic.  Anyway, the victim and his family showed up on the television shows “The View” recently.  It appears that the kid was a Philadelphia Eagles fan and guess who surprises the kid towards the end of the interview? That’s right folks, you’re favorite villain Eagles’ WR Desean Jackson along win linemane Todd Herremans and Jamaal Jackson.  Now I’m sure that there’s gonna be some of you out there that are gonna say that it’s just a publicity stunt.  But who cares! To that kid, these athletes not only made his day, but his life and the kid’s tears say it all.  Kudos to Jackson and his teammates and any other stars out there that take time out of their busy lives to help out the “little” people. I’m taking Jackson off my shit-list, putting him right on top of my “much love” list. These athletes are more powerful than they know it. It goes beyond money, cars and women… It’s reaching to the youth that makes them worth every penny of their multi-million dollar contracts.