PUBLIC ENEMY #1 and #1A

Am I the only basketball fan outside of Oklahoma City that can’t stand Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka? Perkins, scowl and everything, plays dirtier than most but complains about every call. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to have him on my team, but he is so dirty.  Did anyone see the play against Houston last night where he HELD Chandler Parson’s hand to prevent him from playing D against a 3-point shooting Thabo Sefolosha? The worst part of it was that the ref was right there and didn’t even make the call.  I understand home court but this was ridiculous. How is that basketball? You can’t see it from this pic but there’s a referee standing direclty behind Perkins.

As for Ibaka, he just annoys the heck out of me.  Somebody tell him the finger wag after a block was coveted by Mutumbo.  While the PF is a stud, his 13 ppg and almost 8 rpg don’t do him justice.  I just don’t understand how this guy became a tough guy after just 4 years in the league? I wish the Charles Oakleys and teh Bill Laimbeers were here to knock him on his ass.  And how did this guy slip to the 24th pick in the draft? Oh well, looks like the winner in the West is going to come down to the Clippers and Thunder.  But the way these 2 guys are playing, I don’t think the Clippers bigs are ready to mix it.

MING DYNASTY COMES TO AN END

Yao Ming has decided to call it quit after 8 years in the league, 8 injury plagued seasons. When Yao broke into the league back in 2002, everyone thought he’d be a stiff.  I remember watching his first game against Shaq and the Lakers and thinking, WOW, this guys is gonna be unstoppable.  But I guess all that size came at a price.  Multiple foot injuries and surgeries brought this 7 foot 6 inch monster down. I feel bad for the Houston Rockets, who have been on hold year after year, hoping that each year was “the one.”  Now, with Ming retiring, they can finally put the Ming era behind them and move on.  Not sure if Ming played long enough to be a hall of famer, but you’ll be hard pressed to find a 19 point, 9 rebound and a career 83% freethrow shooter.  Happy trails Mr. Ming, it was fun while it lasted.

Aye Ya Yao!!!

Looks like Yao Ming is on the brink of another season-ending injury. Except this time, it’s in the off-season and the season it’s threatening is next year.  Not a few weeks, not a few months, the entire season and maybe even his career.  So the question to you my fellow readers is, “IS YAO MING WORTH IT?” First of all, we know he can play.  Let’s put that aside. The main question is durability.  He hasn’t played close to a complete season in four years.  This past season, he came close but broke his foot in the playoffs against the Lakers, vaporizing any chance his team had to win the series.  Now his foot is worse off than the Rockets thought.  I don’t know, look at the 2002 draft where Ming was taken 1st.  Here are some notables that some might take over him, Amare Stoudamire (9), Tayshaun Prince (23), Carlos Boozer (34) and Luis Scola (55).  I did leave out Caron Butler who I think is very underrated. I’m not saying Yao wasn’t worth the #1 pick but c’mon, for the money he’s getting, you gotta shape up or something.  I know that his size gives him trouble and I’m not faulting Yao for it but maybe the Rockets need to think about resting him MORE during the regular season to preserve him for when it counts.  Makes some NBA teams think twice about drafting bigs.  The league is shifting into a guard oriented league.  The shelf-life for big men is 3-5 years then goodbye. I’m thinking Yao needs to lift some weights or something. I don’t know.  Reminds me of Grant Hill about 10 years ago; could’ve, should’ve, would’ve… Maybe they should keep him from playing in the Olympics.  Those wheels are getting worn out pretty fast.

Relax Lakers Fans

Everyone, just relax.  So the Rockets are taking them to a Game 7.  So the Rockets spanked them without Yao Ming or T- Mac. So, who cares.  I think everyone is forgetting what the Celtics did last year.  They went to a game 7 against both the Hawks and the Cavs, and a game six against Detroit. Everyone was saying “Oh, they don’t stand a chance against the Lakers; they can’t win on the road; they’re too soft.” We all know what happened next. I’m not saying the Lakers are cruising to the Finals, but they are gonna breeze past the Rockets. Sure it’s going to a “decisive” game 7 and “anything can happen.” I’ll give credit to  Houston, they put up a valiant effort but at the end of the day, they’re not gonna win in LA without Yao.  That’s it. It’s plain and simple. The game will be close in the first half.  The Lakers will pull away at the end of the third.  Artest will get kicked out.  Thanks for coming. I hear Cancun’s great at this time of the year.  Now Denver on the other hand, throw out my relaxation argument. These guys are stacked, hungry, and most importantly, HEALTHY. I’m not gonna get into the Western Conference Finals though. I’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.  In the meantime, enjoy Game 7, on Sunday. Here in LA, there’s nothing to worry about.

Lakers, Oh So Perfect

The weather in LA isn’t the only thing that’s perfect folks… After facing their first real test of the year, the Los Angeles Lakers put a good ‘ol fashion beating on the Houston Rockets on Sunday night at Staples, 111-82.  The “new and improved” Hoston Rockets with offseason acquisition Ron Artest hung around for the first three quarters of the game but forgot to show up for the last 12 minutes.  Correct me if I’m wrong here, but Ron is know for his defense right?  The other night, I saw Brandon Roy from Portland bust-up Ron over and over again. I might be jumping the gun here but it looks like he might have lost a step.  The Lake Show on the other hand, are f-l-o-w-i-n-g. Kobe and Pau doing their thing, again, this time with some help from Jordan Farmar.  This team is a guaranteed lock for a top playoff spot, barring any major injuries of course. I’m just a little worried about those dreadful Celtics.  That whoopin’ they put on the Lakers in the finals last year is something I can’t get out of my mind. Sure, the Lakers have Bynum but how’s he gonna fair against the most intense player in the league, KG.  Better yet, playing in hostile environment is gonna be rougher for this kid.  Remember, he didn’t get the playoff experience that these young Lakers got last year.  Let’s hope he matures quick enough or else it’s gonna be another sour ending to this oh so perfect story…

NBA: One Injury Away from Chaos

You never realize how important a player is to his team until he goes down for a few games. We’ve seen some key injuries this season to marquee players, leaving their respective teams running around with their head’s cut off.  Let’s start of with Tracy McGrady.  Sure the Rockets have Yao Ming and before this season started, I though it was Ming’s team.  But after T-Mac went down for a few games because of his back, the Rockets found it hard to replace his 26-5-5 per game.  Then you have the Cleveland Cavs, no major player other than Lebron James.  What happens, the King goes down with a sprained finger, take away his 27-7-8 and bam, the Cavs drop their last 3. Now it’s the San Antonio Spurs’ turn.  The reigning NBA Champs. Tim Duncan goes down with a sprained ankle and knee, probably the worst injury for a big man.  Now the Spurs only played 1/2 a game without him and maintained their poise and pounded the Blazers.  The real test will come when they face Dallas and Utah on Wednesday and Friday.  While suffering the worst of the 3 injuries mentioned, the Spurs probably have the best chance to persevere, as their team has other starts that can drop 30 on a given night (i.e. Parker and Ginobli).  You never know how much you need it until it’s gone.  Imagine what would happen if the Laker lost Kobe? Dallas losing Dirk? Wade and the Heat (we already saw what happened)? Orlando and Dwight? Forget, don’t imagine it, it hurts too much.

Yao Ming Has Arrived

Just in case you were wondering, he’s back, with a vengeance. Yao Mutha Truckin Ming. All we need now for him is a nickname, I think someone has thrown out Dynasty, as in Yao Ming Dynasty. I’m down with that, as one can conclude that he is here to dominate and control your lives. On Tuesday night, Yao Ming led his Houston Rockets over the reigning NBA Champ San Antonio Spurs and Tim Duncan. At 28 points and 13 rebounds, Ming has established himself as the best center in the league. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention the 6 assists and 3 blocks. I’m hoping this guy stay healthy. Even with T-Mac struggling, going 4-14, Ming was able to take control and get the W. For all those peepes that think I’m a Rockets hater, you couldn’t be further from it. Sure I was anti-Ming when he first came into the league and challenged Shaq as the top center in the league. But then Shaq sold out L.A.,and left a huge void in my heart. Maybe, just maybe, Ming can fill it. I know, if he leads my fantasy team to the $$$, then its all good.

T-MAC: Silky Smooth

Watching this guy play the last couple days has reminded me of how sick of a baller he really is. Smooth and flowing, that’s was T-Mac stands for. I saw a clip of how he cried last year after getting bounced by the Utah Jazz in the playoffs. This guy’s got heart and I’m sayin’ it, is the true leader of this team. On Thursday night in Salt Lake City, T-Mac fulfilled his role with a 47 point performance against the Utah Jazz. With T-Mac still at the top of his game, the Houston Rockets have the inside and outside presence to take it to the next level. In the brutally tough west, both him and Ming are gonna have to stay healthy to have a shot at the title. Good luck fellas, not that you need it.

Kobe Shows Up, Rest of the Lakers?

In the season home opener Kobe Bryant dropped 45 points in a losing effort after a Shane Battier 3 pointer with 2.5 seconds remaining stuck the final dagger in the hearts of Lakers fans already in the parking lot. Other than Derek Fisher who had 1 points, no other Laker scored in double digits. As for the Rockets, 4 players in double digits, led by Ming’s and T-Macs combined 55 points.  Just a reminder Lakers, Kobe’s not going to be able to do this on his own. I know you’re probably thinking that a 1st round playoff loss = successful season.  Well it doesn’t.  We are LA, we come from the era of Showtime, Jerry “the Logo” West, and big Shaq.  We don’t support losers, we’re not happy with anything less than a championship.  Call us bandwagon, call us fairweather, we don’t care because we will sell out the city faster than you can say Chicago Bulls. Make something happen, and make it quick (and that doesn’t mean trading Kobe).

And 1

So we have our first casualty of the And 1 Mix Tape Tour Curse. Mr. Rafer Alston. Rafer seems to have lost his cool and gone off and stabbed someone. Maybe the guy said that he wasn’t as good as Escalade, or that the Professor has better handles, I don’t know, but I do know it’s another incident of a millionaire athlete being at the wrong place at the wrong time. When will they learn? Rafer was already hanging by a thread in the NBA, there isn’t really a high demand out there for guards that can’t shoot and don’t pass, no offense to Smush Parker, Shaun Livingston, and Steve Francis. On August 28th, Alston was arrested for slashing someone’s neck in a nightclub. At this point, nothing these athletes do suprises me, however, I am a little curious as to why Alston had a shank on him? Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope this one turns out okay, we wouldn’t want this to have any negative affects towards the other And 1 stars trying to make the NBA. In my humble opinion, Helicopter and Hot Sauce were always better than our dear friend Rafer “Skip 2 My Lou” Alston, but that’s just me.