Sunday, March 30, 2008

Dream Matchup in Space City



No. 1 seed Memphis matches up with No. 2 seed Texas this afternoon at Reliant. How I wish I could be there. *sighs*



But the intriguing matchup of the day (and the entire tournament IMO) is the point god matchup between freshman point Derrick Rose of the Tigers and sophomore quarterback D.J. Augustin of my future Horns.

Now, admittedly, I've had a slight (read: not so slight) man-crush on both these young men since last year, DVR-ing pretty much all their games. So it's hard to root against any one of them.

Rose is my favorite player not in the League and somebody I believe will do damage similar to Chris Paul and Deron Williams very soon. Augustin is a (temporary) Houston native tearing it up for my future alma mater.

I'll just watch and see (and record) like the rest of you should.

My prediction: Memphis' size and quickness is just way too much for the Horns. Tigers by 8 and onto San Antonio.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

CP3 for MVP



Remember when I raised the Chris Paul vs. Deron Williams debate on this site?

Well, let's just say, there's a clear-cut favorite now, and it's exactly who I suspected it to be.

Chris Paul is not only better than Deron (who I believe is the second-best pg in the world right now), but CP3 is absolutely the best point guard on the planet.

Steve Nash? Still sick, but older with less talent and no defense. Plus Paul (and D-Will, and Baron, and Tony Parker, etc.) kills him whenever they meet up.

Jason Kidd? He's 35, can't shoot or score, is slower and nowhere close to the All-NBA defender he used to be. (See CP3 drubbing he took immediately after coming over from the Swamp.)

Baron? Too inconsistent. One night he's a triple-double threat and the next a three-point shooting fiend.

Quick stat: Paul has 9 games with 20 points and 10+ assists, the rest of the NBA has eight.

And not only is he clearly the best point guard, he is and should be the MVP this year. Why? His Hornets overcame what was a thin bench until the Bonzi trade and a less-than stellar home court advantage until a year ago to get to the top spot in an amazingly rough Western Conference.

Paul has also improved his already sick game in every area: scoring, assists (which he is leading the league in. Move over Steve), shooting, steals.

Quick stat part II: Name another player in history to average 20 ppg, 10 apg, and 3 spg. Trick question. If CP keeps up with his average, he'll be the first ever.

And lastly, if Steve Nash could win two consecutive wins just for leading the league in assists, leading his team to the top of the standings, and getting the most out of his (already talented) teammates, why shouldn't Paul win for doing the exact same thing, only way better.

In 2004-05, Nash averaged 15.5 ppg and 11.5 apg for a Suns team that had the best team in the league, a time when the West wasn't nearly as deep as it is now. Paul is averaging as of today 21.6 ppg, 11.4 apg, and 2.7 steals.

In 2005-06, Nash averaged 18.8 ppg and 10.5 apg. Once again, compare that to the almost 22 ppg, 11 apg, and almost 3 spg Paul is putting up in a season where there will most likely be nine 50-win teams. And New Orleans is number 1.

Yes, the same Hornets squad with Morris Peterson as the starting 2-guard and a bench that relies on Bonzi Wells. Not a loaded Suns squad that had two other All-Stars (Amare and Marion) and shooters at every position.

Chris Paul made David West into an All-Star. And the season he's having should make him the NBA's MVP.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Friend or Foe?



Why do I enjoy kicking Knicks fans in the balls? Well, for starters, my team was steamrolling into the playoffs on a franchise-record winning streak until our franchise center went down for the season with a foot injury, so the world must feel my wrath.

But seriously, it's not Knicks fans' fault their hometown team is run by incompetent brainfarts of a president/GM/owner, or that the team can't possibly be competitive - even in the weaker East - until 2010 at least.

It's also not their fault that Stephon Marbury, New York's supposed "hometown savior", has fizzled out as a factor in the storied franchise's future resurgence. "Starbury" is currently out of commission while he "recovers" from ankle surgery (that he was all to elated to have in the first place), and reports have him banned from MSG. Who would have thought that would be the ending to the story that started in 2004 when he was brought back to the Big Apple by mentor-turned-nemesis Isiah Thomas?

Well, Timberwolves, Nets, and Suns fans might have had a clue. Marbury managed to burn just about every bridge (even the Brooklyn Bridge) he's crossed. Now he gets paid $20 million this year and next (if he isn't traded, which is likely because no team wants him) to watch a team from afar that doesn't want him around. And he's supposed to be their best player. Wow.

The NBA is moving to a point where team cancers aren't all that welcome in locker rooms these days, especially with squads with good young players.

But the question I need an answer to is: on a team that features Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry, how dysfunctional do you have to be that no one wants YOU around?