Josh Dhani « FootBasket

Name: Josh

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Bio: 13-year-old blogger that is also the owner of Hardcourt Mayhem, Dunking Mayhem, and Always Miller Time. Check out his podcast at pantsingpaulpierce.com. Buy his book called The Kwame Brown Chronicles. Contact him at rocksballer58@yahoo.com for anything.

Posts by jdhani:

Will It Be an All-Out Passing Attack in Cincy?

July 28th, 2010

Oh, we all know what happened.

The Cincinnati Bengals signed wide receiver Terrell Owens to team-up with Chad OchoCinco. But with the team also having Jordan Shipley and Antonio Bryant, could we saw an all-out passing attack in Cincy?

I think so.

Cedric Benson’s arrest is going to affect him and the team can’t trust Bernard Scott to always succeed carrying the load. With this, I see Cincinnati passing a lot more coming into the 2010-11 season.

And it’s good. The team is filled with good receivers.

Chad OchoCinco has always been pretty good and I see another good year coming in for the ten-year veteran. For Terrell Owens, who is entering his 14th season, he is also going to do well. People underestimate him due to his age of 36. Well, if Marvin Harrison can succeed at such an old age, there’s no doubt Owens will dominate.

Antonio Bryant is going to be needed, who is going to most likely play the slot position. Although the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ receiver was originally going to play on the opposite side of OchoCinco, he will now play slot. But I still think he can be happy at what role he’ll play in.

Jordan Shipley is the most interesting of this group. Shipley had a lot of success with the Texas Longhorns and looks to be apply that same success in Cincinnati. Shipley looks to come in at certain times but he will have a much larger role in 2011. But Shipley is going to have his shining moments this season.

Carson Palmer looks to be the happiest out of the bunch, with so many great receivers. Many think he will have a bit of a nightmare as well with the characters of OchoCinco and Ochouno.

I don’t think so.

Both guys are past their prime and now want to win. Right now, I think statistics aren’t going to play a huge factor because these two are already going to be Hall-of-Famers anyways, so they don’t need to worry about that. It’s like the Miami Heat of the NBA: right now, they are just focused on winning.

OchoCinco even made the statement himself. He said he wants to win a ring in Cincinnati and then go to the NBA and play as a contributor for the Heat and win another ring there. Although it was a bit humorous, you can tell he wants to win. He is determined and for this season, he will have to take the ego out of the equation.

I have the Bengals winning the AFC North. If you don’t tend to notice, this team has a very underrated defense and is going to rock the house coming into 2010. Sadly, the Baltimore Ravens may have to wait one more year to win the North now. This signing changes a lot of things.

Here we go Cincy!

4301No Comments "2010-07-29+01%3A55%3A48Josh+Dhani

Can The Indianapolis Colts Break The Super Bowl Losing-Team Trend?

July 27th, 2010

As we all know, the Indianapolis Colts last game was against the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl 44. And, as everybody knows, Tracy Porter ended the game by picking off Peyton Manning for a 31-17 win.

But now, many our doubting the Indianapolis Colts once again. This time for the 2010-11 NFL season.

Last season, they were saying it will be tough for the Colts to make it to the playoffs with Marvin Harrison gone and with the other teams in the AFC South rising. Bull.

The Colts managed to go to 14 straight wins and make it to the big show. So what if some of those games they got lucky? When it all goes down, it’s a win. A win is a win. Just simple as that.

Now here we go again.

Now many of the critics say that the Houston Texans will rise over Indy. Nope. Their time will come, but it’s too early to say for this year. Although, in my opinion, I do see them making the playoffs finally.

And then there’s another thing about them not making it back to the Super Bowl. I can see why.

Let’s look back at the past ten Super Bowl teams that lost.

In 2000, the Tennessee Titans fell one yard short to the St. Louis Rams. They have never made it back to the Super Bowl and have struggled since then pretty much. Their best year came in the 2008-09 season, but failed against the Baltimore Ravens.

Then came the New York Giants, who got smothered by the Baltimore Ravens, 34-7. However, they managed to come back to the Super Bowl, beating the then-undefeated New England Patriots 17-14.

The St. Louis Rams got knocked off by the New England Patriots in the 2002 Super Bowl, 20-17. Since then, they have failed to make it to the Super Bowl and are now known as one of them bottom three teams in the National Football League right now.

Then came the Oakland Raiders getting destroyed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 48-21. Since that loss, they have not even managed to go towards a single playoff appearance. But now, after almost a decade, they finally have high hopes of a playoff berth for this season.

Then along came the Carolina Panthers, barely losing to the New England Patriots in a 32-29 loss. The Panthers have made it to the playoffs a couple times, but never managed to get to another Super Bowl appearance.

Then came the Philadelphia Eagles getting beaten by the Patriots in 2005, 24-21. They have made it to the playoffs many times after that, but they couldn’t get a Super Bowl appearance.

Then the Pittsburgh Steelers came in 2006, knocking off the Seattle Seahawks 21-10. The Seahawks haven’t returned to the same form since then. They have been struggling and could be heading for another bad year.

Then came the Chicago Bears, who lost to the Indianapolis Colts 29-17. The Bears have been a struggling squad since then and are a long way from returning towards that form.

In 2008, the New York Giants surprised the Patriots in a 17-14 victory. But since then, the Patriots haven’t returned to the Super Bowl, let alone not even get past the first round of the playoffs.

And then the Arizona Cardinals got beat by the Steelers, 27-23, in the 2009 Super Bowl. The Cardinals managed to get back to the playoffs, but not the Super Bowl after getting smothered by the New Orleans Saints, 45-14, in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Now the Colts, who lost to the Saints, enter 2010 with hopes of returning to the Super Bowl. For the past decade, only one team managed to make it back, but it took six years! The Colts can’t afford to let that happen to them.

The Colts can return. The receivers in Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie are improved. Then Anthony Gonzalez has finally returned, which gives Indianapolis five good receiving targets on their squad.

I believe Joseph Addai and Donald Brown can create a strong rushing attack, something the Colts needed for a while after struggling running the ball for the past two seasons.

And of course, there is Peyton Manning. You just cannot deny him. When the game is on the line, this is the guy you can count on.

And there is also the defense. The Colts have added a new pass rusher to their squad in Jerry Hughes. He’ll be needed in a rotation with Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney.

The linebacking corps has a lot of hope and so do the corners, who played excellent last season and are looking to be shutdown-type corners coming into 2010.

Everything is going good. The Colts can prove doubters wrong, but this time, the expectations are much higher than what it was last year.

Can the Colts return?

Hey, anything is possible.

4297No Comments "2010-07-27+22%3A59%3A53Josh+Dhani

Indianapolis Colts 2010 Training Camp: 53-Man Roster Prediction

July 25th, 2010

The Indianapolis Colts enter training camp with high hopes. A lot of people will be fighting hard for a training camp spot.

Some guys are on the roster bubble and will have to perform strong in order to make the team. Some guys are entering as underdogs and can surprise some.

It’s going to be interesting.

But as training camp ends, the 53-man roster is made. A lot of players will get cut and their dreams of playing with the Colts are now broken. And they realize: The National Football League is a business.

This year’s training camp will be intriguing. The Colts enter the season as the favorites.

In training camp, they got to prove they are in fact the favorites.

So here is my prediction for the Colts’ 53-man roster. Here’s how the roster will turn out.

Enjoy.

Quarterbacks

There will not be much competition here. I noticed a couple of quarterbacks are trying out, but I think when it all goes down, it will just be Peyton Manning and Curtis Painter part of the 53-man roster.

One other quarterback will be assigned to the practice squad. This happened last year. I see no difference this year. But Painter may want to watch out. If he doesn’t prove himself, he could be the guy on the practice squad.

Or be a third-string quarterback.

Final Prediction: Manning, Painter stay. One QB will be on practice squad.

Running Backs

The running backs are going to be a no-brainer. As it all goes down, the main components will be Joseph Addai, Donald Brown, and Mike Hart. All have proved themselves last year and it will stay the same coming into 2010.

But keep an eye on Devin Moore. He seems like an interesting prospect. Moore will either stay on the roster or be assigned to the practice squad. If he is on the practice squad, I see him most likely getting called up to play towards the ending of the regular season.

Final Prediction: All four backs make it.

Wide Receivers

When it all goes down, it will be Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie, and Anthony Gonzalez definitely making the roster.

As for Sam Giguere, I have a feeling he could get called back to the practice squad again. But maybe not. I think this could be his chance to shine now. I can see him making it.

However, it goes down to Taj Smith and Dudley Guice. I can see one getting cut. However, if Giguere does make the team, one of these guys is left to make the roster.

But as of right now, I think both could be assigned to the practice squad.

Final Prediction: Everyone stays, Guice goes to practice squad.

Tight Ends

Dallas Clark came up big, so there’s no surprise at all that he is staying. But it’s going to be interesting between Tom Santi, Jacob Tamme, Brody Eldridge, and Gijon Robinson.

Santi played well last season. I saw signs of good from Santi when he filled in for Clark in the Baltimore Ravens game. He did okay, I guess. But he’s learning and I think the Colts will keep on the roster.

Brody Eldridge was a fifth-round draft pick this year, and they plan to use him a bit this season. He’s staying, too.

As for Robinson and Tamme, it seems as if one of them will in fact get cut while the other stays on the practice squad.

Final Prediction: Eldridge, Clark, and Santi all make roster.

Tackles

Though Tony Ugoh will be switched to guard this season, I don’t see a chance of him starting, however. With that, he will be backing up Charlie Johnson at left tackle.

As for right tackle, it’s a bigger competition. Ryan Diem will most likely start at right tackle, but it’s going to be a tough competition between Adam Terry and Gerald Cadogan. Terry will win, in my opinion.

Final Prediction: Everyone but Cadogan will make the tackles roster.

Guards

Kyle DeVan came out of nowhere last season, but stepped up. Surprisingly, maybe that was why Ryan Lilja was cut.

I think DeVan and Mike Pollak will keep their spots as guards on the roster. So there is no need to worry about that.

The competition will be between Jamie Thomas, Brandon Barnes, Jamey Richard, and Jacques McClendon. Richard and Thomas will both make it, however.

Final Prediction: Everyone makes it but McClendon and Barnes.

Centers

Nothing really to say here. No need to put a final prediction. Jeff Saturday and Andy Allenman will be the only guys being the centers here.

Jamey Richard might help.

Defensive Ends

Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, Jerry Hughes, Keyunta Dawson, and J.D. Skolnitsky will all easily make the roster, in my opinion.

But it all comes down to John Chick and Ervin Baldwin. To me, Chick is a feel-good story after playing hard in the Canadian Football League. But I think Baldwin will outplay him and make the roster.

Final Prediction: Everyone makes it, Chick gets cut or assigned to practice squad.

Defensive Tackles

Ricardo Matthews, John Gill, and Mitch King really don’t stand a chance of beating Eric Foster, Antonio Johnson, Daniel Muir, and/or Fili Moala for a roster spot.

But one of them will make the practice squad, however.

Linebacker

Every linebacker will make the team. If you don’t know them, here they are:

Cody Glenn, Gary Brackett, Clint Session, Ramon Humber, Pat Angerer, Phillip Wheeler, and Kavell Conner.

Cornerbacks

Five cornerbacks will make the roster in my opinion. As it all goes down, Terrail Lambert would have been the one being assigned to the practice sqaud.

But when you really look at it, Kevin Thomas is out for the year, so with that, Lambert makes the roster and plays a bit. Once Thomas returns, Lambert is either cut, or assigned to the practice squad. But he doesn’t need to worry about that until 2011.

Kelvin Hayden, Jerruad Powers, Jacob Lacey, and Ray Fisher are the other fellas making the team.

Safeties

Bob Sanders is going to enter this year with high hopes. All the safeties will make the team.

These guys are Antoine Bethea, Bob Sanders, Devon Moore, and Jamie Silva.

Special Teams

It’s going to be the same as last year. It will be Adam Vinatieri and Pat McAfee. Enough said there.

The 53-Man Roster

So, in conclusion, here are your 2010 Indianapolis Colts if my predictions are right:

Quarterbacks – Peyton Manning, Curtis Painter

Running Backs – Joseph Addai, Donald Brown, Mike Hart, Devin Moore

Wide Receivers – Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie, Anthony Gonzalez, Sam Giguere, Taj Smith

Tight Ends – Dallas Clark, Tom Santi, Brody Eldridge

Tackles – Charlie Johnson, Tony Ugoh, Ryan Diem, Adam Terry

Guards – Mike Pollak, Jamey Richard, Kyle DeVan, Jamie Thomas

Centers – Jeff Saturday, Andy Allenman

Defensive Ends – Robert Mathis, Jerry Hughes, Dwight Freeney, Keyunta Dawson, Ervin Baldwin, J.D. Skolnitsky

Defensive Tackles – Eric Foster, Daniel Muir, Fili Moala, Antonio Johnson,

Linebackers – Kavell Conner, Gary Brackett, Clint Session, Ramon Humber, Cody Glenn, Phillip Wheeler, Pat Angerer

Cornerbacks – Kelvin Hayden, Jacob Lacey, Ray Fisher, Jerruad Powers, Kevin Thomas (IR) , Terrail Lambert

Safeties – Bob Sanders, Jamie Silva, Devon Hall, Antoine Bethea

Kickers/Punters – Adam Vinatieri, Pat McAfee

42701 Comment "2010-07-25+19%3A34%3A39Josh+Dhani

Report: Point Guard Chris Paul Wants Out With the New Orleans Hornets

July 22nd, 2010

New Orleans Hornets Chris Paul (3) drives past Golden State Warriors Ronny Turiaf (L) and C.J. Watson in the second half at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California on January 27, 2010. The Hornets defeated the Warriors 123-110. UPI/Terry Schmitt

It is believed that he has asked for a trade.

After hiring Dell Demps as the team’s general manager, Paul, seemingly, has found an exit strategy.

On June 23rd, Paul said that he was open to a trade, according to ESPN.com’s Senior Writer, Chris Broussard. It was believed Paul would go to a team like the Orlando Magic, or maybe the New York Knicks to team up with Amare Stoudemire.

At this point, that and a couple of more possibilities could still happen. Also on June 23rd, Paul said he would like to go to a winning team.

“My first choice is to be in New Orleans,” Paul said to CBS Sports in a telephone interview from London. “I just want to make sure we’re committed to winning. If we’re not committed to winning and trying to get better so we can contend with the Lakers, the Celtics, and all these other top teams, then I’m open to being traded.”

When the point guard saw LeBron James leaving his small market to play for a big market, teaming up with superstars, this influenced Paul. At first, Paul was trying to convince James to stay with Cleveland, which is, like Paul in New Orleans, a small market.

But with James bolting to play with superstars in Miami, James is now the one influencing Paul.

Face it, the Hornets are not going to win a championship in the next five years. It’s pretty easy to predict that.

No offense, but that’s just how the way it goes.

This means Paul can’t compete at all for anything. So Paul has requested for a trade. According to Ken Berger of CBS Sports, Paul would like to go to a different team before the regular season starts.

“He wants out,” the anonymous person, who is part of the situation, who told CBSSports.com. “He wants to play with another superstar.”

Paul’s three preferred destinations are the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, and New York Knicks. To me, all of these situations can work out well for the young point guard.

If he went to the Magic, Orlando would easily be up there with Miami now. There will be a lot of strong contention, and this could really help the NBA in marketing since both the Heat and Magic are in the same division with the NBA Southeast. That means we will see a lot more games of Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, and Chris Paul facing LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade.

The Lakers are an easy option.

Paul would help L.A. go towards their fourth straight Finals’ appearance, and help Phil Jackson get yet another three-peat. The Lakers’ point guards are aging and Paul can be the injection of youth to their squad. And who wouldn’t want a backcourt as scary as the Lakers, featuring Paul and Kobe Bryant.

The Knicks also seem like a great option. This is more likely happen than any other team. Paul will have a solid big man and a great, rebuilding, and young team. He has Amare Stoudemire to work with.

The Knicks could easily be a huge contender with the Heat. If not this year, most definitely in the 2011-12 season when the Knicks can add more in that free agency.

Maybe even land Carmelo Anthony.

A lot of scenarios for him, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

4237No Comments "2010-07-22+17%3A41%3A46Josh+Dhani

Can Alex Smith Play Like People Thought He Would?

July 22nd, 2010

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith throws the football during the fourth quarter against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis on January 3, 2010. San Francisco won the game 28-6. UPI/Bill Greenblatt Photo via Newscom

Smith had very high expectations coming into the 2005 NFL Draft. The San Francisco 49ers were a struggling team, and they needed a franchise quarterback. Smith would have to be the option.

So with that, the 49ers selected quarterback Alex Smith as the number one overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.

The 6’4″, 220-pound quarterback didn’t have a swell rookie season, however; posting 875 yards, one touchdown and ELEVEN interceptions, along with a 50.9 completion-percentage. All of this would go towards a miserable 40.8 rating.

Coming into 2006, Smith had thrown for nearly 3,000 yards, 16 touchdowns and 16 interceptions, along with an improved 74.8 rating. These were the numbers people were asking for in 2005. But coming into his third year in the league, Smith had to step it up.

He didn’t.

Out of all the quarterbacks, only Kellen Clemens had a worse rating. Smith would have 914 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions, and a 57.2 rating. Smith would later get injured and be put on the reserved list.

Meanwhile, Trent Dilfer would fill in, but he didn’t have much success either. Shaun Hill stepped up that year, and showed that he could be a starting quarterback in the league.

Coming into the 2008-09 season, Smith didn’t record a single statistic. He was placed on injured reserve while J.T. O’Sullivan and Shaun Hill stepped up. Actually, Smith had to compete for the starting job against these before the season started.

At this point, Smith was a bust. A big one. His best season was 16 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. That doesn’t seem good at all for a number one draft pick.

Things would suddenly get worse for number eleven, however.

Smith would then again compete for the starting job against Shaun Hill. It was believed that if these two couldn’t perform, they could even put in draft-pick Nate Davis as starter. He seemed like a dark horse to win it, but when it was all over, Hill came out on top.

It seemed as if it was all over for Smith. That was until head coach Mike Singletary helped revive his career, even help save his job probably.

Entering Week Seven of the 2009-10 NFL season, the 49ers were struggling in a game against the Houston Texans. Shaun Hill was doing so poorly, Singletary had to put Smith in during the third quarter. Down 21-0, people didn’t expect Alex to perform so well.

It started off with a touchdown pass to Vernon Davis. And that’s when everything changed. Smith would fine his go-to-guy and finish with a solid performance. However, it wasn’t enough for the victory, as San Francisco lost, 24-21.

After that performance, Singletary placed Smith back to his role as a starter. He would finish out the season well with 2,350 yards, 18 touchdowns and twelve interceptions, and a 81.5 rating. Despite not playing a full season, Smith played great.

Entering the 2010-11 season, Smith has a lot of high hopes and so do the 49ers.

They have a solid running back squad with Frank Gore and Glenn Coffee. Smith also has three great targets to throw to in Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis, and Josh Morgan. The defense looks like it can be in the Top-Five entering this year, led by Patrick Willis.

When you look at it, the 49ers look like they will dominate the NFC West. And I think they will win it. San-Fran looks like they can finish anywhere between 9-7 and 12-4.

Smith looks like he has a real good year in for him. If he can perform on the level he played last year, maybe even better, he could be heading for a Pro Bowl year and show the fans what he should’ve been when he was drafted in 2005.

If Smith plays like the number-one overall pick type-guy in 2010, maybe he could be the Comeback Player of the Year.

Smith has a lot of time to fully revive his career. He is on his way.

He’s finally on the path to success.

42357 Comments "2010-07-22+17%3A40%3A37Josh+Dhani

LeBron Is Not the Next MJ, and He Doesn’t Want to Be

July 21st, 2010

LeBron James of the Miami Heat attends a welcoming party at the American Airlines Arena on July 9, 2010 in Miami, FL (Photo by Jeff Daly / Meet The Famous) Photo via Newscom

I recently read an article on BleacherReport.com comparing James and Jordan. Other articles show that James will never be the next Michael Jordan. Jordan even pretty much said so, saying he wouldn’t call up Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.

But seriously. At this point, shouldn’t people realize that LeBron James is not attending to be Michael Jordan anymore? Are people too dumb to realize that he is trying to be just LeBron James?

Let’s take a look at the National Football League. Does anyone compare Adrian Peterson to anybody? No. Because he is a new type of player and he says he is not trying to be anybody. All he is trying to be is himself, which is Adrian Peterson. So why can’t people people apply the same thing to the Miami Heat small forward like they do to the Minnesota Vikings’ running back?

James is showing what nobody has seen before: A 6’8″ 250-pound swingman who is the most athletic, most dominant player in the NBA. When do you see someone like him? And why do people compare him to Jordan so much?

Let’s make this clear. James is a small forward. Jordan was a shooting guard. That breaks the barrier that he can’t be the next Jordan already. And seriously: Why the hell do people want another MJ? There will never be anybody better than him! Nobody will be a better Jordan.

And why do people criticize James? I mean, seriously. No matter what he did in this year’s free agency, he would be criticized no matter what. If he stayed in Cleveland, people would say he did it all for the money. With a chance to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, James took the six-year $130M offer instead. And then, if he chose Miami, in which he already did, people would say that he betray Cleveland.

Now, seriously. Could you be that more dumber? He “betrayed” Cleveland? A writer named Mihir Bhagat made a similar observation, saying when Jerry Rice went to the San Francisco 49ers’ arch rivals in the Oakland Raiders. Did the Niners’ fans, let alone all the NFL fans, hate Mr. Rice? No. So why do they hate on LeBron? Why?

Now, honestly, what if you were in this situation? What would you choose: A city that is cursed and doesn’t have a good supporting cast, or go to a team with a bunch of talent where you can get a bunch of wins, along with not carrying all the weight on your shoulders? Honestly. What would you have if you were looking at a five-year span: zero championships, or three?

And another thing, Cleveland fans got to really suck it up. So what if he made a TV special for it? At least good came out of it. All the money and everything went into the Boys and Girls Club foundation. Cleveland fans are ignorant, stupid morons like Dan Gilbert. Not all of them, but people that are acting dumb and speaking out so clueslessly. You can’t take a letter seriously when you type it in the most kiddish font and say, “You can take it to the bank that the Cavaliers will win a championship before the Heat.”

So people, give LeBron a break.

It’s pretty clear that he is not the next Michael Jordan.

It’s pretty clear that he doesn’t want to be the next Michael Jordan.

And it’s prety damn clear that there will never be another Michael Jordan.

4218No Comments "2010-07-22+01%3A19%3A46Josh+Dhani

Enough Said

July 21st, 2010

Floyd Mayweather. Manny Pacquiao.

Some Boxing fans believe Floyd Mayweather is the best pound-for-pound puncher and the best boxer in the game today.

Others believe the same exact thing, except for Manny Pacquiao.

Mayweather’s cocky attitude gets into people’s minds. But he nevers backs down. He isn’t afraid. Known as pretty boy, he doesn’t act like one in the ring.

From his most notable fight with Shane Mosley to his hit feat with Oscar De La Hoya, Mayweather is always known as the best boxer to me. He’s still undefeated and, as of right now, nobody can stop him.

He’s too quick, and too strong.

As for Manny Pacquiao, he’s been beaten before. But it’s been a very long time since the Filipino has been. Lately, Pacquiao is the insipiration for his country and continues to win and show himself as the greatest boxer.

Nobody knows who is better.

Yes, you can beat Joshua Clottey and Shane Mosley all you want, but it still doesn’t show if you are the best boxer or not.

In order to show if you are, the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather has to happen. Who wins? Pretty Boy, or Pac-Man?

It was believed that Pacquiao and Mayweather would fight earlier, but it later died down as Pacquiao didn’t take a drug test or something like that.

Rumors then shot back up that a fight would go down on November 13th between the two. However, Mayweather’s advisers says there’s no such fight that will take place and nobody has agreed on such thing.

“Here are the facts,” LeonardEllerbe, one of Mayweather’s advisers, said in Monday’s statement. “Al Haymon, [Golden Boy Promotions CEO] Richard Schaefer and myself speak to each other on a regular basis, and the truth is no negotiations have ever taken place, nor was there ever a deal agreed upon by Team Mayweather or Floyd Mayweather to fight Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 13. Either Ross Greenburg or Bob Arum is not telling the truth, but history tells us who is lying.”

The story seems to get confusing as if Mayweather doesn’t want to fight.

This is just bull. This fight needs to happen now, period. Enough said. If you really want to prove you are the best fighter, you guys need to fight each other.

And somebody, it has to happen. But not in a few years.

To see who really is the best of the best, who is the pound-for-pound puncher, and who will rank on top in Boxing history, you guys need to fight.

And negotiations have to start.

Now.

4208No Comments "Enough+Said2010-07-21+17%3A24%3A55Josh+Dhani

The Ultimate Trio: What If Michael Jordan Did Call Up Larry and Magic?

July 19th, 2010

Michael Jordan had a pretty good and decent big-three with the Chicago Bulls. He had great contributors like Bill Cartwright, John Paxson, Scottie Pippen, Charles Oakley, and Horace Grant.

But the greatest to ever play the game of basketball has never had a true big three. Neither did Magic Johnson and neither did Larry Bird. Sure, you can say that.

But it isn’t as ultimate as what the Miami Heat have right now with three biggest superstars in the league with Chris Bosh, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade. That’s the ultimate big three.

And they’re striving for not just three, four, or five championships but are aiming for seven, eight, or nine. Their goals are set and they plan to dominate the Eastern Conference.

What was Jordan’s opinion out of all of this? What would he have done if he were in this situation back when he was playing?

“There’s no way, with hindsight, I would’ve ever called up Larry, called up Magic and said, ‘Hey, look, let’s get together and play on one team,’ ” Jordan said after playing in a celebrity golf tournament in Nevada. “But that’s … things are different. I can’t say that’s a bad thing. It’s an opportunity these kids have today. In all honesty, I was trying to beat those guys.”

Charles Barkley also threw his dime in the conversation.

“He’ll never be Jordan,” Barkley told 790 the Ticket in Miami. “This clearly takes him out of the conversation. He can win as much as he wants to.

“There would have been something honorable about staying in Cleveland and trying to win it as ‘The Man’ … LeBron, if he would’ve in Cleveland, and if he could’ve got a championship there, it would have been over the top for his legacy, just one in Cleveland. No matter how many he wins in Miami, it clearly is Dwyane Wade’s team.”

But back to what Jordan had said. The main statement in what he said was when he talked about “never calling up Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.” And then brought me to something.

What if Jordan called up Larry and Magic? What if they all teamed up to make the best big three in NBA history?

Between all the three players, they have a combined 14 championships. Everything else amazing in between and are all Hall-of-Famers.

I can’t imagine what that big three would be like. What do you guys think? What if Jordan did call up Bird and Johnson?

Share your thoughts.

41891 Comment "2010-07-19+20%3A56%3A13Josh+Dhani

Miami Heat Champions?

July 19th, 2010

The Miami Heat are certainly a loaded team led by Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Is the roster as a whole enough to peg them as favorites to win the Larry O’Brien trophy in 2011?

4187No Comments "Miami+Heat+Champions%3F2010-07-19+20%3A40%3A08Josh+Dhani

NFL Training Camp: Sam Bradford, The First Domino Of Unsigned Draftees

July 19th, 2010

St. Louis Rams newest member, quarterback Sam Bradford, holds up his jersey as he is introduced to reporters at Rams Park in Earth City, Missouri on April 23, 2010, one day after being selected No. 1 in the first round of the NFL. Bradford played his college football at Oklahoma. UPI/Bill Greenblatt Photo via Newscom

With the futures of Terrell Owens and Brett Favre in question, there is uncertainty with the stars of tomorrow, who headlined the 2010 NFL Draft.

As of now, not one first round draft pick has been signed.

Pretty remarkable, right? It is understandable for the top three picks not signing.

But with the questions surrounding a potential lockout in 2011, it is creating tension from an owners, and agent perspective.

Despite the down time in the last few months, what has become clear is Sam Bradford will be the first domino to fall in the list of unsigned draftees.

From what the public knows, the Bradford negotiations won’t turn into one similar to JaMarcus Russell of a few years back (for his sake, I sure hope so).

The first overall pick is expected to sign a deal with St. Louis that will give him the most guaranteed money in NFL history.

It is possible the deal could be reached in the later part of this week, or at the latest, during the Rams training camp.

This does set up the top draftees waiting to see what Bradford agrees upon before they sign on the dotted line.

An article on Pro Football Talk today reportedly showed third overall pick Gerald McCoy preparing to sit back and wait for Bradford to sign.

“It’s kind of one of those deals where you would rather let the first pick sign first,” McCoy said. “You don’t want to do your deal first and his contract is way higher than yours. But if you waited yours would have been higher”.

“Sam will get his deal done,” McCoy said. “I think Sam will be there, and as soon as Sam gets his deal done, mine will be done.”

This will be the strategy for all of the top 2010 draftees.

There are players who are bound to hold out and can pull a Michael Crabtree of 2009.

But in a year where stars such as Chris Johnson, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady are finding it tough to ink a new deal, it will be that much harder for the rookies to report to camp until they see the market that Sam Bradford creates.

4185No Comments "2010-07-19+20%3A38%3A13Josh+Dhani

Malice at the Palace: Pacers, Pistons, and the Brawl That Rocked the NBA

July 19th, 2010

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: Now this was going to be a book, but by the time I finished, it was very short and in book-terms, I didn't try very hard. If you put it in article terms, it works. Besides, this article equaled like one or two of one of those Bill Simmons' or Tuesday Morning Quarterback columns. So this would go in for a great exchange besides just throwing this whole idea away. Besides, no publisher would take this idea, too. I will be working on a new book later, talking about Reggie Miller and the New York Knicks. Enjoy this piece.]
It was 97-82 as the favored Indiana Pacers were entering this game against the Detroit Pistons. Indy had a nice, comfortable lead with about a minute remaining to give them another victory, this time against their rival. And it was about to happen tonight. However, things got a little weird when the clock hit 45.9 seconds remaining.

Pistons’ center Ben Wallace drove up the lane for a lay-up, before being fouled hard by Ron Artest. Artest always has drawn fouls and continues to do so as he plays a rough and physical type of defense.

Wallace came towards him and Artest fouled him hard as Wallace almost went down to the floor. Ben and his gigantic afro bounced back up as Wallace started talking some trash. We all knew one thing: He was pissed off. And it is scary when Wallace gets pissed off.

It was even scarier when Wallace pushed Artest. And when you see a fight that looks like that is about to begin between one of the toughest guys in the National Basketball Association, you better watch out.
The other Wallace, Rasheed, was trying to stop the fight and things started to get a little scary. It seemed as if the tempers died down, however. But everything was just beginning.

This day of Novemeber 19, 2004 will forever be known as Malice at the Palace to NBA historians. And this event rocked NBA history. Almost a decade has gone by and people still talk about it to this day. Why not start off with a book article?

However, Artest played and brought in 50 minutes of play, delivering 31 points and nine rebounds in the team’s 109-104 victory in double-overtime.

“Twenty-five minutes before the game I wasn’t playing,” said Artest.. “I wanted to play. I can play with pain.”

He certainly did and he played hard. The Pacers opened up their season well to a nice 1-0 mark.

Point guard Jamaal Tinsley also played well with 15 points, 14 assists, seven rebounds, and three steals in a great leadership role during the game.

“One of the things we wanted to do this year was be a team that was even hungrier than last year. Our guys showed a lot of heart tonight. This was as good a regular-season game and victory as I’ve been involved with as a head coach,” head coach Rick Carlisle said after the game.

Austin Croshere delivered 20 points and had some key shots in the game that were very critical.

Indy would then go on to play the Boston Celtics two days later on November 5^th, beating them 100-94 to make them 2-0. It was another injury-filled game for the Pacers, who played without Reggie Miller, Jonathan Bender, Jeff Foster, and Anthony Johnson.

Jermaine O’Neal, like Ron Artest in the season-opener, thought about not playing but went ahead for 19 points despite his sore left foot.

“With so many guys out, we just have to try and maintain,” said Artest, who had 28 points and seven rebounds. “That way when they come back, we’ll be that much stronger.”

O’Neal played okay, but not so good. He was 5-of-16 from the field and also missed the season-opener. He also was 9-of-14 from the free-throw line. O’Neal also just only played one pre-season game as well.

“Right now I don’t deserve to be a starter because I haven’t been there,” said O’Neal. “I’ve got to work my way back in the lineup. I truthfully believe I don’t deserve to start yet.”

A day later, the Pacers will host Chicago in their home-opener. They looked like they would surprise people if they beat Chicago despite their injuries. Fred Jones didn’t care and doesn’t think of it as a surprise at all.

“We have 15 guys who can play basketball,” Jones said. “We know how to play.”

It’s pretty obvious, yes, as the Pacers down Chicago 100-90. Stephne Jackson lighted up the third quarter, hitting a handful of three-pointers to help Indy start off at a 19-6 run. Jackson’s 24 points led this banged up team to victory to start the season off with three straight wins for the first time since 1995!

“I don’t think we’re supposed to lose to nobody, as deep as we are,” Jackson said.

When Indy was up 62-57, the foul trouble began to come in to superstars in Jermaine O’Neal and Ron Artest. When they reached their fourth foul at this moment, they looked towards their bench for help. And guys like David Harrison, Austin Croshere, Jamaal Tinsley, Jackson, and Jones helped lead the Pacers to victory.

At 3-0, Indy is living it.

The Pacers will now have to head back on the road in three days to face the Minnesota Timberwolves. Indy managed to escape, and still banged up, going 4-0 with a 102-101 victory.

Jermaine O’Neal was the leader with 22 points and eight rebounds. However, Artest was benched. The reason for it was not displayed. Stephen Jackson also helped out, bringing in 21 points, six assists, and four rebounds.

“This team is so far from being a one- or two-man show,” O’Neal said. “Pretty soon someone’s going to have to say something about us.”

O’Neal handled Garnett well, but The Big Ticket still had a good performance with 22 points, ten rebounds, and eight assists as he is continuing to become a bigger leader of the team.

Indy’s Scot Pollard contributed well, brining in eleven rebounds.

Up next was the Los Angeles Clippers at home the next day on November 10^th. But it wasn’t a game to get your courtside seats ready for. The injuries and the benching of Artest finally made something negative towards the team as they took the whole thing positive during the last four games.

The first quarter was nothing to worry about, with the Clippers up 24-20. But things got out of hand coming into the second, as the Clippers had a 31-7 advantage over Indy. With this, Indy was down 55-27 at halftime.

It was over from there. The game ended with a 102-68 loss.

Jamaal Tinsley had a game in which a backup could produce, with 15 points and five assists. Elton Brand led the Clips with 19 points and 16 rebounds. With this, Indy goes to 4-1 and the Clippers go up 3-2.

Artest was making things hectic for Indy, though. He asked for the day off as he was trying to promote his new rap album. With promoting his rap album, Indy meanwhile got shut out at home by nearly 40 points.

“I was doing a lot,” Artest said. “I was running around a lot and doing a whole bunch of stuff and I’ve also been working out, so I think I wore myself down physically, I wore myself down mentally. I was ready to take some time off, at least like a month off, but two games is enough.”

Thank god.

Artest, however, looks to return for the next game against Philadelphia. However, Rick Carlisle says, “We’ll see.” Notable players that were out in this loss were Scot Pollard and Jonathan Bender.

“We’ve certainly got to get some bodies healthy,” Carlisle said. “We certainly didn’t play with the kind of energy we have been playing with. It’s a bad hit. It’s embarrassing.”

Hopefully Indy can put this behind them and get a win in Philly.

Unfortunately, trying to put the blowout loss to Los Angeles wasn’t the case. Allen Iverson was the man in this game, as the nine-year veteran delivered a game-winner at the buzzer to deliver a 106-104 victory for the 76ers in an overtime bout.

“It’s a great feeling to hit a shot with no time on the clock,” said Iverson.

Kyle Korver helped the Sixers with 23 points, three rebounds, and two assists.

Jermaine O’Neal helped the Pacers big time, and almost helped towards victory; producing 39 points, nine rebounds, four blocks, and three assists. Ron Artest said he would play, and he did, giving Indy 29 points. Stmephen Jackson contributed 17.

“If you try to do the right things, good things happen to you,” Artest said. “I think everything happens for a reason. Nobody got hurt. There’s a bunch of good people on this team.”

It was a banged-up match-up. They would have easily brought in a victory if they didn’t have so many injuries. The Pacers played with eight players that day, and were down to five coming into overtime.

Indy was out with several players, like Jonathan Bender, Fred Jones, John Edwards, Reggie Miller, Jeff Foster, and Anthony Johnson.

But they came close.

But yet, no cigar.

Indy now heads back towards a two-game home-trip against the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks.

The two-game run at home would turn out to be pretty successful. Coming in on November 13, 2004 was a game against the New York Knicks.

Ron Artest turned 25 on that date and he had a great birthday present coming for him there. He scored 22 points as the Pacers knocked off the Knicks, 103-97. Jermaine O’Neal and Stephen Jackson added to celebration, scoring 33 points and 19 respectively. O’Neal also had twelve rebounds.

LET’S CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES, COME ON! would probably be the motto for this victory.

But they had to work hard in this one, fighting a lot of fatigue. And also, there were still pretty banged-up.

“It’s always hard to play the minutes we’ve been playing, but we don’t have any choice,” O’Neal said. “Our focus is to win as many games as we need to win to get to the championship. We don’t care who’s on the court as long as we have five to eight guys dressing.”

Stephon Marbury almost led New York to victory by taking away a 21-point lead and cutting it to one. But it still wasn’t enough to stop Indy’s powerhouse squad. However, Marbury finished with 37 points, five assists, and two rebounds. Forward Nazr Mohammed added to Marbury’s total with a season-high 20 points and 15 rebounds.

Next up were the Atlanta Hawks.

Al Harrington was the man for the Hawks. And this was going to be a pumped-up game for him, even though his Hawks are struggling at 2-5. Facing a 5-2 Indy team would be tough. However, Harrington couldn’t deliver enough to beat his former team. The Hawks almost beat Indy.

But almost doesn’t count. You may be almost, but you didn’t get the victory, didn’t you?

However, Harrington had 30 points, six rebounds, and two assists.

“This is what Al’s capable of doing,” Rick Carlisle said. “He’s capable of being a top-level, big-time player and he showed that tonight.”

Jermaine O’Neal, in the words of the Associated Press, “spoiled” Harrington’s special homecoming to Indy. J.O. delivered 25 points and 13 rebounds. With the power forward’s stellar performance, Indy rolled past Atlanta in a 93-86 win.

Stephen Jackson, who was traded to the Pacers for Al Harrington, had nine points in his showing. Ron Artest had 24 points and six rebounds. Austin Croshere was Mr. 13, having both 13 points and 13 boards in the team’s victory.

“It was the best-case scenario,” Croshere said. “Al had a big game and we won.”

Indiana will now be heading to Detroit before a three-game home-stand. Mark that date…November 19, 2004. In this game, something will happen that no one associated with the NBA saw coming.

First things first, though, they had to stop the Houston Rockets in the season-opener.

And they did.

Rasheed Wallace led the Pistons with 24 points in a 87-79 victory over Houston. The other Wallace, Ben, had 15 points and ten rebounds along with four assists. He also had three steals and three blocks.

Tracy McGrady’s 18 points and Yao Ming’s ten rebounds weren’t enough for the victory. The Rockets had a miserable performance in the shooting side, as they were only 39-percent overall.

“We aren’t able to consistently attack on offense,” Yao said.

The third banner was lifted, marking Detroit’s third championship. The other two were back in the days when Isiah Thomas ruled. Chauncey Billups cherished the moment, and so did Richard “Rip” Hamilton.

“You wait so long for this day to happen and when it happens, you just want to cherish it,” said Hamilton. “You forget that you’ve got a game to play.”

The Rockets are hoping that the McGrady-Yao duo will dominate the Kobe-Shaq one. Six years later, we all find out that goal wasn’t fulfilled.

“It’s going to take time, but those two guys are going to be really special together,” Pistons coach Larry Brown said at the time. The Pistons would then head on to Toronto to face the young stud in Chris Bosh as well as McGrady’s cousin, Vince Carter.

“We thought it was going to be a cake walk.”

That’s what Ben Wallace said, as he thought the Pistons would easily slip by the Raptors. However, Toronto knocked them off their socks, going towards a 101-89 victory.

Vince Carter scored twelve points, Chris Bosh had 18, and Loren Woods with 17.

The Pistons were without Larry Brown at the time, and it was reported he would be out for the next ten days because of his hip. Ouch.

“It was our defense that hurt us,” said Gar Heard, who was Brown’s replacement. “We gave up so many easy layups, so many uncontested shots, so many second shots.”

However, Chauncey Billups was able to deliver for Detroit, but it wasn’t enough. Billups had 24 points, six assists, and four rebounds.

Ben Wallace had eleven rebounds and eight assists.

“It’s a great win, especially for a team that’s been counted out before we played our first game,” Carter said.

Detroit hopes to put this embarrassing performance behind them as they face Allen Iverson and the 1-1 Philadelphia 76ers.

This was a cake-walk. Six Detroit-players were in double-digits as they passed by A.I. and the 76ers in a 99-91 victory.

Chauncey Billups out-performed Allen Iverson with 20 points, ten assists, and seven rebounds. However, Iverson beat Billups in the points category, having 31. He also had five rebounds and three steals. But you get see that it was all A.I. in this game, with him having zero assists.

This really made up for the poor defensive effort in the 101-89 loss to the Toronto Raptors. With this victory, Detroit is 2-1. Philadelphia falls to 1-2.

“We’ve got a lot of offensive weapons, but defense is where we make our living,” Billups said. “Tonight, the defense stepped up and made them take a lot of tough shots, and they didn’t make enough of them to beat us.”

Philly couldn’t come through. It was just tough entering the second half.

“They started giving me a lot more attention in the second half — trapping me and doubling,” Allen Iverson said. “So, I started looking for the other guys. That’s what a point guard is supposed to do.”

But yet, it was tough, since his assists total was zero. Head coach Jim O’Brien said that he needed more help.

“Allen can’t always carry the load by himself,” he said. “He’s playing back-to-back games and he’s got to push the ball and defend one of their best players. We need to establish an inside game, but that’s tough to do against Detroit.”

While Philly was fixing themselves, Detroit was on a mission meanwhile. A mission to the Finals again. Detroit was aiming for a 3-1 record as they will try to stop Elton Brand and the Los Angeles Clippers.

It was until overtime the Pistons were acting like their old selves again. The Pistons fought hard in this game, as they pulled a victory out in a double-overtime victory over the Clippers. The Clips were without center Chris Kaman.

Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton both had 20 points and helped Detroit knock off Los Angeles in a 99-96 victory.

“We had the game under control,” said assistant coach Gar Heard. “We took a couple of ill-advised shots that gave them some light, but this team showed why they are the champions. They dug in when we had to and won the game.”

Ben Wallace played great and hard for the death of his brother, Sam Jr. Sam Jr. was reported dead early Monday morning. Wallace had 15 points and 14 rebounds.

Corey Maggette was the leader for the Clippers, having 25 points and 19 rebounds. Chris Wilcox had 24 points and Elton Brand had 21.

“On the one hand, I am really proud of the way the guys played,” Los Angeles coach Mike Dunleavy said. “On the other hand, I am disappointed at the way we gave the game away. We had a really good chance at beating this team.”

Though Hamilton and Tayshuan Prince got fouled out in the second-overtime, Detroit still came through. Even when this team is down, their leadership and chemistry finds ways to win.

“That’s a veteran ballclub — the world champions. We have to give them respect, but I think we played hard enough to beat them,” Maggette said. “We did the right things and we executed right, but there were just little mishaps at the end that cost us the game.”

Agreed.

The Pistons can check off Los Angeles on their list. Next up was Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets.

Carmelo Anthony emerged after his early-season slump, breaking out for 34 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and four steals. The Nuggets played hard and knocked off the Detroit Pistons in a 117-109 victory.

“I needed this night,” Anthony said. “As badly as I was shooting, I needed this one. It was good for me and it was good for my team.”

Richard Hamilton had 25 points, five assists, and three rebounds in the loss. They had to put this off their back. Next up are the Utah Jazz. After that, Detroit will complete the two-game road trip.

The two-game road-trip didn’t end so well. Detroit now is stuck at 3-3 after a 108-93 loss to Carlos Boozer and the Utah Jazz. Boozer had 20 points and 13 rebounds in the showing.

Mehmet Okur put up 19 points and brought down seven rebounds.

“I thought he [Okur] went after the ball on the boards better because he was inspired to play against his old team,” Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. “He played with a lot more confidence tonight as far as shooting and passing. He’s a very skilled player that way.”

Okur built a 23-point lead and was the top performer to many for today’s victory. Okur shot well, like head coach Jerry Sloan said, as he went five-for-ten on the floor.

“I tried to play just like myself. Nothing special, you know?” Okur said. “I look at my teammates if they’re wide open. If I’m wide open, take the shot. I felt good.”

Andrei Kirilenko had 17 points in the win.

“It wasn’t easy. That’s a very talented team,” Boozer said. “Those guys work hard and they almost came back on us.”

Antonio McDyess was the leader for the Pistons, having 18 points and twelve rebounds. Richard Hamilton had 21 points and six assists. Lindsey Hunter had 14 points and Ben Wallace had ten.

The team had a lot of runs but couldn’t take full advantage of it.

“They made the hustle plays. They beat us on the hustle plays, so you got to tip your hat off to them,” Wallace said. “I ain’t worried about them. We’ll see them again.”

Detroit was now done with the road-trip, and they should be relieved. The Pistons have a three-game run at home. They face the Minnesota Timberwolves next. Next will be the Indiana Pacers on November 19. They’ll finish off against the Charlotte Bobcats.

Larry Brown was back and so were the Pistons after a two-game losing-streak. The Pistons hope to now allow 100 points, after doing that in the last two games. And this game, they did great, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 93-85 win.

“Having Chauncey and Ben back was more important than me, that’s for sure,” Brown said. “Losing those two has a big effect on your team.”

Chauncey missed the loss to Utah but played well with 21 points. He came up big in the third quarter, putting up 15 there.

“I just wanted to be aggressive out there,” he said. “We played the way we play — good defense and we took stuff away from Minnesota.”

Billups also had eight assists and five rebounds.

Kevin Garnett led the Timberwolves with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists in the eight-point loss. Sam Cassell had five assists in the game. Latrell Sprewell had 24 points as well with K.G. in the T-Wolves’ loss.

“Detroit makes it tough on you, because all five of their players go to the basket,” Garnett said. “They make you beat them by shooting jump shots, and you can’t win a game that way.”

Richard Hamilton helped bring in 24 points for Detroit. Tayshuan Prince followed right behind him, adding 19. Next up were the Indiana Pacers. November 19. It would be all over the headlines an hour after the game would be done. And, boy, what a shocker this was.

“It’s been a very intelligent game tonight. Ben Wallace is fouled and—(Wallace pushes Artest after hard foul)—OH! Wallace, right at Artest! This is going to be serious if people don’t get between this!

“Wallace is upset. The players are trying to hold each other off. Stephen Jackson trying to help out. Jackson yelling. Wallace still going. The coaches need to come in to get him away.

“Jackson challenging Derrick Coleman. Someone should just stop Jackson. That is what just causes the problem. Rasheed Wallace is doing an excellent job in trying to keep everybody away. And he’s trying to keep the peace.

“But it started after Artest putting a hard foul on Wallace after getting behind him. And then Ben Wallace came over with a shove. And an ugly one for this to wind down. Totally uncalled for.

“I’d like to see the foul again because Wallace passed him and Artest shoved him. That’s when Wallace took exception but you got to let it go. And that’s not that hard of a foul. It’s not a normal foul but it was not that hard. Wallace can’t react that way, Wallace is still charged up.

“Now Wallace, I’d assume, has been ejected. The way Stephen Jackson is acting, they should eject him as well. They need to find a way to get this game over with. The problem is, if Wallace is ejected, he has to go near the Pacers’ bench to go.

“(Ron Artest has cup thrown at him, goes into stands) Ron Artest has jumped onto the scorer’s table! And is trying to get down to the bench! ARTEST IS IN THE STANDS! Oh, this is not good. The fans are getting involved. Jackson is at the fans.

“Rasheed Wallace going into the stands! The security somehow trying to restore order. Fans are going at it and the players are trying to help each other out.

“This is a disgrace. All the players trying to get in there and trying to get all the other players out because the fans have gotten involved.

“Oh, what a sad scene here at the Palace. And now another fight is breaking out, further out at the Pistons’ bench. It’s…it’s a fan on the court! This is very very dangerous.

“The fans have now thrown cups of liquor now on to the court. Ron Artest has a look in his eye that is very scary right now. You wonder if the officials are going to let this game continue, and now the fans are throwing bottles on to the floor.

“They are trying to get the Pacers back into the locker room…..The officials, I think, are going to call this game off and the outcome has definitely been decided. These fans are ridiculous.

“It’s a bad showing from the Pistons’ fans here. The Pacers have all go back to the locker room. There’s a lot of debate but it’s still not done all the way through. (Pistons start pouring drinks on the Pacers). A really bad showing by the Pistons’ fans here.

“This is one of the worst moments in NBA history. Players just have to get out of there, go to the locker room, and forget about it.

“The game has been called and the official has made the decision. The call, which is the right call, as the out-come is over. And the players and fans are in danger. Folks having big tempers.

“It all started with a foul, but Wallace was too hard. The security has done their best to stop this.”

It was one of the craziest games ever witnessed. The game was stopped at 45.9 seconds. The Indiana Pacers were given the victory, 97-82.

“It’s the ugliest thing I’ve seen as a coach or player,” said Pistons coach Larry Brown.

It was known by one of the scariest brawls in NBA history, in a report made by the Associated Press.

“I felt like I was fighting for my life out there,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “I’m sorry the game had to end this way.”

Ron Artest finished with 24 points and Jermaine O’Neal had 13 rebounds. Artest had punches, and as well as O’Neal. So did Stephen Jackson. Jamaal Tinsley finished with 13 points and three assists.

Rasheed Wallace, who tried to stop the fight, finished with 19 points and ten rebounds. Richard Hamilton had 20 points.

After the brawl, ESPN’s Jim Gray had a chance to speak with Artest about the brawl:

Jim Gray: What happened that led up to this [brawl]?

Ron Artest: I thought it was an OK foul. The refs told me it wasn’t a technical and it wasn’t a flagrant. I think [Ben] Wallace’s reaction was too much. I don’t mind him pushing me. But he also caught me in my nose. I’m not sure what will happen regarding that … I was lying on the table when Wallace threw a towel at me. I got up and then was lying down again when I got hit with a liquid, ice and glass container on my chest and on my face. After that it was self defense.mm

JG: Did anyone from security or police talk to you?

RA: They came in to ask me if I needed [medical] help. I just thanked them to help me get out of the building. … I can’t say anything else on the advice of [Pacers CEO/president Donnie Walsh].

Here’s what several NBA players said in a column written by ESPN:

Quentin Richardson of the Phoenix Suns watched the brawl on TV.

“I have never seen a fight like that in a game since I was in high school,” he said. “Man, there are going to be some lawsuits. You don’t think some of those fans aren’t going to want some NBA money?”

The Lakers’ Lamar Odom saw it for the first time as he was being interviewed.

“Whoooo. When you see things like that, just think about what it takes for NBA players to go into a crowd,” Odom said. “Sometimes fans get kind of out of hand, but it must have taken a lot for NBA players to go into a crowd and start a fight.”

There’s a few more pieces I’d like to share. Here’s a little excerpt for what Bill Walton said about the brawl for ESPN:

There’s no other way to put it: I was stunned and flabbergasted by what I personally witnessed on the court at the end of the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers game Friday night. The shock, dismay and sadness has not diminished at all with time, as I’ve been sickened and repulsed while reflecting back on the mindless and senseless violence that took place that evening.

This is my 30th year with the NBA, and Friday night was, without a doubt, the low point.

I’ve just been over-the-top saddened and embarrassed – the whole time struggling desperately and mightily to figure out ways to move forward from this madness. This is the NBA, professional basketball. It is supposed to be about fun. It is supposed to be about going to an event to have a good time. As I consider what got us to this place, I’m reminded of the strategically placed poster that I have on my office wall. It’s got a big, beautiful eagle soaring above a majestic scene. The caption reads: “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”

And now, more than ever, is a time for everyone to see.

It is a privilege and an honor to play in the NBA, and many people in that game Friday night abrogated those privileges and disgraced the honor of the NBA. This league has been built on the blood, sweat and tears of thousands upon thousands of people. The awful nature of the developments Friday night in Detroit – players going into the stands, fighting fans – has an incredible impact on every aspect of the game.

Everyone of us who has ever been involved with the NBA is now going to have to go to great lengths to explain ourselves. All the goodwill and capital that has been built up over decades has been severely damaged.

A follow-up to that is what George Karl wrote at ESPN:

It’s as if a bomb went off, and it will take days and weeks to identify the damage that was done.

The impact is being felt beyond the game of basketball.

It’s a commentary on how we deal with anger and frustration in our social structure.

It goes deep, and it was painful to witness.

Yes, the brawl in the fourth quarter of the Indiana Pacers-Detroit Pistons game that spilled into the stands at the Palace at Auburn Hills last Friday night will have a lasting effect.

The sociological impact was on view the day after the brawl, when Clemson football coach Tommy Bowden blamed his team’s melee with South Carolina on the previous night’s NBA meltdown. It appears that we’re moving in a dangerous direction in the sports world, and I hope we can reverse the trend.

My disappointment and distaste for this subject is palpable. Regarding the actions of the players and the fans involved, I can’t begin to defend a defenseless situation. No type of reasoning or rationalization can be interpreted as an apology for those actions. They were disgraceful, disheartening, disturbing — and many other “dis” words apply.

I’m concerned that videotape of this event will be replayed too often on TV. We’ll be dealing with it for a long time. For me, I want to learn from it and move on rather than keep rehashing it.

But to learn from it, we need to understand some of the contributing factors. To start, verbal abuse from fans tends to depend on the player. Certain players — Ron Artest, for example — are lightning rods for some fans.

Ron Artest would have the biggest suspension in sports history, being out for the remainder of the season, which would result in 86 games. He would have to serve 60 hours of community service. Artest was also fined for over $4M.

Stephen Jackson was suspended for 30 games, had 60 hours of community service, and was fined for over $1M.

Jermaine O’Neal would have to spend 60 hours of community service like his fellow teammates and was suspended for 15 games. He was originally suspended for 25 games, but it was reduced to 15 upon appeal. He would be fined for over $4M.

Here was how the other fines were made:

Ben Wallace: Suspended for six games, fined $4K.
Anthony Johnson: Suspended five games, 100 hours of community service, fined over $122K.
Reggie Miller: Suspended one game, fined for over $61K.
Chauncey Billups: Suspended one game, fined for over $60K.
Derrick Coleman: Suspended one game, fined $50K
Elden Campbell: Suspended one game, fined over $48K.
David Harrison: Unpublicized.

In an episode of NBA Shootaround, the analysts, such as Stephen A. Smith, said the fans were to blame. ESPN vice president Mark Shapiro said the analysts were a bit biased in what they said.

In conclusion for ESPN, 46-percent of fan voters said the fans were to blame. The other 52-percent were blamed on the players, most notably Ron Artest and Ben Wallace, who were the guys that started the whole thing. Artest went overboard.

About a month later on December 25^th, the Pacers and Pistons played for the first time since the brawl. Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson were unavailable for the game, due to suspensions. However, Jermaine O’Neal played due to his suspension of 15 games. It was his first game since the brawl.

The Detroit Pistons would go on to win, 98-93. But I wonder what would have happened if Jackson and Artest were there.

Security rules were changed after the brawl. The NBA made a public announcement on February 17, 2005, saying that the size limit of alcohol would be 700 mL, or 24 ounces. The hard cap would be two alcoholic beverages per person.

On March 25, 2005, the game was delayed for 90 minutes due to reported bomb threats against the Pacers in their locker room. But they found out that no explosives were discovered, and the game began.

The Pacers won, 94-81, ending the Pistons’ twelve-game winning-streak. Both teams would finish off as making the playoffs.

Indy would finish as the sixth seed, Detroit as the second. The Pacers finished with a record of 44-38 and the Pistons ten games ahead with a record of 54-28.

The Pacers would enter the first round against the Boston Celtics. Indy played hard and barely got passed them in a seven-game series. Meanwhile, the Detroit Pistons would pass by their opponent in the Philadelphia 76ers in a four-game sweep.

Entering the second round, it was between the Pacers and Pistons.

In the first game, it finally felt like real basketball in the Palace of Auburn Hills. The Pistons would slip by, beating Indy 96-83 to take a 1-0 lead in the Semifinals.

“It was good to see the focus on basketball,” said Ben Wallace, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year. “We sort of left the past in the past and that’s a good thing for both teams, and the league.”

Jermaine O’Neal finished off strong with 22 points and seven rebounds. Richard Hamilton led the Pistons with 28 points. Jeff Foster had 13 rebounds for Indy. Ben Wallace played great, grabbing 15 rebounds along with Chauncey Billups’ seven assists.

“I thought Ben Wallace really dominated a lot of the activity in this game, and he set an unbelievable tone,” Indy head coach Rick Carlisle said.

Entering Game Two and Three, the Pacers won. The first game was a 92-83 victory, led by Jeff Foster’s 20 rebounds and 14 points. The second was a 79-74 win, led by Jamaal Tinsley’s 16 points.

Entering Game Four, the Pacers were trying to pull off an upset, already having a commanding 2-1 lead. All the momentum, however, went away after Game Four when the Pistons won, 89-76.

Chauncey Billups would lead the team with 29 points and six assists. Reggie Miller, who helped the Pacers clinch the victory in Game Three off important shots (like he has been doing since he entered the league) did not play so well today.

After Game Five, in a 86-67 win for Detroit, it was over from there. With a 3-2 lead, Detroit ended Indy’s hopes to take it to Game Seven in Conseco Fieldhouse off a 88-79 win.

Sadly, this would be Reggie Miller’s final game. The 39-year-old sharpshooter would finish as one of the greatest. In Bill Simmons’ The Book of Basketball, he ranked Reggie as one of the Top 65 players of all-time.

Billups saw it as a sad experience seeing Mr. Clutch retire. Miller would finish as the twelfth-leading scorer, and played 18 years in the league. Miller would finish with 27 points.

Richard Hamilton was sad as well.

“It was definitely very emotional,” Hamilton said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in a game where a team that’s about to move on and a guy comes out of the game and the other team is cheering.

“For a guy his age, the way he played tonight was unbelievable.”

For the 2004-05 season, the Pacers journey had come to an end. And so had Reggie’s, who never had won a title. At least he appeared in one, against the Lakers. But they couldn’t finish off.

The Pistons would then head over to face Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. The barely slipped by in a seven-game series.

In the NBA Finals, the Detroit Pistons would then face the San Antonio Spurs. The journey didn’t end so well, as Tim Duncan beat the team in a seven-game series.

The 2004-05 season had come to an end. And it had many high notes, but one really bad one.

Detroit Pistons

Carlos Arroyo: Current point guard for the Miami Heat
Chauncey Billups: Traded to the Denver Nuggets in 2008 in exchange for Allen Iverson. Billups would turn out to be more successful here. He is still currently the point guard for them.
Elden Campbell: Retired
Derrick Coleman: Retired
Carlos Delfino: Currently playing for the Toronto Raptors.
Ronald Dupree: Currently playing for the Utah Jazz
Anthony Goldwire: Currently playing in Spain
Darvin Ham: Retired
Richard Hamilton: Still present with the team
Lindsey Hunter: Retired
Horace Jenkins: Currently plays in Italy
Antonio McDyess: Currently a center for the San Antonio Spurs
Darko Milicic: Currently a center for the Minnesota Timberwolves
Smush Parker: Retired
Tayshuan Prince: Present with team
Ben Wallace: Went to play with the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Returned to the team in 2009. Still present with them.
Rasheed Wallace: Went to play for the Boston Celtics. Still undecided. Most likely retired.

Indiana Pacers

Ron Artest: Current small forward for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jonathan Bender: Currently playing for the New York Knicks
Austin Croshere: Retired
Michael Curry: Associate head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers
Dale Davis: Retired
John Edwards: Retired
Jeff Foster: Present with team
Tremaine Fowlkes: Retired
Eddie Gill: Retired
Marcus Haislip: Free Agent
David Harrison: Currently playing in China
Stephen Jackson: Currently playing for the Charlotte Bobcats
Britton Johnsen: Retired
Anthony Johnson: Free Agent
Fred Jones: Currently playing in Italy
James Jones: Currently playing for the Miami Heat
Reggie Miller: Retired
Jermaine O’Neal: Currently playing for the Boston Celtics
Scot Pollard: Retired
Jamaal Tinsley: Currently playing for the Memphis Grizzlies

The Pacers haven’t made it to the playoffs since 2006, recording a 41-41 record but getting dropped in the first round by the New Jersey Nets in a six-game series.

Since then, the team is in rebuilding mode with a guy that is hoping to be their leader of the future in Danny Granger.

The Detroit Pistons haven’t made it to the playoffs since 2009, finishing with a 39-43 record but getting swept by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round. The team has a lot of hopeful guys, including draft pick Greg Monroe.

With LeBron out, more contention will be placed in the NBA Central, mostly between the Bucks, Pacers, Pistons, and Bulls.

The Pacers-Pistons brawl has impacted a lot of people. Many haven’t forget about it and when you do, it still stirs up debate. Many topics lure of who would’ve won a fight: Ron or Ben?

Many want to forget about this. It’s something that people would not want to see again.

A few years ago, rapper Ludacris made a song about the brawl. It was forgotten about in my memory. But it was brought back to my mind when I heard the lyrics in the song “Undisputed:

“Back up on that ass.

Back to put rappers on one knee like they ‘bout run a 100-meter dash.

Bow down to the greatness,

Before I get pissed and I run up in the stand like the Indiana Pacers.”

From that point, it made me want to start this project. I hope people don’t take offense on this book article. As an Indiana Pacers’ fan, I was shocked to see this happen.

And every time I watch a Pacers-Pistons game, it always brings back memories to what happened on November 19, 2004.

And to many, that day shall be known as The Malice at the Palace.

4183No Comments "2010-07-19+15%3A26%3A05Josh+Dhani

Going To The Heat, LeBron James Should Be Considered The Next Magic

July 17th, 2010

It always seems crazy to me that LeBron James, a 6’8″ 260-pound small forward, would be compared to the likes of Michael Jordan, who is a 6’6″ 220-pound shooting guard.

If anything, my opinion would be that Dwyane Wade is closer than anyone to being the next Michael Jordan. Now you may think I would be crazy that Wade would be considered closer to LeBron because of Kobe Bryant and everything, but its’ true.

How?

Wade puts up big numbers every year. He has the statistical guy and year-in and year-out, it’s always the Miami Heat that is on his back, and he carries them. He’s always “the guy.” He’s a fierce dunker and shows great athleticism.

He would do anything for his team. And Michael Jordan is just like that. And like Jordan, Wade has his own Pippen in LeBron James. And he has his own Bill Cartwright, or possibly a better version, in Chris Bosh.

When you think of it, LeBron can’t be compared to Jordan. LeBron is a small forward and a bigger than Jordan. They just can’t be compared. The closest guy he can be compared to will be Magic Johnson.

Before, with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he was considered that Michael Jordan guy for them. But now, LBJ will play a new role as he enters Miami to play for the Heat, otherwise known as the South Beach Superteam. LeBron will be the Magic.

Magic wall tall and big for his position. James will pretty much play the point forward role, a point guard and small forward combined. James will be the man racking up about 20 points per game, with ten assists, and ten rebounds. He could be the first man of his generation to average a triple-double.

And it may very well be possible.

Magic has done this and has taken over with his size. He had his Chris Bosh in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and his James Worthy in Dwyane Wade. If anything, LeBron James should be compared to the likes of Magic Johnson once the 2010 season starts.

It’s a start of a new career. He’s going to be a new type of player.

As we were mistakenly comparing him to the MJ in Michael Jordan, he is truly a comparison the other MJ.

And his name is Magic Johnson.

4177No Comments "2010-07-18+01%3A44%3A06Josh+Dhani

AFC South Training Camp Preview: Top 10 Players On the Roster Bubble

July 16th, 2010

There are some guys on NFL squads that could be the odd man out. Some of them deserve to be out because they haven’t performed well or somebody out performed them.

For the AFC South, there’s a bunch. With training camp coming up, this is the time for players to prove themselves of why they deserve to make the roster on teams like the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, or the Tennessee Titans.

Here are ten players in the AFC South division that are on the roster bubble. Could they get cut? Possibly. Read on to check it what players I named.

Enjoy.

10. Ervin Baldwin

Ervin Bladwin was a great defensive end for the Michigan State Spartans. He was playing for the Chicago Bears earlier, but got cut. Now he hold the third defensive end spot on the Indianapolis Colts’ roster.

But look here. John Chick could out-perform Baldwin and take his roster spot. It’s possible. Chick was a superstar from the Canadian Football League and could apply this to the next level in the NFL.

Baldwin needs to watch out for Chick, or he could get cut like he did with the Bears.

9. Fred Bennett

Fred Bennett played great for the Houston Texans during the 2007-08 season and the 2008-09 season. The 2009-10 season was bit of a down year, as he only provided 18 tackles.

You never know, Bennett could be the odd man out. According to several depth charts, he’s placed as the fourth or fifth man at cornerback. He better watch out.

8. Jarett Dillard

Jarett Dillard is placed as the sixth receiver on the depth chart. He is going to have to fight hard. He had six receptions for 106 yards with the Jaguars last year.

He could very well be on the hot seat as Tiguan Underwood, Nate Hughes, and Clarence Denmark could get him cut. A lot of guys are competing there. Guys may be getting cut, and Dillard may be one of those guys.

He’s going to have to perform hard in training camp.

7. John David Booty

John David Booty earned a roster spot with the Houston Texans. He and Dan Orvolsky could compete for the second-string spot. There’s bound to be one or two other quarterbacks that could compete against Booty, so he could be on the bubble.

He had a great college career, but since he entered the NFL, he hasn’t done so well. Already cut by the Minnesota Vikings, Booty can’t have him getting cut again with a young, skilled team in Houston.

6. Marcus Howard

Marcus Howard was cut by the Indianapolis Colts and was signed by the Tennessee Titans afterward. He is undersized for a defensive end at 6’0″ and 237 pounds, but he plays with heart.

He’s going to have to work very very hard in training camp. Howard is going to be competing against several guys, and he doesn’t want himself to end his time with the Titans like he had in Indy.

5. Ryan Moats

Ryan Moats was a great pick-up for the Houston Texans earlier, but things could end now. The team has Steve Slaton and Ben Tate running the offense well. Arian Foster hopes to be a promise, too.

If Moats can’t outperform them, he could be cut as well. This is very likely to happen, although as crazy as it may sound, though.

4. Chris Crane

Chris Crane was brought in by the team to provide depth. But Drew Willy was brought in to maybe compete, but he was the one who turned out to be cut. With training camp coming in, Indy will bring in some QB’s who could compete against Crane.

Already parting ways with Jim Sorgi earlier, the Colts need a good back-up. Crane won’t be a helpful addition and he could get cut…easily.

3. James Casey

James Casey currently holds the backup fullback and fifth tight end position on the Houston Texans roster. This is something you can’t feel all that comfortable about.

So, hence, it may be due to a fact that Casey could get cut, easily. He has a better chance of getting cut than his fellow teammate in Moats and rival Chris Crane.

2. Montavious Stanley

Montavious Stanley currently holds the third spot as the left defensive tackle spot with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Not a very comfortable place to be in.

With several guys like Tyson Alualu ahead of him, Stanley could be on his way out. I think he will have a fight in training camp to earn a spot with the team against a guy maybe like Walter Curry or so.

1. Andre Davis

Andre Davis is a very talented receiver. The nine-year veteran, however, didn’t see much action, having only six catches for 59 yards that year. As the fourth receiver on the depth chart, that is something you don’t want to see.

Guys like Jacoby Jones, Trindon Holliday, and Glenn Martinez could also beat out Davis. Davis is the most talented on this list and has so far has the best career out of everyone.

He may be the odd man out. He’s going to have to really step it up coming into training camp.

4162No Comments "2010-07-16+18%3A16%3A25Josh+Dhani

2010 NBA Free Agency: Evaluating the Latest Acquisitions Post-LeBron

July 14th, 2010

Many transactions and acquisitions have been made since The Decision. For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past week, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ small forward decided that he will join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami to create a South Beach Superteam for the Miami Heat. All of this on a program featured on ESPN, the World Wide Leader in Sports. This created a lot of attention as there were haters, lovers, and everything else in between.

The LeBron discussion feels like as if it were yesterday, but his decision was actually about a week ago. A lot has passed, and if anybody even notices yet, a lot deals have been made as well. They are a lot key deals, featuring guys like Al Jefferson, Al Harrington, Tyson Chandler, Udonis Haslem, and many others. So without a further ado, let’s evaluate the latest NBA acquisitions since the LeBron James’ saga.

Miami Heat

The Miami Heat have made some great pick-ups lately since bringing Chris Bosh and James. They also have re-signed Udonis Haslem, who will be a great contributor off the bench and key sixth man. Mike Miller will also make some impact. There were rumors that he may start at point guard but I see him being a key contributor off the bench as well. Zydrunas Ilgauskas has also agreed to join the Heat, as he looks to be a starter, in my opinion. Ilgauskas is so far the best signing for the after “The Decision.”

Al Harrington

Al Harrington is going to be great piece for the Denver Nuggets. He was a great player off the bench, averaging close to 20 points per game. The way he was playing, he could have easily been the New York Knicks’ starting power forward that year. Kenyon Martin should watch out, as Harrington could compete for the starting job. Otherwise, Harrington could be a great guy to pull off from the bench. I could see him being a candidate for Sixth Man of the Year, easily. But I think they paid a bit too much for the 30-year-old. Let’s see if he can live up to the money and hopefully give Carmelo Anthony a championship.

Luke Ridinour

The point guard experiment continues for the Minnesota Timberwolves, as they signed Luke Ridnour to a four-year $16M deal. I don’t think this will affect Jonny Flynn, though, as he will still start at point guard. But I don’t think it was the right deal for the T-Wolves. He is turning 30 soon and won’t help out in the rebuilding plan. They also have Ramon Sessions to help out in Kurt Rambis’ system, so what are they going to do with him? I guess this is another dumb, laughable move by David Kahn.

Al Jefferson

We all should have seen this coming. Al Jefferson was going to be traded. It was rumored that he would have gone to the Miami Heat when they sent Michael Beasley over to the Minnesota Timberwolves. But now, Jefferson was traded to the Utah Jazz. The Jazz made a great reach and picked up a solid big man.

I think Jefferson will be an upgrade over Carlos Boozer. Now you probably think I’m crazy, but Boozer is three years older and Jefferson has produced a lot than Boozer in the past few years. Jefferson can help the Jazz at both the center and power forward spot. Coming into 2010, he will start at power forward while Mehmet Okur stays put at starting center.

Gordon Hayward looks to be a back-up to Andrei Kirilenko at small forward, but then again, Hayward can compete against him. Kirilenko, after all, has been having some injury problems and he could be the odd man out, too. But if Andrei stays, Hayward may be a back-up. Hayward, also, may play a bit of power forward and I wouldn’t be surprised.

But back to Jefferson. At his age, he can do a lot for Utah in the next coming years. Utah can have some nice rotations. Also, with the emergence of Paul Millsap, the Jazz can move Jefferson as a starting center, move Okur as a solid back-up, and leave Millsap as a starting power forward. With this, the Jazz have a lot of good big men on the table.

Jefferson is a great pick-up.

Tyson Chandler

We might as well call Tyson Chandler a bit of a journeyman now. He got traded to the Charlotte Bobcats about a year ago in exchange for Emeka Okafor. When you really look at it, it really didn’t benefit both teams that well. But the Mavericks, like the Jazz, will have a lot of good big men on the table as well by trading for him. With this trade, they also got Alez Ajinca. Ajinca will add depth and will be a role player.

As for Chandler, he will be a sixth man type of guy for the Mavericks with Dirk Nowtizki and Brendan Haywood occupying the power forward and center spots. The Mavs got a rid of a lot of cap space, most notably Erick Dampier’s fat contract. But it is most likely Dampier will be waived by the Bobcats. With this, Dampier can sign a minimum deal and return back to the Mavs.

Chandler is going to be a nice pick-up as well, and along with that, the Mavs will have a strong core of forwards and centers. This could help out well after Dallas lost out on Jermaine O’Neal and Al Harrington, two guys they were targeting very badly.

41541 Comment "2010-07-14+19%3A57%3A06Josh+Dhani

The Best Ever: The Top 25 NBA Players of All-Time; 25-18

July 12th, 2010

It’s been over six months since I read Bill Simmons’ The Book of Basketball. Looking at his Top Players list always made me wanted to start one but I never just felt like it. After a long thought of looking at each player, I have compiled my list of the Top 25 Players in the NBA of All-Time. So enjoy and check it out. Don’t be afraid to share your opinion!

Today, we’ll be ranking the players from 25 to 18. More in another article. So here are 25-18.

25. Allen Iverson

The Answer has been through a lot in his life and has endured a lot throughout his NBA career. I believe once he wins a ring, he can climb over some of the players here. A guy who literally stands under six-feet tall has been probably the most dominant players statistically for the past decade in the NBA. He’s a monster and nobody can stop him.

Iverson has won an MVP back in 2001 after leading a crappy 76ers team to the Finals. It was shocker they even made it to the Eastern Conference Finals! He has won Rookie of the Year, been an eleven-time All-Star, and is a four-time scoring champion. He has also won the All-Star game MVP twice.

For his career, A.I. has averaged 26.7 points per game, 6.2 assists per game, 3.7 rebounds per game, and 2.2 steals per game. So dominant. Along with that, he was one of the very few to reach past 25,000 points. With some time left for his career, we could see Iverson somewhat higher on this list in a few years.

But he has had a great career, definitely no doubt about that.

24. Kevin Garnett

The Big Ticket has delivered a lot in his NBA career. From his time with the Minnesota Timberwolves to his winning ways with the Boston Celtics, Garnett is so fierce and well never back down. He is probably the most determined player to ever play in the NBA, in my opinion.

Garnett has been a one-time NBA champion, won an MVP award in 2004, Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, 13-time All-Star, one time All-Star MVP, and several other notable accomplishments. At 34, he still has time to play more in the NBA before he officially decides to call it a career.

For his career, K.G. has averaged 15 points per game, 7.4 rebounds per game, and 2.5 blocks per game. He has done a lot in his career and I see him climbing higher.

23. Karl Malone

I’d probably rank Karl Malone number one or two as the one of the best players to not win the NBA Finals. Malone had two chances but couldn’t bring it in against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Malone was special for the Jazz and had a special role with the Lakers.

Malone has many accomplishments, being a two-time MVP, 13-time All-Star, two-time All-Star MVP, and has also been part of the 50th Anniversary Team. Malone just couldn’t get a ring and I feel bad for him. But has had a tremendous career and is 23rd best player to ever play in the league, in my view.

The 6’9″ forward has averaged 25 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists for his career.

22. David Robinson

Robinson helped mentor Tim Duncan, who is also mentioned in this list, and has been a great player with a fabulous career in the NBA. He just made it to the Hall-of-Fame a year ago as part of a great class featuring also Michael Jordan and John Stockton. And yes, to spoil your reading, they are mentioned on this list as well for a matter of fact.

Robinson has won two championships with the Spurs, all past his prime and late in his career in 1999 and 2003. He was an MVP back in 1995 and has also been a ten-time All-Star. Other accomplishments include winning DPOY, winning ROY, and winning the Sportsmanship Award.

The 7’1″ center has averaged 21.1 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game in his career.

21. John Stockton

John Stockton, to some of the young folks, was like a Steve Nash in the 1980′s and 1990′s. But he was a better version. Much much better. Stockton was amazing and stayed true to his team, playing with them for all of his career since 1984 all the way up to 2003. He led them to two NBA Finals’, but they got beaten down by MJ and the Bulls.

Stockton has great accomplishments in his career, like being a ten-time All-Star, being on the 50th Anniversary All-Time team, and several others. Stockton has helped make Karl Malone has both had one of the most dominant tandems in the NBA history.

The 6’1″ guard has averaged 13.1 points, 10.5 assists, and 2.7 rebounds for his career.

20. Patrick Ewing

I would have to rank Patrick Ewing in the Top Three, at the least, for the best players to not win a ring. He was so damn close but just couldn’t get it. And that hurts. Ewing was a valuable member of the Knicks and tried to stay true to his word that he would win a championship with the Knicks. But his guarantees never came true. He’s been to the Finals twice in his career, and has sadly been 0-2. One was with the Knicks and the other was as an assistant coach with the Magic.

Ewing has many accomplishments. He seemed to be the future of the Knicks after being picked number one overall in the 1985 NBA Draft. Ewing has been an eleven-time All-Star, has won ROY, and several other accomplishments.

The seven-foot center has averaged 21 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists for his career.

19. Charles Barkley

Now when you see Sir Charles, he’s chucking nonstop and is just some big old fat guy who shares basketball opinions on TNT while also being a sponsor for Taco Bell along with his antics with Dwyane Wade on several T-Mobile commercials. He is also that guy with a terrible golf swing. Yes, he has had also had some weird times in his playing career, but there is no need to go into it. It sucks Barkley never won a ring either.

Barkley has had several accomplishments, like winning MVP, being an eleven-time All-Star, one-time All-Star Game MVP, and being featured on the 50th Anniversary team.

Barkley was a tremendous rebounder for his size at 6’6″. It’s amazing of his ability to score and rebound. Barkley has averaged 22.1 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game in his career.

18. Isiah Thomas

Although he was a terrible coach and General Manager with the New York Knicks, Thomas however was great basketball player back in the time when Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson were playing. Thomas was a great guard and probably ranks in the Top 10 All-Time in the category there. On my list, he is one of the Top 20 Players of All-Time.

Though he retired a bit early at 32, Thomas already won two rings with the Detroit Pistons and was inducted to the Hall-of-Fame quickly in 2000. Thomas has been a twelve-time All-Star, two-time All-Star MVP, NBA Finals MVP, U.S. Olympian, and also had his jersey retired.

For his career, the 6’1″ guard has averaged 19.1 points, 9.2 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game in his career.

Who will be next? Will it be John Havlichek at 17? Julius Erving? Even Moses Malone? Find out in rankings 17-11!

41381 Comment "2010-07-12+14%3A24%3A45Josh+Dhani

Indianapolis Colts Preview: 10 Concerns Going Into Training Camp

July 10th, 2010

Training camp is probably one of the most important parts of the off-season. This is where you see the cuts and seeing people put on waivers. Some people try out and work hard to make a spot on the team. If you have ever seen Hard Knocks, you probably know what I am talking about. It’s always interesting and I hope it looks to be interesting for the Colts. Training camp for the Indianapolis Colts begins on the first day of August. That’s about three weeks away. So with this, here are ten concerns, in my opinion, going into training camp for the team.

10. Will John Chick Make the Team?

John Chick has been an important part of the Canadian Football League. He even won Defensive Player of the Year over at the CFL and has been an important leader for the Roughriders. And looking at the Roughriders, I heard they are a pretty darn good team. Chick was added to the Colts’ roster a few weeks ago and he feels like a feel-good story of the team. It would be really nice if Chick made the team. So with if he is 6’4″ and 248 pounds? Does that stop the 6’2″ 245-pound Robert Mathis from getting the goods? Chick will be competing for the fifth defensive-end spot against Ervin Baldwin. Hope he beats him and has a spot with an NFL team for the first time in his career. At 27, he has a lot of time to improve and make himself one of the important contributors to the team.

9. Will Peyton Manning Receive His Contract?

Bill Polian was talking with WEEI.com about how the collective bargaining agreement could affect things for Peyton Manning and his rich contract:

“It’s bound to have some effect,” Polian said. “What we don’t know is what the system is going forward. It makes it really difficult working out a deal that makes sense for everybody because you don’t know what the cap will be, what the ramifications are, how things count. All of that makes it a little difficult. We’ve been going slowly along with Tom Condon because we’re trying to formulate some things that will fit no matter what the system is…

“We can’t get into the nitty-gritty because we don’t mow what the rules will be. And that will clarify itself as the year goes on because there will be talks, people will understand what’s on the table and what’s not on the table. It’s not like you’re going to get a deal in October, I don’t think. If that happens it would be great. But at least you can get a feel for the way things are going.”

But no matter what happens, Peyton Manning will receive his contract sooner or later. So it’s not something that big to worry about. Manning is a guy earning his pay and according to several sources, the Colts keep hinting this will be the richest contract in NFL history!

8. Who Will be the No. 3 Receiver?

This is not as much of a concern than being a No. 4 or No. 2 receiver as you will see later. But if Pierre Garcon wins the the No. 2 spot, I have Anthony Gonzalez and Austin Collie competing for the No. 3 spot. As of right now, the competition to play alongside of Reggie Wayne is between Gonzalez and Garcon. I wouldn’t be surprised seeing Garcon winning has Gonzalez has taken a huge amount of time off from playing football. So he may drop down. I’ll give you my predictions coming later in this article.

7. Will Joseph Addai Lose His Job as Starter?

It has been said many times before that Donald Brown could compete against Joseph Addai for the starting spot at running back. But I don’t see this as that big of a concern. Though, I wouldn’t be surprised if Addai has to compete. But I will be very surprised if Brown beats him. As of right now, this is not a huge concern but it is definitely something to look in to.

6. Will Pat Angerer Start?

First of all, you got to love the name. When do you ever hear a name like that? When you hear that, you got to start him. He sounds like a good football player just from the name. Drafted by the Colts, Angerer could actually start. Currently, he is a backup middle linebacker for Gary Brackett. Angerer could compete against Phillip Wheeler, though, at the outside linebacker position. It could very well be possible.

5. Can Dwight Freeney Stay Healthy?

Freeney had some health problems last year and a bit of injuries. Willie Colon is out for the season and the Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t even started training camp yet. So this is a concern for Freeney. Let’s just hope he and a bunch of other important Colts can stay healthy throught training camp.

4. Will Jerry Hughes Start?

Jerry Hughes was drafted 31st overall by the Indianapolis Colts and shows flashes of the next coming of Robert Mathis. And if Mathis goes towards a holdout, Hughes is the replacement. I heard Hughes could have a better chance of starting at outside linebacker than Pat Angerer can. I can see Hughes coming in on important downs where he is at Phillip Wheeler’s spot. If you see it, you know it’s a blitz. But I hope he starts and this is a guy you really need to start. Hope he does.

3. Who Will be the No. 2 and No. 4 Receiver?

The number two receiver spot shows a lot of concern. Garcon and Gonzalez will compete there to play on the opposite of Reggie Wayne. It’s going to be interesting. But I think Garcon pulls off the shocker and becomes the No. 2 option. With this, Gonzalez and Collie will compete at No. 3. Here, Gonzalez will have to feel like it is his rookie year all over again, being a slot receiver. Here, Collie will be the No. 4 receiver and I hope he can handle it there.

2. Any Free Agent Signings?

Coming into the off-season, I just hoped the Colts could make some moves. But right now, they haven’t. And here is a free agent to consider if you don’t want Phillip Wheeler: Keith Bulluck. The Colts should at least consider him. I know Bulluck has been a middle linebacker, but he can make the transition. But he’s not going to have as many snaps than he has had in Tennessee. With this, Bulluck, Hughes, Angerer, and Wheeler could have a rotation. There could be a rotation among all the linebackers, in fact. And what about Terrell Owens? Why not sign him? You can’t have too much of too good? Could Indy consider Brian Westbrook? Maybe. Indy seems like they are secretly targeting them.

1. Will the Contract Situations Get Handled?

This is the number one concern coming into the Colts’ training camp. And you should have seen this coming. I mean, look. Reggie Wayne, Robert Mathis, and Peyton Manning all need contracts and they will hold out training camp probably now. They are all disgruntled and they want their money now! Well, except for Peyton. But it was already a bit hard enough signing the disgruntled Antoine Bethea. As of right now, I think the Colts are trying to get Peyton’s contract done before Wayne’s and Mathis’s. But these contract situations need to get done fast before they get any crazier. It won’t be crazier than Vincent Jackson’s or Darrelle Revis’s, but if the Colts continue to act like they ignore, this could be bad for the long run and it could in fact be crazier once training camp comes closer and closer.

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