LeBron: Killer Instinct?

Photo Credit: AP/ USA Today

Fans love to speculate on who the best NBA player in history is. While some fans point at Kobe Bryant or Kareem Abdul Jabar, a vast number of fans have settled on either Michael Jordan or LeBron James. Of course, each side highlights their own milestones and varying factors in favor of their argument. A few weeks back, NBA Hall of Famer, Scottie Pippen, went on First Take and had a conversation with Stephen A. Smith about the matter. During the course of the discussion, Pippen pointed at notable distinction that separates Jordan from James: killer instinct.

What exactly is Pippen talking about?

Pippen, who played alongside Jordan, is touching on a mental drive that fans have grown to love. It’s a desire not just to win, but to completely dominate the game. In fact, as Pippen and Smith put it, it’s the want to demoralize your opponent. It doesn’t relent. It doesn’t give up. It’s the compulsive need to demolish whoever you are playing against that night. According to Pippen, its either you’re born with it or you’re not. To him, at least, James was not.

LeBron is one of the Greatest.

Now, in all fairness, this is merely Pippen’s opinion. There are relevant milestones that LeBron James has reached that put him head and shoulders above whole generations of players who came before him. He is still a top five of All-time player. He has four MVPs, three championships, a mountain of accolades, and at least three years before he retires. He is currently the best active player in the game, in spite of the fact that he is 34 years old. He is able to impact the stretch of a game in the way very few have.

The problem is that LeBron’s Lakers are on the precipice of missing the playoffs. His late game defense is under constant attack. Angry fans, and even certain media figures, are saying that the Lakers should even consider trading the “King.” Fans are concerned that when put between a rock and a hard place, James does not have the mentality to lead his team to greatness. He is lacking something, and that something is a killer instinct.

Can he be the Greatest without a killer instinct?

No one is arguing that Brian Scalabrine is giving James a run for his money in terms of greatness. King James is being compared to  Michael Jordan, his Airness, and it’s not enough to be great.  LeBron James is great, but so was Jordan. In fact, Jordan is considered to be the Greatest to ever do it. That is the threshold that LeBron has to overcome, and its hard see to be him doing that without that killer instinct. This is particularly true in light of the Lakers’ lack of success.

Jordan never lost in the finals. Bryant only lost twice. Abdul-Jabar lost four times. LeBron James has lost six times. However, you frame it, that’s a significant number of losses that arguably would not have happened if James possessed the instinct that Pippen is alluding to. There is a very prevalent argument here that James gives his opponents too much leeway in ways that Jordan and Bryant never would.

Now, this isn’t a debate about ability. Fans have seen LeBron dominate the game time and time again. He is in the top 10 for All-time assists, All-time scoring, and All-time Triple Doubles. He has the ability to do whatever he wants on the basketball court. This is a question of mindset, and according the Scottie Pippen, Lebron James just doesn’t have it.

In Conclusion

History is still being written and there is plenty of time for LeBron James to emerge as the best player ever. He is barely showing any signs of slowing down. Right now, with accepting to play limited minutes, James focus will probably be on next season.  However, as this season and subsequent seasons unfold, he will have the chance to prove Pippen wrong. Time will only tell if he is successful.

Don’t Ask Kevin Durant About the Free Agency

On Wednesday night, Kevin Durant was a little more silent than usual, and the media hated it. After dropping the hammer on the San Antonio Spurs and picking up a commanding victory of 141 to 102, Durant met with reporters at the post game interview. When pressed about why he wasn’t talking as much, Durant went on a tirade about how he doesn’t trust the media and how his words are often twisted. Before leaving the interview in a heat of frustration, Durant urged the media to grow up. While fans may be quick to call him dramatic, Durant may have a point.

Not so fast, KD.

Now, Kevin Durant has a lot to be on the hook for. As many strongly hold on to, Kevin Durant ruined the NBA. By joining a team that won 73 games without him, Durant created a power shift that has allowed the Golden State Warriors to monopolize winning in ways previously unseen. Moreover, the rich simply kept getting richer, as the Warriors added Demarcus Cousins this season to make a real-life version of the MonStars from Space Jam. Of course, Durant is allowed to make his own decisions. The fans perception of those decisions is another thing entirely. However, Durant may have a point about the media’s role in all this.

“Don’t Ask me that Again.”

When it comes to things like free agency and trade discussions, its easy for us who aren’t going through it to constantly make it a conversation point. However, for the players, it’s understandable that they don’t want to constantly be bombarded with inquiries about their next destination. A lot of players, particularly Kevin Durant, are focused on the here and now, with a special emphasis on winning. He has made it abundantly clear that his free agency decision is off limits for now, a sentiment shared with his fellow player and friend, Kyrie Irving. Perhaps Durant said it best, these guys just want to play ball.

There is another side to this argument that player’s like Durant invite these inquiries. Durant is no stranger to cryptic tweets and in person subs. He has made more than one controversial statement over the years. In fact, he has been viewed as a figure who might actually like being at the center of these kind of discussions.

We all have a job to do.

The reality may be that players want to control their own narrative. It makes sense. Players like Durant, or Irving, or even LeBron have certainly reached a position where they want to tell their own story. They’re champions, players at the top of the game, and quite frankly, it is their lives. If Durant wants to call himself as the villain, then that’s what he is. If he doesn’t want to talk free agency than maybe that’s his right not to.

At no point is Durant under an obligation to answer questions that he doesn’t want to answer. So, if he makes it clear that he doesn’t want to talk about something, then perhaps reporters should leave the topic alone. Now, of course, we all have a job to do. That includes KD, and the reporters that interview him. However, Durant’s frustration is about the job itself, but about the way the job of these reporters is being done.

In Conclusion

Durant just wants to play basketball. Maybe its unrealistic for him to believe that in his role he’ll be able to do that without garnishing certain kind of questions. Fans may not be so inclined to believe the hype surrounding his drama. Fans may be even slower to show sympathy to a man that fans liken to a snake. Whether Durant has a point or not is purely up to us. Until Durant ultimately makes a decision or decides to talk about it himself, reporters and fans should prepare for more of these kind of reactions by Durant.

All Eyes on the Pelicans

The NBA trade deadline is only a few short days away. The League has been engulfed with news that Anthony Davis has requested a trade from his current team, the New Orleans Pelicans. While the Los Angeles Lakers have been the front runner for landing the perennial big man, other teams have thrown their hats in the ring to land him. Of course, the team is under no obligation to trade Davis. However, there is a good chance that he may bolt by 2020. Thus, if the Pelicans decide to facilitate a trade, here are three teams that the Pelicans may want to consider making a deal with.

The Los Angeles Lakers

While the Pelicans may be tempted to be petty and not go through with this deal, it doesn’t lack merit. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Lakers offered New Orleans Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Rajon Rondo, Michael Beasley, and a first round draft pick. Pelicans are speculated to make a counter offer, but it’s pretty clear that the Lakers are determined to land Davis. Getting Ball, Kuzma, and one or two draft picks may put the Pelicans in a position to really  build towards the future. With the likelihood that Davis’ tenure will be coming to an end, the Pelicans may want to take advantage of the Lakers’ desperation.

The New York Knicks

This may be more beneficial to the Knicks then the Pelicans, but this deal could also have its bright spots. The Knicks have recently went through a roster overhaul, trading away Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee, and Trey Burke. In exchange they received Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews, and two first round draft picks. The team is clearly in the process of hitting the reset button, and that can include landing a superstar like Davis. New York could potentially offer Matthews, the two draft picks, Frank Ntilikina, and even Enes Kanter. Once again, such a deal would put the Pelicans in a position to build towards the future, which they clearly need right now. If New Orleans chooses to make a deal, this may not be a bad one.

The Boston Celtics

This a more controversial consideration, especially given the fact that Anthony Davis’ father strongly disagrees with it. However, it could make sense for the Pelicans. Last year in the playoffs, the Celtics proved just how valuable their young players are. The whole League was put on notice that the Celtics’ rising stars are not to be toyed with. While the Celtics will likely want to keep building with the core that they have now, Danny Ainge is Danny Ainge. He has pulled the trigger on deals before despite the performance of a player, which is something that Davis Sr. has a problem with. Though, as far as the Pelicans are concerned, they may be out a star and could be enticed by the proven young talent. It may not be a stretch of the imagination to see the Celtics bundle a package comprised of Jaylen Brown, Jason Tatum, and even Gordon Hayward just for kicks. If the Pelicans received such a deal, it would be hard to see them say no.

Bonus Option: No One

Okay, so obviously no one isn’t a team, but this is still very realistic. New Orleans can simply disregard the request and keep Davis in a Pelicans uniform for another year. They really and sincerely don’t have to do anything. However, all that means is that Davis will idle through next season, or just not play at all. Having a toxic relationship grow in the locker room is something that the Pelican likely want to avoid. That being said, chances are that a deal for Davis may be completed in the next few days. However, don’t be surprised if the Pelicans simply just sit on their hands.

Concluding Thoughts

Anthony Davis is one of the best big men in the League. Wherever he goes will get a boost just because he’s on the floor. Obviously the Pelicans are going to do what’s best for them, which may include nothing. However, it cannot be forgotten that the ball is almost entirely in their court. Thus, fans and front offices alike will simply have to stay tuned.

Clipping the Clippers

For the last time, the Los Angeles Clippers led by their trio of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan failed to move past the first round of the playoffs in the Western Conference. Of course the injuries sustained by Paul and Griffin played an impact in their early exit, but the repeated failure of the Clippers prompts a reconsideration of the team if they truly wish to make a deeper run in the playoffs. The Clippers and their stars are obviously not void of options, though.

All or Nothing

Perhaps it really has been bad luck plaguing the team all of these years. On paper and during the regular season the Clippers were a pretty solid team with perhaps the smartest player in the league running the floor for them. The dynamism of their all star big men surely made them a threat as well as the presence of their sharp shooters. With some substantial players circling the free agency, this coming summer would be the time to build on the foundation of Doc Rivers, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan. Then again, short of signing Paul George, perhaps adding another layer to the trio will only prolong the team’s suffering and prove once again insufficient to do any real damage in the playoffs.

Go Griffin-less

Once upon time Blake Griffin was one of the most revered and unstoppable big men in the NBA. At his position, he was quick enough to go around you or simply go over you if you got in his way. Yet, injuries have plagued him since his first season and over the years they have really began to take a toll on his game. Combine that with the fact that NBA has turned into a three point shooting contest almost every night and Blake Griffin begins to look obsolete. While I personally believe he can still get the job done, perhaps he can no longer do that on the Clippers. With DeAndre Jordan taking over as the prime big man on the team, especially with being named as an all star this year, maybe it’s time for the Clippers to part ways with their former high flier. Perhaps he’s not the only one.

CP3

Chris Paul, like Griffin, was revered at his position for years. Granted his passion and intelligence, he is still one of the best players in the league, but as of yesterday his tenure with the Clippers came to a halting stop as he was traded to the Houston Rockets . Rumors started circulating after the first round that he was looking for other options. The front runner for the floor general was rumored to be the Spurs, but Chris Paul’s desire to play with James Harden seemed to shift the momentum in the Rockets favor. His unhappiness with organization clashed with his love for them, prompting CP3 to vent on Twitter that he was overwhelmed with emotions. As arguably the best player the Clippers had, there is an apparent power vacuum in LA. With the free agency so close and players like Kyle Lowry available, now may be the best time to fill the gap. In fact, now it may be the best time for the team to start from scratch.

Reboot

DeAndre Jordan may be the only member of the Clippers big 3 to remain after this summer. With the wealth of players in the free agency, now may be the best time for the Clippers to restructure their team around a new set of stars in hopes of winning a championship. Of course no one wants to see the end of a great era, but with so many unsuccessful attempts at getting to the finals an overhaul of the current team may be the only option for the frustrated Clippers. Of course there is no guarantee that a change up will ensure them a championship, but it may their best shot at one. It’s clear that something isn’t working in LA and perhaps signing some new blood will be the best option for the Clippers to finally get that shiny circular thing that every player in the NBA wants.

The Clippers have been pretty good for a good time now, but clearly it isn’t good enough. Whether it be they sign some new players or part with their old ones or even a combination of both, something has the change if the organization hopes to win a championship. It will be sad to watch a possible split up happen, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Andre Oge

Old School vs. New School: How To Rank Greatness

It seems as if this week is the week in which former NBA players decided to defend their eras and their players. You had Stephen Jackson who was on the 2006-2007 Warriors that beat the top seeded Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs as an eighth seed. Then, you have NBA legend Oscar Robertson saying this. You have Isaiah Thomas saying this, too. So, this week was the week in which former NBA players, some all-time greats, told us how they really feel.

People are putting Stephen Curry in the category with all-time great point guards already. Former players are complaining. He’s having fun with the whole thing, though. This is not anything new. In many sports, when a generation of players retire and the new generation of players reach their primes, the old generation tends to complain. They want to hold on to their spot. They feel the need to remind the fans that were either very young or not born at the time of their primes of how good they were. Some take it to the extreme and don’t just say they were good back in the day, but that they are good now after retirement. This is not an NBA dynamic. This isn’t just a player dynamic either. This is a dynamic in all of sports.

You guys ever argue with an older person about sports? You already know how it goes, (unless you are an older person reading this, don’t stop reading though). The first thing you are going to hear about is how good the players back in their day were. Stats not even something that is brought up. You are probably going to bring up stats before them. All they would talk about is impact and what they saw with their own eyes. This is something that is very important. I personally feel that statistics hold too much weight in the sports world today because statistics could be deceptive sometimes. However, they’re going to use feelings, memories, and “vibes” to discredit the current players of your generation. The next qualifier that older fans are quick to bring up are rule changes. For the NFL, it got softer. For the NBA, it got softer. For the MLB, the game was much better back in the day because guys were better; more home runs. “But, they were on steroids. That’s why.” “Steroids don’t make you make contact with ball, trust me I’ve been watching the game since you were a baby.” On and on and on, you guys know how it is. Legitimate facts and claims might be brought up. This is a fundamental aspect of every good argument/debate. Both sides must bring up legitimate facts that both parties can agree on in order to argue about what they don’t agree on. Rule changes do change the way sports are played making the games different. However, if both sides were to be honest, there’s just a generation gap. You will never fully understand how great the former players were despite how many YouTube videos you saw of them because you weren’t alive or old enough when these players were playing. The older person may never fully understand how great this generation of players are despite rule changes because they’re so used to seeing a certain style of play, seeing how great their generation of players were, or stubborn. It’s different when you experience greatness at the time when they were great because you understand the impact. However, anybody can over or underestimate people.

Now to Stephen Curry.

He’s on pace to break several offensive records this year and he has his team on pace to win the most games in NBA history. The team that they might surpass for the most wins in NBA history is the NBA champion 1995-1996 Bulls. This is a win total that many people didn’t think would be passed for a long time. Some teams have won 67 games, but nobody has even reached 70 since the Bulls set the mark at 72 wins 20 years ago. In other words, Stephen Curry and the Warriors are having a historic season.

How do you discredit a person’s greatness when the numbers show you how great they are? You discredit everything else surrounding them. Their team was really good, he or she was just along for the ride. Or in Stephen Curry’s case, the league isn’t as good anymore and the rules changed so its easier to play the game. THEY COULDN’T PLAY IN OUR DAY! Numbers do lie sometimes. It feels like every year, a different quarterback throws for the most yards in a season. Out of the top 15 seasons for most passing yards, 12 of those seasons were had in the last 5 years. A statistic like that will show you why having the most passing yards in a season is probably not the best indicator for how good a quarterback is historically. The increase in passing yards are directly correlated with the rule changes in the NFL that make it easier for offensive players to produce.

However, the decrease in home runs over the years due to the fact that guys aren’t using steroids anymore (at least most guys). This decrease does not mean the players are worse now than they were back then. They just don’t cheat…as much. Are rules in the NBA different than they were back in the day? Yes. No hand checking. The definition of a flagrant foul has changed. However, the skill level of the competition is not the same as it was back in the day. Today’s NBA has more athletes. Today’s NBA athletes are better shooters and I know that Oscar Robertson doesn’t like that. OK, let’s be real. It was never OK to hit people in the face as they are shooting. In any era, that’s a foul. This is what you would have to do in order to stop Stephen Curry from making a three and even then it’s not promised that he is going to miss. I have literally seen Chris Paul have his hand on Stephen Curry’s chest as he’s shooting and he still made it and he turned around a looked at his coach Doc Rivers and basically told him that he had his hand on his chest so he tried his best. I think it was the same game that this happened. Shooting the basketball is shooting the basketball and I find it hard to believe that guys aren’t getting up in the best 3 point shooter in NBA history’s face to try and make him miss, despite what the legend Oscar Robertson says.

The generation gap is real. The generation gap in sports doesn’t just affect fans. It affects players, as well. When you have an NBA legend discrediting your career and accomplishments, it can hurt your career. It may not prevent you from winning rings, but it can prevent you from being thought of as highly as you would like to be at the end of your career because knowledgeable voices have influence. It can even prevent you from making halls of fame, ask Terrell Owens. I believe that in our society, we need to emphasize how influential generation gaps are in our perception of sports. Think about it, if Kobe didn’t start his career while Michael Jordan was playing and several years after like around now, maybe people wouldn’t be calling him this generation’s Michael Jordan, but the next Michael Jordan. Maybe Kobe played to close to Michael Jordan’s era so his impact was still fresh in the minds of NBA fans back in Kobe’s prime. Who know’s? Comparing players is fun is fun for fans and analysts. That’s part of what makes sports interesting. But, when well-respected former players start publicly discrediting current player’s accomplishments and the whole league, that might be a little too far. We, fans and players young and old, need to understand that we cannot completely and fairly judge a person’s career until after it’s done. Doing that might prevent us from recognizing that we are watching the best player in history, or fool us into thinking that we are watching the best player in history. While a player is playing, all we can do is speculate.

Gambling is Wrong! (Unless You’re in Las Vegas): Sports Gambling and Legalization in America

Gambling is wrong, unless you’re in Las Vegas. If you really feel good about a certain team in the NFL winning a game and it’s Sunday and you happen to live in Delaware, go ahead and bet on your prediction. Make some money off of it, but only the NFL though. And if you live anywhere else in America, gambling is wrong. Oh, if you live in Montana and Oregon, gambling isn’t wrong for you guys either, even though you guys don’t really gamble so much. But all you other people in the other states, GAMBLING IS WRONG! …….You know what? You all could bet on horse racing, but that’s it. They’re not people, so I guess that’s OK.

Gambling is as American as being a gun owner. Yet, this is the message that the government sends to the people of America. It’s part of the fabric of America. In the video above, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that it might be a $400 billion underground business. Yet, gambling is still basically not allowed in most states. I am not saying that everything that is fundamentally American is right. There are things that America is known for globally that even we would consider morally wrong. There are things that America is known for globally that is considered morally right, as well. However, what I am saying is that the lottery is legal. You pay money, pick some random numbers, and then hope that those numbers are picked in a drawing so that you can win more money than what you paid to enter the drawing. This is a game of complete chance, not mention that you could be playing against an amount of people ranging from a few thousand to over a billion people. This is the definition of gambling. Yet, that gambling is OK and gambling on sports isn’t. One difference between the lottery and gambling in sports is that money generated from lottery tickets goes to the government. It could go to the state government or the federal government depending on the type of lottery. However, there are other important differences.

Whether you only watch the NBA, the NCAA, go to summer Pro-Am games, or play the game all the time, every basketball fan should know about the 1951 CCNY Basketball Scandal. Players were betting on their own games, but they wouldn’t necessarily try to lose the game. They would mostly try to win, but only within a certain point range because betting in basketball is done on a point spread. Understand something though, college basketball was bigger than NBA basketball in the 50’s. More people were excited about CCNY that the Knicks, so this was a huge deal, especially considering the fact that the crowd was betting on the games, as well. Imagine being a player on a basketball team and scoring a basket that puts your team up 10 and the crowd bet on an 8 point game so they boo you. You just cemented a win for your (and their) team, but they boo you. Through my study of sports in America in college, I learned that this is the type of stuff that used to happen back in the day. So, you have the players betting one way, and they are the ones playing so they control the game, and you may have fans voting another way and they can’t control the game, so when the fans found out what was going on, you could imagine how upset they were. The biggest problem was the integrity of the game. When you betting is tangibly affecting the outcomes of games, you know something is wrong.

Every sports fan should know about the 1919 Black Sox Scandal or at least should have heard the name “Black Sox” before. But if you, don’t…

This was almost 100 years ago, but betting is not the kind of ancient issue that people today claim that it is. I remember when this became a national story around 10 years ago…

And, am I the only one that’s seeing less and less FanDuel and Draft Kings commercials? I live in New York and I remember when I used to see Knicks post-game segments sponsored by Draft Kings and now the city is actively trying to prevent them from operating New York. We have gone from worrying about games being thrown by players to worrying about insider information being traded about somewhat virtual, imaginary (fantasy) sports. These are the reasons why betting is still an issue in America.

Enter Adam Silver, a leader in professional sports in America. He is a very well-liked and innovative commissioner. So innovative that he is supportive of Draft Kings and FanDuel and supports gambling on sports in the United States. Take into account that his predecessor David Stern stood in agreement with the Senate Judiciary Commitee in 1991 when Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) was being passed. This is the act that prohibited people, unless you live in Delaware, Montana, Oregon, and Nevada which were grandfathered from it. It states that it is, “…unlawful for (1) a government entity [187] to sponsor, operate, advertise, promote, license, or authorize by law or compact, or (2) a person to sponsor, operate, advertise, promote, pursuant to the law or compact of a government entity, a lottery, sweepstakes, or other betting, gambling, or wagering scheme based, directly or indirectly (through the use of geographical references or otherwise), on one or more competitive games in which amateur or professional athletes participate, or are intended to participate, or on one or more performances of such athletes in such games. [188].” This is the reason that horse racing isn’t illegal. Horses aren’t people. This is the reason, at least this is what city officials in New York would point to, that there is a strong push against FanDuel and Draft Kings although they claim that it isn’t really gambling because there is not enough chance involved because you have to know sports to play well. However, Adam Silver doesn’t care. He sees money, he sees everybody doing it, so he wants in. He doesn’t see it as wrong like a lot of Americans do.

Why is tobacco legal in America? Why is alcohol legal in America for those over the age of 21? It is because of money. These substances became popular in America that banning them would mean a loss of a lot of money. They became big business. Do these things harm you? Yes. Are they wrong? Most people would say yes with tobacco, but no with alcohol because if drunk in moderation, it might not have a strong negative effect on you. I understand that gambling is different because it is not a substance. However, referee Tim Donaghy risked his career and lost it due to his addiction of it. Pete Rose is making money off of the fact that he is shunned (not just banned in my opinion because there’s a possibility he won’t make the Hall of Fame despite being one of the best players of all time) from baseball due to his gambling addiction through his playing and coaching career.

Gambling addiction is real. The risk of games being fixed is real, just like how alcohol and tobacco addition is real. So, you might as well legalize sports gambling and bring more awareness to gambling addiction at the same time like we do with tobacco. $400 billion is not a small amount of money. That can help the economy greatly if this money wasn’t underground. Adam Silver is right. Tax it. Hypocrisy is something that not just countries, but individuals should always aim to avoid and honestly, this ban on sports betting isn’t only hypocritical, it’s stupid. Again, $400 billion. Not million. Billion.

No Love: Disrespect for the NBA Coaching Position

2013 seemed to be a significant year for NBA coaches. There were 12 coaching changes in the summer of 2013 with most of the changes being coaches being fired or not resigned. That summer seemed to set the tone for coaches that we see today.

Earlier this year, Kevin McHale, the coach of the Houston Rockets was fired EARLY in the season. Not even a quarter of the season went by. They went to the Western Conference Finals last year and ran into a brick wall called the Golden State Warriors. However, they were off to a disappointing start this year. Then, David Blatt, the coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers gets fired. The Cavaliers went to the NBA Finals last year with a team full of key injuries and ran into a brick wall called the Golden State Warriors (you see a trend here?). He got fired right before the All-Star break and the team was first place in the East. The coaches of the two first place teams usually coach their respective conferences for the All-Star Game. The interim coach for Cavaliers coached the All-Star Game having only coached for 3 games this season. These are the types of things that are going on in the NBA.

Five coaches have been fired this year and we are at the “halfway mark” of the season which is right after the All-Star game despite the fact that more than half of the season has passed. I would say that coaches are on a short leash, but a guy like Lionel Hollins, who has been successful as a coach in the NBA before, only lasted 1 and 1/2 seasons with the Nets. That’s another level of short. I would say you would have to win quickly as a coach in the NBA, but David Blatt got fired while his team was at the top of the East. The only logical reason that I could think of that coaches jobs are constantly on the line like this is a lack of respect for coaches in the NBA.

Analytics plays a factor in this, as well. We are in a new era of NBA basketball. Math has invaded the game. General managers are looking for today’s coaches to take into account shot percentages when they are coaching offense. I don’t mean that the general managers want them to tell their players to take high percentage shots. I mean that LITERALLY want the coaches to coach players to take shots that go down at a higher percentage using the advanced statistics that are available to teams. For example, if your team makes threes at a higher rate than layups, today’s general managers are going to look for you to coach your team to jack up threes and turn down layups. This newer way of coaching with an emphasis on numbers and not just traditional offense has resulted in people looking away from older coaches despite having the numbers. Many older head coaches lament this new focus by general managers due to the fact that a coach might have the results and it still might not be good enough. This is why the Memphis Grizzlies fired their successful head coach Lionel Hollins and signed rookie, analytics focused Dave Joerger as head coach. Although, even his job isn’t all too safe. This why the Houston Rockets only score from behind the three point line and close to the basket, nothing in-between.

But, it’s more than that. You cannot tell me that coaches are having their teams at the top of the NBA, still getting fired, and there not be anything deeper going on here. Stan Van Gundy is one of the most well-respected coaches in the league and he just got his first job since getting fired by the Magic at the end of the Dwight era. It seems as if Gregg Popovich, Rick Carlisle, and Steve Kerr are the only head coaches that are untouchable in the NBA and I only say Steve Kerr because the Golden State Warriors might have the best season in NBA history. There is a lack of respect for the coaching position in the NBA.

Job security is important in all career fields. If a person constantly works with the pressure of one mistake costing them their job, they are probably not going to do their job well. In coaching, your job security is dependent on how other people do their jobs. It is supposed to (emphasis on supposed to) be that if the players play well, then you keep your job. However, when you look at head coaches like Scott Brooks from the Thunder, David Blatt from the Cavaliers, Tom Thibodeau from the Bulls, and others, then you see that may not be the case in the NBA. Even if your team isn’t doing well, you have to give a coach time to really implement what he wants to implement with a team. A coach has to get to know their team. One year is not enough to do this. Two years might not even be enough to do this. Look, I’m a Knicks fan and even though a lot of fans wanted him gone, and I’m not saying that they are wrong in saying that or that the Knicks are wring in their decision, I cannot be totally outraged if Derek Fisher didn’t get fired this year or even came back for another year…………… OK, that extra year might be pushing it, but my point is that teams have to allow coaches to work and work freely. In the previous eras, coaches were given time to work. If a coach has a bad year in the 1990’s, or even two, unless it’s historically they’re not going anywhere. They have time to develop an identity with their team and see if they are the right fit for a team. In addition to finding the right fit, giving the coach a few years gives the general manager time to figure out if an underachieving team is underachieving because of the players or the coach.

Who’s more important: the player or the coach? Really think about this. Gregg Popovich and the whole Spurs organization are what general managers want. They want the perfect coach, the perfect system, and players who take discounts. So, in an era where people have no patience in general, are general managers giving coaches no real time to prove themselves because they are in a rush to look for the next Pop. Or, are they blame deflecting on the coaches anytime a team doesn’t live up to the expectations of the public.

The NBA is a player’s league. If you don’t have good player’s, you cannot win no matter what system you run. Yet, organizations hold coaches accountable for a team not doing well. Part of the reason for this is that general managers choose the players so if they blame the players, they are really blaming themselves. Another reason is that general managers invest a lot of money in players so trading players, even if that may be best for the team, means that the general manager wasted their money by signing this player in the first place, so they rather stick with the player, hope that the team suddenly starts to play well, and fire the coach to look like you’re fixing the problem. These are people’s livelihoods that teams are playing with. You literally have guys like Doug Collins, Jeff Van Gundy, and maybe even Mark Jackson that do not want to coach in today’s NBA because of what they would have to deal with. They rather stick to being commentators. At the end of the day, from what I’ve noticed, these teams usually set their teams development back by firing coaches quickly so to the teams that fire coaches quickly…

Who Wants To Be A Multimillionaire: Insane Contracts in the MLB

In the early days of baseball, before the MLB existed, there was the National Association of Professional Baseball Players . This is basically the same National League that exists today because after the National League came the American League and the two, over time, merged and today we have Major League Baseball (MLB). However, in the days when the National Association of Professional Baseball Players was the major destination for all baseball players, players used to just hop from one team to the next. I know this sounds crazy and some of you reading this may think, “Yea, that’s free agency.” No. Imagine if Clayton Kershaw left the Dodgers and joined the Mets when the Dodgers got down 3-1 in the playoffs last year. I’m not sure how the playoffs worked for the National Association back in the day or even if they had any, but it was that easy for guys to leave their teams when they wanted to because they weren’t under contract. It wasn’t until the National League was formed that players weren’t allowed to leave their team. But when I say they weren’t allowed to leave their team, I mean players were bound to their team for life. The rule that allowed this was reserve clause. The reserve clause basically allowed teams to keep players for life by renewing their contracts when they wanted. It went from one extreme to the next. It wasn’t until over a hundred years later when the fight against it led by Marvin Miller (creator of the Major League Baseball’s Player’s Association), Curt Flood (who sued the MLB over the reserve clause and lost in the Supreme Court), Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally (players who challenged the rule in the 70’s and won free agency for the players) was the backlash against the rule taken seriously. However, these pioneers are the reason that the MLB caught up with the other sports leagues in America and that free agency exists today. They are the reason that Ryan Braun is supposed to make $145,500,000 through 2020.

 

Baseball is notorious for their contracts. When you talk about the top players you talk about hundreds of millions of dollars, per player. Not just the money, you talk about the length, as well. Players get signed for close to, or in Giancarlo Stanton’s case more than, a decade. This is unheard of in any other sport. Players get a lot of money in the NBA and NFL particularly the star players or quarterbacks. However, getting committed to a contract for most of your career (let’s be honest, if you sign a contract for more than a decade, that’s most of your career, I don’t care what sport it is), sets you and your family up for life. This type of security is almost unheard of for the even the top players in basketball.

The contracts are this huge for 2 reasons: the longevity that is possible in the sport and the limited quality of star talent in sports. Baseball is not basketball. It is not hockey. It is not rugby. It is not football, neither of them. Depending on the position, the sport tends not to be physically taxing on your whole body. Pitchers have to worry about their arm (although pitchers back in the day used to pitch double headers and complete games like it was nothing, but that’s another issue). Catchers have to be in an uncomfortable position for a long time. Besides that, infielders and outfielders run every now and again. It can get physical, but it is not typically a physical game. For this reason, general managers and owners do not mind making long-term investments into their star players, even if the player might be turning 40 at the end if the contract. Now, think of sports as a capitalistic business, which it is. If a product is productive at its purpose, then the more rare it is, the more valuable it becomes. At that point, it’s about who’s willing to pay the highest price to acquire the product. Each star is one of the best at what they do and may do it differently. Basically, there’s only one Giancarlo Stanton. There’s only one Mike Trout. There’s only one LeBron James. There’s only one Aaron Rodgers. There’s only one Henrik Lundqvist. I know that it may bother a few of you reading this that I am talking about sports players like their smartphones, but when a general manager trades away a player that the fans love from a team they have been on for their whole career without notice, then you know that this is exactly how these general managers and owners see these players.

You cannot become a billionaire by playing for a team in American sports. That financial status is reserved for the owners. If the athletes made so much money, then the owners wouldn’t even bother owning the team. This is the definition of rich people problems. However, think about the principle. Do not think like a fan while reading this paragraph. I repeat. DO NOT THINK LIKE A FAN WHILE READING THIS PARAGRAPH. In baseball, the top players are not making millions, but hundreds of millions of dollars, They are the ones that are bringing in the money for the team, not the owners. There are hundreds of players and less than 50 owners, 30 teams. Yet, all the players combined are bringing in around 50% of the revenue. And, you still have guys being set for life with their 10 year/$100 million dollar contracts. This just shows you how much money baseball and sports in general are making because you have guys making near $30 million a year and that’s nothing for the teams.

These are just some of the names of the players in MLB history who never lived up to their contract. This happens a lot. As a Mets fan, I remember Jose Reyes having his best year of his career during his last year with the Mets. Once he got his money from the Miami Marlins, he stopped playing at the level that got him the money he was getting. That happens a lot, as well. You can think like a fan again. How often do you hear fans complain about how much money a guy on their team is making and about how the money spent on him could be spent on someone else, or 2 other lesser known guys. This is the state of the MLB. If you have a few good seasons, you can be set for life. Is it worth it, though?

From a business aspect, it’s worth it, but from a team development aspect, it’s overrated. With stars, you can underachieve and still have the attention and excitement around your team. Nobody wants to underachieve (unless you’re the Sixers), but being bad with players that nobody knows is a recipe for relocation. But when you look at the teams that are winning championships or are contenders every year, the Cardinals, Giants, Mets, Royals, they build their teams through their farm systems. They may sign a free agent, but they don’t really on them for success. I think that giving a guy a lot of money for a long time might be ideal for some teams, but every team doesn’t need to be committing so heavily to baseball players. As far as the length of the contracts? Unless your hitting home runs like this guy in the video below (and no steroids in 2016), then I don’t think paying someone for a whole decade of production in advance is worth it, considering how many people don’t live up to the contract. But hey, it’s the market.

 

All-Star Discrimination: Voting and Centers in the NBA

These are the starters for the NBA All-Star game in this year, which is going to be held in Toronto. The left side is the Western Conference team and the right side is the Eastern Conference team. So, there were many stories that surrounded the All-Star lineup this year. Zaza Pachulia almost started. If you don’t know who he is then you should already see the problem there. Stephen Curry is an automatic shoo-in every year now since he has become the NBA’s most popular player over the last 2 years. Some people are questioning if Kyle Lowry deserves to be starting, but not that many people too mad at him starting and how would it look if the host city didn’t have representative from its team starting the game. Some people are mad that Kobe is in it at all and definitely shouldn’t be starting despite this being his last year due to his performance this year and his team’s poor record. However, those are mostly Kobe haters. Besides that and annual conversation of who got snubbed, there hasn’t been much conversation about who’s starting. When you look at that list, you think to yourself, “I guess all those people deserve to be there. However, when I look at that list, I see one glaring issue: no centers. There are absolutely no centers in the All-Star game. Why is this you may ask? This is due to the voting format.

That is Andre Drummond, the starting center for the Detroit Pistons. These are his stats this year, so far.

That is Demarcus Cousins, starting center for the Sacramento Kings. These are his stats this year, so far. This was actually soon after the All-Star starters were named. So, that is how he responded to not being named a starter.

Andre Drummond plays in the East and Demarcus Cousins play in the West. So, it works out that both could have played and would not be competing against each other for votes. There are other people that got snubbed. There is Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls that’s having a career year. There is Damian Lillard who is having a very underrated year, as well. There is no doubt that everybody mentioned so far will make the All-Star team as reserves. The fact of the matter is that there are only 5 people in each conference that can start. Therefore, to Jimmy Butler and Damian Lillard, oh well. However, for Demarcus Cousins and Andre Drummond, it’s different. They aren’t starting not because there were other people in their conference and their position that were better than them, they aren’t starting because they are centers. Period.

Originally, the NBA All-Star voting was done by the position. You vote in a point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center. Then, the NBA realized that most players are able to and do play 2 positions. So, they changed the format to 2 guards, 2 forwards, and a center.  Two seasons ago, the NBA changed their format to the format that we have today. They completely eliminated the center position from the voting process. Now, you vote in 2 back court and 3 front court players. This is why you have 3 small forwards starting in the East. The game of basketball is changing. The Warriors are the face of that change. They don’t shoot threes because the defense makes them. They want to shoot them. Positions 1 to 5 are above average three point shooters. They embrace spacing. And, argument can be made that their best lineup is a lineup in which Draymond Green is starting at the center position and he might be shorter than their starting shooting guard. However, Demarcus Cousins and Andre Drummond are undoubtedly the best players at their position in their conference. Can anybody really say that they do not deserve to be starting in the All-Star game.

Let’s be real. The All-Star game is a popularity contest. The most popular players always start because the fans vote for who they like and the most popular players tend to be the most liked. However, the most popular players tend to be the best players, as well. Their skill level, numbers, and success get them noticed and the better they play, the more popular they become. However, there is an issue here. There is only so much that a good center can do as far as exciting a crowd. Most (almost all) centers cannot handle the ball well enough to break somebody’s ankles. Most centers, although that is changing, cannot hit threes like guards. The traditional elite center has post moves that make them elite at scoring in the paint. The traditional elite center garners the hearts of fans by fooling their defender with posts moves like Hakeem Olajuwon. Traditional elite centers can dunk on you. The absolute, undisputed best centers possess all these skills. Demarcus Cousins and to a lesser degree Andre Drummond do. However, the best guards and forwards possess those skills as well in addition to their ability to cross you up, shoot threes, and make fancy passes. So this AUTOMATICALLY puts the center at a disadvantage in All-Star Voting. Centers can still be voted in because they are categorized as front court players. But, can Andre Drummond, a guy that is incredibly productive but in a limited way, become more popular than Carmelo Anthony, a guy that is productive as well but in a more exciting way. Unless he is dunking, Andre Drummond will not entertain you with his rebounds, but Carmelo shooting over 2 people and making the shot will. I am a Knicks fan. Carmelo Anthony has been playing very well recently (keyword: recently) and has looked like the superstar that he is. However, he does not deserve to be there over a guy who has been the best center in the Eastern Conference all year and if it had not been for this voting format, he would not have been. Carmelo only had 360 votes more than Drummond who was leading him for months. Plus, the effort put forth by his team alone should make him a starter in the All-Star game. Look at this.

And, he still didn’t make it. My point is this. If you are the best in your position, you should start in the All-Star game for your team. This is basically discrimination by the NBA against centers. The center position, despite the lack of scoring from most teams at this position, is still very important to the NBA. Centers are extremely important to a team’s defense. If you can’t rebound well, it makes it extremely hard to win a championship. Their importance to the game alone should warrant them still having a position on the All-Star ballot. It is true that the game is changing and most centers either shoot threes or get rebounds and defend. However, the best centers are still traditional in playing style. You might see Demarcus Cousins take a three point shot here and there, but his game is based off of his dominant post play in the paint. He is not a combo center/forward or whatever you want to call these new age centers. Andre Drummond is not shooting threes. Hassan Whiteside is most likely not going to take defenders off the dribble with elite ball-handling skills. But, they are the best at what they do. Most centers cannot decide to play a back court position if they want to for most of the year. But, Kobe, one of the best SHOOTING GUARDS in NBA history, is a frontcourt player this year. This is another unfair advantage. Demarcus Cousins might have to win the NBA Championship and get the Finals MVP if he wants to make an All-Star team just because he is a center despite being the best one in the NBA and that is wrong.

I’m Just Here So I Don’t Get Fined.

It feels as if it is a new epidemic for athletes to just cooperate in post game interviews as if they don’t like the media. You have this…

And this…

And this…

And all of this prompting this…

Now, I know that saying that it is an epidemic is maybe a stretch given the fact that not every player is not cooperating and not answering questions in post game interviews. However, it is the atmosphere that is created when that is acceptable. The players ultimately aren’t calling their peers out on it. In the Thunder’s case, Kevin Durant kind of picked up on Russell Westbrook’s behavior and kind of copied it. The fans love it and that’s the one part that many of the people who talk about press-player interactions don’t really say (I thoroughly enjoyed those Marshawn Lynch interviews when they first happened). In most cases, the coaches aren’t saying much to the players about it. And finally, the press kind of just take it. When this atmosphere is created, it creates the possibility of other players (especially future professional athletes) mimicking their behavior. After all, any publicity is good publicity, right?

This has happened before in sports. For example…

The relationship between the media and the players have always been an awkward one. If you are playing well on and off the field/court, you’re going to not mind a post game interview so much. As a matter of fact, some players would even want the post game interview to brag about their stats or their team’s win. But, when you aren’t playing well and looking bad off the court/field, you have instances like the ones shown above. In my mind, I think of the relationship like the relationship between the principal and the student. When you get called to the office and you know you’re doing well in school, you might just get some props from your teacher or get put on the honor roll or something. When you’re not doing well, you know what’s coming and then you complain about how the principal doesn’t know what’s really going on or if you want to Marshawn Lynch it, just don’t answer the questions because you already know what’s coming. The analogy may not work so well, but if you think about it long enough it might. Kind of.

I was watching a debate show called First Take on ESPN 2 and I saw this “debate” live. They weren’t really arguing the point so it’s not really a debate, but it’s a debate show.

They basically said when you don’t answer our questions, we can ruin your image. They didn’t literally say that, but they toed that line. What Stephen A. Smith said is was SERIOUS and seeing how Russell Westbrook doesn’t really care too much for the media these days, I’m surprised that he hasn’t cursed Stephen A. out already.

In the media, when a player is being disrespectful or just difficult with the media, the media seems to always portray the player as just taking out their frustration with whatever it is (either their play or off the court/field activities) on the media. See the pattern there? The media always asks good questions, right? The media never tries to sully people’s images due to personal conflicts, right? The media never oversteps boundaries, right? The reason that Marshawn Lynch doesn’t cooperate with the media is because he doesn’t trust them. Even when he has a good game, he’s not saying anything. He REALLY doesn’t trust them. Russell Westbrook has had a bad relationship with the media almost his whole career, especially with the Oklahoma City media. Mainly, because they have called him selfish, a ball hog, a bad presence in the locker room, and somebody who hurts his team rather than helps it. I am not in the locker room with his team and I have never covered the Thunder so I’m not going to completely disregard those specific criticisms. However, put yourself in Russell Westbrook’s shoes. How would you feel if you were getting triple doubles almost every night but people were still saying that you were hurting your team. Now if you check the comments on the last video, you will see a lot of people say that the players are just soft. That may be true and maybe when a player doesn’t respond to the media that he or she is showing a sign of weakness because he or she is showing that they are letting the criticism get to them. However, it could be a statement of protest because of how they feel that they are bring treated by the media. By the way, it’s mandatory in most sports leagues for the athletes to do post game interviews. When Marshawn Lynch said in an interview “I’m just here so I won’t get fined” he was really only there so he won’t get fined by the NFL. So when these players are there looking miserable, it’s because they don’t want to get interviewed.

The Players’ Tribune is a website started by Derek Jeter in 2014 for athletes to tell their stories how they want. It is basically a platform that allows athletes to become journalists. Players have social media, as well. Players have all kinds of ways to convey whatever they want however they want. So in society, the media’s role is changing. It might become a less important role in sports. So, this enables players to bypass the media by not answering questions and interact with the fans how they want to. So, Stephen A. and Skip Bayless may be thinking in a very old school way.

Despite how unprofessional his behavior during interviews may be, Marshawn Lynch is well liked by fans and not just Seahawks fans. Fans love the interviews that don’t go well, despite the fact that it is annoying for the interviewer. However, I believe that the media has to understand their place in the sports world now. Athletes are going to not make it easy for them when they aren’t in the mood because they don’t need the media to get fans to know them anymore. They have social media. As a matter of fact, they have Player’s Tribune and social media. I think that the media should take Stephen A’s advice and speculate all they want. However, I don’t think that the effect intended by Stephen A’s advice is going to happen in today’s society.