Black Ball Sports

First let me say I’ve never ever, ever, ever have been a Stephon Marbury fan. I’ve always thought he was an overrated player. But what has been taking place with the New York Knicks is laughable.

They basically told him at the start of the season there is no reason to suit up because we’re not going to play you this year. This by itself is a ridiculous situation. I could see if they weren’t playing him for disciplinary reasons. But no, they’re just not playing him to be spiteful. I guess the new coach Mike Dantoni doesn’t like the way he plays. But isn’t he a coach and shouldn’t he be trying to coach Marbury to play the way he wants him to. How can you not give the guy any minutes to see what he can do? The Knicks haven’t given a legitimate reason for not playing Marbury. This isn’t a DNP Coaches Decision. This is a team telling a player not to even dress because of what appears to be a grudge. If the Knicks have a legitimate reason for not playing him then they need to state it, otherwise it looks like a vindictive maneuver.

Last week the New York Knicks made a couple of trades that left them with only 7-8 players. Now the Knicks needed Marbury and they asked him to play. Marbury refused to play and I think was justified. Don’t tell him he can’t play all year and then blame him when he isn’t there for you when you need him. I wouldn’t have played either. What you were going to let Marbury play for 2 or 3 games when you needed him and then send him back to his usual undressed spot on the bench. It’s like a girl breaking up with you, but then calling you a couple days later because she got a flat tire. Oh I see you don’t need me EXCEPT when YOU NEED ME. I wouldn’t go change the tire or play for the Knicks.

Quentin Richardson came out this week and called Marbury out for not playing as well. He called Marbury a bad “teammate.” Where was Quentin when the Knicks organization wasn’t letting Marbury play. What kind of teammate was he being to Marbury and not taking a stand then. Quentin knows more than anyone that Marbury is one of the best players on their team. And the organization has basically decided to punish and embarrass Marbury for whatever reason. And I didn’t hear Quentin making any noise about “teammates” then so I don’t want to hear from him now.

The Knicks are paying Marbury 21 million dollars I know, but the way they’re treating him is ruining his chance for future earnings. I admit I wouldn’t mind not playing for 21 million. But if the Knicks are going to treat Marbury as they have they can’t be surprised if he returns the favor. Remember, treats others as you want to be treated.

Not long ago, I discussed the struggling NFL teams and where they were headed.  At the midpoint, let’s see how the best teams in the league thus far project down the stretch.

• Tennessee and NY Giants - Year in and year out teams which play top notch defense, run the ball and limit turnovers win.  The Giants and Titans are playing this to a tee.  I’m not 100% sold on the Titans, but I think even if they hit some rough patches, they’ve pretty much headed for a 1st round bye.  The Giants are just a continuation of their late season heroics last year.  The only thing that could stop them now, is severe injury to Eli Manning or a Plaxico Burress, TO style cancer situation.  I doubt that is going to happen and figure they are headed to at least the NFC Championship game, at home.
• Pittsburgh and Carolina - Again these are teams which play very good defense.  I worry about Carolina’s ability to win on the road, which I fully expect they’ll have to do in the playoffs.  The return of Mushin Muhammed and Jake Delhomme has this team back on track.  Pencil them into the playoffs.  Pittsburgh was my AFC pick to make the Superbowl, however, they’ve had a brutal time keeping Ben Rothelisberger protected.  Part of this is because he tends to hold the ball too long.  They need to fix this or they’ll never get past the Titans.
• Buffalo and Washington - These two teams are 5-2 and 6-2, but they have only a roughly 20 point differential.  Compare that to Titans (93) and Giants (76).  Is this alarming? Maybe, it could just be an anomaly, but they are clearly winning the tight close games, and that is a tough thing to do for an entire season.  I think they are likely to make the playoffs, but I wouldn’t be surpised if either has the wheels start to come off in a long NFL season.
• Dallas and New England - Seemingly going in opposite directions.  Dallas is still talented enough to make a run of it, but I’m not sure they have the dedication to win tough games.  Without Tony Romo they should still be able to post more than 13 and 14 points.  New England on the other hand, has managed to redefine their offense on the fly after the Tom Brady injury.  The Patriots will still have the bad games as expected with an inexperienced QB, but they’ve recovered quite well overall.
• Tampa Bay and Philadelphia - Jon Gruden is apparently Brian Billick all over again.  Both managed to win Superbowls with veteran QBs and ridiciously good defenses; yet despite being considered offensive “geniuses” their offenses were constantly terrible.  I expect nothing good from Tampa.  They might make the playoffs but they aren’t going anywhere.  The Eagles are simple to figure, Donovan McNabb (healthy and confident) plus Brian Westbrook (healthy and consistent touches) = Eagles win.
• San Diego fires defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell - They didn’t go far enough in firing coaches.  They should have fired Norv Turner as well.  Why does Turner have a job?  He’s 72-95 as a head coach with only 2 playoff appearances in 10 seasons.   San Diego needs a young aggressive coach, not a retread.
• Mike Singletary done lost his mind - I thought benching Vernon Davis was a great stand for a coach to turn around his team.  I thought his post game tirade was bit dramatic, but generally agreed with his comments just not necessarily his method.  However, dropping his pants at halftime to demonstrate how the 49ers were getting their butts kicked is just crazy.  If these 3 events had happened over a long season at different times, I’d think he was crazy like the Chicago White Sox coach Ozzie Guillen who is notorious for firing off his mouth.  But Singletary did all this in what 4 hours?  No way he’ll last as a NFL head coach, what could he possibly do now to motivate his players?

Picks:

Last week: Kali 4-2, Antonio 3-3 - Overall: Kali 19-16, Antonio 18-17

Green Bay at Tennessee:

Kali: The last undefeated team risks a slight drop off this week after beating their big rival, the Colts. But the Titans are so physical on both sides of the ball, and that usually doesn’t take a week off.

Pick: Tennessee

Houston at Minnesota:

Antonio: Houston is on a roll with three straight wins after starting 0-4. Andre Johnson when healthy is as good as any receiver in the league. He’s healthy now and on pace for nearly 1800 yards. Minnesota had a much needed bye last week to try to regroup after giving up 48 points to the Bears. Oh, forgot to mention Houstons three wins were all at home, now they are in Minnesota, facing a desperate team.

Pick: Minnesota

Miami at Denver:

Antonio: The Bronos looked great offensively early this season, but have lost 3 of 4 including one to the Kansas City Chefs. Then they got completely trashed in New England. They are coming off a bye and like Minnesota are desperate. If they somehow drop this one at home to the Dolphins, it may be time for Mike Shanahan to move on.

Pick: Denver

NY Jets at Buffalo:

Kali: Eric Man”genius” told Brett Favre to cut down on interceptions. I’ve been telling him that for the last 5 years. Buffalo is the better team with or without Favre taking the advice.

Pick: Buffalo

New England at Indianapolis:

Kali: Is this the week Indianapolis finally stands up? They were actually in the game with the Titans late. I think Peyton and the boys will show up this week. This is also Cassell’s first big time national TV road game.

Pick: Indianapolis

Antonio: For years this may have been the most important game on the NFL regular season schedule. Tom Brady versus Peyton Manning. Well, this year it is Matt Cassell versus the ghost of Peyton. Cassell has improved week in and week out, and the Patriots have continued to have an effective running game despite being down to a practice squad back. Meanwhile, Manning, Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison just haven’t been on the same page all year. Tough call on this one.

Pick: Indianapolis

Dallas at NY Giants:

Antonio: The Georgia Bulldogs last year stormed the field after taking a 7-0 lead against rival Florida, showing them up in route to an upset win. Unless Dallas does something so completely obnoxious and causes the Giants to go completely off their game. They will be stomped out like that end zone.

Pick: Giants

Kali: Giants won a slug fest in Pittsburgh last week. Probably the best road win in the NFL all year. It doesn’t matter who starts for Dallas at QB, the Giants see this as a way to maybe knock the Cowboys out of the playoff hunt.

Pick: NY Giants

Philadelphia at Seattle:

Kali: Westbrook is the most important player in the league to his team. He won’t win the MVP because of the year’s Drew Brees and Clinton Portis are having. Seneca Wallace vs. Jim Johnson, I wonder who I’m going with?

Pick: Westbrook and the rest of the team

Antonio: Seems like a total mismatch. If this game is going to be the blowout it should be, the Eagles will start out hot. They have one major issue, looking ahead. The Giants come to Philly next week, and if they don’t get up quickly by a couple of touchdowns, this will be an oddly close game.

Pick: Eagles

Pittsburgh at Washington:

Antonio: The Steelers are facing a tough game, but for some reason I just don’t see the Redskins being able to abuse Big Ben the way they need to as they are tied for 28th in the league in sacks with 10. If Big Ben has time, he’ll find Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes. I see an upset brewing.

Pick: Washington

Kali: The Redskins are banged up this week with Moss and Portis hurting. Pittsburgh plays physical enough to be in the NFC East but are 0-2 against the division this year. Redskins have a Black quarterback and we will have our first Black President by this time next week. So the country is going in one direction:

Pick: Washington “Jason Obama” Redskins

The Philadelphia Phillies won a World Series, not just for themselves, but also for their fans and sister franchises in the city.  We’ve been inundated with reminders that Philly hadn’t won a major sports title since the Sixers in 1983.   Philly is a city desperate for sports success which has never had any franchises have consistent, dynasty level success.  The great Sixers teams of the late 70s, early 80s only won the ‘83 championship.  The Eagles of the early new millienium failed in their only Superbowl.  The Broad Street Bullies of the 70s basically won two and have been silent since.  So no doubt last night was a ridiculous night in Philly lore.

But was it all about the partying and chaos that ensued?  Surely not, for many children and teens, they were able to establish their own memories.  A championship like this ensures a new generation of Phillies fans, who now have their own heroes, not their parents’.  I had my 6 year old daughter watch the final inning last night.  Did she understand much?  No, not really, she’s never watched much baseball.  The point was, that even if she remembers only the Phillies players jumping on top of each other at the mound, she does have a memory of this.  And while the rain suspension left fans with a long period of anticipation, the resumed game allowed the children of Phillies fans to see the game finished at a reasonable time.

All sports have to some extent sold out to the mighty TV dollar, and the result has been games which end far past children’s bedtimes.  The NFL has the best scenario, being able to have their championship game start at about 6:30 on a Sunday.  MLB more than any of the pro leagues usually needs to capture their fans very early, before the more action packed sports become attractive to preteens.  Thanks to the rain suspension, baseball may have gotten lucky and developed some new fans (at least those in Philly as no other city apparently watched).

For the city of Philadelphia, this was obviously a big deal, and Philly fans can only help the good feeling spreads to the other franchises.  A similar thing happened to Boston, when the Patriots broke through for a Superbowl.  It had roughly been 16 years since a Boston team won a title, and the Patriots first win was followed by a dynasty for them, and championships for the Red Sox and Celtics.  Will it happen in Philadelphia?  Who knows, but the Sixers and Eagles both should be in playoff contention and at that point, anything can happen.

For fans in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Washington, Seattle, Kansas City etc., I as a Philadelphia fan, feel your pain.  You’ve all had varying success at different times, but it now seems like it’s been forever.  Your time will come, be patient, and hopeful that your children are able to witness a championship that will embed fandom into them.

Thank you Phillies, you’ve gained at least one new fan.

Beverly Hills, 90210 or Philadelphia, 19415

The drama continues in Philadelphia, despite the fact that they have a legitimate shot at going deep into the playoffs. Lito Sheppherd has continued his “I’m underpaid, I should start, me me me” ranting this week. He continues to walk a fine line between looking out for himself and dissing his own teammates. See this post from the Eagletarian. Sheppherd is a fine player who has been hurt, off and on. He’s paid fairly well, just not as well as Assante Samuel. This is the week, when players get off their demands, and start playing football again. Lito, get over it, have a great season, and then watch the money pile up, which is basically what Brian Westbrook did and he was rewarded for it.

Is it too late to pull back my picks?

I hate to be one of several picking a particular team, because that inevitably means that team is doomed. And in this case it happens to be my favorite team, the Philadelphia Eagles. Apparently Gene Wojciechowski, Dr. Z, and Tom Curran all think the Eagles will at least make the Superbowl. Not to mention several other writers who think they can make the NFC Championship game and that DeSean Jackson is Devin Hester and Steve Smith all in one. Scares me. On the flip side, I think I’m the only one who likes Pittsburgh to make the Superbowl. I like being out on that island.

Terrance Newman - screaming Cowboy

Little advice, if you’ve never been on a roller coaster, don’t let them video tape your first time. You’ll just sound crazy screaming and praying. Check out the Video.

If Dante Culpepper Retires Does Anyone Care?

I wrote before that he’s way to talented a QB to not be playing somewhere, and based on this post by Kevin Seifert, apparently Culpepper believed his own hype. See this is what happens when you have too much confidence and ego. He needed to break his game down and start over in many ways, maybe start fresh as a backup to an injury prone/bad performing starter. Instead, he labored on about wanting a fair chance to start. He needed to prove himself over again, and didn’t seem to believe that.

LPGA - Does that stand for dumbest sports organization?

Did they seriously believe that they were going to get away with forcing English in an international sport? I hope this was just a publicity stunt to get the media to talk about women’s golf.

Chalmers and Arthur - Dumb and Dumber

So let me get this straight, the two of you are in the NBA’s rookie program, being warned about the dangers of being a young, rich baller and how to carry yourself on and off the court; yet, you manage to get two women into your room, set off a fire alarm, flush your pot and get David Stern so ticked off he kicks you out? Wow, at least your professional idiots, it took a couple of years for Sebastian Telfair to get Stern that mad. I don’t know how Stern hasn’t had a heart attack as NBA commisioner, he’s dealt with gambling scandals, fights in the stands, weapons violations, a sexual harassment lawsuit against a hall of famer and GM, and these two dumbbells can’t last four measly days without women and weed? Great career move, see how long it’s going to take to wash this stench off yourselves.

Do Better Syracuse

I’m a Syracuse football fan, I admit it. But I gotta say, you stink. And not even in that Notre Dame down years stink, or that South Carolina can’t quite figure it out stink, or that over the hill head coach Penn State stink. No, ‘Cuse you are going down Temple style. There seems to be zero hope, when you can’t even put together a reasonable effort at Northwestern. And now you are being compared to a New Kids on the Block song? Look at the programs on that list, they are all generally speaking lower tier programs anyway. But Syracuse is the only “big” team on the list. Syracuse has a rich tradition of quality football, but since Donovan McNabb graduated, it’s gone steadily downhill. Greg Robinson needs to go, he’s getting whipped in recruiting by Greg Schiano at Rutgers of all places. The northeast clearly doesn’t have the football talent as other regions, and it is difficult to recruit to the cold north, but this is pathetic. I don’t really expect the Orange to play on the level of the top SEC teams, USC, Ohio State, Texas etc. But can you play on Rutgers or Connecticut’s level? Can you get into the Black Ball Sports.com Bowl? I think we can get a field somewhere and you can square off against a Newark, NJ team, but we’ll take you only if you have a minimal 3 victories this season. My guess is you won’t make it, and we’ll just cut our losses and sponsor an electronic football matchup.

And your uniforms are ugly.

Here are some random sports thoughts I haven’t gotten much of a chance to post about.

NFL

I still think Brett Farve is a jerk for pulling this, but the Packers have handled this awfully.  The latest move is reminiscent of the Godfather movies.  Apparently they are trying to give him an offer he cannot refuse, $20 million over 10 years to stay retired.  Honestly, that is ridiculous, they basically are spitting on his legacy.  He’s been reinstated by the league, and likely to report to camp on Monday.  The Packers are going to have to eat their pride and get him on the field again.

NFL Hall of Fame

One good thing about the Hall of Fame inductions is by the time a player makes it, he’s been retired for several years.  And as such, you don’t feel guilty for being happy for a rival player.  I’m glad Art Monk finally made it to the Hall.  He’s as deserving as anyone, and unfortunately played the majority of his career in the shadow of Jerry Rice.  Never the scorer Rice was, Monk was the model of consistency.  To make it worse, I also have to give credit to Darrell Green, who for about 20 years was one of the top corners in the league.  Good guys, who for at least one day despite them being Redskins I can be happy for.

MLB

Trade deadline came through with a bang.  Manny Ramirez, Ken Griffey Jr. and Ivan Rodriguez traded within a few hours of each other.  All certain Hall of Famers, all were traded to premier markets.  All three players, should have a big impact on their new teams, but none more so than Manny.  He’s still the most feared right handed hitter in the league and while he’s been flaky at times, he can carry an offense, and the Dodgers needed a guy like him.  Hopefully, he can spark some life back into Andruw Jones.  The Red Sox took a big risk trading him, but I think they did well in getting a young player back, Jason Bay who is an established pro and can help them immediately.

Olympics

One thing we should know by now, is that despite all the hoopla over steroids in baseball, performance enhancing drugs are everywhere.  The Olympics point this out more so than anything.  Think about it, an Italian fencer was flagged.  The Olympics do stringently test, and has more doping rules than the NCAA has recruiting violations, but the mere fact that swimmers, runners, gymnasts etc are all being caught on various rules demonstrates the extent that athletes (and their trainers and supporting organizations) are willing to go to cheat.  So should we be surprised when a baseball player takes HGH to extend his multimillion dollar career?  Oh, and by the way, this is now the fifth Olympics for NBA players, and they have exactly zero disqualifications.

NCAA Football

West Virginia QB, Pat White stated he never joined the WVU baseball team because the coach, Greg Van Zandt, “wasn’t interested” and was “not too high” on having black players on his team.  He came out and apologized for his statements, saying he “overstated” his feelings on the program.  The thing that is overlooked here, is White’s statements are probably due to the perception of black athletes at WVU.  White was unfortunately likely speaking from rumors and gossip he’d heard on campus.  Whether Zandt actually wants or doesn’t want black players will never truly be known, but he should consider reaching out to black players and ensure that this perception is false.

I’m glad Brandon Jennings made this decision. Whether or not he realizes the implications of his action, I think he is on the verge of starting a new trend. If Jennings is able to go to Europe, and play one or two quality seasons and return to the NBA as an already well paid lottery pick, then maybe this will impact high school stars to evaluate the “you must go to college and pretend to be a student” system currently in place.

Jason Whitlock in his column points out how the NCAA basically pimps black athletes into making the college campuses money. While these athletes do have an opportunity to earn a college degree, many have no intentions of using the opportunity while others really don’t deserve the opportunity academically. Whitlock rightly demonstrates how only in basketball and football are kids forced to go to college in order to then become a pro in their sport.

Tennis, golf, hockey, soccer and baseball all allow teenagers to sign contracts and play against “grown men” as young as 14 years old. Interesting how no one in the media seems to take those sports to task for exploiting such youngsters.

Only in a sport dominated on the college and pro levels by black players (including some from disadvantaged backgrounds) is there this concern about their “well-being” and maturity level.  Guaranteed if there was talented white high school players projected to be NBA stars and considered lottery picks, there would be little conversation about age restriction. Continue Reading »

*yawn*, wake me up when it is over.

The NFL and MLB have truly exciting off seasons, with plenty of free agents and trades to go around.  Unfortunately, the NBA has more player movement restrictions then the NCAA has recruiting restrictions.  While the salary cap is designed to help all teams be fiscally viable and produce some form of parity, it also makes it extremely difficult for teams to make moves.

Consider this, if for some reason the San Antonio Spurs wanted to trade Tim Duncan, they generally would only be able to move him to either a team with salary cap space (currently Memphis, LA Clippers or Sixers) or take back enough garbage to even out the salary exchange.

A rule such as this is intended to prevent teams with unlimited access to cash (such as the Knicks) from trading picks and the like while acquiring high priced talent and heading far over the cap.    While it works in theory, teams are so restricted from making trades, that one of the best bargaining chips isn’t a player with talent, but rather a player with an expiring contract.  For example, the Jason Kidd to Dallas deal last year, only went through because the Mavericks were able to include high priced waste, Keith Van Horn who is essentially retired.

The cause of all this drama is mostly the guaranteed contracts.  Continue Reading »

The Boston Celtics won their record 17th NBA Championship. They did it with determination, defense and domination. Their win was so dominate in game 6, I won’t even dignify their opponent by mentioning them or their players by name. Instead, I’m going to focus on the Champs, the ones deserving of having their names highlighted.

Kevin “Big Ticket” Garnett finally broke through to remove the loser tag and the “great player, but can’t get it done” label. Clearly, he felt the pressure, and took action. He was dominate inside, and his one handed lob while being fouled in the second quarter demonstrated that he came to play. It is amazing how a guy can change his entire career image in just one game. Garnett will never again be Garnott.

Paul “The Truth” Pierce proved he’s worthy of his nickname. He rose to the challenge of winning a title for one of the most storied sports franchises. Pierce willingly shared the spotlight with two incoming stars. Continue Reading »

Yes, it is a cliché, but it is proving to be true again in 2008. The vaunted Patriots lost in the Superbowl because their offense was stymied by the Giants defense. The Celtics are one win away from the NBA championship. They were the league’s best defense and a heroic defensive effort in the 2nd half of game four will likely give them the final push they need to put the Lakers away.

The Celtics went back to their old standby, and it paid dividends. The thing about defense is that even when the shots aren’t falling, as long as you are physically healthy you can play defense.

Defense is about intelligence, hard work and perseverance. Stars have to check their egos at the door, and put their team first. While a player may win awards for defense, he doesn’t receive much love from fans (ever see anyone in a Bruce Bowen jersey?). You won’t get on Sportscenter by bodying up a cutter in the paint or fighting through weak side screens. Paul Pierce typifies this spirit by not shying away from playing man to man against the best offensive player in the world.

Kobe Bryant will likely take the brunt of criticism if the Lakers go onto lose this series, and that really is the burden you carry for being the MVP and best player in the league. He played the game the best he could, sure he missed some shots, but the real key was the defense the Celtics played, particularly in the second half (wait with 16 seconds left, Ray Allen just toasted Sasha Vujacic and stuck the dagger in their hearts, poor on ball defense by Vujacic and zero help with the game and possibly the series on the line).

The Lakers secondary players crumbled in the second half when Paul Pierce played Kobe tough. Kobe made the passes he’s supposed to and the role players came up weak. Put the blame on Kobe if you like, but I for one am going to give the credit to the Celtics and their defense.

I said before that great basketball is all about moments, and you’ll always remember when stars have these special moments in classic games. Neither Garnett, Pierce or Allen had a “great” game, but they were put together for this very reason, that each had unique skills when put together could become a champion. Garnett’s interior defense, excellent shot for a big man and rebounding. Pierce’s junkyard dog mentality on both ends of the court. Allen’s ability to shoot and his fearlessness in wanting the ball late in games. For two quarters tonight it all came together when the Celtics needed it most. In 20 years, when the Celtics play the Lakers in the Finals for the 40th or whatever time, game four will be replayed on ESPN Classic, as the legend of the big three will be revered in basketball lure forever.

Do you want a title? Do you want to be considered one of the greatest power forwards in the history of the game? If you answer yes to either or both of these questions then you’re going to have to show up in these NBA Finals.

Garnett shoots a jumper against LA in game 2
Credit Eric Kilby

I know you’re playing great defense and a monster on the boards. But game 3 was there for the taking. The game played out beautifully for the Celtics. Everyone knew going in Kobe was going to get 15-20 free throws. Everyone knew Kobe was going to go for 30 plus. Those who don’t believe “the Kobe has changed hype “knew Kobe was going to be overly aggressive, selfish and not get his teammates involved, except for Saaaaaaaaasha. So the game was the perfect script for a Celtics win.

Of course Paul Pierce had a bad night shooting as well. But he is a guard/forward those nights can happen because he is taking jumpers and is being guarded a lot by Kobe Bryant. But you Kevin, your 7 feet tall last I checked. No one shot more jump shots last night than you, Kevin. And I’m not talking about 10 footers you were out on the perimeter shooting so many jumpers I thought you were Sam Cassell. Just to remind you again, you are 7 foot. Get down on the box and go to work on below average defenders Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. Even if your not scoring being down on the box will cause both big and small double teams. So even if you miss on the box it gives Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe and PJ Brown a chance to get rebounds on the weak side. And when they double with guards it can get open looks for Allen and Pierce if the ball is swung properly. I don’t really understand why the Lakers are double-teaming you. Right now if I was the Lakers I’m leaving you and Rondo open on anything 15 feet and out. And occasional jump shot in the flow of the offense isn’t a problem. Or even if your shooting well that night. But you haven’t shot jumpers well since the first half of game 1. Get down on the box and go to work and be aggressive. There is no one on the Lakers front line that can stop you if you’re aggressive on the offensive end.

It may seem like I’m calling you out. I’m not Kevin; I like you as a player. But right in front of you, you have the opportunity to move into the conversation of top power forwards of all-time. Your contemporary, Tim Duncan, lives down on the block. Occasionally he does shoot jumpers, but mainly he is on the block. Because down there you influence the other teams defense and get to the foul line. And to be spoken in the same sentence as the greats your going to have to get buckets and have a bigger influence on your team on the offensive end. Defensively your team is controlling the Lakers, but offensively unless it is Leon Powe there is no inside scoring. But c’mon Kevin if Pow or Powe can dominate in the paint against the Lakers, why can’t you?

And do all sports fans a favor and be aggressive on offense if for no other reason to shut up Skip Bayless who calls you Kevin “Garnott.”

Thanks in advance for your consideration,

Blackballsports.com