2012 NBA FINALS: I Hope Lebron Wins the 2012 NBA Championship

It's been a while since my last post.  I've been in recovery mode--you see, this post-season has been tough for me as a fan.  First off, my beloved Lakers went down without much of a fight and the road to rebuilding a championship team anytime soon seems like a long-shot.  Regardless, I love the Lakers and will continue to suffer through the heartbreak for seasons to come.  Pau Gasol is most likely out, Kobe Bryant will continue to decline, the point guard issue remains unresolved, and I still hate Mike Brown. Then, the Celtics just didn't have enough gas left in the tank to make it to the Finals.  It saddens me because this squad had so much heart, and it's safe to say the Big 3 (or 4 depending on who you ask) Era is over.  Ray Allen will most likely not be in Boston next season, and the futures of Garnett and Pierce seem a bit dubious.  Anyways, let me stop before I start crying about the end of my teams' dominance.


OBVIOUSLY I ALWAYS WANT THE LAKERS TO WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP, but since it wasn't going to be them, I wanted the Celtics to win it (yeah, yeah I know all about the rivalry, but this 2012 team had so much heart, I wanted them to have a final hoorah), then the list dropped off and I was unsure who I wanted to win.  Well, I finally decided, and I'm not going to pick a team, I'm going to pick a player...Lebron James.  I can't friggin stand the Miami Heat.  I hate everything about them--their coach, their team colors, Wade, Bosh, their entire bench, their fake ass fans, etc.  But I (somewhat) like Lebron. 

He's undoubtedly the greatest active basketball player and his fault is being too unselfish.  Seriously.  He needs to step up and lead this team already.  Who gives an eff about Wade's ego?!?  It's Lebron's team now!  Spoelstra's game plan for every single game should look like this:  ALWAYS PASS THE BALL TO LEBRON.  If LBJ unselfishly passes the ball to you, you better pass that ball right back to him and encourage him to shoot it.  You should always try to facilitate for Lebron.  Don't even think about taking the last shot (I'm talking to you Mario Chalmers).  If you see somebody is about to foul Lebron, you better step in between them and absorb the hit.  If Lebron is falling you better hurl your body to the floor to soften his landing. Basically, this whole team should revolve around Lebron.  If the Heatles follow this game plan to the tee, the 2012 Championship is all but guaranteed.

I'm sick and tired of hearing all the criticism and psychoanalysis of LBJ.  Can he just win a championship already so that ESPN's NBA writers can stop writing the same story over and over again?  I'm sick of reading the same thing written by five different writers questioning Lebron, his dedication, his psyche, his elbow, etc.  Once he wins these same writers will be saying how great LBJ is, the MJ comparisons will begin, and...wait a minute I'm still going to be reading the same thing written by five different writers damnit!


As a Kobe fan, there is some ulterior motive behind my desire for LBJ to win the 2012 title...Kevin Durant is simply too young.  It scares me to think that he'll win his first championship at 23, this young OKC team will remain intact and dominate for years to come.  I DO NOT WANT KEVIN DURANT TO SURPASS KB24 IN CHAMPIONSHIPS.  I have more faith in KD & the Thunder to do this than LBJ & the Veteran Minimum Heat.  It scares me for the sake of Kobe's legacy.  Ironically, my love for Kobe is the main reason I want LBJ to win the 2012 NBA Championship.  So, go Heat!


***CONGRATS TO THE LA KINGS FOR WINNING THE STANLEY CUP!  THE PARADE WAS BORING, BUT IT WAS AWESOME TO SAY I WAS THERE!***


PS RAJON RONDO COMPLETELY DOMINATED THIS POST-SEASON!  THOSE GASOL-RONDO OR BYNUM-RONDO TRADES I PROPOSED AREN'T LOOKING SO FOOLISH NOW HUH??!

Metta World Peace and the Infamous Elbow Throw

Last night's Laker game can be looked at in two ways--a great win or a great loss.  I choose to look at it as the former because I am biased Laker lover.  Can you believe they came back from down 18 in the 4th quarter against OKC?!!?!  Honestly, I hate to admit this because it's going to seem like I have no faith in this squad (SIDE NOTE: Can you blame me?..This is a team that had Steve Blake, Jordan Hill, and Devin Ebanks on the floor in double OT), I had turned the game off when they were down by like 14, thinking it was over.  Then, lo and behold, we're going into OT! How the hell did that just happen was all I could think!  The answer, none other than KB24.  How dare I ever undermine KB24's crunch time abilities??!  Never again! It was a GREAT victory against arguably the best team in the West. 


...BUT we can't escape the realities of what happened. MWP threw a nasty elbow at James Harden (WATCH HERE).  It was 100% uncalled for and I can't believe it happened.  Excuse my language, but WHAT THE FUCK METTA WORLD PEACE?!?!  There's only 1 game left in the regular season and the playoffs are less than a week away!  The team needs everyone AND METTA HAD ACTUALLY BEEN PLAYING GREAT AS OF LATELY.  Unfortunately there are no excuses for his stupid action, and he deserves whatever suspension is handed to him (whether it's a few games or the entire playoffs).  Here's what worries me--will MWP's absence be detrimental to the team (ie. round 1 ouster)?  If not, will MWP be mentally and physically stable/dependable when he's done serving his suspension?  The Lakers championship hopes (YEAH, THERE ARE CHAMPIONSHIP HOPES FOR THE LAKERS YOU NON-BELIEVERS) depend on the answers to these questions.  Here's to hoping...

Random: Post-Spain Vacation

I just got back from Barcelona, Spain yesterday and I must say, I friggin love Barcelona! It's so pretty, the guys are super hot, people dress well, and the public transportation is amazing! There are downsides -- the food isn't the greatest and people smoke a lot. BUT overall, I love it <3

Which brings me to the question, what cities/provinces have you all traveled to and/or lived in? And how do you all like it?

ALSO, I CANNOT BELIEVE THE LAKERS TRADED DEREK FISHER :( NO LOYALTY WHATSOEVER..SUCH A SHAME.

Recap: Lakers-Heat... & Rajon Rondo

Yesterday was a good day for the NBA (well, in my biased NBA world).  My Lakers finally pulled out a meaningful win (how meaningful will be elaborated upon), and my fave point guard in the NBA, Rajon Rondo, absolutely dominated.  Let's take a look back on the Laker game & the star of the C's-Knicks game, Rajon Rondo.


Lakers-Heat  93-83


It seems like the Lakers were finally all on the same page this game.  From the start (well from the start that they started playing it on ABC since the C's went into OT), the Lakers seemed intent on winning this game.  They were working in the paint, Kobe had a hot hand, and they were actually making Miami work for their buckets.  This continued throughout the game, as Gasol & Bynum combined for 23 rebounds, Kobe scored 33 on 14-23 shooting, and the Lakers held Miami to 37.5%.  Ohh, and I forgot to mention that Metta World Peace actually put in some work!!  Seriously, he actually looked like he was (almost) worth the $6.9 million the Lakers are paying him this year.  I was thrilled throughout the game from beginning to end, but then I started thinking did the Lakers win because D-Wade fouled out and Bosh didn't play?


Obviously, I'm no clairvoyant and I can't answer that question with absolute certainty, but I honestly think they may have only been able to pull out a win because of those two reasons.  Bosh takes a lot of slack because he's playing with 2 of the best players in the league (LBJ & Wade), but he is a difference maker.  He matches up well with Gasol and gives the Heat an inside presence that they lack otherwise.  I think if you add him to yesterday's game that would have easily decreased Gasol's rebounds and added enough points to Miami's scoring to win the game.  They could have won without Bosh, but when D-Wade fouled out with about 5 minutes left in the game, I knew the Lakers had it in the bag.  Now, I know Wade wasn't having a great shooting night, but he is still a presence on the field and the Lakers have to worry about guarding him.  With him out of the game, the only player to worry about, and even think about doubling, is LBJ.  I'm not saying Wade would have saved the game, but it would have made a difference.


I honestly hope I'm wrong and that this win wasn't just a fluke, but I'm way too scared to get my hopes up at this point in the season.  I know I should have more confidence in my team, but I just don't think they can do it with so much dependence on Kobe to shell out 30+ points a night.  Not to mention the fact that Metta World Peace is one of the spottiest players ever and can't be relied on.  I still think the Lakers need to make a move before the trade deadline...which brings me to our next topic, the C's-Knicks game.


Rajon Rondo: Celtics-Knicks 115-111 


This was such an awesome game.  The C's were up, the Knicks were up, the C's went back up, then the Knicks seemed like they were going to take it, but then Paul Pierce made that 3 to send it into overtime and the C's managed to win it!  The real story here though was Rajon Rondo.  Boy did he do work! 18 points, 17 rebounds, and 20 assists.  You read right, 18 points, 17 rebounds, and 20 assists!!  He just dominated this game in every which way he could.  It was his way of telling Danny Ainge, EFF YOU!  
...But you know what, I say let's let Danny be Danny.  Trade Rajon to the Lakers for Bynum or Gasol (preferably Bynum because I still think Gasol is superior to Bynum).  We all know that the C's don't appreciate Rondo.  I'll even go as far as to say the league doesn't truly appreciate Rondo and his abilities.  But that's okay, because here in Lakerland, Rondo's skills won't go unappreciated.  I, a Lakers fan, can appreciate a PG who is averaging 14.3 points, 10.2 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game.  These stats at around $10.5 million a year are more than enough to tolerate his poor free-throw shooting and bad attitude.  Rondo is what the Lakers need to make a push for a title this year, which is why I say to Danny Ainge, do it, you know you want to trade Rondo, so work out a deal with Mitch Kupchak already.


***NOTE: I'd take D-Will for Bynum over Rondo for Bynum.

Rajon Rondo Suspended For Two Games

Quick question... how in the world did Rajon Rondo receive a 2-game suspension for throwing a ball at the ref (sounds way worse than it really was -- check it out here for yourself) after Kevin Love received a 2-game suspension for stomping on Luis Scola's head (was just as bad as it sounds -- check out the video here)??  These incidents do NOT warrant equivalent suspensions... I'm starting to think the league has a bone to pick with the C's.  It's a shame because the next two games are against the Mavs and OKC, and without Rondo the C's have no chance.

Should the Lakers' management say whether they're trading Pau Gasol or not?

After the Lakers' pathetic loss to the Phoenix Suns tonight, Kobe Bryant stated, “I wish management would come out and either trade [Pau Gasol] or not trade him."  As a Laker fan, I understand Bryant's frustrations with the team -- they currently stand 5th in the Western Conference, but 8th ranked Portland and 9th ranked Denver are both only 1.5 games behind.  Am I suggesting that it is a possibility that the Lakers will not make the playoffs this year?  No, but how did a team go from 2nd ranked in the Western Conference last year to struggling to maintain the 5th spot this year?  I just don't understand how the team has plummeted ever since last year's 2nd round playoff series against the Mavericks.  Anyways, back to the subject at hand -- should management openly declare its intentions to keep or trade Pau Gasol?


I'm sorry Mr. Bryant, but I think absolutely not!  I think the team should certainly consider trading Gasol before the deadline, but to openly declare such would be detrimental to the team.  Gasol certainly isn't as emotional as Lamar Odom, but if the Lakers organization tells him he's certainly on the trade block it would negatively impact his game.  Gasol has declared his loyalty and desire to stay with the Lakers on numerous occasions, could you imagine what it would do to his spirits if the team he loves openly states they want him out?  I know what many are thinking -- the Lakers already declared their desire to oust him during the CP3-Trade-That-Wasn't, but I think, for the most part, Gasol has been able to move past that. 


At the same time, I feel bad for Gasol.  Yeah, it's pretty hard to feel bad for somebody making upwards of $18 million per year, but it must really suck not knowing where you're gonna be by the end of the season.  His loyalty to the Lakers, and the fact that he brought two championships to the team, makes me question if the Lakers should let him know (NOT THE PUBLIC) exactly where he stands with the organization.  The NBA is a business, and players are essentially tradeable assets (unless you're KB24 or Joe Johnson with a no-trade clause), but something about leaving a player like Gasol in limbo just doesn't sit well with me.

BTW, if it came down to it, I'd keep Gasol over Bynum...but that'll be discussed further in a future post :)

Vinny Del Negro: Why is he still the Clippers' head coach?

Originally, I was going to write about Rajon Rondo's amazing triple-double performance yesterday against the Chicago Bulls (yeah, I know Rose wasn't playing, but that doesn't take away from Rondo's stellar-ness).  Could you imagine how GREAT he'd be playing with Kobe?? Ughhh my dream is never gonna happen, so let's move on to the subject at hand... Vinny Del Negro.


VINNY DEL NEGRO


Tonight's Clippers game versus the Mavericks was pretty good.  The Clippers had a chance to win the game with Blake Griffin's steal, but nobody called the time out and Caron Butler missed the 3-pointer that would have given the Clippers the lead.  So, who's fault was this?  Certainly any of the players on the floor could have called a timeout, but in the heat of the moment I can see why they failed to do so.  On the other hand, Vinny Del Negro SHOULD HAVE CALLED THAT TIMEOUT!  It frustrates me to watch the Clippers because they have all the pieces to be the Miami Heat of the Western Conference.  Don't get me wrong, I'm a true Laker fan, but I love watching good basketball regardless of who's playing and I would love to see the Clippers dominate.  Blake Griffin is a beast who sacrifices his body on just about every play (probably not the wisest choice for somebody who missed an entire season with a knee injury, but you gotta respect it), CP3 is one of the best point guards in the league, and they have a roster full of possible role players.


Vinny Del Negro just annoys the heck out of me.  If he isn't good enough to coach Derrick Rose, what made the Clippers organization decide that he is worthy of coaching Blake Griffin and CP3??  Anytime I watch the Clippers playing a close game, I can pretty much be assured the Vinny Del Negro is going to screw up ANY CHANCE the Clippers have to win the game.  He just doesn't seem to know what to do -- whether it's not calling a time out, not fouling, fouling too late, playing Griffin WAYY too long (seriously, he can't play all 48 minutes of every game), or just calling a bad play, Del Negro just can't seem to get it right.  I don't know if the high expectations suddenly imposed upon the Clippers after they acquired CP3, Butler, Billups, and K-Mart just got to him, but he needs to be replaced if the Clippers are ever going to win a championship. 

I'm convinced that a good (not even great) coach is the only thing keeping the Clippers from winning a championship this season. The Clippers organization has already shelled out a bunch of money on their revamped roster, why not spend a little more to buy Del Negro out and hire somebody else? Who should they hire?  I have no clue, but Del Negro has to go.

And because I can't help but vent about my beloved Lakers...A QUICK WORD ON MIKE BROWN
Now I would never go as far as to blame the thus far horrible Lakers season on Mike Brown, but I don't think he should have ever been hired.  Why would they completely snub Brian Shaw and choose Mike Brown as their head coach?  Seriously, can anybody answer this question???  It's been said before, and I'll say it again -- if he's not good enough to coach Lebron, what makes him good enough to coach Kobe?  Yeah, I know Mike Brown had a couple of great regular seasons in Cleveland, but the regular season means nothing to the Lakers.  THEY DON'T PUT UP CONFERENCE BANNERS IN THE STAPLES CENTER, ONLY CHAMPIONSHIP BANNERS!  And guess what?  Mike Brown has never won a championship!

The Rajon Rondo Trade

So, now that I've recovered from my depression over last night's Laker game I can actually write a post.  What's today's subject?  None other than "The Rajon Rondo Trade".  This trade would bring the best point guard in the league, Rajon Rondo, over to the Lakers.  Unfortunately, the Lakers would also have to soak up Jermaine O'Neal's contract too, but it's certainly worth the baggage.  There are two possible trades that I think would be fair and plausible, so let's go through both.

TRADE OPTION # 1

Rajon Rondo and Jermaine O'Neal for Pau Gasol

NUMBERS:

Rondo -13.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 9.5 assists      ($10.05 million; 4 years)
O'Neal - 5.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 0.4 assists      ($6.23 million; 1 year)
Gasol - 16.7 points,  10.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists   ($18.71 million; 3 years)

MY OPINION:

In all honesty, I think this is a good trade for both teams.  If we're talking money, the C's are at $18.71 million for this trade, while the Lakers are at $16.27 million for this trade. It's no secret that the Lakers are in need of a point guard -- let's be real here Steve "The Spottiest Laker" Blake and poor ol' D. Fish just aren't cutting it.  Kobe is still amazing, but imagine how amazing he could be if he didn't have to work so hard to get a shot!  With Rajon Rondo handling the ball, Kobe could find his sweet spot and just wait for those sweet Rondo assists.  Seriously, Kobe is doing so much extra work just to keep this team in the games all because of the lack of a decent point guard.

Now let's talk about what the C's would be getting, Pau Gasol.  Gasol is still putting up great numbers this season despite all of the Laker drama (recall: the CP3 trade that wasn't), and I don't think he's gonna slow down anytime soon.  The Celtics could play him at the 5 spot and have their very own twin towers in KG and Gasol.  No arguments that Gasol is a HUGE upgrade from Jermaine O'Neal.Rondo would be a huge loss to the team, but I think if Avery Bradley were given the opportunity to start, he'd shine in the spotlight.  He's not gonna be Rondo 2.0 overnight, but give him some time.  On that note, would the C's even want Rondo 2.0?  This is the team that tried to trade him for CP3 and  Stephen Curry.  I can see wanting to trade him for CP3 because the guy puts up great numbers and is pretty much a saint, but Stephen Curry??  Really??  The guy's ankles are made of glass and he is NOT an upgrade from Rondo.

All in all, I think both teams benefit from this trade.  The C's get rid of O'Neal and Rondo (yeah, I said get rid of Rondo because that's how much the Celtics organization values him, that they see him as someone they need/want to get rid of) and get a versatile center.  The Lakers part ways with Gasol and get an AMAZING young point guard.

TRADE OPTION # 2

Rajon Rondo and Jermaine O'Neal for Andrew Bynum

NUMBERS


Rondo -13.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 9.5 assists      ($10.05 million; 4 years)
O'Neal - 5.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 0.4 assists      ($6.23 million; 1 year)
Bynum - 16.5 points, 12.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists   ($14.9 million; 2 years)

MY OPINION:

I think this is an even fairer trade considering the youth factor.  Rondo and Bynum are both 25 years young.  This means that they probably have not reached their prime and can still be molded into the players that their teams need.  Again, the Lakers gain the best  point guard in the league, but this time they must give up their coveted center.  It would pain me (and Jim Buss) to see Bynum go, but in all reality Bynum & Gasol do NOT play well together.  Sacrificing one of the two for the betterment of the whole team is something that must be done.  Again, imagine how amazing it would be to see Kobe play with the assist machine, Rajon Rondo!!!! 

As for the C's, they'd LOVE to have Bynum playing at center.  When he's healthy, he's without a doubt the 2nd best center in the league.  His knees are a liability, but this is the same team that blew up their roster last season in hopes of...uhmm I don't know what they were hoping for with that debacle, but you see my point that Danny Ainge loves taking stupid risks.  This is a great risk to take!  If it works, it's awesome, and if it doesn't work, Danny Ainge still gets to keep his job as GM!

Overall, I think this trade is just waiting to be done.  Danny Ainge and Mitch Kupchak needa get on it!

Knicks 92, Lakers 85 FINAL

This game sucked.  I hate Jeremy Lin.  Enough said. 

Can the Rondo & O'Neal for Gasol trade go through already?

UPDATE: Rondo & O'Neal for Bynum please.

Lakers 88, Celtics 87 FINAL

I just finished watching the Lakers-Celtics game on TNT, and I must say it wasn't pretty.  The first half was pretty much a snoozefest filled with some of the sloppiest basketball I've seen all season (no, I never watch two under .500 teams play each other, but you get my point).  The Lakers looked so physically drained the first half that it almost wore me out.  When Rajon Rondo went out on a fastbreak, there was no Laker within a football field of him.  It was pretty friggin' ridiculous.  And what's with Kobe not taking a shot until a few minutes into the 1st quarter?!  Let's get real, Kobe, Pau, and Bynum are the only good players on this Lakers squad.  I know that at some point in the game a Laker other than the three aforementioned has to shoot the ball, but the other 11 members of the team should always be the last option.  Seriously, the rest of the team sucks that much. 


Anyways, back to the game.  Once Kobe realized that his team sucks, he actually started shooting the ball.  This is where things got fun.  He was making impossible shots-- fading left, fading right, making step back jumpers, you  name it and he was making it.  Pau Gasol even woke up and started playing like the All-Star that he is (ohh wait, he's not an All-Star this season -_-).  Andrew Bynum played well too -- grabbing rebounds for those second and third shot opportunities, blocking some shots, and making some shots.

On the Celtics' side of things, Rajon Rondo played like his usual, awesome self.  Seriously, Rajon Rondo IS THE BEST POINT GUARD IN THE LEAGUE.  I cannot believe he wasn't named an All-Star, it's ridiculous.  I will never understand why Rondo doesn't get his due credit.  This guy has been carrying the corpses that are the Celtics for the past three seasons and Danny Ainge still had the audacity to try to trade him??!!  Danny Ainge is a friggin' idiot and should have been fired a longgg time ago. 


...But since Danny Ainge is still the idiot GM he is, I think he should work out a deal with the Lakers.  Seriously.  I used ESPN's nifty Trade Machine to verify that my trade works with all the rules and whatnot, and here's what I came up with -- Rajon Rondo and Jermaine O'Neal for Pau Gasol.  I honestly think this is a fair trade that would benefit both teams.  The Lakers are in dire need of a point guard and since that whole CP3 trade didn't work out (I hate you, David Stern), why not make a move for the best point guard in the league, Rajon Rondo??  And if you're the Celtics, why not let Avery Bradley take over the reins as point guard, let Pau play at the 5 spot, and dump Jermaine O'Neal's contract while you're at it?  It's a win-win situation :))

Well, this blog digressed from a talk about the game to trade talks because quite honestly this game sucked and the two teams playing in it suck.  They both need to make trades ASAP, why not start by making trades with one another?

My name is Jessica.  And I LOVE the NBA.  Really.  I'm totally obsessed with the NBA, I could talk about it all day and night.  I don't get why other girls don't like the NBA, or other professional sports in general.  I'd rather watch a good sports game (even an NFL game..eww I can't believe I just wrote that) over Jersey Shore, Teen Mom, Gossip Girl, or any of those chick shows!  Sports are so entertaining and in this awful economy filled with dreary world news this is exactly what we need -- entertainment!  I'm not saying that ignorance is bliss and that we should ignore what's going on in the world, but sports are going on too and I say we enjoy!

Anyways, I just ranted on about I don't even know what right now so let's get back to the subject at hand... the NBA.  What a great time to be an NBA fan (unfortunately, not a great time to be a Laker fan, but that's a whole 'nother post).  The NBA is awesome right now -- LBJ is doing what LBJ is expected to do (shine for all 47 minutes of the game -- ohh wait the game is 48 minutes long?  I guess he didn't get the memo.), Kevin Durant is having a great season, the Spurs are super old but still hanging in there, Kobe is proving that he has found the fountain of youth, the Celtics are starting to make a comeback, the Clippers are actually having a winning season :O, etc. etc. etc.!  So what gives, why aren't more people (at least people I know) enthused about the NBA?!?!  I NEED to know -- do people just not like basketball?  Are they annoyed by some NBA superstars?  Do "their" teams suck and that's why they're not watching?  What is it people??

Talk to me.  I'm listening.