No Time For Move Fakin'

Before each season, there are questions that arise that lovers of the hoops are curious to see how they'll be answered. There is also a group of players who have clouds of doubt hovering about them. I'm going to list a few of them, in no particular order. Some of them you know, some of them you will read perplexed as to why I'd question anything about them. Rookies and other young players do not qualify for listing since there is skepticism around them by default. If you're still with me, the list begins after the random picture...

Gilbert Arenas. I figured I'd start with someone predictable. Everyone knows Gilly's shoe pusher, Adidas, has a slogan titled, "Impossible Is Nothing." Gilly has taken that and put his own spin on it by switching his jersey number for "Nothing"—by the mathematics-based property of substitution. Well, after two years of knee problems and still receiving that max contract bread, he'd better be down to take on the impossible. It isn't a matter of him performing, because when he was last healthy, Arenas averaged the same numbers D-Wade had this past season—with two other 20-point scorers on his team. However, his Wizards team has fallen back to the pack and it will take a supreme effort for them to overtake the Crabhammers, the new all-Black Celts, and Orlando (sorry, no clever nickname for them). Shoot, it'll take more than an average performance for Washington to beat Atlanta. We'll see if Gilbert still has a few tricks up his quirky sleeves.

The "Baby" Bulls. Since about the middle of this decade, Chicago has been one of those young teams on the cusp of being a real contender once they, "grow up." In fact, it's not too long ago that they were co-favorites to win the Eastern Conference. Now it's the end of said decade (weird, huh), and those Bulls are in the same position they were. Kirk Hinrich is almost 30 and he's still grouped in with the young guys. It seems that Derrick Rose knows how to perform in the postseason and wants to be a real threat in May-June. Yes, Vinny Del Negro is a terrible coach, but the fact that team is still "young" is management's fault. Oh, can some psychiatrist get it into Tyrus Thomas' head that he is NOT a jump shooter? And somehow pass the tape of that to Josh Smith in ATL? Thanks.

Vince Carter. Vince's mixture has been diluted with more human and less supernatural. No longer 1/2 man, 1/2 amazing, Carter is coming off his most complete season. Because the Nets were a young team, he was forced into the role of veteran leader; a position he had shunned in Toronto and didn't have to fill while Kidd was in Jersey. Now, Vince finds himself in the scenario that Allen Iverson was in when Denver traded for him. Orlando is hoping to pair Vince with their young superstar in hopes of overcoming that championship hurdle. The Magic need him to provide an element they were missing from last year's Finals team. Carter, even as he loses his uncanny lift, is still a scoring savant—when he's motivated. And even now, once a game, he can call forth that supreme ability and give watchers a glimpse into divinity. As long as he stays focused on basketball, Vince will be a bigger asset to the Magic Kingdom than Mickey Mouse...or at least Donald Duck.

Every significant player from the '05 Draft not named Chris Paul, Deron Williams, or Danny Granger. Aside from the aforementioned players, this entire draft is on the hot seat. Paul and Williams further build HOF legacies by the game, and Granger looks to be an All-Star for years to come. But it's the rest of the draftees—the Blatches, the Marvin Williams, the Boguts—that need to become more vital to their teams. This will be those players' fifth season in the Association, and they are reaching the point where their respective teams are no longer waiting on them to develop and want to see more consistent and productive results. Even Monta Ellis has to have somewhat of a rebound year after an ankle injury. Paul and Williams are the cream of the '05 crop, but those other players should increase their output, or be reduced to throw-ins for trades. Right, Raef Lafrentz?

Lebron James. You may be thinking, "What does Lebron have to prove?" If you're not, then you're probably a Kobe fan and walk around mindlessly saying, "Four Rings," or "Crab Dribble." Anyway, Lebron does have something to prove. He's had sort of a rocky off-season in some people's eyes, and his reputation has taken a bit of a hit. He has nothing to do on the basketball court other than win a title, and that doesn't have to necessarily happen since he's still less than halfway through his career and at least four years away from his prime. I'm sure all of the disappointment some people feel will go away with his first highlight-reel move.

I'm sure there are a few more players in which this is a make-or-break season for them. Leave them in the comments.

Peace.

In Search of Yang...or Yin: Part Seven

For Part Six, I shed a little insight on the Gift and Curse that is Michael Jordan's career and his perfect balance of yin and yang. To be honest, I thought about not including the subject matter for this Part Seven as part of the series; but the bond between these two players is too strong...and too perplexing to me at some points of it. More after the random picture...

At the very beginning of the series, I recognized that Chris Paul and Deron Williams are the premier point guard yin/yang pairing in the Basketball Realm. The consensus is that with Paul's guidance of the Hornets to the near-top of the West last season and Williams' injuries and slow start this season, he has surpassed Williams and is the better player. But Deron is closing the gap was between them; however wide it may be. But here's the interesting twist to their relationship: Paul, by most accounts, is a top-10 player while Williams isn't even mentioned in the discussion.

But why is that so? I'm guilty of it, too. I can name ten players who I confidently believe are better than Williams, and that doesn't include Paul. I won't do it here in the post, but I will if asked to do so in the comments. Let's get back to Williams. His stats are very comparable to Paul's, minus CP3's gaudy steal numbers. His jumper is more feared, and can get into any spot on the floor he desires--with the size to withstand more contact in the lane. He even appears to be the only player in the world that puzzles Paul, and trumps Paul in head-to-head matchups when their two teams meet. Yet it's Williams who's seems to be that guy that just can't seem to get his name into the conversation of the Association's elite, where Paul is firmly entrenched, even though he compares favorably to his New Orleans counterpart.

It can't be because he's in Utah. Stockton-to-Malone, and even Williams' teammates--Kirilenko and Boozer--have received their share of recognition despite being in Salt Lake City. Plus, he is at worst the unqestioned second-best point guard in the League, despite Tony Parker and Chauncey Billups' best efforts. But somehow, he can't usurp Paul in the minds of the majority.

To me, I reference the mainstream juxtaposition of Lebron and Kobe. I wrote that Lebron is the deity blessed with limitless gifts and given the Basketball Realm since his inception. Kobe is that lone warrior, the samurai that spends time in the wilderness sharpening his mind and footwork, down to the degree of spin needed for his pivot foot. He is naturally infallible, but a flawless human. This is how some may see Paul and Williams. Paul seems to be the floor general that others love to follow because he has a certain regal aura about him. It's as if he was born to lead men; born to dribble off screens and throw lobs to rolling big men. This isn't to say that Williams isn't gifted; but maybe people don't see him as the transcendent player in the way they see Paul. To them, Williams is great, but doesn't quite have that godly presence. That maybe Williams was able to come across the Super Soldier Serum, but while it's amazing, it isn't the Power of the Gods that Paul possesses.

One thing that Paul does have over Williams is that he is a symbol of hope to an entire city. Paul came to New Orleans in the season of Katrina, while The Jazz had been a staple of NBA consistency for going on two decades, with the only setback being the year before D-Will was drafted. That may add to Paul's mystique. He's the leader of a team of a city so decimated by tragedy and managed to lead them into Western Conference contention. The Jazz have been blandly consistent. Even Stockton-to-Malone used the most simple play in Basketball. There was no flash, no flare. It was all substance and very little style. I don't know why, but Williams gets boxed in by this blandness, even though his game is far from it.

This brings me back to the oddity of their yin/yang relationship. Everyone knows in math that if a > b and b > c, then a > c. So let's say that a is Williams is better than Paul, and b is that Paul is a top-10 player in the Association. Then that must mean that Williams is at least among the top 10 as well, right? This is the nature of their connection. It's on a level beyond mathematical comprehension, and regardless of where one elevates the level of point guard play, he can't leave the other and become vastly superior. Even though I side with Paul over Williams, I get the sense that Williams is forcing his way into everyone's conscience—demanding that he will get the respect that his counterpart already garners.

Peace.

RE: Infatuation

Ever since 1996, one player has ruled the "my favorite basketball player" section of the chaos dimension that is my sports heart; and that player is Allen Iverson. On the court, The Answer is the basketball embodiment of every positive character trait I strive to have. He's diminutive by professional athlete standards; but possesses the heart and willpower of an immeasurable level. That tenacity allows him to equal and sometimes surpass the on-the-court production of his taller peers (third all-time in career points per game average). Then, to add to that, he does everything his own way. Braids, tattoos, and "inner city urban youth" swagger. To put it bluntly, he just doesn't give a...you know. For twelve years, AI has ruled my chaos dimension with a permanently inked fist; and I felt there would be no one—not even His Airness—that could overthrow him. I mean, Timmy has his fundamentally sound place in the kingdom, but I can't relate to being seven feet tall...and boring. The Black Mamba has garnered my respect, but it's more out of basketball awe than adoration. But suddenly, there is another. A young king that is slowly moving in on Iverson's territory. That man is Chris Paul.


Few players have captivated my attention to the point where I watch every second that he has the basketball. Steve Nash as maestro of the Phoenix Suns at the height of their offensive brilliance—yes, that window is closed—is the most recent example of how one man can have an entire game on puppet strings. It's as if Nash is so intelligent he is mentally three steps ahead of the defense, despite being a step slower physically; and the result is poetry in motion. Chris Paul has that same intellect, and the athletic gifts as well. So it appears he's four or five steps ahead of the other team. A prime example of this is what he did to Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks in this recent first-round series. Avery Johnson may still be a "young" coach, but I think he knew that stopping Paul was priorities one through three. But that's just it. CP3 made it look as if the Mavericks' game plan was to stop the other players on the court; and let him have free roam. The result: four Hornets' wins in five games, and Avery's looking for employment.


Chris Paul's pure talent isn't the reason why he's challenging Allen Iverson for supremacy of my basketball heart. I mean, Jason Kidd was a wizard of a floor general, and so is Andre Miller. What allows him to even have a place in this dimension in the first place is his on-the-court leadership and swagger. He's not brash or boastful, but walks with a air of self-confidence that only true leaders carry. He has a demeanor...like a king. The difference between his leadership and, say, Kobe's is that it seems Paul's teammates follow him willingly; whereas the rest of the Lakers follow Kobe out of fear. I believe that Chris Paul would still be cherished and still be the unquestioned leader of the Hornets if his stats were cut in half. He has that much presence, and it seems that people flock to him and his players want to play better because he gives them the support and direction a great leader provides. I know the other players are talented on their own; but it seems they're performing better than they would under a lot of the other leaders around the league.

Chris Paul is beginning to destroy and rebuild the regime that Allen Iverson has constructed for the past twelve years in the basketball section of my sports heart. He hasn't completely overtaken The Answer's throne yet, but the empire is beginning to shake at its foundation. It reminds me of what The Roots, D'Angelo, J-Live and others (links probably NSFW: explicit language) have done to my musical tastes...But that's for another writing space—not for Fundamentally UnSound. Part of me wants to see him conquer Timmy and the Spurs, simply because it would provide more ammunition needed to overthrow Iverson. Hmm...apparently my chaos dimension is welcoming this change. It'll be interesting if the transformation will complete. For now, AI, you have company.


Peace.