Today In Hoops – News and Commentary From The World of Basketball

My Pick For The Winner of the 2008 NBA Dunk Contest

cmhoops14 — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:31:29 +0000

First of all, I need to go back to last year. I strongly believe, along with millions of other people, that Dwight Howard got screwed over big time by the judges on his “sticker dunk.” That was the most original dunk I have seen in several contests and Howard did not receive any support from the judges.

Once Howard was out of the picture due to poor judging, Gerald Green took over and won the contest. Green’s dunks were good, but I think that Howard would have given him quite a challenge. Plus, I don’t like Gerald Green’s attitude or the way he plays…so there!

So, Dwight Howard is my pick for this year.

I found a pretty cool video that shows the practice sessions for last years dunk contest. The video includes dunks that Dwight didn’t even get a chance to do. Check it out.

How Good Can the Lakers Be?

cmhoops14 — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:14:56 +0000

With the aquiring of Pao Gasol, the Los Angeles Lakers look to me to be a serious contender now in the Western Conference. Though they may see some immediate success with the addition of Gasol, I think the true potential of the Lakers will be reached once Andrew Bynum returns. With Bynum, the Lakers will have two of the best big men in the conference as well as the best player in the NBA…chant with me now…KOBE! KOBE!

The Lakers are currently 2.5 games behind the Phoenix Suns for the lead in the Pacific Division and are 5th overall in the Western Conference. They have won 2 in a row and I would not be surprised to see them climb up to the third or fourth spot on the conference before the season ends.

Gasol will make his first appearance with the Lakers tomorrow night against the New Jersey Nets. Lakers fans should be pretty excited!

The Best Dunk of All Time…Not What You May Think

cmhoops14 — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 20:37:36 +0000

Ok, the debate over the best dunk of all time will never be decided with a winner. Opinions range from Vince Carter’s dunk over that 7 footer in the Olympics to MJ’s foul line dunk in the 1984-85 dunk contest.

As usual, I had to pick something a little different for my best dunk of all time. If you have not yet seen the video below, you need to as soon as possible. This video features Tom Chambers dunking over the Knick’s Mark Jackson. On the YouTube description, this slam is identified as the “Most Devastating Dunk In The History of The NBA.” I have watched this so many times and it still amazes me how high he gets. Try pausing the video when Chambers gets to his highest point. Enjoy!

Most Odd NBA Jersey Numbers Of All Time

cmhoops14 — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 20:22:02 +0000

A player’s jersey number is something that is very important in the way they are identified. Fans get accustomed to a player having a certain number and any changes to this can be very disapointing to them. The main example I can think of with this is when Kobe Bryant changed his number from 8 to 24. People seemed to be outraged, but why? It is just a number after all.

When trying to think of a couple really off the wall jersey numbers, two immediately popped into my head.

The first of these was the number 73 jersey that Dennis Rodman wore while playing for the Lakers. What possessed him to have this number is beyond me. He had worn the number 70 previously which is also kind of strange.

The second that came to mind was the number 66 jersey that Scot Pollard currently wears for the Boston Celtics. Pollard is quite the character. He has played for 5 teams in and is now in his 11th year in the League. Maybe all that moving had some sort of effect on his judgement? Pollard has always had a knack for the unique.

I’m sure there are some other funny jersey numbers, but these are just the ones that came to me first. Leave a comment with your favorite odd jersey number.

Lakers Short Shorts

cmhoops14 — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 17:57:05 +0000

The way the Los Angeles Lakers played last night wasn’t very entertaining, but their attire during the first half sure was. The Lakers wore not only throwback jerseys (very common in the NBA), but they also donned the old school short shorts. I almost couldn’t believe my eyes when I turned on the game.

Despite how many may think, I thought it was a pretty good look for many of the Lakers players. Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant pulled off the look well, while big goons like Andrew Bynum and Kwame Brown looked plain old silly.

I wonder if this new trend of short shorts on throwback nights will continue in the League. I think it would be pretty neat if other teams caught on as it brings back an old look that has been gone for many years.

The Celtics Are Truly Impressive

cmhoops14 — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 06:00:13 +0000

As my first post on this new blog, I would like to talk about my beloved Boston Celtics. The C’s had an unbelievable game tonight and totally dominated the Los Angeles Lakers. The final score was 110-91.

When I heard that Boston was getting Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, I knew it would be a special season. I never thought, however, that after 29 games, the C’s would be 26-3. The opening run to the season has suprised not only me, but all of the basketball world.

I think the key to what makes the Celtics so good, besides of course the “Boston 3 Party”, is their bench play. Eddie House and James Posey are the X factors for this basketball team. They play with a consistency that all coaches dream of. Both are seasoned veterans and this leadership off the bench should be a great influence on younger guys such as Glen Davis.

Just a short post about the game…these west coast games are killing me since I live on the east coast. The Celtics finished their west coast swing 4-0. Pretty impressive.