After The Half

Action/Reaction | Larry Bird vs. Atlanta Hawks bench

simmsj23@gmail.com (After The Half) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 21:04:00 +0000

This is something new that I'll be trying, and it's kind of like my Trash Talker series, but this one is called Action/Reaction. It basically deals with Newton's third law of motion which states "To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction." That being said, most reactions in basketball occur on the bench or in the stands, and maybe in your living room depending on the action that occurred on the court. With the series of posts, I hope to accomplish and showcase the lighter side of the NBA and other leagues around the world by showing you what basketball is really all about.

March 12th, 1985, Lakefront Arena (New Orleans, Louisiana)

ACTION: Larry Bird scored 60 points on the Hawks (22/36 FG, 1/4 3PTS, 7 REBS, 3A, 3TO)

REACTIONS: Atlanta Hawks Bench

You can pick it up at the 5:00 minute mark. I give the reaction to the Hawks bench as they lose it when Bird hits a three that doesn't count after he gets fouled, and then one fan in the stands loses on his buddy by punching him in the arm repeatedly. Oh you ginger!

Here's some music if you find the commentary very 1985: Choir of Young Believers - Action/Reaction

The lesson here is to not react to what the other team is doing unless they are trying to literally kick your ass! Ron Artest reaction coming soon.

Trash Talker | Nate Robinson

simmsj23@gmail.com (After The Half) — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 07:16:00 +0000

I know that little guys like Nate Robinson enjoy talking on the court when they get going and start to feel it. Well our buddy Nate decided to do that against the Milwaukee Bucks, and some nights you just have to shut up when you see things taking a turn. Example, you hit a few baskets in the first quater and finish with 6 points while the guy you were "chirping" went off for 35.

Brandon Jennings vs. Chicage Bulls: 35PTS, 12-24FGM-A, 6AST, 6REB

Maybe you didn't watch this video Super Nate:

Watch out trash talkers, I've got my eye out for you!

Is Derrick Rose Starting Something? Part 1

simmsj23@gmail.com (After The Half) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 16:24:00 +0000

When it comes to the NBA I don't like to compare players b/c each player holds his own strength(s). Derrick Rose is one of those guys where plural applies. If you haven't watched him play live, you probably should. Because I haven't and its probably a pretty good show. Only problem is the Chicago Bulls tend to sell out quick. That doesn't surprise me but what does is how quickly the tickets go. People flock to see this team and guy play because he/most of the team bring it every night. The guy is dominate and he commands the floor. Eyes and ears on D-rose because if you look away, you actually might miss something. It happens to me all the time when I'm watch this freak at home and I look away for a second to check the scores from around the leagues on my ScoreMobile App and BOOM...DUNK!

Kia! We get dunked on!

Product Placement. Learnt it from KIA

Derrick Rose has taken his team above and beyond this year. He has been a part of a number of nationally televised games and has had to work with an injured filled Chicago Bulls roster. I'm not taking anything away from coach Tom Thibodeau who has done an amazing job with the team and is well deserving of the Coach of the Year award but

D-Rose was the guy on the floor making the magic happen. Thibodeau did help the team get the number one spot in the eastern conference but most of the credit has to go to D-Rose. With Carlos Boozer out to start the year and Joakim Noah's finger surgery mid-season, Rose was almost forced to put this team on his back and run with it. Rose had a great cast of players around him like Loul Deng (top 10 NBA in minutes played), Kyle Korver (3-point expert) and Omer Asik (Turkish Thunder). All these guys fit the puzzle the Bulls have been working on for the past 78 games. This team is drawing many comparisons to great teams of the past. One team in particular sticks out...Team comparisons are very common because they give you an idea of how greats teams are suppose to play.

1990-1991 Chicago Bulls

This years Chicago Bulls team is almost identical to the 1990-1991Championship Chicago Bulls team. From Omer Asik playing the role of Will Perdue to Kyle Korver trying to do his best John Paxson impersonation. Scottie Pippen is your Luol Deng and Boozer can be your Horace Grant. We all know who plays MJ in this story. We'll even let C.J.Watson play B.J. Armstrong. Little dudes got to stick together. And finally the piece that usually went unnoticed; Bill Cartwright. The man worked that much harder because he was on a team with that much more talent. Joakim Noah is your Cartwright. He plays to his full potential every night and is one of the best post defenders in the game. He hustles down from both ends of the floor and plays great help defense. He's a verbal motivator and a fan favorite. His hair style might not be something you'd want to get but it does the job for Joakim.

Bill Cartwright

Joakim Noah

Part 2 Coming Soon of the 3 Part Series

Chuck Hayes - Houston Rockets (9th Western Conference)

simmsj23@gmail.com (After The Half) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Born: Jun 11, 1983 Height: 6-6 / 1.98 Weight: 238 lbs. / 108.0Kg. College: Kentucky Years Pro: 5

2010-11 Statistics

PPG 7.6 RPG 7.60 APG 2.4

ON March 23, 2011, Chuck Hayes of the Houston Rockets accomplished a triple double. A rare occasion for any NBA player but somehow this one seems special. You can say I respect this one a bit more than others. I'll get into the whole respect thing in a second. But firstly, Hayes pulled down 14 rebounds, 13 points and 11 assists against the Golden State Warriors last night in Houston (standing ovation for Hayes). And the Rockets won at a time when they really needed it as the Memphis Grizzles (8th in the West) beat the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden. Zach Randolph playing a big part in Memphis's victory as it was announced today that Rudy Gay is out for the season. But here come them Rockets and all their centers (Yao Ming, Hasheem Thabeet, Brad Miller, Jordan Hill and Chuck Hayes) as they carry 5 on their roster. Hard to consider Hayes a center since he's only 6'6". Hayes developed his skills during a stint in the D-league (Albuquerque Thunderbirds) and now has become an everyday player for the Houston Rockets. I'd say this triple-double is well deserved by the 5th year man out of Kentucky. A triple-double that was accomplished with emphasis on team play.....Not what we were forced to consider a triple-double last week when Javale McGee painstakingly crawled his way to one versus the Chicago Bulls. With the Wizards down twenty late in the fourth quarter, McGee was left in the game to tally up two more points to finish with 10 points, 12 rebounds and 12 blocks. In McGee defense, whenever a player puts up more then 3 blocks in a game, I am very impressed but what spoiled the party was how pathetic McGee looked at the end of the game trying to pat his stats. He missed 3-4 shots toward the end of the fourth quarter that reminded me of Shaq's free throws but I'll let you be the judge of that (below). HE eventually completed the triple-double with an huge jam that was called a technical for hanging on the rim. THAT'S HOW EXCITED HE WAS!! "Come on Son!! Com' on!" What are you doin' Javale?!?!?! Have you never watched Dr. J do work?? Class Javale. Class!! Chicks dig guys with Class. You should know that...

Score End of 3rd Q: WASH 58 CHI 73

Conclusion: Well done Chuck Hayes. I respect what you did last night and more importantly you helped your team get the W! I'd buy your D-league Albuquerque Thunderbirds jersey before a Washington Wizards key chain.

BELOW: Chuck Hayes Triple-Double

KOBE: The Legend Continues

simmsj23@gmail.com (After The Half) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 02:49:00 +0000

Kobe Bryant became the 6^th leading scorer in NBA history on Tuesday night. He passed Moses Malone 27,410 and crept closer to catching Shaq’s ever increasing 28,600. The two follow Michael Jordan (32,292), Karl Malone (36,928), and finally Kareem Abdual Jabbar (38,387) who currently holds the NBA scoring title. Kobe passed Moses Malone one week after moving past Elvin Hayes for seventh. He has also topped the scoring totals of Hakeem Olajuwon, Oscar Robertson, Dominique Wilkins and John Havlicek this season. When asked Kobe has downplayed the significance of his climb up the all time scoring list, mostly because his team needs to position themselves well in the postseason for another run at the ring.

To say his climb up the scoring ranks means nothing to Kobe would be inaccurate, it just that it means nothing without the 6^th Ring. The new Gold Standard in NBA Excellence ever since Jordan sealed his Legacy. In the Kobe-Jordan debate, Michael Jordan always takes the cake. Kobe’s chasing his own legacy and yet he’s loathed for this as though he’s undeserving. Kobe’s just striving for excellence the best way he knows how; following the lead of those that went before him. Kobe and Jordan had two very different careers and this is not a fair comparison. I don’t think Kobe’s trying to beat Jordan because he never will. He’s trying to beat Shaq.

Kobe and Shaq both have 1 MVP, Shaq is 4 time Champion: Kobe 5, Shaq is 3X Finals MVP: Kobe 2. Shaq is 3X All Star MVP: Kobe 4. Shaq is 8X All NBA First Team: so is Kobe. The Lakers winning another championship will mean a 6^th Ring, and another NBA Finals MVP. If Kobe doesn’t take the scoring title from Shaq this season he’ll take it early next season.

You’d be mistaken to think Shaq’s not painfully aware of this. He’s saving his best for last in his quest to derail Kobe’s plan and help push the Boston Celtics to their tie breaking championship title. With a championship Shaq would tie Kobe for 5 rings, and would prevent Kobe from claiming another NBA Finals MVP. Only then will Shaq will be able to retire, having humiliated Kobe one last time. Shaq said to NBATV Canada that Kobe has had the most impact on him as a player and he feels their careers are intertwined. Kobe is the one player that fires Shaq up the most.

This years Final is going to be a repeat of last years. It’s going to get ugly. Not only from a bloodthirsty team out for vengeance but for a fading NBA legend who wants nothing more than to stop his greatest competitor. Expect some hard fouls.

The Boys at NBA.com approached Kobe recently and said that if he could keep his scoring average 20+ for the next 5 years he would he be the All Time NBA scoring leader. Kobe’s response: “Maybe I do it in 4 years.” Of course, if Kobe does challenge for the scoring title he’ll be derided for not showing the proper respect to those that came before him. Reality Check: Kobe is the closest thing we’re going to get in this era of the NBA to seeing a player that is even close to Jordan. Lebron hasn’t won a ring yet, and until then doesn’t enter the conversation. Kobe also played against Jordan giving him the best opportunity for learning. Kobe‘s definitely not Jordan though, and living in the shadow of this giant has had people rooting against him his entire career. While everyone criticized, Kobe was at the gym putting in the work that has assured his legacy.

When Jordan was asked who was the best player in the League: “Kobe or Lebron?” Jordan smirked and said point blank: “Kobe.” The video’s on Youtube. In this era of the NBA, Kobe is King and he’s got the accolades to boot. With all the NBA’s major shakeups this past year in NYC, MIA, and NJ, Kobe has been able to able to fly under the radar. They are on nice winning streak right now (minus a recent loss to the Heat) after looking rusty at the ¼ season mark. Come the playoffs nobody will be talking about what’s wrong with the Lakers. The Heat wins mean nothing.

As always Kobe keeps quiet and keeps preparing, working his way through the regular season. This approach is why there is hardly any one talking about Kobe for MVP. Kobe is an MVP caliber player, but the Lakers as a team are so filled out that it’s difficult to see how much he contributes as their leader. In June however, Kobe will be the last man standing with his 3^rd NBA Finals MVP. Derrick Rose has a lock on the regular season MVP award already.

We are witnessing history in Kobe Bryant’s career, the likes of which we may not see for along time after. I personally know a lot of people that are consciously choosing to ignore it. Hater’s are going to hate, but in the end the numbers speak louder than anything else. Kobe has always known this. Kobe is the best player in the world today, even at his age. Look, he knows his body’s deteriorating and that he’s not a kid anymore, but he also knows how to make the necessary adjustments to keep his game at the highest level. All hail the modern King of the NBA!

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My Favorite Kobe story: Kobe was doing a cover for Slam and asked if they could find a black snake for him to pose with. Slam was able to deliver and on the day of the shoot Kobe was like a kid in the candy store. Most people around the shoot were amazed to be spending time around him but all his attention was focused on the Snake and the Trainer. He kept asking questions about the snake, his eyes all lit up. He was half excited, half freaked out. All of sudden the snake lunges at his arm, Kobe barely gets out of the way. “Holy $%^*, you see how fast that thing was! I Just S^&* myself!” Kobe says, his heart racing with a look of disbelief on his face.

Total Minutes Played (March 8th)

simmsj23@gmail.com (After The Half) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 03:56:00 +0000

Love This Game!!

The minutes per game stat is a number that is dominated by the top players in the league, hence the top scorers. As I was shuffling through some of the NBA stats from the current season, I stumbled across a list of the top 10 players who have logged the most total minutes. It is a very strange list of players because half the players aren’t even competing for the playoffs and are just taking away minutes for the rookies who need to develop their game. Here is the top 10 list of players who have played the most total minutes. Ive also added total steals and turnovers for these players to give you a better idea of what they do with/out the ball.

Name	Team	GP	Total Minutes	Steals	Turnovers
Monta Ellis	Golden State	62	2532	139	205
LaMarcus Aldridge	Portland	63	2511	72	133
Loul Deng	Chicago	62	2430	55	121
Blake Griffin	LA Clippers	64	2427	43	174
Dorrell Wright	Golden State	62	2401	87	114
Kevin Love	Minnesota	65	2379	39	143
Pau Gasol	LA Lakers	64	2376	38	114
Lebron James	Miami Heat	61	2342	93	221
Chris Paul	New Orleans	65	2326	154	149
Mike Conley	Memphis	65	2308	111	145

Firstly, lets recognize that Lebron James has played the fewest games out of the ten players listed above but leads the group in turnovers with 3.62 per game.

Second thing I need to point out is that Dorrell Wright should be in the running for the most improved player with the amount of minutes he’s logging while having the fewest turnovers out of the top 10.

The last major point that needs to be addressed is Mike Conley’s minutes. The Memphis Grizzles have seven guards on their roster; Jason Williams, O.J. Mayo, Xavier Henry (rookie), Ishmael Smith (rookie), Greivis Smith (rookie) and Tony “boo-ray” Allen all have great resumes but the chemistry isn’t there with this bunch. Mayo and Allen have been budding heads during the season (boo-ray money). Jason Williams mentorship hasn’t been there for the rookies or for his team. And Lionel Hollins has no idea what the F he is doing with all these guards. Hollins has the great mighty mouse Damon Stoudamire on his coaching staff to develop these young players but yet has a hard time finding minutes for the future guards of this team? (Shake my head in confusion).

RIP MIKE & ET

Notes:

-Chris Paul’s minutes will decrease with the minor concussion that he sustained this past weekend but it’s to be noted that he does lead the NBA in steals (no surprise)

-Loul Deng....I wasn’t expecting Loul to be on this list but once you watch the Bulls play, you quickly see why he logs all those minutes. He is the most versatile guy on the Bulls and can play either the forward or guard positions. I think Loul's minutes have been increased due to Boozer being out for the start of the season and Noah's mid-season thumb surgery.

- Kevin Love (Mr. Double-Double) plays on a very weak team but takes full advantage of the time that he is given. He has proven to the league that he can play heavy minutes, rebound (leads the league), score (great 3pt%) and from time to time can pick your pocket.

-The top two players on this list got snubbed from the All-Star team in my opinion. LaMarcus Aldridge and Monta Ellis are both leaders on their teams and they are two of the top leading scorers in the NBA. Aldridge has made the Blazers a playoff contender while Ellis is slowly becoming less of a selfish player. Ellis’s selfishness is easily conveyed by the amount of turnovers (205) he's given up this year.

-Blake Griffin – He’s a rookie who is playing 38 minutes/game. He plays for the Clippers. He might be their best player and the league’s new favourite player. But he has to do a better job of taking care of the ball. That will come with experience.

Just hangin' Out!

PS. D. Rose for MVP.

MVP Race: The case for Amare Stoudemire

simmsj23@gmail.com (After The Half) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 23:13:00 +0000

I gotta throw a shoutout to my boy Matt T for planting the idea in my head. I’ll admit until now the suggestion was not even a thought in my mind, because until recently I had the Knicks getting knocked out in the second round at best. It’s easy to overlook the fact Amare put the Knicks on his back and has carried them all season. The Knicks have been an after thought in spite of their improved record this year, mostly because all eyes have been focused on the Heat. Then the Knicks got Melo and overnight have become Title contenders.

Let’s review last season: the Knicks gutted their team by shedding all salary commitments and trading away all their draft picks in the hopes of acquiring Lebron. Amare signed, but it was clear that this signing was intended to make the team more appealing to Lebron than it was to establish Amare as the new franchise. When Lebron took his “talents to South Beach,” the Knicks were declared dead in the water and only marginally better than last year’s team that missed the playoffs. And while everyone got excited to hear Chris Paul say that he and ‘Melo should join forces and put together another big 3 in New York, at that point nothing had happened.

Amare could have easily sat back and waited for Melo’s free agency before kicking his game into high gear and started trying to win. Instead he helped the Knicks win enough games immediately that he forced the organization to pursue Melo this season and potentially orchestrate a championship run. I can tell you without a doubt, if the past season did not unfold the way it did Melo would likely still be in a Nugget uniform.

Amare is the perfect franchise leader; it’s already well known that he was the one that convinced Nash to come to Phoenix for a run at a Championship. You know he was the one (not CP3 and not Lala Vazquez) that pushed Melo to state “New York or nowhere.” And now you have a dynamic duo in New York the likes of which Knicks fans haven’t seen since the 90’s. The Knicks are back and the NBA is better for it. New York is definitely the most improved team in the East this season and while I still believe they’ll get knocked out before the Finals, Amare alone deserves credit for this teams turnaround. Their potential is as great if not greater than the Heat because the Heat have their big 3 and still can’t beat the NBA’s elite teams.

Personally, I still favor Derrick Rose for MVP but honorable mention definitely goes out to Amare for bringing it every night and renewing the hopes of Knicks fans everywhere. Amare also gets points for not getting dragged into any of the distractions surrounding his team all season and being a class act all the way.

Deadline Deals: The Breakdown

simmsj23@gmail.com (After The Half) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 16:45:00 +0000

Nets Get: Deron Williams
Jazz Get: Derrick Favors (Rookie), Devin Harris, 2 x 1st Round Draft Picks

Winners: Jazz get the biggest bang for their buck trading Deron, and did so by dealing him quietly. This is the trade the sent the most shock through the NBA world. The Jazz stated they made the move because they did not want to be caught in the same position as the Nuggets, or worse yet wind up the Cavs or the Raptors. The Jazz drop out of the playoffs, but have become an NBA baby factory that creates endless possibilities in the Jazz organization moving forward. The Jazz have now entered the Draft lottery. Could be #1 overall...

The Nets are also winners provided Deron Williams signs his extension next season. If he does they will have a new face for their franchise when they open house in Brooklyn. If he doesn't sign, he'll leave the franchise in shambles opening year in Brooklyn. Let's wait and see.

Knicks Get: Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter and Renanldo Balkman from the Nuggets and Corey Brewer from the Timberwolves.
Nuggets Get: Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Timofey Mozgov, a 2014 1st round draft pick, 2 x 2nd round draft picks, one in 2012 and one in 2013 and cash from the Knicks and Kosta Koufos from the Timberwolves.
Timberwolves get: Eddy Curry and Anthony Randolph from the Knicks.

Winners: Knicks are the ultimate winners here as they get another superstar creating a dynamic duo with Stoudamire in NYC, and with Billups leading them they will make a decent run in the playoffs. Lets hope they can become a well oiled machine by the time they reach the postseason. Timberwolves slightly improve.

Losers: Nuggets are the losers here as they wanted the New Jersey deal as it was the best franchise rebuild package. They had to settle for what they could get, but they still got value for Melo which is really all they could hope for at this point.

Celtics Get: Jeff Green & Nenand Kristic
Thunder Get: Kendrick Perkins & Nate Robinson

Winners: Celtics gain more youth and scoring to compensate and downgrade only slightly on D. This is a mindboggling move as Perkins was the anchor in their D and they kept saying how important it was for them to get him back. I guess they want to outscore their opponents and feel confident in their defense. Can Boston look any better? Thunder gain an anchor for their D to help in the postseason. Their playoff potential has exploded now.
Losers: Nate Robinson who seemed very at home in Boston and really hoped he was on the bus ride to a ring with his all star buddies. Who knows maybe he was more than just a toss in.

Thunder Get: Nazr Mohammad
Bobcats Get: Morris Peterson & D.J. White

Winners: Nazr also makes the Thunder stronger on D. It's going to be exciting.
Bobcats are also winners here, but this move is not significant for them. Mo Pete as much I love him for what he did in Toronto is approaching the end of his career. He was a defensive specialist that was traded for better D. That sends a signal. Bobcats are clearly rebuilding, so don't expect these guys to be around for the long haul.

Bobcats Get: 2 x 1st Round Draft Picks, Joel Pryzbilla, Dante Cunningham
Trail Blazers Get: Gerald Wallace

Winners: Blazers get stronger down low, which is where they've needed it most thanks to Oden. Bobcats have a solid rebuild package now coupled with their own picks. Let's hope MJ doesn't select another Kwame Brown.

Cavaliers Get: Baron Davis & 1st Round Draft Pick
Clippers Get: Mo Williams & Jamario Moon

Winners: Clips gain a young point guard for the young Blake. Jamario Moon moves to his 4th team in 3 seasons. He was the spare part needed to make the deal work.

Losers: Baron Davis and the Cavs. Baron was showing up out of shape in the place he most wanted to be: his Hometown of LA. Known as a guy to only show up for big games, he won't see many in Cleveland. This move makes them even worse. There's no nightlife in Cleveland, Baron's going to go nuts. This was as close to being fired as it can get for Baron, in fact it's worse.

Grizzlies Get: Shane Battier
Rockets Get: Hasheem Thabeet & a 1st Round Draft Pick

Winners: The Grizz get exponentially better and get back a fan favorite and Team Leader. Rockets get 1st Round Pick.

Rockets Get: Goran Dragic & 1st Round Draft Pick
Suns Get: Aaron Brooks

50/50: Rockets get a decent point guard for the future in Dragic and another 1st round pick. Suns get another Point Guard to try to backup Steve Nash now that the Dragic experiment is over. This only slightly mixes things up. Rockets are clearly moving past the Yao era.

Biggest Winners at the deadline: The Knicks acquisition of Carmelo Anthony. The Jazz's rebuilding package that will make them the youngest in the league. The Nets get their all star and the Celts and Thunder fill in their needs for the playoffs.

Biggest Losers at the deadline: The Cavaliers acquisition of Davis. They just went from the worst to even worse. They needed someone to sell those season tickets. The Cavs are still devastated from losing Lebron. This was a desperation move.The Raptors are still hurting after losing Bosh and both franchises were the reasons Melo and D-Will were moved. The Cavs and the Raps have become the cautionary tale in the new NBA run by superstars.

Bosh and the Miami Heat burn Raptors

simmsj23@gmail.com (After The Half) — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 04:18:00 +0000

I was in the stands the night Chris Bosh finally returned to Toronto, the most hyped game of the season in Raptorland. Upon entering the building one couldn’t help but feel the excitement of better days. It was a sellout crowd, only the fourth this year for the Raptors. Raptors fans are an undeniably hardcore fanbase that extend well beyond Canadian borders. They’ve had little to cheer of late.

Damon Stoudamire

The Raptors are once again rebuilding around a young core in Bargnani (Great Offense; No Defense) and DeRozen, who’s still very much the rook (makes a lot of silly mistakes that cost games). Building the team around one player has been the teams consistant downfall.

When we first got our NBA team, it was almost unbelievable that Michael Jordan and his Bulls would be coming to Toronto. The purple dino’s were simply the excuse to get a glimpse of

America

’s basketball elite. Then the Mighty Mouse started lighting up the scoreboard and the hope that we COULD have a good team was ignited. The habitual behaviour of building the franchise around a single player was started with the beloved Damon Stoudamire. When he left soon after Isaiah Thomas exited the front office, fans got their first taste of the franchise player leaving for better opportunities.

Vince Carter AKA Air Canada

Vince Carter is known for putting Toronto on the map with his high flying antics and became dubbed Air

Canada

when the Air Canada Centre was opened in 2000. His contributions overshadowed the play of Tracy McGrady who was a rising star in his own right. McGrady was in Toronto a full year before we drafted Carter, but Vince was shown far more favoritism. T-Mac knew he could be a franchise player in his own right and didn’t want to live in his cousin’s shadow. At his first opportunity he left Toronto for Orlando and was given the franchise player treatment there. It’s sad because to quote Kobe who was winning 3 titles with the Lakers at the time: “If Tracy had stayed in Toronto, we would have been facing Toronto in the finals every year.”

Tracy McGrady

Vince missed the infamous buzzer beater that made him realize he couldn’t lead a team to a championship. Vince needed to play with players better than himself (sound familiar?). The way the Vince debacle played out largely had to do with the fact that the Raptors spoiled him in ways they never have any other player. His mother’s free parking space will forever be a thorn in the organization’s side. Vince’s exit was embarrassing and until Lebron recently eclipsed him, it was one of the ugliest sports departures ever. Vince compounded everything after the fact by saying that he “stopped trying as hard” while playing here.

Chris Bosh was drafted into the organization during Vince’s last season and he witnessed first hand everything that went down. With Vince gone Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment scrambled to make Chris Bosh the franchise as they needed a marketing icon for a team that just lost the greatest player it had ever had.

It took two years for the Raptors to start winning again after a long drought and finally in 06-07 under Chris’ leadership they won their division. When asked what inspired the turnaround Bosh said “We just got tired of all the losing.” This was the apex season in post-Vinsanity era, to bad Vince and the Nets spoiled the party. It still stings.

The Raptors were ousted in 5 games in the first round the following season and they haven’t returned to the post-season since.

It was during these two seasons that Chris Bosh’s leadership propelled the Raptors into the playoffs, and for this he deserves praise. Those two campaigns were inspired but the team was a finesse Raptor team that was not good on defense and lacked grit and toughness. It became clear that Bosh needed another All Star if this Raptors team was going to win.

Rookie Chris Bosh

Bosh was still committed at this point as team captain, but the team failed to land an effective co-captain in Bosh’s remaining two seasons. Last year Chris Bosh stated in the press that if the Raptors were going to be successful they would have to spend what other NBA elite teams were spending. The Raptors demonstrated over a 7 year period that if Bosh returned it would be business as usual and new spending habits were unlikely to occur. Based on these facts, it was widely suspected he would leave; he just got too excited about it for many Raptors fans liking.

I’m glad Chris Bosh left, both for Chris Bosh and the Raptors. Chris is in the perfect situation a player like him needed to win. The Raptors should have traded him while he was hot at the start of last season. According to Colangelo, Chris Bosh indicated at all times that he would re-sign in the offseason, yet he refused to sign an extension until testing the free agency waters. Colangelo was naïve to believe Bosh would resign if this was the message he was communicating to the front office. Now we’re not even going to use the trade exception we got from Miami for him.

Bosh is a forward with an excellent jumper, that can play the post due to his height but is not a physically dominant player. The deficiencies in his game have been put under increased scrutiny since joining the Heat. If Chris had stayed he would have needed a bigger, better, stronger all star to come in. The teams game plan would have also remained running the ball through CB4, a strategy they rarely deviated from. Not anymore. Chris’s exit forced this team to evolve and develop in ways it never would have had he remained. In this sense he did the franchise a favor.

Though the media and Colangelo have tried to vilify him for the Raptors recent woes, CB4 fans could be heard amidst the boo’s. He might be CB1 now, but I saw plenty of CB4 jersey’s in the stands. Chris Bosh knows Raptors fans are one of the best kept secrets in the NBA, but he could also see that MLSE wasn’t committed to winning it all. He’ll never be adored the way he was in Toronto again, but he’s on a contender.

Losing Chris Bosh was a sobering reminder of how far we really are from making a dent in this league with the MLSE in control. The outcome of last night's game and both teams respective standings only reaffirms to Bosh he made the right decision. He was the Raptors to lose, and they lost him. Thank you Chris Bosh for the memories. It was good while it lasted.

All-Star Reserves 2011

simmsj23@gmail.com (After The Half) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 19:11:00 +0000

By: Amil Delic

The NBA All-Star Starters have been announced and my buddy John has weighted in with his picks starters predictions. So i'll be weighing in with my picks for the reserves in fine pre-game fashion. Enjoy my NBA fanatics.

EASTERN CONFERENCE RESERVES (alphabetical order, so east goes first)
(ALL players are shown as to what they might be wearing to the ALL-STAR game in LA Feb 20th, 2011)

Rajon Rondo - Boston Celtics 10.6PPG 4.5REB 12.5AST -bonus for the 3-piece suit and that 20 AST you promised us!

Raymond Felton - New York Knicks 17.1PPG 3.7REBS 8.9AST - added points for the one piece

Paul Pierce - Boston Celtics 19.1PPG 5REB 3.3AST - enough said

Chris Bosh - Miami Heat 18.5PPG 8.2REB 1.8AST - deserves it for being the third wheel. Awkward Chris?

Brook Lopez - New Jersey Nets 19.6PPG 5.6REB 1.4AST - He gives this team hope for the future

Al Horford - Atlanta Hawks 16.1PPG 9.9REB 3.6AST - He stands out in the ATL

Ray Allen - Boston Celtics 17.3PPG 3.6REB 3AST - He's eight 3 pointers shy of tying Reggie Miller all-time 3-point recond of 2560. Nice Job Ray. While shooting .398 from three..thats .003 better than Reggie.

And he might have new MJs for the all star game??

WESTERN CONFERENCE RESERVES

Russell Westbrook - OKC 22.4PPG 5.1REB 8.5AST - His first all-star game, he's excited!

Deron Williams - Utah Jazz 22.9PPG 3.7REB 9.9AST - back problems due to the load that he carries for this Jazz team

Zach Randolph - Memphis Grizzles 20PPG 13.2REB 1.5AST - His nickname ZeBo references the blockbuster flick "Friday". That's pretty cool Ice Cube. And so are you Zebo! Let me think about this one...

Kevin Love - Minnesota Timberwolves 21.4PPG 15.5REB 2.5AST - 20/15, no big deal. "I also sell a men's fragrance on the side" "We're not together"

Blake Griffin - LA Clippers 23.0PPG 12.7REB 3.6AST - I enjoy watching Clipper games and he produces the show NBA ACTION every week.

Monte Ellis - Golden State Warriors 25.1PPG 3.3REB 3.6AST - The Warriors are terrible with him on the floor but he does his time...40+ minutes/game - and he might wear that to the all star game. Hope not!

Lamarcus Aldridge - Portland Trial Blazers 21.3PPG 9.0REB 2.0AST - with everyone out, this guy has stepped up and somehow kept this team in contention. #respect

Pau Gasol as starting Center in place of Yao Ming (Come on China!! Do you not follow the NBA? He didn't Play!)

The Pau and Yao Show! copyrighted 2011 by After the Half

"Yeeaaah!! I have better hair than you!" screams out Pau. "Ohh..Com'on Man! Long hair doesn't look good on me." replies Yao.

Side note; I'm feeling Bosh's baby blue suit! Hope he brings big baby as his date. Nice job supernova! d-uche move Chris Frosh!

HA! NBA fit.. get him 30min/game and we'll see!

Blake Griffin is a Beauty and a Beast

simmsj23@gmail.com (After The Half) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 19:00:00 +0000

By: Amil Delic

What the f* was that? How old is he? Did he just put that dudes head in his crotch? Is he taking passengers on his next flight? These are the questions that come to mind when I see Black Griffin play. Bank Shot! What!?! The man is a mix of Tim Duncan and Vince Carter but stronger. That’s a pretty deadly future hall of fame combination. And yes, *Vince Carter is a future hall of famer.

Critics have been bitching about how Mr. Griffin shouldn’t even be considered for the “Rookie of the Year” award because technically it’s his second year in the league. It’s hard to see eye-to-eye with critics these days especially when they are trying to feed us a load of BS and I’m not talking about Bill Simmons because I love the shit he feeds us. Most NBA columnist who decide to write or speak before doing their research usually get themselves in to trouble with us bloggers who have every day jobs but know our ball. The Blake Griffin rookie of the year talks should end right now. The guy is taking the award home and that was official after week 2 in the NBA regular season. Memo to D Stern; push for Blake to start at the All-Star game in Los Angeles and people might start liking you. But now I’m getting off topic; the point that I’m trying to make is that there were two other NBA players who postponed their road to the NBA to either go back to college or attend the United States Navy by commitment. Both men still came back to the NBA to win the rookie of the year honour and eventually became hall of famers. Any guesses?

Larry Bird (drafted 6^th overall in 1978) and the admiral David Robinson (drafted 1987 1^st overall) both decided to take a year off before entering the NBA. The Admiral had already made a commitment to the United States Navy and didn’t make his NBA debut till the 1989-1990 season where he won the rookie of the year award with one bicep.

The extra year gave Robinson the freedom to get stronger and work on his game just as Griffin did last year due to his injury. Larry Bird decided to finish off his senior year at Indiana State University (bachelor in physical education) before moving up to the pro game during the 1979-1980 NBA season and taking the league by storm. These are just two marvellous examples of great players developing their game and moving on to the next level to win the rookie of the year award and a number of NBA championship titles.

Now this is where you start to see similarities in potential greatness. All three players had a large impact on the league in their first official season via dedication & loyalty, cultural effects or bring awareness to the game through their great skill sets. The chart below shows how dominant all three really were/are in their perspective rookie seasons:

Player	Rookie Year	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Larry Bird	1979-80	82	82	36	.479	.406	.836	10.4	4.5	1.7	0.6	21.3
David Robinson	1989-90	82	81	36.6	.531	.000	.732	12.0	2.0	1.7	3.9	24.3
Blake Griffin	2010-11	40	40	37.1	.525	.500	.608	12.8	3.4	0.7	0.7	22.5

Blake Griffin is a shoe in for Rookie of the Year and there is not arguing that Associate Press. Griffin is a soft spoken guy who lets his game do all the talking or that death stare that he tends to give opponents from time to time. He doesn’t ask his coach to fine him so he can learn his lessons and become tougher.

He goes out every night like Robinson & Bird did and leaves it all on the floor. Both Bird and Robinson are part of the 50 Greatest players in NBA history and I think when the NBAs 75^th anniversary rolls around, Blake Griffins name will most likely be on that list. Critics can speak all they want but they never said a word when Larry or David won the rookie of the year award and I've got a feel not much will be said when Blake Griffin takes the award back to moms house.

BOOM! ROASTED!

After The Half: The Clipper Cure

simmsj23@gmail.com (After The Half) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 23:12:00 +0000

After The Half: The Clipper Cure: " By: Amil Delic CLIPPER CURE!

The Clipper Cure

simmsj23@gmail.com (After The Half) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 23:09:00 +0000

By: Amil Delic

Maybe you haven’t heard but the Los Angeles Clippers have been on a tear lately. I know, who would have thought!! The curse that they have carried for so many years might have been cured. The Clipper boys have won the last 9 of 11 games and they’ve been playing basketball that would scare the poorly tailored pants off of Freddy Krueger.

The Clippers went head to head last night with the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Staple Centre and were up almost the entire game by a fair margin. Comfortable enough to sit Blake Griffin for most of the 4^th quarter and rest him up for tonight’s game in Portland. Not the smartest move by Vinny D if you ask me when you consider Griffin’s streak of 28th straight double-double games coming to an end last night. What caught me off guard was Blake’s (29pts, 8reb and 6 assists) great reaction to his streak coming to an end by saying “it gives me a chance to start another streak”.

You can already tell that this guy will be a professional for many years to come. He isn’t bragging about how many points he scored or how many triple-doubles (double-doubles) he racked up during his rookie season..cough cough Brandon Jennings and Lebron James. You don’t catch Griffin talking about his personal achievement or any of his teammates singling themselves out because this team is playing as a unit and playing off one another. They only one thing on their minds and that is to make the playoffs. Last time the Clippers made the playoffs was just over 5 years ago and that was with a young Elton Brand and the very handsome Sam Cassell. Before that it was in 1997 with slam dunk champion Brent Barry and 300lbs centre Stanley Roberts. The Clippers might have made a flurry of terrible draft picks throughout the years but I think they might have hit the jackpot this time around.

The 2010-2011 LA Clippers are a very different team with Blake Griffin (Mr. Double-double), Eric Gordon (Dunk Contest?), Baron Davis (Overweight Assists Man) and Deandre Jordan (Go DJ!!) leading this franchise to a potential .500+ season and maybe a playoff berth.

This hot streak will most likely keep going as they play Blazers, Warriors, Mavericks and Rockets the next 4 games. This team is only getting better month to month and I am tuning in to every 10:30 Clippers game. Their points per game are improving every month to go along with their rebounds and assists Turnovers are down and the fouls are up due to this team’s tough play and low post physicality. This toughness has been shown against many teams in the league especially the Lakers. The chart below shows the Clippers month to month improvements:

Los Angeles Clippers 2010-2011 Month Splits

Month	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TPG	FPG	A/TO	FG%	3P%	FT%
Oct.	87.3	43	17.7	7.3	4	16.3	19.7	1.1	.377	.246	.688
Nov.	99.7	41.2	20.9	6.47	4.2	16.8	22.6	1.2	.469	.340	.708
Dec.	96.3	44.7	23.5	7.33	5.07	16.5	21.1	1.4	.460	.347	.660
Jan.	108.9	46	25.4	7.25	5.88	15.6	21.9	1.6	.473	.367	.697

The people of Los Angeles will have a hard time picking a team. The Clips are back and Snoop Dogg probably looks better in red, blue and white anyway. Plus, Blake Griffin needs crazy fans like this one to vote him in as a starter to the All-Star game in LA February 20^th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNBsg43cdTc

Johnny's NBA All Star Selections

simmsj23@gmail.com (After The Half) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:28:00 +0000

For the 2011 NBA All Star Game happening in Los Angeles Feb. 20th, my starting 5 as voted on NBA.com.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:
Eastern Conference Starting Forward's:

Lebron James - Because in spite of his reluctance to grow up, he is simply an amazing ball player. Lebron would be in my all time starting 5. Team Captain.

Amare Stoudemire - Because he has single handedly turned the knicks around and into an eastern playoff team. Remember back in the summer after Lebron joined Miami, everybody was saying New York was screwed with just 1 All Star and no Steve Nash to throw him assists. Amare has put this team on his back and willed them to their current position in the NBA Standings

--> These two picks are in line with the top vote getters for these positions. Lebron (1,518,807) and Amare (1,143,391)

Eastern Conference Starting Guard's:

Derrick Rose - D. Rose is simply a talent to behold. I'd love to see him win MVP and as such he's a natural All Star selection for me.

Ray Allen - Because he has the best shot in the NBA, and is one of the games most clutch players ever.

--> D. Rose (1,225,575) is the runner up to D. Wade (1,499,768) in current voting and ahead of Ray Allen (630,588) is Rajon Rondo (1,171,311).
I already picked who I think is the best player on the Heat to be an all star. & I picked whom I consider to be the superior Point Guard in D. Rose. Ray Allen might not have the legs he used to and you could argue Rondo is more important to the Celtics, but in my all star starting 5 as constructed Ray Allen is the better pick. Rondo can come off the bench (only I can't vote for bench players; only NBA coaches). Ray also gets the edge as Jesus Shuttlesworth is one of my favorite players of all time.

Eastern Conference Starting Center:

D. Howard - Because he's the best playing Center in the league!
--> Top Vote getter at this position with 1,537,619

WESTERN CONFERENCE:
Western Conference Starting Forward's:

Kevin Durant - KD's lighting up the scoreboard again! A very long, agile player. Great game and overall team attitude. Thunder up!

Blake Griffin - Based on sheer entertainment value alone Blake gets my pick. Griffin has breathed new life into the league and has been featured in every NBA highlight reel since the season began. Rarely are rookies immediate all stars, but Blake is certainly an exceptional NBA player and more than worth the vote.

--> KD is top vote getter at this position (1,270,729). Blake follows Carmelo Anthony (945, 720) and Pau Gasol (851,456) with 702,784 votes. While it might be a stretch to argue that Blake is more deserving of an all star vote than Melo or Pau. With Melo leaving Denver things are sour in Colorado and things are not just right yet in LA with the Lakers and their team game. I think Blake is doing more for his team right now, and he's leading a clipper turnaround that might take them out of the NBA basement and into the Western Conference playoffs. Blake's my all star wildcard.

Western Conference Starting Guard's:

Kobe - Still the best player in the game in spite of increasing physical limitations. & he's getting Ring #6 this year. Team Captain.

Monta Ellis - 3rd leading scorer behind KD and Amare, 2nd in steals; Ellis is logging the most minutes in the NBA and has worked harder than any other NBA player has had to all year.

--> KOBE is the leading all star vote getter (1,757,216), and Ellis isn't even inthe top 10 for western guards. I took him over CP3 (949,049), Ginobli (593,718), Nash (522,215), and D. Williams (487,887) who was my runner up for Ellis's spot. The 2nd guard position is the hardest to vote for as there are so many great players at these positions in the west.

Western Conference Starting Center:

Emeka Okafor (317, 677) - Long overdue, and the fact that when asked about finally being selected as an all star, he said he'd take the playoffs instead makes him my frontrunner for starting western center.

--> Yao Ming is leading vote getter (928, 928) at this position, but he's injured and second leading vote getter Andrew Bynum (660,576) has hardly played this year and is not an all star.

Make sure you cast your ballot. Voting is a responsibility that has been entrusted to all of us. =)

Bosh: ultra soft like Charmin?

simmsj23@gmail.com (After The Half) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 21:28:00 +0000

Bosh recently had an MRI on the ankle that Bulls center Omer Asik fell on Saturday causing him to miss the fourth quarter. After the game Bosh expressed frustration that Asik injured him while diving at his legs chasing a loose ball.

"You've got to watch people's legs," Bosh said Saturday. "I know guys want to hustle and everything but we all want to play and provide for our families and have a job."

The play in Question:

If you ask me there's no intent on Asik's part to injure Bosh. Asik was already in the dive when Bosh stepped in front of him. Granted it looked like it hurt, but Bosh didn't really have the right to call Asik out.

Bosh for his part has gotten off to a slow start in Miami, but he has been a consistent contributor to the Heat. Everyone in TO knew he would leave to capture some more time in the spotlight. Instead, he's not even mentioned as an all star anymore and appears to be feeling sorry for himself for being exposed as a second rate all-star. Without LeBron or Wade in the lineup the Heat can't win. Can the same said about Bosh? Worse still, a lot of players are making fun of Bosh since his free agency move. I think Shaq's RuPaul comparison may have stuck. Bosh is a good guy, but in following his All Star buddies he's set him self up for every criticism coming his way.

As the old adage goes: careful what you wish for.

He's forever relegated himself to being a sidekick, or to quote Van Gundy a "lap dog." When the Heat win a championship I only expect to see Bosh's elbow on a cover of Sports Illustrated showcasing LeBron and D. Wade's Heat team.

(Note: I borrowed the Bosh Ultra Soft moniker from my boy Cortron; big shout out!)

D. Rose for MVP!!

simmsj23@gmail.com (After The Half) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 22:01:00 +0000

I like Derrick Rose for MVP this year. I'm not the only one not the only one that feels this way. D. Rose feels it's in reach this year, and with the way he's been playing, it could happen. I don't think LeBron will get this year because of stigma, Kobe not showing the flash he used to, but Dwight Howard is always in the race. One thing to like about D. Rose is he's one kid that will never bolt CHI town the way other superstars did this summer. He was born and raised in Englewood and talked passionately in his SLAM 143 interview about wanting to reignite Chicago the way the bulls used to in the 90's. This kid's a winner!

Why not D-Rose for MVP?

John jackson ON THE bulls Jan 12, 2011 09:03AM

from the Chicago Sun-Times

Today in the NBA

simmsj23@gmail.com (After The Half) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:26:00 +0000

Read a great article over ar SB Nation about NBA Superstar Shakeup's and what this will mean for organization's in the NBA moving forward. As much as Lebron has been vilified for leaving Cleveland, his exit was swift. Melo's exit from Denver is looking more and more like Vince Carter's exit from Toronto (minus the fake injuries).

This has been a very painful season for Denver fan's. They have to watch their team who currently hold seventh seed in the west knowing their star player wants to be elsewhere. The Nets have tried to force the trade by further alienating the fanbase, which is why the Nuggets are pissed with them. How do you motivate your fanbase with all this "'Melo drama?" The Nuggets will trade him, but their window on getting anything in return is closing as we move further to the Trade deadline on Feb 24.

Will Steve Nash get moved this year? Looks like PHX is trying to hold on to him and I can't see Nash asking for a trade, in spite of their losing record. Imagine if the next big three were Stoudemire, Nash, and 'Melo under D'Antoni in NYC? I think we'd start to see a lot of Knick's fans claiming they had a case of amnesia for the past 12 years.

For highlights from last nights game: SB Nation

Carmelo Anthony's reaction to Nets trade is priceless

simmsj23@gmail.com (After The Half) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 03:24:00 +0000

At first he thinks the reporter says New York and he's wide eyed, then when he hears "Nets" the reaction goes cold. It must suck for these guys to learn about being traded from reporters.

After seeing this I think it's obvious he's resistant to a Net's extension and that's voiding the deal. Melo's holding out for New York. Denver is expecting too much in return. Melo will opt out at the end of the season and sign with Knicks as a free agent if he doesn't get traded there. The Nuggets should trade him to a team willing to rent him in their playoff push. Mavs. Rockets. who knows? they still have a month to make a move.

This deal is dead; exciting while it lasted.

Trash Talk

simmsj23@gmail.com (After The Half) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 21:07:00 +0000

It’s only fitting that my first article for our blog page surround one of the most important aspects of sports: Trash Talk. From the floor to the stands, players to spectators, everybody's doing it. Trash talk unites, animosity in sports gets every fan fired up. Sports are a distraction from day to day lives and the nonsense of the real world.

The NBA recently has been making strides to clean up its player’s acts in an effort to present the fans with more polished role models. There are Technicals being levelled at players for questioning calls or showing any emotion in reacting to calls now. KG gets ripped apart in the press for calling Charlie Villaneuva ‘a cancer patient’ during the heat of competition. A lot of emphasis is being placed on what’s appropriate behavior in a basketball game. At the end of the game things just boil down to the score.

David Stern wants players to wear nice suits and tow the corporate line when speaking to press. Under the new rules players are supposed to look pretty for the cameras playing basketball remaining void of emotion. I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sound like any kind of basketball game I would want to see.

Was calling Charlie V. a cancer patient apprehensive and inappropriate? Absolutely. Did it give the Celtics an edge when blowing out the Pistons that night? Definitely. Is anything wrong with consenting adults saying horrible things to opponents in a physical game? Not in the least. True champions answer the trash talk by delivering on the floor. Pretenders collapse under pressure and then whine and complain about not winning because of what was said.

Anyone who knows anything about basketball knows that MJ, the games greatest ambassador whom at his peak had the cleanest image in pro sports was also the biggest trash talker the league had ever seen. To say that this aspect of his game didn’t figure into his win record would be inaccurate. Dismantling your opponent psychologically and eliminating his effectiveness in the game is part of the game. MJ was actually so effective as a trash talker, much like Kobe, he had to learn how to direct it at the opposing team and not at his teammates before his team could win a championship. The quiet and composed Bill Cartwright once gently pulled Michael aside and told him that if he continued to disrespect him that he wouldn’t have to worry about basketball any more because he would break both his legs.
In the end none of this takes away from MJ’s legacy. Michael's trash talking went through the growth periods much the same as every other skillset developed in becoming the greatest player ever.

Most NBA players are far from role models, in fact most would make Tiger Woods look like a saint. So to pretend that these guys are examples of who we want to raise our children to be in their day to day lives might be a misguided goal. Promoting the virtues that athletes need to succeed, such as drive and hard work is far more practical.
The leagues attempt to mould these guys into politicians takes all the fun out of the game. Post game interviews are already laden with sports clichés such as: “we brought all we had tonight and pulled out a win against a solid competitor” that could be applied to any game in any sport. All of which only make Charles Barkley’s rants seem so refreshing, because even if he’s wrong you know he’s just being honest. Stripping the game of its last realm of honest animosity would take all the fun out of sports rivalry.

Trash talking is as much an art as a player’s stroke on their 3 ball. One has to know how and when to use it, as you always run the risk of drawing the best from the other team and getting your ass handed to you.

In closing, to those following or interested in contributing to the blog, bring your Trash Talk ‘A game.’ The one theme we want to infuse this blog with is passion borderlining insanity. Use the blog as your outlet. No opinion outweighs another, no matter how strongly it’s stated so if you see something that pisses you off, speak up! I dare you! If you’re intimidated, don’t be: My ball playing credibility boils down to one season of high school basketball as an undersized, under skilled player that only ever saw garbage time and couldn’t manage a single point in the 8 minutes I saw the whole season.

I love the game, and I’ll be talking trash about it ‘til the day I die. Dare to keep up? Bring it! We want to hear from you.