Bleacher Report - Articles by Marcel Mansour

NBA's 15 Best Players: Kobe, LeBron or D-Wade?

Marcel Mansour — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:06:44 -0400

15. Al Jefferson

Jefferson is a beast in the low post offensively. Last season, he averaged 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 50 percent from the field and 74 percent from the free throw line. He is also still only 24 years old.

14. Chris Bosh

Bosh is one of the most athletic and skilled big men in the league. Last season, he averaged 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game while shooting 49 percent from the field and a great 82 percent from the free throw line.

13. Kevin Durant

Durant is one of the toughest players in the league to defend due to his size and length. In just his second season last year, he averaged 25 points, 6.5 rebounds, three assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 48 percent from the field, 42 percent from the three point line, and 86 percent from the free throw line.

12. Pau Gasol

In my opinion, Pau is the most skilled big man in the league as he uses both hands effectively in the post, is a good mid-range shooter, and is the best passing big man in the league.

He also improved his defense last season by spending more time in the weight room and gaining experience from the previous season's playoff run. He averaged 19/9/3.5 while shooting 57 percent from the field and 78 percent from the free throw line.

11. Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk is the best shooting big man in the league by far and one of the league's most difficult players to defend. Last season, he averaged 26 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 48 percent from the field, 36 percent from the free throw line and an amazing 89 percent from the free throw line.

10. Paul Pierce

Pierce is one of the most clutch players in the league along with being a great scorer and solid defender. Last season, he averaged 20.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists while shooting 46 percent from the field, 39 percent from the three point line, and 83 percent from the free throw line.

9. Kevin Garnett

Even though KG is past his prime, he is still one of the very best defensive players in the league and a good offensive player. Last season, he averaged 16 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, one steal and one block per game while shooting 53 percent from the field and 84 percent from the free throw line in an injury-riddled season.

8. Brandon Roy

Roy is not spectacular at any one thing, but he is solid at all facets of the game. Last season, he averaged 22.6 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.7 rebounds while shooting an excellent 48 percent from the field, 38 percent from the three point line and 82 percent from the free throw line. Finally, he is also a solid defensive player.

7. Tim Duncan

Duncan is still an elite NBA player even though he is 33 years old. Last season, he averaged 19 points, 11 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 50 percent from the field and 69 percent from the free throw line. He is a great teammate and leader and still one of the best defensive big men in the league.

6. Chris Paul

Paul is an amazing and exciting player, but I do not think he is the best point guard in the league. Last season, he averaged 23 points, 11 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2.8 steals per game while shooting 50 percent from the field, 36 percent from the three point line, and 87 percent from the free throw line. He is solid, but overrated defensively.

5. Deron Williams

I love everything about Deron's game as he is big and strong, but still quick and athletic. He is an excellent outside and mid-range shooter and one of the most difficult perimeter players to keep from driving to the basket. He is also a good defender, a great leader, and extremely clutch.

Last season, he averaged 19.4 points, 11 assists, and three rebounds while shooting 47 percent from the field and 85 percent from the free throw line.

4. Dwight Howard

Dwight is by far the best big man in the league and the league's best defensive player. Last season, he averaged 20.6 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks per game while shooting 57 percent from the field and 60 percent from the free throw line. He is already very good offensively, but still has lots of room to improve as he could use a dependable mid-range shot that will make it impossible to defend him.

3. Dwyane Wade

Wade is an amazing offensive player along with being a very good defensive player. Last season, he averaged 30 points, 7.5 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 49 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free throw line. He single-handedly led the Heat to the playoffs after they won a league low 15 games the previous season.

2. LeBron James

LeBron is the most physically gifted player in the league since Wilt Chamberlain, as no one can match his size, strength, speed, and athleticism. Last season, he won his first MVP award, averaging 28 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.2 blocks while shooting 49 percent from the field, 34 percent from the three point line, and 78 percent from the free throw line. He also significantly improved defensively as he appeared on the All-Defensive First Team for the first time.

1. Kobe Bryant

Kobe is still the best player in the league, just edging out LeBron. While Kobe does not have the physical abilities that LeBron has, he counters with an unmatched work ethic, competitive drive, skill, and basketball IQ. Last season, he led the Lakers to a championship as he won the fourth of his career and his first Finals MVP award.

He averaged 27 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 47 percent from the field, 35 percent from the three point line, and 86 percent from the free throw line. Kobe finished second in the regular season MVP voting. He was also selected to the All-Defensive First Team for the seventh time in his career and is considered to be one of the most clutch, if not the most clutch, players in the league.

NBA's Five Best Centers

Marcel Mansour — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 06:02:34 -0400

This is a list of the five best centers in the NBA, entering the 2009-2010 season, along with some honorable mentions. I hope you enjoy it, and I would like you to comment on who's too high or too low on the list in your opinion. I will also be writing a list of the twenty-five best players in the league within the next few days.

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NBA's Five Best Power Forwards

Marcel Mansour — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:39:52 -0400

This is a list of the five best power forwards in the NBA, entering the 2009-2010 season, along with some honorable mentions. I hope you enjoy it, and I would like you to comment on who's too high or too low on the list in your opinion. I will also be writing a list of the five best centers in the league within the next few days.

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NBA's Five Best Small Forwards

Marcel Mansour — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:49:55 -0400

This is a list of the five best small forwards in the NBA, entering the 2009-2010 season, along with some honorable mentions. I hope you enjoy it, and I would like you to comment on who's too high or too low on the list in your opinion. I will also be writing a list of the best five players in the NBA at each position in the next week.

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NBA's 5 Best Shooting Guards

Marcel Mansour — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:42:32 -0400

This is a list of the five best shooting guards in the NBA entering the 2009-2010 season along with some honorable mentions. I hope you enjoy it and I would like you to comment on who's too high or too low on the list in your opinion. I will also be writing a list of the best five players in the NBA at each position in the next week.

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NBA's 5 Best Point Guards

Marcel Mansour — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 20:34:07 -0400

This is a list of the five best point guards in the NBA entering the 2009 - 2010 season along with some honorable mentions. I hope you enjoy it and I would like you to comment on who's too high or too low on the list in your opinion. I will also be writing a list of the best five players in the NBA at each position in the next week.

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NBA Roundtable: All-Time Mock Draft

Marcel Mansour — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 07:00:07 -0400

A few days ago, my friends and I had a pretend mock draft using all-time players from the NBA. There were eight teams and here are the draft results.

Round One

No. 1 Pick - Ted's Team: Magic Johnson

No. 2 Pick - John's Team: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

No. 3 Pick - Steven's Team: Wilt Chamberlain

No. 4 Pick - Bob's Team: Michael Jordan

No. 5 Pick - Marlon's Team: Hakeem Olajuwon

No. 6 Pick - Marcel's Team: Larry Bird

No. 7 Pick - Jimmy's Team: Shaquille O'Neal

No. 8 Pick - Mike's Team: Bill Russell

Round Two

No. 1 Pick - Mike's Team: LeBron James

No. 2 Pick - Jimmy's Team: Kobe Bryant

No. 3 Pick - Marcel's Team: Oscar Robertson

No. 4 Pick - Marlon's Team: Tim Duncan

No. 5 Pick - Bob's Team: Jerry West

No. 6 Pick - Steven's Team: Elgin Baylor

No. 7 Pick - John's Team: Julius Erving

No. 8 Pick - Ted's Team: John Havlicek

Round Three

No. 1 Pick - Ted's Team: David Robinson

No. 2 Pick - John's Team: Bob Pettit

No. 3 Pick - Steven's Team: Charles Barkley

No. 4 Pick - Bob's Team: Moses Malone

No. 5 Pick - Marlon's Team: John Stockton

No. 6 Pick - Marcel's Team: Karl Malone

No. 7 Pick - Jimmy's Team: Kevin Garnett

No. 8 Pick - Mike's Team: Bill Walton

Round Four

No. 1 Pick - Mike's Team: Isiah Thomas

No. 2 Pick - Jimmy's Team: Scottie Pippen

No. 3 Pick - Marcel's Team: Willis Reed

No. 4 Pick - Marlon's Team: Clyde Drexler

No. 5 Pick - Bob's Team: Elvin Hayes

No. 6 Pick - Steven's Team: Rick Barry

No. 7 Pick - John's Team: George Gervin

No. 8 Pick - Ted's Team: Kevin McHale

Round Five

No. 1 Pick - Ted's Team: Pete Maravich

No. 2 Pick - John's Team: Walt Frazier

No. 3 Pick - Steven's Team: Chris Paul

No. 4 Pick - Bob's Team: James Worthy

No. 5 Pick - Marlon's Team: Dominique Wilkins

No. 6 Pick - Marcel's Team: Deron Williams

No. 7 Pick - Jimmy's Team: Dwyane Wade

No. 8 Pick - Mike's Team: Allen Iverson

Round Six

No. 1 Pick - Mike's Team: Bob Cousy

No. 2 Pick - Jimmy's Team: Dirk Nowitzki

No. 3 Pick - Marcel's Team: Gary Payton

No. 4 Pick - Marlon's Team: Adrian Dantley

No. 5 Pick - Bob's Team: Jason Kidd

No. 6 Pick - Steven's Team: Patrick Ewing

No. 7 Pick - John's Team: Tiny Archibald

No. 8 Pick - Ted's Team: Alex English

Round Seven

No. 1 Pick - Ted's Team: Dwight Howard

No. 2 Pick - John's Team: Dave Debusschere

No. 3 Pick - Steven's Team: Paul Pierce

No. 4 Pick - Bob's Team: Bernard King

No. 5 Pick - Marlon's Team: Bob McAdoo

No. 6 Pick - Marcel's Team: Dave Cowens

No. 7 Pick - Jimmy's Team: Steve Nash

No. 8 Pick - Mike's Team: Dennis Rodman

Round Eight

No. 1 Pick - Mike's Team: David Thompson

No. 2 Pick - Jimmy's Team: Yao Ming

No. 3 Pick - Marcel's Team: Grant Hill

No. 4 Pick - Marlon's Team: Kevin Johnson

No. 5 Pick - Bob's Team: Alonzo Mourning

No. 6 Pick - Steven's Team: Derrick Rose

No. 7 Pick - John's Team: Bob Lanier

No. 8 Pick - Ted's Team: Reggie Miller

Round Nine

No. 1 Pick - Ted's Team: Tim Hardaway

No. 2 Pick - John's Team: Vince Carter

No. 3 Pick - Steven's Team: Dave Bing

No. 4 Pick - Bob's Team: Elton Brand

No. 5 Pick - Marlon's Team: Tracy McGrady

No. 6 Pick - Marcel's Team: Pau Gasol

No. 7 Pick - Jimmy's Team: Mitch Richmond

No. 8 Pick - Mike's Team: Robert Parish

Round 10

No. 1 Pick - Mike's Team: Marques Johnson

No. 2 Pick - Jimmy's Team: Bob Dandridge

No. 3 Pick - Marcel's Team: Joe Dumars

No. 4 Pick - Marlon's Team: Artis Gilmore

No. 5 Pick - Bob's Team: Earl Monroe

No. 6 Pick - Steven's Team: Amar'e Stoudemire

No. 7 Pick - John's Team: Brandon Roy

No. 8 Pick - Ted's Team: Dolph Schayes

Round 11

No. 1 Pick - Ted's Team: Penny Hardaway

No. 2 Pick - John's Team: Tommy Heinsohn

No. 3 Pick - Steven's Team: Billy Cunningham

No. 4 Pick - Bob's Team: Arvydas Sabonis

No. 5 Pick - Marlon's Team: Al Jefferson

No. 6 Pick - Marcel's Team: Kevin Durant

No. 7 Pick - Jimmy's Team: Chris Bosh

No. 8 Pick - Mike's Team: Buck Williams

Round 12

No. 1 Pick - Mike's Team: Sam Jones

No. 2 Pick - Jimmy's Team: Sidney Moncrief

No. 3 Pick - Marcel's Team: Walt Bellamy

No. 4 Pick - Marlon's Team: Manu Ginobili

No. 5 Pick - Bob's Team: Chris Mullin

No. 6 Pick - Steven's Team: Ray Allen

No. 7 Pick - John's Team: Gail Goodrich

No. 8 Pick - Ted's Team: Dikembe Mutombo

Team Rosters

Ted's Team

Starters: Magic Johnson, Pete Maravich, John Havlicek, Kevin McHale, David Robinson; Bench - Tim Hardaway, Reggie Miller, Alex English, Dolph Schayes, Dwight Howard; Reserves - Penny Hardaway & Dikembe Mutombo

John's Team

Starters - Walt Frazier, George Gervin, Julius Erving, Bob Pettit, Kareem Abdul Jabbar; Bench - Tiny Archibald, Brandon Roy, Vince Carter, Dave Debusschere, Bob Lanier; Reserves - Tommy Heinsohn & Gail Goodrich

Steven's Team

Starters - Chris Paul, Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor, Charles Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain; Bench - Derrick Rose, Dave Bing, Paul Pierce, Amare Stoudamire, Patrick Ewing; Reserves - Billy Cunningham & Ray Allen

Bob's Team

Starters - Jerry West, Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Elvin Hayes, Moses Malone; Bench - Jason Kidd, Earl Monroe, Bernard King, Elton Brand, Alonzo Mourning; Reserves - Arvydas Sabonis & Chris Mullin

Marlon's Team

Starters - John Stockton, Clyde Drexler, Dominique Wilkins, Tim Duncan, Hakeem Olajuwon; Bench - Kevin Johnson, Tracy McGrady, Adrian Dantley, Artis Gilmore, Bob McAdoo; Reserves - Al Jefferson & Manu Ginobili

Marcel's Team

Starters - Deron Williams, Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, Karl Malone, Willis Reed; Bench - Gary Payton, Joe Dumars, Grant Hill, Pau Gasol, Dave Cowens; Reserves - Kevin Durant & Walt Bellamy

Jimmy's Team

Starters - Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, Scottie Pippen, Kevin Garnett, Shaquille O'Neal; Bench - Steve Nash, Mitch Richmond, Bob Dandridge, Dirk Nowitzki, Yao Ming; Reserves - Chris Bosh & Sidney Moncrief

Mike's Team

Starters - Isiah Thomas, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Bill Russell, Bill Walton; Bench - Bob Cousy, David Thompson, Marques Johnson, Dennis Rodman, Robert Parish; Reserves - Buck Williams & Sam Jones

I would like to know what do you think of this draft. Which player went too high or too low in your opinion? Finally, which team do you think is the best and which player would you pick if you had the first pick overall?

Lamar Odom Finally Signs with Lakers

Marcel Mansour — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:22:38 -0400

According to ESPN. com, the Los Angeles Lakers and forward Lamar Odom have finally agreed to a deal. The deal is a four-year deal worth $33 million, with the fourth year being a team option. Odom, a key part of the Lakers championship team this past season with his versatility, was seriously considering signing with the Miami Heat, one of his former teams for the full mid-level exception (about $6.8 million per year).

This signing makes the Lakers the clear favorite to repeat, even with the Spurs, Celtics, Cavaliers and Magic all improving with offseason moves. They now have Fisher, Kobe, Artest, Pau and Bynum as their starting five with Lamar Odom, Farmar, Sasha, Shannon Brown, Powell and Mbenga.

Also, the Lakers may still sign Sheldon Brown or Joe Smith with the veterans minimum to complete their bench. Now, the last goal for the Lakers is to extend Kobe Bryant for as long as possible, which is now extremely likely as there isn't a team in the league with as much talent, or young talent, as the Lakers have.

This signing shows that owner Jerry Buss is completely dedicated to winning as he signed Ron Artest to the full mid-level exception, Shannon Brown to the biannual exception and now Odom to a big contract, even though the Lakers were already over the cap before any of these signings.

What do you guys think this move means for the rest of the league and for the Lakers?

NBA's 50 Greatest Players: Revised

Marcel Mansour — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:52:03 -0400

In October of 1996, commissioner David Stern announced the list of the fifty greatest NBA players to honor the 50th anniversary of the league. I have changed the list by removing nine players from the list I feel don't deserve to be there and adding nine players to the list who deserve to be there, most of whom are players who played after 1996. Here is my revised list.

Kareem Abdul Jabbar - most accomplished player ever

Nate "Tiny" Archibald - great scoring point guard

Paul Arizin - one of game's first great players

Charles Barkley - MVP award winner; one of league's best rebounders

Rick Barry - great offensive player; led Warriors to title in early 70's

Elgin Baylor - amazing offensive player; first great athletic player in league

Larry Bird - brilliant all around player; most clutch player ever

Kobe Bryant - one of game's greatest scorers and competitors; great defender

Wilt Chamberlain - most dominant player ever at both ends of the court

Bob Cousy - league's first great point guard; won 6 titles

Dave Cowens - underrated great big man; MVP award winner

Billy Cunningham - one of league's best all around players (20/10/4)

Clyde Drexler - great all around perimeter player who was good defensively

Tim Duncan - greatest power forward of all time period

Julius Erving - amazing athlete who was one of most well like players ever

Patrick Ewing - great center at both ends of court, but he never won a ring

Walt Frazier - great offensive/defensive guard who won 2 titles

Kevin Garnett - amazing all around offensive player; great defensive player

George Gervin - one of greatest pure scorers ever, but he never won

John Havlicek - one of the best all around offensive players; great defender/winner

Elvin Hayes - underrated great power forward; won a title with Bullets

Allen Iverson - arguably best little player ever; 30 point scorer in his sleep

Lebron James - most physically gifted player ever; great all around player

Magic Johnson - best PG ever, could dominate all 5 positions; unbelievable winner

Sam Jones - very good shooting guard; won ten titles; extremely clutch

Michael Jordan - most popular player ever; great both offensively and defensively

Jason Kidd - great passer/floor general; one of best rebounding guards ever

Karl Malone - great scorer/rebounder; won 2 MVP awards, but never won a ring

Moses Malone - won 3 MVP awards; great center who led 76ers to title in early 80's

Pete Maravich - great offensive player who was very entertaining, but had short career

Bob McAdoo - great underrated big man; won MVP award; best mid range shooting big

Kevin McHale - arguably best low post player ever; won three titles with Celtics

George Mikan - league's first dominant big man; won 5 championships

Dirk Nowitzki - won MVP award; great offensive shooting big man

Hakeem Olajuwon - most skilled center ever; dominant offensively and defensively

Shaquille O'Neal - dominant player offensively; won 4 titles/3 Finals MVP awards

Gary Payton - best defensive PG ever; great offensive player who won one title

Bob Pettit - dominant power forward; won two MVP awards and one title

Scottie Pippen - one of best all around offensive players; great defender

Willis Reed - great center; won MVP award; won 2 titles/2 Finals MVP awards

Oscar Robertson - best all around player ever; won one title with Bucks

David Robinson - great offensive/defensive center who won two titles

Bill Russell - greatest winner ever (11 titles); one of best defenders ever

Dolph Schayes - great big man scorer/rebounder; won one title

Bill Sharman - great guard who won multiple titles with legendary Celtics

John Stockton - great pass first point guard who was excellent defensively; never won

Isiah Thomas - great scoring point guard who won two titles/one Finals MVP award

Bill Walton - great defensive/passing center; won 2 titles/MVP; had short career

Jerry West - great offensive/defensive player; extemely clutch; won 1 title

James Worthy - excellent offensive player; very clutch; won 3 titles with Lakers

The bolded players are the players I added to the original list. The following players are the ones I removed from the original list: Dave Bing, Dave Debusschere, Hal Greer, Jerry Lucas, Earl Monroe, Robert Parish, Nate Thurmond, Wes Unseld, Lenny Wilkens. What do you guys think of my revised list? Who should be on the list and who should be removed in your opinion?

Clayton Kershaw: The Next Dodger Legend

Marcel Mansour — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:30:41 -0400

Three years ago, shortly before the 2006 MLB Draft, left handed pitcher Clayton Kershaw out of Highland Park High School in Dallas, Texas was considered the best high school prospect. He had already been named "High School Baseball Player of the Year" by USA Today and the Gatorade National Player of the Year in high school baseball after he had a 13-0 record with 0.77 E.R.A. and 139 strikeouts in 64 innings in his senior season.

Then, the Los Angeles Dodgers drafted him with the seventh overall pick and Kershaw turned down a scholarship from Texas A&M to accept a $2.3 million bonus from the Dodgers. Kershaw pitched great in the beginning of his minor league career as he showcased his low to mid 90's fastball, his amazing mid to high 70's curveball which has a hard one to seven trajectory from the hitter's view along with clean mechanics and no history of any arm trouble.

Along with all of that, he stands at 6 foot three inches tall and 220 pounds, is extremely humble, quiet and country, the complete opposite of the Hollywood personality big stars in Los Angeles have. He listens to Christian Rock music, has had his girlfriend for several years now, and also is very spiritual and close to God.

Then, in 2008, he was finally brought up to the Dodgers and he pitched solid, but wild and inconsistent for the rest of the season, which is very common for young pitchers in the big leagues. He ended the his rookie season with a 5-5 record along with 100 K's in 107.2 innings, a 1.50 WHIP, a .250 opponents batting average and a 4.26 E.R.A as he struggled with his control as he walked 52 batters.

Then, entering this season a lot of pressure was put on Kershaw's shoulders as the Dodgers let Brad Penny and Derek Lowe leave via free agency. Chad Billingsley was considered the new ace of the rotation after a fantastic third season in which he went 16-10 with a 3.14 E.R.A. and 200 K's and so far he has been very good.

However, Kershaw is the one who is looking like the ace of the Dodgers for the next decade recently. The 21 year old has simply been the best pitcher in baseball over the past month. Since June 16, Kershaw has had a 5-0 record in seven starts with a 0.64 E.R.A. and 42 strikeouts to 21 walks in 37 innings.

So far, his totals for the season are an 8-5 record, a 2.95 E.R.A., 104 K's and 60 walks in 106.2 innings, a 1.22 WHIP, five homers allowed and an amazing .193 opponents batting average.

Even though he is still inconsistent with his control as he walks way too many batters right now, he still has good enough stuff to be dominant as he strikes out nearly a batter an inning, doesn't allow too many homers (rare for a young power pitcher) and gets lots of outs on ground balls and fly outs evidenced by his wonderful opponents batting average. He has gotten better due to better control of his fastball, a tighter curveball and the more frequent use of his potentially great change-up.

The scary thing about Kershaw is that even though he is already great, he will become a much better pitcher as he is only 21 years old and he has only a little bit over 200 innings of major league experience. Once he gets more control and walks less batters (which will come as he gains more experience), I don't think there will be a better pitcher in the league than him.

There have been rumors that the Dodgers are interested in Halladay and are willing to pay his full salary for the remainder of this season and all of next year. However, supposedly the Dodgers don't have good enough pitching prospects to get Halladay, unless they're willing to give up Billingsley or Kershaw, who are completely untouchable as they will be a dominant one two lefty/righty punch for the next several years.

I want the Dodgers to offer 3-4 very good prospects for Halladay as a trio of Halladay, Billingsley and Kershaw should be enough for the Dodgers to win it all as they have an above average offense, a very good defense and a solid bullpen. A package I would offer the Blue Jays for Halladay would be James McDonald, Josh Bell, Josh Lindblom and Dee Gordon.

The Blue Jays would be getting two very good pitching prospects in McDonald and Lindblom. Mcdonald has the potential to be an excellent relief pitcher or a solid second starter in the rotation. They would also be getting third baseman Josh Bell, who has 30 home run potential and shortstop Dee Gordon, who is an excellent hitter with 40 plus stolen base potential and good defense.

Overall, I believe the recent success of Clayton Kershaw is just the beginning of the next dominant left handed pitcher as he will end up as one of the greatest pitchers of all time as long as he stays healthy as he has the complete package and is in a great situation to succeed as he is in a poor offensive division and in a pitcher's ballpark.

Finally, I believe the Dodgers should go hard after Halladay (currently the best pitcher in the league as no one goes deep into games as much as he does), but if the Blue Jays want Kershaw, Billingsley or Kemp in the deal, they should and will immediately decline it with a resounding no as Kershaw and Billingsley are the cornerstone of the rotation and Kemp of the team for the next decade.

Mitch Kupchak's Big Offseason Mistake

Marcel Mansour — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:50:56 -0400

After the Lakers won their 15th championship over the Orlando Magic in five games, redeeming themselves after a terrible Finals performance to the rival Celtics, the focus turned to resigning free agents Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza and Shannon Brown.

Personally, I was confident that the Lakers would resign all three free agents. They all fit perfectly with the team, and there wouldn't be too many other options for them because of the bad economy.

Then, in the beginning of July, I heard that the Lakers offered Ariza with a five year deal worth the entire mid level exception, a very fair and expected offer. However, Ariza's agent David Lee played hardball with Lakers' owner Jerry Buss by demanding for a five year deal worth $7-8 million annually, and it backfired.

The Lakers stopped talking with Ariza's camp and decided to talk with Ron Artest, who was now available because Yao Ming's season (and possibly career) ending injury. Artest simply wasn't interested in returning to the now lottery-bound Rockets. The Lakers had always had interest in Artest due to his great desire to win, his amazing defense, and toughness.

The Lakers quickly struck a deal with Artest, who took a pay cut, signing for the mid level exception. It was the same exact deal the team offered to Ariza. However, instead of getting a solid role player who couldn't have played better, they were now getting a defensive stopper who could defend Pierce, Carmelo, and LeBron better than anyone in the league.

He's a player who was also better offensively than Ariza, as he is an excellent post up player and a better outside shooter.

Personally, I loved the move, and the Rockets responded by signing Ariza to the full mid level exception contract of five years worth around $33 million. Now, this is where Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak made a HUGE mistake. He should've talked with the Rockets about signing and trading Ariza straight up for Artest, as it would've saved both teams their full mid level exceptions.

However, Kupchak didn't want to do a sign-and-trade as, he just wanted to sign Artest as quickly as possible before he can change his mind—which he has done in the past. Later, the Lakers resigned Shannon Brown to a two year deal worth $4.2 million, and now their entire attention was on resigning Odom to a multi-year deal.

Then, the Lakers offered Odom a three year deal worth $27 million, but he denied the offer, as he wanted a longer and more lucrative deal. So Lakers owner Jerry Buss increased the offer to a choice of three years worth $30 million or four years worth $36 million—both very fair offers considering the state of the economy and Odom's inconsistent play.

Unfortunately, Odom and his agent didn't even respond to the Lakers' increased offers and started talking with the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks. They could only offer the full mid level exception of a little bit over $6 million annually over five seasons, considerably less than each of the Lakers' offers.

This angered Dr. Buss and he pulled back both offers. Today the Heat reportedly offered Odom their full mid level exception for five years worth, around $34 million.

The big mistake that Kupchak made when he didn't sign-and-trade Ariza for Artest will now severely hurt the Lakers if Odom does indeed sign with either the Heat or the Blazers.

The Blazer specifically could offer Odom more than Miami and a chance of playing for a great young and upcoming team, as the Lakers will only have the veteran's minimum to spend to replace Odom.

Now, had the Lakers signed and traded Ariza, then they would still have their full mid level exception to spend on a replacement such as Glen Davis, Joe Smith, Drew Gooden or a combination of two or three players.

The Lakers also could've went hard after Rasheed Wallace, Brandon Bass, or Antonio McDyess with the mid level when they were free agents. That would force Odom to sign with them quickly or leave to sign for less money, as he would then have no leverage.

Then, if Odom didn't respond, the Lakers would've signed one of the three other free agent big men, who all would have been great replacements for Odom. Rasheed can play center and power forward, and is a long range threat with his three point shot.

Bass is an improving power foward who is an excellent mid range shooter, and a tough rebounder snd defender. McDyess is a veteran dying for a title who can play both center and power forward, and is a good offensive and defensive player.

Overall, I am still confident the Lakers will resign Odom because I don't think Portland is interested in him, and because the Lakers' offer is still better than the Heat's.

Also, Odom has a better chance to win more titles with the Lakers and has some of his best friends, in Artest and Kobe, on the team. However, if he does leave and signs with another team, then Kupchak's decision to not sign and trade may end up costing the Lakers a couple of rings.

Their hopes will then all rest on Andrew Bynum, who has the talent, but lacks the health required for him to be depended on as of now.

NBA's 25 Greatest Players Of All Time Using My Formula

Marcel Mansour — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 06:03:51 -0400

Yesterday, I posted an article describing my formula to determine the greatest NBA players of all time by using a point system as I took into account the player's individual success, team success and the era he played in.

If you haven't read it, you need to so you can understand how I got my rankings and point totals. Here is a link. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/215794-nbas-25-greatest-players-of-all-time-the-perfect-formula

Here are the results of the 25 Best NBA Players of All Time according to my formula.

25. Rick Barry: 347.3 points

Barry finished in the top five in the MVP voting three times, was a 12 time All Star and was a member of the All NBA/ABA first team nine times and the second team once. Finally, he won the 1975 Finals MVP award after he led the Warriors to an upset sweep over the Washington Bullets and his career PER is 21.0.

24. Charles Barkley: 364 points

Barkley finished in the top five in the MVP voting three times as he won the 1993 MVP award and finished second in another season. He was an eleven time All Star, a five time member of the All NBA first team, a five time member of the All-NBA second team and a one time member of the third team. Finally, he never won a title as his Suns lost in his only Finals appearance and his career PER is 24.6.

23. Sam Jones: 417.4 points

Jones was in the top five in the MVP voting twice and he was a five time All Star. He was selected to the All NBA second team three times and his career PER is 18.7. However, he ranks second all time with 10 championships behind only his teammate Bill Russell, who has eleven.

22. Scottie Pippen: 420.3 points

Pippen was in the top five in the MVP voting twice and he was a seven time All Star. He was selected to the All NBA first team three times, the second team twice and the third team twice.

Pippen was a great defender as well as he was selected to the All Defensive first team eight times and the second team twice. Finally, he helped lead the Bulls to six championships as he was Jordan's robin and his career PER is 18.6.

21. Moses Malone: 423.7 points

Moses won three MVP awards in a four year stretch from 1979 until 1982. He was a twelve time All Star and he was selected to the All-NBA first team four times and the All NBA second team four times. He was also selected to the All-Defensive first team once and the second team once.

Finally, he led the 76ers to a championship in 1983 as he won the Finals MVP with a dominating postseason and Finals and his PER is 22.0.

20. Elgin Baylor: 474.6 points

Baylor was one of the most dominating and underrated players ever. He was in the top five in the MVP voting seven times, yet he didn't win the award and he was an eleven time All Star. He was also selected to the All NBA first team ten times and his career PER is 22.7.

However, he never won a title as his Lakers lost seven times in the Finals, with six of the defeats to the Hall of Fame filled Boston Celtics of the 60's.

19. Kevin Garnett: 490.3 points

Garnett has been in the top five in the MVP voting five times, winning the award in 2004 and finishing second in two other seasons. He has been a 12 time All Star and a All NBA first team member four times, a second time member three times and a third team member twice.

He has won one DPOY award and he has been on the All Defensive first team eight times and a second team member twice. Finally, he led the Celtics to the title two years ago and his career PER is 23.8.

18. John Havlicek: 502.7 points

Havlicek finished in the top five of the MVP just twice, but he was a thirteen time All Star and he won the 1974 Finals MVP award. He was on the All NBA first team four times and the second team seven times.

He was a great defender as he was on the All Defensive first team five times and the second team three times. Finally, he helped lead the Celtics to eight titles and his career PER is 17.5.

17. Oscar Robertson: 530.9 points

Oscar is arguably the best all around player ever as he averaged a triple double in his first five seasons combined. He was in the top five of the MVP voting nine times, winning the award in 1964. He was a 12 time All Star and was on the All NBA first team nine times and the second time twice.

Finally, he helped lead the Bucks along with Kareem to their only title and another Finals appearance and his career PER is 23.2.

16. Bob Cousy: 555.2 points

Cousy was the league's first great point guard as he was the catalyst of six Celtic championship teams. He finished in the top five in the MVP voting four times, as he won the award in 1957.

He was also selected to the All Star team thirteen times. Finally, he was on the All NBA first team ten times and the second team twice and his career PER is 19.7.

15. David Robinson: 555.4 points

Robinson was in the top five in the MVP voting five times, winning the award in 1995 and finishing second two other times. He was a ten time All Star and he helped lead the Spurs to two championships.

He was selected to the All NBA first team four times, the second team twice and the third team four times. He won one DPOY award, he was on the All Defensive first team four times and the second team four times and his career PER is an amazing 26.2, which ranks fourth all time.

14. Karl Malone: 616.6 points

Malone finished in the top five in the MVP voting nine times and he won the award twice. He was a fourteen time All Star and was a member of the All NBA first team eleven times, the second team twice and the third team once.

He was also a good defender as he was on the All Defensive first team three times and the second team once. Finally, he never won a ring as he lost in both of his Finals appearances to the Bulls and his career PER is 23.9.

13. Bob Pettit: 618.8 points

Pettit finished in the top five of the MVP voting eight times, winning the award twice. He was selected to the All Star team eleven times and was selected to the All NBA first team eleven times and the second team once.

He pretty much single handedly defeated the 60's Celtics in the 1958 Finals as he scored 50 points in the game six clincher. Finally, his career PER is 25.4, sixth all time.

12. Julius Erving: 622.6 points

Dr. J finished in the top five of the MVP voting five times, winning the award in 1981. He was selected to 16 ABA/NBA All Star teams and he won three ABA MVPs and two ABA championships.

He was selected to the All-ABA/NBA first team nine times and the second team three times. He was also selected to the All ABA defensive first team once and his career PER is 23.6.

Finally, he helped lead the 76ers to the championship in 1983 alongside of Moses Malone.

11. Hakeem Olajuwon: 660.8 points

Hakeem finished in the top five of the MVP voting six times, winning the award in 1994. He was a twelve time All Star and he was selected to the All NBA first team six times, the second team three times and the third team times.

He is also one of the greatest defenders ever as he won 2 DPOY awards and he was selected to the All Defensive first team five times and the second team four times.

Finally, he led the Rockets to back to back titles in the 90's without a great sidekick in his first title, his career PER is 23.6 and he is the all time leader in blocked shots.

10. Jerry West: 771.7 points

West is the logo of the league and one of the greatest players ever. He finished in the top five in the MVP voting eight times, finishing second four times. He was a fourteen time All Star and he won one Finals MVP.

He won only one championship, losing in the Finals eight times, mostly to the Celtics. He was selected to the All-NBA first team ten times and the second team twice.

Finally, he was selected to the All-Defensive team five times, but I added a few because they didn't have the award in the beginning of his career and his career PER is 22.9.

9. Kobe Bryant: 780 points

Kobe has been in the top five of the MVP voting already seven times, winning the award in 2008. He has been selected to eleven All Star teams and been selected on the All NBA first team seven times, the second team twice and the third team twice.

He is also one of the best defenders ever as he has been selected to the All Defensive first team seven times and the second team twice.

Finally, he has won four championships in six Finals appearances and his career PER as a starter is 25.3.

8. Larry Bird: 794.3 points

Bird was in the top five of the MVP voting nine times, winning the award three times and finishing second four times. He was selected to twelve All Star teams and the All NBA first team nine times and the second team once.

He was also selected to the All Defensive second team three times. He led the Celtics to three titles and five Finals appearances as he won the Finals MVP award twice. Finally, his career PER was 23.5.

7. Shaquille O'Neal: 898.5 points

Shaq has been in the top five of the MVP voting eight times, winning the award in 2000. He has been selected to the All Star team 15 times and the All NBA first team eight times, the second team twice and the third team four times.

He was also selected to the All Defensive second team three times. He has won four championships in six finals appearances and he has won three Finals MVP awards. Finally, his career PER is 26.9, which ranks second all time.

6. Tim Duncan: 905 points

Duncan is simply the greatest power forward to ever play the game. He has finished in the top five of the MVP voting nine times, winning the award twice. He has been selected to eleven All Star teams and the All NBA first team nine times and the second team three times.

He is also a brilliant defender as he has been selected to the All Defensive first team eight times and the second team four times. Finally, he has led the Spurs to all of their titles, winning the Finals MVP award three times and his career PER is 25.0, which is seventh all time.

5. Magic Johnson: 949.5 points

Magic finished in the top five of the MVP voting nine times, winning the award three times. He was selected to the All Star team twelve times, the All NBA first team nine times and the second team once.

He led the Lakers to five championships and nine Finals appearances in the 80's, the hardest era in the league's history. He won three Finals MVP awards and had a career PER of 24.1. Finally, he and Larry Bird helped save the NBA with their entertaining play and great rivalry.

4. Wilt Chamberlain: 998 points

Wilt is the most dominant player ever. He finished in the top five of the MVP voting ten times, winning the award four times. He was selected to thirteen All Star teams, the All NBA first team seven times and the second team three times.

I gave him credit for an All Defensive First team selection each year he played as he was a dominant rebounder and shotblocker. Finally, he won two championships in five Finals appearances, his career PER is 26.1 and he is the all time leader in total rebounds.

3. Bill Russell: 1068.7 points

Russell is simply the greatest winner in NBA history. In his thirteen year career, he led his team to the Finals twelve times, winning the title eleven times, including eight straight from the late 50's until the mid 60's. He finished in the top five of the MVP voting eleven times, winning the award five times.

He was selected to the All Star team twelve times, the All NBA first team three times and the second team eight times. I also gave him credit for an All-Defensive first team selection each year he played. Finally, his career PER is 18.9.

2. Michael Jordan: 1355.9 points

Jordan is the most popular NBA athlete ever. He finished in the top five of the MVP voting ten times, winning the award five times. He was selected to the All Star team fourteen times, the All NBA first team ten times and the second team once.

He was also one of the best defenders ever as he won a DPOY award and he was selected to the All Defensive first team nine times. He led the Bulls to six championships as he won six Finals MVP awards and his career PER is 27.9.

1. Kareem Abdul Jabbar: 1436.6 points

Kareem is the greatest NBA player of all time according to this formula. He finished in the top five of the MVP voting an unheard of fifteen times, winning the award a record six times.

He is the all time leader in total points with over 38,000 and he was selected to the most All Star appearances with an amazing nineteen appearances. He was also selected to the All NBA first team ten times and the second team five times.

Kareem was also a great defensive player as he would've won at least one DPOY award had the league had the award in the 70's, when he was in his athletic prime and he was selected to the All Defensive first team five times and the second team six times.

He led the Bucks to their only two Finals appearances and their only championship and then he helped lead the Lakers to five championships and eight Finals appearances in the 80's.

Finally, his career PER is 24.6, only because it decreased due to how long he was able to play in the league without any major health problems.

What do you think of this list and the formula I used along with suggesting any changes to the formula that you feel needs to be addressed?

Artest's Signing With Lakers: The Good & The Bad

Marcel Mansour — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:31:32 -0400

Two days ago, I heard that Trevor Ariza was leaning towards leaving the Lakers and I couldn't believe the report as every team rumored to possibly sign with him wasn't close to as good of a fit for Ariza as the Lakers. No one was able to offer more than the midlevel exception out of the rumored teams, which the Lakers were offering.

Then, out of nowhere yesterday, I heard the breaking news that Ron Artest was signing with the Lakers for the midlevel and I couldn't believe it and then immediately afterwards I heard that Ariza signed with the Rockets for the midlevel exception. This didn't make sense to me as why the hell would Ariza leave the Lakers to sign with the Rockets for the same money the Lakers were offering when the Lakers were a perfect fit for him as a team, were legit championship contenders and he was from Los Angeles.

Eventually, I found out that Ariza's agent, David Lee, didn't like the Lakers' offer of the full midlevel exception worth just under $6 million a year for 5 years as he felt Ariza, who averaged just 9 points and 4 rebounds in the regular season, was worth $7-8 million. Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak didn't fall for his bluff and reacted quickly by signing Artest for the midlevel for three seasons as he was their plan B.

Lee couldn't believe that the Lakers signed Ariza and he had no offers for more than the midlevel for Ariza, so Ariza had to settle signing for the same money the Lakers offered with the Rockets and instead of playing for a title contender in the best place to play pro basketball in his hometown where he fit perfectly, he now will have to adjust and play on a team bound for the lottery due to Yao's severe injury.

Now let's look at the bold and surprising move the Lakers made to help them defend their title. There are several positives and negatives from the addition of Artest to the Lakers and here they are.

Overall, Artest is simply a better basketball player than Ariza is. Defensively, Artest is better than Ariza, who is very good, as he defends bigger and stronger players such as Carmelo Anthony, Lebron and Paul Pierce much better than Ariza does. Artest is also better defensively as he is more of an intimidator than Ariza as Artest often get into his opponent's heads with his constant trash talking.

Offensively, Artest can create his own shot by scoring in the post, driving and finishing and shooting from the outside, while Ariza is a dependent offensive player who needs a superstar like Kobe or Pau to give him open looks so he can knock down the outside shot, which he still is extremely inconsistent in even though he had a brilliant shooting playoffs. This move also helps Kobe as Artest will now always guard the opponent's best offensive player, which means Kobe will be less tired at the end of games so he can close them out more often.

Artest's addition also means that whenever Kobe is on the bench the team can still have multiple players on the floor who can create their own shot and sometimes demand a double team in Pau and Artest along with Bynum if he stays healthy. This addition also means that the Lakers will have one of the three best defensive teams in the league as Kobe and Artest are constant players on the All Defensive teams and Bynum, Pau and Odom are all solid defenders inside.

Overall, However, the biggest positive Artest brings to the Lakers is his toughness and intimidation. Even though the Lakers won the title this past season, they still didn't answer all of their toughness questions due to the fact that they didn't have to face any great physical team on their path to the title. Artest is one of the most physical players in the league and one of the most intimidating as he never backs down and always defends his teammates during altercations.

However, there are some negatives with the addition of Artest to the Lakers. First off, Artest may become a distraction with his attitude and off the court behavior such as flagrant fouls, technical fouls and altercations with the opponent or teammates/coaches. However, I am confident that the Lakers have enough strong personalities with Kobe, Phil Jackson, Derek Fisher and Artest's childhood friend Lamar Odom to control Artest.

Also, Artest may not fit too well in the Lakers offense as he sometimes dominates the ball way too much and that is not going to fit with the Lakers as Kobe, Pau and Bynum all need to get their shots up. However, I don't think that is going to be much of a problem as Artest has never been on a team as talented as these Lakers as he was always the first or second option on every team he played and on this team he will be the third or even fourth option.

I think a good idea would be to put Artest on the bench and have Luke Walton start. The starting five would be Fisher, Kobe, Luke, Pau and Bynum and off the bench would be Farmar, Sasha, Artest, Odom and Mbenga. The bench would have two players who can create their own shot in Odom and Artest, which will give Sasha and Farmar several open looks and Artest will still finish out games in the fourth quarter.

Overall, Artest is better offensively and defensively than Ariza and he brings a different element of toughness and intimidation that the Lakers needed, since they are still a little bit soft and would've been very complacent if they returned the same team off a championship, but with Artest's competitiveness and desire to win, that will hopefully be avoided. The Lakers are also one of the very few teams that have enough strong personalities to contain Artest from blowing up like he has in the past.

This was a great move for the Lakers and a very bold one for the usually conservative GM Mitch Kupchak. This should give the Lakers a better chance to win multiple titles before Kobe retires, as Artest will act like Rodman did to Jordan during their second three-peat.

Los Angeles Lakers Repeat Bid Depends on Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom

Marcel Mansour — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:43:15 -0400

The Los Angeles Lakers won their 15th championships in their legendary history this past week after defeating the Orlando Magic in five games.

The Lakers were the favorites the entire season, and they showed why with a convincing performance in the NBA Finals, as they revenged their embarrassing loss to the rival Boston Celtics the year before.

Now, the Lakers are looking to repeat, as they still have a very young team that can improve.

However, their repeat chances depend on two unrestricted free agents: Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza.

The Lakers' salary for next season is already set at $76 million due to the big raise in Andrew Bynum's contract without factoring in both Ariza and Odom's potential contracts.

Personally, I believe Dr. Jerry Buss will be willing to re-sign both Ariza and Odom as long as they don't ask for too much money. He knows Kobe only has four or five great years left, and that if Ariza and Odom are both re-signed, the Lakers have an excellent shot at winning two or three more titles before Kobe is done.

I also think the terrible economy will help the Lakers re-sign both of them, as there won't be too many other teams offering big contracts to Ariza and Odom.

Finally, I think that the Lakers could simply afford to pay both of them due to their immense popularity, the enormous prices of their tickets, and their recent success, including this championship.

Personally, I think the Lakers should offer Ariza a deal for five years worth around $30 million, which I think he will accept as it is long and the average pay is double what he made this season. Ariza will also stay because he is from the area, and he has fit extremely well with the team as a defensive and three-point specialist.

However, the more complicated free agent is Lamar Odom.

First off, Odom is 29 years old, which is six years older than Ariza, and he is one of the most inconsistent players in the league. Also, he never really liked the idea of coming off the bench, but played through it anyway for the good of the team. If Odom does re-sign, he will not start ahead of Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.

Another major factor is that Odom is worth nearly double what Ariza is worth, as he made a little over $11 million this past season and is still in his prime.

I feel if the Lakers will make Odom an offer of around five years worth $45 million, and he will accept, as there won't be another team that will offer him more. He has also played in Los Angeles his entire NBA career, with the exception of the one season he played in Miami with the Heat.

However, if a deal isn't agreed upon with Odom and he signs with another team, the Lakers must sign a veteran big man who can come off the bench and make an impact.

Personally, I think the perfect player that fits that description is Antonio McDyess.

McDyess is a veteran who is hungry for a championship, as he has never won one. And if Odom departs, he would be able to be the backup power forward and center.

McDyess is still capable of posting consistent double-doubles if an injury occurs to either Bynum or Gasol, and he is more consistent than Odom. McDyess is also still a solid defender, and he will fit well because he can hit that 15-foot mid-range shot.

Overall, I am pretty much 100 percent sure that Ariza will be back, and about 70/30 on Odom's chances of resigning.

However, if Odom isn't re-signed and the Lakers signed McDyess as his replacement, I would still be extremely confident that the Lakers would be able repeat, because I expect Bynum, Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic to all have better seasons than they did this year.

The Five Biggest Misconceptions in NBA History

Marcel Mansour — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 21:26:59 -0400

5. Bill Russell Being Better Than Wilt Chamberlain

Nearly every time I look at an all-time centers list or an all-time players list, I see Bill Russell being put ahead of the great Wilt Chamberlain.

I completely disagree with that belief. Russell was better than Wilt in only one category: the record 11 rings compared to just two rings for Wilt.

Wilt was a much better offensive player (Russell never averaged 19 points per game for a season, while Wilt's career scoring average was 30.1), an equal rebounder and defender, a better passer (he even led the league in assists once) and a much more efficient player shooting 54 percent from the field while Russell shot a bad 44 percent.

Russell was just fortunate to have Hall of Famers John Havlicek, Bob Cousy, Sam Jones, K.C. Jones, Frank Ramsey, Tom Heinsohn, Bill Sharman, Bailey Howell, and Clyde Lovellette.

For every season of Russell's career, he had at least three other Hall of Famers with him and in two seasons he had as much as seven with him.

Had it not been for the Hall of Fame-filled Celtics, Wilt would've won many more rings and would be a unanimous pick for the greatest player of all time.

4. The Celtics Being A Better Franchise Than The Lakers

Most of the people in the basketball world consider the Celtics to be the best NBA franchise ever, but that is absurd as the Lakers have been more successful.

The Lakers will have two less titles in a few days after they win number 15, but they have been much more consistent than the Celtics, who dominated in really just two eras: the 60's and 80's (the Lakers were dominant during the 50's, great during the 60's, good in the 70's, legendary in the 80's, solid in the 90's and great in this decade).

Also, the Lakers have more wins, a much higher winning percentage, more conference titles and many more playoff appearances than the Celtics do as well as having arguably eight of the 25 greatest players ever in Magic, Kareem, Wilt, Shaq, Kobe, Baylor, West and Mikan, while the Celtics have three in Russell, Bird and Havlicek.

Finally, the Lakers are the most popular NBA franchise, even with commissioner David Stern saying that his dream Finals matchup would be the Lakers vs. the Lakers.

3. The 90's Being A Strong Decade

I have heard numerous times how the 90's were a strong decade, mostly because of the dominant Bulls led by Michael Jordan. However, that is completely false.

The 90's, in reality, were one of the two weakest decades in the league's history, along with the 70's.

The league was watered down severely by numerous new expansion teams as the league wanted to grow and expand in cities teams didn't play in, such as Miami, Minnesota, Charlotte, and Orlando, who were all created in either 1989 or 1990.

Besides the Bulls, who were still really good without Jordan, there wasn't another great team. The Rockets were good with Hakeem as they won two titles, but he never had a great cast and won purely on his greatness and the weakness of the era.

The Jazz had Stockton and Malone, but no one else and were average defensively. The Sonics were pretty good for a couple of years, but they needed more than just Payton and Kemp.

The Knicks never surrounded Ewing with a good supporting cast as well as San Antonio for Robinson until the very late 90's after Duncan became a superstar.

2. The 1995-96 Bulls Being The Best Team Ever

The majority of people consider the 1995-96 Bulls team to be the best NBA single season team ever because they won a record 72 games that season.

While that team was amazing as it had Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Toni Kukoc, Steve Kerr, Ron Harper and Luc Longley, it wasn't as great as the 1971-72 Lakers, the 1985 Lakers and the 1984 Celtics, who all had great big men, which would've dominated the weak centers the Bulls had.

Personally, I think the 1985-86 Lakers is the greatest team ever. That team won 62 games, but in a much harder era and had Magic, Byron Scott, Worthy, Kareem, Bob McAdoo, Michael Cooper, Mitch Kupchak, Kurt Rambis, Mike McGee and Jamal Wilkes.

They beat the Celtics in six games to win the championship and they would've definitely beat the 72-win Bulls team as Kareem would've dominated Longley and the Bulls' other big men and the Lakers were deeper than the Bulls.

The 1985 Lakers team averaged an amazing 118.2 points per game, while allowing an average 110.9 points per game, a 7.3-point differential.

They shot an unheard of 54.5 percent from the field as a team, ranking first in offensive rating for the season and seventh in defensive rating.

Overall, they would've dominated the Bulls inside, but they still had enough perimeter scoring from Magic, Worthy and Scott to form a balanced attack, too good for the great defensive Bulls to match.

1. That Michael Jordan Is the Greatest Player of All Time

I am in the minority that believes that MJ is NOT the best player ever. While Jordan was a legend, brilliant at both ends of the court, and won six titles, I don't believe he is the best basketball player of all time.

First off, I think his legacy was greatly enhanced by the weakness of the era as he would've never won six rings had it not been for the fact that there wasn't another great team in the 90's besides his Bulls.

Second, he never really made his teammates better, even though the media and all of his lovers will make it seem like he did. Jordan's best teammates during his run with the Bulls were Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, B.J. Armstrong, Toni Kukoc, and Dennis Rodman.

Pippen's two best seasons came in the two seasons when Jordan retired in the mid-'90s. In the 1993-94 season (the first year after MJ retired), Pippen finished third in the MVP voting, averaging 22 points, nine rebounds, six assists, three steals and one block while shooting 49 percent from the field.

The year after Jordan retired was when Grant made his only All-Star appearance, as he averaged career highs in points (15.1), rebounds (11), and assists (3.4). Armstrong's two best seasons also occurred in the two seasons that Jordan retired.

And while Rodman had very good seasons with Jordan and the Bulls during their second three-peat, he never improved at all by playing with MJ. Finally, Kukoc's best season came in the 1998-99 season, which was the season after Jordan's second retirement.

So, the perception that Jordan made his teammates better is false, as most of his best teammates played better without him than with him.

Third, Jordan was a terrible teammate. Jordan punched teammates Steve Kerr and Will Perdue during practice and he ran coach Doug Collins out because he was upset that Collins was trying to instill a more team-oriented system, rather than too much one-on-one play by Jordan.

However, the most obvious thing to show how bad of a teammate MJ was is to see how he treated Kwame Brown when he was with the Wizards.

Jordan was still a very good player, but he was past his prime and he was in a situation where he could lead a young and rebuilding Wizards team with a talented, first overall pick in Brown.

However, instead of supporting and trying to lift up Brown's spirits after some struggles that were going to happen as he was coming out of high school, Jordan called Brown "a flaming faggot," and he used several other derogatory words towards him, which obviously destroyed Brown's confidence, as he idolized Jordan.

This shows that even after his prime, MJ only cared about himself and his attitude towards Kwame is a major reason why Kwame became a bust: he has never been a confident player because he couldn't handle all of Jordan's insults and the pressure of a franchise on him.

Finally, the last reason why MJ isn't the best player ever is how successful the 1993-94 Bulls were without him. The Bulls didn't replace MJ with a great player as Pete Meyers (who the hell is that?) started at shooting guard for him, yet they were still able to win 55 games, just two less than the year before with MJ.

The team was better defensively than the year before, even though they lost one of the best defenders in Jordan and would've at least advanced to the East Finals had it not been for the worst call in NBA history.

It was Game Five of the East semifinals between the Bulls and Knicks with the series tied at two. The Bulls were up by one in New York with just seven seconds left and Hubert Davis missed a long two with his foot on the line with two seconds left.

But the ref called Pippen on a shooting foul for contact after the shot was released, which was never called then like it is now. Davis made the two free throws, the Knicks won the game and the series in seven games.

Had the Bulls won the series, which they would've if it wasn't for the call, they would've most likely defeated the Pacers in the next round, who they were 3-1 against in the regular season and matched up very well with.

Overall, Jordan was a great player, but not the greatest of all time. He didn't make his teammates better, he dominated an extremely weak era, he was a terrible teammate and the Bulls were still very successful without him after he retired.

Kobe Bryant: The Most Underappreciated Athlete in Sports

Marcel Mansour — Sat, 30 May 2009 21:20:00 -0400

After a dominant performance last night, Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to their second consecutive NBA Finals appearance.

Kobe first dominated the game with his passing in the first half.

He took the multiple double teams, the Nuggets threw at him and passed it to either Trevor Ariza, Pau Gasol, or Derek Fisher for open shots, which allowed them to get into a rhythm early, and play with confidence on the road in an extremely hostile environment.

As the first half was ending, and Lakers up by a few points, Kobe took over the game with his amazing scoring ability.

With three minutes and nine seconds left in the first half, and Los Angeles leading 37-to-33, Kobe scored 11 points, and assisted on an Ariza three-point shot, which was his sixth of the game.

Finally, after he hit a three with four seconds left to put the score to 53-to-40, he blocks Carmelo Anthony's layup attempt right as the buzzer rang.

During the second half, Kobe continued to dominate with both his brilliant passing and scoring. He ended the game with 35 points, 10 assists and six rebounds while shooting an impressive 12-of-20 from the field, and a perfect 9-of-9 from the free-throw line.

But it wasn't just his great numbers that led the Lakers to a rout in one of the hardest places to play in the league. It was his great leadership-he trusted his team-mates numerous times, and supported them when they succeeded.

It was also when he talks with Pau Gasol after Chauncey Billups hits him with a flagrant foul to support and calm him down. He was coaching and motivating his team-mates during time outs to make sure they continue to have no mercy.

Besides Kobe being one of the most-skilled and greatest players of all time, his hard work, passion for winning, and leadership skills are tremendously underrated.

Throughout his amazing career, Kobe has been underrated because so many people dislike him. When he was a kid, they said he wasn't as good as he looked because he played with Shaq.

After Shaq left, they said he couldn't lead a team deep into the playoffs and make his team-mates better.

Then, after Shaq was traded to the Miami Heat, all of his critics and haters blamed him solely for not being able to play with Shaq. Even though everyone with that opinion knows that Michael Jordan also wouldn't have been able to play with such a dominant figure like Shaq.

They don't understand that it was legendary owner Jerry Buss' decision to trade Shaq because he didn't want to pay $30 million a year to an aging, lazy and overweight big man, who missed several games each year.

Even in the 2005/2006 season, when he led a team with Smush Parker, Luke Walton, and Kwame Brown in the starting lineup along with the enormously inconsistent Lamar Odom to a 45-win season and the sixth best record in one of the most competitive conferences in the history, they said he shot too much, and that he was a ball hog because he averaged 35.4 points per game and 27 shots per game.

The major weakness that critics claim Kobe has is his lack of ability to make his team-mates better, which is completely false.

Smush Parker was a respectable starter when he played with Kobe, but when he left he was waived by the worst team in league at the time-the Miami Heat, and hasn't been able to play since.

Kwame Brown had his best years when he played with Kobe, and now since he was traded, he can't even play significant minutes with the Pistons.

Andrew Bynum became a much better and confident player the last two seasons when he was healthy because Kobe made a concerted effort to get him the ball where he could be effective.

Lamar Odom has been his best and most efficient in his career when he played with Kobe, and the same goes with Pau Gasol and Trevor Ariza.

Despite these facts, Kobe is always compared to Michael Jordan, who didn't make his team-mates better as well as Kobe has.

Scottie Pippen's best season was the year after Jordan first retired. Pippen averaged 22 points, nine rebounds, 5.6 assists, three steals and one block while shooting 49 percent from the field, and finished third in the MVP voting.

He would have led the Bulls to the East Finals, if he had not been called for arguable foul on Hubert Davis with two seconds left in Game Five of the East Semifinals, and the Bulls up by one. But instead the Bulls lost in seven games to the Knicks.

Horace Grant became an All Star that season as well without Jordan or Dennis Rodman. He didn't become better when he played with Jordan.

Toni Kukoc's best season was the 1998/1999, after Jordan had his second retirement.

The second major weakness that Kobe's haters claim is that he is a bad team-mate. While Kobe was a bit of a loner in the beginning of his career, he was never a bad team-mate.

He was always intense during practice, which made his team-mates become better players.However, Kobe has been both tough on his team-mates when they failed and supportive.

Jordan was a worse team-mate than Kobe was, despite his great image because of the way the media pampers him. Kobe never punched a team-mate in practice like Jordan did to both Steve Kerr and Will Perdue (he got upset and he ran coach Doug Collins because he wanted the ball more, compared to the team oriented style Collins preferred).

However, the most telling thing to show how bad of a team-mate Jordan was is to see how he treated Kwame Brown when he was with the Washington Wizards.

Jordan had come back and was still a very good player, but past his prime. However, he was in a scenario where he could improve a young and rebuilding Wizards team with a talented first pick in Kwame Brown.

Instead of supporting him and trying to lift up Brown's spirits after some struggles, Jordan called him "a flaming faggot". He used several other derogative words towards Brown, which destroyed his confidence as he most likely idolized Jordan.

This shows that even after his prime, when it shouldn't have been all about him, Jordan only cared about himself, and didn't care at all about his team-mates.

Jordan's attitude towards Kwame is one of the major reasons why he became a huge bust as he has always lacked the confidence and toughness to become successful. A lot of that comes from the way Jordan treated him when he was such a young, unpolished, and inexperienced player with the pressure of an entire franchise on his shoulders.

After the 2006/2007 season when Kobe's Lakers lost again to the Phoenix Suns in the first round (because of a severe lack of talent around him), after three years with the Lakers, Bryant demanded to get traded.

He felt betrayed by management that had promised to build a championship team but instead they did not, as they never made a major trade to improve the team. They drafted a 17-year-old project with their 10th overall pick in Andrew Bynum, instead of selecting a player that could make an impact sooner.

The immediate reaction nationally after Kobe's trade demand was that he was selfish and disloyal because the Lakers were so loyal to him during his Sexual Assault case a few years prior.

However, what no one realized was that Kobe's passion and drive towards winning was too big for him to allow management to not improve their performance by continuing to wait without pressuring them to do so.

Instead of being like nearly every other superstar in professional sports, who in his situation on a mediocre team would not kill themselves over their team every single game, and not care about the team's performance because they were getting paid around $20 million per year, Kobe expected greatness from his management just like he did everyday he worked so hard for himself.

So far in his legendary career, Kobe Bryant has won three NBA Championships, and has advanced to the NBA six times.

He is already 17th all time with 23,820 career points, he has 11 All Star appearances with three All Star Game MVP awards, 11 All NBA appearances, with seven of them as a member of the first team, nine All NBA Defensive team selections, with seven of them as a member of the first team and one MVP award.

He is arguably the most skilled player to ever play the game with enormous array of moves, an amazing post game for his size, an extremely long range, an ability to finish with both arms, a lock down mid range game, and finally his amazing footwork.

On the top of that, he is one of the best perimeter one-on-one defenders ever, he is one of the smartest players ever, and he is as competitive, intense, and clutch as anyone ever.

As a die hard Kobe and Lakers fan, I cherish this moment as in just a couple of weeks, Kobe will lead the Lakers to their first title since Shaq's trade and Kobe's fourth overall as he chases Jordan's six.

This year will definitely be different from last year as Orlando and Cleveland aren't nearly as good as last year's Celtics, and this year's Lakers are much more experienced, tougher and deeper than last year's team that fell two games short of the title.

Personally, I love Kobe as a player because he works as hard as any player ever to get better, and master every area of the game with his extreme dedication towards greatness.

He has a great deal of immense competitiveness, where he never takes a game off even if it isn't an important game in the regular season.

He has no weakness in his game as he is dominant offensively and defensively, and is extremely clutch at the end of games when it matters the most.

He understands and appreciates the history of the game, and all of the legends that made it easier for him to be successful. His toughness to play at a high level even with any injury possible-whether it is a sprained shoulder, a dislocated finger, or any sickness-is something I admire.

Hate him or love him, you should appreciate Kobe for being the hardest working athlete in all of professional sports, the toughest and arguably the best because of his passion for winning, and his mastery of every aspect of basketball at both ends of the floor.

You should also appreciate him for being a pretty good team-mate, who never had a game where he didn't give 100 percent, and played through numerous injuries most athletes wouldn't bother playing with.

NBA Playoffs: First-Round Predictions

Marcel Mansour — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 01:21:30 -0400

Eastern Conference:

No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 8 Detroit Pistons - Cavs In 4

The Cavaliers are the best team in the East and they will have no problem with the sinking Pistons, who just aren't close to the team of the last several years, when they were legitimate championship contenders with Billups leading the team. The only question is whether Detroit will win a game, which they can, but I think Lebron is too good and the Cavs will rest after their sweep and await their second-round opponent.

No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Chicago Bulls - Celtics In 5

The defending champs will have an easier first-round series than last year, when they were forced to seven games against the Hawks. Even though KG's health is uncertain and he will not be 100 percent, the Celtics are simply too good defensively and experienced enough to beat the Bulls with ease. The young Bulls will gain some playoff experience, but they will learn that defense is the key to winning in the postseason when the tempo is often much slower.

No. 3 Orlando Magic vs. No. 6 Philadelphia 76ers - Magic In 5

I thought the Bulls wouldn't given the Magic a long and tough series, but they lost to the Raptors at home today and the 76ers were able to move up to the sixth seed instead. However, unfortunately for the Sixers, this was a terrible matchup for them, as they have no one to contain Dwight Howard in the middle and they have very little experience with the exception of Andre Miller.

No. 4 Atlanta Hawks vs. No. 5 Miami Heat - Hawks In 7

This is without a doubt the best first-round series in the East as either team has a realistic shot of winning. The Hawks are more experienced from last year's seven game series with the Celtics and will have home court, which I think will be the difference in the series, as I think the Hawks will win each home game.

However, I will not be surprised if the Heat win as Wade is the best player in the series and he has shown he can dominate a series before, but I just don't think he has a good enough supporting cast to win the series without home court advantage. I also think that there will be too much pressure on rookie Mario Chalmers and Michael Beasley to perform big, and they will not play good enough for Miami to win.

Western Conference:

No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 8 Utah Jazz - Lakers in 5

The Lakers are simply the most talented and deepest team in the league, and it will be a major disappointment if they don't win it all this year. The Jazz won't be able to defend the Lakers well enough to win, especially inside where they can't handle Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, and then Lamar Odom off the bench. Also, Boozer isn't playing like his normal self since he has returned from his injury and Kirilenko has lost it mentally.

Kobe will dominate as the Jazz don't have a great perimeter defender to guard him and while Deron Williams is a terrible matchup for the Lakers as both Fisher and Farmar can't contain him at all. If needed, Trevor Ariza could defend Deron for a few important possessions late in the game and bother him with his size, speed, and length.

No. 2 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 7 New Orleans Hornets - Hornets In 7

This was the most difficult series for me to predict as while I think the Hornets are better, mostly because they have the best player in the series in Chris Paul, I was concerned about Tyson Chandler and Peja Stojakovic's injuries and how healthy they will be for the series.

However, I think the Hornets will win in seven extremely tough games as Chris Paul will severely outplay Billups in the point guard matchup, and because I think David West will have a monster series as the Nuggets don't have anyone to defend him well. Overall, while the Nuggets are deeper and have home court advantage, I simply think Chris Paul will win the series for the Hornets pretty much by himself—with a little help from West inside.

#3 San Antonio Spurs vs. #6 Dallas Mavericks - Spurs In 6

The Spurs are still the Spurs and they still have the great Tim Duncan (even if he's not 100 percent) and head coach Gregg Poppovich, and that is why they will win the series over Dallas. First off, Tony Parker will dominate Jason Kidd, as Kidd is way too slow and old to guard the extremely quick Parker from not driving in the lane to score and create for his teammates.

I also think Roger Mason and Drew Gooden will be important role players for the Spurs as Gooden is a solid low-post player offensively that the Spurs haven't had with Duncan since David Robinson's retirement. Mason has been extremely clutch so far in the season, and that will continue in the postseason as he will be the replacement for Robert Horry's big shots.

No. 4 Portland Trailblazers vs. No. 5 Houston Rockets - Blazers In 7

The young and relatively inexperienced Blazers will be able to squeeze by past the Rockets thanks to their great home court advantage, where they were 34-7 during the regular season. The Blazers have two centers who could guard and bother Yao in the middle with Oden and Przybilla, both of whom are solid defensively.

However, the x-factor for Portland is LaMarcus Aldridge, who is too big and talented for the under-sized Luis Scola or Carl Landry to defend. Aldridge will have a huge series as he has a 3" to 4" height advantage over his defender. Overall, while the Rockets are more experienced, the majority of their key players still haven't advance past the first round, such as Yao, Scola, Brooks, Battier, and Landry.

The NBA's 10 Greatest Postseason Performances

Marcel Mansour — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 21:25:03 -0400

With the start of the playoffs just a few days away, I thought we should look back at the league's greatest individual performances in the postseason.

10. Michael Jordan's 63-Point Game (Game Two of 1986 First Round Series)

Jordan scored a playoff-record 63 points against the dominant Celtics, as he shot 22-41 from the field and 19-21 from the free throw line, in a 135-131 double overtime loss. After the game, in the Celtics locker room, Celtics legend Larry Bird said, "I think he's God disguised as Michael Jordan." Also, guard Danny Ainge on Jordan, "Everyone knew Michael was an excellent player, but I think this was the first time everyone realized how great he was."

9. James Worthy's Triple-Double (Game Seven of the 1988 Finals)

In Game Seven of the Finals against the Pistons, Worthy led the Lakers to a 108-105 victory to win their second consecutive title after head coach Pat Riley guaranteed a repeat in the parade after the 1987 title. Worthy cemented his nickname of "Big Game James," as he scored 36 points, had 16 rebounds, and dished out 10 assists, as the Lakers became the first team to repeat since the 1969 Celtics.

8. Walt Frazier's Legendary Game vs. the Lakers (Game Seven of 1970 Finals)

Frazier's legendary performance was overshadowed by Willis Reed's inspiring entrance, as he was seriously injured, but the Knicks couldn't have survived without Frazier. He had 36 points, 19 assists and seven rebounds while also playing amazing defense on Jerry West, to lead the Knicks to their first championship in franchise history.

7. Elgin Baylor Scores a Record 61 Points (Game Five of 1962 Finals)

Baylor scored a then playoff-record 61 points against the dominant Celtics, along with grabbing an amazing 22 rebounds, even though he was only 6'5". His 61 points is still a Finals record, as he led the Lakers to a 126-121 win to take a 3-2 lead in the series, before the Celtics came back to win the title.

6. Bob Petit Scores 50 Against the Celtics (Game Six of 1958 Finals)

Petit briefly single handedly interrupted the Celtics dynasty as he led the Hawks over the Celtics in six games with a dominating 50 point performance. He scored 19 of his team's final 21 points, including the game-clincher, which was a tip-in with 15 seconds left in regulation. After the game, Petit said, "We had to win that game, we did not want to have to go to Boston to try to win game seven."

5. Bill Russell Has 30 Points/40 Rebounds (Game Seven of 1962 Finals)

In an epic overtime game against the rival Lakers, the all-time greatest winner in the league's history came up with an amazing performance, as Russell scored 30 points and grabbed 40 rebounds as he led his Celtics in a 110-107 victory over the Lakers. This Finals was the beginning of the Lakers-Celtics rivalry, the first of six meetings, with the Celtics winning every one of them.

4. Michael Jordan's Flu Game (Game Five of 1997 Finals)

With the series tied at 2-2 and the momentum in Utah's favor, Jordan played his most inspirational game of his brilliant career. Jordan, playing with severe food poisoning, was doubtful to play, but he ended up scoring 38 points on 13-27 shooting, including the go-ahead three point shot with less than a minute remaining, to finish with 15 fourth quarter points. The Bulls went on to win game six and their fifth championship and their second straight.

3. LeBron Dominates the Pistons in the Fourth Quarter/OT (Game Five of 2007 East Finals)

This was the game LeBron James became a legend. Lebron scored nine points in the last three minutes of regulation to force overtime, and then took over, as he made the game-winning layup with less than a minute left to lead the Cavaliers to within one game of the franchise's first Finals appearance. Overall, Lebron scored his team's last 25 points and 29 of the team's last 30 points. The Cavs eventually won Game Six to advance to the Finals, before losing to the Spurs.

2. Isiah Thomas Scores 43 on an Injured Ankle (Game Six of 1988 Finals)

Isiah Thomas scored a playoff record 25 points in the third quarter, as he hit 11 of his 13 shots. Isiah scored 14 consecutive points in the quarter, but then sprained his ankle after landing on Michael Cooper. He returned shortly after to lead the Pistons to a lead, before the Lakers took over in the last minute of the game to win. Overall, Isiah scored 43 points, had eight assists and six steals, as he played with a jammed pinkie, a poked eye, a scratched face, and a severely sprained right ankle.

1. Magic Johnson Fills In for Kareem vs. the Sixers (Game Six of 1980 Finals)

It was Game Six of the Finals, with the Lakers leading the series, 3-2, and reigning MVP Kareem Abdul Jabbar wasn't able to play with an injured ankle. The Lakers had all but conceded the game as they let Kareem stay in his home in L.A. However, rookie Magic Johnson wasn't ready to go to Game Seven.

Magic started at center and played all five positions as he dominated the 76ers in Philadelphia to stun the crowd and the Sixers. When it was all done, Magic had scored 42 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, had seven assists, three steals, and one blocked shot as he led the Lakers to a 123-107 victory, and the first of five titles in the '80s, and his first Finals MVP award.

Los Angeles Lakers' Bench Needs to Step Up

Marcel Mansour — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 01:52:54 -0400

The Lakers are the deepest team in the league when the club is healthy, but lately their bench, which was nicknamed the "Bench Mob" last season after its great year, has been extremely average at best.

They have given up several leads or extended the deficit even more than what it was.

Coming into the season the Lakers were so deep, they were able to put Lamar Odom on the bench along with Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, Trevor Ariza, Luke Walton, and Josh Powell.

That looked like the best bench in the league. It had great offensive power, depth at all positions, and solid defense with a lot of length from Odom and Ariza.

During the beginning of the season, the bench played pretty well, even though many of the key bench players such as Sasha, Farmar and Odom were averaging far fewer points that they were thought to do, as they simply had too much talent over opponent's benches during the crucial beginnings of the second and fourth quarters of games.

However, once Andrew Bynum seriously injured his knee on the last day of January, the bench's play has severely declined. Odom, the best player by far on the bench, has moved to the starting forward spot.

Then the Lakers traded Radmanovic for Adam Morrison in a salary cap move, which at first forced Walton to start, then eventually Ariza. But either way, another key bench player was moved to the starting lineup.

So the bench's two best players, Ariza and Odom, are currently in the starting lineup and Vujacic and Farmar, two key bench players, are playing almost as bad as Chris Mihm and Kwame Brown currently are.

Sasha, who was a great long range shooter last season, is only shooting 37 percent from the field and 35 percent from the three-point line, compared to 45 percent from the field and 44 percent from the three-point line last season.

Sasha is also averaging only 5.5 points per game, compared to 8.8 a game last season. Since the All-Star break he is shooting a pathetic 33 percent from the field and 31 percent from the three-point line.

Jordan Farmar, who had a breakout season last year, is also mightily struggling this year. Farmar is shooting only 41 percent from the field and 35 percent from the three-point line this year, compared to 46 percent from the field and 37 percent from the three-point line last season.

He is also averaging only 6.9 points compared to 9.1 last season. He is shooting only 39 percent from the field since the All-Star break, and his defense has been below average throughout the season—as he can't stop any penetration from opposing point guards.

Also, Luke Walton is averaging less in all of the major statistics and hasn't made a major impact either in the starting lineup or off the bench.

Overall, as a whole the bench has been disappointing, especially lately when they haven't been able to keep any lead or at least stay close when the team is down.

However, the big debate is what to do with Andrew Bynum when he returns from his knee injury in the next couple of weeks. I personally think Phil Jackson should have Bynum come off the bench. Odom plays much better as a starter than a reserve, and the bench will play much better with a low-post presence as that will help open up Farmar and Sasha to get more open looks and gain confidence.

Overall, the Lakers haven't been as sharp as they were earlier in the season, but I am not too worried as long as Bynum returns as that will greatly help the declining bench and make the Lakers too big, talented, long, and deep for any team to beat them in a seven game series.

However, if Bynum somehow doesn't come back, or isn't close to himself when he does return, it will be extremely interesting to see how much tougher the Lakers truly are compared to last year.

Can they win a title without major contributions from Bynum in the middle? That would put a lot more pressure on Farmar, Sasha, and Walton to perform well in the playoffs to push the Lakers over the top to win it all.

MLB Season Preview: Awards Predictions

Marcel Mansour — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:19:52 -0400

NL Rookie of the Year Award: Cameron Maybin (Marlins)

Maybin is an extremely talented outfielder who will most likely be the lead off man for club this season. He is an excellent defensive player with his great speed and solid arm and he should have about a .280 average along with about 10 homers, 50 RBI, 75 runs and 25 stolen bases.

Runner Up: Jordan Schafer - Center Fielder (Braves)

NL Manager of the Year Award: Jerry Manuel (Mets)

Manuel will lead the Mets to a division title over the defending champs Phillies as the Mets finally have solved their major weakness from the last two seasons and that is relief pitching with the additions of JJ Putz and Francisco Rodriguez.

Personally, my prediction is that the Mets will win 92 games and have the second best record in the NL.

Runner Up: Joe Torre (Dodgers); prediction - 88 wins and division title

NL Cy Young Award: Johan Santana (Mets)

Santana will in my opinion win his third Cy Young Award and his first as a member of the Mets. I think he will win twenty games along with having an ERA in the high twos and over 200 strikeouts while helping lead the Mets to a division title and a 90 win season.

Runner Up: Roy Oswalt (Astros); prediction - 18 wins, 3.1 ERA and 175 k's

NL MVP Award: Albert Pujols (Cardinals)

I don't see any reason why Pujols won't win the award this season. He will again have his similar amazing stats with an average around .350, about 40 home runs, 115 RBI, and 100 runs along with about a .450 on base percentage and gold glove caliber defense at first base. I also think his Cardinals will have a good chance of making the playoffs.

Runner Up: David Wright (Mets); prediction - .308, 34 hrs, 118 RBI, 112 runs, 24 sb

AL Rookie of the Year Award: David Price (Rays)

Price will be sent up to the rays around the middle of May and his impact will immediately be felt by the reigning AL Champs. I think he will win about 13 games while having a 2.9 ERA and 150 strikeouts while helping lead the Rays to winning the league's hardest division—the AL East.

Runner Up: Travis Snider (Blue Jays); prediction - .275, 19 hrs, 74 RBI, 69 runs, 8 sb

AL Manager of the Year Award: Eric Wedge (Indians)

I believe the Indians are going to be a surprise team this year and win the AL Central. They will have an improved offense as long as Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner stay healthy and their pitching staff should also be better as Carmona should have a bounce back year and Kerry Wood is a solid closer, which is something they didn't have last year.

Runner Up: Mike Scioscia (Angels); prediction - 93 wins and division title

AL Cy Young Award: CC Sabathia (Yankees)

Sabathia will have a lot of run support with the Yankees great offense and he will win his second Cy Young Award. He will win 20 games this season along with having an ERA in the high twos and 220 strikeouts while helping lead the Yankees to the postseason and a 90 win season in the league's most difficult division.

Runner Up: Roy Halladay (Blue Jays); prediction - 18 wins, 2.9 ERA, 190 k's

AL MVP Award: Evan Longoria (Rays)

Longoria is in my opinion the best player on the best team in the American league. He will have about a .280 average, along with 35 plus home runs, 110 RBI, 100 runs scored, 15 stolen bases, and a .360 on base percentage. I also think he will win the gold glove award this year at third base and lead the Rays to the best record in the majors.

Runner Up: Grady Sizemore (Indians); prediction - .275, 35 hrs, 92 RBI, 102 runs, 34 sb

MLB Season Preview: Division/Postseason Predictions

Marcel Mansour — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:58:02 -0400

National League Predictions:

NL West:

1. Los Angeles Dodgers - 88 - 74

2. Arizona Diamondbacks - 83 - 79

3. San Francisco Giants - 76 - 86

4. Colorado Rockies - 75 - 87

5. San Diego Padres - 61 - 101

NL Central:

1. Chicago Cubs - 93 - 69

2. St. Louis Cardinals - 88 - 74

3. Houston Astros - 87 - 75

4. Milwaukee Brewers - 80 - 82

5. Cincinnati Reds - 77 - 85

6. Pittsburgh Pirates - 72 - 90

NL East:

1. New York Mets - 92 - 70

2. Philadelphia Phillies - 90 - 72

3. Florida Marlins - 86 - 76

4. Atlanta Braves - 77 - 85

5. Washington Nationals - 66 - 96

NL Wild Card:

1. Philadelphia Phillies - 90 - 72

2. St. Louis Cardinals - 88 - 74

3. Houston Astros - 87 - 75

American League Predictions:

AL West:

1. Los Angeles Angels - 93 - 69

2. Texas Rangers - 81 - 81

3. Oakland Athletics - 79 - 83

4. Seattle Mariners - 67 - 95

AL Central:

1. Cleveland Indians - 89 - 73

2. Minnesota Twins - 87 - 75

3. Chicago White Sox - 86 - 76

4. Kansas City Royals - 79 - 83

5. Detroit Tigers - 75 - 87

AL East:

1. Tampa Bay Rays - 96 - 66

2. New York Yankees - 94 - 68

3. Boston Red Sox - 93 - 69

4. Toronto Blue Jays - 75 - 87

5. Baltimore Orioles - 72 - 90

AL Wild Card:

1. New York Yankees - 94 - 68

2. Boston Red Sox - 93 - 69

3. Minnesota Twins - 87 - 75

Postseason Predictions:

NLCS - Mets over Cubs in 6 games

ALCS - Rays over Yankees in 7 games

World Series - Rays over Mets in 6 games; MVP - Longoria

Who is the Most Accomplished Basketball Player Ever?

Marcel Mansour — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 22:49:18 -0400

There are in my opinion only six players who can be considered the greatest NBA player of all time and they are Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Larry Bird.

However, this article is trying to determine which player was the most accomplished ever in both college and the NBA.

Magic won five championships and led the Lakers to nine Finals appearances in the hardest era in the league's history as well as being the greatest point guard and team player ever.

He won three MVP awards and rejuvenated the league with Larry Bird. He also won an NCAA championship over Bird's team in an epic championship game.

Jordan won six championships and six Finals MVP awards along with an NCAA championship as a freshman at North Carolina.

He also won five MVP awards and ten scoring titles along with being one of the greatest offensive players ever and perimeter defenders of all time.

Wilt was the most dominant player ever as there was no one big, strong or athletic enough to defend him in his prime.

He was the most dominant offensive player ever as he was also a great passer and he was a great defensive player. However, he only won two championships in his career along with four MVP awards and one Finals MVP award.

Russell was arguably the greatest defensive player ever and the greatest winner in team sports as he won two NCAA championships at San Francisco and eleven titles with the Celtics.

He also won five MVP awards, but he can't be considered the most accomplished player as he wasn't close to the offensive player of the other six legends as he never averaged higher than 18.9 points per game.

Bird was by far the least gifted of this group, as he was slow, weak, and unathletic. However, he was also as skilled as anyone as he could shoot as well as anyone, was tough defensively, was a brilliant passer and as clutch as any player ever. He won three MVP awards and three championships along with two Finals MVP awards.

Out of the six players I mentioned, there is no doubt who was the most accomplished, and that is the great and usually underrated Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

Kareem was without a doubt the most coveted high school basketball player ever as nearly college in the counrty offered him a scholarship as he was the best high school basketball player in the nation.

In his high school career, he led Memorial Academy to three straight New York City Catholic Championships, an overall record of 96 -6 and a 71 game winning streak.

He eventually decided to attend UCLA to play under legendary coach John Wooden. During his redshirt freshman year, he led the freshman team in a scrimmage over the starters in the first game at Pauley Pavilion by a score of 75-60.

The starting team that season won the National Championship, but couldn't even come close to the freshman team due to Kareem's greatness.

In college, Kareem averaged 26.4 points and 15.5 rebounds while shooting 64% from the field in 88 career games while leading the Bruins to an overall record of 86 - 2 and three consecutive championships.

His only two losses in college were to the Houston Cougars, who were led by the great Elvin Hayes in a game where Kareem played with an injured cornea in his left eye.

The other loss was to the USC Trojans who played a "stall game," which means that the Trojans held on to the ball for several long periods because there was no shot clock. He won the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament in each of his three years and the NCAA Player of the Year Award twice.

Finally, in the game called the "game of the century" against the Houston Cougars (who they lost to prior in the season) in the 1968 NCAA Tournament semifinals, he led the Bruins to a 101-69 beatdown over Hayes and the Cougars as they revenged their lost.

The Harlem Globetrotters offered Kareem $1 million to play for them, but he declined. Then, Kareem was selected number one overall in the 1969 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks who won a coin flip over the Phoenix Suns as well as being drafted number one overall in the 1969 ABA Draft by the New Jersey Nets.

He chose to play with the Bucks, instead of the Nets as the ABA was struggling in terms of popularity.

In his rookie season with the Bucks, he was second in the league in scoring with a 28.8 average and third in rebounding as he averaged 14.5 rpg a game.

He also led the team to a 56-26 record, which was a 29-game improvement from the previous season, which was the franchise's first year in the league as he won the Rookie of the Year Award.

In his second season, the team added Oscar Robertson, who was at the end of his career, to team up with Kareem. Kareem led the Bucks to an amazing 66 -16 record, including a record at the time 20-game winning streak.

Kareem won his first MVP award that season along with his first scoring title at 31.7 points per game. In the postseason, the Bucks went 12 2 and swept the Bullets in the Finals for the franchise's first title in just their third season thanks to Kareem.

In his next four seasons with the Bucks, Kareem won two more MVP awards and led the team to four straight division titles, despite Robertson being in decline and not close to the player he was during his prime.

In the 1973-74 season, he led the Bucks to the Finals again, but they lost in a heartbreaking seven game series to the Boston Celtics.

After the 1974-75 season, Kareem requested to be traded to Los Angeles or New York, as he felt the Midwest did not fit his cultural needs and he didn't think the team could provide him with enough of a supporting cast to compete for a championship. He got his wish when the Lakers acquired him in a six player trade.

In his first four seasons with the Lakers, Kareem won two more MVP awards to push his total to five, which tied the record at the time, but they couldn't get past the Blazers in 1977 or the Sonics in 1978 and 1979 in the playoffs.

However, his career took a dramatic change for the better in the 1979 Draft when the Lakers drafted Earvin "Magic" Johnson and the greatest duo and arguably the greatest team ever was born.

In their first season together, the Lakers won the championship in six games over the 76ers thanks to the greatest performance ever by Magic in game 6 of the Finals without an injured Kareem.

Kareem won his sixth and final MVP award that season, which is still an all time record. In the 1980's, Kareem and Magic led the Lakers to eight NBA Finals appearances and five championships.

Overall, Kareem Abdul Jabbar is the most accomplished player ever as he was without a doubt the most dominant and successful college basketball player ever and in my opinion the greatest center in NBA history.

He is the all-time leader in total points with 38,387 points and he ranks third all time in blocked shots even though they weren't recorded in his first four seasons with 3189 in his career.

He also ranks 4th all time in total rebounds with 17440, 1st all time with an amazing 19 All Star appearances, 2nd in games played with 1560, 1st in MVPs won with six and even 31st in career assists with 5660.

He led his teams to six championships, five with the Lakers and one with the Bucks and ten Finals appearances. He won the Finals MVP award twice in the 1971 and 1985 Finals, respectively.

He was selected to the All NBA Team 15 times, with ten of them as a member of the first team. He was also selected to the All Defensive team ten times, with five of the selections as a first team member.

Finally, Kareem was also the most durable player ever as he played in at least 76 games in each season, except for in two of them even though he played for 20 seasons.

When arguably the greatest defensive player ever Bill Russell was asked how he would defend Kareem's sky hook, he replied, "I just thank God that I didn't play in his era cause I don't know how I would've defended him."

Who Will The Lakers Play In the Finals?

Marcel Mansour — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 02:11:16 -0400

The Lakers are a lock to make the Finals this season as there is no team in the Western Conference that can beat them in a seven game series, with the Lakers having home court advantage and the best player in the league.

As they demonstrated last night against their only real challenger in the West, the Lakers are too deep and athletic for the Spurs to handle, especially with Duncan and Ginobili not going to be completely healthy if they meet in the playoffs.

Also, the Jazz, Hornets and Trailblazers don't have a chance against them.

In my opinion, the Jazz would give the Lakers some trouble, but at the end of the day they don't defend well enough, especially in the paint as they foul way too much, and aren't a good enough road team to beat the Lakers in the postseason.

The Hornets are a team that has a huge matchup advantage at point guard as Fisher can't guard Chris Paul at all because of his amazing craftiness and speed. However, the Hornets have no depth at all and if they don't get great outside shooting from Peja, Butler and Posey, then they have no chance against the Lakers.

The Blazers look like they are a matchup problem for the Lakers and they are somewhat as they have enough bigs to defend Gasol and Bynum (if and when he comes back) and have several wing players who can bother Kobe with a lot of length such as Outlaw and Batum, but they don't have enough experience to be able to beat the Lakers and they don't have a true low post threat as their best players are mostly jump shooters.

Overall, it looks like the Lakers will win the Western conference again this year, but who will they face in the Finals?

There are only two teams in the Eastern Conference that have a legit chance of making the Finals and they are the Celtics and the Cavaliers. It looks like the Cavs are going to end up with homecourt advantage over the Celtics, which could be pivotal when they meet in the East Finals as the home team has won the last 15 meetings between these two teams.

Last season, the Cavaliers came just short against the Celtics in the second round as they lost in a close game seven as Paul Pierce had an amazing game and P.J. Brown made several key plays at the end of the game to help the Celtics win.

However, the Cavs have improved a lot since as they acquired Mo Williams in the offseason and have had internal improvements from several of their role players such as Delonte West, Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic.

On the other hand, the Celtics in my opinion are also slightly better than last year even though they lost James Posey and Brown, who were key role players in their title run. Rajon Rondo has improved dramatically since last year as he has become a triple double threat and a more confident player.

Also, Kendrick Perkins is better as he is more consistent and Eddie House has had a much better season that last year as he has consistently provided a great spark off the bench.

However, the Celtics are a much more mentally tough this year as they have already gone through all of the battles last season and Kevin Garnett will be much more fresh as he will have less wear and tear because of his recent knee injury.

Personally, I think the Celtics are going to beat the Cavaliers in a tough six or seven game series because they play excellent defense on Lebron, the Cavs rely too much on three point line, and the Celtics have too much offensive firepower with the Big Three.

However, as a die hard Lakers fan, I would much prefer to play the Cavs in the Finals instead as the Lakers match up extremely well with the Cavs, while even though they have beaten the Celtics both times they played this season, the Celtics are a tough matchup because of their physical play inside.

Also, the fact that the Celtics know they can beat the Lakers as they did in last year's Finals is a major advantage, while the Cavs aren't as confident as the Lakers whipped the Cavaliers in both matchups this season and are currently the only team in the league to have won in Cleveland, which they accomplished with center Andrew Bynum.

Overall, I think the Lakers are a lock to win the West as the Spurs don't match up well with them and that the Celtics will edge out the Cavaliers in the East Finals, even though the Lakers should be rooting for the Cavs to win as they match up much better with them, rather than the Celtics.

Michael Jordan's First Retirement: Was It a Secret Suspension?

Marcel Mansour — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 23:58:36 -0500

Michael Jordan was one of the greatest players to ever play the game and is considered by many to be the best ever. He was a dominant offensive player who could score as well as anyone and as good as a perimeter defender as there has been.

He was also a winner as he led the Bulls to six championships in the '90s in two different sets of threepeats.

In the beginning of his career, Jordan was a dominant individual player, but he was overshadowed by the greatness of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, who were both legends on championships contending teams.

On the other hand, Jordan's Bulls weren't a championship contender until the early '90s (Jordan's 6-7th season) when Scottie Pippen became a great all around player and the majority the great teams in the '80 had declined.

However, once he had a good enough supporting cast, he completely dominated the league for the majority of the decade and cemented himself as a legend of the game and the best player in the decade.

However, he retired after he led the Bulls to their first three peat for over a year and a half before coming back and leading the team to another three peat.

Why would the face of the league on the best team in the league who was known for his enormous competitive drive and his desire to be the best ever suddenly retire in the middle of his prime? Lets look at the facts.

In 1992, after winning his second championship, Jordan was called to testify in the criminal trial of James Bouler to explain why why Bouler, a convicted drug dealer, was in possession of a Jordan-signed personal check for $57,000.

First, Jordan claimed it was a business loan, but under oath he admitted that it was a payment for on gambling losses for a single weekend.

Then, in early 1993, San Diego businessman Richard Equinas revealed in his book Michael and Me: Our Gambling Addiction...My Cry for Help that he had won over $900,000 from Jordan in golf betting.

Around the same time, MJ was spotted in an Atlantic City casino in the early hours on the morning of Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals.

After the Bulls won their third championship, the NBA launched an investigation into Jordan's gambling problems to check whether he had violated any league rules. Then, four months later Jordan stunned the world by suddenly retiring from professional basketball.

At the press conference when he was asked if he would ever return he said, " Five years down the road, if the urge comes back, if the Bulls will have me, if David Stern lets me back in the league, I may come back."

Now why in the world would Jordan ever say if David Stern lets him back, then maybe he would come back when the reporter didn't mention Stern's name at all in his question?

Only days after Jordan announced his retirement, the league dropped its investigation, saying he did nothing wrong (I guess betting numerous amounts on sports isn't wrong then).

Was there a secret agreement between Jordan and Stern where Stern told him to simply retire and create a distraction so that he wouldn't face a suspension and have his huge marketable name stay clean?

The distraction occurred when Jordan then decided to play minor league baseball in the White Sox organization, even though he would've had trouble hitting a beach ball, yet alone a baseball. In 102 games with the Barons, Jordan had a .202 average along with 3 homers, 51 RBI, 30 stolen bases, 114 strikeouts, and a .555 OPS.

Also, in the much respected book Money Players Days and Nights Inside the New NBA by Armen Keteyian, it states that in 1993, the league had an interview with Richard Equinas during their investigation on Jordan's gambling. He said that in March of 1992, he overheard a telephone conversation Jordan was having with an unknown person.

During the conversation, he heard Jordan talking about a betting line, "So you say the line is seven points." The game MJ was talking about isn't known, but the accusations are extremely serious as that means if Jordan was indeed betting on sports, he was breaking a sacred, unwritten rule for all professional athletes, as that is against the integrity of the game.

Personally, my opinion on this subject is that Jordan and David Stern had a secret meeting where Stern told Jordan to leave the game for a brief period to save himself, the league's by far most marketable and popular player, embarrassment and scrutiny from a public suspension.

I also think it was done brilliantly by commissioner Stern as today most people don't really know much of this theory as Jordan's reputation is fantastic, even though he was a huge gambler and a questionable teammate and because Jordan came back less than two years late and won three more championships with the Bulls before retiring for a second time.

The main reason why I believe this theory is because I simply don't believe a player as competitive as Jordan would suddenly retire right at the peak of his career to supposedly play baseball when he knew he wasn't that good and because he said he was too worn out because of the past championship runs and 1992 Olympics.

MJ was the best player on the best team and he wanted to be the best to ever play the game, so I don't believe he would have retired on his own when he knew if he had played, his Bulls would've had undoubtedly extended their streak of championships to four, unless a major injury had occurred.

Overall, I am not certain about my opinion that Jordan was actually suspended secretly, instead of retired on his own, but I do think there was a really good chance that this occurred because it doesn't make sense that he retired when he did.

What do you guys think? Do you think he was suspended or not? Also, would your opinion of MJ change if it came out that he was actually suspended instead of retired on his own?

Who's the All-Time Face of Each NBA Franchise?

Marcel Mansour — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 03:16:21 -0500

Here are the best players ever for each franchise in the NBA.

Atlanta Hawks: Bob Pettit

Pettit was a legendary power forward who played with the Hawks for his entire eleven year career. He averaged 26 points and 16 rebounds for his career along with being selected to the All Star team every year of his career.

He also won two MVP awards and four All Star game MVP awards. Finally, he led the Hawks to their only championship in the 1957 - 1958 season over the Celtics.

Boston Celtics: Larry Bird

I think Bird was better than Russell because Bird was great offensively and solid defensively, while Russell was an average offensive player. Bird led the Celtics to three championships and five Finals appearances in the '80s.

He averaged 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists while shooting 50 percent from the field in his career. Finally, he won three MVP awards and two Finals MVP awards.

Charlotte Bobcats: Emeka Okafor

Okafor has been a solid player so far in his career. In his five year career so far, he has averaged 14 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocked shots while shooting 50 percent from the field. He won the 2004 - 2005 Rookie of the Year Award and has been one of the better defensive big men in the league over the last few seasons.

Chicago Bulls: Michael Jordan

Jordan is one of the three greatest players to ever play. He won five MVP awards and six Finals MVP awards as he led the Bulls to all of their six titles in the '90s. He averaged 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists while shooting about 50 percent from the field in his career.

He was also one of the best defensive players ever as he won the 1988 Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron James

LeBron is going to end up as one of the ten greatest players ever when it is all said and done. So far in his six seasons, he has become the best player of the franchise. A few years ago, he led the team to their only Finals appearance.

He has averaged about 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in his career so far while also being a five time All Star and a two time All Star game MVP award winner.

Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk has been the face of the franchise over the last ten years. He is the only Maverick who won an MVP award as a member of the team and he led the team to their only Finals appearance a couple of years ago. He has averaged about 23 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 blocked shot per game.

Finally, he has been an eight-time All Star.

Denver Nuggets: Alex English

English played the majority of his brilliant career with Denver. He is the all time scoring leader for the Nuggets as he scored over 21,000 points with them and averaged 26 points per game as a member of the team. Finally, all of his eight All Star appearances were as a member of the Nuggets.

Detroit Pistons: Isiah Thomas

Isiah was one of the greatest point guards ever. In his career, he led the Pistons to back to back championships in the late '80s and early '90s and three Finals appearances. He averaged about 19 points, 9 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals per game while shooting 45 percent from the field.

He was a 12-time All Star and he won the All Star game MVP award twice. Finally, he won the Finals MVP in the 1990 Finals.

Golden State Warriors: Rick Barry

Barry was one of the most all around players ever and he played the majority of his career with the Warriors. In his career, he averaged about 23 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals per game while shooting about 45 percent from the field. He was an All Star eight times while he was a member of the Warriors.

Finally, he led the Warriors to their most recent championship in the 1974 - 1975 season as he won the Finals MVP.

Houston Rockets: Hakeem Olajuwon

Hakeem was as skilled as any big man in any generation. He was dominant at both ends of court. He averaged 22 points, 11 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 3 blocked shots, and nearly 2 steals per game while shooting 51 percent from the field.

He was selected to the All Star team twelve times and he led the Rockets to their only two championships in the mid-'90s as he won the Finals MVP both times. Finally, he won the Defensive Player of the Year Award twice and the MVP award once.

Indiana Pacers: Reggie Miller

Miller was the face of the franchise for about twenty years. He is the all time leader in several stats for the team, with the most notable as the record for most points on the team.

He averaged about 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists in his career and ranks 16th all time in total points with just over 25,000. Finally, he was a five time All Star and he led the team to their most recent Finals appearance in the 1999 - 2000 season.

Los Angeles Clippers: Elton Brand

Brand was the face of the franchise until this season when he signed with the 76ers. In his seven-year time with the Clippers, he averaged about 20 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and two blocked shots while shooting 50 percent from the field.

He was also selected to the All Star team twice and he led the Clippers to the second round of the playoffs a few years ago.

Los Angeles Lakers: Magic Johnson

In my opinion, Magic is the greatest player ever. In his career with the Lakers, he led the team to five championships and nine Finals appearances during the most difficult era in the league's history.

In his career, he averaged about 20 points, 11 assists, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals while shooting 52 percent from the field.

He won the MVP award three consecutive times in the late 80's and three Finals MVP awards. He was also selected to the All Star team twelve times and he led the league in assists per game four times and in steals per game twice.

Unfortunately, his career was cut short after he became HIV positive.

Memphis Grizzlies: Pau Gasol

Gasol played the first six and a half seasons of his career with the Grizzlies before being traded to the Lakers last year.

In his career with them, he averaged about 19 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocked shots while shooting 51 percent from the field. He won the Rookie of the Year award in the 2001 - 2002 season and was a one time All Star.

Miami Heat: Dwyane Wade

Wade is already the best player in the Heat's franchise. So far in six seasons, he has averaged 25 points, 6.6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals per game while shooting 48 percent from the field.

He has been selected to the All Star team five times and he led the Heat to their only championship in the 2005 - 2006 season as he won the Finals MVP award. He is currently leading the league in scoring and will be the face of the franchise for the next several years.

Milwaukee Bucks: Kareem Abdul Jabbar

Kareem is the most accomplished player ever and he was so good that he is still the best Buck ever even though he only played six of his twenty plus seasons with them. He won three of his record six MVP awards with the Bucks and he is still the all time leader in points for the team.

Finally, he led the team to their only championship and two Finals appearances in the early '70s.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Garnett

KG was the face of the franchise for over ten years. He averaged about 20 points, 11 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals and blocked shots per game while shooting just under 50 percent from the field.

He was selected to the All Star team 10 times with the Timberwolves, winning the All Star game MVP award in the 2003 game. Finally, he led the team to the West Finals in the 2003 - 2004 season.

New Jersey Nets: Jason Kidd

Kidd is one of the best point guards ever as he is always a threat to have a triple double. He played six and a half seasons of his brilliant career with the Nets and he led the team to two Finals appearances, losing both of them.

He averaged about 16 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals per game in his stint with the Nets. He was also an above average defensive player who could guard both point and shooting guards.

New Orleans Hornets: Chris Paul

Paul is already the best player in the team's history. So far in four seasons, he has averaged about 19 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2.4 steals while shooting just under 47 percent from the field.

He has been a two-time All Star and he led the league in both assists and steals and is leading in both this season. Finally, he finished second in the MVP voting last season, behind Kobe Bryant.

New York Knicks: Willis Reed

Reed played his entire career with the Knicks. He led them to their only two championships in the early 1970's by winning the Finals MVP award in both finals. He also won the MVP award in the 1969 - 1970 season.

In his short career (only 650 games), he averaged 19 points and 13 rebounds while shooting 48 percent from the field. Finally, he was selected to the All Star team seven times, winning the MVP in the 1970 game.

Oklahoma City Thunder (Seattle Supersonics): Gary Payton

Payton was the face of the franchise for about 10 years. He was one of the best all around point guards ever as he was great offensively and defensively. He was selected to the All Star team nine times as a Sonic and he won the Defensive Player of the Year Award in the 1995 - 1996 season.

He averaged about 18 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals per game in his stint with the team. Finally, he led them to the Finals in the 1995 - 1996 season.

Orlando Magic: Shaquille O'Neal

Shaq only played four seasons with the Magic, but he was as dominant as anyone during those years. He averaged about 27 points, 12 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 3 blocked shots while shooting 58 percent from the field.

He was selected to the All-Star team each year he was on the team and he won the Rookie of the Year Award. Finally, he led the Magic to their only Finals appearance in the 1994 - 1995 season.

Philadelphia 76ers: Julius Erving

Dr. J played his entire NBA career with the Sixers. During his stint with them, he averaged 22 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1.5 blocked shots while shooting 51 percent from the field.

He was selected to the All Star team each year he was a member of the team, winning two All Star game MVP awards.

He also won the MVP award in the 1980 - 1981 season. Finally, he helped lead the team to their most recent championship when he paired with Moses Malone in the 1982 - 1983 season.

Phoenix Suns: Kevin Johnson

Johnson was one of the most underrated players of his generation. In his career, he averaged about 18 points, 9 assists, 3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals along with shooting a fantastic 49.3 percent from the field.

He also was selected to the All Star team three times and had four seasons when he averaged double digit assists. Finally, he helped lead the team to the Finals in the 1992-1993 season.

Portland Trailblazers: Clyde Drexler

Drexler was a fantastic all around player who was the face of the team for about ten years from the mid-'80s until the mid-'90s. In his stint with the team, he averaged about 21 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals while shooting about 47 percent from the field.

He was selected to the All Star team eight times as a member of the Blazers and he helped lead the team to their most recent Finals appearance in the 1989-1990 season, before they lost in five games to the Pistons.

Sacramento Kings: Oscar Robertson

Oscar was as all around of a player as there was and ever will be as he somehow averaged a triple double for an entire season. He played with the Cincinnati Royals for ten years.

During his stint with the team, he averaged about 28 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds while shooting about 49 percent from the field. He was also selected to the All Star team in all ten seasons with the Royals.

San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan

Duncan has been the face of the franchise over the last dozen years. He has led the Spurs to all four of the franchise's championships, winning the Finals MVP award three times.

He also won back to back MVP awards in the early 2000's. So far in his career, he has averaged 22 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2.4 blocks while shooting 51 percent from the field.

Finally, he has been selected to the All Star team eleven times, winning the MVP of the 2000 All Star game.

Toronto Raptors: Vince Carter

Carter was an amazing player for the team for over six seasons. During his stint with the team, he averaged about 25 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1 blocked shot per game while shooting about 45 percent from the field. He was selected to the All Star five times in his six seasons with the team and he won the 1998-1999 Rookie of the Year Award.

Utah Jazz: Karl Malone

Malone was one of the greatest power forwards ever as he ranks second all time in total points behind only Kareem. In his twenty year career, he averaged 25 points, 10 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.4 steals and 1 blocked shot while shooting about 52 percent from the field.

He was selected to the All Star team fourteen times, winning the All Star game MVP award twice. Finally, he won two MVP awards, but he never won a ring as the Jazz lost in both trips to the Finals.

Washington Wizards: Elvin Hayes

Hayes was one of the most underrated players ever. He played seven of his sixteen years with the Bullets and during his stint he averaged about 21 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steals, and 2.5 blocked shots while shooting about 46 percent from the field.

He was selected to the All Star team six times with the Bullets and he led the team to consecutive Finals appearances in the late 70's, winning their only title in the 1977 - 1978 season.

Lakers vs. Celtics: Which Is the Greatest NBA Franchise?

Marcel Mansour — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 19:51:19 -0500

The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have the most championships in NBA history. The Celtics have won 17 titles and the Lakers have won 14 championships, while no other team in the league has won more than six.

They are without a doubt the two greatest franchises in the league's history, but which one has been more successful?

Boston Celtics

The Celtics have seventeen NBA titles, twenty conference championships, twenty-six division titles, and forty-six playoff appearances, with a forty-seventh on the way this season. They also have a regular season winning percentage of .593.

They completely dominated the league in their first twenty-three seasons up until the 1968-69 season, as they won eleven titles in that stretch, including eight consecutive championships from 1958 until 1966.

Since the end of the 1968-69 season, the Celtics have won six championships out of the forty seasons, while winning eight conference titles. Out of those forty seasons, they have made it to the playoffs only twenty-seven times, missing it thirteen times. They were solid during the 70's, as they won a title in the 1973-74 and 1975-76 seasons.

They were dominant during the 80's, as they won three championships and five conference titles. They made it to the postseason each year in the 80's, led by Larry Bird, one of the greatest players ever.

However, they were below average in the 90's, as they only had a .457 winning percentage during the decade, and made the playoffs only four of the ten seasons in the decade.

So far in the 2000s, the Celtics have been pretty good, as they have won one championship (last season). The championship snapped a title drought of twenty-two years, which is by far the most in their history. They have a .530 winning percentage so far in the decade, and they've missed the post-season three times in the decade.

The following are some of the greatest Celtics players in history: Larry Bird, Bill Russell, Kevin McHale, John Havlicek, Bob Cousy, Robert Parrish, Bill Sharman, Sam Jones, Tom Heinsohn, Tiny Archibald, Dave Cowens, Bill Walton, Reggie Lewis, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Their best coach was Red Auerbach, who won nine championships and had a .667 winning percentage.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers have won fourteen championships and an amazing twenty-nine conference titles, which is the most for an NBA franchise. Nearly half of the seasons the Lakers have been in existence, which is sixty-one.

They also have the highest winning percentage in not only the NBA, but in all three of the major sports in the U.S. with a .617 winning percentage.

After this season, they would have advanced to the post-season an amazing fifty-six times out of sixty-one seasons, which is 91.8% of the seasons they played in.

They also have only had one occurrence when they missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons and that happened in the 1974-75 and 1975-76 seasons, respectively.

The Lakers have won a record thirty division titles, with a thirty-first on the way this season. The Lakers have been the most consistent franchise in not only the NBA, but all of the major sports in the U.S.

They were great in the late 40's and early 50's. While they didn't win a title in the 60's, they advanced to the Finals an amazing seven times.

During the 70's, the Lakers won two championships and three conference titles. Los Angeles was also the best team in the 80's, the most competitive decade in the league's history. They won four championships and seven conference titles in the decade, and helped revive the league with their great rivalry with the Celtics.

During the 90's, the Lakers were good, as they won one championship and two conference titles. So far in the 2000's, they have been arguably the most successful franchise; they have won two championships and four conference titles. The Lakers also have a good chance of winning two more in the next two seasons.

The Lakers have also had arguably the best owner in professional sports in Jerry Buss. Since Buss bought the team in 1979, the team has won eight titles and fourteen conference championships along with having an amazing .660 winning percentage. They will have made the postseason twenty-eight out the thirty seasons under Buss after this season.

They have also had a general manager as good as any G.M. in all of sports in Jerry West, who is the logo of the league. West helped create the Dynasty Lakers of the 80's and the three-peat Lakers of the 2000's, after he performed one of the greatest trades in history, acquiring Kobe Bryant from the Hornets for Vlade Divac.

The Lakers have also had arguably eight of the twenty-five greatest players of all time in Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Kobe, West, Baylor, Shaq, Wilt, and George Mikan. You could make the case that the all time Lakers lineup would be as good as the all time lineup for the rest of the teams combined.

Other great Lakers were James Worthy, Gail Goodrich, Slater Martin, Jim Pollard, Vern Mikkelson, and Rudy LaRusso.

The Lakers have also had two of the five greatest coaches ever in Pat Riley and Phil Jackson. Riley won four championships in the 80's and seven conference titles. He won one Coach of the Year Award with the Lakers in the 1989-90 season.

Phil Jackson has won three titles and five conference championships with the Lakers, and is currently the coach of the team favored to win the championship.

Overall:

Overall, the main perception by NBA fans is that the Celtics are the best and most successful franchise, because they have won the most titles, and have dominated the Lakers in the Finals.

However, I personally think the Lakers are the best franchise; they have been the most consistent, and they have had the most great players, as well as some of the best coaches and the best general manager.

The Lakers have also won the most games ever, and have the highest winning percentage of any team in the league, the most playoff appearances, as well as the most division titles.

The Lakers also have made it to the Finals an amazing twenty-nine out of sixty-one seasons, which is just under half of the seasons in the league's history. Finally, they are also the most popular team in the league both on and off the court.

Even Robert Parrish, the Hall of Fame Celtic, said: "When you talk about dominance, you have to talk about the Lakers."

Also, the long time commissioner of the league David Stern had this to say when asked what his dream NBA Finals match-up would be, "Lakers vs. Lakers." He also said "I'd be lying if I told you there wasn't a special fascination with the Lakers."

I look forward to all of your comments about who you think is the best and why you think so, and I will enjoy responding to all those who disagree with me, especially you Celtics fans.

Bonds/Clemens/A-Rod: Steroids Weren't Necessary For Them

Marcel Mansour — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 21:20:21 -0500

Even though many baseball fans have hated A Rod over the last few years because of several different reasons, I have always managed to like him.

I thought he was going to end up as the greatest player in the history of baseball. He could do everything. He hit for average, for power, he could run and he could defend (when he was a shortstop).

Despite all of his post-season failures, I still thought he was the best player in the league. Even though he had a messy divorce and there were several reports of teammates not liking him or that he was a fraud, I still rooted for him.

I always thought however that with all of the controversy around him, that he was clean and that he never took performance enhancing drugs because it didn't seem like he needed to.

Today, I woke up and turned on my TV and saw the breaking news on ESPN that SI.com reported that Rodriguez had tested positive for anabolic steroids in 2003 as a member of the Texas Rangers. He won the AL MVP award that season as he hit .298 along with 48 home runs, which led the league.

My first reaction was that I was shocked. I couldn't believe that he was another one of the great players of this generation that had taken steroids. When Barry Bonds was accused of steroids and testing positive, I believed it because no one has their best power seasons in their late 30's and no one's head size grows unless they took performance enhancing drugs. So I totally believed that Bonds took steroids.

Then, a couple of years ago, Roger Clemens was the next legend to be accused of taking steroids. I again wasn't surprised by this as no pitcher, especially a power pitcher, was still dominant in their late 30's and early 40's as Clemens was.

I mean the guy won the Cy Young Award at the age of 41 and had a season with an E.R.A. below 2 at the age of 42. No one in the history of the sport had ever been able to do that.

Now, A Rod, the best and highest paid player in the sport was being accused. Even though I was shocked in the morning, I have now believed the allegations as I did for both Bonds and Clemens.

Not one player accused has ended up innocent and I don't think this case is going to be any different. The sad part about all three cases is that none of them really needed to do steroids.

First, Bonds was probably the best player in baseball in the 1990's with the exception of Ken Griffey Jr. Many people have forgotten that he had won three MVP awards in the early and mid 90's with the Pirates before all of the steroids.

He also could do everything on the field. He hit for average, for power, was one of the best basestealers in the league and won multiple Gold Glove awards in left field.

While Bonds would have never come close to breaking the home run record, he still would've been a first ballot Hall of Famer, arguably one of the ten best players to ever play the game and the only player ever to have hit 500 home runs and have 500 stolen bases.

His legacy would've been as the best everyday player of this generation, especially with all of the injury problems that Griffey Jr. had to deal with since the beginning of the decade.

However, he became jealous of McGuire and Sosa as they were getting all of the headlines and endorsements, so he took steroids, got much bigger and started doing things that had never been done before. It was too obvious however as everyone finally started accusing him when he was approaching the home run record.

Next, Clemens would've undoubtedly been considered the best pitcher of this generation, even ahead of Randy Johnson and Maddux had it not been for steroids.

I believe that five of his record seven Cy Young Awards were legit and that he still would've had 300 wins and 4,000 strikeouts without the steroids. He would've ended up being one of the five greatest pitchers of all time and the best in the last 25 years.

However, now his legacy is that of a cheater, both on the field and off the field. Not only is he considered a baseball cheater, but he is also considered a cheater as he allegedly had an affair with country singer Mindy McCready.

He had the world and now look at him. He will either end up in jail on perjury charges or he and his family will forever be afraid to go in public because of his tarnished name.

Now, A Rod is the next legend alleged to have used steroids. He was already not liked by several people as they thought he only cared about money and not winning, because of his high profile divorce, because of the fact that he was photographed cheating on his wife, his relationship with Madonna and the perception that he tried to upstage the World Series by opting out of his contract during a World Series game.

However, as much as people didn't like him, they always considered him to be clean of all of the steroid controversy that had taken the best hitter and pitcher of the generation's legacies away and tarnished them. Now, he is just like Bonds and Clemens. He is another legend who didn't need to do steroids, but for some reason did.

How many homers do you think the steroids helped him. At the most it helped him hit 25-30 more in his years with the Rangers. He still would have a great chance of breaking Bonds' home run record, which would've severely helped his public perception as he would've been the person who had taken Bonds, the known cheater, away from the leader of the most important stat in American sports; the all time home run list.

While these three legends had nothing to really gain from doing performance enhancing drugs, McGwire and Sosa did as they needed to hit a lot of home runs to become hall of fame players as neither one of them were great all around players like Rodriguez and Bonds were.

Overall, these three legends' legacies will never be the same. Clemens went from the best and most dominant pitcher of this generation to a cheater on and off the field. Bonds went from one of the most all around and gifted players ever and the only member of the 500/500 club to a cheater and a jerk.

Rodriguez went from the player who was going to possibly end up as the best player to ever play the game to a cheater, a jerk and a choker in the postseason.

All of these legacies being tarnished has made me appreciate my all time favorite player even more and that is Griffey Jr. who had every excuse to do steroids as they would've helped him heal quicker from all of his injuries. However, he had integrity, unlike Bonds, Clemens or Rodriguez and that to me is the most important quality of an athlete.

Lakers Trade Vladimir Radmanovic to Bobcats for Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown

Marcel Mansour — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 16:24:13 -0500

The Lakers just traded their scrub small forward Vladimir Radmanovic to the Charlotte Bobcats for small forward Adam Morrison and guard Shannon Brown. Vlade wasn't really playing over the last few games, even with Bynum out of the lineup, so he won't be missed whatsoever as all he could do is make an occasional three pointer.

Also, his long contract which runs through the 2010-2011 season is now gone which will help the team resign free agents Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza. On the other hand, the Lakers get Morrison, who was the third overall pick in the 2006 draft after he lead the nation in scoring at Gonzaga by averaging over 28 points per game.

He is a better player than Vlade as he can create his shot better than Vlade can and is also a very good outside shooter. He, like Radmanovic, doesn't really play much defense. Also, Shannon Brown is a solid backup who can be a decent contributor if there is an injury to one of the guards of the Lakers.

Brown's contract expires after this year, so if he doesn't fit with the team, then they can just let him go. Morrison's contract runs through the 2009-2010 season and he has a good chance to get better as he is only in his second playing season as he missed all of last season due to an injury.

On the other hand, Vlade wasn't ever going to become a better player than what he already was. Now, the Lakers' bench looks like this: Farmar, Sasha, Morrison, Ariza, Powell and Mihm with Brown as a third guard. The trade isn't the big trade many people thought the Lakers will make after Bynum's injury, but I think it is a solid small trade that will help the bench.

Overall, the Lakers get a young player who can improve and maybe become a solid contributor off the bench as a good scorer and a solid backup guard who can play both the point and shooting guard positions in case of an injury. They also get rid of Radmanovic who I thought was a negative to the team and his long term contract.

The 10 Greatest American Sports Franchises of All Time

Marcel Mansour — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 01:23:21 -0500

The following is a list of the 10 best franchises ever in the MLB, NFL, and NBA.

10. San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs have been one of the most consistent franchises in all of sports and arguably the best over the last dozen years. In their 32-year history in the NBA, they have made the playoffs 28 times, with a 29th appearance pretty much a lock this season. They have won their division title 16 times and won their conference championship four times. They rank third in NBA history with a .579 winning percent and rank fourth in the NBA with four championships.

Best Spurs Players: Tim Duncan, David Robinson, George Gervin, Alvin Robertson, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Larry Kenon, Artis Gilmore.

Best Spurs Coach: Gregg Poppovich—.677 winning percentage, four titles, playoffs each season.

9. San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers are one of the most iconic franchises in sports as they had arguably the greatest quarterback ever in Joe Montana and without a doubt the best receiver ever in Jerry Rice for several years together. In their 62-year history in the NFL, they have 23 playoff appearances. They rank seventh all time with a .552 winning percentage. They have made it to the Super Bowl five times, winning all five of them, which is tied for second all time with the Cowboys and behind the Steelers.

Best 49ers Players: Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Steve Young, Jimmy Johnson, Leo Nomelli, Terrell Owens, Dave Wilcox, Billy Wilson, Gene A. Washington.

Best 49ers Coach: Bill Walsh—three Super Bowls, .609 winning percentage, every year playoffs.

8. St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals have been one of the best and most consistent franchises in the history of baseball. In their 108-year history as the Cardinals, they have 22 playoff appearances and 17 pennants. They rank fourth all-time in the league with a .517 winning percentage. They also rank second in baseball with 10 world championships, only behind the Yankees.

Best Cardinals Players: Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Ozzie Smith, Albert Pujols, Lou Brock, Rogers Hornsby, Jesse Haines, Jim Bottomley, Dizzy Dean, Frankie Frisch.

Best Cardinals Manager: Whitey Herzog—.530 winning percentage, three pennants, one World Series.

7. Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers are one of the most iconic franchises in sports as they are known for being the first baseball team to allow a black player, Jackie Robinson, to play for them. In their 124-year history, they have won 22 pennants, which ranks second in the league. They also rank second in the league with a .524 winning percentage. They have 27 playoff appearances and rank fourth in the league with six championships.

Best Dodgers Players: Sandy Koufax, Duke Snider, Roy Campanella, Jackie Robinson, Don Drysdale, Pee Wee Reese, Don Sutton, Steve Garvey, Fernando Valenzuela, Orel Hershier.

Best Dodgers Manager: Walter Alston—seven pennants/four World Series wins, .558 winning percentage.

6. Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys are the most popular and iconic team in the history of the NFL, as they are called "America's Team." In their 48-year history, they have 29 playoff appearances and they rank third all time with a .578 winning percentage. They have made it to the Super Bowl a record eight times, winning five of them, including a four-year stretch in the mid 90s when they won three Super Bowls.

Best Cowboys Players: Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Bob Lilly, Randy White, Larry Allen, Darren Woodson, Chuck Howley, Cliff Harris, Deion Sanders.

Best Cowboys Coach: Tom Landry—.607 winning percentage, five Super Bowl appearances/two wins.

5. Green Bay Packers

The Packers are a very historic team in the NFL. In their 87-year history, they have 24 playoff appearances and they rank fifth in the league with a .556 winning percentage. They have 643 wins, which ranks second in league history. They rank number one in the league with 12 championships, including the ones they won before the Super Bowl Era. They have made it to the Super Bowl four times, winning three of them.

Best Packers Players: Brett Favre, Bart Starr, Forrest Gregg, Reggie White, Willie Wood, James Lofton, Henry Jordan, Jim Ringo, Jerry Kramer, LeRoy Butler.

Best Packers Coach: Vince Lombardi—five championships, .754 winning percentage.

4. Boston Celtics

The Celtics have the most championships in NBA history, but in my opinion aren't the best franchise because they haven't been as consistent as the Lakers. In their 62-year history in the NBA, they have 46 playoff appearances, with a 47th on the way this season. They have won their division titles 26 times and they have won the Eastern Conference championship 20 times, winning the NBA championship an amazing 17 times. Finally, the Celtics rank second in winning percentage at .593.

Best Celtics Players: Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, Bill Sharman, Frank Ramsey, Sam Jones, Tom Heinsohn, Tiny Archibald, Dave Cowens, Bill Walton, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Reggie Lewis, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett.

Best Celtics Coach: Red Auerbach—nine titles, .667 winning percentage, playoffs every season.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers are without a doubt the best NFL franchise, especially after they won a record sixth Super Bowl on Sunday. Over the last 40 years, no team in the NFL has come close to the consistency that the Steelers have had.

They have won seven conference championships since the beginning of the Super Bowl and have had a .516 winning percentage. They have also made it to the playoffs 25 times, which ranks fifth among NFL teams. On top of that, they had arguably the greatest team in the history of the league with the 70s Steelers, who dominated the league and won four Super Bowls.

Finally, they have had one of the best owners in all of sports as they are owned by the Rooney family, who have consistently put forth a championship contending team.

Best Steelers Players: Joe Greene, Ernie Stautner, Franco Harris, Mike Webster, Jack Lambert, Terry Bradshaw, Rod Woodson, Jerome Bettis, Troy Polamalu, Lynn Swann, Hines Ward, Ben Roethlisberger, Jack Butler, Dermontti Dawson, Jack Ham, Andy Russell.

Best Steelers Coach: Chuck Noll—four Super Bowl wins; .566 winning percentage in 23 seasons.

2. New York Yankees

The Yankees are without a doubt the best franchise in baseball. They are the most popular and most historic franchise in the league. In their 107-year history, they have won a record 39 pennants and 26 world championships (more than double any other team in the league). They also have record in playoff appearances as they have 47 and a .567 winning percentage.

Best Yankees Players: Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Johnny Mize, Bill Dickey, Whitey Ford, Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Rich Gossage, Dave Winfield, Rickey Henderson, Wade Boggs, Don Mattingly, Derek Jeter, Roger Clemens, Mariano Rivera, Alex Rodriguez.

Best Yankees Manager: Joe McCarthy—eight pennants/seven World Series wins, .627 winning percentage.

1. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers are the greatest franchise in sports. Period. Even though they don't have the most championships in the NBA, they are without a doubt better than the Celtics. In their 61-year legendary history, they have won 14 championships, which ranks second in the league. They have the highest winning percentage of any team in the MLB, NBA, and NFL with an amazing .616.

They have also missed the playoffs only five times. That means that after this season they would have made the postseason 56 out of 61 seasons, a 91.8 percent. They have won their division 30 times and they have won the conference championship an unheard of 29 times, just under half of the seasons they have played in. On top of that, they only once had consecutive seasons of missing the playoffs, which occurred in the 1974- 1975 and 1975-1976 seasons.

Since 1970 (modern sports era), they lead all teams in any league with nine championships and 16 Finals appearances. The team also has had arguably the best owner ever in all of sports in Jerry Buss. Since Buss bought the Lakers in 1979, the winning percentage of the Lakers has been an amazing .660 and he has been the owner of eight titles and 14 Finals appearances. They have made the playoffs in 27 of 29 seasons under Buss.

The Lakers also arguably have had eight out of the 25 greatest players in the history of the league in Magic, Kareem, Wilt, West, Baylor, Kobe, Shaq, and Mikan. They also had arguably the best team ever in the 86-87 Lakers, who won the championship as it dominated the league in the best era the league has ever seen.

The team has also had two of the best coaches ever in Pat Riley and Phil Jackson. Riley won four rings with the Lakers while Jackson has won three and had five Finals appearances with the team. Finally, the team had as good as any GM in any sport in Jerry West, who orchestrated the signing for Shaq and the trade for Kobe and the logo of the league is West, one of the greatest Lakers ever.

Overall, the team had been as successful as any other franchise, but they have been more consistent, have had the greatest players in the sport, the best coaches, owner and GM. On top of that, they are one of the two or three most popular sports franchises in the United States and have always been entertaining off and on the court.

Best Lakers Players: Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Jerry West, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan, Shaquille O'Neal, Elgin Baylor, James Worthy, Norm Nixon, Gail Goodrich, Rudy LaRusso, Slater Martin, Vern Mikkelson, Jim Pollard.

Best Lakers Coach: Pat Riley—four titles/seven Finals appearances; .733 winning percentage in nine years.

Tell me you guys' opinions of this list. Who do you think is the best sports franchise ever and why? Also, please comment on whether you think I forgot a team that should be in the top 10 and who it is and whether or not I messed up on the order. I look forward to listening and responding to your comments.

Los Angeles Lakers: Bynum Injures His Knee

Marcel Mansour — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 21:44:16 -0500

The Lakers have been one of the best teams in the league.

Through the first 45 games of the season, they have had a 36-9 record including big wins over the Celtics and Cavaliers, which is the best in the Western Conference and tied for second in the NBA as the Celtics have three more wins and the same amount of losses.

They have the most talented team in the league including the NBA's best player in Kobe, a pair of great big men in Gasol and Bynum and one of the best benches in the league.

Bynum, who missed the second half of last season and the entire playoffs with a left knee injury, had a slow start this season.

However, recently he had started to dominate at both ends of the court as he finally got his confidence and rhythm back from last season's injury. Over the last five games, he averaged 26.2 points, 14 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks while shooting 65 percent from the field.

Overall for the season, he is averaging 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks while shooting 55 percent from the field in 29 minutes per game. The team is pretty much impossible to beat when Bynum plays well since Kobe and Gasol are extremely consistent and usually play well.

However, just about an hour ago Bynum injured his right knee on a freak play when the back of Kobe's head went into his knee.

Bynum immediately screamed out and was on the floor for a few minutes with trainer Gary Vitti before being helped off the court by teammates Trevor Ariza and Vladimir Radmanovic.

Kobe's face told it all as it looked like he just lost game seven of the finals on a buzzer beater.

The team is calling the injury a sprained right knee. Bynum underwent x-rays a little while ago and the results were negative, which means there are no broken bones in the knee. However, an MRI is planned for tomorrow and that is when we will find out the timetable for his return.

If Bynum is out for the season—a realistic possibility—the Lakers will have to decide if they are going to make a move to find more interior help. With Bynum injured, the Lakers are the same team they were last year with the exception of Josh Powell and Trevor Ariza, along with a more experienced bench.

The injury most likely will cost the Lakers a good chance for home court advantage over the Celtics, Cavs, and even the Magic.

The team came within two wins of the title last season without Bynum and the management of the Lakers will have to decide if they will make a move for a big man if Bynum is indeed out for the rest of the season.

The main strength of the Lakers this season has been its great depth. They will start Odom for Bynum and put Gasol at center which is still a great lineup. However, the team will still be weak inside as Pau is a true power forward and not a physical player at all.

Overall, the best case scenario for the Lakers is that Bynum is out for just a couple of weeks and would be able to regain his recent form soon after his return.

However, last season he was supposed to be back before the end of the regular season and he ended up missing not just the regular season, but the entire postseason as well.

This injury will put more pressure on Gasol and Odom along with Powell and Mihm to play better and tougher, but like always the shoulders of the team will go back on Kobe Bryant as he will have to lead the team through this difficult stretch without Bynum in the middle at both ends of the floor.

Update: After the game, Bynum talked to reporters and said that the injury isn't as bad as the injury to his left knee last year. He also said that he can put pressure on it and he doesn't need crutches like last year, but he will use them as a precaution. He was very optimistic that the injury won't sideline him for the rest of the year.

Update: The Lakers announced that Bynum suffered an MCL tear and will miss 8 - 12 weeks. Surgery is not required and he will start rehabilitating in 7 - 10 days as he will need to rest his knee during that time. The playoffs start in about eleven weeks and he most likely will return in the first round of the playoffs.