Don't Hate Me (Just Telling It Like It Is)

     Please forgive me. I don't really want to do this but what this circus of an off-season has spawned has made me have to step back and take a long look at the state of the league. I have witnessed some hard truth. That in turn has caused some curious questions, maybe you can help me out. Remember this is not personal.

For the people who think the Washington Wizards will be successful do you really think Gilbert's knee is ok? I have seen several people penciling in the Wizards for a playoff spot, and frankly I don't see it. Arenas has had 2 or more major knee surgeries in the past few years. Sure, I know players come back from that, but in all truth they are never the same. The best part of Arenas' game was his explosiveness. If I'm the Wizards I'm glad we picked Randy Foye up for insurance. Wait a minute..... Damn he's always hurt too!!!!!

Lebron. We get it, we really do. You are the NBA's poster boy, or like the old Eddie Murphy movie the "Golden Child". But after the past few months I wonder if you are still 24k. Since you were little you knew one of the best things about sports was sportsmanship. The ability to take a loss like a man and have the humility to congratulate the victors. The stunt you pulled on the Orlando Magic was multiplied by the fact that you refused to shake Dwight Howard's hand, your friend. Then you sulk off like it's not a big deal. Well..... you are the premeire representative of this game. You welcomed it now deal with. The video deal was just stupid. Lebron made it an issue by having the tapes confiscated, and if it was Nike why not just tell them to release the tapes from the jump? Maybe a little insecure? I'm sorry that's just how it is!

Mr. Candyman, seems like you were feeling yourself a little too huh? Lamar said he loved L.A., would never leave L.A., and basically wanted to die in L.A.Then when he gets the best possible deal in this economy, he wants to shop around? He entertains overtures from D-Wade, who tells him to come back home to Miami where he played just one season. The same Miami organization who sent him on the 1st thing smokin' in the Shaq deal. To make things worse you have all these people saying if he leaves the Lakers they have no shot at another ring. Really? The Lakers have a big 3 in Bryant, Artest, and Gasol. Odom gives them a big 3 and a big maybe. Don't fool yourself. Odom is the most inconsistent "star" I have ever seen. He did himself a big favor by signing that contract. Hmmm.....Be a mediocre starter on a team that's never going anywhere, or be a mediocre bench man on a championship team? Ding, ding , ding you win the skittles.

Danny and Doc must be holding their breath. They know that they have a window of maybe 2 more years and right now they are standing at that window preparing to jump. Kevin Garnett has to be ok. That knee thing is a tricky issue though. Some times what you lose in a knee injury is what makes you special. If KG were 24 this would be different, but he's not. Rasheed Wallace is a decent back-up plan, but he is on his last legs. i don'think he quit last year i don't think he could compete. Playing with the big 3 should breathe some new life into him, but........i think KG's knee is going to decide if the Celtics can reach the pinnacle again, and if Doc and Danny can move away from that open window.

The Magic will be just fine. The Vince Carter pick-up wasn't bad and they actually improved their bench. Dwight do me a favor though, would you? Please learn a couple of back-to-the-basket moves, please? To see all that strength and agility go to waste when you get the ball in the paint is a travesty. I know that you are a praying man, and I don't mean to sound disrespectful, but could you ask for a drop-step? Maybe a spin move? Watching you in the post is like watching the economy sink. C'mon man you have way to much ability to have no inside game. Wait, Patrick Ewing is your mentor?

For the Spurs, time rolls on. Timmy, Tony, and Manu are back for an encore with a little help from richard Jefferson and Dejuan Blair. Could they win it all? Sure. Will they? Probably not. There are a few issues like injuries which have already shown up now that Parker went down with a bad ankle, and wear as seen with Duncan who is finally starting to show it. Jefferson though a decent player is no star, and where they really need help is in the post anyway. Bad knees Blair and Mcdyess are not the answer, they need someone who can actually handle some of the versatile bigs in the league. 6'6 Blair? and oh yeah, he's not the next Charles Barkley, more like the next Corliss Williamson.