John Wall Notches Another 31-Point Performance! 3 straight 30 point games!

Former number one overall draft pick John Wall has been coming into his own. With Rose being out he has my vote as the most athletic PG. Many will give it to Westbrook but Wall is faster and can jumper higher. In terms of PG's in the NBA he's quickly moving up into the top 5 consideration and he's is definitely coming for the #1 spot. His court vision is amazing and his end-to-end speed is blistering. There is not defensive strategy that can prepare you for  his type of speed and we know when it comes to sports that "speed kills!"

Derrick Rose INJURES knee! NOT again! The Return 2.0 begins!

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/chi-derrick-rose-knee-injury-20131122,0,5716575.story

I'd that  the Bulls GM should go and an "blow" the team up and focus on getting Jabari Parker another Chicago product who may one day be an MVP. I love Rose but having bad knees is not a good thing for the long run no matter who you are! Also he's been having knee problems since  his playing days at Simeon high school for those that don't. Athletically I think he's too supreme for his frame and I know that was a non-contact injury but I still think he's  not going to change his  style of play  when he get's back. I just hope Adidas doesn't do another "Return" marketing fiasco. The Bulls GM is god awful because they should've never  let Nate Robinson go. Now with Butler being hurt  the fans  have to  cringe as either Marquis Teague or Tony Snell start!

 Former NFL great  Bo Jackson was too good to be true and I'm fearing the same way for Rose. I mean let's be honest he wasn't the same after taking the year off and going through a rigorous rehab. He still had yet to round into shape from one knee injury and now he has to focus on the other knee as well? Rose won't be ready until  sometime in 2015! These are facts and Bulls fans just have to soak it up and move on because life goes on and the Bulls GM have shown that they are not  is not focused on  bringing in more quality players. I guess Reggie Rose was right and now this travesty. I hope Rose get's healthy because the NBA is missing out on his unique style of play and the dedication he brings to the game. At some point I think he will recover and be a good player because he is still very young but I think those days of him  dunking on Centers are gone!  What a blow! 

John Wall has a BIG night! Scores 37!

John Wall finally got off the snide and posted a big scoring game. Besides his woeful FG% which currently stands at 39.8% John Wall has been playing very good this season by averaging 17.6 ppg, 4.6 rpb  and 9.1 apg and has shown signs of maturation and he looks to get his team involved and has shown he has a basketball IQ that is better than what most  perceive of him! Hopefully he can carry this momentum thru the all-star break as the Wizards look to make their first playoff birth in what has seemed like ages! 

Lakers' Bryant returns to practice with teammates!

It's nearing time for Kobe to return back to the court and I can't wait to see what the game's most skilled player is gonna look like. Kobe, 35, is coming off a major injury that forced Zeke Thomas to sit down and slowed down Grant Hill. One advantage Kobe has is that his game is not predicated on speed or supreme athleticism anymore and skills are something you just don't lose and hindered or not Kobe is still by far the owner of the the most expansive bag of skills at his position so I'm sure he will find ways to adjust. On the bright side, one way I think this might actually improve his game is that he won't take as many of those ill-advised shots which he famously is capable of making.

Nobody besides Larry Bird specialized in the degree of difficulty the way Kobe pre-injury did. If he can take a page out of Jordan's book and be more efficient from the post he will still be a dangerous threat.  Kobe has the most lethal fadeway since "Captain Marvel" but it's a move in which he doesn't use as often as Jordan. Kobe is more akin to back you down and shoot a bevy of shots which include all types of counters complete with pump-fakes, hooks and drive to the basket.

As Jay-Z once said said likening himself to  His Airness, "MJ, fadeaway perfect!" Jordan was going to post you up, back you down, fade away and shoot over you or back you down, shimmy and then fade away almost into oblivion. Don't get me wrong Jordan had as many counters as Kobe but his post game was more precise especially after he took off the the number 45 jersey whereas I think Kobe has a tad bit better footwork than MJ so he improvises more. This will be a new chapter for both Kobe and the Lakers. Prior to the injury he was playing so great I felt he could go another 3 years as the best SG off skills alone. This may be his swan song but either way it goes he deserves to go out on the court unlike Iverson.

http://www.nba.com/2013/news/11/16/lakers-bryant-back-at-practice.ap/index.html

Mark Price, gone but NEVER forgotten!

##CHILDHOODHERO##NBAGREAT##90'sLEGEND##RETRO##

Mark Price one of the forgotten greats of the game. Growing up he was one of my favorite players in the NBA and one of its greatest shooters as evidenced by him being one of only 6 members of the prestigious "50-40-90" club and a former NBA 3 point contest winner. However his shooting touch, although a strength of his was not the only strong point of his game. Mark Price was a flat out terrorist on the court! Not only was he a great shooter, he was also a great passer, pesky on defense and was one of the PG’s who was the “blueprint” for the modern day NBA PG! I said that because Mark Price basically either invented or pioneered a PG having the ability to split double-teams off the pick!

He could weave thru traffic like a whirling dervish long before Wade, Nash or Paul. What was routine for him is now considered to be a rare skill in which only the elite guards today possess. Let’s take a look at how good Price was overall in terms of his stats. I like to use the metric of Per 36 for NBA players who average less than 36 mpg for their career as Price did (he only averaged 29.9 mpg). Per 36 normally truly tells the tale of the tape when measuring how truly effective a player is versus per 48 or per 40 data. Face it nobody plays 48 minutes a game so it’s not accurate to me in terms on actual on court performance nor is per 40 because only a few players average 40 mpg and that would give them an advantage in terms of them having great stamina but that doesn’t mean they were effective for those extra time they were in the game.

 So per 36 is great to use because most player players under 36 minutes per game and as a most players age past 30-years old their minutes are normally reduced but that doesn’t mean their on court production has.  So per 36 Mark Price averages 18.1 ppg, 8.1 apg, 1.4 spg while shooting 47.2% from the field, an insane 40.2% from behind the arc combined with a jaw-dropping 90.6% FT%.  Chris Paul is regarded by most as the best PG in the NBA and his numbers per 36 are 18.3 ppg, 9.7 apg and 2.4 steals while shooting 472% from the field, 35.4% from the three point line and 86% from the charity stripe! So in the 90’s Mark Price was like Chris Paul  but with a better shot. 

This video of him dueling with Zeke Thomas who at that time could not only be regarded as the best PG in the NBA but also he was considered by many to be the best player in the NBA( including the likes of Magic, Bird and Jordan) shows how dangerous he was in his prime. That’s how good he was and Mark Price gave him everything he could ask for and more. Too bad for the Cavs that they had to face the Bulls as Price was in his prime or I imagine he might have had a better chance at going to the ECF’s or a trip to the NBA Finals because around this time those Cavs were pretty good. 

Rose vs Irving pt.1! What a big disappointment!

##Rose won the battle then got hurt## SMH##

I waited a very, very long time for this match-up and I will say that I was very disappointed and very disgusted at both Derrick Rose and Kyrie Irving. They both played like crap and I actually lost respect for both of them! Derrick Rose won the match-up by playing smothering defense on Kyrie so in terms of him making his mark on Irving he drew first blood which is actually great for his confidence because his ego obviously has been bruised. Why? This match-up was likened to be the battle for PG supremacy. Rose has been in a slump since the first game and has played horrible since but this was this was the one opponent he could not let outshine him in terms of his respective position.

 Kyrie basically has done what Rose did over the last two years in terms of outplaying every NBA PG he’s faced and moving the spotlight on him as the NBA’s next great PG. Rose and Kyrie have never faced each other so I’m sure the fans were hoping to see both players dazzle the crowd and shine while bring their A+ game. But they didn’t. In fact Irving played so bad he didn’t score a field goal until the 4^th quarter! Rose has looked better over the last two games but mentally something is still not clicking. Normally when players suffer from an ACL injury the one part of their game that come back improved is their shot because that’s all they can work on. And Rose has been shooting for over a year now.  His shot and touch seemed to be on par with that theory during pre-season while he shot a blistering percentage from behind the arc. 

Flash forward to the second week of the season and his jumper is still broke. That’s all mental because the speed of the preseason versus the regular season has nothing to do with him missing wide open jumpers, missing 5 foot floaters and those pull-up jumpers he can’t seem to knock down!  Plus there are many PG’s who still are not a big, strong, fast or have as many skills as him who are still player better than him. Then to top it all off got injured and now is listed as day-to-day with an issue with his hamstring.

Now to talk about Kyrie the Bulls played phenomenal defense on him especially Rose like I mentioned earlier in but he wasn’t being aggressive at all and he played so bad it’s not even worth showcasing his highlights. He scored 16 points but most of that came in garbage time and clearly was not representative of how horribly he played. It was as if he was intimidated by Rose whom Irving should’ve attacked considering Rose has been limited as of late. He was playing so bad he got ripped by Kirk Hinrich!  Kudos to Rose for showing him that Kyrie still needs to work on his atrocious defense as well. Kyrie is one of the worst defenders in the NBA in terms of a player that has his type of elite talent. And I imagine eventually the game will click for Rose and his will find his groove which potentially spells trouble for Kyrie the next time they play because nothing was wrong with Kyrie physically before he proceeded to have the worst game of his career! 

##IVERSON VS STARBURY##WHAT I EXPECTED##

I imagined this game was going to have the same electricity and excitement  like the first time Iverson and Marbury faced each other in the NBA but boy was I wrong. The NBA today just doesn’t have that same luster. Players today are not as competitive as they were back in the 90’s. Rose or Kyrie would rather call for a screen and create than to at least give the fans some type of excitements by displaying their individual skills. I love the way the NBA teams run their offenses today. I think PG’s have to be a lot more systematic in order to best successful but damn it I miss the days when at certain moments of the game when a star player would tell the team to clear out and two stars would go at it! 

The NBA also is entertainment for the fans that pay good money to either watch the game at home or in the stands and Kyrie and Rose both need to give their salary for that game to charity!  I hope the  Commissioner  Silver gives that memo to the players that the fans are not getting the best product for their purchase! Who wants to see player like Rose and Irving call screens and picks all night against each other? Are you crazy? What is wrong with them?  A young Iverson or Marbury would’ve tried to tear their hearts out!  There weren’t calling pick after pick. They both had a point to prove and the best man during that time team usually won. Why wouldn’t Rose or Irving want to really test their skills against each other to really show who is the best? 

Brandon Jennings has SOOO MUCH STYLE but he is sooo INCONSISTENT!

##STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON##

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSLNRxvDf7g

If Compton, CA, bred Brandon Jennings in terms of  his game could be compared to a rap song I’d have to compare it to the Dogg Pound’ s classic , “Sooo Much Style!” This guy has incredible talent but he hasn’t been able to harness it and be consistent. Brandon Jennings is the type of player where when you check the box score one night and he has 34 points and 8 assists then the next night he goes 3-for-17 and finishes the game with 10 points and 5 dimes. In high school he was basically christened as a left handed version of Allen Iverson. They both are of similar size and quiet as kept Jennings probably has a 40+ inch vertical leap like Iverson but you would never know unless you watched him in high school because he doesn't use it to his advantage.

So that goes to say he doesn’t maximize his talent. I remember when he scored 55 points during his rookie season against the Golden State Warriors and the Bucks won the game. After his incredible performance he had publicly stated that he wasn’t going to score like that anymore because he wants to be known as a guy who can distribute the ball and get his team involved. Now I can understand if the Bucks had lost the game but they won. And why in the world would you want to “dumb down” your game if you are not then going to at least average 10+ assists per game which is a feat he hasn’t even come close to!  After he said that to me it presented e red flag and he’s proved me true since then by his “burst and burn” type of pay! For example during this game he outplayed reigning ROY Damian Lillard another very promising PG but the reality is that Damian Lillard will probably end up having a better season and this is the case with Brandon and most of the guards he faces on a nightly basis.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2013/11/12/brandon-jennings-going-back-to-shoot-first-detroit-pistons/3507841/

Even this article presents a problem with his identity as a player. To quote, “That's one thing me and Joe talked about," Jennings said. "That was my first problem in the beginning, when I came back, trying to please everybody, trying to make sure I was being a pass-first point guard instead of just playing basketball!”- Brandon Jennings. I imagined that after leaving the Bucks and coming to Detroit and playing with the likes of Monroe, Smith, Stuckey, Billups and Andre the “Giant” Drummond which is a better supporting cast he would really blossom but after three straight loses he is tampering with is style of play again! I wish for his sake he would just make up his mind and stick with a consistent style of play because he has too much talent because their aren’t 10 point guards in the NBA that were born with more natural talent than Jennings and it’s about time he shows that in the NBA and not just during the summer street ball tournaments where his “true” talent is always on display.  

Lance Stephenson's Triple-Double!

##BORN READY!##

I like many young people at the time was a fan of Sebastian Telfair in highschool. I remember the hype surrounding him the record he broke, the celebs like Jay-Z appearing at his televised game and the consensus that he was going to be the next big thing and one of the great in a long line of great PG's to come from NYC's streetball/playground tradition. Flash forward today and as of right now I don't even think Sebastian Telfair is on an NBA roster. But shorty after Telfair exited  Lincoln Prep's gym a and entered the ranks of the NBA(I  thought college would've been great  for him but I understood his personal situation) there was talk of another player from Telfair's hood who was better than Telfair!  A young kid they called "Born Ready" the player who bested Telfair and is currently the all-time leading scorer in New York school history! Considering that names of guys like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tiny Archibald, Stephon Marbury, Kenny Anderson and so many, many great names and players have came out of NYC for him to be #1 is just awe-inspiring. The first time I saw Lance Stephenson play was at the 2007 Elite 24 Classic game broadcasted on ESPN which  showcased some of the nation's best HS talent on display at one of the most revered and legendary courts which is Rucker Park in Harlem, NY. Check the game out:

I was amazed as you can see at this 6'4 200 pound kid who was ruggedly built with a smooth jumper and  crowd pleasing ball handling ability that most shooting guards are not supposed to have. But the rep early on was that even though he was obviously phenom he garnered the reputation as being very difficult to coach do to his arrogance and poor attitude and he got into some off court legal  trouble(which I will not discuss) as well which also plagued his only season in college as Cincinnati things were not looking well for the young man. Nonetheless, he was drafted by Pacers in the 2010 draft and after rocky start he's found a perfect home in Indiana and now at very "beastly"  6'5 225 pounds complete with a polished jumper and all around skills he's starting to live back up to his nickname as "Born Ready!" Lance Stephenson has arrived and that spells even more trouble for Miami as the Pacers seek to dethrone the champs and make their trip to the NBA Finals.

Ricky Rubio with the Triple-Double against the Lakeshow!

##SLICK RICKY##

Rubio may or may not ever lead the NBA in assists but one can make an argument that  few if anyone has better court vision than this kid no disrespect to Lebron, CP3, Wall or Rondo. You combine his defensive intensity, ability to handle the ball,  his speed and appetite for the spectacular and  he has the essential ingredients to really be special if he ever develops a consistent jumper. In reality, Rajon  Rondo hasn't thus far  developed a dependable jump shot or and  he is an  NBA champions and amongst the best at his craft so if Rubio keeps playing more efficient  like this the T-Wolves will challenge for a playoff spot because he simply makes the game so much easier for Love and company.  Rubio (a former child prodigy) is  really starting to blossom into a fine young NBA point guard. Many people who watched this skinny 10th grader throw those "Magic" Johnson-esque passes in the Euroleague could clearly see he always has had this type of ability. The fact that he was a professional at age 16 was testament enough to his talent and I'm  especially happy to see he's fully recovered from his ACL injury. I don't know if he will ever live up to the Pistol Pete comparisons because in my opinion they are two completely different players with different styles but I'm sure young Spaniard kids (especially the guards) are now seeing their dreams of one day making it to the NBA become more plausible thanks to Rubio who is their version of "Pistola Pete!"

Easily one of the the most insane dunks of all-time!

The kid's name is Javonte Douglas who is a 6'7 sophmore at Central Florida and this is one of those dunks  where a person jumps so high they scare themselves! Wow!

Chicago We Have a Problem? It's Derrick Rose!

Derrick Rose being  "tackled" at the "goal line!" 

Just three games into the 2013-2014 season the Bulls are 1-2. This isn’t a time to start panicking because the team obviously is trying to find a chemistry since this is the first time their starters have played together in regular season play. The Bulls overall seem to be a good team as they have been since Tom Thibodeau became their coach. Their defense still looks great but the problem so far has been the play of Derrick Rose. Besides the game winner he hit against the Knicks in his home debut he has been playing absolutely horrible! Over the course of three games he has averaged a very dismal 14.3 ppg, 4.4 apg while shooting a wretched 28.8 % from the field to go along with 5.7 turnovers! 

In the preseason he looked great like a fine tuned Ferrari and was working on all cylinders. Over the first 3 games he looks like a 2003 Chevy Malibu with a leaking head gasket! Many NBA pundits have said he’s rusty and there is a difference in the speed of the regular season versus preseason. I don’t agree because Rose has shown that he’s still arguably the fastest player in the NBA, one of the strongest and still one of the most explosive. The problem is he like Lebron at times tends to rely on their athleticism too much the difference is Lebron can get away with it because he's 6'8 260 pounds and  Rose is 6'3 and probably around 215 pounds. Rose is playing like a running back instead of playing like a point guard. He needs to understand that he has some of the best ball handling ability in the NBA besides a Kyrie Irving or Chris Paul and that he has some of the best footwork and use these things towards his advantage until he finds his rhythm.

The Bulls offense has also been very stagnant. They run very few pick-n-roll plays and Rose on offense has resorted to passing the ball and getting out of the way.  It’s still early in the season but as the Bulls and Rose are seeing the NBA is way more competitive overall and especially at the point guard position since he last played. Don’t believe me? Go ask rookie point guard Michael Carter-Williams is he intimidated by Rose. I have said over the last 2 years that Rose could learn a lot by watching film of Tony Parker and Chris Paul. Those guys are good athletes but not great but they know how to use picks and screens toward their advantage because their IQ and fundamentals are supreme.

 Rose strikes me as the type of person that wouldn’t take that type of advice. He seems very stubborn and resistant to change judging by how much more physical he has been playing.  But the Bears could use a good running back so if Rose wants to put on a helmet I’m sure with his size, speed and agility he would be great but right now the Bulls need him to raise his game and not his athleticism. As a fan of the Bulls I’m not in panic mode I’m more so surprised at how he’s slumping after playing so great in the preseason. But nonetheless this will be over soon as he rounds into regular season form! 

Leave Dwight alone and let him do what he does best which is dominate!

##SUPERMAN RETURNS?##

I will admit that like many NBA critics that Dwight Howard is a bit of a goofball.  I like the fact that he is all about having fun but he doesn’t have the same charisma as his arch-nemesis Shaquille O'Neal aka "Superman!"  Dwight at times does indeed come off as very improvident with some of the things he says. He also has the reputation that he doesn’t take the game  seriously because of his “goofball" personality  and thus doesn’t play up to his perceived gargantuan ability. This is despite the fact he’s really only about 6’9 ½ feet tall and weighs about 265 pounds! There’s so much that has been said about him during this past off-season  because of  his brief tenure with the Lakers that I’m not going to rehash all of that crap. What I will say is  that I was very disappointed in the way NBA icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar attacked him in the media because in essence Dwight truly just wants to be liked and I think he came to LA with the right intention and essentially Kobe, D'Antoni and Jim Buss drove him away. 

Whether or not Kareem was being sincere during his ESPN's First Take tirade  is the question because why didn’t he offer the critique of Dwight prior to him coming to LA or while he was a Laker? Like Howard said before he was a Laker he was the NBA’s best center and now all of a sudden after he decided to leave he’s the worst! That’s a bit of exaggeration but in reality so are the claims and false allegations made against him regarding his basketball IQ, scoring ability and lack of post moves. Kareem said that Dwight basically doesn’t have what it takes to dominate or be a superstar. In reality Dwight is already a superstar and has been dominating for the last several years.  Many of his critics contend that he doesn’t have any post moves but this is simply not true. The summer in which Dwight worked out with Hakeem Olajuwon  was successful in that it elevated his game and the following season (his last season in Orlando) he averaged a career high 22.9 ppg while displaying a revamped post game complete with jump hooks, better footwork  and a few counter moves.

 The following season he injured his back which plagued him for most of last season. But if one actually checks the stats (numbers never lie) Dwight averages 18.3 ppg for his career while shooting 57.7% from the field off  while taking only a measly 11.3 shots per game.  He also is a 3 time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, has led the NBA in blocked shots 2X, rebounds 5X  and once led the NBA in field goal %. So to say Dwight isn’t a superstar or lacks a high b-ball IQ is asinine. In reality his true achilles heel isn’t his post game it’s his dismal FT% which has plagued him ever since his rookie year. He sucks worst than Shaq from the free-throw line but isn’t as dominate offensively which tremendously limits his game in the 4th quarter. The bottom-line is not every big can have footwork like the Dream or McHale but guess what? Dwight has access to the Dream and McHale and will continue to develop his game by having their coaching and mentorship readily available. And how does he respond to his haters who felt he made a mistake leaving LA or that he wouldn’t ever return to his “Superman” form? He destroys the competition in his debut by notching 17 points and 26 boards!  Dwight Howard is still the NBA’s best center because of his defensive intensity, ability to protect the rim,  his herculean power and his accuracy from the field.  

Is Seventh Woods the most athletic 14-year old guard prospect in history? You be the judge!

##DIVINE TWITCH FIBERS##

##ELITE DEFENDER##

##TENACIOUS WORK ETHIC##

##THESEVENTHWOODSBLUEPRINT##

If you are a religious person then you know the number seven is symbolic as being the number of God and represents divinity. Well Seventh's  parents knew exactly what they were doing when they named him and they must’ve knew something we didn’t know because if you have never watched this kid play you are about to have one of the biggest thrills of your sports  life because this kid is a freak of nature!  When he was born 3 angels must’ve visited his mother in the manger or something because in terms of his athleticism he’s already on the level of an NBA superstar but he's only a child! Jesus spoke as a baby and I guess Seventh was catching lobs as a toddler!  He’s also an elite defender compared to other high school prospects, has very good ball handling ability, is only going to get better because so far he has shown a great work ethic! I’d also say his vertical leap has to be upwards of 42 inches! For a child who was 14 at the time of this video It wouldn’t be a stretch to day if he stays healthy his vertical will max out  5 more inches by the time he finishes college! 

If I were an NCAA coach I’d be drooling at the chance to recruit him. I’d bring the Pope with me, the Dali Lama  and three wise Magi if I had too! The only high school players less than 6’4 I have ever seen with this type of athleticism was a guy named Allen Iverson, somebody named Derrick Rose and a man who goes by the name of John Wall. There are others but either way it goes there isn’t any access to the type of footage we have available to scout players today and I never saw footage of Rose or Iverson at age 14 so for me he’s the most athletic 14 year old I’ve seen under 6’4 until somebody proves otherwise!

Michael Carter-Williams' REMARKABLE Debut!

Michael Carter- Williams almost recorded a quadruple-double in his rookie debut which led to the upset of the reigning champion Miami Heat. This kid looked amazing out there and if he continues to develop his shot he’s going to be a very good player! Most NBA PG’s over 6’5 tend to have great careers!  If you don’t believe me then go see Oscar, Penny and Magic. Even Shaun Livingston who suffered that freak injury which almost ended his career has finally found his place in the NBA as one of the better backup PG’s. This is the most impressive debut from a rookie that I can clearly recall in a very, very long time if not ever!   MCW posted 9 steals which set an NBA record for player in his debut to go along with 22 points, 12 assists, 7 rebounds and only one turnover.  That’s just silly and he made a key defensive play against Lebron in the closing moments and hit two clutch free-throws to seal the game! What a stud performance! 

Derrick Rose's game winner on opening night in Chicago upsets the Knicks and Spike Lee!

So how do you respond to a horrible shooting night in your return to your hometown  with the game on the line? You hit the most important shot of the night to end the game! In my opinion besides Kobe Bryant there is no other player in the NBA who I  would want with the ball in his hands to take the last shot  other  than Derrick Rose. Not Lebron (as most NBA players have voted), not Wade, nor KD or anyone but Rose. And the fact he showed no emotion as was cool was Iceberg Slim as he trotted back to the Bulls bench was a sign of many more great things to come. Spike Lee's reaction was priceless but he should've known not to show his face  in the United Center  aka the "Madhouse on Madison" wearing his  Knicks attire in front of the "Red Nation" massive! Some people will never learn but he learned last night!

Chris Paul's Historic Night vs The Golden State Warriors

##CP3##NBASTEVEJOBS####THINK##

In terms of his basketball IQ CP3 would be basketball’s equivalent of a Rhodes Scholar. He’s the prototypical “point god (sic)!”  He really has no flaws except that he hasn’t won anything of note and has only lead his team out of the first round twice in his otherwise illustrious NBA career. The question is what is it going to take for him to get to the NBA Finals? The Clippers restructured their team this year and bring in one of the game’s best coaches in Doc Rivers who is from my hometown. However, already I’m seeing some flaws in the Clippers team and that’s their defensive liabilities. CP3 has to do too much. It’s no problem for him to destroy the competition from an offensive standpoint in the regular season but come playoff time Blake and DeAndre are going to have to shine in the big moments and not rely on CP3 to score 30 or 40 points which he can do with relatively ease. But for now let’s marvel in his regular season play as he becomes only the second active NBA player to record a 40 point and 15 assist game! That’s almost comical from a stat standpoint! CP3 might be the NBA’s most cerebral player!

Meet Demarcus Cousins the new Sacramento "king!"

##DEMARCUS COUSINS###BEASTMODE##

Demarcus Cousins is a brute!  Standing 6’11 weighing about 280 pounds his size reminds you of Mighty Joe Young! He’s arguably is the most talented big man in the NBA at least in terms of his offensive capabilities. I have always liked his game since I first scouted him coming out of high school in Alabama. Little did I know back then that he would have behavioral issues not because he was a bad kid but simply because he wasn’t mature enough to handle the mantle of leadership that someone with his talent commands? One of the reasons is that Demarcus Cousins plays with an exuberant amount of emotion. He is a throwback to guys like Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning meaning that he is downright mean and nasty which are traits you love in a big man especially in this era of the NBA (which has a reputation for its player being soft and passive). The difference in Cousins and Zo’ or Ewing is that he has had an extra long learning curve and erroneously has received a bad reputation for being a head case. This is a guy who arguably should’ve or was at least at once project to be the number 1 overall pick of the 2009 NBA draft.

 In terms of his skill he’s the most talented frontcourt player I’ve seen since Chris Webber with maybe a higher ceiling because he’s bigger. He reminds you of him in the way he can hit the jumper from the midrange, gallop for a coast-to-coast finish off the defense rebound, make those wonderful no-look passes from the post and displays great footwork and like Webber in his prime.  He is a very good rebounder and it’s almost impossible to box him out.  He said his goal was to be the best center in the NBA and with Shaq tutoring him he’s definitely on his way.  However, it’s going to take games like this more often and he's going to have to keep his emotions under control since he is now the face of the Sacramento Kings newly managed franchise. I hope that this is his coming out moment because the NBA desperately needs more big men to blossom.