Dwight Howard and the LA Lakers

The 2012 NBA off-season has been eventful.  Just as the Miami Heat figured out how to win as a team, many other NBA teams made significant personnel moves.  At this point, none of the personnel movement seems to compare to the moves the Los Angeles Lakers made.  Not only did they sign a two-time former league MVP in Steve Nash, but they also signed Dwight “crybaby” Howard.  The Lakers finalized the deal, while being able to keep Pau Gasol.  I am somewhat surprised David Stern did not veto the deal, as it appears to epitomize the phrase “the rich get richer . . . “  The new Collective Bargaining Agreement (“CBA”) was believed to strike a major blow to the big market teams by imposing serious luxury taxes.  For a number of reasons, the Lakers pulled the trigger and will be able to have a big four of their own on the court.  Once Dwight Howard returns from injury, the starting lineup will likely consist of: Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard.  On paper, that lineup certainly seems formidable, but can they co-exist?  Is Mike Brown the dynamic leader the team needs?  Will Kobe relinquish control of the ball and allow Steve Nash to be himself?  These are some of the many questions swirling around Lakerland these days.

Dwight Howard finally whined and made enough behind-the-scenes, shady deals to force his way out of Orlando.  Seemingly, the entire summer, he remained quiet and allowed his designated spokespersons to speak on his behalf.  All the while, reports surfaced that suggested that he did not want to be in Orlando.  He was blamed for the firing of Stan Van Gundy, and he was blamed for orchestrating the departure of other Orlando Magic personnel.  Publicly, he smiled for the cameras and stated that he did not want to be traded.  He even went as far as opting into his contract for another year.  I suppose he attempted to remain in high regards with the Orlando Magic fans.  But, what he did was anger many of them and most importantly, they lost respect for him.  Had he played out his contract and not opted into his contract, he would have been a free agent.  That would have enabled him to “test the free agent market” and sign with any team of his choice.  He did not do that.  He was disingenuous and he finally forced his way out of Orlando.  As shady as Howard has conducted himself, I do not hear anyone calling him a Benedict Arnold.  But Lebron was such a bad person when he signed with the Miami Heat, as a free agent.  I digress.

The impact of the trade has been said to shift the power balance in the NBA back to the West Coast.  I do not agree with that statement and I think the OKC Thunder still have something the Lakers have no answer for.  They have a dominant point guard who is faster than anyone the Lakers can assign to guard him.  He is athletic enough to get Pau and Dwight into foul trouble.  They also have the second best player in the league and the best scorer in the league.  Kevin Durant will have his way with World Peace or any player the Lakers can assign to guard him.  Also, and more importantly, I believe Kobe Bryant can serve as a huge impediment to the team’s success.  Let’s be honest, Kobe is an all time great player and has never seemed to enjoy sharing the spotlight.  He has always been a ball dominant guard and has never trusted his teammates.  In order for the Lakers to experience maximum success, they will have to depend on Kobe “buying in” to the system.  For him, that will consist of fewer shots and the offense not being run directly through him.  He should still be the closer, but with Steve Nash on the team, their pick-and-roll offense could be unstoppable.  If Kobe buys in, the team could certainly win the West and posssbly win the NBA championship.  If not, they will be like the Laker team featuring Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Gary Payton.  That team did not win the NBA championship.

If the Lakers figure it all out, and their aging stars remain healthy, they can make a serious splash in the NBA.  However, if Dwight Howard does not fully recover from his back injury, or Steve Nash gets hurt, their hope of NBA dominance will not happen. 

I still believe that the NBA championship will have to come through Miami.

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Peace

Karolina Diamond AAU Basketball: Complete Domination

The Burlington Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated was chartered on November 20, 2011.  Since its inception, its chapter members have strived towards being the very best chapter in the entire Fraternity.  We have vowed to bridge the generational gap between graduate chapters and undergraduate chapters.  We have been extremely busy in the greater Burlington area as we have hosted political, social and academic events to impact the community.  One of the chapter’s biggest and most important initiatives, however, is the Karolina Diamonds Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball team.

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated has a rich tradition of producing outstanding student-athletes.  Some even continue their respective journeys to the professional ranks.  Inevitably, members of the Karolina Diamonds will someday become members of Kappa Alpha Psi and some of them will reach the highest level of professional basketball.  But, as impressive as that will be, we are even more proud of the upstanding citizens that each of them represent. 

 The Karolina Diamonds are a 14 and Under AAU team comprised of rising ninth grade student-athletes from North and South Carolina.  The team was founded by Burlington Alumni Polemarch, Kevin Graves.  Steven Rush, also a Burlington Alumni member and former standout basketball player at North Carolina A&T State University, is a coach as well.  The team has played together for two years and during that time, it has amassed a remarkable record.  The Diamonds have played 73 games on the “National Level,” which is the highest level of AAU basketball in the nation.  They have won 65 games and only lost eight times, by a total of 36 points combined.  [1]    

In July 2012, Graves and Rush took the Diamonds to the National 14 and Under Basketball Championships at the Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida.  During the course of the competition, droves of high major basketball coaches attended.  Some of the attendees represent a “who’s who” of college basketball, including: Coach John Calipari, Coach Rick Pitino and Coach Bill Self, to name a few.  The Diamonds, adorned in black, red and white uniforms, with black and red custom basketball sneakers took to the biggest basketball stage in the nation.  Their uniforms displayed an image of a “diamond” on the shorts and “Diamonds” is written across the chest of the jerseys.

 

The Diamonds started out the tournament, just as they had every other tournament.  They pressured, swarmed, and outplayed teams.  While in Orlando, they won eight games.  Not only did they win the games, but they won by an average margin of victory of over twenty points—that’s domination.  They defeated The Brevard Bulls (FL.) 72-52; The Houston Phenoms (TX) 64-34; Team Lima (OH) 52-36; The Arkansas View Elite (AR) 65-47; Southern Illinois Tigers (IL.) 73-48; Team Texas (TX) 65-49; Team Penny Hardaway [2] (TN) 72-61; DC Assault [3] (DC) 56-39.  The Diamonds advanced to the final game against the Dunk Dog Elite (LA).  The game was televised on ESPN3 and the gymnasium was filled with over 3,000 onlookers.  The seats were filled with college coaches, parents, high school coaches, other AAU teams and other collegiate representatives.  The Diamonds ultimately lost the game by a score of 58-55.

The Diamonds are one of the chapter’s main community service programs.  The brothers of the chapter have supported the Diamonds both financially and otherwise.  However, the lion’s share of the success and credit for the initiative has to go to Kevin Graves and Steve Rush.  These brothers have taught the Diamonds basketball skills and the importance of competitive spirit, as well as non-basketball related values.  They have preached the worth of proper dress etiquette, and the significance in being politically, financially and culturally aware.  Graves and Rush helped teach the Diamonds the importance of education and how their talent can ultimately help them reach financial security by not owing the government for student loans.  They have been encouraged to visit college campuses and have been coached on the nuances of creative writing and SAT preparation.  The Diamonds know that no matter how good they are collectively as a team, or individually, there will come a day when their basketball days are done.  These young men have represented their families, themselves, Burlington Alumni and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated very well.

We will leave you with the Diamonds’ mantra: The Diamonds strive to be the hardest working, mentally toughest, smartest, most unselfish, defensive minded, attack oriented, nastiest team in AAU basketball with no excuses, no complaints and absolutely no shortcuts!

If you are interested in following the Diamonds, or making a tax-deductible contribution, please visit www.karolinadiamonds.bbnow.org.

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[1] Out of their eight losses, they are averaging losing by just over four points per contest.  Meanwhile, of their 65 wins, they have won by an average of over 20 points per contest.

[2] The Diamonds Defeated Team Penny in the Elite Eight.  Ironically, that game matched brother and former NBA great, Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway’s team against the Diamonds.

[3] The Diamonds defeated the DC Assault in the Final Four and the game was televised on ESPN3.

95 Live: DJ Premier

If you know me, you know I love good hip hop music.  During my downtime from work, you can almost certainly find me on the couch listening to music.  As much as I love authentic hip hop, I detest “trash” hip hop.  By “trash” hip hop I am referring to music by artists like Soulja Boy, Young Joc, and Bow Wow, among others.  Nowadays, artists make “music” only for the money.  The artistry, passion and love for the hip hop culture seem to get lost in translation. Where did it go?  Why did it go?  I’m not quite sure when hip hop became a skeleton of what it used to be during the golden era (1990’s-early 2000’s).  Jokingly, I blame Master P and his No Limit Soldiers for ushering in trash hip hop.  The corrosion of hip hop has happened over a course of years and not one group is responsible.  Do not get me wrong, I certainly do not believe hip hop is dead or that good music is no longer released.  My point is simply that hip hop purists have to look beyond the mainstream in many cases in order to find quality hip hop.  

When I was in middle and high school, I looked forward to listening to and recording music from the radio.  In those days, hip hop music was not watered down.  It was very much a new phenomenon and artists tried their best to produce music that would elevate them to the top of the hip hop mountain.  I loved the competitive nature back in those days.  Biggie, Mobb Deep, Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Wu Tang Clan, Group Home, Big L, DITC, Shyheim, Redman, Das Efx, Jay-Z, Outkast, Big Pun, Beatnuts, Da Lox, M.O.P and so many others competed for hip hop supremacy.  How could an artist seriously not bring his/her A-game with competition at an all time high?  During those days, I yearned for more hip hop.  Nowadays, kids can visit www.youtube.com or www.google.com and find and listen to almost any song ever released.  In the mid to late 1990’s, the 80’s babies did not have that option, so we had to be more creative.  My curiosities for finding more underground hip hop music lead me to an interesting discovery. One night in 1997, while listening to the radio at my parent’s house, I stumbled upon a gem.  At the time, I usually listened to 102.1 but because the station played the same 30 songs over and over and over, I had to find another option. 

I stumbled upon the type of radio show that hip hop dreams are made of.  90.5 was the station and it was broadcast from the campus of North Carolina A & T State University.  I started listening and I realized that I had found an answer to my craving for more underground, authentic hip hop.  The show was called “The Full Moon Block” and it aired every Friday and Saturday from 10:00pm to 2:00am.  Those people reading this post who hail from Winston-Salem probably remember heading to Friday night football games, then going to Pizza Hut or IHOP on University Drive.  After watching the game and eating, there was not much for a 15 year old kid to do, so usually I went home.  Usually, I returned to my parents’ house by 11:00 p.m. or so.  I would come into my room and immediately turn on the Full Moon Block radio show and start recording music.  Now that I think about it, that period of time is precisely when I fell in love with all that is hip hop.  That love of hip hop has never wavered and that brings me to one of the best hip hop moments of my life.

DJ Premier is a legend and he spun at Five Star in Raleigh, North Carolina.  DJ Ninth Wonder, who is a dope producer and DJ in his own right, usually spins each second Friday of each month. The production is called 95 Live.  95 Live is always a night filled with authentic hip hop from the 90’s and I really enjoy it.  Last night was special, however, because DJ Premier was slated to spin.  And spin he did.  His set was so dope; he started out playing songs from his musical catalog.  Not only did he play the songs; he scratched and interacted with the crowd the way you would expect a living legend to do.  As cool as it was to hear Premo at his best, the best part of the night was the atmosphere. The people in attendance were there for the hip hop culture; they were there because they love authentic hip hop.  The scene at 95 Live is atypical for most Raleigh clubs in that it is never a fashion show.  People attend for the good music.  It kind of reminds me of the scene from Brown Sugar when Taye Digg’s character realizes that he lost his passion for real hip hop.  He promptly aligned himself with a real hip hop artist, played by Mos Def and rekindled his passion for real music.  DJ Premier lived up to, and exceeded my expectation, and for that, I am grateful.  If you love hip hop, you should visit 95 Live.  

Peace

Rick Ross God Forgives I Don't: Album Review

Rick Ross may not be the most lyrical artist, but he manages to produce some of the best contemporary hip hop albums.  The comparisons to the late, great Notorious B.I.G are premature and need to stop.  Although similarities exist between the two; most of the similarities are cosmetic and not important.  Ross is criticized because people say he is not “real” because he worked as a Correctional Officer at a Florida correctional facility.  In short, who cares?  How many people know the celebrities they support?  I’ll wait.  People must realize that artists are first and foremost entertainers and do not necessarily live the image they portray.  Regardless of his level of street credibility, Rick Ross’ latest album is very good.  It combines stellar production with great lyrics and an overall authentic feel.

The album is full of famous guest appearances.  The list includes a “who’s who” of both great and upstart emcees including, Jay-Z, Nas, Andre 3000, Dr. Dre and upstart artist, Meek Mill.  Ross almost produced a compilation album and interestingly, he gets outshined on almost every song that features another rap heavy weight.  Rick Ross also included R&B heavyweights John Legend and Usher.  That, in itself, shows the level of respect fellow artists have for Ross. There are not a lot of hip hop artists that can boast the guest list that he can on this album.  He has truly evolved as an artist.  I still remember going to a Miami night club when “Hustlin” was first released. 

My favorite song on the album is also my favorite song of 2012.  In fact, Andre 3000’s verse on “Sixteen” is the best verse I have heard in a number of years.  When 3000 displays the kind of precision, skill and wizardry as he does on “Sixteen,” you wonder why he does not release his own album.  Andre’s verse is by far the best on the entire album.  That is a big statement considering that Jay-Z and Nas both have memorable verses on the album.  On the song, Andre 3000 tells one of the most clear, candid stories I have ever heard.  Slick Rick would be proud.  He rhymes: “I feel right at home, you’ll sitting right at home all Kelly green with envy while I’m jelly beans descending into the palm of a child, looks up at mama and smiles with such a devilish grin, like “where the hell have you been” she yelling selling’s a sin, well so is telling young men that selling is a sin, if you don’t offer new ways to win, a dolphin gon shake his fin, regardless if he get in or out of water, most important thing is for him to swim and Flipper didn’t hold his nose, so why shall I hold my tongue . . . ?  Even if you do not like Rick Ross, please do yourself a favor and listen to 3000’s verse on “Sixteen.”

My next favorite song is “Rich Forever” featuring John Legend.  If you heard Rick Ross’ “Rich Forever” mixtape, you already know what the song is about.  If not, you are in for a treat.  Ross begins the song in an awkward manner; he basically tells a story by talking as opposed to rapping.  He does a lot of bragging and rhyming about his personal belongings, but, it fits the name of the song.  My favorite line from the song is: Big face Rolie, rose gold cost 40, platinum twenty-one, it’s time to go and spoil shorty, you only live once I’m screaming YOLO in the V.I. . . 

Another one of my favorite songs is “3 Kings.”  This song features Jay-Z and Dr. Dre, two serious hip hop heavyweights.  Jay-Z is arguably the greatest hip hop artist ever to bless the microphone and Dr. Dre is arguably the greatest hip hop producer.  I listened to Dr. Dre’s “the Chronic” and Snoop Dogg’s “Doggy Style” the other day, and Dre has been producing classic projects for well over 15 years.  That said, Dr. Dre is an amazing producer.  I certainly understand the point Ross was trying to prove by naming the song 3 Kings.  However, I only see two kings and maybe one pawn (no shade Ross), but it is still a great song.  My favorite line from this song comes from Jay-Z.  He rhymes: Been hoppin out the BM with your BM, taking her places you can’t go with your per diem, screaming carpe diem until I’m a dead poet, Robin Williams s**t I deserve a Golden Globe b***h!

A few other notable tracks are “Pirates,” “Diced Pineapples,” and “Triple Beam Dreams.”  This album is definitely worth purchasing.  Support Real Hip Hop.

Peace

Clashing of Two Worlds: Hip Hop and Basketball

The other day, as I was riding in my car listening to music, I started thinking about my two favorite topics—basketball and hip hop.  I usually think about one or the other, but rarely does my mind race about both.  Are there any connections between the two?  If so, what are the connections?  My internal conversation caused me to flashback to a hip hop album, The Lost Boyz’ Love Peace & Nappiness.  On that album the group played a clip of Allen Iverson talking about his rookie season in the NBA.  That skit reminded me that Allen Iverson was one of the first guys to usher in the hip hop era into the NBA.  Although that is true, the infusion of the hip hop culture and basketball started before Iverson.

Let me take a moment and point out some of the connections between hip hop and basketball.  Some of the greatest basketball players and hip hop artists were raised in urban environments.  Think about it: Allen Iverson, Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony were all raised in urban environments.  On the hip hop side, T.I., Nas, B.I.G., Jay-Z, and Snoop Dogg were all raised in urban environments.  Hip hop was born out of struggle, defiance and a way for young people to express themselves.  Basketball was not born out of struggle, but to many inner city youth, it symbolizes an opportunity for a better life for their families; in that respect, basketball epitomizes struggle and expression.  Hip hop artists are exploited by record owners and guess what, so are basketball players.  Hip hop is dominated by young 20-something year old African American males and so is basketball.  Ironically, the biggest consumers of both hip hop music and basketball are non-African Americans.  The two are inextricably intertwined.

Sometimes people discuss hip hop or rap as a genre of music.  Those individuals underestimate the impact of the hip hip culture.  It embodies language, fashion, attitude, and music.  In the NBA, although Michael Jordan is not considered a representative of the culture, his decision to wear longer, baggy shorts and to wear an ear ring was a by-product of the defiance of the hip hop culture.  In the college game, in the early 1990’s, Michigan’s Fab Five started a trend of wearing long, baggy shorts with black shoes and socks.  They proclaimed to the world that they loved hip hop.  They also expressed the ugly reality of exploitation of basketball players.  In the mid 1990’s Allen Iverson entered the NBA.  At that time, he represented the perfect storm between hip hop and basketball. He was young, rebellious and talented.  He was born and raised in an urban environment, but was able to overcome significant obstacles on his way to super stardom.  He wore his hair in corn rows, his arms were filled with tattoos (not initially), his shorts were baggy, he infamously wore fitted hats and platinum chains to press conferences.  He said that he wanted to do things his way and he did. 

The NBA profited off of the hip hop culture.  During half time shows, you could often hear hip hop music being played over PA systems, or hear commentators making hip hop references.  David Stern and the other “powers-that-be” used the hip hop culture to market to a more urban demographic.  Many players during that time wore clothes that were comfortable for them and not necessarily business professional or even business casual attire.  Although David Stern benefited from the hip hop culture, he yearned to control it.  Therefore, it was no surprise to me that he passed a set of rules which require players to dress professionally when sitting on the bench. Now, if you look at the NBA players on the sidelines, they usually have on a suit or at the very least, a sports jacket.  That was his way of minimizing hip hop’s impact.

Although David Stern attempted to stamp out or at least minimize the impact of hip hop, it is still alive and well.  Players still wear diamond earrings, and bracelets.  The only difference is that those are now accessories that go with Tom Ford tailored suits.  Lebron James is a huge hip hop fan and he expresses himself before games by listening to the music on his headphones, or blasting the music in the locker room.  Hip hop is also seen in the ownership ranks of the NBA with Jay-Z being a minority owner of the Brooklyn Nets.  Hip hop is displayed at All-Star weekend.  Many hip hop artists perform and/or attend events during one of the NBA’s biggest weekends.  Their appearances help drive even more people to the festivities and consequently contribute to the NBA’s profit margin.  You see, the marriage between hip hop and basketball cannot be eradicated.  The two are forever intertwined.

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Peace 

Nas: Life is Good Album Review

Sometimes, an album comes along and really captures my attention.  In the past, albums fitting that description include: “Aquemini,” “Reasonable Doubt,” and “Illmatic” to name a few.  Nas is one of the most talented emcees to ever bless the microphone. That said, he has frustrated me as a music lover because of his lack of consistency, at times.  When you hear Nas at his best, it is easy to understand why many consider him the best emcee ever.  On his latest studio album, entitled “Life is Good,” Nas was focused and produced a high quality album.  This album definitely caught my attention.

Nas has stellar production on this album.  In the past, it seems to me that he was loyal to certain producers, even to a fault.  He used certain producers that were not on par with his lyrical abilitiy.  Here, he utilizes the talent of No I.D. and Salaam Remi, almost exclusively. However, Swizz Beats, now deceased legend Heavy D, and Buck Wild chipped in to give the album that authentic New York feel.  It also has the right amount of guest appearances.  Some emcees release “solo” albums that sound like group projects as a result of long lists of guest appearances.  On this album, Mary J. Blige, Anthony Hamilton, Rick Ross, and the late, great Amy Winehouse are the featured artists. 

Nas was very reflective and nostalgic on this album.  He discussed serious subjects such as his much publicized divorce from Kelis, gun violence, the joys of fatherhood, and various addictions people succumb to.  The lyrics are strong and the tone of the album is reflective of Nas’ current state of mind.  It is a little too early to decide if the album is a classic.  As I continue to listen to the album over the next few weeks, I will make that determination.  I have often loved or loathed an album during the first week, and then a few weeks later, I did a complete 180 with respect to my feelings about the album. Much of my admiration for this album could be that I am happy to hear new material from one of my favorites emcees and that could skew my opinion.  I will revisit this discussion in a few weeks.

At this stage in my album review of “Life is Good,” I do not skip any songs.  For me, that is rare because I become impatient sometimes (that is still a virtue I am working on), and if I do not like the beat, or the hook, I will skip a song.  At this point (after three full listening sessions), I listen to every song.  One of my early favorite songs is World’s an Addiction featuring Anthony Hamilton.  First off, the beat and hook on this song are amazing.   The song is about peoples’ struggles with various types of addiction.  The hook for the song is “The world is an addiction, serving our fix, the world is an addiction, way too much for me.”  The song is a deep dive into humans’ innermost thoughts and struggles.    

Stay is another one of my early favorite songs.  The horns playing in this song give it a classic jazz vibe.  In the first verse of this song, Nas raps about temptation and the women who tempt men.  He raps: “Watch out for desperate lonely women, hurt ya happy home, miserable and alone, kissable, nice to bone, she not the type deserving of a throne . . .”  Wise words indeed.

Reach Out featuring Mary J. Blige is another one of my favorite songs.  Mary J Blige has one of the most powerful voices I have ever heard.  The beat on the song sounds like something right out of the 1990’s “bad boy” era.  This song has a few notable lines including, “Can see myself in presidential campaign dinners, but I’m gassing blunts around a bunch of gang members, when you are too hood to be in them Hollywood circles and you are too rich to be in the hood that birthed you. . . “  That line sounds like a person who is stuck in between two worlds.  I suppose he is describing an inner struggle between the desire to stay true to yourself; but at the same time, growing and having different experiences.  Another one of my favorite lines from the song is, “I like to teach and build, with brothers about how easy it is to reach a mil.  All you need is some skill, then it’s grind time, imagination is better than knowledge, says Einstein. . . “

Cherry Wine featuring Amy Winehouse has grown on me and it could easily be my favorite song on the album.  Amy Winehouse possessed one of the most unique voices ever and her voice on this song is a nice touch.  The premise of the song is a man/woman searching for a perfect companion.  Nas raps, “She likes the herbs, natural medicine, she cooking good, she tell me everything is cool when it ain’t looking good, for real, the world is ill, yo I want a girl so real who's not after material wealth, but get dough still or maybe an educator, a lady with etiquette who can be from out the hood or even work for the President . . .”  The song is really smooth.

If you love good music, this album is an essential to own.

Peace

What a Wild NBA Offseason . . . Summer 2012

When the 2011-12 NBA season ended with the Miami Heat winning the championship, I must say, I was very happy.  The season ended just as I expected it to end, with the Heat at the top of the proverbial NBA mountaintop.  What I did not expect were some of the moves teams would make in the wake of the season.  I’ll break down a few of my favorite moves thus far.

Ray Allen Leaves the Celtics and Heads to Miami!

This move surprised a lot of people.  I cannot say I was surprised that he left the Boston Celtics.  To me, it seemed like the writing was on the wall for Ray “Jesus Shuttlesworth” Allen to leave his beloved Celtics.  First, he battled through a somewhat injury plagued season.  Then, he lost, or the Celtics gave, his starting job to up-and-coming player, Avery Bradley.  Any person who has ever played basketball knows that when you lose your starting position, the team is showing you that your value has somehow been diminished.  To a player that has always been the third man of the “Big Three” that was probably a hard pill to swallow.  To make matters even worse, the Celtics lost a hard fought series to the Miami Heat.  After the season ended, the Celtics management recruited another shooting guard, who has a championship pedigree, just as Ray Allen has.  They signed Jason “the Jet” Terry, but somehow tried to sell the dream to Ray that they would be able to play together.  Honestly, I think that acquisition was the straw that broke the camel’s back.  While in Boston, Ray Allen constantly ran off of picks set by Kevin Garnett.  In Miami, his role will be similar, but he probably will not have to run off nearly as many picks.  With Lebron and Dwayne Wade drawing opposing defenses’ attention, Ray Allen will play the role that Mike Miller played in game five of the NBA Finals.  He will “spot up” and knock down uncontested shots.  Ray Allen will make a major impact on the Heat and I anticipate a repeat championship by the Heat.  If the Heat sign Marcus Camby, the rest of the league can forget about it.

Steve Nash heads to the Los Angeles Lakers!

Steve Nash is one of my favorite point guards, even at his old age.  He is one of only a hand full of players in the history of the NBA to shoot over 50% from the field, over 40% from behind the three point line and over 90% at the free throw line.  He is one of the best shooters and passers the game has ever seen.  As good as he is on the offensive side of the ball, his defense is terrible (think, Charles Barkley’s voice).  Either way, his arrival is certainly a huge upgrade over Ramon Sessions.  I am not certain how he and Kobe will play off of each other.  Kobe Bryant has handled the ball his entire career and I am not so sure he will be able, or willing, to not dominate the ball.  Steve Nash is effective because he has the ball in his hands 90% of the time and probes the defense until he finds an opening.  The way those two players mesh will be key to the Lakers championship run.  If Nash is allowed to handle the ball and set up other players, as he always has done, we could see a huge spike in production from Bynum, and Gasol, thus propelling the Lakers to a higher level.  As great as Kobe Bryant is, I think the Lakers will become a better team if he stops being a volume shooter and spreads the ball to his other all-star caliber teammates.  I think Steve Nash is just the player that can bring it all together for the Lakers.  As they are currently constructed, I still do not see them beating a very hungry OKC Thunder team, but it could be very interesting if they acquire the rights of Dwight “crybaby” Howard.  I anticipate the Lakers making it to the conference finals and losing to OKC.

Deron Williams stays in Brooklyn!

In a somewhat predictable move, Deron Williams decided to re-sign with the Brooklyn Nets.  He is the kind of talent that can catapult a team into championship contention.  However, he cannot do it alone.  To that end, the Nets signed Joe Johnson, formerly of the Atlanta Hawks.  Joe Johnson is a perennial All-Star and an overall good talent, but his acquisition alone is not enough to compete with the Miami Heat.  He will provide steady scoring, as he did in Atlanta.  But, against the Heat, his production would likely be eclipsed, or at the very least, matched by Dwayne Wade, making his signing negligible in terms of getting the Nets to the next level.  I certainly think Brooklyn improved and their core of Williams, Johnson, Gerald Wallace, Brook Lopez, Marshon Brooks and Kris Humphries is not bad.  However, unless they are able to grab Dwight Howard, they will still find themselves at home watching the NBA Finals next year. 

Lamar Odom and Jamal Crawford head to the Los Angeles Clippers!

Lamar Odon had a very disappointing 2011-12 season.  He experienced a lot of off-court turmoil and as a result, his on-court performance was downright horrible.  He was unable to focus after demanding a trade.  A lot of people wrote him off and said that he is “washed up” or incapable of being a successful professional player.  I think he will use the negative words as motivation for his fresh start with the Los Angeles Clippers.  He could provide the type of versatility the Clippers need to advance further in the playoffs.  Jamal Crawford is another major piece the Clippers signed.  He is best known for being a scoring machine off the bench for a number of NBA teams.  Most importantly, he has the size of a traditional shooting guard.  He can score and he is a veteran player.  I can envision an end game lineup of Chris Paul, Jamal Crawford, Caron Butler, Lamar Odom and Blake Griffin.  Assuming Chauncey Billups is healthy, he could certainly be in that lineup at the end of games.  The Clippers made great moves, but they still don’t have enough to come out of the deep Western Conference.

As much as I hate to admit it, the only player that can single handedly change the power structure of the NBA is Dwight Howard.  I am not a fan of his because he is a crybaby, and seems to never be satisfied.  Either way, this offseason has been exciting thus far, and I anticipate more moves being made in the coming weeks and months.

Peace