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The 8 Famous Mommies In Sports

Monday, May 13th, 2013

courtesy of hitemwheretheyaint.com

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mommies all over the world. Moms are famous for several reasons: For their nurturing, being a tad bit on the crazy side, and well, you know…“MILF”. I wanted to take the opportunity of the occasion to shed light on The 8 Famous Mommies In Sports.

8. Wilma McNabb: Mother of former NFL QB Donovan McNabb

courtesy of nextimpulsesports

Wilma McNabb is better known as America’s Favorite Sports Mom. She became famous in her own right thanks to the Chunky Soup commercials, where she fed her son and teammates. She put an end to the fake mom on the commercial as it only made sense for her to play the role of Donovan’s mom, since in fact she is his real mom!

7. Gloria James: Mother of NBA Superstar LeBron James

Gloria James, the proud mother of LeBron; you’re talking about someone who hit the lottery! I don’t know who really is the parent here, her or LeBron. It’s amazing that LeBron turned out to be spectacular on and off the court, because the antics his mother puts him through are disturbing. Slapping a hotel valet attendant while intoxicated, mouthing off with Boston Celtics’ Paul Pierce after he fouled James hard during LeBron’s Cleveland days, and of course the rumors of her and Delonte West!

6. Sonya Curry: Golden State Warrior’s Superstar Steph & former Duke standout Seth Curry

The MILF; the most talked about mom in college basketball. I sure hope she starts showing up to some of these NBA games now, since both of her kids are done with the NCAA. There have been countless times that she is compared to the beautiful actress, Thandie Newton. Sonya, also was an athlete. She was a volleyball player at Virginia Tech, same place where she met her husband, former NBA player Dell Curry.

5. Ann Iverson: Mother of former 76ers great Allen Iverson

If you were an Allen Iverson fan, then you knew his mother quite well. She was trying to be just as hip as her trendsetting son. Then again, she was just a baby herself as the mom and son duo are only fifteen years apart. When the initials A.I. came about, one would wonder who you were talking about, Allen or Ann! Ann Iverson has to be at the top of the list of moms who defends their son whether he is right or wrong. Sometimes it’s better if mom just stays out of it.

4. April Justin: Mother of Alabama recruit Landon Collins

Who says that mothers always know best? Well Ms. Justin will tell you she does. Her son, Landon Collins, one of the most coveted high school seniors in the country, chose to play football at Alabama next season. No-brainer right…playing for Nick Saban and the national champions, Alabama Crimson Tide? Only problem was mommy didn’t approve. Let’s see how she felt about his decision and what she wants him to do.

3. Pamela Bryant: Mother of 5-time L.A. Lakers Champ Kobe Bryant

courtesy of tmz

No child should ever think about putting his or her hands on their mom. Especially her neck, and NO Kobe did no such thing, but he was probably thinking it. I suppose that Mother’s Day wasn’t celebrated on Kobe’s end as he is engaged in an ugly lawsuit over his childhood memorabilia. I guess since Kobe won’t front mommy with more money for a new home, Pamela Bryant is taking matters into her own hands by selling items of her beloved son, all the way back from his high school days. I have to say, MY LAMB!

2. Pamela McGee: Mother of Denver Nuggets Javale McGee

courtesy of NBA Mistress

Pamela was the first WNBA player to have a child play in the NBA. Pam is the overprotective mom who manages Javale’s career. Lord knows what she may be doing to Javale’s social life when it comes to women! Fortunately we may soon see a reality show called Millionaire Mama’s Boy, starring Javale and Pam, which will be airing on Oprah’s network real soon.

1. Janet Hill: Mother of L.A. Clippers’ Grant Hill

courtesy of www.diversity.duke.edu

The Hill family were compared to the Cosby show (Heathcliff & Claire) because it was rare to see an African-American couple, both having professional careers. She married Yale graduate and former Dallas Cowboys running back, Calvin Hill. Mrs. Hill raised one of the most elegant, respectable gentleman that the NBA has ever had in Grant Hill. Oh by the way Janet Hill will always be linked with Hilary Clinton because they were roommates in college.

Happy Mother’s Day!

LeRoy McConnell II of “A Fan’s Point of View”, for War Room Sports

Tags:A Fan's Point of View, All's Fair in Sports and War, Allen Iverson, Grant Hill, Javale McGee, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, LeRoy McConnell III, Mother's Day, Sports Talk Radio, The War Room, War Room Sports
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Understanding “Overrated”

Friday, April 26th, 2013

by Cory Jefferies

If some of the greatest players in the history of North American sports can be overrated from the narratives told about them and the social statuses given to them to describe their level of greatness, surely it isn’t too hard to figure out how or why a great player can be overrated DESPITE the player’s GREATNESS. ”Overrated” doesn’t automatically run mutually exclusive to extremely horrible, over-hyped players. I think 99% of fans miss this point. Well, maybe more like 87-90%.

Let me point out 3 types of overrated players:

#1. You can be HORRIBLE & OVERRATED (see JaMarcus Russell’s draft day position). See Tim Tebow, Mark Sanchez, Ryan Leaf, and Kwame Brown’s draft position, plus their actual production.

#2. You can be AVERAGE & OVERRATED. For example, see discussions on whether or not guys like Derek Fisher or Robert Horry are Hall of Famers.

#3. You can be GREAT/ELITE and STILL BE OVERRATED. See Steve Nash winning two consecutive MVP awards. See Derrick Rose’s MVP season where he averaged 23 ppg & 8 apg but was outplayed in every sense by LeBron James. See Michael Vick’s best season in Philly and Donovan McNabb’s career in Philly as well (DESPITE his otherwise nice playoff resume). Just because you are elite doesn’t exempt you from being overrated. If people say that Kobe Bryant is better than Michael Jordan, even though Kobe’s surely one of THE greatest players ever, he’s simply overrated.

My point: Whether you are awful, marginal, above average, mediocre, good, or very good, the narrative people have for you can make you overrated.

Cory Jefferies for War Room Sports

Tags:All's Fair in Sports and War, Cory Jefferies, Derek Fisher, Derrick Rose, Donovan McNabb, JaMarcus Russell, Kobe Bryant, Kwame Brown, Lebron James, Mark Sanchez, Michael Jordan, Michael Vick, Overrated, Robert Horry, Ryan Leaf, Sports Talk Radio, Steve Nash, The War Room, Tim Tebow, War Room Sports
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Who is Bernard King?: The NBA’s Invisible Genius

Tuesday, April 9th, 2013

by Chuck Modiano

G – Magic
G – Isiah
F – Larry
F – Bernard
C – Kareem/Moses

No last names are necessary.

These men make up the 1^st team All-NBA stars in Bernard King’s last two Knick seasons before he blew out his knee in March 1985 – the same year he led the NBA in scoring. This is the company King kept.

In 1984, King would produce a half-season scoring tear never duplicated in NBA history; upset the Pistons in the greatest playoff series performance in NBA history, and almost single-handedly upend the 1984 Celtics — one of greatest teams in NBA history. In 1984, Bernard could be found in dated Converse commercials, rap songs, and Sports Illustrated covers which bowed to “His Royal Highness”.

With an unstoppable Carmelo Anthony balling like its 1984, and reports of Bernard’s induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame, The Invisible King will receive another bow this week.

While starving King fans will naturally celebrate, something just isn’t right. King’s 15 minutes of crumbs come too little, too late – 15 years to be exact.

We could only hope this week will help jump-start the only real NBA debate. Bernard’s rightful place in the Hall of Legends.

Where did The King stand amongst the greats? Let’s ask them

“Bernard King was the toughest matchup of my career. And I say that from the heart.” – Julius Erving [HOF 1993]

“Bernard King… is the best forward in the league, hands down”. – Larry Bird [HOF 1998]

“We are just in awe of Bernard” — Isiah Thomas [HOF 2000].

Now consider that Larry and Isiah’s praise came before the 1984 playoffs and epic Showdown in Motown where

KING AVERAGED 42 PLAYOFF POINTS ON 60% SHOOTING!

No other player in NBA history has ever averaged over 40 playoff points on 60% shooting in the playoffs – not Wilt in ‘62, not Jerry in ‘65, and not Michael in ‘88. Not Kareem, Shaq, Kobe, or Lebron.

Only Bernard King.

King also did it while battling Isiah, the flu, and mangled hands.

Afterwards, King was asked about his “hot streak”. Bernard asked back:

“At what point is it no longer considered just a roll?”

Answer: The rest of your life Bernard. The rest of your life.

King’s perceived eruption on a national stage was no hot streak.

What happened right before it was even more historic, but never documented until now:

IN 1984, KING AVERAGED 30 POINTS ON 60% SHOOTING FOR 40 STRAIGHT GAMES! [1]

Lebron and Carmelo, please read that again.

No other player in NBA history has likely ever matched this half-season stretch [2].

In the playoffs, the unstoppable King simply took more shots. That’s all.

For the few mesmerized souls who watched those games on WWOR Channel 9, King’s “30@60for40” validates that we aren’t suffering from nostalgia gone wild.

Bernard King was who we thought he was.

Unlike Knick legends Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, and Willis Reed, no one more than Bernard transforms grown Knick fans into babbling children, gets stuffy 50 year old accountants to jump around like Spike Lee, and elicits reactions of: “I swear I saw Jesus in shorts”. No, not “Black Jesus” ala Earl Monroe’s other nickname — just “Jesus”.

Truth be told, here is what many Knick fans in bars swear to this very day: at his pre-injury peak Bernard King was a better small forward than Larry Bird and a greater scorer than Michael Jordan.

If that sounds crazy to you, please consult his peers again:

“I have never feared anybody that I’ve played against – Bird, Magic, Doctor, Michael – and I respect and love all of those guys… Bernard King is the only guy that ever scared the hell out of me.” – Dominique Wilkins [HOF 2006]:

Listen to Dominique. Few in media will publically utter such words for fear of ridicule or straight-jacket. But we are not the crazy ones.

It is the rest of the sports universe that has gone insane.

Unless long dead, there is no other athlete in any sport whose gap between greatness and recognition is larger — even after this week.

The humiliations are endless.

Will Bernard make the Hall of Fame this year? Should King have made the NBA’s 50 greatest players list? Will the Knicks finally retire his iconic #30 jersey?

The questions themselves demean NBA history. What about media?

In February, Lebron had six straight games of 30 points on 60% shooting, and ESPN.com lost their efficient minds, but no mention of King. Last year ESPN issued its 25 greatest playoff performances since 1978, and no King again. Sorry B, your 42 @60% and legendary Game 5 just weren’t dominant enough.

In 1984, The New York Times closely chronicled King’s nuanced brilliance in “Mysterious Moves” and “Never a Knick Like Him””, but on the 25^th anniversary of that magical season, another small forward stole the show with a 10,000 word profile: Shane Battier: “The No-Stats All-Star”.

What about the greatest player in Tennessee history, half of the famed Bernie and Ernie Show, and legendary Kentucky killer? When Kentucky coach John Calipari told his 2010 team that Bernard was talking pre-game trash in Tennessee’s locker room, the youngsters responded:

“Who is Bernard King?”, ”What number is Bernard King?”, and “I’m guarding him?”

Ouch!

How did we get here?

Is there some vast hide-King conspiracy? Not quite, but corporate interests have reduced the NBA’s Golden Era to “Magic vs. Bird”, and lesser victims include Kareem, Julius, Moses, Isiah, and the great small forward of the 1980’s.

Bernard’s knee injury alone doesn’t explain it either. No one adds up career stats for Sandy Koufax, Gale Sayers, Earl Campbell, or Bill Walton. We know what happened to them.

Reasons for King’s vanishing includes playoff-lore hijackings by Isiah, Larry, and Michael [see II: Genius Unchained]; his unspectacular style, his early-career substance abuse, his forgotten Warrior years, his teammates, and his plodding coach Hubie Brown [see III. Genius Contained].

It also involves a dysfunctional Hall of Fame and sports media largely incapable of recognizing historic greatness without historic teammates. Despite being voted Most Valuable Player by their peers, King (1984), young Michael (1989), and Lebron (2006) were all denied those awards by media, and had their status as “winners” questioned. Where players see lack of support, media perceives lack of maturity, but only a lack of imagination could deny King as champion beside Patrick Ewing [see V: The King of Peers].

King’s past has been forgotten, a healthy future rarely imagined, but most of all, his present genius was never fully realized too far beyond his own peers, local fans, and a few journalists [3].

Bernard’s game was historically unique, but he often gets lumped into a sea of history’s high-volume scoring forwards. While The Tennessee Terror stormed on the NCAA scene with 42 points in his very first game as a freshman, his truer legacy can be found in his nation-leading 62% shooting.

Lebron James is receiving great credit for shooting 56% this year, but King shot 56% over a 5-year pre-injury prime (1980-85) and did it without any all-star teammates. The playoffs are where shooting percentages go to die (see Karl Malone), but King shot a stunning 58% in 18 Knick playoff games. Only the greatest ones maintain accuracy against playoff defense — our very best test for “unstoppability” across eras.

King also defied every selfish scorer stereotype. He was not a one on one player, never needed isolations, never took bad shots, and did it all within the game’s flow. He was a scoring scientist whose quick release, midrange mastery, and disciplined shot selection have gone the way of Kareem’s skyhook [see IV: Genius Explained].

King also suffered from a pre-Jordan era where it was thought impossible to score like Mike, but win like Magic. If Jordan is any indication, Bernard was too unselfish. Jordan had more athleticism, style, and shot attempts, but not accuracy [see VI: The Jordan Rules].

Today, Bernard is mostly remembered for his 60 points on Christmas Day, and scoring 50 points on back-to back nights in 1984. Mr. Hot Streak has now become Mr. Hot Game, and The King of Efficiency has been largely reduced to Jamal Crawford – a career 41% chucker.

Before Lebron’s February outburst, the last great scoring streak came from Kobe Bryant in 2004. Back then, Scoop Jackson tried to educate the youth when he asked the obvious:

“What’s up with the love? [Bernard] had scoring stretches that lasted seasons, not just games.”

Jackson continued:

“He was a genius interrupted… The universal love that evaded his career was found scrolled inside a book penned by his peers.”

Jackson’s question was ignored, so a decade later the kids want to know:

“Who is Bernard King?”

Have a seat son and move over Mr. Battier, King’s invisible genius must be explained.

II. Genius Unchained: Bernard King vs. Isiah and Larry (coming Tuesday)
III. Genius Contained: Bernard King vs. Hubie (coming Wednesday)
IV. Genius Explained: Bernard King vs. Youtube (coming Thursday)
V. The King of Peers: Bernard King vs. Media (coming next Monday)
VI. The Jordan Rules: Bernard King vs. Michael (coming next Tuesday)

Or you can always just ask his peers:

“Man, Bernard King, he was the truth.” — Bob McAdoo [HOF 2003]

Chuck Modiano od POPSspot.com, for War Room Sports

[1] Beginning on January 14, King scored 1219 points (482-808) over the next three months spanning 40 regular season games (ending right before regular season’s final meaningless game before the playoffs)

[2] It is highly unlikely that King’s 40 games of 30 points on 60% shooting has been duplicated – even when factoring eFG. The highest FG% for a 30 PPG season is Kareem Abdul Jabbar who scored 32 points on .577 shooting in 70-71 and an incredible 35 points on .574 shooting in ’71-’72. Adrian Dantley also scored 30.3 points on 57% shooting in ’81-’82.

[3] Many journalists have helped keep King’s memory alive. Special thanks to Ira Berkow, Dennis D’Agostino, Bobbito Garcia and Ali, Alan Hahn, John Hareas, Scoop Jackson, Bruce Jenkins, Bill Simmons, Dave Zirin, and others.

Tags:All's Fair in Sports and War, Bernard King, Carmelo Anthony, Chuck Modiano, Dominique Wilkins, ESPN, Isiah Thomas, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Larry Bird, Lebron James, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Moses Malone, NBA, New York Knicks, POPSspot.com, Sports Talk Radio, The War Room, War Room Sports
Posted in General, NBA | No Comments »

Does LeBron James have the potential to be better than Michael Jordan?

Wednesday, November 7th, 2012

Tags:Basketball, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavs, Internet Radio, Lebron James, Miami Heat, Michael Jordan, NBA, Podcast
Posted in Soundcloud | No Comments »

Ronnie Brewer of the New York Knicks in The War Room

Friday, November 2nd, 2012

Tags:Basketball, Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, NBA, New York Knicks, Ronnie Brewer, The Ronnie Brewer Foundation
Posted in General | No Comments »

2012-2013 NBA Preview

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012

by Brandon Pemberton

Well it’s that time of the year again, the NBA regular season kicks off tonight and I’m here to give you my official NBA season preview and Predictions. There has been a off-season full of moves and there have been some recent moves that have shaken up the NBA as well. Make sure you listen to Sports Trap Radio every Saturday morning from 10am-12pm on http://ueradiolive.com, as Daniel Trawick and I give you the best two hours of Sports Radio possible on a weekly basis.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic

Celtics 52-30 *

Sixers 51-31 *

Nets 48-34 *

Knicks 44-38*

Raptors 32-50

Outlook: The Atlantic division could arguably be the best in the NBA this season. The Celtics took the Heat to the brink last season and even though they lost Allen to the Heat, they get the return of Jeff Green and Chris Wilcox, to go along with the additions of Courtney Lee, Jason Terry through free agency, and Jared Sullinger through the draft. They still are lead by Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett. This team is deeper than last year and barring injuries, they should be good.

The Philadelphia 76ers are clearly a different team than the one who beat the Bulls in the first round and took the Boston Celtics to seven games in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Out is Andre Iguodala, Lou Williams, Jodie Meeks, and Elton Brand and in comes Andrew Bynum, Jason Richardson, Dorell Wright, and Nick Young. I’ve watched the Sixers play during the preseason and it’s a big difference offensively this year. This team, even though Bynum hasn’t played yet and won’t be ready for the regular season, can score it much better than last year. They are talented and deep, but having a healthy Bynum is key to the team’s long term success this year.

The Nets made some moves to better their team, bringing in Joe Johnson, resigning Deron Williams and Brook Lopez, giving them a solid nucleus of players. I see them making the playoffs this season, possibly a 5-6 seed.

The New York Knicks lose Jeremy Lin, but replace him with Raymond Felton, who when playing for the Knicks before, has had his best success. When he is in shape and motivated, he is really good. Carmelo Anthony, we all know he can score, but can he make his teammates better and lead them to a title. Tyson Chandler is the team’s leader, tough, good defender and championship pedigree. This team can score, but can they defend?

The Raptors enter into the 2nd year under Dwayne Casey and have made some good additions, but not good enough to contend just yet. Philly native Kyle Lowry will run the point and Landry Fields will start at the 3 spot, giving the Raptors instant upgrades defensively and in the toughness category. The Raptors drafted Terrence Ross in the first round, and he is just as athletic ad Dermar Derozen, but a much more polished shooter from distance and off of curls. Don’t be surprised if Derozen is traded before the season is out to give Ross all the time at the 2.

Central

Pacers 54-28 *

Bulls 45-37 *

Pistons 36-46

Bucks 32-50

Cavaliers 29-53

Outlook: The Pacers return the nucleus of their players from last season, with the additions of Gerald Green and D.J. Augustin via free agency and big man Miles Plumlee through the draft. They are battle tested, went through a tough series with the Heat and are good enough to get a 2nd seed, avoiding Miami.

The Bulls will play the majority of the season without star point guard Derrick Rose and in a 82 game season, it’s going to hurt them. My question is who will be the go to guy down the stretch of games when they need a bucket? We all know they will defend, but they are going to have a tough time getting baskets at times.

I like the Pistons’ drafting of Andre Drummond. He has high potential, off the charts athleticism, and has gotten better as a player from draft day through the preseason. He along with Greg Monroe gives the Pistons a solid frontline, and I like Rodney Stuckey and the improvement of Brandon Knight that I’ve seen during the summer. I think they are a year away from being a playoff team.

The Cavs drafted combo guard Dion Waiters with the 4th pick overall and he will team with franchise guard Kyree Irving hopefully for the next 4-6 years. This team also received the rights to Tyler Zeller on draft night as well. Tristan Thompson showed some flashes at times last year playing the four spot, and Alonzo Gee has worked himself into a serviceable NBA player as a wing player. The franchise is slowly working it’s way out of the hole Lebron James left them in when he left via free agency.

The Milwaukee Bucks are a team with a lot of similar pieces. Their two best players (Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis) both like to play with the ball in their hands. They drafted John Henson out of UNC, but drafted Larry Sanders two years ago, and got Ekpe Udoh in the Andrew Bogut trade. I could be wrong, but this team is headed nowhere fast.

Southeast

Heat 62-20 *

Wizards 40-42 *

Hawks 37-45

Magic 33-49

Bobcats 27-52

Outlook: The Heat are the defending champs and have added more pieces to fit in around Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh. In comes shooters Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis to spot up and make the open shots that are always there with the attention that Lebron James and D-Wade get nightly. This team will still be one of the league’s best defensively, and even with a glaring weakness at center, they are still my favorite to win it all again. Lebron James is that damn good…Bottom Line.

I really like what the Wizards did during the offseason. Brad Beal is a talented prospect and will be a future All-Star in this league. I think the Wizards make the playoffs as a eight seed this season, if John Wall can return soon from his stress related injury healthy and ready to go. The additions of Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza bring defenders and veterans that the team lacked in prior years.

The Hawks hired Danny Ferry as general manager and he did wonders getting out of the contracts and Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams. Josh Smith is in the last year of his contract as well. I see this year as a semi-rebuilding job. They still have Al Horford who is an All Star when healthy. But I seriously don’t see them being any factor this season.

The Orlando Magic are finally moving on after trading Dwight Howard to the Lakers, and I know most think that they didn’t get enough in return for him. But when you trade a player of his caliber, you never get the same value in return. The Magic are in full rebuilding mode. Honestly, does a team with Glen Davis as its best offensive weapon have a shot at winning? They will play hard and be coached well under Jacque Vaughn on a nightly basis.

The Charlotte Bobcats are a long way from being a winning basketball team. They drafted Kemba Walker in 2011, along with Bismack Biyombo, and drafted Micheal Kidd-Gilchrist and Jeffrey Taylor in 2012. They will look towards Ben Gordon to be their go to guy, after he had a few mediocre seasons in Detroit.

Eastern Conference Finals

Heat over Celtics in 7 games

Western Conference

Pacific

L.A. Clippers 55-27 *

L.A. Lakers 53-29 *

Warriors 41-41

Kings 38-44

Suns 30-52

Outlook: The Lakers added Nash and Howard over the offseason, but expect the Lakers to struggle early while getting used to playing together, similar to the Heat when they put their “Big 3″ together a few years ago. If they get it together and can avoid injuries, they could face OKC in the conference finals. They must defend pick and roll better this year. Howard is a big upgrade and should mask some of the Lakers deficiencies, especially Nash’s.

I really like what the Clippers did during the offseason, adding veterans to the young talent that they already have. Jamal Crawford, Grant Hill, Lamar Odom, Matt Barnes, and Ronny Turiaf bring toughness, defense, rebounding and scoring off of the bench for the Clippers. I think they have one of the deepest rosters in the league easily. They really have a shot to make a deep playoff run, especially if Blake Griffin has improved his game with his back to the basket and from mid-range, and if he stays healthy all season.

I think the Warriors could possibly make the playoffs as an eight seed. The additions of Andrew Bogut and Richard Jefferson gives their young team the much needed veteran presence that they lacked. I like Stephen Curry a lot, but he must stay healthy. Klay Thompson is already one of the league’s best shooters, and they also drafted Harrison Barnes as well, who’s game is more fit for the NBA. I really think he has a chance to be a 17-20 point scorer in this league. If this team listens to head coach Mark Jackson and defends, they could take that next step.

The Sacramento Kings have a talented roster. DeMarcus Cousins, if he brings it nightly, could be an All Star and unstoppable. The Kings need to decide what they are going to do with Tyreke Evans. Is he going to play 2-3 or is he going to play the one. Isaiah Thomas really played well last year at the one and I think the team would benefit as a whole with Evans playing the three spot. He has the height and length to get it done defensively and would be a mismatch nightmare for the majority of the league’s threes. I love the drafting of Thomas Robinson. He is undersized, but he is strong, athletic, tough, and plays hard nightly. The Kings needed a glue type guy. This team could be battling down the stretch for a playoff seed.

The Phoenix Suns have a roster full of mediocre players, role players, no go-to guys. I love Goran Dragic’s game, but I don’t expect him to be an All Star and carry a team. Micheal Beasley has all the talent in the world, but he’s been a “me” guy and an underachiever from day one. He can’t be trusted to carry or lead a team. Luis Scola, I like him but he’s a role player as well. Don’t expect much from this team, they will win 30-33 games at the most. The post Steve Nash era, they should have ended 3 years ago, finally begins.

Northwest

Thunder 60-22 *

Nuggets 46-36 *

Jazz 44-38 *

T’Wolves 35-47

Trail Blazers 31-41

Outlook: The OKC Thunder shocked the whole NBA community by trading reigning 6th man of the year James Harden to the Houston Rockets for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and two 1st round picks, while also sending Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook and Lazar Heyward to the Rockets. Harden was in the last year of his rookie deal and recently turned down OKC’s 4-year, 55 million dollar deal, and reportedly will sign a max deal with the Rockets for 4-years, 60 million dollars. Kevin Martin has been a legit scorer during his time in the NBA, who also excels at drawing fouls and getting to the line. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook may be upset about Harden’s departure, but K-Mart is no slouch and they should be right back in the Western Conference Finals barring a freak injury.

The Denver Nuggets have added lockdown defender Andre Iguodala to the mix. He fits right in with George Karl’s system and he had the best season of his career when he played with Andre Miller, who is the Nuggets’ backup point guard. Wilson Chandler is back after spending last season in China, and is a another key addition. Denver signed JaVale McGee to a 4-year 44 million dollar extension, but he is having trouble beating out Kosta Koufus during the preseason. This team is deep, at least two deep at each position, but they don’t have that one go-to guy who wins big games down the stretch in the playoffs. The biggest problem is Iguodala believes he is that guy and will take those shots down the stretch, as he did in Philly.

The Utah Jazz made the playoffs as an eight seed in the 11-12 season, a huge surprise. Ty Corbin did an excellent job coaching this young group of players. There are going to be some big decisions for this team, especially at the trade deadline, as Paul Milsap and Al Jefferson are both in the last years of their deals and will be heavily coveted. I think the Jazz will be a playoff team again, but not a title contender and will look to move one of those vets.

The Timberwolves were playing great last season before the unfortunate knee injury that rookie phenom Ricky Rubio suffered. Kevin Love is out for the first 6-8 weeks with a broken right hand and the team will start the season shorthanded. Brandon Roy has made a comeback after sitting out 2011-12 with knee problems, and has started all the preseason games and has looked good in limited minutes. This team is going to struggle without their best players for at least the first two months and will miss the playoffs.

The Blazers have been bitten by the injury bug more than any team I remember recently. They drafted well, had a nice young nucleus of players (Roy, Aldridge, Oden) but obviously we all know what has transpired with Roy and Oden. They are officially in rebuild and reform mode and they drafted two players that I love as prospects, Damian Lillard and Meyers Leonard. Lillard was the co-MVP of the NBA Summer League in Vegas and will come in from day one and be effective and a game changer. Leonard is still young and raw, but he has the size, athleticism and potential to be very good. Nicholas Batum and Wes Matthews are very underrated wing players in this league and will provide scoring, toughness and defense. This team is a season or two from being a legit factor in the west. Mark my words.

Southwest

Grizzlies 53-29 *

Spurs 48-34 *

Mavericks 46-36 *

Rockets 40-42

Hornets 28-54

Outlook: The Memphis Grizzlies are the favorite to win this division in my opinion. They have all the tools to make a possible run to the Western Conference Finals. Not saying that they do, but they are a really good team. They have arguably one of the NBA’s best front lines with Marc Gasol , Zach Randolph, and Rudy Gay. They all can give you 20 points on any given night. I know most don’t think much of PG Mike Conley, but I think he’s underrated as a player, especially as a shooter and defender. He does an excellent job feeding his players and keeping them all happy. Tony Allen is tough as nails, defends and is the leader of this team.

The Spurs come back another year older, but every time I count them out and say they are done, they prove me wrong. Can Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker stay healthy during the season and going into the playoffs? They have won an NBA record 50 plus games in 12 straight seasons, a streak I believe stops this year. I’m looking forward to seeing how Kawhi Leonard’s offensive game has developed during the offseason. The Spurs are going to need points from another source consistently this year.

The Mavericks lose Jason Terry and Jason Kidd from last season’s roster and replace them with Darren Collison and O.J. Mayo. Dirk Nowitzki will miss the beginning of the season after having a procedure to clean his knee out. The addition of Chris Kaman gives Dallas a legit go-to guy in the post. I actually like this year’s roster more than last year’s. O.J. Mayo finally has the chance to be a starter again, and I’m looking forward to seeing how he plays.

The Houston Rockets landed James Harden via trade with OKC and signed him to a 4-year, 60 million dollar max deal. Do the additions of Harden and Jeremy Lin make the Rockets instant contenders? No, but they will be a little bit better. Harden has a whole franchise on his shoulders now. He’s not the third best player anymore, he’s getting paid to be the guy. Let’s see how good he really is without Durant and Westbrook on the court.

The New Orleans Hornets had the first pick in the 2012 NBA Draft and obviously took Anthony Davis and then later on they drafted Austin Rivers. They re-signed combo guard Eric Gordon to a max deal after he played in 9 games last season and hasn’t played in a preseason game this year. When healthy, he is really good, but he simply can’t stay on the court. Davis has shown the star potential during the preseason and barring any freak injuries, he will be an All Star, and one of the league’s more versatile defenders. His game will really flourish with the NBA’s open style of play.

Western Conference Finals

Thunder over Clippers in 7 games

NBA Finals: Heat over OKC in 7 games

Awards Predictions:

MVP: Lebron James (Heat)

Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard (Lakers)

Rookie of the Year: Damian Lillard (Blazers) / Anthony Davis (Hornets) (Co-MVP’s)

Sixth Man of the Year: Nick Young (Sixers)

Coach of the Year: Mark Jackson

* – Indicates playoff team

Brandon Pemberton of Brandon on Sports & Sports Trap Radio, for War Room Sports

Tags:All's Fair in Sports and War, Basketball, Boston Celtics, Brandon On Sports, Brandon Pemberton, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, NBA, Oklahoma City Thunder, Sports Talk Radio, Sports Trap Radio, The War Room, War Room Sports
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LeBron………It’s TIME!

Tuesday, June 12th, 2012

By LeRoy McConnell III

Hey “Chosen One” it’s me again, your Conscience. I am here to remind you of what day it is. It’s a significant day in our short history as a Miami Heat. I know, I know, today is game one of the 2012 NBA FINALS, against our new foe of the future, #35. But hold up, not so fast, we will discuss game one in a moment. Before we are able to move on, we must attack the past head on. June 12, 2011, exactly one year ago, was game six of the NBA FINALS, where Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks celebrated an NBA Championship on our home floor. LeBron, do you recall that series, where everyone was wondering where the hell we went? I know it didn’t feel right when Dirk was the MVP of the Finals, holding our Larry O’Brien trophy in our house. We finally made it through a strike, a shortened season, and playoff battles against both Indiana and Boston. Once again we come back to the promised land.

IT’S TIME, this whole series is about us. It’s time to shine and carry the Miami Heat organization on our back. We didn’t come to Miami for second place. If so, we could have stayed in Cleveland. Remember 5,6,7? “I know we ran off our mouth, but that’s partly my fault because I wanted some of the spotlight as well! There is nothing wrong with a little pressure on us. Our nucleus is better than last year. Heck, we aren’t even favored to win.

IT’S TIME, OKC is ready, ready to take what is ours. #35 on the Thunder is the foe that has the potential to take everything from us. The question is, who is hungrier? #35 can’t get enough on his plate. In fact, he and his squad have been going for seconds! After we joined forces with D-Wade and Bosh, who would have thought there would be a team more talented than us? OKC is younger, they play exciting team ball, and they believe it’s their time.

IT’S TIME, LeBron, I want that ring! Do you know how sick and tired I am of the “Conscience of Kobe Bryant”? It’s getting old, all that damn laughing and snickering in my face, with his bling, bling! I wish I could knock the %^&* out of him! This is for all the marbles. Kobe AIN’T even the issue anymore. What I am trying to tell you is, #35 is our adversary. We are very similar to him. We both are freakish by nature, no one on the court can stop us, and we both want the same thing, a championship. #35 is a three-time NBA scoring leader who is going after our, our fame and our 5,6, and 7 championships! The three-time scoring leader for the Thunder is trying to write our history. Starting tonight, we put an end to his premature thoughts. We waited all year for this. We will go out there and play our game and who knows, celebrating in Oklahoma City won’t be so bad. Last I checked, LeBron, we are the three time MVP!

LeRoy McConnell III of “A Fan’s Point of View”, for War Room Sports

Tags:A Fan's Point of View, All's Fair in Sports and War, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, LeRoy McConnell III, Miami Heat, NBA Finals, Oklahoma City Thunder, Sports Talk Radio, The War Room, War Room Sports
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Dwyane Wade For Sale!

Thursday, April 5th, 2012

By Brandon McConnell

For Sale

The Miami Heat was formed in the summer of 2010 with the “Big 3″ that consists of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Each one was a star before they joined forces but none of them, in their current situation, were in a position to win an NBA Championship. Not even Dwyane Wade who had already won a championship with the Heat.

This team is like a science project. The CONTROL was each player on their original team by themselves, where each player would not become champions before joining forces. The HYPOTHESIS, is LeBron James saying, “not 4, not 5, not 6, not 7 championships”. After one year, we would have to start coming to the conclusion that this project just might not validate the HYPOTHESIS of a return in championships.

In any sport, a successful team wins championships due to the chemistry they display throughout the year. It is clear that LeBron James and Dwyane Wade cannot play at their maximum ability on the same team. They are both the same player and take up each other’s space. It would be like Dwight Howard and Shaq starting on the same team. So, what is the answer? Let’s dissect the situation. When the Miami Heat play without Lebron James, they are a .500 team with a record of 5-5. When the Miami Heat play without Dwyane Wade, they are 9-1 with a .900 winning percentage. I have to come to the conclusion that the Miami Heat are a more effective team without Dwyane Wade.

So, let’s look at the Miami Heat’s weaknesses. We can all come to the conclusion that they need help at the point guard and center positions. Since Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum are the only good centers in the league, let us direct our attention to the point guard position. The best point guard available is Deron Williams who will be a free agent at the end of this year and has no intentions on staying in New Jersey. Why don’t we play GM Pat Riley for a second. Let’s trade Dwyane Wade to the New Jersey Nets for Deron Williams. Since Dwyane has a couple of years left on his contract, New Jersey would take him in a heartbeat since they could draw more players to play with Wade. New Jersey could sign and trade Deron Williams so that Miami would have him under contract. Check out my proposed Miami Heat starting five.

PG Deron Williams

SG LeBron James

SF Shane Battier

PF Chris Bosh

C Joel Anthony

That starting five would be more effective than the current Miami starting five due to better chemistry with Deron Williams adding his eight assists per game. A great point guard makes the game easy for everyone. Just ask Kareem, Worthy, Scott, and Cooper.

In conclusion, the Miami Heat can continue being one of the most entertaining teams in the league, or start addressing the chemistry problems and become a DYNASTY.