Snow Fall

Merry Christmas everybody!

Feeling the Heat

June 9, 2011 - It is the morning before Game 5 of the 2011 NBA Finals and the eyes of scrutiny are focused more than ever on LeBron James. For all of the 'King's' shenanigans this past year - from July's "The Decision" to last Sunday's sharp-tongued post-game presser response [http://www.khq.com/story/14847142/lebron-calls-out-reporter-for-controversial-question] - LeBron had earned much criticism and scorn throughout the league. For the most part he's answered haters with brilliant on-court play and quick-witted podium retorts but following a very noticeably feeble performance in Game 4, the magnifying glass is now set to burn a hole right through his #6 jersey.

LeBron of course, set himself up for this much scrutiny. Spurning his hometown Cavaliers and "taking (his) talents to South Beach," forming his own "Big Three" (under suspicion of some collusion with D-Wade, Chris Bosh and Heat management), predicting the Heat will win the next eight NBA championships in a massive pre-season celebration and calling yourselves "The Heatles," all in a matter of a few months can do that.

But this is LeBron's chosen path - to chase World Championships while hanging from Dwyane Wade's coattails - and for all we know, he may be content with that. Heck, 'The King' might even actually be happy with that. So for all the criticism in the past couple of days about how passive and deferential LeBron was at crunch time in Game 4, it could be that he had planned it that way - to provide support to a sizzling, MVP-worthy D-Wade showcase. He did contribute eight points, nine rebounds, seven assists and a couple of blocks to Wade's 32 and Bosh's 24 points.

NBA observers and fans however, cannot fathom how a basketball star as gifted as LeBron James could be content to hang back and be so un-involved on a stage as big as the Finals. At 6'8", freakishly athletic and built like a tank, LeBron's talents have oftentimes been compared to those of hoops legends Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan - but only better. Former Jordan running-mate Scottie Pippen even had this controversial assessment recently: "Michael Jordan is probably the greatest scorer to ever play in the game, but I may go as far to say LeBron James is probably the greatest player to ever play the game." All that praise and LeBron goes and does a bad Pippen impression in Game 4. Pippen would have at least taken some of the offensive load off of His Airness and attempted more than one field goal in the fourth quarter.

Dallas guard DeShawn Stevenson opined that LeBron "checked out" in the fourth. "(LeBron's) not getting the same looks," Stevenson said. "He's trying to find other guys and Dwyane Wade has it going, so I think he's deferring. At the same time, it's good for us. It's a positive for us." While LeBron is quick to dismiss Stevenson's view ("Talk is cheap," LeBron retorted) he cannot be oblivious to the truth: that an offensively-shy LeBron is good for the Mavericks. Not when there really is nobody human on the planet who can handle LeBron one-on-one.

But we've seen LeBron's shy side before. It was just a year before, in fact, when he looked disinterested and perhaps distracted in the middle of the Eastern semifinals against the Boston Celtics. LeBron's poor 15-point showing in Game 5 doomed the Cavaliers' 2010 title hopes and triggered his nasty divorce from team owner Dan Gilbert and the City of Cleveland. Could this be an indication of LeBron's mental threshold with a series on the line?

"I understand what is at stake," 'The King' said this morning. "This is a big game, probably the biggest game of my life. I'm approaching it that way. Not probably, it is."

However LeBron approaches tonight's crucial Game 5 the heat will surely be on. Question is whether James will be turning it up or sweating under it.

Travel Photos 2

In Virginia, I checked out the boardwalk on a rather balmy morning (must be something about my travels and the clouds / rain) and saw this set of closed rides.

Nearby was a church where a statue of Jesus was set on a boat as he fished for his disciples.

Travel Photos

Recently went to Portland, Oregon and Virginia Beach, Virginia on business trips and they were both first-time visits for me. Portland, I never realized, was almost as wet as its upper-northwestern neighboring state of Washington but even amid the rain I found a beautiful hoops playground close to the downtown area.



Even though the weather was drab, no trip to Portland would be complete without a shot of a Nike Factory Store. The headquarters is actually in nearby Beaverton (about 13 miles east of downtown) but alas I did not have the time to check the Mother Swoosh out. Nevertheless this Factory Outlet here was bigger than any other branch I had been to in California.

Odd Day

It's an odd day to be a Boston Celtics fan.

Found out at midday that the team traded C Kendrick Perkins and G Nate Robinson to Oklahoma City for F Jeff Green and C Nenad Krstic and sat motionless for a good couple of minutes digesting the news. I was stunned! Nothing prepared me - nor perhaps any other Celtics fan - for a move such as this. Surely, a trade or free agent pickup was required to reinforce the C's NBA title chase, but Perkins?!? Boston's anchor on defense?!?

In the days leading up to today's NBA trade deadline, the chatter surrounding Boston was that of players who could fill spots decimated by injury. First - a 3 who could replace F Marquis Daniels, who is nursing a bruised spine, and provide solid minutes behind F Paul Pierce. Second - a move for big men who could bolster the gimpy frontline of Perkins, C Shaquille O'Neal, C Jermaine O'Neal and rookie C Semih Erden.

In the past week, backup 3 conversations saw candidates such as F Shane Battier (Houston), F Rasual Butler (L.A. Clippers), F Dahntay Jones (Indiana), F Anthony Parker (Cleveland), F Tayshaun Prince (Detroit) and even former Celtics F James Posey (Indiana) and (ulp!) F Antoine Walker (currently playing for the Idaho Stampede of the NBDL). Big men talk was less concrete and dependent on a buy-out scenario that would make free agents available for enlistment. The player of interest in this situation was/is FC Troy Murphy, who began the week in New Jersey but was just dealt to Golden State.

Amid all the trade talk that percolated from sports sites to social media (Twitter!), the word was that the C's did not have enough assets to get a proper deal done. Boston, it was believed, was offering nothing more than fringe assets like Robinson, Daniels and rookies Erden and F Luke Harangody as management was not about to break up a core unit which stood last June just one win away from a World Championship. Additionally, for a team that embraces the matra of "Ubuntu!" (togetherness) it seemed highly unlikely that any of member of their 2008 World Championship-winning starting five was going to be touched.

Up until this early morning (about mid-morning in the East coast) I was reading about the C's ramping up discussions with Cleveland on a deal that supposedly would send Parker to Boston for Erden and a future first-round draft pick. Celts were reportedly also trying to shop Daniels but were having no luck - largely, I presumed, because of the uncertainty of his health (last I heard was that Marquis' injury is deemed serious enough to possibly jeopardize his career). And in the middle of all that, there remained talk of the Celtics staying in the Troy Murphy hunt.

By the time noon loomed (almost 3 p.m. EST), however, there it was - the shocker: Kendrick Perkins, "Perk", the Celts' defensive stalwart, the man with the perpetual scowl, was on his way to Oklahoma City. I couldn't believe it. From Twitter, I jumped to ESPN.com to see if the deal was confirmed. Finding no immediate verification I moved to CSNNE and Celtics Blogs, among others, all in hopes of seeing perhaps, that the tweet I read was nothing more than mere conjecture. But within minutes, the news was all over the place. Perkins was gone.

After the news finally sunk in (about an hour or so later), I couldn't help but be contemplative. Perkins was selected 27th overall in the 2003 Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies but was obtained by Boston on the same day along with G Marcus Banks for G Troy Bell and Dahntay Jones. The 6-10, 280-lb. frontliner joined the Celts right out of Clifton J. Ozen High School in Texas (which he led to four district championships and one state championship) - becoming one of only 42 players in NBA history to have successfully made the jump from prep-to-pro*.

In his seven-year stint in Boston, Perkins went from a green (pun intended) center, to reliable backup big to solid starter on an NBA championship team. He, Paul Pierce and G Delonte West were the only players on the 2010-11 Celtics roster who were part of the pre-"Big Three" era teams that suffered through the losing seasons - including the 2006-07 campaign which saw Boston lose 58 games. Along the way, though, Perk managed to compile averages of 6.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. Last couple of seasons, Perk registered career bests (8.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.0 bpg in 2008-09; and 10.1 ppg and 7.6 rpg last year) while anchoring the C's vaunted defense.

Perk's career bests, however, were spoiled by an untimely injury during Boston's title chase last June. Tearing his ACL in Game 6 of the Finals against the L.A. Lakers, Perkins sat in street clothes for the decisive seventh game and benched the Celtics' title hopes.

All summer Celtics fans wondered if Banner #18 would not have already been won had fate not had been so cruel as to hurt Perk at such a crucial juncture. But buoyed by Perkins' blue-collar attitude and diligence in working his way back from the injury, Boston fans also saw reason to look forward to the 2010-11 season. Celtics GM Danny Ainge, in anticipation of Perkins' long recovery period, stocked the roster with bigs but declared prior to the start of the season that when Perk returns he'd have to "earn" his starting job back. But everybody knew that no one else could fill that starting C spot better than Perkins. Not Shaq. Not Jermaine. Most certainly not Semih**.

By mid-January, Boston was leading the Eastern Conference inspite of multiple injuries and challenges from the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic. The team was also eagerly counting down the days to when their injured reserves+ would re-join the active roster and a conservative schedule around the All-Star break was drawn up for the return of Perkins. But with Shaq, Jermaine and Erden all ailing at the same time, Boston was finding it more and more difficult proceeding with smaller players and shortened rotations. The task of staying competitive became too grueling for comfort and so on Jan. 25 the team suited Perkins up for the first time since the NBA Finals.

In a home game against the Cavaliers, Perk came off the bench for 17 minutes and he recorded 7 points, 6 boards and 3 assists to help the Celts take victory, 112-95. Two nights later, he played 20 mins. and netted 10 points and 9 rebounds in an 88-78 road win over Portland. Boston fans were exuberant - Perk was back! Everyone began envisioning the Celtics in June - formidable five of Garnett, Pierce, Ray Allen, Rondo and Perk playing against their Purple and Gold rivals - concluding unfinished business.

Perk would play 12 games in total following his return, averaging 7.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in helping Boston to an 8-4 win-loss mark before going down anew. Accidentally bumping knees with Golden State G Stephen Curry last Feb. 22, Perkins suffered an MCL sprain to his left knee and was projected to miss the rest of the team's current Western road swing. When the injury first occurred, C's fans held their collective breath and prayed that Perk did not re-injure the repaired knee. I was scouring the web then, much like I was today, looking for any update to ascertain the severity of the injury.

Unlike today, though, I felt relief a few days ago when I learned that Perk's was a minor injury. Like many Celtics fans, I'm sure, I was frustrated by the thought of him missing games again but comforted by the idea of seeing that menacing scowl and jersey #43 back sometime soon. Little did we know, however, that that was the last time we'd see Kendrick Perkins in a Celtics jersey. Our dreams of Boston winning an 18th NBA championship must now be anchored on the defense of another big. Shaq? Jermaine? Nenad Krstic? I can't picture it. It's all still too odd for me.

*Interestingly, two other players who made the successful leap from high school to the NBA were Perk's former Celtics teammates Kevin Garnett and Jermaine O'Neal.

+Shaquille O'Neal (hip), Jermaine O'Neal (knees), Semih Erden (shoulder), Delonte West (wrist) and Rajon Rondo (ankle) had all missed / or were missing in action

**Following the Perkins trade, Semih Erden and Luke Harangody were dealt to Cleveland for a 2012 2nd round pick

Exciting Times

With a little over a week to go before the NBA's trade deadline, times could neither be more exciting nor more apprehensive for two of the league's most storied franchises: the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. The rivals have been locked in a race for World Championships (and league domination) since time immemorial and are poised to vie anew for hardware in June. The Celtics are currently sitting on an NBA-best 17 championships while their Purple and Gold nemesis is just one shy of their trophy haul. With both teams primed for title contention the onus in 'now or never' mode has never been more imperative.

Boston, in particular, is working with a tight two-year window to win crown(s) before stars Paul Pierce (32 years old), Kevin Garnett (34), Ray Allen (35) and Shaquille O'Neal (38) ride off into the proverbial sunset. Los Angeles' stars, though younger, are not too far behind with Kobe Bryant (32), Derek Fisher (36), Pau Gasol (30), Lamar Odom (31) and Ron Artest (31) all in their 30s. The Lakers' window is tightened by the task of capturing a rare 'Three-Peat', which would raise the team onto a dynastic class of its own while providing a deserved send-off for retiring (as of this writing, at least) head coach Phil Jackson.

But while both teams are clear-cut contenders (Boston is currently 39-14, first in the East; L.A. is 38-18, third in the West), they are not the only ones giving serious chase to the World Championship. The San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks are leading the Lakers out West, while the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic are hot on the Celtics' tail in the East. Then there are dark horses such as the Oklahoma City Thunder, New Orleans Hornets, Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks, which are also capable of giving them a run for their money come Playoff time.

This is what makes this year's approaching trading deadline a most significant and rather anxiety-filled moment for the C's and Lakers - as the current trading climate is so volatile it could alter the title-chasing fortunes of either club. The volatility originates from the unhinged situation of the Denver Nuggets' star F Carmelo Anthony, who would like to change addresses by the Feb. 24 deadline. Following last month's failed attempt to move Anthony to New Jersey*, the Nuggets had been unsettled and uncertain about whether to pursue a new deal for their franchise player or not.

As publicly declared, 'Melo's destination of choice remains New York and while Nuggets and Knicks brass have been engaged in discussions in the past couple of weeks, none of the proposals so far have been acceptable for either party. The latest configuration sees Anthony and G Chauncey Billups going to New York for F Wilson Chandler, G Raymond Felton, C Eddy Curry and a future first-round pick. Similar to last month's negotiations with the Nets, the Nuggets are appearing underwhelmed by the offer and are supposedly seeking more assets from N.Y. - like F Danilo Galinari, promising rookie Landry Fields and/or another pick. The Knicks, however, are not prepared to gut their roster and send more assets to Denver for a player who could just fly on over in the summer and join them as a free agent. Dealing away all those players also leaves the N.Y. talent-base bare which makes no sense of their efforts to build a winning team.

Should the Nuggets accede and deal Anthony to the Knicks for the aforementioned players, though, New York would surely crowd itself into Eastern Conference title picture. With a proposed lineup headed by F Amar'e Stoudemire, Billups and a reinvigorated 'Melo, the Knicks (currently 27-26, 6th in the East) could quite possibly make a significant surge in the second half of the season and make some noise in the Playoffs.

If a deal cannot be made with New York, Denver may try knocking on the doors of the Lakers, which reportedly whispered the idea of an exchange for young C Andrew Bynum (Lakers management denies any such conversation, though). While L.A. may not be Anthony's chosen destination, observers believe it is a realistic option for 'Melo as the City of Angels provides him with the big-city, major-market audience he seeks and a tangible shot at the NBA championship. Anthony in Purple and Gold would be the "shot in the arm" which Lakers officials (and even Laker Legend Magic Johnson) said they needed following a lethargic couple of weeks at the top of the month in which the team's efforts were questioned++. It would also make L.A. so much more potent - on offense, at least - with a 1-2, Kobe-'Melo punch.

Other rumored or mentioned 'Melo suitors include Dallas, which is amenable to 'renting' a mercenary Anthony to reinforce its 2010-11 campaign. Whether or not 'Melo eventually signs a contract extension with the Mavs is of lesser concern to seeing a title run that would team him with F Dirk Nowitzki, G Jason Kidd, F Shawn Marion and C Tyson Chandler. The Houston Rockets (currently 26-30) hope to salvage their season too and are equally interested in employing the 'gun-for-hire' philosophy, offering Denver a package which begins with the contract of injured All-Star C Yao Ming.

Meanwhile, two players who had been part of the 'Melo trade conversations last month are hoping to be bought out of their contracts soon in order to salvage the balance of their 2010-11 seasons. Detroit G Richard Hamilton and New Jersey F Troy Murphy were originally added to the Nuggets-Nets-Pistons three-way proposals as complimentary pieces which would fulfill requirements (making salaries even up and compatible, etc.) for the entire exchange. But as the deal fell through, Hamilton and Murphy remained in limbo and are now asking for the chance to play elsewhere. Hamilton, who was benched beginning Jan. 10 in anticipation of that failed three-team swap, has since just appeared in one game and registered 19 DNP-CDs. Murphy has seen sporadic action, playing only 18 games in total this season, averaging career-lows of 16 minutes and 3.6 points per game.

If Hamilton and Murphy are bought out by the end of this month, teams like the Mavs, Heat, Magic and Celtics are said to be keen on signing them up. The 6-11, 245-pound Murphy, in particular, intrigues Boston which seeks support for its band-aid brigade of injured frontliners (Kendrick Perkins, Shaq and Jermaine O'Neal and even rookie Semih Erden have all missed parts of the season to injury). Should the defending East champs nab Murphy, they not only get a big body with a deft outside shooting touch, but they will also keep him away from their Florida rivals, Miami and Orlando, who are arguably just a piece or two away from usurping the Eastern throne.

It's never easy being on top and never more, perhaps, has that adage been more true for either Boston or L.A. than right now. A franchise star is shaking up the NBA landscape and it's impacting their shot at glory: one with an eye at a historic 'Three-Peat' and the other with hopes of claiming an unprecedented 18th championship. What trades or signings will they make by the deadline? Or will they even make any moves at all? Do they have an open roster spot to accommodate a free agent? Do they even have enough cap flexibility to make roster changes? Can any of their moves ensure a World Championship?

However these questions are answered, I only hope the Celtics and Lakers find themselves in a return engagement in the Finals this June. Nothing could be better, really, than seeing those NBA titans clashing once again. Green v. Purple and Gold. Kobe v. Ray Allen. Pierce v. Artest. KG v. Pau. Fisher v. Rondo. Perkins v. Bynum (if he's still around). Shaq v. Kobe. Doc v. Phil.

Exciting times. Apprehensive times. Great times!

*UPDATES (2/17/11): the New Jersey Nets have reportedly re-entered negotiations for Carmelo. This, even after the Nets' Russian owner Mikhail Prokhorov angrily took the deal off the table last January after he felt the Nuggets had stalled the deal for too long. Perhaps Nuggets management really could not find a better proposal than that which New Jersey had offered (built around promising rookie Derrick Favors).

++The Lakers efforts were questioned anew after they were upset by the Cleveland Cavaliers last night, 99-104. This is a Cavaliers squad which just recently set the record for the longest losing streak in history (26 games) and lost to these same Lakers in a monumental blowout (112-57) last Jan. 11. Could this be the straw which breaks the camel's back? And encourage the Lakers to pull the trigger on a deal for 'Melo?

All-Star Reserves

The NBA All-Star ballots have been counted and fans around the world have spoken. The starters for the 2011 All-Star Game on Feb. 20 in Los Angeles are:

EAST: Dwight Howard (ORL), LeBron James (MIA), Derrick Rose (CHI), Amar'e Stoudemire (NY) and Dwyane Wade (MIA)

WEST: Carmelo Anthony (DEN), Kobe Bryant (LAL), Kevin Durant (OKC), Chris Paul (NOH) and Yao Ming (HOU)

Yao is currently out for the season with a foot injury and his replacement in the starting lineup will be named later by Commissioner David Stern. Head coaches Greg Popovich (San Antonio) and Doc Rivers (Boston) will be coaching the West and East teams, respectively, as they've earned the right to by steering their ballclubs to conference-best records at the All-Star cutoff mark (officially, the cutoff is Feb. 6, but the Spurs and Celts, as of this writing, have already locked the conference-best records).

The All-Star reserves, on the other hand, will be selected by the league's 30 head coaches. Each coach will choose seven players from within his own conference - but not from his own team (e.g., Doc Rivers can not name a Celtic among his seven Eastern conference reserve choices) - and the top seven vote-getters will join the All-Stars. The selection is ongoing and the league will reveal the reserves list on Thursday (tomorrow) in between the live TNT-televised games.

If I were allowed to cast my ballots for East and West reserves, this here would be my list:

EAST: Ray Allen (BOS), Carlos Boozer (CHI), Chris Bosh (MIA), Ray Felton (NY), Kevin Garnett (BOS), Paul Pierce (BOS) and Rajon Rondo (BOS)

WEST: Tim Duncan (SA), Monta Ellis (GS), Manu Ginobili (SA), Blake Griffin (LAC), Kevin Love (MIN), Dirk Nowitzki (DAL) and Russell Westbrook (OKC)

As is the case each year during the All-Star selection process, observers will take note of the so-called "snubs" and for certain there will be several noteworthy names that will miss the cut. From my list above you can certainly list: Joe Johnson (ATL), Joakim Noah (CHI), Jason Kidd (DAL), Chauncey Billups (DEN), Kevin Martin (HOU), Danny Granger (IND), Eric Gordon (LAC), Pau Gasol (LAL), Zach Randolph (MEM), Brandon Jennings (MIL), Michael Beasley (MIN), David West (NOH), Steve Nash (PHO), LaMarcus Aldridge (POR), Tony Parker (SA) and Deron Williams (UTA), to name a few.

The selection process, though, like any (or most) electoral procedure is subjective and there will always be many All-Star-calibre players missing the cut - as well as possibly a few players that make the team but who you may deem less-deserving. But it's also a democratic process and because of it, we shall hopefully see an All-Star Game with players who can best provide an exciting, fun-filled mid-season spectacular.

Who are your picks?