Kevin Durant vs Lebron James

When you compare these two players you have to ask yourself, are we talking offensively? or are we talking all-around? Offensively, as of right now there is no question that Durantula is better than LBJ. Durant averaged 30ppg,90%ft.,47%fg.,36%3pt for the up and coming Oklahoma Thunder last season. Now if we are talking all-around player than clearly Lebron is the better player. James put up 29ppg,9reb,and 7ast per game for the 09/10 season. Will Durants explosive offensive performances in the FIBA Olympic tournament games give him the killer instinct mentally to elevate his skills to an elite all-around level? Will Lebron average a triple double for the entire season now that he has two consistant offensive weapons in Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh? Only time will tell but everyone is definitely looking forward to the new 2010/2011 season.

Luis Scola takes over 4QTR.

Scola made Argentina's last five field goals, didn't miss a shot in the fourth quarter and scored 37 points on 14-for-20 shooting Tuesday night. He also had two assists and a key late steal in one of the more dominating performances I've ever witnessed by a single player in an international basketball game. (Sadly, I only watched Oscar Schmidt of Brazil play in person in 1996, at the tail end of his career).

"It was an amazing basketball game. I wish I was neither Argentinian nor Brazilian so I could have watched the game and enjoyed it from that perspective," said Scola, the leading scorer by far in this tournament with an average of 30.4 points per game.

Article courtesy of espn.com by Chris Sheridan

VEGAS ODDS: 2010-2011 SEASON

1. Miami Heat +250 (5/2)
2. Los Angeles Lakers +350 (7/2)
3. Orlando Magic +800 (8/1)
4. Boston Celtics +900 (9/1)
5. Chicago Bulls +1300 (13/1)
6. Dallas Mavericks +1300 (13/1)
7. OKC Thunder +1300 (13/1); +1800 with Bodog
8. Denver Nuggets +1700 (17/1)
9. San Antonio Spurs +2000 (20/1)

With the free agent signings of Lebron James and Chris Bosh the Heat catapulted into the favorite's role. With Dwyane Wade already in Miami, the Heat have a fantastic nucleus and some are saying the groundwork has been laid for a dynasty.

James and Bosh have never won an NBA Championship before but Wade did win one a few years ago alongside Shaquille O'Neal. That might help deflect some "can't win it all" type pressure away from James and Bosh as the Heat have a key player that is a proven winner.

+250 are not the greatest odds in the world especially since 3 of the other 4 favorites besides the Heat are in the Eastern Conference. Whether the Heat have the best team or not, they are going to have a tougher schedule than the Los Angeles Lakers and that might cost the Heat home court advantage in a possible 2011 finals match-up as LA should pad their winning percentage against weaker Western Conference opponents.

Also, the Heat can be criticized for lacking a center that can be called a true starter as Dexter Pittman is a rookie, picked 32nd overall, and Jamaal Magloire is washed up.

However the starting point guard on opening day will probably be Mario Chalmers, a player whose numbers can be expected to improve as defenders will have to sag away from Chalmers in every direction with James, Bosh, and Wade on the court.

Here's what to expect out of the Heat for a starting lineup:

PG - Chalmers
SG - Wade
SF - LeBron
PF - Bosh
C - Pittman?

If Chalmers, who suffered an injury in 2009-10, improves then the Heat's starting 5 will be unstoppable. The rookie center won't hurt with 3 super stars and one solid player starting provided that Pittman follows orders and contributes simply by not doing anything stupid.

The gamble with the Heat is that after the starting lineup the Heat's bench is hardly loaded with talent and injuries could expose that lack of depth.

However injuries are random and the possibility is faced by all teams. With James, Bosh, and Wade all logging big minutes depth won't matter and this team just needs to stay healthy and avoid foul trouble.

Our recommendation is to pound the Miami Thrice at +250 (5/2) with Bwin and cover with a sprinkle on the OKC Thunder who are priced at +1800 (18/1) with Bodog. Miami have opened as short as +175 (7/4; Bodog) with sportsbooks besides Bwin so even if +250 seems short, it isn't that bad of a price

Article courtesy of Bodog@ crunchsports.com

EASTERN CONF. PREDICTIONS 2010-2011

1. HEAT
2. BULLS
3. MAGIC
4. CELTICS
5. HAWKS
6. BUCKS
7. WIZARDS
8. NETS


WHAT ARE YOUR PREDICTIONS FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON ?

WESTERN CONF. PREDICTIONS 2010-2011

1. LAKERS
2. BLAZERS
3. MAVERICKS
4. THUNDER
5. NUGGETS
6. SPURS
7. SUNS
8. JAZZ OR ROCKETS

WHAT ARE YOUR PREDICTIONS FOR THIS COMING SEASON ?

NBA 2K11

Jordan is featured,Drake and Snoop Dogg on the Soundtrack, and all-new dribble controls, euro stop, Lebron crab dribble,Kobe's spin pull-up jumper, and yeah, when you dunk on this game, you can press a button to hang on the rim. In stores OCTOBER 5,2010

Derrick Rose Mix

ROSE TO THE OCCASION


D-Rose is ready this season to take his game to Super Star status. When a point guard becomes expected to produce 20+ points worth of buckets a game, drop 10+ dimes, and keep the crowd hyped with sick hesitation dribble crossovers, smooth pull up jumpers, and show off the boosties with fast break alley-oop throw downs. Now that Rose has a legitimate post up big man in Boozer, look for the bulls to finish as one of the top 3 seeds in the East, and possibly having a shot to stop the Lakers from winning their third championship in row.

Successful Shot Selection

HIGH PERCENTAGE

A few months ago me and some buddies were at a sports bar watching the NBA Western Conference Finals between the Suns and Lakers. Kobe Bryant pulls up for a forced fade away jumper with Jared Dudley's hand all over his face and just drains it, Buckets!
In the middle of this crowded bar my two boyz begin having this heated debate about taking a shot with a hand in the face or shooting the open High Percentage shot. Some where in between listening to their debate and looking at this fine dime piece that had just walked through the entrance, I had a thought.

Well, besides the obvious one. I remembered asking myself, " when was the last time I saw Steve Nash take a bad shot?" And I had a hard time trying to remember the last time I had seen that. At this point my boyz had temporarily stoped their conversation because Steve Nash had just hit a wide open three to tie the game at 90-90 with 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Before I can even say a word my buddy stands up from his chair and just blurts out: " hell yeah, F the Lakers, Kobe ain't better than Nash, cuz Nash always be taking that High Percentage shot".

SCOTTIE PIPPEN TO HALL OF FAME

THE DYNAMIC DUO

August 13,2010 at 6pm est. time, one of the NBA's 50 greatest players ever will be inducted to the basketball hall of fame. Known as the " side kick " to a player who wore the number 23 for the chicago bulls, I forget his name, but you might know him, he played for North Carolina. Any ways, Batman always needed a Robin. Whenever Batman would try to fight too many bad guys and was starting to get his butt kicked,you always expected Robin to show up to get Batman's back. For six championships Pippen played Robin to Jordan's Batman and was always there to help save the day.

RECOGNIZE THE GAME

Personally, I really didn't recognize the greatness in Pippen until that first year Jordan retired to go play baseball. I remember being at the park talking to some of my boys about how the bulls would do without MJ. They would say " ah man, if it wasn't for Jordan the bulls would have never won those 3 championships, Pippen aint as good as Jordan, I bet the bulls don't even make the playoffs next season".

NUMBERS DON'T LIE

The 93'-94'season while MJ was striking out at the plate trying to hit 80 mile per hour fast balls, Scottie Pippen led the Bulls to the eastern conference championship and averaged 22 points, 8 rebounds , 5 assists, and 2 steals. Not bad for a Hall of Fame player who was known as a side kick. Good job Robin!

Shaq to Boston

The big four leaf clover is officially a Boston Celtic. He signed a two year deal worth about 2.5 yr. Boston realizes they need big boys in the paint to grab boards and lock down the middle if they are going to take the championship away from the Lakers, so signing Shaq, even if he is 38 years old is a good pick up for the celtics. Boston plays a slow it down, get the ball to the post type of offense and with lots of veteran leadership, there should be no problem as far as Shaq's ego is concerned because he realizes it's about winning the ring and adding to his already hall of fame legacy. The Miami Heat, especially Chris Bosh, should be very concerned about Boston's new big man.... VERY CONCERNED!

Chips on my shoulders

Drake's song off the new THANK ME LATER album called " Up all night " describes the mind set of a person who knows the only people we can realistically change are ourselves, when he rhymes: "f**k what they be talking 'bout/ they opinion doesn't count". In the game of life, victory is not won only by stopping your opponent from doing what he does best, its won by the inner voice that says: " If i do what i do to the best of my ability and focus my attention on the basics i know that work for me, then it doesn't matter what my opponent does, victory is already mine". We spend so much time trying to manipulate and change other peoples thoughts, we forget the most important thoughts of all... our own!

Iverson or T-mac to the Suns ?

Ok, first off, anyone that knows the game of basketball and if they have been paying attention over the last ten years can obviously see that Allen Iverson and Tracy Mcgrady are no longer 40+minutes,30ppg,superstar cailber players in today's NBA. That being said, I believe that given an opportunity in the right system, and im placing a huge emphasis on the word system,specfically the phoenix suns run and gun offensive system, players like Iverson and Mcgrady, while they wont be putting up the kind of numbers that they were in their primes, I believe there is no question that they can be productive New Age role players. I know everyone reading this will agree with me when i say that playing with two-time MVP Steve Nash will you make you better offensive player, especially if you've been a known scorer and offensive threat like Iverson and T-mac have been their entire careers. Now, off the court issues aside here, lets talk about what each player would bring to the table within the Suns run-gun system.

The Business Of Basketball

Jay-Z said it best on his track " u dont know " off the Blue Print album when he says" I'll tell you the difference between me and them/ they trying to get them ones, I'm trying to get them M's(millions),this hustlers mentality that has been perfected in HIP-HOP has crossed over to the NBA. The rings and things you sing about "bring em out", players now want championships more than ever, knowing that winning scoring titles and league MVP awards will not guaruntee there legacy as a Hall Of Fame player like winning championship titles will. Today's NBA players with their swagger,style and business savvy are using this new school technology to market and promote themselves to levels like that of rap icon 50 Cent and are headed " straight to the bank" with it. Turn on the t.v., you can see how they " just do it " , and the way they keep it "G",from YOU TUBE, FACE BOOK,to TWITTER players are making a "milli" with the use of social media . In the words of Pimpin Ken from milwakee, ballers are going from the "ghetto streets to executive suites".Fans are no longer just buying tickets to the games, they're also buying into their favorite players image and lifestyle.In the future, I see the NBA owners and players having a disagreement over length of contracts, no-trade clauses,player options,and salary cap increases. I think more star players that are struggling on bad teams will begin to ask for trades. I can see the major market teams like L.A, New York, Chicago,Miami,Dallas,and Boston attracting and signing the big name free-agents and dominating the rest of the league.I think Lebron set in a motion a new trend for young superstars to team up and play together for less money in order to win championships. At the end of the day basketball is a business,and when it comes to business its about making money,and since its about making money, the players and the owners are going to make the moves that bring them the most money because the bottom line is that basketball is a business.

Matt Barnes signs with Lakers

Veteran swingman Matt Barnes, one of the most coveted free agents left on the open market, is headed to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The seven-year veteran announced the move via his Twitter feed on Thursday, and the Lakers confirmed the deal.

Yahoo! Sports is reporting that Barnes agreed to a two-year contract worth $3.6 million.




Barnes

"Its official I AM A LOS ANGLES LAKER. I wanna thank u for all ur patients and understanding. This is a dream come true!!! Good lookn Kobe," Barnes posted on his Twitter feed.

Starters:fisher,kobe,artest,gasol,bynum
Bench:odom,barnes,blake,ebanks,ratliff

Can the Lakers three-peat?

Do you have a high basketball I.Q.?

What is Basketball I.Q.? Basketball I.Q. is when a player uses the proper fundamentals of the game allowing his thinking ability to defeat the player that is more athletic and stronger. A player with a high I.Q. is very patient on offense. He uses picks effectively, moves well without the ball,looks for mismatches, and creates open shots for teammates.On Defense, a player with a high I.Q. communicates at all times with team, makes offensive player use weak hand,knows who the other teams shooters are, and helps teammates when a player beats them off the dribble. Who are some high I.Q. players? Steve Nash,Tim Duncan,Kobe Bryant,Jason Kidd,Chauncey Billups,Manu Ginobli,Derek Fisher,Pau Gasol,and Dwayne Wade.

Lil' Wayne- Kobe Bryant Theme Song

Good looking wezzy for showing respect to one of the all-time greatest. Haters are going to hate,ballers are going to ball, and winners keep winning. Just when you think the great ones are finished, they find a way to amaze you while taking their game to another level. If your reading this right now, never stop doing what you love to do,it can transform impossible to.... im possible. Real Talk!

Lakers new Ariza?

The Lakers new 20 year old 6'9" 215 pound 43rd pick in the draft out of West Virginia,will immediately remind Laker fans of Trevor Ariza, not because the two look so much a like that they could be twins, or ironically wear the same jersey number 3, but because the two are each known for lock down defense and atheletic ability. Ebanks still has a lot of improving to particularly with his jump-shot,but with 43rd pick in the draft and a injury prone Luke Walton, its possible the lakers have found just what they were looking for... and then some.

The New Era Begins

Just win i thought Kobe and the lakers would dominate the NBA for the next 2-3yrs, the Miami Heat had to go F*** it up. Don't get me wrong, cause i would be lying if i said it won't be exciting to see D-Wade on a fast break throwing an alley-oop to Lebron for a two hand smash'em and the arena goes nuts,or Chris Bosh being double teamed and kicking it out to Lebron who drives to the basket and then kicks it out to D-Wade for the wide open three...S**t that sounds good! But bottom line: the lakers are still the defending champs until proven otherwise.

Clevland's owner rips Lebron

Dan Gilbert owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers says about Lebron going to miami quote:The self-declared former "King" will be taking the "curse" with him down south. And until he does "right" by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma. Just when you think the shit talking ends, here's more:"I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE".So,my question is this, when is the first game between clevland and miami? lol Is it just me or is the owner drinking some of that new Gatorade: Hater Juice? Dan Gilbert..... is it IN you? lol

Lebron interveiw good for NBA ?

Regardless of what team Lebron announces hes going to play for,the interview tonight on ESPN is exactly what the NBA wants and needs.Point number one, its July 8, the season ended with the Lakers winning their second consecutive championship in June,and the NBA still has the attention not just of basketball fans but people who don't watch or even like basketball. CNN,FOX NEWS,and even President Obama are talking Lebron James interview,so in these days and times with a recession and subsequent decline in ticket sales,the bottom line is this: having this 1 hour interview is obviously good for the NBA.

Bosh joins Wade in Miami?

Yeah its official. ESPN reporter Chris Brossard broke the news earlier this afternoun,so now the question is if miami cant sign Lebron James, are Wade and Bosh enough to win a title in miami?

Jordan- Defensive Stance

In this video Jordan shows you the fundamentals of a great defensive stance that you can use to dominate the offense and take one step closer to becoming an all-around player. In the words of Michael Jordan, " DEFENSE wins championships ".

Kobe's SECERET moves

Kobe Bryant has mastered the game of basketball, just one more example

Jordan or Kobe ?

Ask anyone that follows the game of basketball ( over the age of 25 ) who is the G.O.A.T - "greatest player of all time"? and without hesitation one name is mentioned instantly,JORDAN. Today however, a new name is being mentioned in local barbershops, street corners, and public restrooms, what name might that be you ask?, already knowing the answer to my question, Kobe 81 points in a game, 5 championship rings ( 2 without Shaq ) Bryant.