These are not my picks for the 2012 NBA Draft. These are who I think each team should select. This is based on every team's current roster. It is not taking into account free agents to be. And yes, I took this from ESPN. Please don't sue!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
A fighter's record deserves equality
Let me blow your mind for a second. Here are some crazy numbers for you:
-A 15 year NFL veteran who plays all 16 games every season will end up playing in 240 games during his career. It’s unlikely he doesn’t miss a game and this doesn’t include the playoffs, but bear with me.
-A 15 year NBA veteran who plays all 82 games every season will end up playing in 1230 games during his career.
Why do I bring up those numbers? I bring them up because the career of a team sports athlete is measured much differently than that of someone who does an individual sport like boxing or MMA.
-A 15 year mixed martial artist who fights 3 times a year will only have 45 fights when all is said and done.
If a NFL Quarterback wins 70% of his games every year, he goes 11-5 every season and will have accumulated a career record of 165-75. That’s awesome!
If a fighter wins 70% of his total fights, he will go 31-14 for his career. That’s seen as not very good. Most would consider that fighter to be a journeyman. Why is this? It’s not fair that we measure greatness differently in different sports. Stats are stats. I’m calling for equality. Both types of athletes have outside influences that can help or hurt their careers (coaching, training facilities, teammates, etc.). So the next time you want to insult a “journeyman” fighter, dig a littler deeper.
-A 15 year NFL veteran who plays all 16 games every season will end up playing in 240 games during his career. It’s unlikely he doesn’t miss a game and this doesn’t include the playoffs, but bear with me.
-A 15 year NBA veteran who plays all 82 games every season will end up playing in 1230 games during his career.
Why do I bring up those numbers? I bring them up because the career of a team sports athlete is measured much differently than that of someone who does an individual sport like boxing or MMA.
-A 15 year mixed martial artist who fights 3 times a year will only have 45 fights when all is said and done.
If a NFL Quarterback wins 70% of his games every year, he goes 11-5 every season and will have accumulated a career record of 165-75. That’s awesome!
If a fighter wins 70% of his total fights, he will go 31-14 for his career. That’s seen as not very good. Most would consider that fighter to be a journeyman. Why is this? It’s not fair that we measure greatness differently in different sports. Stats are stats. I’m calling for equality. Both types of athletes have outside influences that can help or hurt their careers (coaching, training facilities, teammates, etc.). So the next time you want to insult a “journeyman” fighter, dig a littler deeper.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
No longer when, but if
As an athlete (I wrestled division 1 at GMU) or competitor you have a different mindset than most people. You think you’re the best all around, the best at a certain skill, or going to be the best. You never question it. It’s something you know and feel. When that is lost, so are you.
That brings me to LeBron James. If the Heat lose their series to the Boston Celtics this season, will he started asking if he is ever going to win a NBA Championship instead of when he will win one? That’s probably a better question to ask him instead of ourselves, but it poses an interesting thought.
At what point in a career does a professional athlete start to question if they will ever achieve a championship? This is his ninth season in the league. He’s been to the Finals twice and lost both times. He joined a star studded cast and still might not achieve a championship. How many more seasons does he have left? 8 maybe?
Could not reaching the Finals and winning this season have a lasting effect on LeBron James? I could see one of two things happening. He comes back next season better than ever and puts up even more impressive statistics or he starts to wilt under the idea of never achieving his dream and his statistics plummet. I don’t think there is an in between. What he’s doing now isn’t working. I see some kind of change coming
That brings me to LeBron James. If the Heat lose their series to the Boston Celtics this season, will he started asking if he is ever going to win a NBA Championship instead of when he will win one? That’s probably a better question to ask him instead of ourselves, but it poses an interesting thought.
At what point in a career does a professional athlete start to question if they will ever achieve a championship? This is his ninth season in the league. He’s been to the Finals twice and lost both times. He joined a star studded cast and still might not achieve a championship. How many more seasons does he have left? 8 maybe?
Could not reaching the Finals and winning this season have a lasting effect on LeBron James? I could see one of two things happening. He comes back next season better than ever and puts up even more impressive statistics or he starts to wilt under the idea of never achieving his dream and his statistics plummet. I don’t think there is an in between. What he’s doing now isn’t working. I see some kind of change coming
Monday, June 4, 2012
The Story No One is Talking About: Duncan vs. Kobe
These 2012 NBA Playoffs have a lot of stories. Will LeBron or Durant get their first NBA Championship? Will the Spurs or Celtics add to their legacy? Will Doc Rivers and Erik Spoelstra return next year? These playoffs will answer so many questions. Here is one you may not have thought of though.
If Tim Duncan wins his 5th NBA Championship, should he be considered a better player than Kobe Bryant? On the surface, the answer for most people would be no. Let me give you some food for thought though. Basketball greatness is measured in championships and if Tim Duncan gets another ring this year he will be tied with Kobe for titles. Most people also consider Kobe Bryant the second best player ever at his position, behind Micheal Jordan. Those same people consider Tim Duncan the best ever at his position.
Without going into statistics or personal issues, shouldn’t those two things be enough to put Duncan over Kobe? It might be a moot point though. The Spurs still have to take care of business this season.
If Tim Duncan wins his 5th NBA Championship, should he be considered a better player than Kobe Bryant? On the surface, the answer for most people would be no. Let me give you some food for thought though. Basketball greatness is measured in championships and if Tim Duncan gets another ring this year he will be tied with Kobe for titles. Most people also consider Kobe Bryant the second best player ever at his position, behind Micheal Jordan. Those same people consider Tim Duncan the best ever at his position.
Without going into statistics or personal issues, shouldn’t those two things be enough to put Duncan over Kobe? It might be a moot point though. The Spurs still have to take care of business this season.
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