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| "Ron Artest's Career" |
Friday, September 9, 2011
"Ron Artest's Career" ART+icle
I did a post a while back after attending "Lovable Badass" an art exhibit in Toronto celebrating the life and career of Ron Artest. You can read my article here - An Artest's Perspective. Since attending the exhibit I have had an idea for an art piece to add to the collection with Ron riding a bucking rhino. It's been bouncing around in my head for far too long, and here it is, I call it "Ron Artest's Career."
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
My Top 100
We tend to give extra-credit to basketball pioneers, ones who blazed the trail for others. The NBA would not be the same if it were not for these originators and game-changers, but my top 100 is all about the best skill. This list should be the most biased attempt to be unbiased by time-period and actually look at how these players' skillsets would be utilized and developed in the modern NBA landscape. Say you were to go back in a time machine and kidnap these great players from their day, in the peak of their prime, how would they be able to compete against faster, bigger, more athletic competition if they were given a chance to integrate into the NBA? So hate me, debate me, be irate with me, but most of all engage me. It's all about opinion and I would love to hear yours.
1 Michael Jordan
2 Wilt Chamberlain
3 Kobe Bryant
4 Shaquille O'Neal
5 Bill Russell
6 Magic Johnson
7 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
8 Hakeem Olajuwon
9 Larry Bird
10 Oscar Robertson
11 Moses Malone
12 Tim Duncan
13 Kevin Garnett
14 Karl Malone
15 LeBron James
16 Dirk Nowitzki
17 Scottie Pippen
18 Charles Barkley
19 David Robinson
20 Dwyane Wade
21 Julius Erving
22 Elgin Baylor
23 John Stockton
24 Jason Kidd
25 Kevin Durant
26 Allen Iverson
27 Isiah Thomas
28 Jerry West
29 Steve Nash
30 Elvin Hayes
31 Patrick Ewing
32 Dominique Wilkins
33 Clyde Drexler
34 Ray Allen
35 Dennis Rodman
36 Gary Payton
37 Reggie Miller
38 Dwight Howard
39 Tracy McGrady
40 George Mikan
41 Penny Hardaway
42 Kevin McHale
43 John Havlicek
44 Yao Ming
45 Willis Reed
46 George Gervin
47 Bob Cousy
48 Gus Johnson
49 Bill Walton
50 Paul Pierce
51 Pete Maravich
52 Bob McAdoo
53 Chris Webber
54 Bob Pettit
55 Wes Unseld
56 Carmelo Anthony
57 James Worthy
58 Connie Hawkins
59 Alex English
60 Vince Carter
61 Manu Ginobili
62 Walt Frazier
63 Earl Monroe
64 Chris Paul
65 Rasheed Wallace
66 Amar'e Stoudemire
67 Rick Barry
68 Nate Archibald
69 Derrick Rose
70 Alonzo Mourning
71 Nate Thurmond
72 Vlade Divac
73 Jerry Lucas
74 Jermaine O'Neal
75 Grant Hill
76 Dikembe Mutombo
77 Shawn Kemp
78 Chauncey Billups
79 Deron Williams
80 Michael Cooper
81 Pau Gasol
82 Ben Wallace
83 Drazen Petrovic
84 Joe Dumars
85 Sam Jones
86 Walt Bellamy
87 Elton Brand
88 Tim Hardaway
89 Chris Mullin
90 David Thompson
91 Mark Jackson
92 Marcus Camby
93 Robert Parish
94 Adrian Dantley
95 Shawn Marion
96 George McGinnis
97 Glenn Robinson
98 Arvydas Sabonis
99 Artis Gilmore
100 Chris Bosh
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Dunkers Digest
NBA 2k11 brings us many things, among them a numerical rating that fixes a players' talent into measurable and therefore comparable statistics. The best dunkers active in the NBA are measured as follows,
Dunk / Vertical/ Total
1 Josh Smith 95/ 96/ 191
2 Gerald Wallace 94 /96/ 190
3 Andre Igoudala 92/ 97/ 189
4 Jason Richardson 90/ 97/ 187
5 Lebron James 90/ 96/ 186
But there are also players in the free agent pool whose dunking ability is beyond any of these legendary dunking pros, and are players you've likely never heard of before,
Dunk/ Vertical/ Total
1 James White 99/ 93/ 192 (2006 Round 2, Pick 1 by Portland)
2 David Noel 99/ 93/ 192 (2006 Round 2, Pick 9 by Milwaukee)
3 Gerald Green 93/ 97/ 190 (2005 Round 1, Pick 18 by Boston)
Are James White and David Noel really better dunkers than anybody in the NBA? Does anybody remember Gerald Green's 2007 NBA dunk contest win and think he should have a place in the NBA? Let's let Youtube decide... tell me what you think!
Recently Added*!
Not only do players' dunking abilities receive quantifiable grades in NBA 2k11, but also in other modern (or post-modern) NBA games. NBA Jam came out this year, and I copped it on Wii and iPhone. While some notable dunkers like Wade, Gay, Durant and Griffin received only an 8 out of a possible 10 in their "dunking ability" stat, there were many who received 9s and a couple 10s. Without further ado here are the top dunkers (without MJ) according to NBA Jam.
9
Josh Smith
Carmelo Anthony
Gerald Wallace
Kobe Bryant
Amar'e Stoudemire
Vince Carter
Andre Iguodala
Allen Iverson (on wii, AI received a rating of only 3 in the iPhone version...?)
Bucks Mascot Bango the Buck
Thunder Mascot Rumble the Bison
10
Dominique Wilkins
LeBron James
Dwight Howard (on iPhone, D-12 received a rating of 8 in the Wii version...?)
Jason Richardson
Julius Erving
Dunk / Vertical/ Total
1 Josh Smith 95/ 96/ 191
2 Gerald Wallace 94 /96/ 190
3 Andre Igoudala 92/ 97/ 189
4 Jason Richardson 90/ 97/ 187
5 Lebron James 90/ 96/ 186
But there are also players in the free agent pool whose dunking ability is beyond any of these legendary dunking pros, and are players you've likely never heard of before,
Dunk/ Vertical/ Total
1 James White 99/ 93/ 192 (2006 Round 2, Pick 1 by Portland)
2 David Noel 99/ 93/ 192 (2006 Round 2, Pick 9 by Milwaukee)
3 Gerald Green 93/ 97/ 190 (2005 Round 1, Pick 18 by Boston)
Are James White and David Noel really better dunkers than anybody in the NBA? Does anybody remember Gerald Green's 2007 NBA dunk contest win and think he should have a place in the NBA? Let's let Youtube decide... tell me what you think!
Recently Added*!
Not only do players' dunking abilities receive quantifiable grades in NBA 2k11, but also in other modern (or post-modern) NBA games. NBA Jam came out this year, and I copped it on Wii and iPhone. While some notable dunkers like Wade, Gay, Durant and Griffin received only an 8 out of a possible 10 in their "dunking ability" stat, there were many who received 9s and a couple 10s. Without further ado here are the top dunkers (without MJ) according to NBA Jam.
9
Josh Smith
Carmelo Anthony
Gerald Wallace
Kobe Bryant
Amar'e Stoudemire
Vince Carter
Andre Iguodala
Allen Iverson (on wii, AI received a rating of only 3 in the iPhone version...?)
Bucks Mascot Bango the Buck
Thunder Mascot Rumble the Bison
10
Dominique Wilkins
LeBron James
Dwight Howard (on iPhone, D-12 received a rating of 8 in the Wii version...?)
Jason Richardson
Julius Erving
Reaction to SI's Ultimate NBA Draft Finals
Chris Ballard's team (first place 46-26) VS Joe Posnanski's team (second place 45-27)
C Bill Russell (3) / C Wilt Chamberlain (2)
PF Charles Barkley (23) / PF Dirk Nowitzki (42)
SF Dennis Rodman (43) / SF Julius Erving (19)
SG Reggie Miller (38) / SG John Havlicek (39)
PG LeBron James (18) / PG Isiah Thomas (22)
6 Chris Mullin (58) / 6 Dwight Howard (59)
7 Arvydas Sabonis (63) / 7 Dolph Shayes (62)
8 Deron Williams (78) / 8 Mark Price (79)
9 Tiny Archibald (83) / 9 Grant Hill (82)
10 Carmelo Anthony (98) / 10 Vince Carter (99)
11 Shawn Marion (103) / 11 Jerry Lucas (102)
12 Bill Laimbeer (118) / 12 Michael Cooper (119)
C Bill Russell (3) / C Wilt Chamberlain (2)
PF Charles Barkley (23) / PF Dirk Nowitzki (42)
SF Dennis Rodman (43) / SF Julius Erving (19)
SG Reggie Miller (38) / SG John Havlicek (39)
PG LeBron James (18) / PG Isiah Thomas (22)
6 Chris Mullin (58) / 6 Dwight Howard (59)
7 Arvydas Sabonis (63) / 7 Dolph Shayes (62)
8 Deron Williams (78) / 8 Mark Price (79)
9 Tiny Archibald (83) / 9 Grant Hill (82)
10 Carmelo Anthony (98) / 10 Vince Carter (99)
11 Shawn Marion (103) / 11 Jerry Lucas (102)
12 Bill Laimbeer (118) / 12 Michael Cooper (119)
The top two teams in the simulated regular season collide in the finals. Wilt Chamberlain has looked unstoppable, and who is LeBron to challenge him when he disposed of a Jordan/ Wade-led superteam in the previous round? Nevertheless, it is a combination of talents that surround and complement Chris Ballard's team that make it dominant.
The Matchup
In the frontcourt we have the legendary matchup of Russell vs Chamberlain. When the two goliaths met in 142 matchups in their NBA careers, Russell won 84 of those matches. Yet, it was a team effort and the Celtics were the consummate NBA team which led to Russell's 11 championship rings and legacy as a winner. In head-to-head matchups Russell averaged a ridiculous 23.7 rebounds per game, only to be bested by Wilt's ungodly 28.7 rebounds per game record. Chamberlain once grabbed an NBA-record 55 rebounds in a game, and it was against Russell. Russell's primary strength was rebounding and defense, while Wilt has the opposite reputation as a dominating scorer, but Chamberlain actually has better rebounding numbers. Chamberlain is obviously the greatest scorer in NBA history and he averaged a modest 28.7 points per game against Russell, a result of Russell's defense, but Russell only averaged 14.5 points per game in their matchups. With Chamberlain and Dwight Howard testing Russell all night and Dirk raining jumpers over Charles Barkley all night long, it's safe to say the Posnanski frontcourt takes this matchup.
Advantage: Posnanski
On the wings, Julius Erving matches up with Dennis "Worm" Rodman in an offense/ defense clash. I actually think Rodman would end up switching with Barkley on defense to guard and pester Dirk Nowitzki. I still think Dirk can be rattled and who better than Worm. That would leave Barkley guarding Erving, which is a better defensive matchup. John "Hondo" Havlicek is better than people remember/ give him credit for and he could match up defensively with Reggie Miller and match his intensity, but not his distance shooting. Reggie and Mullin could provide a three-point threat that team Posnanski could not match, and they would have to double-team LeBron when he muscled his way into the lane, leaving one (or both) of the shooters open. This one comes down to scoring options off the bench and LeBron playing point-forward and doubling as a wing player.
Advantage: Ballard
At the point-guard position Isiah Thomas comes off besting MJ while reprising his Pistons' "Jordan Rules," and he would be able to physically and mentally bludgeon LeBron. Or would he? The young Jordan that Isiah and his Pistons teammates cracked down on was 6'4 1/2" at the time of his drafting, and grew to 6'6" and 195 pounds. LeBron is 6'8" at least, and over 250 pounds. The L-Train would roll right through Isiah Thomas and run right into Wilt Chamberlain and Dwight Howard. LeBron is an amazing passer averaging 7.0 assists per game for his career including a season at 8.6 dimes per, but it pales in comparison to Thomas' 9.3 career average and career-best mark of 13.9 in '84-85. People overestimate LeBron's passing ability in this matchup, but he's the more dominant player overall. LeBron still has to be the one to get his teammates involved and this is something to question after season 1 of the Miami Heat experiment.
Advantage: Ballard
The benches of both teams got them to this point and we've already talked about the immediate impact of sixth men Chris Mullin on Ballard's perimeter, and Dwight Howard on the low block of team Posnanski. Arvydas Sabonis is a European legend and if he had played in the NBA at his prime would have been dominant, at least providing a serious matchup with Dolph Shayes who was great but undersized at 6'7" compared to Sabonis' 7'3" frame and shooting ability. Mark Price was a talented and consistent guard but would have trouble with the size and quickness of Deron Williams, one of the biggest guards in the current NBA. Nate "Tiny" Archibald once averaged 34 points and 11.4 assists as a 6'1" guard. Grant Hill didn't exactly have a prime, but he was one of the original "next MJ's" before injuries sidelined his career. Vince Carter and Carmelo Anthony in their primes are pretty similar as offensive firepower off the bench. Shawn Marion can run the floor, defend, and doesn't need the ball to score, plus he was a #1 fantasy pick in his prime for his ability to contribute across the board making him a great draft choice by team Ballard. Matrix rounds out the Ballard bench perfectly and Laimbeer just adds more size and toughness.
Advantage: Ballard
Decision
Although Ballard wins three of the four categories in this matchup, the strat-o-matic simulation awards the SI Ultimate Fantasy Draft Championship to team Posnanski. The frontcourt of Chamberlain-Howard-Nowitzki didn't have an answer throughout the tournament. LeBron carried team Ballard, but came up short. In the deciding Game 7 of the exciting round between these evenly matched teams Wilt erupts for 45 points and 17 rebounds proving he is the single most dominating basketball player of all time. LeBron goes for 23 points on 9 of 19 shooting because he must pull up and shoot rather than drive the lane against Wilt/Dwight and only Chris Mullin steps up with 24 points but it is not enough. Ballard had an amazing strategy, but I agree with the simulation, Team Posnanski wins the SI Ultimate Basketball Draft.
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| Wilt Chamberlain |
Friday, July 29, 2011
Reaction to SI's Ultimate NBA Draft Playoffs
Playoffs Matchup 1
Paul Forrester (fourth place 42-40)
C Shaquille O'Neal (6)
PF Bob Pettit (35)
SF Walt Frazier (26)
SG Dominique Wilkins (46)
PG Jerry West (15)
6 Elvin Hayes (55)
7 Kevin Johnson (66)
8 Tracy McGrady (75)
9 Artis Gilmore (86)
10 Kevin Durant (95)
11 Chauncey Billups (106)
12 Joe Johnson (115)
Chris Ballard (first place 46-26)
C Bill Russell (3)
PF Charles Barkley (23)
SF Dennis Rodman (43)
SG Reggie Miller (38)
PG LeBron James (18)
6 Chris Mullin (58)
7 Arvydas Sabonis (63)
8 Deron Williams (78)
9 Tiny Archibald (83)
10 Carmelo Anthony (98)
11 Shawn Marion (103)
12 Bill Laimbeer (118)
The Matchup
In the frontcourt, team Forrester has Shaq and Bob Pettit. Both players at their prime could go for around 26 points and 17 rebounds a night making this an imposing frontcourt. Matching up with them on the low block is Bill Russell and Charles Barkley. Russell is a Celtics legend with 11 championships, and while Barkley never won a chip he is one of the best rebounders pound-for-pound (not a fat joke) of all time. The two best undersized rebounders are both on team Ballard with Rodman and Barkley, and this compensates for the height they give up (Shaq 7'1"/ Russell 6'9" and Pettit 6'9"/ Barkley 6'6"). Shaq is a winner and a charismatic game-changer, but the finals MVP is named after Russell for a reason. This would be a titanic clash. Forrester can bring Elvin Hayes and Artis Gilmore off the bench, while Ballard brings Arvydas Sabonis and Bill Laimbeer.
Advantage: Forrester
On the wings, team Ballard has Reggie Miller and Chris Mullin to surround LeBron James who would start at point guard. LeBron would, at times, relinquish ball-handling duties and run the wing as well. Mullin and Reggie netted a combined 3375 three-pointers and this wouldn't let defenders sag off them giving LeBron a path to the basket. If they tried to double or triple-team Bron he could kick it to either capable wing player for an automatic three points. On team Forrester, Walt Frazier and Dominique Wilkins can score, but it is the bench of a T-Mac in his prime and Kevin Durant and Joe Johnson that really impresses. The wings on team Ballard are dependent on LeBron doubling as a scorer and distributor, but Carmelo and Shawn Marion are great late-round pickups in this draft. Scoring comes in a variety of ways for team Forrester, while team Ballard's gameplan relies on hefty doses of LeBron.
Advantage: Forrester
At point guard, Ballard has done an interesting thing by starting Bron out of his natural position, but also putting the ball (and the team) firmly in his hands. Deron Williams is a capable backup and Tiny Archibald is the gravy on the cake. Jerry West (AKA the Logo) will not be able to defend LeBron, Kevin Johnson was an overrated pick and Chauncey is solid, but unspectacular.
Advantage: Ballard
Result: Ballard wins - LeBron would dominate the small guards of team Forrester and even the variety of wing options couldn't match up with James. The frontcourt of Shaq, Pettit, Hayes and Gilmore is almost a tipping point, but cannot control the game like Ballard's team strategy. With Mullin and Miller shooting away, Rodman can shut down whoever gets hot on team Forrester whether it's T-Mac, Dominique or Durant.
Playoffs Matchup 2
Alex Wolff's team (third place 43-29)
C David Robinson (20)
PF Dave Cowens (40)
SF Michael Jordan (1)
SG Dwyane Wade (21)
PG Chris Paul (61)
6 Nate Thurmond (60)
7 Joe Dumars (41)
8 Dennis Johnson (80)
9 Robert Horry (81)
10 Terry Porter (100)
11 Ben Wallace (101)
12 Maurice Cheeks (120)
Joe Posnanski's (second place 45-27)
C Wilt Chamberlain (2)
PF Dirk Nowitzki (42)
SF Julius Erving (19)
SG John Havlicek (39)
PG Isiah Thomas (22)
6 Dwight Howard (59)
7 Dolph Shayes (62)
8 Mark Price (79)
9 Grant Hill (82)
10 Vince Carter (99)
11 Jerry Lucas (102)
12 Michael Cooper (119)
The Matchup
For his frontcourt domination, Wilt Chamberlain should have gone #1 overall in my opinion. With career averages of 30 points and 23 rebounds per game, The Dipper is an incomparable offensive force (see: 100 point game) that can haul in the rebounds for team Posnanski. "The Admiral" David Robinson is great but cannot match up with Wilt. Dave Cowens is no Dirk Nowitzki either as we saw Dirk explode in this past year's playoffs. As an inside-out weapon to complement Wilt's post game, Dirk will have the space to roam and shoot over the 6'9" Cowens. Dolph Shayes was undersized at 6'7" in the paint against Nate Thurmond but Dwight Howard would be able to counter him. Dwight and Wilt together would be scary too.
Advantage: Posnanski
On the wings, Jordan and Wade is a dream team. Wade is Chicago born, the next in line for team Jordan, and plays LeBron's Pippen (or is the other way around?). It's hard to argue against the GOAT with Wade too, and Dr. J and Hondo would match up respectibally, but not effectively. Carter, Hill, Lucas and Cooper provide points off the bench, but not defensive matchups.
Advantage: Wolff
At point, Chris Paul vs Isiah Thomas is an epic matchup. Both gritty guards they can defend and create steals. Both seem to suit their teams as well. Joe Dumars has a slight advantage over Mark Price. I think Chris Paul was a steal at pick #60.
Advantage: Wolff
Result: Posnanski wins - This matchup comes down to dynamic wing players versus a dominating frontcourt. How frustrating would it be for Jordan to watch as Wilt dominated and Dirk killed them softly. Julius Erving would put up points to supplement to onslaught in the post, and the height around the rim would force Jordan and Wade to become shooters. Dirk took down Bron and Wade without Wilt, and Wilt is every bit as impactful as Jordan.
Finals Matchup: Posnanski vs Ballard
Paul Forrester (fourth place 42-40)
C Shaquille O'Neal (6)
PF Bob Pettit (35)
SF Walt Frazier (26)
SG Dominique Wilkins (46)
PG Jerry West (15)
6 Elvin Hayes (55)
7 Kevin Johnson (66)
8 Tracy McGrady (75)
9 Artis Gilmore (86)
10 Kevin Durant (95)
11 Chauncey Billups (106)
12 Joe Johnson (115)
Chris Ballard (first place 46-26)
C Bill Russell (3)
PF Charles Barkley (23)
SF Dennis Rodman (43)
SG Reggie Miller (38)
PG LeBron James (18)
6 Chris Mullin (58)
7 Arvydas Sabonis (63)
8 Deron Williams (78)
9 Tiny Archibald (83)
10 Carmelo Anthony (98)
11 Shawn Marion (103)
12 Bill Laimbeer (118)
The Matchup
In the frontcourt, team Forrester has Shaq and Bob Pettit. Both players at their prime could go for around 26 points and 17 rebounds a night making this an imposing frontcourt. Matching up with them on the low block is Bill Russell and Charles Barkley. Russell is a Celtics legend with 11 championships, and while Barkley never won a chip he is one of the best rebounders pound-for-pound (not a fat joke) of all time. The two best undersized rebounders are both on team Ballard with Rodman and Barkley, and this compensates for the height they give up (Shaq 7'1"/ Russell 6'9" and Pettit 6'9"/ Barkley 6'6"). Shaq is a winner and a charismatic game-changer, but the finals MVP is named after Russell for a reason. This would be a titanic clash. Forrester can bring Elvin Hayes and Artis Gilmore off the bench, while Ballard brings Arvydas Sabonis and Bill Laimbeer.
Advantage: Forrester
On the wings, team Ballard has Reggie Miller and Chris Mullin to surround LeBron James who would start at point guard. LeBron would, at times, relinquish ball-handling duties and run the wing as well. Mullin and Reggie netted a combined 3375 three-pointers and this wouldn't let defenders sag off them giving LeBron a path to the basket. If they tried to double or triple-team Bron he could kick it to either capable wing player for an automatic three points. On team Forrester, Walt Frazier and Dominique Wilkins can score, but it is the bench of a T-Mac in his prime and Kevin Durant and Joe Johnson that really impresses. The wings on team Ballard are dependent on LeBron doubling as a scorer and distributor, but Carmelo and Shawn Marion are great late-round pickups in this draft. Scoring comes in a variety of ways for team Forrester, while team Ballard's gameplan relies on hefty doses of LeBron.
Advantage: Forrester
At point guard, Ballard has done an interesting thing by starting Bron out of his natural position, but also putting the ball (and the team) firmly in his hands. Deron Williams is a capable backup and Tiny Archibald is the gravy on the cake. Jerry West (AKA the Logo) will not be able to defend LeBron, Kevin Johnson was an overrated pick and Chauncey is solid, but unspectacular.
Advantage: Ballard
Result: Ballard wins - LeBron would dominate the small guards of team Forrester and even the variety of wing options couldn't match up with James. The frontcourt of Shaq, Pettit, Hayes and Gilmore is almost a tipping point, but cannot control the game like Ballard's team strategy. With Mullin and Miller shooting away, Rodman can shut down whoever gets hot on team Forrester whether it's T-Mac, Dominique or Durant.
Playoffs Matchup 2
Alex Wolff's team (third place 43-29)
C David Robinson (20)
PF Dave Cowens (40)
SF Michael Jordan (1)
SG Dwyane Wade (21)
PG Chris Paul (61)
6 Nate Thurmond (60)
7 Joe Dumars (41)
8 Dennis Johnson (80)
9 Robert Horry (81)
10 Terry Porter (100)
11 Ben Wallace (101)
12 Maurice Cheeks (120)
Joe Posnanski's (second place 45-27)
C Wilt Chamberlain (2)
PF Dirk Nowitzki (42)
SF Julius Erving (19)
SG John Havlicek (39)
PG Isiah Thomas (22)
6 Dwight Howard (59)
7 Dolph Shayes (62)
8 Mark Price (79)
9 Grant Hill (82)
10 Vince Carter (99)
11 Jerry Lucas (102)
12 Michael Cooper (119)
The Matchup
For his frontcourt domination, Wilt Chamberlain should have gone #1 overall in my opinion. With career averages of 30 points and 23 rebounds per game, The Dipper is an incomparable offensive force (see: 100 point game) that can haul in the rebounds for team Posnanski. "The Admiral" David Robinson is great but cannot match up with Wilt. Dave Cowens is no Dirk Nowitzki either as we saw Dirk explode in this past year's playoffs. As an inside-out weapon to complement Wilt's post game, Dirk will have the space to roam and shoot over the 6'9" Cowens. Dolph Shayes was undersized at 6'7" in the paint against Nate Thurmond but Dwight Howard would be able to counter him. Dwight and Wilt together would be scary too.
Advantage: Posnanski
On the wings, Jordan and Wade is a dream team. Wade is Chicago born, the next in line for team Jordan, and plays LeBron's Pippen (or is the other way around?). It's hard to argue against the GOAT with Wade too, and Dr. J and Hondo would match up respectibally, but not effectively. Carter, Hill, Lucas and Cooper provide points off the bench, but not defensive matchups.
Advantage: Wolff
At point, Chris Paul vs Isiah Thomas is an epic matchup. Both gritty guards they can defend and create steals. Both seem to suit their teams as well. Joe Dumars has a slight advantage over Mark Price. I think Chris Paul was a steal at pick #60.
Advantage: Wolff
Result: Posnanski wins - This matchup comes down to dynamic wing players versus a dominating frontcourt. How frustrating would it be for Jordan to watch as Wilt dominated and Dirk killed them softly. Julius Erving would put up points to supplement to onslaught in the post, and the height around the rim would force Jordan and Wade to become shooters. Dirk took down Bron and Wade without Wilt, and Wilt is every bit as impactful as Jordan.
Finals Matchup: Posnanski vs Ballard
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Sports Illustrated's NBA Ultimate Fantasy Draft
Each All-time draft team was put through a Strat-O-Matic 72-game Season Simulation. Here are the records and the teams.
official link
Alex Wolff's team (third place 43-29)
C David Robinson (20)
PF Dave Cowens (40)
SF Michael Jordan (1)
SG Dwyane Wade (21)
PG Chris Paul (61)
6 Nate Thurmond (60)
7 Joe Dumars (41)
8 Dennis Johnson (80)
9 Robert Horry (81)
10 Terry Porter (100)
11 Ben Wallace (101)
12 Maurice Cheeks (120)
Joe Posnanski's (second place 45-27)
C Wilt Chamberlain (2)
PF Dirk Nowitzki (42)
SF Julius Erving (19)
SG John Havlicek (39)
PG Isiah Thomas (22)
6 Dwight Howard (59)
7 Dolph Shayes (62)
8 Mark Price (79)
9 Grant Hill (82)
10 Vince Carter (99)
11 Jerry Lucas (102)
12 Michael Cooper (119)
Chris Ballard (first place 46-26)
C Bill Russell (3)
PF Charles Barkley (23)
SF Dennis Rodman (43)
SG Reggie Miller (38)
PG LeBron James (18)
6 Chris Mullin (58)
7 Arvydas Sabonis (63)
8 Deron Williams (78)
9 Tiny Archibald (83)
10 Carmelo Anthony (98)
11 Shawn Marion (103)
12 Bill Laimbeer (118)
Lee Jenkins (sixth place 35-37)
C Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (4)
PF Karl Malone (17)
SF James Worthy (44)
SG George Gervin (37)
PG Jason Kidd (24)
6 Pete Maravich (57)
7 Robert Parish (64)
8 David Thompson (77)
9 Larry Nance (84)
10 Lenny Wilkens (97)
11 Alex English (104)
12 Dan Issel (117)
Jack McCallum (tenth place 22-50)
C Wes Unseld (45)
PF Kevin McHale (36)
SF Elgin Baylor (16)
SG Scottie Pippen (25)
PG Oscar Robertson (5)
6 Ray Allen (56)
7 Dave DeBusschere (65)
8 Earl Monroe (76)
9 Pau Gasol (85)
10 Bill Sharman (96)
11 Jack Sikma (105)
12 Gail Goodrich (116)
Paul Forrester (fourth place 42-40)
C Shaquille O'Neal (6)
PF Bob Pettit (35)
SF Walt Frazier (26)
SG Dominique Wilkins (46)
PG Jerry West (15)
6 Elvin Hayes (55)
7 Kevin Johnson (66)
8 Tracy McGrady (75)
9 Artis Gilmore (86)
10 Kevin Durant (95)
11 Chauncey Billups (106)
12 Joe Johnson (115)
Ian Thomsen (eighth place 30-42)
C Bill Walton (14)
PF Alonzo Mourning (47)
SF Larry Bird (7)
SG Clyde Drexler (27)
PG Steve Nash (34)
6 Manu Ginobili (54)
7 Chris Webber (67)
8 Michael Ray Richardson (74)
9 Dikembe Mutombo (87)
10 Andrei Kirilenko (94)
11 Fred Brown (107)
12 Blake Griffin (114)
Phil Taylor (seventh place 31-41)
C Moses Malone (13)
PF Bob McAdoo (33)
SF Rick Barry (28)
SG Sidney Moncrief (48)
PG Magic Johnson (8)
6 George Mikan (53)
7 Penny Hardaway (68)
8 Spencer Haywood (73)
9 Billy Cunningham (88)
10 Mitch Richmond (93)
11 Charles Oakley (108)
12 Derrick Rose (113)
Chris Mannix (ninth place 29-43)
C Patrick Ewing (32)
PF Willis Reed (29)
SF Bernard King (49)
SG Kobe Bryant (9)
PG John Stockton (12)
6 Paul Pierce (52)
7 Chris Bosh (69)
8 Amar'e Stoudemire (72)
9 Rajon Rondo (89)
10 Brad Daugherty (92)
11 Adrian Dantley (109)
12 Kevin Love (112)
Richard Deitsch (fifth place 37-35)
C Hakeem Olajuwon (11)
PF Tim Duncan (10)
SF Kevin Garnett (31)
SG Allen Iverson (51)
PG Bob Cousy (30)
6 Gary Payton (50)
7 Sam Jones (70)
8 Connie Hawkins (71)
9 Bob Lanier (90)
10 Hal Greer (91)
11 Dave Bing (110)
12 Bobby Jones (111)
Playoffs link
(1) Ballard def (4) Forrester 4-2
(2) Posanski def (3) Wolff 4-2
Finals
(2) Posanski def (1) Ballard 4-3
official link
Alex Wolff's team (third place 43-29)
C David Robinson (20)
PF Dave Cowens (40)
SF Michael Jordan (1)
SG Dwyane Wade (21)
PG Chris Paul (61)
6 Nate Thurmond (60)
7 Joe Dumars (41)
8 Dennis Johnson (80)
9 Robert Horry (81)
10 Terry Porter (100)
11 Ben Wallace (101)
12 Maurice Cheeks (120)
Joe Posnanski's (second place 45-27)
C Wilt Chamberlain (2)
PF Dirk Nowitzki (42)
SF Julius Erving (19)
SG John Havlicek (39)
PG Isiah Thomas (22)
6 Dwight Howard (59)
7 Dolph Shayes (62)
8 Mark Price (79)
9 Grant Hill (82)
10 Vince Carter (99)
11 Jerry Lucas (102)
12 Michael Cooper (119)
Chris Ballard (first place 46-26)
C Bill Russell (3)
PF Charles Barkley (23)
SF Dennis Rodman (43)
SG Reggie Miller (38)
PG LeBron James (18)
6 Chris Mullin (58)
7 Arvydas Sabonis (63)
8 Deron Williams (78)
9 Tiny Archibald (83)
10 Carmelo Anthony (98)
11 Shawn Marion (103)
12 Bill Laimbeer (118)
Lee Jenkins (sixth place 35-37)
C Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (4)
PF Karl Malone (17)
SF James Worthy (44)
SG George Gervin (37)
PG Jason Kidd (24)
6 Pete Maravich (57)
7 Robert Parish (64)
8 David Thompson (77)
9 Larry Nance (84)
10 Lenny Wilkens (97)
11 Alex English (104)
12 Dan Issel (117)
Jack McCallum (tenth place 22-50)
C Wes Unseld (45)
PF Kevin McHale (36)
SF Elgin Baylor (16)
SG Scottie Pippen (25)
PG Oscar Robertson (5)
6 Ray Allen (56)
7 Dave DeBusschere (65)
8 Earl Monroe (76)
9 Pau Gasol (85)
10 Bill Sharman (96)
11 Jack Sikma (105)
12 Gail Goodrich (116)
Paul Forrester (fourth place 42-40)
C Shaquille O'Neal (6)
PF Bob Pettit (35)
SF Walt Frazier (26)
SG Dominique Wilkins (46)
PG Jerry West (15)
6 Elvin Hayes (55)
7 Kevin Johnson (66)
8 Tracy McGrady (75)
9 Artis Gilmore (86)
10 Kevin Durant (95)
11 Chauncey Billups (106)
12 Joe Johnson (115)
Ian Thomsen (eighth place 30-42)
C Bill Walton (14)
PF Alonzo Mourning (47)
SF Larry Bird (7)
SG Clyde Drexler (27)
PG Steve Nash (34)
6 Manu Ginobili (54)
7 Chris Webber (67)
8 Michael Ray Richardson (74)
9 Dikembe Mutombo (87)
10 Andrei Kirilenko (94)
11 Fred Brown (107)
12 Blake Griffin (114)
Phil Taylor (seventh place 31-41)
C Moses Malone (13)
PF Bob McAdoo (33)
SF Rick Barry (28)
SG Sidney Moncrief (48)
PG Magic Johnson (8)
6 George Mikan (53)
7 Penny Hardaway (68)
8 Spencer Haywood (73)
9 Billy Cunningham (88)
10 Mitch Richmond (93)
11 Charles Oakley (108)
12 Derrick Rose (113)
Chris Mannix (ninth place 29-43)
C Patrick Ewing (32)
PF Willis Reed (29)
SF Bernard King (49)
SG Kobe Bryant (9)
PG John Stockton (12)
6 Paul Pierce (52)
7 Chris Bosh (69)
8 Amar'e Stoudemire (72)
9 Rajon Rondo (89)
10 Brad Daugherty (92)
11 Adrian Dantley (109)
12 Kevin Love (112)
Richard Deitsch (fifth place 37-35)
C Hakeem Olajuwon (11)
PF Tim Duncan (10)
SF Kevin Garnett (31)
SG Allen Iverson (51)
PG Bob Cousy (30)
6 Gary Payton (50)
7 Sam Jones (70)
8 Connie Hawkins (71)
9 Bob Lanier (90)
10 Hal Greer (91)
11 Dave Bing (110)
12 Bobby Jones (111)
Playoffs link
(1) Ballard def (4) Forrester 4-2
(2) Posanski def (3) Wolff 4-2
Finals
(2) Posanski def (1) Ballard 4-3
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
The Lighter Side of the NBA Lockout
As everybody knows, the NBA is now under a restrictive lockout that doesn't look like it will be resolved before the start of the NBA's 2011-2012 season. Most fans are panicked or depressed, and all are becoming less and less hopefull that the NBA owners and players will be able to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement any time soon. David Stern seems content to watch the players union squirm while he sports a cheap grin and digs in his heels. If both sides seriously wanted an NBA season next year, this debate should be able to be settled in a week at most by the two sides working together rather than acting standoffish and awkward. But both sides are too proud and too stubborn to relent with the stonefaced and short-sighted demands for respect. This means the season is cancelled.
Still, today the potential 2011-12 schedule was released as a tease by the NBA. Don't let this get under your skin, this is a tactic of the NBA owners to make people pine for the season and excite the players and make them want to fold. But the players won't back down from the owners and are settling into life without NBA contracts. And it's not all bad.
Players like Brandon Jennings and Kevin Durant have been hitting open runs. Players like Josh Howard and Mike Beasley are free from NBA drug testing. Players are free to perform stunts and feats of dangerous athletic manliness like Tony Parker's jetpack training. Players like Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, Deron Williams, and Dwyane Wade have said they are open to playing overseas and traveling the world to make use of their freedom. Pure chaos and pure freedom.
Raptors guard Sonny Weems represents the opinions of many players who are pessimistic that there will be any NBA season at all and has moved towards signing a one-year contract with a foreign team that would keep him overseas regardless of wether the players and owners can salvage at least part of an NBA season. The Raptors basically told him not to worry about the upcoming season after they opted to draft Jonas Valanciunas in the 2011 NBA draft, a player who was still under contract in Lithuania for the upcoming season. The Raps are probably banking on there not being a season anyways, with an eye on the bigger picture.
During the last lockout and economic debate in 1998-1999 the two sides managed to carve out a 50-game season after the players gave some concessions. The owners risk losing a growing fanbase and turning fans off by what is seen as greedy millionaires.
But it's not all bad. Players are free from their NBA contract restrictions and this means freedom unseen in the NBA in a long time. Players can travel and play wherever they want, worldwide. Kobe Bryant said, "One thing about basketball is that it is a global sport now, so you can play anywhere you want to." Foreign leagues have grown in the past decade since the last lockout and now constitute a legitimate training ground for NBA-level talent. If the NBA wants to expand overseas and be the first truly "global" game of the big American team/ ball sports, this may be the best thing that could have happened.
New leagues are trying to attract NBA players to grow the game in their own country, such as the NBL of Canada which has targeted locked-out NBA players to help fill its rosters.
With players travelling overseas and spreading the love of the game and the excitement of the NBA to all corners of the globe, it can only be good for the game. Foreign stars in the NBA like Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker and Andrei Kirilenko have a chance to grow the game in their native countries. Maybe the NBA will have an influx of big point-guards from Turkey in a few years who were inspired by Deron Williams' play during this lockout season. Maybe the next Kobe will be some young kid from China who is touched by Kobe's brilliance during a Chinese league one-year tour. The lockout may stimulate worldwide markets for the globalization of the game and create legitimate fanbases across the world who are ready to support an overseas NBA team to play inter-league, regular-season games with NBA teams. Yes, if the NBA wants to expand into foreign countries, no season may be as important as the season that never will be; 2011-2012 will be remembered as the year the NBA truly went global.
And how about the Olympics? By next summer, after players have had a season to mature, grow, lead, train, travel, find themselves, become involved in foreign charities, be ambassadors for the NBA to a growing global audience, and wisen to the different styles of play across the world. The players will all return to their roots and travel home from afar to share their experiences and lessons in the international sphere for the support of their home nations (unless ongoing contract complications ruin that too). Nationalism will peak and fans will clamor for high-level basketball after a long, NBA-induced longing. The NBA should have their broken financial model solved and excitement will be back about the upcoming NBA season of 2012-13. The American fan audience will embrace their wayward sons as if they were a long-distance girlfriend they haven't seen in six weeks and hold them with both love and a strangely-detached reverence.
When the players return to the NBA, it will be a different game. Players will be in new places, stars will have aged and youngsters will have matured. Some players will have gracefully left the game and taken the lockout as an opportunity to hang up their kicks peacefully while the NBA was sleeping. Yao and Shaq have begun the trend and many veterans are sure to follow in their path as little-used veterans make room for new and exciting talent that will arrive both domestically and from abroad. Skill levels will have developed at strangely different increments for different players; their progress during the off-year depending on their individual experiences.
Basketball will still be happening across the world during the lockout on many levels and bringing excitement to communities that have never been so close to NBA-level play. Basketball goes on with or without an NBA season in 2011-12, and when it finally comes back it will be more multi-cultural, globally influenced and pointed in a new and exciting international direction.
Still, today the potential 2011-12 schedule was released as a tease by the NBA. Don't let this get under your skin, this is a tactic of the NBA owners to make people pine for the season and excite the players and make them want to fold. But the players won't back down from the owners and are settling into life without NBA contracts. And it's not all bad.
Players like Brandon Jennings and Kevin Durant have been hitting open runs. Players like Josh Howard and Mike Beasley are free from NBA drug testing. Players are free to perform stunts and feats of dangerous athletic manliness like Tony Parker's jetpack training. Players like Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, Deron Williams, and Dwyane Wade have said they are open to playing overseas and traveling the world to make use of their freedom. Pure chaos and pure freedom.
Raptors guard Sonny Weems represents the opinions of many players who are pessimistic that there will be any NBA season at all and has moved towards signing a one-year contract with a foreign team that would keep him overseas regardless of wether the players and owners can salvage at least part of an NBA season. The Raptors basically told him not to worry about the upcoming season after they opted to draft Jonas Valanciunas in the 2011 NBA draft, a player who was still under contract in Lithuania for the upcoming season. The Raps are probably banking on there not being a season anyways, with an eye on the bigger picture.
During the last lockout and economic debate in 1998-1999 the two sides managed to carve out a 50-game season after the players gave some concessions. The owners risk losing a growing fanbase and turning fans off by what is seen as greedy millionaires.
But it's not all bad. Players are free from their NBA contract restrictions and this means freedom unseen in the NBA in a long time. Players can travel and play wherever they want, worldwide. Kobe Bryant said, "One thing about basketball is that it is a global sport now, so you can play anywhere you want to." Foreign leagues have grown in the past decade since the last lockout and now constitute a legitimate training ground for NBA-level talent. If the NBA wants to expand overseas and be the first truly "global" game of the big American team/ ball sports, this may be the best thing that could have happened.
New leagues are trying to attract NBA players to grow the game in their own country, such as the NBL of Canada which has targeted locked-out NBA players to help fill its rosters.
With players travelling overseas and spreading the love of the game and the excitement of the NBA to all corners of the globe, it can only be good for the game. Foreign stars in the NBA like Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker and Andrei Kirilenko have a chance to grow the game in their native countries. Maybe the NBA will have an influx of big point-guards from Turkey in a few years who were inspired by Deron Williams' play during this lockout season. Maybe the next Kobe will be some young kid from China who is touched by Kobe's brilliance during a Chinese league one-year tour. The lockout may stimulate worldwide markets for the globalization of the game and create legitimate fanbases across the world who are ready to support an overseas NBA team to play inter-league, regular-season games with NBA teams. Yes, if the NBA wants to expand into foreign countries, no season may be as important as the season that never will be; 2011-2012 will be remembered as the year the NBA truly went global.
And how about the Olympics? By next summer, after players have had a season to mature, grow, lead, train, travel, find themselves, become involved in foreign charities, be ambassadors for the NBA to a growing global audience, and wisen to the different styles of play across the world. The players will all return to their roots and travel home from afar to share their experiences and lessons in the international sphere for the support of their home nations (unless ongoing contract complications ruin that too). Nationalism will peak and fans will clamor for high-level basketball after a long, NBA-induced longing. The NBA should have their broken financial model solved and excitement will be back about the upcoming NBA season of 2012-13. The American fan audience will embrace their wayward sons as if they were a long-distance girlfriend they haven't seen in six weeks and hold them with both love and a strangely-detached reverence.
When the players return to the NBA, it will be a different game. Players will be in new places, stars will have aged and youngsters will have matured. Some players will have gracefully left the game and taken the lockout as an opportunity to hang up their kicks peacefully while the NBA was sleeping. Yao and Shaq have begun the trend and many veterans are sure to follow in their path as little-used veterans make room for new and exciting talent that will arrive both domestically and from abroad. Skill levels will have developed at strangely different increments for different players; their progress during the off-year depending on their individual experiences.
Basketball will still be happening across the world during the lockout on many levels and bringing excitement to communities that have never been so close to NBA-level play. Basketball goes on with or without an NBA season in 2011-12, and when it finally comes back it will be more multi-cultural, globally influenced and pointed in a new and exciting international direction.
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