Dunk Shots

Number Crazy

2010-12-26T18:32:00.000-08:00

I'll keep the introductory mumbo-jumbo to a minimum. I am a statistics geek when it comes to basketball. Below are a few interesting gems I dug up this afternoon. Suns fans, make of these what you will.

1) Steve Nash is #7 all-time in career three-point field goal percentage (43%), but has made nearly 800 more than anybody ahead of him on that list.

2) Grant Hill played 200 games over a 7 season span with the Orlando Magic, averaging 16.4 points per game and collecting an average of $465,000 for each game he appeared in. In the 3.5 years he has spent with the Suns since that time, he is appeared in 261 games, averaging 12.3 points per game and collected just over $30,000 per appearance. This means each point he scored as a member of the Orlando Magic can be valued at nearly the same amount he makes per game as a member of the Phoenix Suns.

3) If you count Channing Frye's college years, it took him only 7 games as a Phoenix Sun to equal his total three-point field goals made in his previous 6 years (344 games). That number? 20. Since that time, Channing has made an additional 204 threes in just 102 games.

4) Goran Dragic has dished out a career high 10 assists in one game six times. He has had 8 assists in one game four times. He has never finished with 9 assists in one game.

5) Former Phoenix Sun, and best nickname titleholder Shawn Marion, made 58 three-point field goals in his final 47 games as a Phoenix Sun. Since being traded to Miami in early 2008, Marion has only managed to hit 25 three-pointers in 188 games. Only one has come against the Suns.

6) Former Sun Boris Diaw has seen his average minutes per game increase from 31 as a Sun to 36 as a Bobcat. Despite the increase, his production has moved from 31.5 combined points, rebounds and assists per game (per 48 minutes) in Phoenix to 29.7 with Charlotte.

7) Mike D'Antoni is often associated with increasing the production of his starting PG. Steve Nash increased his combined points, rebounds and assists per game in his first season under D'Antoni from 26.3 to 30.3 (15%). How does this compare with other D'Antoni starting PGs?

Chris Duhon- 11.6 to 21.4 (84%)
Raymond Felton- 21.3 to 31.3 (47%)

8) Amar'e Stoudemire was criticized in Phoenix for lacking defensive and rebounding efforts on a consistent basis. See below:

Occurences of 10+ rebounds last year: 34 (82 games)
Occurences of 10+ rebounds this year: 16 (30 games)
Occurences of 5 or less rebounds last year: 23
Occurences of 5 or less rebounds this year: 5
Occurences of 3+ blocked shots last year: 11
Occurences of 3+ blocked shots this year: 8

Any conclusions?

More than a Championship at Stake

2010-06-06T15:55:00.000-07:00

As game 2 of the 2009-2010 NBA Finals takes a break for halftime punditry and posturing, I can't help but think about what a strong second half and game 2 victory might mean for Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. They already have to feel pretty confident, knowing that a Phil Jackson-coached team has never lost a series after winning game 1- but a 2-0 lead going back to Boston? You might as well start planning the parade.

I don't want to dance around the point I want to make here, so I'll just come out and say it (plus, the second half is about to start), If the Lakers pull this series off, Kobe Bryant will officially move ahead of Michael Jordan on the NBA's scale of all-time greatness. I know this point is easily arguable- as is the statement that MJ is indeed the current title holder of "Greatest of All-Time," but I'm serious as a heart attack. Move over MJ, the Black Mamba has his eyes on your throne.

I know what you're thinking- MJ had six championships, and never lost in an NBA Finals series- this would only be Kobe's fifth ring, and he's already been beaten in the Finals twice. This is true, but if this year's Lakers can take down the Celtics, Kobe will have accomplished something Jordan never did- beat a team with a roster full of NBA champions. Sure, Jordan led the Bulls past the Pistons in the 1991 Eastern Conference finals (on his fourth try), but this Celtics team is a different kind of beast altogether... we're talking about a starting 5 that has never lost a playoff series, and a team that embarrassed both a desperate LeBron James, and a powerhouse Orlando Magic team that was 8-0 going into the EC finals against Boston.

Before you accuse me of being a complete lunatic, understand that I grew up watching Jordan at a time when the things he was doing made him seem like more of a superhero than a gifted athlete. (I mean, the guy had his own cartoon! How awesome is that?!) Athlete after athlete would be dubbed 'the next Jordan' (usually because they were bald, went to UNC and had freakish leaping ability), and I would laugh as the Jerry Stackhouses and Vince Carters of the world would prove unworthy to be mentioned in the same breath as number 45 23. Still, Kobe is so good that I have no choice but to smack the reality into the idealistic 12 year old in me that states "'His Airness' is untouchable."

Ode to the Endangered White Guy- A Top 10.

2009-11-17T10:21:00.000-08:00

Any modern commentary on racial issues is a slippery slope, and common sense keeps most people from even attempting to walk the delicately thin line between political correctness and honest social observation. Time and time again we see 'important' people (who should know better) gobbled up by the race-vacuum for a moment of ignorance, stupidity or mistimed jest. Lucky for me, I'm a nobody... the vacuum doesn't much care for nobodies, so let's see if I can tip-toe around a sensitive subject in a humorous way without causing too much fuss...

What's going on in the NBA? Where did all the American-born white guys go? Currently, there are only 39 American-born white guys (ABWG for short) on NBA rosters- That amounts to an average of only 1.3 ABWG per team, and less than 1% of the entire league's population! While I have seen countless journalists cover the ever-decreasing number of African-Americans in baseball, no one in the media seems to be willing to shine a light on this blatantly obvious statistical oddity. Amazingly, 8 teams (Nets, Hawks, Bobcats, Pistons, Warriors, Grizzlies, Hornets and Raptors) don't have a single ABWG. Not one! The one exception to the rule seems to be the Indiana Pacers, who have 6 on their roster (double that of the next closest teams, Orlando and Chicago). Interestingly, Larry Bird is the Director of Basketball Operations for Indiana... so infer into that whatever you'd like.

I was lucky enough to witness the tail end of the careers of Bird, Kevin McHale, Bill Laimbeer, Chris Mullin, Tom Chambers, Mark Price, Craig Ehlo, John Stockton, Steve Kerr and Danny Ferry. ABWG were well represented through the better part of my childhood in the 90's as well, with Tom Gugliotta, Christian Laettner, and former Phoenix Suns Jeff Hornacek, Dan Majerle and Danny Ainge. Then, as if overnight, this decade began and the respectable ABWG vanished into thin air. Since John Stockton's last All-Star appearance in 2000, only one ABWG has been named an all-star (Brad Miller, in 03 and 04).

I'm not placing any special onus on being a white guy who plays professional basketball- frankly, I couldn't care less. I'll admit that it seems "white" players in any sport garner elevated, and sometimes undue support from fans in a way that makes me uncomfortable (remember Jason Sehorn?). The lack of ABWG in the NBA is just a strange phenomena I happened to notice a couple of years ago during a conversation about the "NBA's top 50."

The "Top 50" was a huge deal to my friends and I.As a 12 year old in 1996, the NBA celebrated it's 50th anniversary by naming it's 50 greatest players. We talked about and debated those they included for months afterward (Scottie Pippen? Really?). A couple months ago I was talking to a friend about the fairness of the racial divide in the top 50 (about 60% African-American) when I got to thinking, is there one American-born white guy I'd consider a top 50 player in today's NBA? The answer is no. You can make a case for guys like Steve Nash (Canadian) or Dirk Nowitzki (German) to be in the top 10, but the American-born white guys are rarely in the top 10 on their own teams. The situation is dire. I cringe at the possibility of Kurt Rambis being the best white guy in the game were he playing today, but it's probably true (Tom Tolbert would still be the worst). I took the liberty of compiling a list of what I believe are the top 10 ABWG currently playing in the NBA. Warning- it's not pretty.

10) Jason Kapono- Philadelphia 76ers

Kapono wouldn't be on this list if not for the fact that he is in constant contention for the NBA's all-time 3-point percentage record with past and present Suns-killer Steve Kerr (Kapono's current pct is .oo2 behind Kerr's record of .454). The problem with Kapono is that he doesn't do much of anything else (7.5 ppg career avg.).

9) Kyle Korver- Utah Jazz

Kyle Korver is best known for being an assassin behind the arc, and for looking a lot like Ashton Kutcher, but the guy's got game. While he hasn't averaged double digits since getting traded to Utah two years ago, he's a regular contributer on one of the NBA's deepest and best teams.

8) Brad Miller- Chicago Bulls

Brad Miller is the last of his kind- the only active ABWG to have played in an all-star game. While most people remember him as the smooth passing, long-range shooting, Vlade Divac counterpart from the Shaq-dubbed "Sacramento Queens," Miller continues to do good work in his second stint with the Chicago Bulls. He'll likely eclipse 9,000 career points and 6,000 career rebounds this season.

7) Mike Dunleavy Jr.- Indiana Pacers

Dunleavy is the most skilled, and most disappointing ABWG in the NBA. Before last season, he was a star in the making, averaging 19.1 ppg and shooting over 42% from beyond the arc. He missed 64 games last season, and has yet to play this year as well.

6) Kevin Love- Minnesota Timberwolves

Love fracture his left hand in this preseason and hasn't played yet this year, but he has a bright future ahead of him. In what would have been only his sophomore year had he stayed at UCLA, he averaged a ridiculous 21 points and 17 rebounds per 48 minutes. Love has become the next ABWG perennial all-star hope. Plus, he can do this.

5) Kirk Hinrich- Chicago Bulls

From 2005-2007,Hinrich was the reigning ABWG champion. He was the starting PG for a resurgent Bulls team, and seemingly had picked up right where he left off as a college Superstar at Kansas. What has happened since then? His numbers and durability have been steadily declining, and it seems that as a 28-year old, he's already mysteriously past his prime...

4) Mike Miller- Washington Wizards

Mike Miller has the distinction of being the only ABWG to win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in the last 30 years, the first to do so since Larry Bird. While he's never made an All-Star team, his career averages of 14 points and 5 rebounds make him a force to be reckoned with. He could easily be number 1 on this list if he proves his 2008-09 9.9 ppg season spent in exile (Minnesota) was an anomaly- it would also help if he cut his hair. Consider this your incentive, Mike.

3) David Lee- New York Knicks

Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought David Lee would be included in consecutive blog posts. I'll repeat the sentiment from last time, if he can find a way to prove that his 16.5 ppg and 11.5 rpg over the last 91 games are more than a product of the D'antoni system, he'll be on his way to being the highest paid ABWG on this list.

2) Troy Murphy- Indiana Pacers

The 6-11 Murphy has averaged a double-double four times in his nine year career, and somehow recently managed to become a legitimate 3-point threat, hitting 190 long shots in his last 151 games (made 253 in his first 400 games). Barring injury (he's currently injured), there's nothing Murphy can't do... besides block shots- 0.4 bpg career average, pathetic for a center.

1) Chris Kaman- Los Angeles Clippers

Apart from being the best ABWG in the NBA (Shout out to Wyoming, Michigan!), Kaman inherited the coveted title of "ugliest basketball player on earth" when Sam Cassell retired earlier this year. Kaman is averaging 22 points and 9 rebounds through 11 games this season, and with Shaq in Cleveland, the door is open for Kaman's first all-star appearance... so long as #1 pick Blake Griffin doesn't cut too far into his stats when he returns from his knee injury.

Honorable Mentions: Luke Ridnour (nearly beat out Kapono), Matt Harpring, Chris "Birdman" Andersen (Has a bit of "Sehorn" over-hype going for him), Luke Walton (would've helped if he inherited more than his father's ankles, but he's got rings...)

The Future of ABWG: Ryan Anderson, Louis Amundson, Spencer Hawes, Chase Budinger (How on earth does this guy slip to the second round of the draft?), Tyler Hansbrough

Hurting more than helping: J.J. Reddick, Adam Morrison

Contract Year Check-up

2009-11-16T07:52:00.000-08:00

The 2010 NBA Free Agent class is the most anticipated and exciting of my lifetime. While it is unlikely that LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudemire and the many other young superstars will all switch teams this summer, it is still fun to speculate about where they'll end up. There are many blogs and articles dedicated to this speculation, so I wanted to look at this from a different angle. We are approximately 1/8 of the way into this season, and I feel like that provides enough of a statistical sample to gauge how some of the NBA's best are performing, especially the stats of those high-profile players who are up for free agency. When a player is in their "contract year," you'll often see an increase in their effort and output. Players know that there are no guarantees in this business, so their next contract could very well be the last chance they have to score a lucrative deal that provides security and comfort- or in Antoine Walker's case, a chance to lose even more money in Vegas. NBA GMs have to be careful about overreacting to a player's performance in their contract year- just ask former Knicks GM Isaiah Thomas about Jerome James. James averaged 12.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game during an 11 game playoff run with the Seattle Sonics back in 2005 (an obvious departure from the 5 points and 3 rebounds he averaged over the four previous regular seasons), so Thomas reacted by giving James a 5-year 30-million dollar contract. James is now a Chicago Bull (though he has yet to appear in a game for them), but in his four years with New York he never averaged more than 3 points per game, and only appeared in 90 of a possible 368 games. Because Thomas reacted solely based on James' improbable playoff performance, James was paid $266,666 every time he played in a game for Knicks from 2005-2009, and $106,666 for every point he scored. With that massive failure in mind, let's look at some of this year's impending Free Agents...

1) LeBron James
"King" James is taking home just under 16 million this year, a salary that you might be surprised to find out makes him tied for 19th on the list of the NBA's highest paid players. James is lucky to not have to prove his worth by upping his game at all- he will get a max contract no matter what. That being said, he has identical stats as compared to last year (27 ppg, 7rpg, 7apg) despite Shaq, aka The Big Steamer, clogging the lane. See Amar'e? It can be done...

2) Dwayne Wade
Like LeBron, Wade has little to prove. It wouldn't hurt Wade to stay healthy, however, as he has missed a combined 65 games over the last 3 seasons. He has also shown that unlike LeBron, he is unable to carry his team all by himself over long stretches. The only statistic any NBA GM will be looking for Wade to improve upon will be his team's winning percentage. So far, so good, (08-09-.524, 09-10 .778)

3) Chris Bosh
Bosh is a scary player, but it's not just opposing teams he's been scaring lately, it's NBA GMs who thought they could afford his services before this season began. Bosh added 15 pounds of muscle this offseason in response to criticism that he can be a bit soft at times, and in 10 games this year he's averaging over 27 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, well above his career averages. Somebody's looking for a big payday, and I get the feeling he wouldn't mind moving to warmer weather...

4) Amar'e Stoudemire
Amar'e is beyond motivated this season. If he performs up to his potential, then he'll likely opt to terminate the last year of his deal and become a free agent in the summer of 2010. As all Suns fans know, Amar'e has many areas that could use improvement. I hate criticizing the guy, he's an athletic freak and a model citizen, but the Suns might not want to re-invest in an oft-injured defensive liability. So far this year Amar'e has played in all 11 games (a good sign) but his rebounding and blocked shot averages are down, which is surprising considering the absence of Shaq and Robin Lopez. My guess is that if Amar'e's season keeps up in this fashion, he'll turn down his early termination option and take the 18 million he's due in 2010-11.

5) Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk isn't going anywhere. He has the ability to terminate his contract's final year and be a free agent, but I'm sure Mark Cuban will do anything short of renaming Dallas "Dirklas" in order to keep him around. I wouldn't pay much attention to Dirk's early season stats either, as that team is still finding it's identity with the additions of Shawn Marion and Drew Gooden and the frequent injuries to Josh Howard (Not that there's anything wrong with 26 points and 9 rebounds per game).

6) Joe Johnson
I know what Suns fans are thinking- The traitor's money-grab is almost over. Most Phoenicians still hold a sliver of a grudge toward either Johnson or Robert Sarver for not coming together on a deal that might have resulted in multiple championships in the Valley of the Sun. Johnson probably figures he has one more 5-year 90 million dollar contact he can sign before he calls it a career, and people in Atlanta should know that Johnson has no issue going elsewhere to get it. Statistically, it looks like Johnson is on cruise control over the last 5 years, averaging just over 20 points per game along with 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Johnson has given up on proving that he can be a legitimate PG, so don't look for him to try and get another job handling the ball.

7) Michael Redd
Redd has an early termination option, but seeing how this year started with a strained knee, he might not want to exercise it- unless the constant trade rumors finally prove true, then a fresh start might give him the chance to really cash in... not that the 17 million he's making this year is anything to sneeze at, especially for a former second round pick.

8) Tracy McGrady
There's no getting around it, T-Mac is taking a pay-cut. He is the NBA's highest paid player this season at 23.2 million, and is coming off microfracture surgery (He has yet to appear in a game this season). McGrady needs to focus on contributing enough to warrant an extension with the Rockets, because with all the other big names floating around, there's no way he gets big money elsewhere.

9) Paul Pierce
Celtics GM Danny Ainge is not afraid of change. Both Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo have existed in Boston amongst swirling trade rumors even though the Celts are just 18 months removed from their championship run. Even Kevin Garnett thinks that the Celtics are Pierce's team, so it would take a massive drop off for Ainge to move Pierce instead of extending his contract. You can't really look at anything more than wins in Boston, as Doc River's s 'sacrifice stats for victories' attitude is prevalent in all of his players. If Boston's 8-3 start is any indication, Pierce should anticipate retiring as a Celtic.

10) Manu Ginobili
Who are we kidding? Manu will always be a Spur... he'll probably follow in Steve Kerr's footsteps and end up as the thinly veiled Suns/Spurs Double Agent GM some day. Good news for Spurs fans, Manu is healthy and equalling his pre-injury averages from last year.

Honorable mention: David Lee

Before Mike D'antoni arrived, Lee never averaged more than 11 points and 9 rebounds per game, since D'antoni's arrival, Lee is a 20-12 game waiting to happen. It's hard to know what's real or not in the '7 seconds or less' system, so much so that the Knicks refused to give Lee an extension before the season began. Sadly for Lee, there is nothing he can do in this system statistically to prove he's worth the 10 million a year he's looking for.

Dis-honorable Mention: Shaq
In the back of everyone's mind is the thought that Shaq could be black-balled from the NBA a la Barry Bonds. Everyone knows he can still play, and that he can still sell tickets, but unless he OBVIOUSLY helps Cleveland go deeper in the playoffs, who's gonna want him disrupting chemistry and taking up space?

Guys My Wife Thinks are Hot

2009-11-06T07:24:00.000-08:00

Who would have thought that years of forcing my wife to watch filthy-rich men our age run around with god-like bodies could've ever backfired? Oops. While she's too classy to get caught openly drooling, I've picked up on a few "hints" here and there, and managed to compile a list of guys my wife thinks are hot.

Brady Quinn

Brady Quinn and I have something in common... neither one of us is good enough to start at QB for the worst team in the NFL. Jealous barbs aside, this one surprised me- It's not like she ever gets to see him play, nor is/was she a closet golden domer. He must've made quite an impression on her in his Myoplex commercial... or perhaps it's just long standing sympathy for the nightmare he went through at the 2007 NFL Draft.

David Beckham

"It's not so much all about David Beckham," says my wife. (who's lucky I can't cook, clean or dress myself, otherwise I'd be gone) "Don't get me wrong- he's really hot. It's more that he's the face of soccer, and all soccer players are hot... especially the ones on the U.S. team." Well, at least she's patriotic.

The 2009 Arizona Diamondbacks Middle Infielders.

Stephen Drew is the first guy my wife ever came out and said, "Wow, he's hot." I didn't mind so much, it's not very easy to get her to watch baseball- Plus, I'm more of a Mark Reynolds guy myself. One day, while watching one of the many daily disappointments (better known as D-Back games), she said "I really like that guy with the neck tattoo." Mr. 'neck tattoo' is Ryan Roberts, a guy who barely made the team in spring training, then played every game like it would be his last. At times, he looked like the only guy on our team who cared. Yesterday she explained her dual allegiance-"Stephen Drew's nice to look at, but I'm afraid he'd open his mouth and prove he's the most boring man on the planet. Ryan Roberts is exciting... he has the 'bad boy' thing going for him." I feel great knowing she's imagined what a date with Stephen Drew would be like...

Ben Roethlisberger

I have to let her have this one. He's two months older than my wife, has already led her beloved Steelers to two championships, made 27.7 million dollars in salary last season and not even a car windshield at 30 mph can keep him down.

Gilbert Arenas

I have no idea what she could possibly see in any U of A grad, but she's had a crush on Agent Zero for as long as we've been married. I don't get it... unless it has something to do with the undeniable sexiness of the Washington Wizards alternate jerseys.

And you thought YOUR shoes were expensive

2009-11-05T07:47:00.000-08:00

Air Jordans were always out of my price range as a kid. I didn't mind so much considering they were as fugly as they were pricey- Still, it would have been nice to own a pair of shoes that weren't from Payless. Remember the early 90's, when kids were getting beaten up by gang members who just wanted to steal their shoes? Let's just say I got beat up for not owning shoes worth stealing, but I digress...

It's easy to feel sorry for Michael Jordan's kids. He's the best basketball player many of us have ever seen, and he did everything in his power to become as much of a legend as a "brand" that he was as a hoopster. If I was MJ's son, I might have elected to stay out of his enormous shadow by passing on basketball altogether. To their credit, Jeffrey and Marcus Jordan decided to follow in their father's footsteps (and footwear).

With Jeffrey choosing to turn down scholarship offers in order to "walk-on" at the University of Illinois, Marcus became the only one of Jordan's sons to accept a scholarship offer- choosing to play for the University of Central Florida. Prior to Jordan's arrival, UCF agreed to a 6-year, 3 million dollar contract with Adidas, in which Adidas would provide UCF with all basketball related equipment at no cost to the University. One problem- Marcus Jordan, a true Freshman on this year's team, wants to wear his father's shoes. As you can expect, Adidas was not thrilled by the prospect of the most notorious player on a team they're sponsoring running around with Nike symbols on his feet. UCF aimed to resolve the issue before their first game, but obviously it didn't happen as they had hoped- Marcus took the floor wearing Air Jordans, and in response, Adidas withdrew their contract offer to UCF.

Marcus Jordan, a freshman on scholarship who had only 1 point in his debut, has cost UCF 3 million dollars because he wouldn't join the team in wearing free shoes. The obvious question is this- would any other college basketball player be able to get away with this, or is Marcus' lineage giving him special allowances? Marcus better hope that his dad's company shows his team the same illogical loyalty Marcus has shown them... they can start by offering UCF a 6-year deal worth roughly 3 million dollars...

Weekend Review: The Winners and Losers

2009-11-03T09:46:00.000-08:00

A weekend like the one we just had only comes once a year, between the World Series, Midnight Madness, World Match play, NFL, the NYC Marathon, BCS polls, Talladega, NBA and NHL, there was something for everybody. Some people had better weekends than others, and in case you were lost in all the Brett Favre hoopla, I comprised a list of winners and losers from the previous sports weekend.

Winners:

Rajon Rondo

Suns fans may know him better by "the one that got away." Rondo has had his success with the Celtics tempered by constant trade rumors and whispers about his mental stability, but he can put all that behind him now that he has a 5 year, 55 million dollar contract extension to fall back on. The man who should've been Steve Nash's backup can now say he makes "Steve Nash money." Plus, he's got a championship ring to boot...

Vince Young

A 22 game benching for an in-game meltdown is pretty harsh for a "young" QB who had been highly touted and had early success. Due to pressure from the owner, Jeff Fisher decided to give Young a second chance to lead the 0-6 Titans, and It worked! The Titans looked energized on offense and defense in their thrashing of the Jacksonville Jaguars. And suddenly, there's hope for Matt Leinart...

The University of Cincinnati

The Bearcats are ranked #5 in the BCS poll, and have the best shot of any of the "surprise" teams this year to play in the National Championship if they remain undefeated. Their status as "winners" goes beyond their 28-7 victory over Syracuse this past weekend. Star QB Tony Pike has had to sit out the previous 2 games due to an arm injury. Since Pike has been out, Sophomore QB Zach Collaros has completed 82% of his passes for 550 yards with 7 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Pike is expected to be a high draft pick next year, and Cincinnati can take comfort in the fact that it looks like they'll be fine when he moves on.

Channing Frye

Frye was a star in AZ during high school and college. Despite a successful rookie season with the Knicks, he had begun to slowly drift into NBA obscurity. The Suns, looking to add cheap height to replace Shaq, brought Frye back home to the desert. There's no place like home. In Frye's first 3 games he is averaging 19.7 ppg, more than double his career average. Even more mind-boggling is the fact that the 6-11 Frye has 13 three-pointers, eclipsing his previous season high of 11.

A-Rod

Alex Rodriguez did everything he could to help get the Yankees to the World Series and shake the image that he can't perform in the clutch (and that he's not a real Yankee)- then he began the World Series by going 0-8 with 6 strikeouts in front of the home crowd. Yikes. Lucky for him, in Philadelphia something clicked and A-Rod batted .400 with 6 RBIs. Now, with the Yankees up 3-2 in the series and on the verge of clinching, Rodriguez can claim he contributed to the cause... maybe that will help justify his admitted steroid use, infidelity and 25 million per year contract he signed before the season.

Honorable Mentions:

Manu Ginobili- Happy Halloween.

Michael Oher- Sometimes good things happen to good people.

Ryan Newman- Surviving this makes you a winner, even if you lost.

Losers:

Darren Rovell

A respected spots writer can make a mistake, but this is the holy grail of bad judgement. Read it for yourself- I'll leave it to you to decide what is and isn't "American." He recently posted a semi-retraction.

Dirk Koetter

The former ASU coach was recently blasted by star RB Maurice Jones-Drew for not calling more running plays, and had managed to anger super-cool veteran Torry Holt earlier in the season with his decision making as well. This weekend, despite MJD gaining a ridiculous 172 rushing yards on his FIRST 5 CARRIES, "Dirkles" only called 3 more running plays for MJD the rest of the game, and the offense fell flat against a previously 0-6 Titans team. I'm not sure Koetter's seat could get any hotter than it already is.

Cleveland Fans

The Browns are as terrible as any football team can be, Ohio State is sputtering, and two pitchers who won Cy Young awards with the Indians are the Aces of the two teams participating in the World Series. It's gonna be a long winter.

Every Team that passed on DeJuan Blair in the NBA Draft

All indications were that the Suns were hoping Blair fell to #14. He did, and they passed... twice. The San Antonio Spurs picked him up at #37, and in his debut he had 14 points and 11 rebounds. What about the Suns first rounder, Earl Clark? Through 3 games he has 6 points and 10 rebounds.

Brett Favre

"What?!" you say. "But he beat his old team! He's vindicated! The Vikings are 7-1!" All these are valid points, but each of the 4 TD passes he threw in Green Bay on Sunday represent the final nails in his legacy's coffin. While many pundits and experts actually reserved judgement of whether or not Brett's 2 year mercenary sojourn was worthwhile to last Sunday's game, I'm thinking long-term. There will be no adulation for Favre from the cheese-heads in the vein of Jim Kelly, Dan Marino, Joe Montana or the man-idol himself, John Elway. Those boos were painful to hear, and the epic "I told you so" that Favre dealt out will eventually prove to be the definitive factor in his permanent expulsion from the hearts of Packer fans.

Honorable Mentions:

Antoine Walker- Is it possible to feel sorry for a man who wasted 100 million dollars?

Bob Griese- I hope he spent his weekend off studying the difference between Columbia and Mexico.

The Usual Suspects- USC and Ohio State's decade of conference dominance is coming to an end.

The NBA is back: Kerr's apology tour begins

2009-10-27T15:45:00.000-07:00

By: Ralph Amsden

Steve Kerr is a moron.

Those aren't my words, they belong to Steve Kerr himself. After trading Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks for Shaq, Kerr famously (and unwisely) uttered the phrase "If it works I'm a genius, if not I'm a moron." One has to assume that "works" is the operative word in the phrase that allows for such a judgement. Before the trade, the Suns were in first place in what was arguably the most talented and competitive Western Conference of all time. They were 34-14 and were considered legitimate contenders for the title that had been just out of their grasp the previous three seasons. Immediately following the trade the Suns failed to find a rhythm with the Big Cactus in the middle, and finished 07-08 with a record of 22-17 (including playoffs), had fallen to #6 in the Western Conference and were embarrassed in the playoffs by the same Spurs team that Kerr made the trade to finally overcome. Then came the excuses and pleas for patience- "Just give them a full season to gel" they said. So we did. Instead of progress we were rewarded with a long list of disappointments including (but not limited to) the D'antoni fallout, the hiring of Terry Porter, the Bell/Diaw trade, Jason Richardson's lawlessness, and finally, our first post-season absence since 2004.

Next the solemn and awkward admission that the trade did not "work," and furthermore, that the GM was indeed a moron. Shaq would be traded for two players that would be immediately waived. The trade that didn't make financial, practical or stylistic sense when it was executed played out exactly like those of us that weren't star-struck by Shaq's credentials thought it would. The future of a true championship contender had been mortgaged for one measly playoff win.

(In retrospect, it's hard to blame Steve Kerr. It's not his fault that he got hired to do a job that he had no prior experience with. It's like giving the keys of a Lamborghini to a 16 year-old who just passed the driver's test- How shocked can you truly be when he wrecks it?)

So with Shaq, Diaw, Bell and Matt Barnes elsewhere, what do Suns fans have to look forward to this season? Interestingly enough, Kerr decided do build a "diet" version of the run and gun teams of the past. He has decided to apologize to the fans by giving them the product they wanted... two years to late and without it's trademark swagger. The Suns of 09-10 will not apologize for their deficiencies as they have in years' past- they will embrace them. No defense? So what? No legitimate big man? Who cares? The Suns are going to try and run you out of the gym, not because they want to, but because they have to. It's the only leg up they have in a dog-eat-dog Western Conference. Here's a rundown of the current roster

Guards- Steve Nash, Goran Dragic, Leandro Barbosa, and Jason Richardson

Get used to hearing the word "aging" in regards to two-time MVP and team captain Steve Nash. You can't outperform a label like that, it just sticks. Ask Kurt Warner. Nash is obviously the heart of what the Suns are doing this year, but he'll have plenty of help from Dragic, Barbosa and Richardson. All four of them have one goal in mind- light up the scoreboard. The paint is freed up with the departure of Shaq, so they can all slash and create instead of hanging out on the perimeter the way they did last year. I believe that Goran Dragic is on the right path, and that if Alvin Gentry keeps showing confidence in him, he'll provide Nash with the opportunity to rest without worrying about the team falling apart. I also believe that besides Amar'e Stoudemire, Richardson and Barbosa are the most likely players to be traded if for any reason the Suns fail to be competitive.

Forwards- Grant Hill, Amar'e Stoudemire, Jared Dudley, Earl Clark, Lou Amundson, Taylor Griffin and Alando Tucker

The one thing that has saved Steve Kerr from the impending orange and purple lynch mob is his ability to keep Grant Hill around (and at minimum wage). If both Hill and Stoudemire are healthy, then the Suns have the most offensively talented starting forwards in the NBA, if not, it's going to be a long and depressing season filled with wishful thinking about the days of Boris Diaw. What Dudley and Amundson lack in talent, they make up for in effort. They play every night as if their next meal depends on it, and if Dudley doesn't fall in love with shooting from the outside, he and "Sweet Lou" will make the perfect complimentary players off the bench. The jury is still out on Clark and Griffin, but I don't expect either to make an immediate impact. The verdict is in on Tucker. He will never contribute in a meaningful way to the Phoenix Suns. He will go down in history as one of the best players to ever wear a D-League uniform, and nothing more.

Centers- Jarron Collins, Robin Lopez and Channing Frye

It's no "Shliendale," (If you have to ask, then shame on you) but this trio should be a great fit for what the Suns are doing this year. Lopez is a foul-magnet, and he'll spend the early portion of the year healing from a broken foot, but he showed promise toward the end of the season. Collins was brought in to fill in for Lopez while he's out. Coincidentally, Collins is also the lesser half of a set of NBA twins who played college ball at Stanford. Jarron Collins knows what to do and where to be, but don't expect him to produce any double-doubles. Finally there's Channing Frye. Acquiring Frye might be the best move Steve Kerr has made as Suns GM. Channing Frye has the ability to do all the positive offensive things Kurt Thomas used to (but his range isn't limited to 18 feet). Don't expect him to get rebounds or block shots, but if you want the lane clear so that Amar'e or Nash can function as the decision makers on offense, then Frye will quickly endear himself to you. Come to tink of it, maybe I compared him to the wrong 6-10 "Thomas."

Prediction: If the Suns remain a relatively healthy squad, I feel like they can win 50-55 games and score upwards of 110 points per night in the process. Don't look for them to be in the top half of the west, and come playoff time, I'd consider a second round appearance a huge victory for Planet Orange- but I wouldn't call it a step forward, with the way this team is built, it's more like a last hurrah.

Other odds and ends:

The Orlando Magic are better, and worse than last year's team. Their regular season should be incredibly entertaining. There is no reason they should win less than 60 games, and the Phoenix Suns record for most 3-pointers made in a single season (796- in 2004) is in serious jeopardy. However, I wouldn't be surprised if a Vince Carter-led team chokes in the playoffs, and I'm willing to guarantee right now that they don't win the title.

The Lakers are much better than last season. Scared? You should be. Ron Artest isn't just a better version of Trevor Ariza, he's the most underrated player in the NBA. If Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar hold up their end of the bargain, this team will have little resistance on their way to representing the West for the second straight year.

Boris Diaw will prove that he's the best former-Sun out there. The same guy that I once affectionately called Doris Meow played out of his mind as a member of the Bobcats. Did you know he has unlimited range? In 59 games with Charlotte last year he hit 70 3 pointers at a 42% rate. Compare that to the 41 he made in 258 games as a Phoenix Sun. I'm not sure he has the respect around the league to be selected as an all-star, but if he does get picked, you heard it here first.

Kevin Durant wins the scoring title thanks (in part) to the unselfishness of rookie James Harden.

The Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers have a bunch of random puzzle pieces that may or may not be a perfect fit. If not, then we'll have plenty of drama and intrigue in the Association, if they do, we might just see these two teams in the finals.

The Knicks will make the playoffs. Two words: Darko Milicic

The Grizzies and Warriors will be the most interesting bad teams of all time.

This year's trade deadline will either be the best ever, or a complete dud... which will make next year's free agent season unimaginably brilliant. Either way, the fans win.