Turning Up The Heat

 

What else can LeBron James do in this season of excellence? James wrapped up a spectacular, record-setting month of February with an epic performance Tuesday night in a wild 141-129 double overtime win over the Sacramento Kings.

James scored a season-high 40 points, while dishing out 16 assists – the first NBA player to accomplish that since Kevin Johnson in 1994. What’s more impressive is the way James took over in the second extra session, scoring 11 points on 3-3 from the floor, and 4-4 from the line as he added three rebounds AND three assists. All this in FIVE minutes. The Kings, perhaps shellshocked by King James, managed only five points.

In the month of February, in which the Heat ran off 12 consecutive wins, James connected on a blistering 64 percent of his field goal attempts and scored at least 30 points eight times. His season totals are an astonishing 27.3 points a game, 7.3 assists, and 8.1 rebounds, while shooting 57 percent from the floor – easily a career-best for James.

As impressive as last night’s effort was by James, his Valentine’s Day massacre of the West’s best Oklahoma City Thunder was scintillating. The 6-8, 250-pound hybrid forward-guard-center scored 39, grabbed 12 boards and handed out seven assists.

There is simply nothing LeBron can’t do on a basketball court and that has rubbed off on his All-NBA running mate, Dwayne Wade. James’s unselfishness has led Wade to record one of his finest and most efficient seasons, averaging 21.5 points, nearly five assists, and five rebounds a game as he shoots a career-high 51.6 percent from the floor. With these two megastars in sync and on a roll, it’s hard to see any NBA team stopping a Heat repeat this year.

Duncan Most Underrated Star Ever

In his 16th season of excellence, Tim Duncan, the unassuming star of the San Antonio Spurs, still doesn't get the national attention he deserves. The 6-11 forward never seeks the limelight, plays within a strong team-oriented structure, and just wins - quietly.

Once again this season, the Spurs own the NBA's best record and although Duncan isn't the dominant player of his youth, he still is a major contributor to the amazing success of the Coach Greg Popovich-led team. Duncan is a 13-time All-Star and a nine-time All-NBA first-team selection. More importantly, he has led the Spurs to four NBA Championships, earning Finals MVP three times.

Duncan was the NBA's Rookie of the Year in 1998 after arriving to San Antonio from Wake Forest University, where he was a two-time All-American. He's won the league's MVP twice and has been named first-team All-Defense eight times. He has accumulated over 23,000 points and almost 13,000 rebounds in a remarkably consistent career.

His career averages are 20 points, 11 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, and 3.6 assists per game. Those figures increase during the playoffs. Although many experts consider Duncan to be the finest power forward in NBA history, he still gets little attention from fans because he's not flashy or loud and doesn't appear in many commercials.

He will go down in history as one of the finest players in NBA history and is a surefire first ballot Hall of Famer. He may even win his fifth title this year. It's about time America gave him his due.

Sad Day In Los Angeles

The NBA and the Los Angeles Lakers are mourning the loss of visionary Lakers' owner Dr. Jerry Buss, who died today at 80 from an undisclosed form of cancer.

Buss was one of the finest owners in sports history, purchasing the Lakers, hockey's LA Kings, and the LA Forum arena in 1979 for $67 million. He loved entertainment and parties and was the first of the owners in sports to realize the value of merging sports and entertainment. He understood that to be successful in a city like LA, where there are many nightlife and entertainment options, he had to transform an already successful Lakers franchise into a must-see event each game night.

He invited many of his Hollywood buddies to sit courtside at the games, he re-branded the Forum to the Fabulous Forum,then sold the rights to name the arena to Great Western Savings and Loan (Great Western Forum) he changed the lighting at The Forum to shine solely on the court, and he treated each game like a party. But, he never forgot about the quality of the basketball team - hiring former Laker great Jerry West to run the team. Of course, it helped that he drafted Magic Johnson, brought in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Sam Perkins, and Coach Pat Riley. Now, it was "Showtime," a moniker Buss marketed to describe the highly-entertaining, up-tempo style of basketball the Lakers played.

Buss's team won 10 NBA Titles, five with Johnson and five with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal decades later.  Magic Johnson, on Twitter, posted, "WOW! Where do I begin?! I was 19 when I first met Dr. Buss and for 34yrs he has been a father figure and best friend." Players loved Buss because he loved them and showered them with money, respect, and kindness. He was described as a laid-back, ego-less man who was a self-made billionaire. The Lakers are now estimated by Forbes to be worth over $1 billion. His hockey team, the Kings, won the NHL's Stanley Cup in 2012. He also moved the teams out of the older Forum and built a sports and entertainment palace called The Staples Center.

Buss will be missed by all in basketball, especially his former players, coaches, and employees. They don't make owners like him anymore. R.I.P. Dr. Buss.

Yankees' Spring Heating Up

Injured New York Yankees star pitchers CC Sabathia and Mariano Rivera continued their recoveries from surgery by throwing a bullpen session today at Spring Training headquarters in Tampa.

 Sabathia is on the mend from elbow surgery to get rid of bone chips and looks much thinner than previous seasons. He told the media he had butterflies while testing his elbow but seemed fine. He hopes to be pitching in a game by early March.

Meanwhile, future Hall of Famer Rivera continues his comeback from last April's season-ending torn ACL. The greatest closer in baseball history and one of the finest players ever in Yankees' history, the 43-year-old Rivera believes he will be back without any issues. He's most worried about testing the knee while fielding - no problems pitching.

Retired catcher Jorge Posada is joining the usual group of former Yankees who aid the team in teaching the younger prospects the "Yankee Culture." He joins Ron Guidry, David Wells, Reggie Jackson and others this spring. Missing for the first time in recent memory is 87-year-old Yogi Berra, who cannot travel anymore. Posada is excited to help out, telling reporters, ""I'll be bossing them around -- telling them to run and all that stuff. I miss certain things about the game. You're always going to miss certain things. I, obviously, miss my teammates the most."

In other news, new Yankee Kevin Youkilis met with former adversary Joba Chamberlain to clear the air regarding their rivalry when Youkilis donned the Red Sox uniform. Chamberlain hit Youkilis several times when they faced each other, further fueling a mutual dislike. Youkilis should eventually win Yankees fans over with his hustling, hard-playing style, which was missing for New York last season.

Michael Pineda, the promising young pitcher acquired by NY last year for Jesus Montero, is continuing his slow process from shoulder surgery. The Yankees hope to have him back by mid-season.

Mid-Season NBA Report

As the NBA nears its annual All-Star Weekend, it is time to review the first half of the season. There really have only been a few surprises this year, namely the Lakers' implosion and Dallas' mediocrity.

My half-season MVP is an easy choice - LeBron James. There really isn't a debate, although my All-Star team below will highlight some of King James' competition. James is averaging 27 points a game, on a blistering 56.5 percent shooting from the floor. In addition, he is connecting on 42 percent of his three-point attempts. He's one of the league leaders with a little over seven assists per game and is grabbing over eight rebounds. As I stated in a previous post, James has bumped his overall game up a notch higher than anyone in NBA history.

In many seasons, Kevin Durant would be a runaway MVP choice. The 6-11 forward is leading the league in scoring at a 29 points per game clip, while shooting a career-high 52% from the floor. He's also connecting on 42% of his threes and 90% from the line. If he finishes the season with 50/40/90 while averaging at least 20 points a game, Durant would be the first ever in NBA history to accomplish that.

Joining James and Durant up front is Knicks' forward Carmelo Anthony, an explosive scorer and one of the game's best players. He is second to Durant in scoring and has shown improvement in his all-around game, especially on defense. Anthony's squad is second in the Eastern Conference, behind only James' Heat.

My backcourt is filled by explosive second-year star Kyrie Irving, of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chris Paul. Easily one of basketball's most exciting players, Irving is nearly unstoppable with his variety of moves and shots. He's scoring at a 24 points a game clip, hitting on 43% from long-range. Irving is a great building block to rejuvenate the Cavs.

Paul, of the LA Clippers, is the game's best point guard, and at 27, is just entering his prime. Known for his intelligence and leadership abilities, Paul has his young squad sitting at the break with the league's third-best record. He's second (behind Rajon Rondo) in assists (9.5) and is averaging 17 points a contest. He led the Clippers to an amazing 17-game winning streak in December.

My pick for Coach of the Year is Golden State's Mark Jackson, who has created a winning atmosphere at one of the league's traditional also-rans. The Warriors have cooled a bit lately after a red-hot start, but are still in the playoff race with a 30-22 record. Young stars like Stephen Curry (my second-team guard), David Lee, Klay Thompson, and Harrison Barnes have matured quickly under the demanding Jackson.

The easy choice for mid-season Rookie of the Year is Portland point guard Damian Lillard, who is scoring over 18 points a game and dishing out nearly seven assists. The 6-3 former Weber State star has surprised many NBA experts by playing with so much maturity in his first season. Other impressive rookies include Anthony Davis (New Orleans), Bradley Beal (Washington), and Dion Waiters (Cleveland).

Spring (Training) Is In The Air

Ahh…Spring Training began today with three of the most magical words in sports – Pitchers and Catchers!  Although football has captured America’s attention over the past several decades and baseball has seen a decline in interest, the beginning anew that signifies spring baseball is still as potent to the soul as ever.

The 2013 season promises many interesting storylines including a resurgence in Canada, dominance in Los Angeles, and a battle for NL East supremacy.

Thanks to another ridiculous fire sale by the classless Miami Marlins, the Blue Jays from Toronto could make an unprecedented jump from an also-ran to title contender in  the loaded American League East. The Blue Jays, already an up and coming team, added frontline pitchers Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson from the Marlins and 2012 NL Cy Young winner RA Dickey, from the Mets – all in trades. Besides bolstering the pitching staff with pitchers who’ve accumulated nearly 300 career wins among them, the Jays signed steroid-cheat Melky Cabrera for the outfield, and added infielders Jose Reyes – one of the game’s most dynamic players- and Maicer Izturis.

Out west, both Los Angeles-area teams are looking to reach the World Series after adding firepower toward the end of last season and during the offseason. In DodgerLand, Coach Don Mattingly must be giddy after adding former AL Cy Young winner Zack Greinke to an already loaded pitching staff that includes former Red Sox ace Josh Beckett, back after an injury last season, and Clayton Kershaw – maybe the league’s best pitcher.

The offense features Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, also from Boston and Hanley Ramirez, courtesy of the generous Marlins. Crawford joins Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp to form baseball’s top outfield.

Down in Anaheim, the Angels signed megastar Josh Hamilton away from rival Texas, adding him to an already potent lineup that includes Albert Pujols and 2012 AL Rookie of the Year Mike Trout.

Back east, The Atlanta Braves reconfigured their outfield by signing the Upton brothers – BJ and Justin – and not resigning Michael Bourn. The Uptons form a dangerous outfield with rising star Jason Heyward. The Braves hope these moves will allow them to surpass the Washington Nationals in the NL East. The Nationals will look for super pitcher Stephen Strasburg to be back in dominant form after babying him and his surgically repaired elbow last season.

These are just some of the on-field stories we’ll be following in 2013. Hopefully, off-field news won’t overshadow what could be an amazing season.

College Hoops Heating Up

With about a month to go until March Madness strikes, the college basketball season is really coming alive with about 15 teams looking capable of winning the National Title. Without a clear dominant team like Kentucky and North Carolina last season, the battle for the Final Four is up for grabs.

In the past four weeks, Indiana, Michigan, Duke, and Louisville have all taken turns atop the national polls, only to promptly lose that week. In my estimation, the following squads are all capable of making a long run in the tournament in March: Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Syracuse, Louisville, Duke, Miami, Florida, Kansas, Gonzaga, Arizona, and Butler.

Now that the NFL season has ended, you may be turning to college hoops for the first time this year. One of the more exciting players on the national stage has been Indiana's dynamic junior guard Victor Oladipo, a 6-5 Michael Jordan clone, who is a human highlight reel with his athletic dunks and drives to the hoop. But, he is more than an incredible leaper. Oladipo is also shooting a sparkling 54 percent from three-point range - one of the best in the NCAA.

Syracuse sophomore point guard Michael Carter-Williams has made a huge impact for the Orange, leading the nation in assists per game with 8.5. He also contributes 12 points and nearly five rebounds a game for Coach Jim Boeheim's squad. He is a lanky 6-6 point guard, a rarity in college ball, and has developed a penchant for late-game heroics.

Sophomore Trey Burke, perhaps the top player in the country, leads highly-ranked Michigan with 18 points and seven assists an outing. Burke's lightning-quick first step and his shot-making skills have the NBA scouts drooling. He must remain at the top of his game for the Wolverines to advance deep into the tourney.

Oklahoma State's fantastic freshman guard - Marcus Smart, a muscular 6-4' 225 pounder, has NBA star written all over him. He dominates for the Cowboys by scoring nearly 15 points a contest, while adding six rebounds and nearly five assists. In his squads' last five games - all wins - Smart has poured in 96 points, pulled down 33 rebounds, and registered 21 steals. He will most certainly be playing for pay next year.

Another precocious freshman is Kansas guard Ben McLemore, who leads the Jayhawks with 16 points a game. In an overtime win over Iowa State last month, McLemore exploded for 33 points, hitting all six of his three-point attempts.

These are five of the players I've enjoyed watching so far this season. There are many more impact players that I will feature in a later post.