Short Term vs Long Term: Does Winning Now Hurt The Raptors Future?

Are teams banking on a lottery pick to change the
fortunes of their teams?

Before the 2013/14 NBA season started there had been a lot of debates, discussions, assumptions and even accusations about how many general managers and their respective teams were planning to make sure they secured high draft pick/s in the talent-filled 2014 draft. 

When Masai Ujiri traded Rudy Gay, the collective sentiment was that he was setting the ball in motion for a "tank". All but making sure that the team was going to lose enough games and almost guarantee a high draft pick selection.

With Rudy Gay, there was hope for the playoffs. Without Rudy Gay, there is hope for the future. Most people thought trading Gay was a sign that the team was giving up on the season but strangely enough, at least for the last month, they has responded with wins which, if the trend continues, will jeopardize the hopes of a high pick. When the season started I figured the Raptors had a better than average chance of sneaking into the playoffs with a seventh or eighth seed and thus almost eliminating a high draft pick. I am not sure how many fans felt about this but I was personally thrilled with the possibility of the Raptors going back to the playoffs for the first time in six years. I figured Rudy Gay -- with a full training camp, preseason, and laser surgery on his eyes to boot -- was going to be the final piece for a young Raptor squad that could make the post season, especially in the weak Eastern Conference. 

I completely understand that making the playoffs, especially this season, comes with a very high risk of not adding quality talent through the draft. The roster currently has some young talented players but none of them have the franchise-player talent level that can ultimately take a team to the playoffs, yearly. Up until Ujiri orchestrated the trade that sent Rudy Gay, Quicy Acy and Aaron Gray to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons, Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes – I was all but certain that the Raptors had a chance to get a taste of the post season.

Instead, the team has somehow managed to become… well… a team! The addition of Vasquez has given Coach Casey more flexibility at the guard position. John Salmons adds a veteran presence that is very much a calming influence for DeMar DeRozan as he no longer has to fight for shots; Rudy Gay’s shot selection and shot-volume made the offence stagnant and this meant that the ball often ended in either Gays' or DeRozans' hands, as the shot clock winds down.

If I were in Ujiri's position, I would be both happy and sad about the current success of the team. On one hand I would want a top three pick which guarantees taking Parker, Wiggins or Julius Randle/Marcus Smart/Joel Embiid. On the other hand, I would be glad that the team is competing and winning games while working towards a goal of making the playoffs.

Changing the culture of the organization is something that teams need to learn. Only a handful of players can bring a winning culture to a team but most teams that want to be part of the yearly trip to the playoffs have to learn to assemble talent that can grow together and learn to win. This is what seems to be happening right now with the Raptors and I believe that if the trend of wins continues this year, it will add a special quality to the team that can only benefit the young players and the organization in the long run.

To me, a winning culture is just as important to an organization as much as a superstar player. A winning culture for the Raptors means that they will have what it takes to survive in case the lottery balls don't fall in their favor.

After all, a bottom five ranking at the end of the season only gives as high as a 25 per cent chance of the top three picks in the draft lottery.

'09 NBA Playoffs: Lebron James vs. Dwight Howard

NASA must be like a proud but yet conflicted father right now! Two of their most human-like robots will be going head to head tonight in the Eastern Conference Finals, for the NBA Playoffs. I am sure they will be watching with keen interest from the command center.

Alright...enough of the silly attempt at a joke. I think I'm the only one that gets a giggle out of calling Lebron James and Dwight Howard, NASA designed robots. Although, these two super-athletes will not actually be guarding each another; it would really please me, and any sports fan out there to see anyone of these scenarios:

• Lebron attempting a ferocious dunk on Howard
• Dwight Howard blocking Lebron on a massive dunk attempt
• Lebron absolutely obliterating Howard on a dunk
• Howard returning the favor with a two-handed dunk on Lebron's dome

Take a look at the first picture from my last post and you will notice that it is absolutely possible to sit on Howard's face with a nasty dunk. It would be a lot more exciting if it were King James in that picture instead of Kobe. I am not taking anything away from the sick dunk by Kobe but.......a robot dunking on another robot...................................okay okay, I'm really going to stop about this now.

On to the analysis/prediction:

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
1.Cleveland vs 3. Orlando
It is simply human nature to put extra emphasis on current events. It is also human nature to put blinders on when observing something or someone that is absolutely dominant. This err of the way we think dilutes our judgment and and skews our reasoning.

Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers have been very dominant during the season and they have been even more dominant during the playoffs. The effect that this is having on most fans and pundits is the feeling that the Cavs will be playing either the Nuggets or Lakers in the NBA Finals. Although the Orlando Magic struggles against the Celtics, this does not mean that the Cavs will sweep them like they did their first two series. Here are three reasons why this will not be a sweep for the Cavs:

1. Dwight Howard: Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varejao and Ben Wallace will be given the unenviable task of trying to contain Howard. Big Z is not athletic enough and might just end up being dunked on at least twice a game during this series. "Mop-head" Varejao is a very crafty defender. He is not physical enough to keep up but I can count on him flopping a few times to try and get Howard in foul trouble. Big Ben!! I have a theory about Ben Wallace. This a a tad bit controversial, so please take this with a grain of salt. I think Wallace was taking performance enhancing drugs when he was with the Pistons. My theory goes further that the league must have discovered this and told him to stop without revealing it to the media. Hence the rapid drop in athletic ability that now has him playing like a shell of his former self. I will reiterate this; this is 100% my opinion and not anything based on hear-say or facts. Wallace will be useless in guarding Howard. Well, not entirely. He will be put in the game to intentionally foul Howard to force him to make his free throws.
   
2. Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkolgu, Courtney Lee and J.J Redick. These players are match up problems unlike the cast of players that the Hawks and Heat have. Atlanta and Miami have players that are athletic but can not spread the floor with good shooting. This allowed the Cavaliers to double team and provide weak side help successfully without the fear of being burned by a plethora of good shooters. With Turkoglu often playing the point and Howard requiring double teams; the Magic will have a lot of ample opportunities to take and make open three point shots. The Cavs coaching staff will have to devise a defensive strategy to slow Howard and his group of talented shooters.
3. Home court! It's a forgone conclusion that the Cavs will win their games at home. Home court in my reason why this won't be a sweep is about the Magic at home. Orlando will at least win one game at home. The Magic have only lost twice at home in this playoffs....by a total of three points.

Now that I have established that this series will not require any fan to bring a broom to a game; nor will there be a need to use the word sweep after game three in Orlando. I must now attempt to determine who will win this series.

"The Orlando Magic are going to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers" said Charles Barkley

Sir Charles made this comment right after the Orlando Magic handily beat the Celtics in game seven on Monday. Referring back to my point that we at times make statements that are influenced by the most current events. We temporarily forget the value or impact of something that happened in the recent or distant past. I think the dominant fashion in which the Magic beat the Celtics in that game made Barkley feel that victory was imminent for Orlando.

I would have agreed with him if Lebron James were 6'5 instead of 6'8. I would have agreed with Chuck if King James were 225lbs instead of 260lbs. I would have agreed with him if this was last years version of Lebron that could not shoot well from the field, instead of this years version that is proving that jump shots from fifteen to twenty nine feet (yes, twenty nine! Dude hits shots from one or two steps from mid-court) are like layups to him.

Finally, I would have agreed with Charles Barkley if Lebron James did not give me this feeling that he wants it (championship) a little bit more than Dwight Howard. I have watched every Cavs game and I have noticed a pattern with James. Whenever a team goes on a run against the Cavs; Lebron simply puts his head down and becomes aggressive. He drives to the hoop and gets a result. A basket, a foul or both. Point here is that momentum stops for the opposing team.

My prediction: Cleveland wins series 4-2

Sportacularly yours,

The Vicarious Athlete

Umm....I Love Sports!!/My Playoff Predictions.

The process of putting thoughts and feelings into words can be complicated and somewhat tasking. The complication and confusion is multiplied when the thoughts and feelings are about things that an individual truly cares about. In such an instance, you'd want to do the thoughts some justice and make sure that the words you choose fully interprets and expresses the depth and magnitude of what is surging through your mind. In this day and age, the way people think has been going through a metamorphosis.

Now, my fellow vicarious athletes; I know you are wondering why I am rambling about thoughts and feelings that relate to the grand scheme of things outside the realm of sports. Well, the simple truth is that it is all connected. How many of you use sports as a medium more than just for entertainment purposes. A simple get away from your reality. A recluse from whatever you are going through. Sports has become more of an escape because it provides a temporary "numbing" effect on us all. For an average approximation of two to three hours during watching or participation in a variety of sporting events, you will find that nothing related to your problems or triumphs crosses you mind. You become totally engulfed in the feats of the professional athletes that are vivaciously competing on a stage before your eyes. Then there are the times when you yourself are completely captivated through participation. Whether you are playing a sport to stay in shape, to show off your skills or to simply bond with old or new friends. The fact remains that it provides a temporary mental getaway that can only be surpassed by going on vacation to a sunny location with lots of sand and water. Well...at least in my opinion.

This brings me to my point. I have found that as I continue to grow both mentally and physically that almost everything that matters to me is related to sports. Naturally, those that know me well know that God, Family and Friends are important to me but they also know that I think, breathe and eat sports. Everything about it makes me feel good on the inside. The competition, the camaraderie, the wins and the losses. The heartbreak when you favorite team loses and the excitement you feel when your team wins it all. It shapes and builds certain values that almost no other activity can provide to an individual. Teamwork, Confidence, perseverance, timeliness, patience and hard work a just a few of the character traits that being involved in sports can provide.

Alright people, I think I have said just about enough of this. This silly attempt at the philosophy of sports and how nice it makes me feel. Now back to the usual vicarious athlete in me.

The real reason I am feeling this way is because the playoffs is just around the corner in two of the four major sporting leagues in North America. The NFL is currently in hibernation right now but the 2009 draft is just around the corner. The season is just starting for the boys of summer and I must say that it's really exciting to be watching Baseball again!!!
GO JAYS GO!!!

Hockey fans are growing their playoff beards and are planning their days around their favorite teams schedules. They are making sure that their schedule is clear for the up coming evening games. Dudes are calling their boys and booking tables and booths at sports bars in advance for the weekend games.

Basketball heads are excited to watch the match ups. The uncertainty within the almost certain. Los Angeles Lakers will play Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.........(we'll see). Since I fall into this category; I know I'll be meeting up with the guys to watch the NBA playoffs. Albs, A-Ho, Brooks and the rest of the lads. The location will most like be at our usual sports watering hole. Drinks will flow, chicken wings and nachos will be devoured. Insults (in good fun of course) will be tossed back and forth and compliments (fake ones of course) will be passed around. We will watch athletes take their level of play to the highest peak of competition.

You must be thinking: "Goodness gracious....will you get to your predictions already!!!"

If you are a true sports nut like I am and have been watching or playing sports since you were a little one, then patience is one of the virtues that sports should have taught you by now. The NBA Playoffs will start on Saturday. My in depth round by round predictions will be made before then.

Until then, go back to your painful reality.

; )

Sportacularly Yours,

The Vicarious Athlete

The Game In Transition/Success Is On The Wings.

Basketball is a game that is most enjoyed when it's in transition. Perpetual motion and fast breaking styles were the norm back in the 80's. Teams were reaching the hundred point mark by the end of the third quarter and most centers in the game back then could run the floor like small forwards and shooting guards. The game went through a change during the mid nineties when team execs felt the need to slow down the game and thought that big centers that clogged the lane was the ticket to success.

I have been following basketball for a long time and I have often heard many experts state that in order to win a championship, a team needs a dominating big man. A good center that can go to work in the low post and draw double teams in order to open up the perimeter game for the wing players. I couldn't disagree more with this notion. Maybe this could have been a requirement back in the 70's and 80's but the game of basketball has evolved since then. These days, the game is dominated by ultra-athletic wing men and forwards with the skill set of some wing players. The majority of young centers coming into the league today have a paucity of skill sets. In other words, they are extremely raw and require a few years before they become.......ripe!!! Even after maturation, these new centers will not be able to dominate and take over a game as the centers of old used to. After Shaquile O'Neal retires, the game of basketball will be rid of the very last player to clog the middle and slow down the game. I should note that I am not writing this to bash O'Neal and other great centers. I am just noticing a trend that can not be ignored. In order for most teams to be successful, they will need to have good wing players and role playing or moderately talented post player.

Shaquile O'Neal, the last true big man will retire in the next couple of years and thus will end the string of dominant big men to play in the league. Shaq's pending retirement will officially close the chapter on a long line of great centers. Centers like Moses Malone, Patrick Ewing, Wilt Chamberlain, David Robinson, Willis Reed, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and my favorite player of all time; Hakeem Olajuwon. These big men were the cornerstone of their respective teams and even though they did not all win a championship ring in their careers, it was a certainty that their teams would have been worse off without them.

A few years ago the Phoenix Suns brought back a trend that was last used by the New Jersey Nets with Jason Kidd running the point; and before the Nets, it was the Golden State Warriors with their RUN TMC brand of basketball. None of these teams had a traditional big man guarding the post. Instead, they ran an offence that required fast and athletic wing players that could improvise and create something out of erratic play. More and more teams are realizing that in order to stay competitive, they will need to find a way to incorporate various elements of the run and gun style that is predicated on being athletic on the wing. With this style of basketball, traditional big men will become seldom used and often will be relegated to being the grab-a-rebound and the block-a-shot role. In order for teams today to be successful, they must invest in their perimeter play instead of their post play. I am not suggesting that the post player will become obsolete in the new NBA but rather, the center position will become more of a complimentary one to the wing position. Teams will still want and need big men but the focus will be on a big man that can run the floor, grab rebounds and get garbage points though put backs.

Here is further breakdown of my analysis. In the closing moments of a very tight game, a wing player can provide more offensive options for his teammates. A dribble drive offense requires perpetual motion from all members of the team by creating mismatches and confusion because it draws positional players away from their guarding assignments and comfort zone. It requires that the point guard bring the ball up the middle and passing to the wing players. The wing player now has a plethora of options based on how the defense reacts. He can choose to shoot; if his man leaves enough room to get a shot off. Drive to either his left or right; if his man rushes at him in anticipation of a shot. This dribble-drive will draw the opposing post players to collapse on him. He can now elevate to get his shot off in the middle of the key, pass to his very open big man, kick the ball out to the baseline or top of key for an open shot, or......another dribble drive possibility. Many teams in the league will soon be adjusting and installing a variation of the dribble drive offense that sometimes looks like a team is fast breaking at all times. It will be a revelation one day when the catalyst wing man in this scenario is actually a big man a la "Disco" Dirk Nowitzki.

Did I say revelation. As in, it will one day happen? Pardon me because "it" already happens. Albeit, only a few teams have players that combine the physical stature with this skill set.

The new breed of centers will player more like Dirk Nowitzki. They will be able to shoot the long ball, put the ball on the floor and dribble to the hoop from twenty feet out. They will be versatile like kevin Garnett and play defense on a point guard from half court. Block shots and grab the rebound in one move and then lead the fast break. The new big man will play more like a 6'6 wing man.

The game has changed a few times in the last twenty years. The influx of young players coming into the league that knew how to dunk before they made their first three point shot is forcing teams to play a game that is transition in style. This makes for a very exiting brand of basketball for the fans that want to see more running and gunning. Teams will evolve and almost every positional player will be interchangeable with almost all the positions; it is my opinion that some day in the near future, teams will look to think further outside of the box (Pun intended...Get it??.....C'mon!!!The box. As in the low post being known as "the box") when it comes to the type of players that will best fit their style on offense.

Ten years from now, you and I might go to a basketball game and hear the announcer introduce the starting lineup for our team.......

....starting at small forward, 7 foot 2 from Timbuktuuuuu...........

You look at me and I look and you. We simultaneously chime "our starting wing man is 7'2. That's amazing!"

That's when the NBA would truly be "were amazing happens!!!"

...ahem. Not saying it isn't amazing as it is right now.

Sportacularly yours,

The Vicarious Athlete

MVP-DS Part 2 of 14

First things first, I refuse to comment or blog on the dismal performance of my Raptors against the New Jersey Nets a couple of days ago. Hurts too much! Way too much!!!

Lebron James is not getting a vote in this installment of my Most Valuable Player-Decider System. I know his numbers are great. His numbers will always be great and his team has a 10-3 record but as I stated in the first installment of the MVP-DS, team record will not be a factor until the end of the season.
I'll briefly revisit it for you. If a players team does not make the playoffs or has an horrendous team record close to the end of the season, then he loses his votes. Obviously if a player has astronomical numbers but his team goes 0-6 during a voting stretch, then the result is no votes. What I am using as a main criteria for getting votes is the players stats and also the amount of supporting cast that the player has. LBJ is averaging 29ppg, 8rpg, 7asg and 1spg. Yeah, I know those are great numbers but the reason he gets no votes is that fact that his team can survive a bad game from him. Also important to getting left off this list is the fact that he is not filling the stats sheet in the blocks department. At 6'8, I guess I expect more from him in that department. You will see as you read this blog that a close friend of LBJ whom is way shorter is filling up the stats in the blocks department.

I think I have spent enough time on someone that's not getting a vote. On to the candidates.........

Is there anyone at this junction into the 08/09 NBA season that's more valuable to his team that Dwayne Wade. The simple answer is no!!! The Miami Heat should not be 7-6 and sitting in third place in the southeast standings. After seeing D-Wades performance in the Olympics, I was convinced that he would be unstoppable this season. I figured he would score a ton of points but the fact that he is currently averaging a career high in three categories is the main reason why he is the first on the list of candidates. Twenty-nine points per game seats him in the second spot for the league lead but the shocking stat is the 2bpg. At 6 foot 4 and being a shooting guard, the blocks are a revelation that his resurgence as an elite player, after an injury filled 07/08 season, is complete. Wade has also upped his steals(2.4) and assist(8). He goes to the charity stripe at a clip of eight times per game. I admit that he could improve on his ft percentage from seventy seven to around eighty percent but there is no other player in the league that is doing more for his team at this juncture in the season.


The second player to get a vote is Chris Paul. Lets talk about efficiency for a second here. CP3 is averaging three less shots per game this season but has managed to maintain his 21 point average from last season. He is currently shooting 53 percent from the field and is leading the league with averages 12 assist and 3 steals per game. CP3 has averaged in double digits in the assist department in every game except for two and has had a steal for the 96th consecutive game, this is only nine short of the NBA record of 105 set by Alvin Robertson. Paul had a triple-double for the first time this season in yesterdays win over the woeful Oklahoma Thunder.

The best power forward in the game right now is Chris Bosh! I'm not going to make the mistake of leaving him off the list this time. How could I anyway. The proof is in the pudding......and CB4's game is nice like chocolate pudding. Ahem, I know that was lame but I don't care. Tell me of any forward in the game right now that has the arsenal of offensive weapons that Bosh possesses. I say he edges even Kevin Garnett by a small margin. A career high of 27 points and 11 rebounds per game makes him one of the best players in the game right now.

I am going to go off the MVP rant a little here. A couple of days ago, while watching the half-time show on NBA TV, former Raptor Jalen Rose made a bold statement that he claims was provided by "some very credible sources." He stated that Lebron James and Chris Bosh are going to sign with the New York Knicks in 2010. He repeated it several times and got even more confident each time he said it. I am left with this conclusion that Rose is either trying to establish himself as an NBA insider a la Peter Vescey, so he is throwing out bold but baseless statements or he actually has managed to get an inside scope on this matter. Ever if it's fact or fabrication, it's not something that I am pleased to hear. After the Knicks traded Jamal Crawford, Zack Randolph and Mardy Colins a couple of days ago, New York has now cleared around US$27 million in salary-cap space for 2010. Folks, that is enough to sign both LBJ and CB4. Now consider how much they will have when they finally trade or buy-out the problematic Stephon Marbury. As a Bosh/Raptor fan, this worries me, BIG TIME!!!

Back to the votes. The second installment votes go to Dwayne Wade, Chris Paul and Chris Bosh.

Here's the tally:

Chris Paul - 2 votes
Chris Bosh - 2 votes
Dwayne Wade - 2 votes
Lebron James - 1 vote
Dwight Howard - 1 vote
Kobe Bryant - 0 votes

Sportacularly yours,

The Vicarious Athlete

I should be ashamed of myself!!! MVP-DS Revisited.

Please allow me to graciously pull my over-sized head out of the sand for omitting a player who definitely should be added to the list of ballers in my first installment of my MVP-DS.

No one can be as stupid as I was when I decided that his 1 block per game and almost no assist per game was enough reason to leave him off this list. Well, I got a shot of "profanely-filled" reality check from a good friend that called me after reading the blog.

THANK YOU Albs! Your carefully structured verbal lecture made me see my mistake. For that, I say thanks bud!!!

The player I left off is CHRIS BOSH. I did mention him at the beginning of the entry but left him off the final run of MVP candidates. How could I have left him off because of a low number of blocks per game and then include Dwight Howard and his horrendous below .500 ft percentage. Even the original Superman (Shaq) is shooting at a better clip that Howard.

Forgive me CB4. Please forgive the omission of a misguided soul such as myself. You are currently shooting 54 percent from the field, even though most of your shots are jump shots. Your 82 percent from the charity strip should not have been ignored since Howard would give you his NASA designed physique just to be able to shoot at that clip for a game.

I should be even more ashamed for ignoring the fact that you are currently in the top five for MVP talks at this point by many league experts. I saw you single-handedly carry us to victory against the Charlotte Bobcats last night; and yet I acted "ignant" by leaving you off the list.

Chris Bosh numbers thus far: 27ppg, 11rpg, 3apg and 1bpg

Those numbers are definitely MVP worthy. Here is my revised list of the candidates after the six games; in no particular order:

Chris Paul
Chris Bosh
Dwayne Wade
Lebron James
Dwight Howard

Looking forward to one of these guys and a few others to separate themselves from the pack.

Sportacularly yours,

The Vicarious Athlete

The NBA Supertar Pedigree: Born, Made or Nurtured

There's no league like the NBA........and it's love of promoting it's stars.

Don't get me wrong, I know and understand that it's all part of what is simply "sports marketing 101". It's a very simple concept people. You choose a select but small group of individuals to champion, wear, carry or represent a product. As opposed to promoting the product on it's own; as a whole. It's the type of marketing that you can find being used by various companies. I am pretty sure that the Cologne/Perfume industry would have suffered if it didn't rely heavily on a small group of celebrities in their ads.

I am not bashing or condemning the idea of marketing the few to sell to many. The truth is that it works. It just point blank works! The reason I am writing this blog is that I wonder if this will eventually come back to bite the league in it's lucrative backside. What if a team like the Sacramento Kings play inspired team ball and come out of the west to play a team like the Indiana Pacers. Wait, wait. Hold your mental tongue there for a second. I know the west is stacked and it would be a definite miracle if the Kings............correct that, way more than a miracle if the Kings were to make the finals. But humor me for half a second here. Whom would the league use in their finals marketing spree. Lets just forget about using Ron Artest. Way too much chemical imbalance in his brain to be chosen. Translation: He's too unpredictable!
Further translation: He's crazy!

I guess a good marketer can market anything, so lets say the league uses Brad Miller and Kevin Martin. Two clean cut and marketable players. I know, I know. Brad Miller is no Tim Duncan or Amare Stoudamire and Kevin Martin is no Manu Ginobili or Steve Nash. In my opinion, Miller is a hands down a better shooter and arguably a better passer than the the other two forward/centers in comparison. The question here is if Miller would play at a level worthy of being called a star.

The leagues marketing eye was on Duncan and Stoudamire from the moment their names were called by David Stern on their respective draft nights. In my opinion, I think that this type of attention added to the confidence and maybe the work ethic of both Duncan and Stoudamire. I know most athletes want to be great and work towards the goal of getting both personal and team success. What if the lack of attention made a certain athlete like........lets say Brad Miller, do 10 wind sprints but "might" have pushed himself to do 5 more if he was getting some marketing love from the league.

I know there is no way to actually measure such an effect. I liken it to a raising children. Lets say you pay more attention to one child and tell him or her that the future is bright and stardom awaits. The other child? You tell him or her that the reason he or she did not get "the call from the referee is because: you are not a star in this league. That's a call that stars like Lebron James and Dwayne Wade get". Get the point!!! Complacency sets in. In this case, Brad Miller is that child that the league did not promote. He is a stand in for all the good that could have been better, or maybe even great players in the league. Past and present.

Lebron James. Dwayne Wade. Carmelo Anthony! Add Dwight Howard to that list. He solidified his place amongst the leagues brightest stars at the All star festivities this past weekend. Only thing I ask of him is to never talk about the Superman song by Soulja Boy. I know he likes the damn song but it's just not a good match to his image or the one the league marketers would like to promote since the name of the song is "Crank that Ho". Wait till David Stern listens to the lyrics.

I better get back on track here before I over-rant on another topic.

My "Sportacular" friends. I did not write this to complain or condemn the league and it's ways. Nor am I saying that Duncan and Stoudamire are not worthy of all the attention they get. I love the game and the players. I truly do love watching the "stars" rise up to the occasion and do "Sportacular" things, but I also love watching the good and so called average players do their thing. The up and coming but neglected players. I won't give you a run down of all the ones that are not getting their just recognition but I will give you five that are improving and should be looked at as part of the leagues future superstars.

Chris Kaman - Quiet and weird (less weird after cutting his shaggy hair) . A source of double doubles and 2+ blocks for many years to come. You don't have to be photogenic to be a superstar do you?

Kevin Martin - Also quiet. Very quick in the open floor. Unorthodox shooting form but it works. He goes to the charity line 8 times a game and it's not because he's a star. I can only imagine the free throw attempt totals if he ever gets tagged as one.

David Lee - Either he leaves the New York Knicks or they build around him and Jamal Crawford. Get rid of everybody else and their mama. Yes! That includes Isaiah. Lee is surprisingly a very athletic power forward/center. Should be a starter and is a good source of double doubles for many years to come.

Deron Williams - It's almost impossible to mention his name without talking about Chris Paul. Bottom line is that they are both scary good. So how come Paul is the one being labeled as an up and coming superstar. DWill's overall package mirrors that of Paul's. Both can shoot, pass and lead a team.

Josh Smith - In my opinion he has the brightest statistical future out of the bunch. Also in my opinion, the best player on the Atlanta Hawks. Especially now that he is improving on his outside touch (all the way to the 3 point line). He is rounding out to be a very complete basketball player. I predict that he will one day average 25ppg, 11rpg, 6apg and 3bpg. He'll also have percentages of 46% on field goals and 83% on free throws. Now, those are superstar numbers to me. I have not even mentioned his athleticism and jaw dropping dunks.

My point is that the league has a bright future and should include more players like the ones I mentioned above in their superstar labeling agenda. If you won't market them as superstars, at least pay more marketing attention to them. You never know how many more wind sprints you might make them do.

Don't stop marketing the superstars you have now. Just broaden the list a little.

Sportacularly yours,

The Vicarious Athlete