ALL SAID AND DONE

LAKERS ARE CHAMPIONS. KOBE IS STILL THE BEST, PERIOD.

Non-deserving All-Stars, The Celtics New Big 3: Garnett, Pierce, Rondo.

Why are NBA fans making themselves look foolish when they vote for the NBA All-Star Team? I can make a case for both conferences, but I will just stick with the East for this entry, strictly with the Celtic All-Stars. I do understand that the NBA wants to give the fans what they want to see but fans should not be able to kid themselves when they vote for the starters. Also, I thought NBA coaches would at least know who is having an All-Star type of season when they vote in the reserves, I was obviously wrong. Fans voted for Kevin Garnett to be a starter in the All-Star Game, and the coaches voted for Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce to come off the bench. Yes, I said Rajon Rondo, not Ray Allen, RAJON RONDO. Turns out that the Celtics have a new Big 3, add Rondo, minus Allen. These three All-Stars are non-derserving and it is ridiculous that they will be playing because of ignorance.

Kevin Garnett has been injured and has basically missed a third of the season so far, plain and simple. How does someone become a starter on the All-Star Team when he has not been playing night in and night out? David Lee, now he is another story, I will get to him later. Just throwing his name in at the moment. KG is not even averaging big numbers, just mediocre at best: 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. Come on, two assists? Okay, okay, that was a joke. Since KG has come back from injury, he has not looked the same. He is slower and he cannot rise up like he used to, which is affecting his game tremendously. If he cannot even play to full potential during a regular season game, what is he going to do at the All-Star Game, power layups? Fans voted to see an injured man, fans could just go to a retirement home for that.

I thought NBA coaches knew basketball? Guess not. When coaches are allowed to choose the reserves, I thought they would at least choose players that are having a monster season so far. Does Paul Pierce fit into that category? NO. Pierce is averaging: 19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists. Dropping his averages from last season, when he made the All-Star Team. Josh Smith, remember that name too. I do not know what it is about Paul Pierce this season, but he just seems sluggish and slow. His shooting percentages are up from last season, but he his taking less shots. I have not really heard his name in the headlines but maybe he will finally start playing like an All-Star later in the season? That is why he is rewarded for it now, we can tell ourselves that at least.

Can someone say, overrated? Rajon Rondo is beyond overrated, people are already putting him in the top echelon of point guards, with Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Steve Nash. Those people are talking out of their minds or they are not even thinking correctly. Nicely put, they are just stupid. Rondo is averaging: 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 9 assists. I give it up to him that he is averaging a good amount of assists, but come on, who would not average nine assists when you just pass the ball to, "The Big Ticket," "The Truth," and "RayRay." Looking passed Rondo's assists, he averages two turnovers a game, an increase from last season. The most ridiculous stat about him is that he has a poor free throw percentage, 58%. We all know that he cannot shoot the ball, but being a point guard, at least hit your free throws? When a game is tight and times closing down to its last seconds, the opposing team would rather foul Rondo and put him on the line, instead of Perkins. That is pathetic, on Rondo's part. All Rondo does all game is push the ball down court when he can, then he waits for either Ray or Paul to finally get down court, and hand either one of them the ball. No, wait. He does way more than that right? Right. He also does that fake behind the back pass for a layup at least once or twice a game, even though it hardly goes in for him. That is Rondo's signature move for a brick layup, so if I was playing on the opposing team and saw that move coming, I would just get ready for the rebound.

On a brighter note, David Lee and Josh Smith. Those are two better than good replacements for any of the three I talked about earlier. Lee and Smith can take all three spots, and still fill up the stats. Lee is averaging: 19 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists. Smith is averaging: 15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists. Both players have played the whole season so far and are performing like superstars. David Lee is shooting 55% and Josh Smith, 51%. With Josh Smith, he did not make the All-Star Team because the Hawks already have two guys on the roster, Joe Johnson and Al Horford. Even so, why not let the Hawks have three deserving players on the All-Star Team, instead of three average Celtics? The problem with David Lee is that he plays on a team with an under .500 record. According to most analyst, players that play on a losing team do not deserve to be an All-Star. With that being said, how about if David Lee was not a part of the Knicks? The New Jersey Nets would not be the only team with a 4-40 record. I will just end my argument for David Lee and Josh Smith right now because I am sure you have heard it all day on ESPN.

The Celtics New Big 3 do not deserve to be All-Stars, and they themselves know that. The NBA should just do what American Idol does, have the fans vote, but in reality, there is already a chosen winner. Come on, if we all voted for Samuel Hung, if that was his name, I forget, people would really think he would be the first Idol? Please, Mr. Stern, fix the All-Star stupidity problem.

The Memphis Grizzlies Show, Starring: Zach Randolph

Yes, you heard me right. The Memphis Grizzlies. The Volunteers are not the only ones that can ball in that state. Memphis Grizzlies beat the Orlando Magic tonight, rallying in the fourth quarter to win their eleventh straight home game, 94-99. To many peoples surprise, including myself, the Grizzlies are in the eighth slot in the Western Conference. Since starting the season 1-8, they have gone 23-11 since. They are even above Houston, even though it seems Houston wins on any given night with just hustle. It is about time the Grizzlies get some media coverage, come on espn, at least give a shout out to the Grizz, "You go Grizz," even that would do just fine.

The unsung Mr. Double-Double, Zach Randolph, is having a season to remember. Coming into his best season since the 2006-2007 with Portland, Zach Randolph is solidifying himself as an NBA All-Star. Zach, averaging basically 21 points and 11 rebounds is having a beast of a season, but due to the small market of the Grizzlies, he is getting no credit where credit is due. Zach deserves to be in the All-Star game, at least as a reserve. I am sorry Lakers fans, not even Pau Gasol is having a season like Zach Randolph, not even close. I would say that Zach Randolph should be in consideration to win, "The Most Improved Player Award," but I will stop myself right there. "Most Improved Player Award," are you kidding me? Come on folks, Zach has been putting up huge numbers throughout his career, but then again, Zach is seen as a problem child with extra baggage that no team wants to take part of. I say he is worth the extra baggage that he brings with him to the table, as long as you get more W's in one column and less L's in the other. Even though Zach had a poor shooting night tonight against the Magic, he was the one that kept the Grizzlies in the ball game with offensive rebounds and put backs, and yea, the one he had towards the end of the game was not too shabby either.

Everyone is talking about the Oklahoma City Thunder, I include myself in that, which is "Christopher Bridges," also known as, "Ludacris!" The Thunder are supposed to be a young team on the rise but the Grizzlies are also a young team on the rise, and a better team to be exact. They have a better core group of guys compared to that of the Thunder. Grizzlies have an actual big man, Marc Gasol, which is actually turning out to be a really good player. Talk about a young group of guys: Marc Gasol (25), Rudy Gay (23), Mike Conley (22), and O.J. Mayo (22). Once you look at it, the Grizzlies have a better team at the moment and for the future, compared to the Thunder. The only weakness the Grizzlies have at the moment is in their defense or the lack of. Same goes to most if not all young teams. Another weakness is their bench play. Like I said earlier, the Grizzlies are young. Three guys coming off the bench are rookies, which explains the drastic let down on both ends of the court when the reserves are in the game.

The Memphis Grizzlies are in the hunt for the playoffs, they can even jump to the number four slot, being only one and a half games back of Utah at the moment. Zach Randolph is playing out of his shorts, but that is expected coming from a double-double machine. Come on everyone, ballers in the NBA can actually ball!

The Disappearing Bynum

We all know that this season has been a breakout season so far for Lakers center, Andrew Bynum. With his statistical increase in points and rebounds from last season, everything else he has done on the hardwood has been mediocre at best. Andrew Bynum has been averaging more minutes than last season but it still has not panned out as expected. Being the only true center the Lakers have, why is it so hard for him to average a double double or at least two blocks a game? The answer to that question is mental attitude and with mental attitude, Phil Jackson should be on top of that, being the so-called, "Zen Master."

The mentality that Andrew Bynum brings to the court is, "If I don't touch the ball, I don't want to play, period." That is how I see it at the moment. Bynum seems to disappear at the start of games if he does not get his touches and then he disappears for good. Bynum does not disappear slowly, it happens in an instant, his mind goes blank and it seems like he is just running up and down the court, unconsciously. If he does not get his touches, isn't he entitled to get himself into the game? He could be a beast on the boards if he wanted to or actually play defense. Bynum, with his size alone, should be averaging at least two blocks a game or he should be altering shots at the basket, but he does not. He is always in the wrong position or late for help defense, blame the knee or not, he just has to be in the right position to make a play on the ball, not a play on the offensive players forearms.

All of this can be changed if he just brings a better mental stat into the game. If he does not get his touches, so be it. Bynum can always change the game in some other form, rebounds or defense. The Lakers play the Knicks tonite, so hopefully Bynum can dominate against David Lee. David Lee only being a 6 foot 9 center is still a double double machine. We will have to wait and see how Bynum comes out tonite. Cross your fingers.