1. Boston Celtics

Do the Big Three have one last run in them?  More importantly, can they stay healthy?  Looks good so far.

2. Orlando Magic

Heaven help the rest of the league upon Lewis’s return.

3. Phoenix Suns

The Suns are the Surprise of the league so far, looking like the Suns of old.  Nash is ageless.

4.  L.A. Lakers

They’re still the champs, but they miss Pau.

5. Miami Heat

D Wade and O’Neal are looking like a devastating 1-2 punch.

6. Denver Nuggets

‘Mello is taking that big step.  If it continues, you’ll see the newest dominant team.

7.  Dallas Mavericks

Probably the Mavs last chance to do any real damage.

8.  Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks are almost ready to join the league’s elite.

9.  Houston Rockets

Proving that last year’s series against the Lakers was no fluke.

10.  Chicago Bulls

They miss Gordon, but this is a very balanced team.

11. Portland Trail Blazers

Slow start, but this is the deepest team in the NBA.

12.  Cleveland Cavaliers

Obviously won’t be here as the season progresses, but they’re playing like it so far.

13.  Milwaukee Bucks

Argue all you want, but the Bucks could make a playoff run.

14.  Philadelphia 76ers

Tey may be overachieving, but they belong here right now.

15.  Toronto Raptors

Keeping their heads above water in spite of a harsh schedule.

16.  San Antonio Spurs

Can’t hide from old age.

17.  Charolette Bobcats

I know it won’t last, but optimism is fun.

18.  L.A. Clippers

Bouncing back from a brutal start.

19.  New Orleans Hornets

Another good team off to a slow start.

20.  Oklahoma City Thunder

They are among the league’s most improved teams.

21.  Utah Jazz

Same old story in Salt Lake… injuries.

22.  Washington Wizards

Getting warmer…

23.  Detroit Pistons

Not near being among the elite any more, but this is disappointing.

24.  Indiana Pacers

One of the better lottery teams, for what that’s worth.

25.  Golden State Warriors

This is what they mean when they say rebuilding.

26.  Minnesota Timberwolves

Getting ugly in the great cold north.

27.  Memphis Grizzlies

How bad do you have to be for A.I. to run away?

28.  New York Knicks

I hate to say it, but Knicks fans do deserve better.

29.  New Jersey Nets

It’s lonely at the bottom.

.

Atlantic Division

1. Boston Celtics

   

   As it has for some time, the Celtics chances to return to the promised land hinge on Kevin Garnett’s health. If he’s around in June, The Celts might be, too. Losing Leon Powe will hurt the 2nd brigade, but adding Rasheed Wallace should help more. The presence of 2 future hall of famers should keep him in check.

2. Toronto Raptors

   

   Without really adding a single big name, the Raptors reaped in the free agency, improving that route more that any team in the NBA. Could be an upper tier playoff team.

3. New Jersey Nets

   

   With Vince Carter gone, can you name two other players on the Nets team? Would you want to?

4. Philadelphia 76ers

   

   With Andre Miller gone west, it will be a long year. The playoffs are a long reach this time.

5. New York Knicks

   

   It’s truly sad to see the knicks as the pathetic shadow of a franchise they have become. A season playing for a high draft choice and LeBron? Knicks Fans Deserve Better.

Central

1. Cleveland Cavaliers

   

   Shaq will of course have an impact, but the key figure will be Anthony Parker. He will be the difference between another flashy regular season and a ring.

2. Chicago Bulls

   

   Ben Gordon’s departure will take the Bulls back some. Gordan became a star in last years playoffs, but the league saw this for the blue collar team it is; you won’t outwork the Bulls. Fair chance to make the playoffs if Derrick Rose makes good progress.

3. Detroit Pistons

   

   Ben Gordon will help to make the Pistons a high scoring middls of the pack team. This isn’t a recognisable Pistons squad.

4. Indiana Pacers

   

   They were average and boring last year. They’ll be average and boring this year. Next.

5. Milwaukee Bucks

   

   Sorry, Wisconsinites. ‘Team of the Future’ translates into ‘You Suck Now.’

Southeast

1. Orlando Magic

   

   The Magic could very well have beaten the Lakers in last years finals; they were playing like the best the Eastern Conference when the year ended, and turned themselves into just that. With Vince Carter on board, they might just stay awhile.

2. Miami Heat

   

   This will be virtually the exact same Heat team as last year. Which should get them into the playoffs again this year.

3. Atlanta Hawks

   

   Expect a step back from the Hawks this year. This was a team of overachievers last year. Still a playoff bunch of misfits, but they won’t be a four seed this year.

4. Washington Wizards

   

   Is it redundant to say that this franchise lives and dies by Gilbert Arenas? With his return, they are an instant playoff team.

5. Charlotte Bobcats

   

   This could be the turnaround year for the Bobcats. Gone is bust Omeka Okeafor, replaced by Tyson Chandler. With a year of Brown under their belts, a playoff run is remotely possible.

Northwest

1. Denver Nuggets

   

   The Nuggets were, in the end, just too inexperienced on the big stage. Billups was expected to ease that, but some lessons need to be learned the hard way. They are going to be a better team for it this year. Top tier playoff team.

2. Portland Trail Blazers

   

   A team on the rise. Brandon Roy is the most underrated player in the league. If you don’t know him yet, you will…

3. Utah Jazz

   

   Boozer, Boozer, Boozer. As goes Boozer, so go the Jazz. Probably not good news in Salt Lake.

4. Oklahoma City Thunder

   

   That still doesn’t sound right. I’m sure I’ll get used to it eventually, but… In the meantime, there is always a surprise team, and with a bit of luck, it could be the thunder. Durant is that good already, and his cast suits him well. A longshot, bit maybe…

5. Minnesota Timberwolves

   

   Nothing changes at the Bottom. Go watch the Vikings.

Pacific

1. Los Angeles Lakers

   

   Only one thing may stand between the Lakers and a chance to defend their crown. And it may be enough. It may also win them another one. “It” is Ron Artest.

2. Golden State Warriors

   

   They will be fun to watch. I can’t wait for these guys to play Detroit…. that’s one to TiVo. They’ll see the playoffs, anyway.

3. Phoenix Suns

   

   The Suns will be the Suns. Lots of points. Some wins. Maybe a few early playoff games.

4. Los Angeles Clippers

   

   They said that Blake Griffin was too soft in college; The Clippers pray it isn’t true. If he lives up to the hype, they could compete for a playoff spot.

5. Sacramento Kings

   
   

   Another ragtag outfit… there do seem to be a few, don’t there? Might be competitive. But probably not.

Southwest

1. Dallas Mavericks

   

   Same team (essentially) different year. We get it…. lotsa scoring, Dirk rules, no inside, early playoff exit. Uh… Ditto.

2. San Antonio Spurs

   

   You can never count them out, obviously. It’s the Spurs. But if Tony Parker isn’t 100% come playpffs, forget it.

3. New Orleans Hornets

   

   Nothing to report here, folks. Still a playoff team, but no more

4. Memphis Grizzlies

   

   Is it just me, or do we seem to start every year asking “How will A.I. get along with_______? Where is it this time? Oh yeah, memphis. At least no one will have to care. remember when they said he was the next Michael?

5. Houston Rockets

   

   No Yao, no playoffs. No kidding. Last years inspirational effort against the Lakers aside, this will be a very average club.

And we gotta get one of these in……

Finals Preview: Magic over Lakers!

He didn’t deliver.

For a man so revered for his seemingly innate ability to come through in the clutch, Jordan’s final curtain call seemed equivalent to a buzzer-beater clanking off the back of the rim.  While the speeches of his fellow classmates subtly underscored their stellar careers, Jordan’s diatribe against those he deemed to have wronged him magnified an unhealthy amount of insecurity for a man who once sat upon the throne as the king of the sports world.

But maybe that’s the problem.  Perhaps Jordan simply has no mechanism for dealing with irrelevance.  While his brand of shoes are still adorned by thousands-upon-thousands of would-be hoops stars and his status as the game’s greatest player seems cemented, one foe that Jordan cannot defeat no matter how hard he works will always haunt him:  time.

Jordan is six years removed from suiting up for a professional basketball team, eleven since winning an NBA title.  The man can have everyone refer to him as the greatest ever to play, but that will not get his face on the cover of any more newspapers.  Nor will that earn him highlights on SportsCenter.  No, instead, he must watch purported lesser players such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James fill those voids.  And judging from his words during the hall’s induction ceremony, that must eat him up inside.

Rather than taking the time to thank friends, family, and colleagues who most certainly helped him on his steady rise to the top, Jordan took the opportunity to take to task those who slighted—and thus, as he repeatedly made clear, motivated—him during his career. 

His reserved his sharpest words for Jerry Krause, the general manager for the Bulls that Jordan butted heads with time and again during the team’s title runs.

“I don’t know who’d invite (Jerry),” said Jordan, “I didn’t.   I hope he understands it goes a long way. He’s a very competitive person. I was a very competitive person.  He said, ‘organizations win championships,” said Jordan, paraphrasing a remark from Krause, only to self-servingly counter—over a decade later, mind you—that, “I didn’t see organizations playing with the flu in Utah,” a reference to his legendary performance in game five of the 1997 NBA Finals.

Despite Krause’s absence, camera shots of the crowd offered a hint of uneasiness.  Perhaps they were curious as to why the celebration of this man’s brilliance had devolved into a volley of insults that felt more at home on the playground.  The tension only increased as Jordan began honing in on those in attendance, directing his attention to hall members Isiah Thomas and George Gervin, and the supposed ‘freeze-out’ of Jordan the two organized during the 1985 NBA All-Star festivities.

“You guys gave me the motivation to say, ‘You know what? Evidently I haven’t proved enough to these guys. I’ve got to prove to these guys that I deserve what I got at this level,’” said Jordan, putting Thomas and Gervin in the awkward position of smiling through the shock as ESPN’s cameras closed up on their faces.

But Jordan did not stop at skewering former archrivals.  He saved some barbs for opposing role players, men that should be tiniest of blips on such an esteemed person’s radar, because they had the audacity to challenge his greatness.  Jordan described a run-in with former Utah Jazz player Bryon Russell while the two visited some Bulls players during the off-season in 1994.

“Bryon Russell came over to me and said, ‘Why’d you quit? You know I could guard you. If I ever see you in a pair of shorts… When I did come back in 1995 and we played Utah … Russell is standing next to me. I said, ‘You remember the [comments] you made in 1994 about, ‘I think I can guard you, I can shut you down, I would love to play against you?’ Well, you’re about to get your chance,” said Jordan.

Remember, Russell’s greatest claim to fame will always be that of the defensive goat for the Jazz in the 1998 Finals, as he fell for the crossover (or push-off, depending on your rooting interest) that led to the iconic, title-clinching jump-shot from Jordan.  For this reason alone, he had not deserved a mention at this ceremony.  But, always the competitor, Jordan could not let this anecdote die. 

He also could not hold his tongue when it pertained to those closest to him.  He attempted to playfully reprimand Dean Smith for sticking to his policy of not glorifying freshman when Jordan received the chance to appear on a cover of Sports Illustrated for that year’s NCAA basketball preview issue.  His arrogance even allowed him to mock his children.

“I wouldn’t want to be you guys,” teased Jordan.

The entire speech played off as someone desperately trying to remind the world how many obstacles he had overcome and how great he ultimately became.  He actually invited his high school basketball coach and the man that beat him out for the last spot of the varsity team during his sophomore year.  Maybe he just wanted the world to know that all of those tales that attested to Jordan’s competitive fire were not exaggerated.  Perhaps that is the catch 22 (or, catch 23, if you will).  Michael Jordan could not have been the Michael Jordan unless he used even the slightest misunderstandings to fuel his self-motivation.

Quite possibly, Jordan, whose body language indicated that at least he thought his barbs were humorous, felt as if he had offered the world a privileged look into his psyche, what made him so great.  Maybe the person standing on that stage is the real Michael Jordan.  Basketball fans have grown accustomed to the stoic, coy Jordan that appears in Hanes and Nike commercials; so much so, that we assumed real-life Michael and television Michael shared the same persona.  Perhaps it is our fault for placing Jordan on too high of a pedestal, rendering anything but the absolute perfect speech as a let-down.  I suppose it is possible, but, in all honesty, a tad disingenuous.

Though by no means is Michael Jordan the only culprit of such trickery, we have had indications all along that the Michael Jordan we had grown accustomed to in the commercials had little in common with the actual person.  When contacted by Democratic North Carolina senatorial candidate Harvey Gantt to endorse his candidacy, Jordan famously replied, “Republicans buy sneakers, too.”  It seems unfair to criticize a man for his political beliefs, but when you consider that Gantt, an African-American representing the lower-to-middle class section of North Carolina—where Jordan hails from—had competed against a wealthy white man, you have a strong case that Michael Jordan sold out his roots for a fat paycheck.

What does all of this mean?  That, though no one can deny his basketball prowess, some of his selfish behavior, culminating with his acceptance speech, offers exhibit A for the dangers of hero-worshipping an athlete when we know next-to-nothing about his or her personal life.

I’ll be the first to admit it:  I drank the Michael Jordan Kool-Aid.  I had the number 23 jersey, the trading cards, the figures, you name it.  Quite simply, I wanted to ‘Be Like Mike.’  But after watching Jordan’s speech, hoping like everyone else to be in awe of his greatness one last time, I felt disappointed.  But then I came to the conclusion that Michael Jordan is human after all, and none of us are perfect.  Still, one thought lingered in the back of my mind:

When I find myself on the basketball court, I most definitely want to ‘Be Like Mike,’ but off of it?  Maybe I want to ‘Be Like’ someone else.

The bottom line is that Michael Jordan was unique unto himself.  He transcended not only his profession, but sports in general.  He was bigger than life; he wasn’t defined by the game he played.  Rather, he defined the game he played.  The man doesn’t belong in the basketball hall of fame… the hall isn’t worthy to hold his #23. (or even 45, for that matter.) 

But rather that try to explain how and why these are facts, I’ll let MJ show you for himself.  Here are just a few of the moments that ‘Air’ Jordan gave us…. some of the greatest moments in not only the history of basketball, but of sports itself.

Slam Dunk Contest

Before he was, well… Michael, he was a scoring, dunking phenom.  This was the birth of one of the most recognizable logos in the history of advertizing.

The ‘Flu Game’

This is the one game I’ll tell my kids and grandkids about.  The image of Scottie Pippen helping Jordan off the court is one of sports’ enduring images.

The Shrug

Another of those moments that was just… Michael.  He went nuts against Portland in the finals, popping three after three.  Who can forget the ’shrug’ as he came down the floor?

63 at the Boston Garden

It was insane to watch.  He hit ridiculous shot after ridiculous shot.  It was the first time we really realized just what Michael Jordan was capable of.  And to do it at the Garden against the Celtics made it all that much more amazing.

Switching Hands

During game one of the Bulls first championship run, Jordan pulled this poster shot out of his ear.  It was the moment everyone realized Magic’s torch had been passed…

“The Last Shot”

He could have walked away after this shot with the storybook ending.

51 at 38

A lot of us questioned his decision to come back;  here he not so subtly reminded us just who he was.

The End?

All you had to do is look at the crowd to understand the respect the man’s peers had for him.  This was the biggest gathering of NBA stars seen since the top 50 of all time was assembled.  When the best ever reaches the top of the highest mountain, the greats come out to pay homage.

He didn’t just revolutionize the game, he reinvented it.  He may not have had quite the dunk of Dr. J.  He wasn’t the marksman Larry was.  He didn’t posses Magic’s deft passing touch.  But there has never, in any sport, been a combination of so many tools.  He was able to bring greatness out of average players, and make great players seem average.  He was a man amongst boys. And most of all, he did it with class, dignity, and integrity. 

Michael Jordan was not simply the greatest basketball player of all time;  Michael Jordan was the greatest athlete and sportsman of our times as well.  Thanks for the memories, Mike.  May they all one day be like you.

While shooting is the most important skill to have in basketball, it is also the most fun. Everybody who has ever played basketball or even watched t has dreamed of making the game winning three pointer or the buzzer beating jump shot. So how do you improve or develop this skill? It is simple. Form and repetition. While you may see a person who just played a game and made two three pointers but have bad form, they are not a good shooter. Form shooting makes shots consistent. Every aspect of form needs to be if not perfect, excellent to become consistent The most important two tips on form is that shooting is done from the legs. Every time you see an NBA player shoot, their feet are always the exact same no matter how far away the shot is or who is guarding them. The feet should be shoulder width apart with the strong foot about an inch in front of the weak foot or have both feet equal. The second pointer is keep your elbow in to your body. While you do not want to force your elbow right under the ball, keep in in close to your body but comfortable. This will make the ball release straight out your hand every time. While these two things may seem really simple, not many high school players have mastered them The only way to master the form is to keep shooting at trying at it. If you decide to make a thousand shots a day, then the first day it may take nine hours, but the next day it will get easier and may only take eight and a half hours, and the next day seven. Just keep thinking that you are practicing the most effective and fun thing in basketball. Shooting.

Let’s start out basic. What is the real goal in playing defense? “To stop the other team from scoring” is what most of you would say. While that is very true, good defense can not only stop your opponent from getting points, it will help you get some really easy baskets for your own team.

I know some so-called “basketball players” who say they don’t need good defense, only scoring is fun, and if you stick with zone you don’t need good defense. All of these things are far from true, and if they weren’t, the NBA (the greatest basketball league in the world) wouldn’t have a Defensive Player of the Year Award.

In truth, I love playing defense. I often think it’s just as fun, or even more fun that playing offense in basketball. Everybody seems to be under the impression that if you score on a defender, it gives you that dominant look and makes you a true competitor. Let me get straight to the point. Because I’ve studied defense a lot, I am great at blocking shots, even in players that are several inches taller than me. Whenever I block a shot, it brings more competitiveness and momentum with it than any crossover or shot I’ve ever made. A blocked shot makes a statement: “I own you. You belong to me. If I don’t want you to make a shot, It’s not going in the basket behind me.” With solid defense, soon you will actually have your opponent too intimidated by you to take many shots. A great defender is a very scary thing for a player with the ball.

Zone Defense

Just a quick touch up on zone is all you need. Zone defense is when all 5 players on defense have a imaginary spot, or “zone” that they stay in. They only guard players in that zone. The zones are typically imaginary circles, and most places on the court can be covered with them. For years zone defense was against the rules in the NBA simply because it was too good. These days, there are plays designed for breaking down zone defense, and really all you need to do is use screens right to get to the basket and put 2 players in one of the defense’s zone to score. By todays standards, it’s usually considered “lazy defense” and not as good as man-to-man.

Man-To-Man (or just man) Defense

This is the most common type of defense. Every defensive player has a player on the other team that he/she guards, and is most responsible for defending. Players are usually matched up by height (with tall defenders by the basket) and skill–with the best defenders guarding the best scorers.

Help Defense or Help Man Defense

This is what most coaches say is the best defense there is for a typical situation and a typical team. It’s a type of man-to-man defense, which is when every defender has a man (offensive) player to guard. Help man defense uses communication to work. While many players don’t say much, if anything on the basketball court, talking to each other will let you know what to do. For example, every now and then a guard gets beat on defense right? It just happens. When it does, that defender would start yelling “Help!” until another defender sees this and starts guarding the ballhandler so he won’t get an easy layup, because every player can’t always keep their eye on the ball handler.

The Best Defense

I’ve tried this defense and it works like a charm. It’s almost the same as help man defense above. Every player guards an offensive player. How this is decided is by position and play style. You don’t want to have your team’s shortest player guarding the other team’s tallest player–the poor little guard would get embarrassed. You want your team’s best defender to guard the other teams best scorer, unless there’s a pretty big position difference or it leaves another bad matchup.

Here’s what makes my defense different. Big players (forwards and centers) don’t usually have good 3-point shooting do they? They just spend so much time up close they don’t need long range. So why guard them when they are near the perimeter? If they aren’t a threat, you don’t need to guard them! I can’t tell you how much it frustrates me to see my teammates guarding a player at the half-court line! Have your post players stay by the basket to protect from any layups, and don’t follow their man more than about 10 feet from the basket (unless their man can make that shot well) so in a way, the big defenders are kind of playing half zone defense. The only time ur post players use man defense should be when there’s a post player on the other team that can shoot 3-pointers decently, but remember not to stay in the painted area (the key, even if it’s not actually painted) for more than 3 seconds, as that is a violation.

Here’s another important thing to go along with yelling “Help!” when you get beat. When a smart ballhandler wants to attack the basket, there’s usually fewer players to either your left or your right. Wherever there are less players is where he wants to go. The reason is because if he dribbles where one of his teammates is, that teammate’s defender can pretty much guard both of them and he won’t be as open as he wants. The problem is you probably don’t know which side has fewer players because you’re keeping your eyes on your man. This is where teammates come in. They should be telling you “Push him left! Push him left!” if the open side is to your right. To “push” a player to one side, like the left, you would go a little more to your right. That way, if he goes to your right, he can’t get around you, so he’ll want to go to your left, which is good for you because he won’t get very free that way. You might call this “funneling” a player.

Screens

A screen is when an offensive player stands still in a spot, hoping that a defender will run into him so that defender can’t guard another offensive player. This is a huge part of playing defense, so don’t skip out on learning how to defend screens! This includes the deadly pick & roll. This is a topic big enough that I’ll leave it for it’s own article. Go ahead and check it out after you read this one.

On-Ball Perimeter Defense

First let’s start with you guards. Your main goal in man-to-man defense will always be to stay in front of your man. There are pretty much 2 types of scores you can try to stop in man defense. First is the drive: when your man runs to the basket and tries to get a layup. The second is the jumpshot: when he just jumps (although a few players don’t jump) and just shoots from where he is. The drive is much more deadly than the jumpshot because he can get a layup from right in front of the basket, which is a lot easier for him to make than a shot from 15 feet away from the basket.

So how do you stop a player from driving on you? It took me some time to figure this out. It’s all in your footwork, the way you stand. First of all, the ballhandler has to go around you to get to the basket. It’s much harder for them to do that when you are standing 4-5 away from them, instead of right in their face. The reason for this is that you can see where they are going and move there before they get there if you give them lots of space. Try not to just move only sideways (regardless of what coaches say) or straight backwards when a player tries to go around you. Move diagonally, always staying right in front of him/her and backing up at the same time to play it safe. If you know your man is poor at shooting from 18 feet, go ahead and give him or her 5 feet of space. It might seem like bad defense, but they will never make their way around you from that far away, and they sure shouldn’t make the jumpshot. Even if a player does make a shot or two from where you thought they almost never make shots, don’t worry, they probably got lucky. Just take a step closer and forget they scored on you. Keep in mind, when you stay far away from players, they’ll learn that jumpshots are easier than drives. But if they can’t make their jumpshots well, and they keep shooting them, you’re beating them because ur doing exactly what good defense does–force bad shots. Don’t feel like you are doing bad just because your man is taking a lot of shots.

So now that we know to give Michael Jordan some space, let’s talk about your footwork. This one is extremely important. I’ve played with  defenders who walk sideways while guarding me, like they expect me to hold their hand. You can’t move quickly enough in the opposite direction when you do that. Coaches traditionally say keep your feet wider than your shoulders and take wide sidesteps to guard a player. Don’t do that unless you’re guarding a real slow poke. If you just move sideways you will be screwed when a quick guard gets around you and all you can do is watch as he gets and And 1. Not to mention you’ll get called for a blocking foul if you move sideways and bump into a player who is right next to you. You’ll also commit a blocking foul if the ballhandler runs into you after you just step right in their way.

To start off, try this right now. Imagine a ballhandler that you are guarding. Point your big left toe at him. Your right toe should be pointing directly to your right. Now move your right foot back a few feet, so that if you were to face the spot right between your feet, your man would almost be to your left (don’t stand sideways to your man, but don’t have your body facing them either) Your feet should be set just more than shoulder width apart. You want your knees slightly bent at all times. Coaches say to have your back straight, but I lean forward because you can’t balance otherwise. Notice how above i said to have your right foot back. That’s what you do if your man tries to go to your right. If they move to your left, twist your hips so that your left foot is back, and the right one is in front. This position allows for great flexiblity in letting you move in any direction: left, right, forward, backward, to stay in front of your man, and it’s surprisingly comfortable.

Give ‘Em A Little Nudge

Now that you know footwork, you need to learn that it’s okay to give your opponent a little shove with your forearm when you meet him. Instead of just moving back and sideways to stay in front of him, as you do this it’s perfectly okay to put your forarm on his body and give him a bit of a nudge. Don’t so much push with your forearm, but put your forearm out and use your bodyweight to move it into them. This doesn’t look like a foul to a referree if you are quick and subtle about it, and it isn’t if you don’t overdo it. It just helps keep them a little ways away from you. Remember, you are always allowed to put your forearm out to stop an opponent from pushing you around, but remember to keep it folded! You can’t put a straight arm out to stop a ballhandler from going around you! That would be a blocking foul every time, even if you are standing still and they run into it. So remember, 1) always do this with a folded forearm 2) use it more to stop an opponent from pushing you, than to actually push them 3) if you have a referree that calls this as a foul, go a little easier.

Guarding The Actual Layup

Ok, now that you know how to stop your man from even getting to the basket, you need to know how to stop the layup when they do get there (happens to the best of us) or if a teammate’s man is driving to the rim. A lot of it is just the ability to react quickly, and it’s tough to coach a player into guarding layups. One thing that works great with guarding any shot is to simply put your hand(s) in the shooter’s face, right in front of their eyes. A few people actually think this is a foul, but that’s only if you hit their face. Why is this such a great way to make somebody miss? A number of reasons 1) it partially blocks their vision of the basket 2) it puts a lot of pressure on them. It’s just incredibly hard to focus on a shot when you realize just how close you are to being blocked. Even professional players with thousands of games under their belt fall victim to it. It can be useful to try and hit the ball as your man rises up with it, as even if he/she doesn’t drop it, they won’t have an easy time scooping a ball in the basket if it’s slipping out of their hands. One thing to do is pay attention to how a player shoots. I once played with a guy who was a couple inches taller than me, but i noticed that every time he got to the basket, he put the ball right on top of his head and shot. Next time he drove in, I just jumped and placed my hand above his head, just before he even put the ball up there. Surely enough, he lifted the ball up to his head, and i didn’t even have to try to block it. If they don’t have a go-to move, just stick close and put your hands up

Guarding The Jumpshot

I’ve taught you all there is to know about guarding drives, now it’s time to stop jumpshots. If you think your opponent has a decent chance to make a jumpshot from where they are at, you won’t want to be too far away. The closer you are, the better you stop jumpshots, but get too close and they will go around you. Remember, stopping the drive is much more important, so 3 feet is usually a pretty safe distance.

Timing is the key. When you see them put the ball up, move in. Don’t jump until they jump, because they might just be faking. Remember to keep your knees bent so you can jump the instant they do. Also, remember that if a player has not dribbled the ball yet, he or she can put up a fake, and if you fall for it and jump, they’ll be able to dribble right to the rim. Do NOT fall for this, be especially careful of jumping when your man hasn’t dribbled yet. The old rule of hand in the face is still what you’ll be doing here, though if you are close enough, you can attempt an actual block. The mistake most players make here is sticking their hand straight at the ball, whether it’s still in the player’s hands, or just got fired. Few times will it work, and it’ll only be if you get on the shot very quickly. I recommend sticking your hand straight up towards the ceiling. It doesn’t feel like you’ll block the shot, but try it, and you’ll be surprised. If you don’t end up getting a piece of it, it’s probably because you made your man shoot extra high to go over your hand, in which case they will likely miss. In either case, it’s a win for you.

Low Post Defense (on-ball)

The most accurate field goals in basketball, aside from layups with nobody around, are shots in the post (near the basket) Defense has a totally different feel down there because of all the contact (bumping, shoving) that goes on down low. This paragraph focuses on post defense when your man has the ball, for off-ball post defense, read the next paragraph. Most players, when trying to score in the post, either put their back or side into you, and push you with their bodies so they can get closer to the basket. This is called “posting-up”. If you let them back you down, there’s a number of ways they can score on you. A typical question is “How do I stop a big player from posting up?” If the posting player has their back to you, make contact with your forearm by putting it in the small of their back and leaning into them with a firm stance, one foot back, or your chest or pelvis. You’ll only have the pelvis defense going on if they post up on you with their ass (seems sexual reading that, but in the game you’ll see it’s really not) You are forced to lean forward when leaning on them with your pelvis or chest, with feet side by side so they don’t slip past you, so my favorite is using that forearm. If they post with their side, you’ll only want to use your forearm to keep yourself in place. Remember, if they are facing your right side, keep your right foot back, or they can spin out right behind you to score (and vice-versa if they face your left) When they shoot, try to keep your hands up and in their face. If you find that somebody is just posting up on you so hard that you can’t keep them from the basket, just “pull the seat out” and step back. They might just be posting up so hard that they fall down when you move, and this is perfectly legal for you to do. After doing this just one time, they’ll post much softer if they don’t want to be embarrassed anymore.

Low Post Defense (off-ball)

What about when your man doesn’t have the ball down low? Too many players just stand and let their man catch the ball. A player can post up on you even when they don’t have the ball. They aren’t really allowed to push you here, just keep you behind them so they can catch a pass. You can try to prevent this by getting between your man and the player with the ball. From here, you can either face your man and lean on him, with a hand in the air to prevent any pass to him as you turn your head to watch the ballhandler, or you can face the ballhandler with your back into your man. In either case, the ballhandler can lob the ball, that is, to toss it high in the air so that it goes over you, but lands where your man can catch it and go straight to the basket. You can get around this by running back behind your man so that he can’t get an open lane to the basket, as lob passes stay in the air a long time.

Perimeter Defense (off-ball)

You don’t always want to just stand in front of your man by the 3-point line if he doesn’t have the ball. You can make it harder for the other team by doing a few things to prevent him from ever getting the ball. The most common is called “deny” which is simply when you stand close to your man, almost between him and the ballhandler. You need to be able to see both your man and the ballhandler when denying. Take your hand that is closest to the ballhandler, and put it between your man and the ballhandler, so it’s in the way if the player with the ball would make a pass. Point your thumb down, so your palm is facing the ball and you can knock it down and probably steal it if the pass is made. What this will do stop your man from getting the ball, but it’ll let him run past you, toward the basket, and possibly get open for a layup, which would not be good at all. For that reason, I try not to do this often, but you can react pretty quickly to it by backpedalling to never give the passer an open lane.

Steals and Blocks

Many players have a real fetish for steals. My own nephew will all out wrestle you to get the ball out of your hands. I’ve never been too big on ripping a player dry of the ball. More my style to let them have it till they shoot…..then I send the ball to another area code. We all love the big adrenaline rush of stuffing somebody like a turkey on Thanksgiving, but after you get momentum, try more efficient blocking. Remember this: “Don’t block the ball and send it in the stands. Block the ball and keep it in your hands!” It’s easier said than done, as most blocks will only get hit right back to the shooter, but a master at shot blocking can catch a shot. The problem with trying too hard to reach for the ball when trying to steal it is that you need to lean forward to actually get it. When that happens, your man can run right past you, and you can’t backpedal because you’re leaning forward. Then when a pass comes to your man, you have to decide real quick if you want to go and try to strip that pass, or just let your man catch it. I have a friend who almost always tries to jump out and catcht the pass. Half the time he gets it, and half the time he’s too late, and runs 5 feet past his man, who now has the ball and is ordering a pizza as he dribbles to the lane to score with no defense. Your best chance at playing a passing lane is to actually anticipate the pass, and decide you’re going to jump the lane before the ball is even passed, but do be careful trying this.

Questions?

If anybody has any questions at all, ask them and I’ll try my best to answer. Hopefully many people will find this guide helpful.

After firing head coach and president Isaiah Thomas, the powers-that-be brought in new president Donnie Walsh. At that point people were just happy to get rid of Thomas. When Walsh hired the league’s best coach, Mike D’Antoni, fans knew this year would be different. The first major player move Walsh made was acquiring Chris Duhon from the Chicago Bulls. In Chicago, Duhon was the back up point guard for Kirk Henrick. But now he is the starting point guard for the Knicks. So far, this year, Duhon has helped the team greatly and he is in the top 10 in the league for assists. (Donnie made this move because current point-guard Stephon Marbury, still thought to be their most valuable and most talented player, displayed problems with their organization.)

Marbury who has been the Knicks’ best player has not played due to issues stemming back to last season. Last year, Marbury was supposed to play in a game in Phoenix when his father suddenly passed away. (He and his father were very close.) Marbury additionally nurtured relationship problems with (then) head coach Isaiah Thomas. These reasons, coupled with ensuing injury, did not result in more minutes. Marbury did not play for the rest of the season, and this cost him many of his fans.

This year was no different for the point guard. He was not playing and was having problems with the new organization. Marbury played in the preseason but did not play in the regular season because he was benched for many games. Finally, when Marbury was asked to play, he refused because his former coach from Phoenix and now Knicks coach D’Antoni did not play “the unfulfilled talent” (unfulfilled for the Knicks, anyway) for the other games. This caused Marbury to be suspended by the NBA for refusing to play.  As a result, he was hated by his teammates and was banned from practices and games until further notice. Walsh wanted buy out his contract so this drama would end. But Steph demanded his full year contract instead of his full amount of $21 million. The Knicks wanted him to give back $2 million when Marbury wished to return only $1 million. Although Marbury was not agreeing, the Knicks had a hearing where Marbury did consent to a buyout. (The buyout was private and more information has not been let out.) Later that week, the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, signed Marbury. The Celtics have now gotten stronger and are now capable of winning 2 championships in a row.

Back to the rebuilding process. Earlier in the season, the Knicks traded two top guns and a backup point guard—Jamal Crawford (who averaged 19.6ppg); Zach Randolph (who averaged 20.1ppg); and the young Mardy Collins (who averaged about 5ppg). In the trade, Jamal went to Golden State for Al Harrington. Al, who is a decent player, is not as good as Crawford’s all around game. But Harrington can score a lot of points in a hurry. And that is what the Knicks need. In the second part of the trade, the Knicks traded Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins to the L.A. Clippers. In return they got former Knick Tim Thomas and they also acquired Cuttino Mobley. Although they don’t put points on the board like Randolph does, Thomas and Mobley are very good outside shooters.

This was not a good trade for the Knicks. During their physicals, Mobley was informed of a heart problem. And, if he continued to play, his life would be in jeopardy. So the Knicks lost out on a solid shooter. The Knicks got one player who only averages 9.6ppg while Zach averaged 20.1ppg. Donnie Walsh asked Commissioner David Stern if the Clippers would give something for the loss of Mobley. The NBA denied this offer because Mobley had this problem before he got traded to the Knicks, meaning the Knicks apparently knew about this and still traded for him.

After the first trade made in the season, the Knicks were involved in a second trade on February 19 at 3:00 pm (the trade deadline day). The Knicks traded recently traded Tim Thomas, Anthony Roberson, and Jerome James to the Chicago Bulls for shooting guard Larry Hughes. Also, the Knicks traded forward Malik Rose to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Chris Wilcox. Both players have been playing well and hopefully they can make an impact on the Knicks. The Knicks now have 3 roster spots open if they want to sign some free agents. And that is exactly what they did. The Knicks signed center Cheikh Samb from the L.A. Clippers and Demetris Nichols to 10-day contracts, later to be released. Then the Knicks signed Courtney Sims, rookie Joe Crawford, Mouhamed Sene, and another rookie in Chris Hunter for the rest of the season. If the winds blow right, they can help us, too. Otherwise they will be released. There is also a slight chance that the Knicks will sign Patrick Ewing Jr. (son of Patrick Ewing) who had played in the pre-season. The Knicks have a chance to sign him again and he will bring energy, height, and strength to the Knicks. But there is no guarantee.  

Another reason why the Knicks aren’t winning is because of injuries. Players here get injured in bunches, and the rest of the Knicks have to play twice as hard to win games (which isn’t happening anyway). The typical Knicks’ player should be more careful and healthier. For example, Danilo Gallinari (the Knicks’ first round draft pick) was injured with a back injury that he suffered in the summer league. For the first 4 months of the regular season, Gallinari experienced his first, non-official coaching job—by cheering his teammates on from the bench. Thankfully, he is playing now, serving 7-8 ppg. But unfortunately, his lower back became sore again and he has gone to Italy to see a specialist on the problem. Also, Eddy Curry, Knicks’ starting center hasn’t played a whole lot this season. But, he has come back, giving the Knicks an extra body down low. The Knicks will need a full and healthy team throughout their campaign to get in the playoffs in the coming years. 

2010 is a big year for the NBA. All-Stars like Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade will be unrestricted free agents. The Knicks have had their eye on these players and this is the reason they want to be under the salary cap. So let’s hope that they will get some of these young jewels. Also, for the Knicks, Nate Robinson and David Lee are free agents as well. But it is unlikely that they will sign somewhere else.

The Knicks, this season, have been doing better than last year. But it seems they will fall short of the playoffs once again as they will not make it this year. But the Knicks will hopefully look forward to a high draft pick in the 2009 Draft.   
As D’Antoni’s young Knicks face the rest of the NBA, he will need more from his players more than ever, for the coming years.
Knicks Final 2008-2009 Record: 32-50
Knicks Final 2008-2009 Roster
No.    Player    Pos    Ht    Wt    DOB    Exp    College
 21    Chandler, Wilson
GF    6-8    220    5/10/87     1    DePaul
 5    Crawford, Joe
F    6-5    207    6/17/86     R    Kentucky
 34    Curry, Eddy
C    6-11    285    12/5/82     7    Thornwood HS (IL)
 1    Duhon, Chris
PG    6-1    185    8/31/82     4    Duke
 8    Gallinari, Danilo
SF    6-10    225    8/8/88     R    Italy
 7    Harrington, Al
FC    6-9    245    2/17/80     10    St. Patrick’s HS (Elizabeth, NJ)
 0    Hughes, Larry
GF    6-5    184    1/23/79     10    Saint Louis
 31    Hunter, Chris
F    6-11    240    6/9/84     R    Michigan
 20    Jeffries, Jared
GF    6-11    240    11/25/81     6    Indiana
 42    Lee, David
FC    6-9    240    4/29/83     3    Florida
 32    Mobley, Cuttino
SG    6-4    215    9/1/75     10    Rhode Island
 23    Richardson, Quentin
GF    6-6    235    4/13/80     8    DePaul
 4    Robinson, Nate
G    5-9    180    5/31/84     3    Washington
 18    Sene, Mouhamed
C    6-11    230    5/12/86     2    Senegal
 44    Courtney Sims     C    6-11    245    10/21/1983    1    Michigan
 9    Wilcox, Chris    FC    6-10    235    9/3/82    6    Maryland
Head Coach: Mike D’Antoni

Knicks stat chart/roster taken from nyknicks.com

Now, the question here is, should college basketball coaches apologize for using profanity. There are many ways to look at it. First of all, should college basketball coaches use profanity at all? Should they be allowed to vent their frustration in the way they do normally? Does apologizing really bury the issue for ever?

Basketball is a sport that has witnessed display of profanity in the field, as if it’s a part of the game. Nobody minds it, unless it crosses the line of tolerance. Everybody thinks, the players, the coach and the spectators themselves that using profanity shows the extent of involvement that the person has for the game.

If you ask a college basketball coach about it, then he would probably say that he needs to use profane words to spur his players on. It would make them work harder, and make them strive for that extra one last ditch effort. If his usage of profanity brings about a desired result for the team, then why should he apologize to anyone for using profanity?

Now, would you agree with the coach? You would find probably most of these college basketball coaches use profanity most of the time. It’s good from the spectator’s point of view, because it brings crowd to the game of college basketball. The usage of profanity incites fans interest towards college basketball. In fact, it promotes the game of college basketball.

When everybody around knows the advantages of the usage of profanity in college basketball, then why the coaches should apologize for using them. Still the coaches need to draw a line; they just can’t spill out anything they want. Even profanity needs to be polished. It should not be racist or hurt somebody’s pride.

The use of profanity should not cross the limits of sportsmanship. If the coaches follow these little advices then there’s no reason for them to apologize. But if the profanity becomes personal, then coaches should apologize for using them.

The San Antonio Spurs’ power forward/center is considered one of the best and most versatile players to ever play the game of basketball. He is also a 4-time NBA champion and 3-time NBA Finals MVP. What you might not know is Timmy here is a knife and sword collector. He owns several historic pieces of them and even owns a real samurai sword.

The 5th year guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers just went in for a tomahawk dunk and you often wonder what the hell he eats that makes him jump so high. The answer might just lie in your very kitchen. Lebron James professed that he loves cereal and among his favorites are Fruity Pebbles, Frosted Flakes and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. P.s. we do advice extra hard training for individuals who wish to jump as high as Lebron does.

The franchise player of the Los Angeles Lakers, a 3-time NBA Champion and the league’s new MVP, Kobe Bryant is one of the most recognized faces in sports worldwide. What you might not know about him is that his name was derived from the famous beef of Kobe, Japan. His parents saw the name on a menu and decided to name him after it. Kobe is considered the best player in the world currently and his moves often draw oohs and ahhs from the Hollywood crowd. He was asked where he got his razzle dazzle and he said he develops new moves in the off-season——– by playing against his shadow. Unbelievable? Kobe has been making us believe his whole career, so why not?

A 2-time league MVP and TIME magazine’s top 100 most influential people in the world, Steve Nash not only gives out mind-boggling assists on the court, he dishes them out off the court as well. You might have heard of his Steve Nash Foundation, how his Steve Nash Youth Basketball League has grown over 10,000 participants and that the charity event he collaborated with Yao Ming raised 2.5 million dollars to help Chinese children in need. In case you think that is all, Steve handed Canadian coach Gus Triano $25,000 to distribute the money evenly among his teammates to cover travel expenses prior to the 2000 Olympics.

NBA players are always surrounded by reporters hounding for an interview or post-game comments after every single game and seldom gets a moment of privacy from their teammates either. To tackle this problem, Kevin Garnett came up with a unique way to create space for himself in the locker room. He fashioned a doormat from athletic tape and pretended there was a door in front of his locker. Visitors therefore had to “knock” on the door before they could talk to him.

Yao Ming, height 2.29cm, is considered one of the perennial centers in the NBA. The Houston Rockets player was already taller than the average 8 year olds by the age of 4 and had to pay full fare while kids of his age rode buses for free. As a devoted student of Chinese history, he is a great admirer of the great military strategist, ZhuGe Liang, who lived from 181 to 234. The walking Great Wall also cited Tony Roma as one of his favourite restaurants in Shanghai.

Dwyane Wade. Not Dwayne Wade. Due to the unusual spelling of his name, SLAM magazine once ran a whole feature on him with his name spelt wrongly as Dwayne Wade. He had appeared on many magazine covers, most notably voted best dressed on GQ magazine and 50 most beautiful people on People magazine. What you might not know about him is for his mother’s birthday in 2008, he bought her a church as a gift. His nifty moves and highlight reel dunks had garnered world’s attention on the court. But don’t count him out of basketball after his career. Wade majored in broadcasting at Marquette University and had voiced interests in becoming an announcer after his career ends.

Jason Kidd has been one of the most efficient point guards throughout his whole career and a triple-double king. He is undefeated on the international stage and is currently leading the USA basketball team in search of another Gold medal at the Beijing Olympics to restore America’s pride. As a kid, his parents banned him from the basketball court whenever his grades went down, never allowing the sport to affect Jason’s academics. In March 2000, he broke his ankle and his wife, Joumana, dared him to colour his hair gold. As a result, he spent the rest of the season as a blonde. What you might not know is he is as good on the golf course, with his handicap somewhere in the single digits.

The dominant center from the Orlando Magic is believed to be the next big thing. His menacing physique had brought up talks about comparisons with the old Shaq, who also started off his career with the Magic. If you did watch the 2008 All-Star Slam Dunk Contest, I guess you know what everyone is talking about. If you missed it, catch it here. He is 6′11 and his vertical leap is estimated at almost 40 inches, a rare feat by a big guy weighing 295 pounds. Dwight is also a big fan of professional wrestling. On his off days, he likes to wander around Orlando and that earned him a nickname “CityWalk” by his teammates.

Last but not in the least forgotten, Gilbert Arenas is up next. We saved the most eccentric for last. “Gilbertology”. That was the name coined by the Washington Wizards’ head coach Eddie Jordan for Gilbert’s behaviour on and off the court. Arenas decided to wear 0 in college after people told him he would get zero points as a freshman at Arizona. He admits that he thrives under pressure and criticisms and likes to prove people wrong.

When players first enter the league, they were all treated to some sort of rookie treatment. Gilbert was no exception. When Warriors veterans ordered Arenas to buy doughnut to practice as part of his rookie duties, he turned up bringing plain doughnuts sprinkled with baby powder. The next time he was asked to bring doughnuts, he came with real glazed doughnuts. However, he was excused from rookie duties after his teammates heard that he had thoroughly licked every single one of the doughnuts before giving it to them.

While still with the Warriors, he once took a bath in full uniform at halftime and was rumoured to play online poker at halftimes instead of preparing for the next half. As a free agent, he was to choose between the Washington Wizards or Los Angeles Clippers, with both making similar offers. He flipped a coin and the Clippers came up 8 out of 10 times. Thus, in true GilZero fashion, he went for the Wizards to go “against the odds”.

On January 5th 2007, Gilbert threw a million dollar 25th birthday party which was dubbed the “Arenas Express” and hosted by hip hop mogul P Diddy. Above is a credit card-like invitation card sent out by Arenas, which was the entry ticket to his birthday bash.