Orlando Magic Make another Great Move
Prepare for even more magic in Orlando next season.
Vin-sanity is now headed to the Orlando Magic. Why do I like this move? Not only because Vince Carter is an obvious All-Star and has shown superstar potential, but because the already loaded Orlando Magic made a move to get themselves even more loaded. Like The Matrix… reloaded.
I compare the positive nature of this move to their mid-season move of last year when they traded for Raefer Alston. When Jameer Nelson went down, the Magic picked up Alston to take care of the slack. In Alston they had found another capable point guard to run the floor for the Magic. Now, they have given up Alston and Tony Battie for Vince Carter. And in all seriousness, because they have a still budding Nelson at the point, that definitely makes Vince Carter worth those two players and the other no-name they gave up to get him.
Finally, the Magic will further be known as the team who thrives on the three point play. They still have Mikael Pietrus, Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson, and Courtney Lee who can all hit the dagger three. Even the capable Anthony Johnson can do it. Now they add Carter with Dwight Howard and they have two true All-Star players on their team. This proves that the Magic were not happy with the final result of their season and I commend them for it.
Are the Cleveland Cavaliers Ready to Come Out of the East?
March 9, 2009 by AlexV · Leave a Comment
LeBron James' career year has him posting 28.1ppg, 7.4rpg, and 7.0apg. Those are the numbers of a star.
Much has been said this year about the great record and stellar play of the Cleveland Cavaliers as a unit. They currently are 2nd in the league in points given up per game only behind the Boston Celtics. Not only do they defend well, but with a league-best 28-1 home record, if they can hold onto their current number one spot in the east, then they would look to be a good favorite to enter the NBA finals. Guess again.
Although the Cavs literally wipe the floor with their non-playoff contenders when they play them, they tend to struggle against the top-tier teams of the league. They can’t beat Boston, and always seem to get thumped in the fourth quarter by them, and if they intend to win a championship, they’ll need to find a way to beat L.A. who swept them in convincing fashion with one of those losses resulting in their lone home loss.
On top of that, they even lost by more than 10 points to Orlando in Orlando this year. Their only convincing wins against a contender has been against the San Antonio Spurs, who they beat in Texas a few weeks ago after LeBron had his worst game statistically against the Houston Rockets.
In my opinion, if they face Boston or Orlando, they go down. If they somehow get to the finals and they face off against the Lakers, who not only have lots of different scorers, but are playing much better defense this year, they won’t win the title. All three teams have more than one all-star caliber player; the Lakers have Kobe, and Gasol, the Celtics have Garnett, Pierce, Allen, and Marbury, and the Magic boast Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, and Jameer Nelson. And even though James is a league leader in MVP voting, it takes more than one man to win in a league where All-Stars are almost always a necessity.
Rajon Rondo has No Business Being Considered for NBA All-Star Game
December 27, 2008 by AlexV · 8 Comments
Sorry Rajon. You may be pretty decent, but you ain't no All-Star.
One of the most mind-numbing notions I have had to endure for the past several weeks is that Rajon Rondo deserves consideration for the All-Star Game. I think that is one of the most preposterous ideas I have ever heard.
At 11.6ppg, 5 rebounds per game, and 7.4 assists per game, Rajon Rondo should be hoping that at least five guys go down for him to even make it as a backup in that game. I mean sure, he has improved a lot this season, and shows signs of maturity, but that doesn’t mean he’s an All-Star.
In the Eastern Conference alone there are six other point guards who are easily better than Rajon Rondo (and have less around them in terms of talent), and if the Celtics had one of them instead, they could even be doing better; Jameer Nelson (17ppg, 5.4apg), Mike Bibby (15.9ppg, 5apg), Dwyane Wade (29ppg, 7apg), Devin Harris (24ppg, 6.8apg), Derrick Rose (17.5ppg, 6.1apg), and Jose Calderon (12.9ppg, 8.8apg). Somebody please tell me that Rajon Rondo is doing more for his team than one of these guys!
Now, I don’t want to take anything away from Rondo. He’s a great young talent, and I think he has benefited from learning how to win a championship so early in his career. However, that is solely because of the three stars around him; Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen. Furthermore, the only aspect he truly excels at is assists and a tenacity to play hard the entire game… but I’m sorry. A lot of heart, determination, and a knack for consistently posting impressive numbers in one stat category does not make an All-Star unless you’re the old Ben Wallace blocking the crap out of everybody each year.
Maybe next year… but probably not.
