Break out the hometown flag as this writer is playing the role of homer. 

It couldn't be further from the truth as the Toronto Raptors shocked the Boston Celtics Wednesday night in Beantown.  The game-winning basket was scored by the man who began the year as the second-fiddle to starting point guard T.J. Ford, who suffered a career-threatening injury when he was accidentally hit in the head by Al Hortford that triggered a neck/spinal cord injury that has plagued his young career.

What Calderon has done in place of Ford has not only been remarkable, it comes to no surprise to this writer who has watched a young man with a lot of talent find himself and his abilities to be a very effective point guard in the NBA.  In fact so effective that he should be going to the NBA All-Star game this year.

My gut feeling is he won't.

Heading into the game against Boston, Calderon was scoring just under 12 per game and roughly 8.5 assists per game to go with a shooting percentage of over 50%, free throw percentage over 91% and a 3-point shot at 42% - a significant increase from last season.  Let's also remember that his assist-to-turnover ratio is over 5.5 to 1 - best in the NBA.

But you must remember that he was the backup at the beginning of the season which will naturally keep his averages low for an All-Star calibre player.  That said, Calderon has averaged 14 per game, 9.5 assists per game, 50% shooting with over 96% at the free throw line and a 41% 3-point shot over the last month.  His assist-to-turnover ratio?  It dropped to 4.7 to 1 - still incredible.  It's also incredible to watch a guy adjust to the significant increase in playing time and having to be the man in crunch time which he has done gracefully.

Despite having a much better year than Jason Kidd, Kidd will represent the East at the point guard position.  That comes to no surprise as Calderon was not on the ballot and even if he was the All-Star selection process is a popularity vote and the best player does not always get voted in.  The next spot (or two) will be filled by Chauncey Billups who is having another solid season.  If a 3rd point guard is selected it gets tricky; Joe Johnson could be asked to slide to the point guard position if he is picked to go (as could Dwyane Wade), and the other true point guard candidate that could take that last spot is Mo Williams of Milwaukee, who's having a very good year in his own right.  Jamaal Tinsley would have gotten consideration before the new year but he has begun to fade.  Honourable mention to another guy who is having a solid year is Andre Miller.  However, I don't know if he would be producing like this with a team that was going somewhere.

If there were no ballots and they stuck the vote in my hands, Billups and Calderon would be the two point guards going out of the East.  Then again, I'd probably ask to move one of the stud guards from the West into the East.  I want to run down the loaded guns they have: Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Baron Davis, Tony Parker, Jason Terry and Steve Nash.  Not too shabby.  Nash, Paul and Williams would be my first 3 picks out of the bunch.

Perhaps the late opportunity to start and the lack of publicity for Jose Calderon will be the reason he sits at home during this year's All-Star festivities.  Make no mistake about this young man because he has come a long way since his rookie year with the Toronto Raptors.  If his improvement in his game continues he will be an All-Star next year - unless we witness an incredible comeback from T.J. Ford that would spark discussion as one of the best feel-good comeback stories of 2008.

 

Sports can be funny sometimes.  We can witness an outstanding team run through an entire regular season and then take the championship as if it was theirs from the beginning.  We can also watch a team dominate in the regular season and then fall apart when the W's are more important.  We have also seen no clear cut favorite which increases intrigue amongst the viewing audience when the playoffs roll around.

Excuse me, did I say playoffs?

Indeed I did.  And I will apologize for that and for what I am about to say in regards to College Football: no team deserves to win the National Championship.

There has not been one single team this entire season that has stepped up and shown everyone that they are the team to beat.  Anytime a team would be ranked inside the top 3 they would become virtually allergic to their ranking and flame out against a team they should have whacked.  No clutchness at all from the teams that are playing for the National Championship. 

You can talk about parody all you want.  The National Championship lacks lustre this season thanks to certain teams inability to get the job done.  Someone will fall into winning the National Championship this year and many people will wonder if they truly deserved it.  The answer is no, and the solution is a tournament.  No matter how you attempt to schedule it and no matter where each game is played, this year is the clear-cut reason as to why a tournament needs to happen.  When every team has given us a reason not to be #1 you have a tough time arguing who really got screwed.  EVERY team did something to cost themselves a National Championships.  Unfortunately 2 teams had to attend and everyone figured LSU and Ohio State are the two that best fit.  Maybe.  I can't agree or disagree.  A tourney is in order and it cannot come soon enough.

Other stuff...

- I know a lot of people enjoy trying to debate the MVP race in the NFL but there is no debate - Tom Brady is the MVP.  That is it, no more discussion.  Look, Randy Moss is a great wide receiver without question.  And yes, Brady's numbers would not be as good without Moss.  Just like Moss's numbers would be worse without Brady.  The other difference between the two: one of them has a shot at breaking all the single season records.  That would be Brady.

And we are watching someone who finally has a lot of talent around him.  No way Deion Branch catches some of the balls both Moss and Dante Stallworth have grabbed.  I'm not saying Stallworth is better than Branch, all I am saying is there are certain catches certain guys can make over others.  Brady has adjusted very well and that is what great quarterbacks do.

- Or you can adjust your game in a negative way and completely went out of his way to make pass attempts that you would think a brainless rookie would make.  Or a guy who wanted to be a hero.  Yes I am talking about your beloved Brett Favre.  Again he did not look all happy when Ryan Grant ran for a fabulous touchdown.  All of his questionable long bombs points to the direction that his game plan was not for the good of the team but for himself.  It took an injury to him to get Green Bay back into the game.  That along with a Terrell Owens drop in the end zone.  That was ugly. 

- Eli Manning clutched up this week.  He's gotten beat up by the media more than Donovan McNabb.  Eli, in case you don't know, is white.  But my issue isn't race (obviously), its really if he truly deserves to get beaten up as much as he has by the fans and media.  There are certainly other quarterbacks who should be taking some more than Eli.

- Like Sean Taylor, the Washington Redskins lost to Buffalo because they didn't use their brain.  If both used them, Taylor would be alive and Washington could have won.  Or not.

- If I am a team in need of a bat I would be going after Miguel Cabrera HARD.  Apparently the Angels think they are close and that would really boost their lineup.  But again, who is going to play short for them?

- The New York Mets held out for a long time only to trade Lastings Milledge for nothing.  Good work guys. 

- And Elijah Dukes will join Lastings in Washington.  He's a character guy.

- I said before the NBA season that Tony Parker would shock everyone and win the MVP.  Yes I went out on a limb, and the prediction is a long shot.  But with Tim Duncan out for a bit this will be a good time to see if my Parker pick may actually be better than originally expected.  But he has never looked better in my opinion than he has this year.  He won't get 10 assists but when he shoots well over 50%, plays adequate defense and runs the floor extremely well he shows he is one of the top point guards around.  Let's see what he can do.

- Just looked up at the television screen and saw a picture of Ms. Puerto Rico who may not have been pepper sprayed after all.  You guys can take that line in any erec...sorry, direction you want.

The 2006/07 NBA season is fast approaching as I got jacked up listening to an interview done with Toronto Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo yesterday.  Personally, I think the guy is one of the best GM's around and already I like the guy, even if the Raps only win 20 games this year.  

Basketball is a sport that hasn't really gotten much attention from me since my arrival to Blog Nation back in early December of 2005.  But, with these darn Fantasy League drafts coming up the time to think about the game is now.

Also, what has sparked a blog is an argument I had this morning with my brother in regards to where we want to draft.  Apparently it was initiated by me when I dropped this exact line:

"I want to have the number 1 pick so I can draft the best player in the NBA: Lebron James".

Uh oh, let the debate begin.

He says, "Lebron James?  I don't even know if he's top three!"

"Not top 3?  Who's better?

"Dwyane Wade is better, and Kobe's better.  Heck, I'd go with a healthy Shaq."

"HEALTHY SHAQ!!?  No freaking way."

- Basically I would go on to argue that Kobe and Wade do not have the balance of numbers that LBJ has.  He can mix in scoring, rebounding and assists better than the other two.  Granted, that is not what makes you the best player in the league but its a great place to start the argument.

Take into consideration that like James, Bryant was drafted right out of high school.  Out of the two of them, James obviously had the bigger impact on the court coming out of high school.  His game was better prepared for the NBA level.  Sure he got to play more minutes, but Kobe's game either wasn't at the level it needed to be or he wasn't quite mature enough to handle the NBA game.  Either way, Lebron has the head start.

Wade's playoff performance was incredible and I have a ton of respect for his game.  As of now, Lebron stands to have a better chance to win a scoring title than Wade and has the capability of doing the same things as Wade in a bigger body.  This is not to say bigger means better, but I would certainly be all over wanting a player like LBJ who has speed like a guard and strength like a power forward.

CHAMPIONSHIPS:

Wade has 1, Kobe has 3, Lebron has 0.  Guess what Lebron also doesn't have?  Shaquille O'Neal.  Having the most dominating Centers over the last 10 years would certainly help the chances of your basketball team.  Shaq has been to the finals 6 times over the last 12 years and 9 times in the conference finals.  That is mighty impressive.  

Every great player has it's running mate: MJ had Scottie Pippen who may not be a 50 greatest in many people's eye but a damn good basketball player who would have been a star on other teams during his prime.

Magic had James Worthy and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.  That was good for 5 titles and many more finals.

Larry Bird had Kevin McHale and Robert Parish.  Maybe not a great as Magic's running mates but still good.

Tim Duncan had David Robinson and Tony Parker: Parker did not reach his prime until the last title they won and Robinson was past his prime by the time they won their first title but he was still effective.

Hakeem Olajuwan had Clyde Drexler.  Two outstanding players.

Isiah had Joe Dumars and the rest of the Bad Boys. 

And finally, it was Shaq who had Kobe.  When Shaq was at his best, the Lakers didn't get stopped. 

Lebron has...stay tuned.

KOBE THE NEXT MJ:

Let's get this out of the way, Kobe's a great basketball player and a future Hall of Famer.  Despite his similarities to Michael, he's no MJ.  Kobe is Kobe Bryant.  They are not the same player.  I think Kobe would be content on being just Kobe Bryant.

What's so impressive about Bryant is his PPG totals when scoring has dropped from when MJ was ripping off scoring titles in the 80's and 90's.  Having said that, it's even more impressive to see Lebron score near 30 per game and have his other stats being so good.  If scoring around the NBA is down, just imagine LBJ's total stats if scoring was up.

FINAL THOUGHT:

I have Wade, Kobe and Lebron at the top of the list for best players in the NBA.  They have enormous talent.  What seperates Lebron from the others is he is bigger, stronger and just as quick as Wade and Kobe and he can do the same things.  In the longrun, when Lebron's game is at it's very height, wouldn't it be much harder to defend a Kobe-type player that's more overpowering and explosive?  That is why Lebron James, in my mind, is the best player in the NBA.

I liked this weeks submissions, and I'll tell you why at the end. Let me just give the finalists and winners:

honourable mentions:

Broncogirl:
I would emulate Tiger Woods because what he has done for the golf community
and what he has done for children in the community.

B33S:
Dan I would Emulate The Spaceman, Bill Lee. This guy was the complete package. Not only could he pitch well, but he was entertaining. Doing what he wanted to do was a staple that led him to be one of the most famous pitchers for the Red Sox in the 70's. In a history of fine quotes I offer this gem.

"The more self-centered and egotistical a guy is, the better ballplayer he's going to be. You take a team with twenty-five ####s and I'll show you a pennant. I'll show you the New York Yankees." - Bill "Spaceman" Lee

Bill Lee didn't fear the media. Bill Lee feared no man, sure this led to his alienation by players and managers including the Designated Gerbil, but it was about being himself. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't want a team built on the attitude of Bill Lee, but I would like to be that guy who says what he feels when he feels it. On further note, Spaceman had a beer that was brewed in his honor by the Magic Hat Brewery. How cool is that?

3rd Place - Cuziffer:
robin yount. the only player i can recall seeing play who hustled to first base no matter how hard he hit the ball, or how unlikely it was that he would reach base safely. ground ball to the 2nd baseman? he never jogged to first base in his entire career. running full speed on every play is something we may never see again. thats just how he played the game, and something more guys should be doing, regardless of what sport they play.

2nd Place - NorthSider:
Derek Jeter. If I could emulate him, I could be a terrible player and be the
second highest paid player in baseball. Someone would name me "Mr. November"
even though there have been -- what -- 3 games in Major League history played
in November -- and Newsflash: THEY LOST THAT SERIES! What can I say? Jeter's
got it made.

Winner - HootieZ AKA Smoketheblowfish:
I am a professional basketball player. I am 24 years old. I have the "Bling" of 2 Championship rings. I speak French and English. Chicks dig the accent! I currently make 8.4 million dollars per season, in 2010/2011 I will be paid 13.5 million. My name is Tony Parker. Lets see, I'm young, I make a ton of cash, I can go out in public and most don't recognize me, I play professional basketball, I get 4 months off per year, Texas women are hot and dig pro "ballers". Oh, I almost forgot......the best reason to be me, two words.....Eva Longoria!!!!!

- First off, I loved Cuziffer's answer. If he dropped something creative/funny into to describe those who do not hustle he probably wins. Broncogirl was straight up and I loved her answer, but missed an element.

Though B33S was funny with the answer, it was much too too long. Just ask Northsider, who cut his down a bit and almost pulled this one out. Smoke, Congrats, you finally pulled one out.

Stay tuned as next week's question will be revealed sometime this Easter weekend. Cheers.

- The_Dan

First off, special thanks to Canadian Sports Television for NOT giving me the 2-3 NBA games per night like they did last season. It just warms me up inside when I get to watch an epic Edmonton v. Columbus hockey game. Check that.

There always seems to be a few guys around this time of year that has an outside look at an MVP award. From here until the end of the season it will narrow down. Then again, players who miss this list can work themselves onto the list if their team get's hot. So here we go:

Dwyane Wade - Miami Heat: Wade has been hitting the big shots and has done a more than adequate job holding it down without the big man in the lineup. Shaq is always an X-Factor, but they need Wade in their lineup to make the clutch shots during crunch time.

Steve Nash - Phoenix Suns: The reigning MVP is once again putting up solid numbers despite the losses of Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudemire. Did he really make Quentin Richardson? All seriousness, Nash winning it again would not be a surprise, nor would this guy...

Shawn Marion - Phoenix Suns: The workhorse of that Suns team has stepped up with the absence of Amare. The undersized Power Forward has worked the glass and continues to play great basketball. He and Nash have kept this Suns team dangerous.

Elton Brand - L.A. Clippers: He is similar to Marion, except he has REALLY stepped up in leadership. This guy has been under the radar for the past few years, but he has put the Clippers in a great position to make the playoffs and perhaps win a series. They needed Brand to step it up, and he has done that in every facet of his game.

Dirk Nowitzki - Dallas Mavericks: Mavs are 40-11, have committed to better defensive play, and Dirk has continued to excell offensively. When he's on, he's lights out. When he's off, he's still dangerous. This has to be his finest season regardless of statistics.

Tony Parker - San Antonio Spurs: It's usually Tim Duncan that get's the MVP run, but Parker's the MVP on the Spurs this year. Duncan has not been Duncan this year. Parker has been shooting above 54% from the field which is freaky for a point guard. His poor free throw percentage has held him back. He's Eva Longoria's MVP so I think he can live without the award.

LeBron James - Cleveland Cavaliers: Cavs are holding onto a playoff spot right now, but they were holding onto one last year before their collapse. With Larry Hughes gone for the year, the pressure now rides on James even more. This kid has brought it every single night and if the Cavs rise in the standings he will get tremendous consideration.

Chauncey Billups - Detroit Pistons: Billups is just one piece of a rock-solid team. That is not belittling him by any means. He has had a great season this year, and he's the Steve Nash of this team. The 2004 Playoff MVP could add more hardware this season.

Kobe Bryant - L.A. Lakers: What's kept him in are his point totals (over 34 per game) and his point totals (did I mention over 34 per game?). As great as he has played at times, there are other players more deserving than Bryant.

Chris Paul - NOK Hornets: He won't be the MVP this year, but he should be the rookie of the year. He has been the biggest reason why the NOK Hornets are holding onto a playoff spot after a disastrous season last year.

Darko Milicic - He has graced the Pistons with his presence and his impact has helped them get to 2 NBA finals. He could make the Orlando Magic an instant success. Ok, who are we kidding?

My pick for mid-season MVP: Dirk Nowitzki

Anyone left out?