I remember reading an article in Sports Illustrated in 2001 that was all about the new generation of players that was changing the face of the playoffs. The group of Vince Carter, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Tracy Mcgrady, Baron Davis, Kevin Garnett and the rest were entering the peak of their career and promising to give us compelling matchups for the rest of the decade. This was the dynamic group of players who would fill the void left by the Jordan generation, who were all either retired or soon to retire (Barkley, Stockton, Malone, Hardaway, Reggie, Pippen). Fast forward to now. We're on the other side of most of these players' prime years, and between injuries, dissappointing performances, and managerial incompetence, that generation has left us mostly dissappointed. The decade has been dominated by Shaq, the Pistons' team-oriented style, and the one star of this generation who has lived up to his billing, Tim Duncan. As the torch seems to be passing to the next wave of stars (Lebron, Wade, Melo, Parker, Bosh), its time to take a look at where there players stand in the grand scheme of things. What is the historical legacy of this group, which popularized jumping to the pros after 1 year or just straight out of high school.

In 1996, the NBA came out with a list of the 50 greatest players in its history. That was when most of these guys were just starting their careers. Of those 50, only Shaq is still an active player. So, the question is, who from this generation of players deserves a spot on that list? Keep in mind, we're not just talking about who's going to be in the Hall of Fame. We're talking about the best of the best, the guys who you're going to look back on in 20 years and be proud to tell your kids/grandkids, "yeah, I saw him play". The guys we choose have to be good enough to knock one of the guys on that list off. How will this generation be remembered? Who deserves to be called "the greatest"?

1) Tim Duncan, PF

746 GP, 50.9% FG, 68% FT, 11.9 RPG, 3.2 APG, 2.4 BPG, 21.8 PPG

There should be absolutely no doubt about this one. He'll go down in history as the best power forward ever, and he's one of the two most dominant players of the decade. He's unarguably one of the top 50, and you can certainly make a case for him being top 10.

2) Kobe Bryant, SG

784 GP, 45.3% FG, 33.7% 3PT, 83.8% FT, 5.2 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.5 SPG, 24.6 PPG

Along with Duncan, I think he's the only unarguable inclusion on this list. When taking into account the era that Wilt played in, Kobe might be the greatest pure scorer of all time. Whether you love him or hate him (there seems to be no middle ground), you have to be in awe of his brilliance. The most talented player in the league, bar none.

3) Kevin Garnett, PF

927 GP, 49.1% FG, 78% FT, 11.4 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.7 BPG, 20.5 PPG

He will always be remembered for breaking open the HS to pro floodgates and for his landmark contract with the Wolves. The verdict is still out as to whether he will always be remembered as the guy who couldn't quite get it done. Regardless of whether or not Garnett ever does get his ring, he's still proven to be a remarkable basketball player. I'm willing to overlook his playoff struggles in light of his being the most versatile player ever to play the game. He's been stuck on a bad team for the past few years, but it wasn't long ago that we were debating whether he or Duncan was the better player.

4) Allen Iverson, PG/SG

747 GP, 41.8 MPG, 44.2% FG, 31.1 3PT, 77.7% FT, 3.9 RPG, 6.2 APG, 2.3 SPG, 27.9 PPG

I went back and forth on this one because I find it very hard to look at AI's career objectively. He's one of the most prolific scorers of all time, but he's certainly not the most efficient scorer ever to play. He's been criticized for his attitude towards practice and he's been criticized for the amount of shots he takes. However, he's one of the most competitive players in the game and plays completely without fear. To watch Iverson is to watch heart triumph over stature. At the end of the day, his amazing ability to score at a mere 6 feet tall and his playoff run where he nearly single-handedly carried the Sixers to the finals are enough for him to make the list.

On the Brink (likely Hall of Famers, but not top 50)

Paul Pierce, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Steve Nash

Dirk Nowitzki

Nowitzki deserves a special note because I think that more than anyone, he has the potential to jump up this list. He's really just entered his prime as a player and has hit a turning point in his career after the first round loss to the Warriors this year. His place in history will be determined by how he responds to the accusations that he's a weak player.

Well, game 2 is about to start, and I'm gonna be posting various thoughts and observations while I watch. Feel free to share any observations of your own in the comments.

What do I expect from this one? Well, a lot more of what we saw in game 1. I think Lebron is going to try and force the action more, but I can't see him getting much better results. The Spurs are just too good at keeping him out of the lane where he can do damage. James is gonna have to knock down some jump shots like he did at the end of game 1 in order for the Cavs to have a chance. Defensively, the Cavs have no real answer to Tony Parker. I just can't see Lebron guarding him all series; he'll be having to work much harder on the defensive end and he'll risk getting in foul trouble against Parker. Might we see an Eric Snow appearance? Lovers of a pure jumpshot can only hope not. A key is going to be how much Mike Brown plays Varejao and Gibson, since they clearly work better against San Antonio than Hughes and Big Z, who were practically nonexistant in game 1.

Unless the refs treat Lebron with kid gloves and send him to the line 20 times, here's my prediction. Duncan has a huge game and the Spurs win going away.

8:58 PM: Not my favorite rendition of the national anthem. Had some odd breaks and just didn't sound good, not as good as last game. I'm also glad I don't have to listen to the Spurs PA announcer all night, he's got a nasally voice that sounds like he's got a head cold.

9:10 PM: Huge mistake by Lebron just made this game nearly impossible for the Cavs. We have already seen so far that nobody on Cleveland can guard Parker (made an and 1 layup as I was typing), and Duncan is dominating early.

9:14 PM: Lebron has to come back in the game. Turnover against the Spur press and then a transition layup for Parker. 2 fouls or not, James needs to be back in the game.

9:19 PM: Or, instead of Lebron, we get our first Eric Snow sighting of the series.

9:20 PM: Drew Gooden gets embarassed by Horry. Ouch.

9:23 PM: Spurs have started taking too many jumpers, and they are letting the Cavs back in this one.

9:28 PM: Second time tonight Gooden has gotten blocked by Horry. He's in his head.

9:30 PM: Beautiful pass from Barry. Well executed secondary break there from the Spurs.

9:32 PM: Cavs have been terrible finding Spurs players in transition tonight. Wide open shot by Barry. You can't give them looks like that and expect to win.

9:35 PM: Beautiful flop by Varejao, the rare offensive rebound on a free throw flop. It's gonna be hard for Manu to top that one.

9:36 PM: End of the first. Spurs up by 11, and they closed out the quarter without needing Parker and Duncan. Translation? The Cavs are done for.

Huge props to Big Shot Rob that quarter. Has there ever been a support player as good as Robert Horry? He'll never be a Hall of Famer, but he's the consumate role player.

9:42 PM: Duncan is just abusing the Cavs. He didn't even look like he was trying on that last bucket, it was that easy.

9:45 PM: It's not even fair anymore. The Spurs are just in a different league.

9:46 PM: Cavs:19 Spurs Bench:17

9:52 PM: Airball for Lebron, maybe we anointed him a tad too early?

9:53 PM: Coming back strong with hitting the second free throw, transition dunk, then back to the free throw line. As funny as it sounds, that air ball might have been the best thing that could have happened for the Cavs, Lebron seems more focused since.

I like what the Cavs did there, getting the ball to Lebron closer in. It seemed like every time he touched the ball last game, it was behind the 3-point line. The one time they did get him on a cut around the rim, he got an easy bucket. They went to that the last few possessions and got fouls both times.

9:57 PM: You can barely tell that Ilgauskas and Hughes are on the floor, they just don't add anything.

9:58 PM: If I were coaching a high school basketball team, I would make my players watch video of tony Parker finishing around the rim. Nobody in the league protects the ball better, and he's amazing at using contact to neutralize his opponents' height advantage.

10:03 PM: Again, Lebron catches in the 15-ft range and good things happen.

10:06 PM: Tim duncan is putting on a clinic. He's showing off everything in his considerable bag of post tricks, and it's a beautiful thing to watch.

10:16 PM: What did they put in Robert Horry's Gatorade??? He's playing like a man possessed.

10:18 PM: Half time, and the Spurs lead by 25. Cavs fans can officially stop hoping, cause this series is over. This is like watching a D-1 college team play your local high school, it's just a massacre. This isn't a knock on the Cavs, as there have definitely been worse finals teams, it's just that the Spurs are that good. Keep this in mind, the Spurs are getting nothing from one of their starters. Michael Finley has done nothing, and San Antonio has still been absolutely untouchable. Even when Lebron has been in the game the Spurs are killing them because their offensive execution has been so good, and this against a cavs team that plays very good defense.

Positive things the Cavs can take from this half? Lebron has looked much better when he's been in the game. He's been very good at getting to the line when he's recieved the ball in the mid-range area. If he can get on track a bit in the second half, it bodes much better for them to win at least one game before this series is done.

10:40 PM: Start of the second half. I'm probably gonna be more sparse with my comments because, quite frankly, this game is already over.

10:44 PM: Does Duncan get an assist for accidentally kicking the ball to Tony Parker? Great flop by Ilgauskas to draw the 3rd foul on Duncan, that's the wily euro center thing to do.

11:04 PM: Robert Horry ate his wheaties this morning. How many blocks is that now? 5? The Spurs have just been relentless this game.

11:06 PM: Tony Parker has an absurd floater. It's just not fair.

11:14 PM: Start of the 4th, and we're going to see a lot of the Spur's bench. So, we've got a 27 point difference now, lets see if the Cavs starters can make any kind of headway against the Spurs subs.

11:17 PM: Damon Jones actually does something! 2 three-pointers from Mr. 12 trillion

11:23 PM: Wait, who authorized Bruce Bowen to drive the ball? I thought it was in his contract that he isn't allowed to shoot from anywhere except the left baseline corner.

11:27 PM: Talk about efficient. Duncan has 21 points...on 12 field goal attempts. What's even better is that he's not even the most efficient player on his team. Ginobili has the same scoring output, but on 9 shots. That's just silly.

11:29 PM: Wow. As I was typing, Cleveland went on a real quick run to close the gap to 9. I still don't think they can win, but at least we've got a game now, and some hope for the Cavs in the future.

11:31 PM: Parker gets away with an obvious travel to get a big basket, and Lebron answers by getting away with an obvious elbow to hit a huge and-1 layup.

11:37 PM: Three and a foul for Ginobili, game over. Well, it was a fun rally while it lasted.

11:38 PM: Huge rebound-putback for Duncan, then an amusing sequence where Horry takes out Popovich on a dive for a lose ball.

11:40 PM: It will be absolutely inexcusable if Daniel Gibson doesn't start next game. He's quite clearly the second best player on the team, and the only player beyond Lebron who is playing with any confidence. Brown has no excuses anymore.

11:42 PM: Game over. Good final run by the Cavs, though I can't help but feel that it was more a product of San Antonio letting their guard down rather than anything special Cleveland was doing. The Cavs still have no answer to Duncan or Parker and they still lack help for Lebron outside of Gibson. They might have enough to steal a game, but I can't see them really giving the Spurs a run. 

I decided to make a slight name change to the blog that I think fits it better. 

Well, as I wait for tonight's Spurs beatdown, I'm gonna rant a little bit about one of my favorite NBA events, the draft. I love watching the draft each year, mostly because it amazes me how so many organizations make the exact same mistakes year after year. Time and again, teams fall in love with athleticism and potential and forget actual performance on the court. It's the reason why Brandon Roy was allowed to slip to 6th in the last draft,  and how Josh Howard slipped past guys like Jarvis Hayes and Mickael Pietrus. The worst offenders in this category are the Atlanta Hawks, who have made it an annual tradition to select the most athletic forward available, apparently in hopes of one day monopolizing the slam dunk contest. The rumor going around this year is that they're looking at Brendan Wright and Javaris Crittenton with their first 2 picks, adding to their ridiculous collection of forwards and rolling the dice with the Georgia Tech product to fill their gaping hole at point guard. Because for every Amare Stoudemire there's DeSagana Diop, I'm listing some of this year's prospects who fit the rough athlete mold (lets call them the "Marvin Williams All-Stars") and some guys who've actually shown solid performance (lets call them the "Chris Paul All-Stars").

Marvin Williams All-Stars (can be seen quickly rising up the Atlanta draft board)

• Javaris Crittenton - An amazing athlete, to be sure. The sky's the limit for a 6-5 point guard with hops, and as an ACC fan I saw that he's clearly very skilled. However, when decision-making is listed as your biggest flaw, how good a point guard prospect can you be? He's at best the 3rd best point on the board, and the 11th pick is way too high for a guy who needs at least a year or two to become a viable option at the point.
• Josh McRoberts - I couldn't believe that people were talking about him as a lottery pick last year, and I still don't see much reason to be high on for him. He's got good size and above-average (not elite) athleticism, but he's shown all the mental fortitude of a high schooler. He's a decent prospect, but I certainly wouldn't rank him above a guy like Jared Dudley.
• Daequan Cook - He basically burned all his bridges at OSU before he left, which doesn't speak a whole lot to his character. He's not real good at doing anything other than scoring, and he's streaky at that. In a draft this loaded, I sure wouldn't be wasting a first-rounder on a potential head case with huge flaws in his game.

Chris Paul All-Stars (you'll be asking where they came from next year)

•  Al Thornton - Most mocks have him at 12-13, yet there's a good chance he'll have more impact next year than anyone not named Durant or Oden. He's a freakish athlete and has a much more polished game than most people give him credit for. He's also a stud defender. He's like Shawn Marion with a better jumper (anybody realize that he shot over 42% on 3s for three of his four college seasons?).
• Acie Law - There's something that makes great players great. It's not a measurable statistic, but you know it when you see it. It's what separates Michael Jordan from Vince Carter. It's the reason why Robert Horry is still employed. It's the difference between net and rim on the game-winning shot. Whatever "it" is, Law has it. He's the consumate leader, and he has the uncanny ability to will his team to victory.  Nobody has hit more big shots in the last two years, and yet teams would rather have the "potential" of Crittenton than the proven excellence of Law.
  
• Taurean Green - He was probably the most valuable member of back-to-back championship teams, the steady hand that made the Florida engine run. Despite that, he apparently has no shot at the first round. Keep this in mind when he's on the All-Rookie team next year.
• Stephane Lasme - He's too old. He's too short. He's too raw. Apparently, people would rather draft the head case Sean Williams (who didn't even play in Orlando, which means scouts haven't seen him since early last season) instead of Lasme, college basketball's best shot-blocker and a strong rebounder. He could easily be this year's Paul Millsap, and his game also brings Dennis Rodman to mind. Some team will get a steal with him in the late second.

That's all for now. I'm gonna try to blog game 2 later tonight, so be sure to check that out.

So, the first post of the sports blog that I finally decided to start writing. Who am I? I'm a college student who annoys his friend and family far too much with his constant sports ramblings, so I've joined the world of bloggers, as to annoy the entirety of the internet instead. I'm mostly an avid basketball fan, though I dabble in other sports as well. I've become a much bigger follower of baseball since joining an NL-only strat-o-matic league a year ago. Anyway, that's about it for me. I'm still looking for a good name for this, since this one sounds a bit too much like a play on Bill Simmons' "The Sports Guy" blog. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Right, now that that's done, I can go ahead and write something worth reading.

The topic on hand is the NBA Finals, also known as the Spur's victory lap. The hype in the Finals so far has revolved around Lebron's ascention and subsequent dissappointing game 1, the flop war between Ginobili and Varejao, and the fact that the Cavs have no hope. Between the Lebronapalooza and the Stoudamire/Diaw suspensions, its been lost on everybody that the Spurs are really sealing their place as the dominant team of the decade. Much like the Lakers' romp through the playoffs in 2001 (with a finals that had a ton of parallels to this one), the Spurs winning their 3rd title in 5 years (4 in 9 seasons, but we won't count the short 99 season) puts them firmly in the "dynasty" category. When you think about "dynasty" the Spurs don't pop into your head as quickly as those Lakers do, lacking the dominant on-court presence and off-court personalities of Shaq and Kobe and outside of the bright lights of LA, but they've been just as dominant and have sustained that dominance for far longer. The Shaq/Kobe Lakers team had a 5 year run (99-04) where they went to 4 finals and captured 3 straight titles, and had a 70% winning percentage. These current Spurs have had a 9 year run (from 99-07, ignoring the strike-shortened season) where they went to 3 finals and won 2 (3 if they close out the Cavs) with a 71% winning percentage. Not only that, but they show no signs of stopping. How impressive is that? Well, the Celtics dynasty that ran for 13 years (56-69) and is widely considered the greatest dynasty of all time had a winning percentage of 70.5%. Now, they also had the titles to go with it, but nevertheless, what the Spurs have done is impressive. So, while you're watching these finals and waiting for Lebron to leap into the history books, you might want to take note of how he's being shut down by one of the greatest defensive teams in the history of the game. You might want to appreciate how the underappreciated Greg Popovich adds to his Hall of Fame resume by coaching circles around Mike Brown. Lastly, you might want to take a minute to realize that you're watching the greatest power forward ever to play the game work his craft better than anyone ever has. Yeah, we all know they're good, but it's about time to give the Spurs their historical due. Tim Duncan and the Spurs are cementing their legacy, maybe Lebron can take note.