The NBA western conference is a “whole different animal” compared to the East, and for good reason. Last season, there were nine teams over .500 and one of those teams, Phoenix Suns, were 14 games above .500 and missed the playoffs. Year-in and year-out at least one very deserving Western Conference team missing the playoffs due to the elevated level of talent and play added over the years. As of now, the Larry O’Brien trophy resides in San Antonio and the West looks as if it may be back to its pure dominance that it had over the East during the early 2000’s.

Will this be the season Anthony Davis leads the Pelicans to the playoffs? By Keith Allison (Flickr: Anthony Davis) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

San Antonio Spurs: The defending champs will try to go back-to-back this season but it will be difficult with the opponents they will have to face. They are still the Spurs, though, and I have learned not to count out this team until they are actually done. The Spurs will again be a top contending team in the West and I expect them to make it back to the conference finals if not the finals again.

Los Angeles Clippers: Oh the Clippers. Just when you think they might actually break through, they let you down. A historically bad franchise finally has some hope and light in it and will look to expand upon that again. Their time to win is now as Chris Paul isn’t the youngest point-guard in the league. Adding veterans Jordan Farmar and Spencer Hawes will improve the team but my head still says they will get bounced in the second round again.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Realistically, the Thunder are so young with Durant and Westbrook that it’s scary. One of the best one-two punches we have seen in the recent NBA but they can’t seem to get the job done. Durant is the reigning MVP and needs to break through in the playoffs to be put into the same category as the greats that have won and I look for him and the Thunder to make it back at least to the conference finals again this season.

Portland Trailblazers: If the Trailblazers can stay healthy, they can do some major damage in the Western Conference and they showed a glimpse of what they could do in the postseason. They are a gritty, young team that has an unusual confidence. They look as if they will make another postseason run and you never know what could happen. Watch out for Portland.

Golden State Warriors: No matter what their record is during the season or what seed they get in the postseason, they are as scary a team as any. They can shoot the lights out and maybe having a new coach in Steve Kerr may push this team to their potential. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are the best backcourt in the league and its time for them to prove it in the playoffs.

Houston Rockets: I really liked the pickup of Trevor Ariza after Chandler Parsons left, but the reports that Dwight Howard and James Harden think of themselves as bigger than the team worries me. Even the greats realized they needed help to win and I don’t see the Rockets getting by the second round this season. This offseason could have been epic for Houston, but losing out on Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony was huge.

Memphis Grizzles: Everyone always sleeps on small-market Memphis and I’m not sure why. They were one game away from defeating Oklahoma City in the first round and they played that game seven without Zach Randolph. I believe if he had played, Memphis would have advanced because they were the better team. This offseason, they signed Vince Carter, which will help scoring a little bit unless he turns back into the Toronto version of himself; then watch out NBA

New Orleans Pelicans: I am personally deeming this season the “season of Anthony Davis” assuming he can stay healthy. Davis is an absolute beast and is continuing to grow and learn. I expect the Pelicans to compete for a playoff spot this season and show people that they mean business in this league.

Dallas Mavericks: This team could either be really good or they could not be able to live up to expectations. Monta Ellis had a great season last year but he’s always had some question marks. Dirk is older and we don’t know how effective he can still be. I hope they play to their potential because after adding Chandler Parsons and Tyson Chandler they could end up being a top team in the West.

Phoenix Suns: So far Eric Bledsoe is still a free agent and they better change that fast; he is too good to not bring back. I just don’t see them contending. They overachieved last season, but I hope they can prove me wrong.

Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe is finally back and D’Antoni is out — what more could Laker fans want? Byron Scott was a good choice as the Lakers try and figure themselves out. Adding Carlos Boozer, Jeremy Lin, and draft pick Julius Randle will help the Lakers be somewhat relevant and if they can stay healthy they might be able to compete for a first round exit in the playoffs. I don’t doubt the Black Mamba and I think he can lead this team to the playoffs with an early exit. Only time will tell how he and the Lakers play though.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Losing Kevin Love hurts but it needed to be done. Adding Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and Thaddeus Young will help this team be a little more interesting. Give this team a good three years before they actually start competing on a regular basis.

Every NBA season some surprise teams jump up and contend for the playoffs. In the West those could be the Pelicans, Lakers, and Suns.

All season long, the two-time defending champion Miami Heat have been the favorites in the NBA. The San Antonio Spurs, who lost to Miami in the Finals last season, had the best record during the regular season and have looked like a team on a mission. The Indiana Pacers, who seemed determined to overthrow their rivals in Miami started off the season hot but have slipped lately. This was supposed to be the year that some team knocked off LeBron James and the Heat and stopped them from becoming a dynasty. Thus far in the playoffs that dream seems very unlikely.

Could the NBA Finals return to the Moda Center in Portland this season? By Another Believer (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

At this point, I think the only other two teams that could give the Heat some trouble out East are the young Toronto Raptors and the veteran Brooklyn Nets, who happen to be facing each other in the first round. With the Pacers struggling to find themselves, it almost looks like a lock for the Heat to meet up with a team like the Wizards in the Eastern Conference Finals.

In other words, it’s not turning out to be as challenging as many thought for LeBron and co.

In the West, it’s a free-for-all, with some of the top teams struggling so far in the playoffs. The top-seeded Spurs are playing their in-state rival Dallas Mavericks who so far are showing the Spurs they mean some business. The two teams from the Lone Star State have split the first two games in San Antonio and Dallas could have won both games in San Antonio if not for an impressive run to end game one by the Spurs.

The second-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder with MVP Kevin Durant seemed primed for another playoff run yet find themselves down 2-1 to the gritty Memphis Grizzlies. The Houston Rockets had a lot of hype after the addition of Dwight Howard in the offseason, but they are down 0-2 to the Trail Blazers heading into one of the loudest arenas in the NBA back in Portland. The Los Angeles Clippers are the only top seeded team looking like they should taking a 2-1 lead over the Warriors including winning a game in Oakland.

The NBA playoffs are far from over and anything can happen, but so far signs are pointing towards the Heat reaching their fourth straight NBA Finals and meeting up with any of the right Western Conference teams that clinched a postseason berth. Here is what I believe will happen over the course of the playoffs:

First Round:

1. San Antonio Spurs vs. 8. Dallas Mavericks (Spurs in 7)

2. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 7. Memphis Grizzlies (Grizzlies in 6)

3. Los Angeles Clippers vs. 6. Golden State Warriors (Clippers in 7)

4. Houston Rockets vs. 5. Portland Trailblazers (Trailblazers in 6)

1. Indiana Pacers vs. 8. Atlanta Hawks (Pacers in 7)

2. Miami Heat vs. 7. Charlotte Bobcats (Heat in 5)

3. Toronto Raptors vs. 6. Brooklyn Nets (Nets in 6)

4. Chicago Bulls vs. 5. Washington Wizards (Wizards in 4)

Semi-Finals:

1. San Antonio Spurs vs. 5. Portland Trailblazers (Trailblazers in 6)

3. Los Angeles Clippers vs. 7. Memphis Grizzlies (Clippers in 7)

1. Indiana Pacers vs. 5. Washington Wizards (Wizards in 6)

2. Miami Heat vs. 6. Brooklyn Nets (Heat in 7)

Conference Finals:

3. Los Angeles Clippers vs. 5. Portland Trailblazers (Trailblazers in 6)

2. Miami Heat vs. 5. Washington Wizards (Heat in 5)

NBA Finals: 2. Miami Heat vs. 5. Portland Trailblazers (TBA)

Can the “German Moses” bring back the Mavs from playoff oblivion? By Keith Allison, via Wikimedia Commons

As the NBA season winds down, pretty much every playoff spot has been filled with just seeding left to be determined. The 8th playoff spot in the Western Conference is the lone exception. It’s a battle between four teams, the Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trailblazers. Shockingly, two of the last three champions are on this list fighting for the bottom of the playoff standings. It’s been a tough year for all these teams with poor play and injuries, especially the Lakers and Mavericks. The Mavericks were missing former finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki early in the season and now with him, the team is clicking on all cylinders at the right time. The Lakers, on the other hand, have had a very Jekyll and Hyde type of season, battling through countless injuries and a coaching change. All excuses aside, these teams still have a chance to make the playoffs with fewer than ten games left in the season. Here is a look at each team’s upcoming schedules as the season comes to an end:

Utah Jazz (Current #8 seed): vs. Portland, vs. Denver, vs. New Orleans, at Golden State, vs. Oklahoma City, vs. Minnesota, at Minnesota, at Memphis

Los Angeles Lakers (1/2 game back): vs. Dallas, vs. Memphis, at the Clippers, vs. New Orleans, at Portland, vs. Golden State, vs. San Antonio, vs. Houston

Dallas Mavericks (1 1/2 games back): at Lakers, at Denver, at Sacramento, at Portland, vs. Phoenix, vs. Denver, at New Orleans, vs. Memphis, vs. New Orleans

Portland Trailblazers (4 1/2 games back): at Utah, vs. Memphis, vs. Houston, vs. Dallas, vs. Lakers, vs. Oklahoma City, at Denver, at Clippers, vs. Golden State

As of right now, the Utah Jazz hold the tiebreaker over the Lakers and, despite equal records, the Jazz would be the 8 seed. The Blazers are a long shot to make it being behind more than three games and with such a difficult schedule but you never know. It looks like it will end up coming down to the Jazz, Lakers and Mavericks with each team playing crucial games against each other. It is hard to say which team has the “easiest” schedule since each play different types of teams. For example, the Jazz and Mavericks have more “should win” games than the Lakers but they both have more road games; which in the NBA are always a toss up. The Lakers only have two road games left this season with one of them being played on the Clipper court in Staples Center but they have a tough close to the season playing the Warriors, Spurs and Rockets to close out the year. The Lakers have been struggling recently since Pau Gasol has come back from injury.

I can’t believe that after all this time, Mike D’Antoni still has no clue how to use both Gasol and Howard in his offensive schemes, plus the no defense thing doesn’t help either. Unless the Lakers miraculously win the title this year, I expect D’Antoni’s short stint with the Lakers to come to an end. That being said though, there really isn’t a clear candidate to take the eighth seed. It could be any of these teams since the playoffs is all about being the hot team at the right time and none of these teams is as hot as the Mavericks, winning 11 of their last 16 games.  Out of their last nine games, the Mavericks have five “should win” games, the Jazz have four in their last eight and the Lakers have two which includes one in Portland, a place the Lakers always seem to have trouble in.

I still believe that the Lakers will edge out the eighth seed in the Western Conference because of the abundance of home games they have remaining. It’s tough for me to pick them since they have been struggling but I have picked them all year long, but I am sticking by them. I think the Mavericks will give them the most trouble in the standings but the Lakers find a way to edge it out. It won’t be easy with all the injuries including the most current ones to Metta World Peace and Steve Nash. Even if the Lakers make the playoffs and get bounced, it’s still better than not making it at all, especially since their draft pick would go to the Suns. As long as they don’t run into the Thunder or Nuggets in the first round, I still believe the Lakers can do some damage if they can figure a few things out. This Laker fan still believes that any team with Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Steve Nash running it is scary and no team wants to face them in a seven game series.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU6UHBYJOUw

You never know what will come from the “German Moses” and his Mavs.

Will he stay or won’t he?  After much scrutiny and damage to his image over the last few seasons, Dwight Howard finally signed a one-year extension to stay with the Orlando Magic last season. Not expecting him to stay put, the Magic ultimately decided to trade the three time defensive player of the year to the Los Angeles Lakers in a mega-deal. With Howard, Steve Nash and longtime-Laker Kobe Bryant, the Lakers were expected to become a dominant team once again. But injuries and poor play have made the Lakers a below-average team thus far in the season. Howard has been a target of blame for the Lakers’ struggles because of his play and the questioning of his mental ability to play in a city like Los Angeles and with another star player in Kobe Bryant. The idea of trading Howard before the trade deadline swirled up as the Lakers continued their struggles. Yet Mitch Kupchak and the entire Lakers organization, stood pat and didn’t do anything drastic like trading their center. The Lakers believe that they can re-sign the big man to a multi-year deal and make him a Laker for years to come. Many believe that Howard will only be a Laker for this season but I believe that he will re-sign with the Lakers and help them regain their status as NBA elite. Here are three reasons why:

Is Dwight Howard the right building block for the Lakers’ future? Do they have a choice at this point? By Howcheng (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

1. Where else is he going to go?: 

As we all know, Howard wanted to go to Brooklyn rather than the Lakers but that dream is dead and Howard would be smart to let it die. The Nets are way over the cap after trading for Joe Johnson and his almost $20 million contract. There would be no way for the Nets to sign Howard. The next option might be Dallas, which looks promising but isn’t so much. Why would Howard want to leave playing with an aging 34-year old Kobe Bryant to go and play with an aging 34-year old Dirk Nowitzki? That would be the most pointless free agent move in NBA history. The Mavericks would love to get Howard but that isn’t likely to happen. The final team that might make sense would be the Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta is Howard’s hometown and they will only have about $18 million left in guaranteed money on their entire roster when the season ends. The Hawks, I believe are the only legit threat to the Lakers for Howard. They could sign Howard and re-sign forward Josh Smith, whom Howard has been friends with dating back to their pre-school days. Together, combined with Al Horford, the Hawks could have one of the scariest front lines in the NBA.

But in the end I believe he will stay with the Lakers because where else is he going to go if he wants to win a title like he says he does? The Lakers can also give him the most amount of money guaranteed, with up to $30 million more than any other NBA team. The Lakers know how to win championships and the best place for Howard’s career is in Los Angeles. I think he likes the spotlight and idea of being in Hollywood. As long as Kobe is around, Howard will be second fiddle to him but if that means winning, I’m sure Howard will learn to deal with that.

2. His image is damaged enough:

During the whole “Dwightmare” fiasco, Howard severely damaged his image as the “nice” guy and this is bad news to Howard. He likes to be loved by everyone and hates when people look down on him and rightfully so. How bad would it look if Howard left Orlando for the Lakers then left them after one season, especially the one the Lakers are currently having? He hasn’t put up very impressive numbers thus far this season, although some of that goes back to his still injured back and now shoulder. Howard seems to be trying to re-write his image, kind of like LeBron James did a couple years ago after leaving Cleveland for Miami. And the first and best way to do so would be to stay with the Lakers and sign an extension with them. Howard owes it to the fans to be truthful with them and he can start by telling them he is staying. This way it takes pressure off everybody and the Lakers can start playing the way we all expecting them too.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=y08gvGpGCwA

3. He is finally showing maturity: 

After recent home wins over Boston and Portland, Howard has started to show some of his capabilities as a basketball player. He’s showing energy and has played the way Orlando fans remember him playing and it has resulted in two wins for the Lakers. He most recently was quoted for basically taking the blame for the many losses early in the season because of his lack of energy and spark. This is something new from the big-man, he’s finally showing some maturity, something that has been questioned since his arrival in Los Angeles. To me, this is a sign that Howard is planning on staying with the Lakers because why else would he come out and say those things? If he was planning on leaving the Lakers at the end of the year, I don’t believe he would take the blame as he would then be trying to get the best contract for himself. Howard’s mature statements a good sign for the Lakers and their fans and hopefully turns out to lead to a contract extension to stay in LA.

In the end:

Howard and the Lakers have struggled this season so far, currently sitting in the ninth seed in the Western Conference but surprisingly only sit three games back of the eighth seed. For the Lakers to make the playoffs, it will take all out focus and hustle plus they need some teams ahead of them to start losing. But the Lakers can’t worry about that, all they can do is play their game, win and hope that everything turns out for the best. No matter what happens this season, the most important thing is that the Lakers re-sign Dwight Howard back. As much as I hate the say this, he is the future of the franchise. With a healthy Dwight, I believe the Lakers will return to their winning ways and bring glory and dominance back to this franchise. As for this season, Kobe made a guarantee about this team making the playoffs so let’s see if he and the rest of the Lakers can back it up.

You might think this premise is faulty. If so, you might be correct. Three total games have been played so far in the entire league. But I don’t think you have to watch a team for very long to get a “read” on them. Looking at the big-picture, Tuesday night’s games gave us all the information we have thus far. For three teams, that information is not good. How they take that information and improve will decide their respective seasons.

Cleveland 94 , Wahington 84

Let’s start off with the worst two teams that played on Tuesday night. While Kyrie Iring looks like a star in the making, John Wall didn’t play for the Wizards (out for about a month with a knee injury). The Wizards have made some really head-scratching moves in the offseason, leaving Wall as really their only reliable player. Irving scored 29 for the Cavs and nobody scored more than 11 for the Wiz.

Looking at the Cavs nucleus, including Irving, rookie Dion Waiters, and second-year forward Tristan Thompson, they are actually poised to be a lot beter this year than last. Veterans C.J. Miles and Daniel Gibson anchor a young bench that could help the Cavs to at least 10 more wins than the 21 they managed last season.

The Wizards, well…. it’s going to be a while before they see the 30 win mark again. Any loss for Washington is no surprise, but realizing that you are definitely not as good as Cleveland has to be a real downer for Wiz fans on Day one of the season.

Miami 120, Boston 107 

Miami has come into their own. They look like a team that could win “not one, not two. not three, etc…” rings. LeBron James played under 30 minutes and still managed a double-double (26 points, 10 rebounds) in a blowout win over the team that is tabbed to be the Heat’s biggest Eastern Conference rival this year.

It will be important for Miami to limit James’ and Dwayne Wade’s minutes as much as possible on the heels of a very short offseason, but if Tuesday night’s game is any indication, that shouldn’t be an issue. The loss is potentially crushing for Boston and their fans. There will be other chances to beat Miami, but the Heat, on a night they received their championship rings, sent a message to the Celtics and the rest of the league: The title still goes through Miami.

Mike Brown is installing a new offensive system for the Lakers this year. The question is whether Lakers fans or Mitch Kupchak have the patience to wait the season to see if it works. By Keith Allison from Baltimore, USA derivative work: Chris! my talk (Mike Brown NBA.jpg) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

OK, so there isn’t really a question. Nationally, this was the biggest disappointment. The headline on Yaho0! Sports called it a “flop.” After scoring 29 points in the first quarter, the Lakers managed only 37 points in the next two combined. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle made the adjustments a championship coach makes and Dallas was able to largely shut-down new Lakers additions Steve Nash and Dwight Howard.

Howard had 19 points and 10 rebounds, but shot his free throws worse than Shaq, making only 3 of 14 free-throws in the 8-point loss. I wonder how his back has impacted his ability to shoot free throws in the offseason… Howard missed his first dunk too. It was pretty much uncontested. I wonder how often a healthy Howard has had that happen too.

For a team whose fans are expecting the world this season, it was an inauspicious debut. This year’s Lake-Show is winless in the preseason and regular season – ’bout nine games, and counting. If you are going to win 55 games, as “experts” have predicted for the Lakers, then losing to a Dirk-less Mavs team at home is probably not going to get you there. With four stars on a particular roster, expectations are through the roof. One has to wonder what the threshold for is for Mike Brown’s seat to start warming-up.

Dallas, a team that many experts tabbed to finish with a win total in the mid-30’s, showed that their roster isn’t THAT bad, even without the injured Dirk Nowitzki. With eclectic additions of Elton Brand, OJ Mayo, and Darren Collison, the Mavs have guys who know how to play the game and who will buy-in to the established system of their championship coach. The underrated Collison, who learned under Chris Paul in New Orleans and was a big part of Indiana’s success last season, is a flat-out winner. Dallas is better than people think this season. They’ll be over .500 and in the playoffs.

Meanwhile, the Lakers are still struggling to find their identity. They better hurry-up. Lakers fans are not a patient bunch.

We differed in our opinions. Some of us thought he’d land in LA LA, to stake his claim to an acting career and play the Superman savior role for the dwindling career of Kobe Bryant. Others of us thought he would go to the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, or even stay with the Orlando Magic. I hoped he’d flounder in a miracle sign-and-trade to the New Orleans Hornets or Charlotte Bobcats. And I’ll tell you why.

For one: I didn’t really care. I was more interested in the winding down of the NFL.

For two: I was anticipating the return of baseball and salivating over an Albert Pujols’ new beginning with my beloved Angels.

For three: I was gearing up for the NBA playoffs, that so far have been brilliant with the performances of Kevin Durant and LeBron James.

A sign-and-trade to one of the above two teams made for good news and even better conversations. Can you imagine swinging a club with a few cronies, drinking beer, talking about Dwight Howard in a Bobcat uniform?

“Billy did you see where Howard went to?”

“Nope.”

“The Charlotte Bobcats, dude.”

“The who?”

“The Bobcats, they started from scratch when the Hornets moved.”

“Never heard of em.’ You gonna swing or not?”

The irony behind that trade would have made sense to every one of us who resent Howard for one ridiculous reason: He stole the “Superman” name from Shaquille O’Neal and hadn’t the decency to think of anything else. Just because he jumped nine inches in a superman cape to win a dunk contest, doesn’t mean he can stake claim to a mantle only real superstars can carry.

What has Howard ever won? A dunk contest. Oh, and Defensive Player of the Year, a rebound title and I’m sure, somewhere someplace, a body building competition. But besides that? Best Smile his senior year in high school?

Look, I’m not denying the man is gifted with incredible height and an athletic intangible to go along with it. But Howard has never and never will be, a franchise player. He will always be the raw inefficient offensive player who needs three other scorers to make him relevant.

Case in point: 2009. Howard and the Magic propelled passed LeBron James and the Cavs en route to their first Finals appearance since Penny and Shaq in 1996. They were manhandled by a superior Laker team in five games, a series during which Howard never scored more than 21 points and shot just 39% from the floor. Instead of Howard, it was Hedo Turkoglu who made a name for himself in the previous series against the Cavs, leading the team in scoring and hitting clutch jump shot, one after another, in the closing minutes of the fourth quarters.

Dwight Howard has been lucky enough to be a big partly skilled man in a moment in NBA History so parched for big men it makes Ron Jeramy’s addiction to sex look geriatric. In fact, Howard hasn’t, technically, been the best big of his generation.

Had not, Yao Ming broken a femur every time he stepped forward, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. We would be discussing the monumental career of Yao Ming, the man who bridged the basketball gap between two hemispheres. Instead we all know the unfortunate end to Yao Ming. A stoic soul with a keen, sensible, personality, and a meek humility, not to mention a 15-foot bank shot better than most guards and the body of a giant. It ended prematurely short, as all good people do, according to Bill Joel.

But Howard on the other hand, has had a relatively painless career. Until this year, Howard had played in 90% of his games. This is the only dividing factor critics use in discussing another big of his generation, Andrew Bynum, who like Yao, has been brushed off with injury woes. This year Bynum played an injury free year and equaled Howard in most categories (considering he shared rebounds and points with two other stars: Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol).

2011-2012 season

Andrew Bynum             Dwight Howard

Games Played: 60              Games Played: 54

Points: 18.7                          Points: 20.6

Rebounds: 11.8                   Rebounds: 14.5

Blocks: 1.9                             Blocks: 2.1

Field Goal %: 55.8              Field Goal %: 57.3

Free Throw %: 69.2           Free Throw %: 49.1

MPG: 35.2                             MPG: 38.3

When I originally heard the Lakers wouldn’t part with Bynum for Howard, I though they were absolutely crazy (And they still might be)! Bynum was a spoiled-brat, pampered by Laker ownership since he entered the league as an unproven and awkwardly lanky nonathletic 18-year old. He’s been injured often and shown little to any drive at using his god-gifted frame. Howard was the proven somewhat likable and consistent veteran. And then this year happened and my philosophy went to horse manure.

Howard flaunted his egotism all year with a round about approach to answering one god damned question: Dwight, would you like to be in Orlando or not? And while his teammates concocted a decent year swirled with media malaise, Howard embarrassed his coach in live interviews and bowed out early with what some critics describe as a makeshift snot nosed injury.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzORXMDvJzQ

Dwight, clearly, is not Shquille O’Neal. Shoot! He isn’t even the quiet gamer Al Jefferson is. I am beginning to think Bynum has more upside because of his offensive skill set and now for certain, Yao Ming with a dose of good health would trump him in ever major statistical category. You just can’t like a guy who flaunts himself around like a two-dollar hooker in a mismatched set of heels.

Howard fooled us all into thinking he was the funny charismatic star with a humbled determination to make his teammates better. Howard can’t even make himself better.

He shoots free throws wore, yes WORSE than Shaquille O’Neal.

He is outspoken a’ la bridal-gowned Dennis Rodman.

He is a quitter.

Dwight Howard is a quitter.

Dwight Howard is Baron Davis with a better body. You can blame God for that one. He is wielding a shredded cape, and shooting straight to Hollywood, collecting endorsement money and what will soon be one of the largest contracts in league history. But the O’Brien trophy will never be his if he wins one. It will belong to guys like Turkoglu, with the ability to hit a big shot and knock down free throws. Howard will be the face of the project but the men beneath him, the glue that holds his bloated self-ego together. If I were Magic owner Rick DeVos I would approach the Hornets and ask for the rights to Anthony Davis and a montage of role guys, and wash my hands clean of him.

O! But if only the world worked that perfectas. If only the world was just that damn ironically poetic it would be too good for words. Damn.

Blessed with the wing span of a seven foot center, height at 6’10, the dribble game of a point guard and fluidity and body motion of a left handed George Gervin, Odom continues to self destruct and combust his NBA career with carelessness. The man is best-suited for reality television and Jenny Craig commercials, as he arrived this season, lackadaisical, pudgy and twenty pounds too heavy.

Heading into camp disenchanted with the sudden sweep of his services from sunny Los Angeles to down-home Dallas, Odom’s took a lesser bench role minimizing the possibility of a follow up to the 10-11’ campaign, his best to date. It does not take a brilliant mind to see clearly, the slack-jawed dope’s disinterest with hard work and maturity. During a career that began in the 1999 draft as clearly the most touted young prospect to enter the NBA ranks since Tim Duncan in 1997, Odom has lazily mustered a decent run out of what critics used to describe as astronomical natural talent. The one and done do-gooder withstood ongoing attacks from media during his college years (citations for marijuana use), with his natural god-gifted ability to command attention and paralyze a defense with a utilitarian style of play.

Most impressive were his comparisons to Earvin “Magic” Johnson, who also side-stepped off court tangles with a strong sense of leadership while in college. Odom, a one man show at mid-major University of Rhode Island, created quite a sway of delight with his involvement of his lesser dynamic teammates, leading a surprising URI team to the March Dance in 1999 as a devilish dark horse candidate. It was there, the quiet and sometimes aloof forward collected his comparisons and teased NBA scouts with the one-of-a kind intangibles of his services.

Without question, Odom was the most talented of any player selected in his draft, and entered the NBA on a red carpet. Perhaps it was the early silver spoon that ultimately disintegrated what could have been? Or maybe our computerized cultural environment of text messaging, iPhones, and Xbox 360, created the ugliness of a slothful giant more in love with the make-believe world of created images than the real, living and breathing one with skin?

There is no other musing to best segue the character of Lamar Odom.  I know for the man nicknamed LO, the frivolous list above has attracted his attention more than any notion of star potentiality, and that is grossly, grossly sad. He clearly was/is not hardwired with a hall of famer’s fight for perfection, and has been unfairly coddled with praise despite the poorest of work ethics.

His NBA 2K12 self on my Play Station is much more stubborn, strong willed and dominate. It proves how unfairly unstoppable the man is, if only he had the will to decide to put it all together. But the real Lamar Odom is none of those things. Rather, he is poorly-made with a stoner’s apathy and insatiable adolescent craze for children’s candy and late night video games.

Why, God, did you not bless others with his abilities?  He is at his very best when controlled by x, circle, square or triangle button.

Lamar Odom is a packaged product flawed from inception. He’s a jumbled logarithm on a 1080P television twisting and twirling in the air. He is not real. He was as he always is, a wayfarer with no need for direction. He’s an image. Lamar Odom is another unfortunate product of his environment without the fight to invent himself otherwise.

And while Mitch Kupchak bluffs his way through media montages on “foreseen” megadeals on the “near” horizon, the league moves on without Hollyweird and the boy wonder, Bryant.

Last season, clearly his worst in years, Bryant looked human.

His 25.0 points per game were impressive enough to encourage the kingdom to think he’s got another two or three years in the tank. But his paltry 33.2 minutes per game were his lowest since his sophomore season, begging whether or not the heir apparent’s brittle knees can withstand another 164 to 246.

In a recent interview at the Lakers media day, the brash guard admitted his disappointments with the team’s direction. A day or two since the sudden brush off of reigning sixth man of the year, Lamar Odom to Dallas, Bryant clamored, “I don’t like it.”

He continued with a small jab to Kupchak, acknowledging Odom’s worth: “He played lights out. I don’t understand the criticism of reality shows and this, that and the other. I don’t get it. I don’t understand that. He had his best season last season, clearly wasn’t a distraction, and he played his ass off. I don’t get where that comes from.”

And while media members continued to push Bryant in a defensive corner in regards to the sometimes aloof and silly minded forward, Kobe shot back, ” Now I’m just getting pissed off.”

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmYKB5S3nlE

And so should you.

If you find yourself in the thrust of Laker’ fandom, get really pissed off. Lose the admiration and begin your own occupy Staples movement, calling for the heads of upper management. Because either Jerry Buss is losing his mind, or Mitch Kupchak is the modern day Brutus, aiming to ax Bryant’s career into oblivion.

Without Odom you can kiss a shot at Dwight Howard or Chris Paul goodbye.

Odom’s 14 points and 11 rebounds last season off the bench were his cleanest numbers in his decade-long career. And for the first time the do-it-all swing man played with passion on both sides of the ball.

He seemed to be clicking. His becoming attitude was a motivator for the young Andrew Bynum, whose burgeoning attitude and work ethic are constantly in question.

Without Lamar Odom, the Lakers lack that invaluable one-of-a-kind trade chip to tack on the back end of a blockbuster trade with either Pau Gasol or Andrew Bynum. And now, as the team collects their paltry 2nd round draft choice and $8.9 million chunk of change in exchange for Odom, the rest of the league moves proactively forward.

Currently, talks for CP3 have re-landed in Los Angeles, this time with the Clippers. Dwight Howard has turned his attentions back onto a New Jersey- Orlando deal. Even former spark plug Shannon Brown opted for the sunny hot gunning country of Phoenix, Arizona.

Back on the Odom deal, Kobe smarted, “I’m sure Mark Cuban isn’t nixing that trade,” with his usual head nod.

The deal to get rid of Odom was a trade that ultimately made the Lakers worse, stunted their growth in the near future and strengthened the Mavericks with “the best forward trio in the league,” according to Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle.

It makes you wonder what this season will look like.

Remember, it was just four days ago that Pau Gasol’s name was typed out in a three-way deal sending him to Houston.

Whether or not the soft-tempered Spaniard can bounce back is yet to be seen as well. “This is a league that’s becoming more of a business than a sport unfortunately,” Gasol said shyly in a camera interview (below). His beard and baby face averting the obvious insecurity: Where is this team heading?

For Kobe Bryant it is quickly moving backwards while everyone else, including past teammate Lamar Odom, move at least step or two in a positive direction.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqWDrZbMg8E

It’s material anarchy, a disintegration of our great society succumbed with paranoia, and Polly Pocket is to blame. Her make believe world in a woman’s compact blush-mirror is a vortex sucking souls into a plastic world, a world known as Black Friday.

Much like Arnie’s world…

All I wanted was a tooth brush!? A simple .99 cent tooth brush because the bristles on mine resembled Kei$ha hungover.

Had I known I would be forced to weave cart- traffic like a rat zig zagging in-and-through a labyrinth I’d opted for bad breath. Decided it best to hole up and eat turkey sandwiches. Play it safe and sit still, staring at ESPN until my eyes felt like molasses.

As of Monday, another battle ensues. Cyber bullies and pornographic fairies come out to play, their minions rallying the world around 90% off of 90% itemized bin sales.

Out whip our fourth, fifth and sixth credit cards, while our buyer’s- credit swivels down the drain. And though we lose our homes and our jobs, we continue to buy buy buy, seek, seek, seek, all the way to bankruptcy court.

According to multiple sources Black Friday sales are up 20%.

The expectation then is a whopping increase come Cyber Monday, a day our fingertips can click click click without moving any other part of our bodies.

As if it wasn’t difficult enough?

First we battled the world and now, without further adieu, a legion of Internet aliens.

It’s an unwinnable battle really. For the few hoping to tighten their financial belts, ignoring Black Friday is one thing, but ignoring the cyber-juggernaut is an entirely different difficulty.

Our simpleton fights against the holiday-ten are over, our battles with Richard Simmons commercials and the guilt of Jenny Craig in the rear view mirror. Toys that never broke: soccer balls, Jax and a game of Uno, are relics of an archaic world now.

We’re waging war on behalf of future generations and their children’s children. We’re stockpiling dusty Y2K storehouses with the bare essentials: beer, beef, barbecue coal and toilet paper.

On a side note, the NBA lockout is nearing an end.

NBA and NBPA are deciding it best to get in on some of this here action. Cyber Trolls are frolicking in LeBron James and Kobe Bryant jerseys while David Stern ring leads the parade.

A sixty-six game schedule is set to ensue starting on Christmas day. A triple header including a rematch between the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks will headline the event.

Ill be drinking spiked eggnog under my Christmas tree talking to Santa Claus about finances, wondering where and when the miniature kingdom of mine red lined into shambles and my life began to resemble everyone else’s.

On a side note, I succesfully got a new tooth brush. Though I was frightened by the following: a woman wearing a Mrs. Claus outfit walking in reindeer slippers, triplet boys crying in an octave arrangement as beautiful as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and a barbie in a noose of dental floss, I purchased the only tooth brush left, a buzzing light up tinker bell.  

When Dallas clinched their NBA Finals series against the Miami Heat, fans and media began to bring up Cuban’s name again in relation to the dumpster fire that is currently the Dodgers’ ownership. On television, radio, and across Internet blogs, Dodger fans are practically begging Cuban to be ready if and when the Dodgers are taken over by Major League Baseball and, God willing, sold.

Maybe the most direct plea to Cuban has been through a website titled Mark Cuban Save the Dodgers, created by Los Angeles native and West Covina resident Roger Arrieta. A web designer who started MarkCubanSaveTheDodgers.com, Arrieta created the site two months ago. During the past week, he says, hits on the site have grown exponentially. On Tuesday, there were 800 “likes” on Facebook and as of Thursday night, there were about 1,250.

“My initial thought was ‘save the Dodgers’ as a general idea,” said Arrieta. “Later on, Mark Cuban came to mind. He’s had ten years of success [in Dallas] and he is someone with instant recognition.”

Arrieta’s site features pictures of Cuban with Dodgers gear on, along with images of past Dodger greatness like Sandy Koufax, Fernando Valenzuela, and Kirk Gibson. His Dodgers Fansmanship goes back to the 70’s and 80’s, and his goal is to help encourage an owner like Cuban to take the reins of the Dodgers, an organization clearly in turmoil.

Being a die-hard Lakers fan doesn’t give him any pause either, despite Cuban’s Mavs knocking the Lakers out of the NBA Playoffs this season.

“It doesn’t deter me,” said Arrieta. A lot of people can’t get over that, but it’s simple. You have to look at what [Cuban] has done. Show me a Dodger fan who wouldn’t want that same success for the Dodgers.”

HOW MANY OTHER TEAMS HAVEN’T MADE THE WORLD SERIES SINCE 1988?

Arrieta discusses Cuban’s potential ownership like it’s a done deal already.

“He’s going to do everything to make the team better,” he said.

Having been to many games at Chavez Ravine this year, Arrieta has definitely noticed a difference.

“There are so many less fans this year. It’s crazy,” he said. “It’s not even packed on bobblehead night.”

He has also noticed the increased police presence and it makes him (like Fansmanship) sad that the additional security is needed.

For Arrieta and most Dodgers fans, a failure by current ownership to act at crucial times is an unforgivable offense.

“The Dodgers were never even in the discussion for Cliff Lee or Halladay. They didn’t build on the LCS. They didn’t add to the roster,” he said. His voice a combination of disgust and sadness. “Even if it took [Cuban] 10 years like the Mavs, we haven’t had a championship in 25 years.”

Actually the number is 22, but the point is well taken.

SAN LUIS OBISPO – BLACK OR BLUE?

For him, and so many other Dodgers fans, the McCourt reign has been untenable.

“He said that even if he wasn’t in financial trouble, he’d still be doing the same thing. That’s not acceptable.”

The lack of non-Manny-related big splashes, a penchant for spending money inappropriately and then blaming everyone but himself, and an ego the size of Los Angeles have all marked the McCourt era. For the sake of Arrieta, this writer, and Dodgers fans everywhere, here’s hoping for an end to this situation sooner than later.

WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON AT DODGER STADIUM?

Things may have to get uglier before they can get better.

The picture of Mark Cuban on Arrieta’s website sure looks pretty right about now…

owen@fansmanship.com