Props for KG + Anthony Davis Hype

Welcome back to another edition of Thoughts of a Sports Addict. Wrestlemania is tomorrow, the NCAA championship will be decided Monday, and the NBA playoffs are only a month away. So let's get into it.

How about a hand for Kevin Garnett. The guy has been completely revitalized since the All Star Break. What happened, did he find the fountain of youth? Take a trip to Germany to see Kobe's doctor? Start drinking G1 Gatorade? No, he simply moved positions. Kevin Garnett has been a power forward his whole career, despite the fact that he was usually the tallest player on his teams in Minnesota and Boston. This goes back to when he was drafted and listed himself as 6'11" instead of his true height of 7'1" because he didn't want to get labeled as a center. In 1995, when KG was drafted, a center was pigeonholed as a back-to-the-basket player who worked inside and used their power as opposed to their finesse ability. Garnett was more of a finesse player and wanted to play power forward, where he'd get a chance to play around the perimeter and not be stuck underneath the basket all game. Knowing that KG hates being a center, Doc would consistently put both Glen "Big Baby" Davis or Brandon Bass in the "center" role off the bench when they were on the floor with KG. Every Boston season has seen a heavier player as the starting center, whether it was Kendrick Perkins, Shaq, or Jermaine O'Neal.

Let's fast forward now to around the all star break of this year. vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvpp (that's my fast forward noise). Doc has no other options and makes Kevin the starting center with Brandon Bass at power forward. It should be mentioned that up to this point in the season KG was averaging a paltry 14 points per game and around 7 boards. He appeared to be on his last legs, literally, and had even inspired me to write more than one column about how he should probably just call it a career and retire. So KG missed a couple games with what was called "personal issues" and came back ready to contribute. Since moving to center Garnett has averaged 19 points and 9 rebounds per game, while playing the best defense in the league. It could be argued that at the moment he is the second best center in the East, trailing only Dwight Howard. He actually looks like the Kevin Garnett of 2008, just with slightly less athleticism.

So what happened, it can't be just a position change can it? Let's look at the change in position and what it means for KG. When he came into the league most big men were slow plodders who preferred to play inside and score down low. This was perfect for Garnett, because he was quicker than all of them and could have his way with them off the dribble. As he aged however, forwards became quicker and more explosive negating his quickness advantage. When the athleticism left him, KG couldn't compete with athletically elite power forwards anymore and he struggled to be much more than a jump shooter on the offensive end and a merely above-average defender on the defensive end. By moving to center, Kevin is being defended by larger, mostly slower players and his quickness advantage is back. He is still a jump shooter but you can see him go inside more now. He is an incredibly smart player and realizes that the Celtics need an inside presence on the boards, and as the center it's his job now. On the defensive end, he's getting the luxury of playing against more guys who don't play large offensive roles on their team. This is crucial because he now can be more well rested for games against players like Kevin Love and Al Jefferson, the latest two superstar big men that Garnett has shut down.

With this change in position, I think KG could play another couple years if he really wanted to. He may still decide that this is his last year though, as I can't see KG being the type of player to hang around just to be an end of the bench guy, like Juwan Howard, Gilbert Arenas, Tracy McGrady etc. At one time he was called "The Kid" and later he was known as the "Big Ticket", he's neither of those now but he's still an all star level player even at 35 years old.

His renaissance is also the reason that I now believe the Celtics could make some noise in the playoffs. It's crucial that they beat out Philadelphia and New York for the division championship but if they can get Indiana in Round 1, then a Bulls team with a banged up Derrick Rose in Round 2, and a lucky break with the Magic in the conference finals, I could see this team getting to the finals somehow. And don't even get me started on maybe winning a championship if we can get a dysfunctional Laker's team or San Antonio in the finals. The Heat are the only team in the conference that I fear, because the Celtics don't match up well with them. Also the Bulls are a poor matchup if Rose is healthy, but he hasn't proven he can be this year.

Before I end this blog I'd just like to throw in my two cents on Anthony Davis. After watching all of one game of his this year, the Final Four game against Louisville, I'm not ready to proclaim him as the next great center yet. First some good stuff about him though. He's got incredible length, with a 7'4" wingspan, great defensive instincts, and what looked to be a pretty solid right handed hook shot. These three things alone will guarantee that he's not only a top pick but, assuming he stays healthy, will get a contract of at least 10 million dollars a year when he becomes a free agent. I do have a lot of worries with Anthony Davis though. During the game they said that two years ago he was 6'2", he appeared to be a subpar rebounder for his size, and he's just missing that "it" factor. When they said he was 6'2" two years ago, that shocked me. How do you grow that much in two years? His body looks like someone just grabbed his arms and legs and started stretching him out like he was a Stretch Arm Strong doll. I'm worried that when he puts on weight to fill out his frame that his knees and joints might have problems. Growing that much that quickly can't be healthy and with his reckless style of play it seems that injuries are inevitable. In my opinion he was outplayed by the Louisville center tonight and even though he grabbed double digit rebounds I wasn't impressed. The game was played at a very fast pace and there were rebounds galore for Kentucky players. Maybe once Davis fills out a bit and has enough muscle to box out better he'll be able to grab some more boards, but it's definitely a worry right now. The last thing that bothers me is that "it" factor. It seems like every guy that ended up being a superstar had it. Either they had an awesome name, like Shaquille, Kareem, (H)Akeem, Lebron, Magic etc., a marketable look, or an infectious personality. I just don't see it with Davis. I feel like when you see a player get drafted you can tell if they're going to be a star 99% of the time. Watching Lebron's high school games I would've bet my life on him being a superstar in the NBA and I would bet that anyone who watched Hasheem Thabeet in college wouldn't have bet 10 cents on him being a superstar. Rarely is the eye test ever wrong. If they don't look like a superstar, they probably never will be. And above all else, let's be honest can you see that unibrow on a billboard? Didn't think so. Could he be a solid player, sure I guess, but Sam Bowie was a solid player too, and for those of you that don't know he was the player drafted one spot ahead of Michael Jordan perhaps the guy with the greatest "it" factor of all time.

Thanks for reading, be sure to leave a comment, become a fan of the blog, follow me on twitter @Joshviola19 and go back and read all my other columns.

-Josh

Finally.....The Rock Is Back

Welcome back to another edition of Thoughts of a Sports Addict, this week I'm going to tackle Wrestlemania 28 and give my predictions for what will happen at the biggest wrestling event of the year.

If you've been reading my blogs and thought "Wow, he really knows his basketball", just wait because that's nothing compared to what I know about professional wrestling. This was going to be a column about the NBA trading deadline but my Celtics didn't do anything and it's just too disappointing to write about how the Lakers were the big winners. So because of that I'm diving into Wrestlemania and proving how big of a dork I really am.

With two weeks to go until the big show there have been seven matches announced. In the undercard we'll watch The Big Show take on Cody Rhodes for the Intercontinental Title, a 12 man tag team match for control of Raw and Smackdown, and a divas tag team encounter featuring Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounous fighting champion Beth Phoenix and Eve. I would expect at least one more match to be added to the undercard but of all of those matches the one I'm looking forward to the most is Rhodes vs Big Show. Cody, the son of the American Dream Dusty Rhodes and brother of Goldust, has really broken out this year as a great entertainer and should get the win over Show. If you're unfamiliar with the Rhodes Family, check them out in this video.

The real draw of this Wrestlemania are the FOUR main events on the card. How can there be four main events you ask? Very simple actually, there are two world titles and then anytime the Undertaker or the Rock are in a match they are automatically main events. The four this year consist of Sheamus challenging Daniel Bryan for the World Title, CM Punk defending his WWE Title against Chris Jericho, HHH taking on the Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell, and the biggest one of all, John Cena versus The Rock. Let's break down all of them, starting with the least interesting.

Sheamus vs World Champion Daniel Bryan: Since there's probably a good chance that you don't know who either of these people are, let's start with a couple videos so that you can get an idea of, at least, what they look like.

So now that you at least know who they both are, let's break down the matchup. As far as in ring talent goes, these two are both very good, Bryan is even considered by many to be the best in the world. The matchup should be very entertaining, as the two have worked well together in the past. I think my favorite part about Daniel Bryan is that he's approximately 5'10" tall and 190lbs, exactly the same size as I am. At the moment he's playing a character that is technically a "bad guy" but there's no way I can cheer against him in this match. As for my prediction, it's set up for Sheamus to be the conquering hero and take out Bryan, so I'm leaning towards that's what's going to happen.

Chris Jericho versus WWE Champion C.M. Punk: Let me get this out of the way now because I know someone is wondering, "What is the difference between the World Title and the WWE Title?" The difference is that one is the top title on Smackdown and the other is the top title on Raw. Chris Jericho and C.M. Punk are fighting over the top title on Raw, otherwise known as the WWE Championship. So with that cleared up, let's go to the videos for these two guys. First up is C.M. Punk, the promo that made him a superstar and the goosebump inducing entrance he had at the Money in the Bank ppv last year.

And two moments of JericHistory, first his 2012 return to the WWE and then his original debut back in 1999, the debut that made him a star in professional wrestling.

As for the actual match, I would guess that C.M. Punk will emerge victorious, after what should be a VERY entertaining match. Punk and Jericho are two of the greatest in-ring talents and mic workers of all time in professional wrestling. Punk has just been on too much of a roll to have Jericho take the title now, especially when rumors are that Jericho will be taking off the spring to tour with his band, Fozzy.

Triple H vs The Undertaker: Anyone that has ever watched wrestling should be able to tell you who the Undertaker is and most likely will be able to tell you who Triple H is. The Undertaker has a 19-0 record at Wrestlemania and every match over the last 8 years or so has been promoted as someone trying to break the streak, and this year is no exception. Triple H has twice tried to break the streak, failing in 2001 and last year. With both wrestlers being only part time attractions these days, I can't see HHH breaking the streak. There should be limited drama over the result and Undertaker should get to 20-0. The interesting part of the match is that it will take place in a Hell in a Cell with Shawn Michaels as the special guest referee. Michaels has a storied history with both men, actually having wrestled both HHH and Undertaker in a Cell match himself. Some of you also may remember that Shawn and HHH formed the group known as Degeneration-X, starting in late 1997 and reforming in 2006.

And now for the videos for these two. First we'll start with the moment when the Undertaker returned to challenge HHH to a match at Wrestlemania.

Highlights from last years match, a true battle between two of the all time greats.

And finally, a tribute to the special referee Shawn Michaels. His history with both men is well documented and should be a nice addition to an already great match.

The Rock vs John Cena: Let's be honest, this is the real main event of the show. This is the match a year in the making, having been made the day after last years Wrestlemania. The Rock coming back in February 2011 was a huge shock for most wrestling fans and was trumped in November when Rock put on the wrestling tights again for a match, his first in almost 8 years. John Cena was extremely critical of the Rock when he returned, using the fact that Rock left for 7 years as a reason for why the fans shouldn't cheer him. This whole match really breaks down into one main question, how old are you? If you're a fan that has been watching for a while and is old enough to remember when the The Rock was the man from 1998-2002, then you're cheering for him, however if you are younger and started watching later then John Cena is your guy. For me, I'm pulling for the Rock to get the win. Adding to the drama of the match is that it will be taking place in the Rock's hometown of Miami, Florida. There's going to be a lot of videos for this one, because the two are so great and the build has been so long. So let's get started.

We'll start with John Cena, featuring what Cena used to be like and what he is now. First, the John Cena that I was a fan of back in 2003 when he was doing his Vanilla Ice/white rapper thing.

Then moving on to what he's become....issuing a challenge to the Rock

The Rock coming back has brought out some of the old edge that Cena used to have, the edge that made me a fan back in 2003 and would make me a fan today.....but he just doesn't have "it" anymore.

So that's John Cena, let's move on to the Rock. This is probably my favorite Rock moment ever.

The return of the Rock in 2011

The Rock Concert for John Cena

These two are arguably the two most entertaining wrestlers of the last 15 years and in two weeks they'll go one on one to decide who the best really is. As far as I'm concerned, no matter what happens, the Rock will always be the best all around entertainer I've ever had the privilege of watching on a wrestling show.

Thanks for reading, I assume 99% of you have now confirmed your assumptions as far as me being a huge dork are concerned. I hope you enjoyed the videos, I had a good time watching them again. My hope is that next year I get to write something like this again, but that the big star making his comeback to the ring is a different guy.....maybe someone who will open up a can of whoop ass or stomp a mudhole and walk it dry or flip the bird...someone like,

Be sure to leave a comment, become a fan of the blog, and go back and read all my other blogs.

-Josh

Luck(y) Horseshoe: Peyton's Gone

Peyton Manning is no longer a Colt. Let that sink in. Can you even name the last quarterback that was number 1 in Indianapolis? I'll save you the google search and tell you that it was Jim Harbaugh, the same Jim Harbaugh who is now coaching the 49ers. I can't even imagine what Peyton Manning will look like with a different logo on his helmet, it just seems wrong. Much like Joe Montana with the Chiefs, Michael Jordan with the Wizards, and Willie Mays with the Mets, Peyton will just look out of place in another teams uniform.

I'm a Patriots fan. I think Tom Brady is the best quarterback in the league and that the Patriots have been the best franchise of the past 11 years. But I also have all the respect in the world for Peyton Manning. I've tried to hate him, I really have. I don't want to like a guy that routinely is said to be better than Tom Brady and plays for a team that can be argued as the greatest of the 2000's, but I just can't help it. He's a great player, from all accounts an extremely quality human being, and an extraordinarily funny guy. There's something about Archie and Eli Manning that is innately "hateable" but Peyton didn't inherit that quality.

March 7th will go down as the day that Peyton Manning, the best quarterback in Colts history was released. It wasn't cold or emotionless, both Peyton and Colts owner Jim Irsay shed tears at the press conference, and there was the insinuation that Peyton will always be a part of the Colts organization and the city of Indianapolis. But it happened, the Colts told Peyton Manning that they didn't want him anymore, choosing instead to go with unproven rookie quarterback Andrew Luck.

I'm going to miss the battles between the Patriots and Colts, featuring Manning and Brady. They always seemed to be epic and were as big a part of my childhood sports fandom as anything. He was a player that I always feared having the ball with the game on the line against my team but he became more than that. Peyton Manning grew into a player that I respected more than any other in the NFL, including Tom Brady. Peyton doesn't hob knob in Hollywood, change his hairstyle by the week, or ditch Indianapolis as soon as the season is over, he's a football player who put his heart and soul into a small market city and turned them into a Superbowl champion.

I like to think of Peyton as the classy Brett Favre. I guarantee that you'll never hear "BREAKING NEWS PEYTON SEXTS INTERN" or see him retire only to repeatedly come back. He's like Brett Favre though when it comes to being a great quarterback in a small market that formed a bond with the fans of that city closer than any other quarterback could have. Unlike Green Bay, Indianapolis does have another major sports team, the Indiana Pacers. Unfortunately for the Pacers they haven't had an iconic player since Reggie Miller retired, so Peyton has been the sole king of Indiana for the last 5+ years. He means more to that city than any other athlete means to their city.

I know I've rambled and I know that I probably repeated myself a bunch, but these are just my off the cuff feelings on what happened today. All I know after today is that I'd HATE to be Andrew Luck. He's going to be paid a kings ransom as the number 1 pick in the draft to try and replace a legend. Good luck to him, it's not going to be easy to escape the enormous shadow of Peyton Manning, especially if he goes somewhere else and wins a Superbowl.

Thanks for reading, leave a comment, become a fan of this blog, and follow me on twitter @joshviola19.

-Josh

The Trade Deadline Approaches

Remember those movies where there's a crazy guy with an axe waiting for an unsuspecting person to walk into the dark house? Well Danny Ainge is the crazy guy with the axe and the Celtics are the unsuspecting person walking into the house. He's going to figuratively chop them apart (although I don't think he'd mind literally hitting Jermaine O'Neal with an axe).

What are the possibilities? Who might be coming in? Who might be sent out? Could they do nothing? Are they going to blow it up or try to compete for a title?

These are the kind of questions that Danny Ainge needs to be asking himself. The last one is the most interesting because that will determine every move that follows. From everything I've seen this season, as presently constructed, the Celtics can not win a championship. The problem is that they are stuck in the same position that they were when Danny took over, mediocrity. It's the death zone for an NBA team, just good enough to make the playoffs but not good enough to really compete. You never get a high enough draft pick to obtain a franchise player and you never get over the hump to being a great team. The only options they have now are to "blow it up" and start all over again, hope for a big free agent signing, or make trades to keep the team a title contender.

Option 1 Blow It Up: This is a pretty enticing option for many reasons. The age of the Big 3 is a huge concern going forward, Rondo is reportedly a problem in the locker room and hard to get along with, KG and Ray are done after this year, and the 2012 draft looks great. If this is the course of action that the Celtics choose to take, then it would pretty much just be a firesale to get what they can out of the guys they have and then tank for a good pick in the draft. Taking some rumors I've read lately, you might see something like Ray Allen to Minnesota for Michael Beasley, Anthony Randolph, and Darko Milicic. Then Rondo sent to Golden State in return for Steph Curry and Kwame Brown, while Pierce could be dealt to LA (Pierce in purple and gold makes me want to puke) in a three team deal to net the Celtics draft picks and players. Kevin Garnett would be tough to deal because of his large contract, but worst case scenario his contract is just allowed to expire after the season. The Celtics would go into next season with Steph Curry and at least three first round picks. Not a bad starting spot for a rebuilding team. This was the strategy that Ainge used before he got KG and Ray Allen. He stockpiled draft picks like Al Jefferson, Delonte West, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Jeff Green etc. and then cashed them in for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett when the time was right.

Option 2 Pray for Dwight: This is really the only big time free agent signing that would help this team for next year. If the Celtics just stand pat at the trade deadline and allow this team to finish the year then they must be reasonably sure that Dwight is coming to Boston. The only potential move that would make sense would be to send Rondo to Golden State in the aforementioned deal for Steph Curry and Kwame Brown. Curry makes less than Rondo and would allow the Celtics to also make a play for Deron Williams (a close friend of Dwight). This is the plan that I like the most but also the least likely to happen unfortunately. Imagine a Celtics starting five next year of Williams-Curry-Pierce-Garnett(re-signed)-Howard. That's a lineup that would immediately compete for a championship.

Option 3 Reload: This option is really only good for this year. The Celtics need a couple things right now to become a team that can compete for a championship. They need a big guy that rebounds and can score inside and a perimeter player that can create his own offense. With the news coming out today(2/29) that Lamar Odom would like to be bought out and come to Boston that would solve the big man problem. As much as I hated Lamar when he played for the Lakers he is a good big man that can rebound and score inside. The perimeter player that can create his own offense could come from another legitimate rumor circulating the web, Jermaine O'Neal and a 1st round pick to Minnesota for Michael Beasley. I know that "Super Cool Beas" doesn't have the best reputation but he's exactly what the Celtics need for their ailing offense. At 23 he also could be a major player for the future. Probably my least favorite option because even with those moves the Celtics still aren't getting by the Heat or Bulls, but at least they'd be contenders.

Those are really the only three options that Danny Ainge has and by March 15th, the trade deadline, we'll all know which one he chose. Personally I'm hoping that, whatever he decides to do, Paul Pierce is still wearing Green when it's all said and done. I was watching some youtube videos earlier and this one caught my eye. I would recommend watching the whole thing but if not then at least fast forward to the 8:00 mark and look at Paul Pierce's face when he gets his ring. It clearly means something for him to be a Celtic and to win with the Celtics. He needs to be here to teach the next generation of players what being a "Celtic" is all about.

The second thing I want to talk about is the Dwight Howard situation in Orlando. It seems like every day new information comes out about where he wants to be traded, or even if he wants to be traded. In the last week I think I've read that he wants to be traded to New Jersey, LA, Dallas, or Chicago, then I read that he might exercise his player option and stay in Orlando another year, then I heard that he wants to become a free agent so he can pick his destination. I'm not even sure Dwight Howard knows what he wants to do. The problem with Dwight Howard is that he saw what happened to Lebron when he left the Cavs and he saw what happened to Carmelo when he forced his way out of Denver. Dwight doesn't want the backlash that either of them got because he loves to be loved, but at the same time he wants to leave Orlando. My prediction on the whole situation is that he doesn't get traded before the deadline this year. I actually think that Orlando might bring in another star to play with Dwight, perhaps Steve Nash if they can get him away from Phoenix. Dwight has given the Orlando ownership and general manager Otis Smith enough of an indication that he might be open to staying that I don't think they'll trade him. It will be terrible for the Magic when he leaves in free agency this summer, most likely for Dallas or Brooklyn, but I don't blame the Magic for hoping that he'll stay. Whether it's by trade or through free agency, Dwight is leaving Orlando and most likely going to wherever Deron Williams ends up. Just remember when you boo Lebron for leaving Cleveland high and dry that Dwight is going to do the same to Orlando. I would respect him more if he just told them that he wasn't going to re-sign and said "trade me now, I'm not coming back" (or just signs an extension) but he doesn't want to be the "bad guy" so that's not happening. At least Carmelo was honest with the Nuggets. Dwight Howard may think of himself as Superman but right now he's showing that he has the fragile ego of Clark Kent.

Thanks for reading, leave a comment, become a fan of this blog, go back and read all my other posts, and enjoy what could be the last two weeks of the Big 4 era in Boston.

-Josh

An Epitaph for the Big 3

Welcome back to another edition of Thoughts of a Sports Addict.

Name: Boston Celtics Big 3

Time of death: 2/20/2012 at 9:00pm

Cause of Death: Murdered by Father Time

I've given up on the Big 3. I've always considered myself an optimist but from everything I've seen this season, I just can't picture this team winning a playoff series, let alone a championship. The defense is still there however offensively the Celtics are abysmal, not even able to score over 100 points against the worst teams in the league. So what happened, can it really just be father time?

Let's investigate.

One of the major problems with the Celtics' offense is that the starters don't all play the same style. Look at some of the most efficient offenses in the league over the last few years. Teams like the Suns, Spurs, Heat, early 2000's Kings, and even Mavs have starting fives that fit well together and have a set style of play that they adhere to. The Celtics' problem is that Rondo wants to run but Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, KG, and Jermaine O'Neal want to slow it down and play in the half court. Rondo is a terrible shooter and therefore almost useless in a half court offense. The problem gets multiplied when you realize that Jermaine O'Neal is useless in any kind of offense. That's two players who really don't need to be guarded in the half court, allowing their men to sag off and play help defense on Pierce, KG, and Ray. I remember when Jermaine O'Neal was a GREAT player, it was right around the time I was playing 8th grade basketball.....10 years ago. He's not even a shadow of his former self though, as evidenced from his inability to make a jump shot or finish around the basket. JO goes out every night trying to do his best Kendrick Perkins impression. Speaking of shadows of their former selves, Ray Allen is only good for shooting at this point in his career and KG has settled into being an 18 foot jump shooter. Paul Pierce is the only player left on the team that can create his own offense in the half court set. A major problem for a team that relies heavily on scoring points in the half court.

Another huge problem for the Celtics has been Doc Rivers' coaching. I like Doc as much as the next Celtics fan, but he needs to realize that it isn't 2008 anymore and Ray Allen can't be a focal point of the offense. In the four years since he arrived in Boston, Ray has lost a lot of his explosive first step. This means that when he curls off screens for jumpers his man is already up on him to contend the shot. What I would like to see Doc do is shake up the whole team by making a lineup change. He can go two ways with the change, either have Rondo come off the bench or have Pierce and Jermaine come off the bench. If he has Rondo come off the bench then Avery would start and they would play a half court game. The other team would have to stay up on Avery to honor his jump shot. When KG comes out of the game after the first five minutes, Avery comes with him and Rondo and Brandon Bass enter. Wilcox would sub in for Jermaine as well and the lineup would run run run. Pietrus would replace either Ray or Pierce a few minutes later and the run and gun offense would continue. The other option, which is my favorite, would be to bring Pierce and JO off the bench. Start Rondo, Allen, Pietrus, Garnett, and Wilcox and start the game running and gunning. In this lineup Rondo is surrounded with shooters and a center that can run with him and finish on the fast break. When Garnett goes out, bring in Pierce, Jermaine, and Brandon Bass. This will give Pierce free reign to create against either the other teams subs or their winded starters.

Let's be honest though, the biggest reason that the Celtics are struggling is Father Time. He is the reason that Jordan isn't dominating anymore, Bill Russell isn't winning, Nolan Ryan isn't throwing no hitters, Babe Ruth isn't hitting home runs, Joe Montana isn't throwing td's, and Wayne Gretzky isn't scoring goals. Father Time is the only person that will definitely retire undefeated. Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett aren't leading this team, or any team, to a championship because they've lost most of their athleticism and just can't compete with the younger teams. A team like OKC will run them off the floor.

Speaking of the Thunder, it's interesting to imagine how different things might be if the Celtics hadn't gotten screwed in the lottery in 2007. Just think about this starting lineup right now... Rondo, Pierce, Durant, Jefferson, Perkins. Theoretically this could be the Celtics lineup if they had gotten lucky in the lottery. Would I trade the 2008 championship for a lineup with Rondo/Durant/Jefferson starting the next 10 years? No, but it's not an easy decision and I did have to think long and hard about it.

I think the reason that I've had such a hard time with coming to terms with the end of the Big 3 is that I'm a wrestling fan. You see, for those of you who don't know, wrestlers don't get worse when they get older. The Undertaker is 47 years old and will be main eventing Wrestlemania this year. He's been wrestling since I started watching 20 years ago and is still a top guy in the business, while there isn't one basketball player that has been in the league for 20 years that is still star. So when I hear that Kevin Garnett is making his return to the Celtics after missing a couple games, I picture him coming in and saving the team. Sort of like this video: KG=Hogan Celtics=Eugene Opponents=Crazy Middle Eastern Guys

When Paul Pierce missed the first 3 games of the season and the Celtics started 0-3, I pictured his return going something like this....Pierce is obviously Stone Cold

But unfortunately real sports aren't like wrestling, older players don't miraculously find the fountain of youth and start to dominate again. Even though Hulk Hogan can still come out and save other wrestlers, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen can't save the Celtics anymore. Sorry KG, anything may be possible but unless you turn into Benjamin Button it's impossible for the Celtics to win the championship. So what else can I say except..........Thank You, the Big 3 coming to Boston provided me with moments that I will never forget, and the best four years I've had as a sports fan.

Thanks for reading, leave a comment, follow this blog, go back and read all my other entries, and enjoy the last games of the Big 3 era.

-Josh

The Forgotten Legend

Welcome back to another edition of Thoughts of a Sports Addict. In this entry I'm going to take a look at an NBA legend that has recently gone bankrupt. Not only monetarily but also in terms of his legacy. So let's take a look at....

"THE ANSWER" ALLEN IVERSON

All anyone ever thinks of anymore when the topic of Allen Iverson is brought up is the "Practice" rant that he went on. While it is an all time great interview, it also has clouded peoples view of one of the best basketball players of all time.

Let's just look at the awards that he amassed in his 15 year NBA career.

-1st overall selection in the 1996 draft

-1997 Rookie of the Year

-11x NBA All Star

-2x NBA All Star MVP

-4x NBA Scoring Champion

-3x All NBA First Team

-3x All NBA Second Team

-NBA MVP

That's a hell of a lot of achievements for a guy that is mostly remembered for a rant. Allen Iverson was the most iconic player in the NBA over the course of his career. He wasn't just a prolific scorer but a true trendsetter. Never before had a player completely disregarded the unwritten rules of a major business. While Michael Jordan and every other major star was wearing suits, AI was rocking baggy shorts, XXXL shirts and throwback jerseys. Most players had shaved heads or Fade hair styles, Iverson changed all that with his cornrowed look. He was counterculture, a rebel, and a hero to every young person who watched the NBA. You know that when even little awkward white boys like me wanted to dress like him, he had major influence.

For those of you that may not remember the '90's, which makes me feel extremely old, it was a time of rebellion. Whether it was Nirvana cranking out hits, Steve Austin beating up his boss, hip hop becoming cool, or Allen Iverson wearing cornrows, baggy pants, and oversized throwbacks, the 90's were dominated by people who were counterculture. It was the perfect match of the right time and the right player.

So now that we've covered all the off-court reasons of why Allen Iverson is a legend, let's move back to on-court. Today, with all the advanced metrics that experts use to evaluate players, AI's career has been picked apart and downplayed more than any other former player. They say that he wasn't efficient, had a low pps, low ts%, a high usg%, and other bad advanced stats that I don't know anything about. Here's what I know, he had career averages of 26.7pts, 6.2asts, 3.7rbs, and 2.2stls. He peaked in 2005-06 averaging 33.0pts and 7.4asts per game. He was the MVP in 2001 and led the 76ers to the finals that same year. Everyone talks about how Lebron led a terrible Cavs team to the finals in 2007, but look at the team that AI brought to the finals.

2000-2001 Philadelphia 76ers

Starters: Eric Snow, Allen Iverson, George Lynch, Tyrone Hill, and Dikembe Mutombo

Bench: Matt Geiger, Todd MacCulloch, Jumaine Jones, Aaron Mckie, Kevin Ollie, Roshown McLeod, Rodney Buford, Raja Bell, Pepe Sanchez, and Speedy Claxton.

That team is TERRIBLE other than Iverson and Mutombo. The only reason that they went to the finals was because of AI. At six feet tall and 170 pounds soaking wet he did EVERYTHING for them. I've never seen someone with as much heart and determination as Iverson, he took a beating every game and kept coming back for more. Even stepping back from the incredible stats, there are other ways that a player can be defined. Think about when you watch a game, whether it's the NBA, MLB, NFL, or NHL, what players do you fear when they're facing your team? As a huge fan of the Celtics, I can remember watching countless games against the 76ers and always watching in absolute fear because I knew that Allen Iverson could take over the game at any moment. There are only few players that can make a fan feel that way. In my time watching I've only felt that way about Iverson, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Jason Kidd. I knew that when those guys came into town, the Celtics probably weren't going to be leaving with a W.

It's been said that as generations go by, the memories fade as well and fans start to proclaim the new generation as better. It's the reason that young fans today try and claim that Kobe is better than Jordan or that Magic Johnson and Larry Bird wouldn't be able to play in the league today. Well, the same thing is starting to happen to the guys that I grew up watching. Fans who started watching today are only going to remember Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett as worse versions of Blake Griffin, and Jason Kidd as the guy who can't hit a jumper for the Mavs. This is the reason that it's so frustrating to hear fans today compare Allen Iverson to guys like Monta Ellis. It's not that Monta isn't on Iverson's level, it's that he's not even on the level below him.

Thanks for reading, leave a comment, go back and read all my other posts, become a fan of DieN2LivE on Facebook, and enjoy the games.

Josh

Paul Pierce Passes Larry Legend

I know, I know two blogs in three days is overkill but I had to write this one. I mean I was at the game on Tuesday and got to see it live, it was probably the greatest sporting event that I've ever been to. What am I talking about? Paul Pierce passed Larry Bird, for second place, on the Celtics all time scoring list.

In my life I've watched a lot of sports, which I'm sure you've guessed from the title of my blog, but the one sport that I love more than any other is basketball. More specifically NBA basketball. The team that I love more than any other in the NBA is the Boston Celtics, which if you've read any of my other blogs was probably obvious. I've been blessed growing up in New England and having the Red Sox, Patriots, and Bruins, but they all take a back seat to the Celtics for me. Being a huge Celtics fan my whole life I've gotten to watch a lot of players suit up in the green and white, guys like Antoine Walker, Gary Payton, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Joe Johnson, Al Jefferson, Kendrick Perkins, and even the much loved Walter McCarty have come and gone but the one constant, and my favorite player, has been Paul Pierce.

I was twelve years old when I remember sitting down and watching a complete Celtics game from start to finish. It's the only sport where I can remember the first game I ever watched and exactly how it ended. I was watching it up in my room and the Nets had the ball with 2.0 seconds left and a two point lead, all they had to do was get the ball in bounds and the game was over. What happened next set the tone for my obsession. Milt Palacio stole the ball and hit a miracle three from just over half court, winning the game for the Celtics. The whole team mobbed him and had a pig pile on the court, including even Coach Rick Pitino, it was the most exciting sporting event I had ever watched up to that point. Amazingly this made it to Youtube...

From that moment on I was a fan and rarely missed a game. I remember being scared to death when it was reported that Paul Pierce was in critical condition after being stabbed in a nightclub in Philly. I remember being outraged that Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker were left off the all star team in 2001. How could anyone who watched it forget the 21 point 4th quarter comeback against the Nets in game 3 of the 2002 eastern conference finals or the three that Antoine Walker banked in to beat the Lakers earlier in the season? I remember when Paul Pierce had a 2 point first half followed by a 46 point second half to beat the Nets. I remember when Antoine got traded the first time and the Celtics were Paul Pierce's team, he talked about reading books on how to become a leader over the summer and looked ready to take it on. I remember when he failed as the leader during the 2005 playoffs against Indiana and trade rumors ran rampant all summer, one that was even so close that Pierce had to publicly make a statement to kill it. (The trade was Paul Pierce to Portland for Nick Van Exel and the #3 pick in the draft, which would be used to take Chris Paul). The 2005-2006 season is when Paul Pierce finally grew up and it was incredible to watch.

I want to really dig into that 2005-2006 season. The Celtics weren't very successful but really that was secondary. This part of the decade was when star players on bad teams were forcing their way out of town to join good teams, Vince Carter did it, Tracy Mcgrady did it, Kobe forced Shaq out, it was done by seemingly everyone, except Paul Pierce. He finally took the responsibility of being a star player and a franchise guy. It was like he finally understood that the Celtics were HIS team and that it was his job to make sure that they gave maximum effort every night, even if he was starting with Brian Scalabrine, Marcus Banks, and two kids who weren't even old enough to drink in Al Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins. Paul Pierce became a man that season.

Then Paul Pierce did something that I never thought he'd do.....he made me cry. I'm not one to be very emotional, I couldn't tell you the last time I cried out of sadness or anger, but May 30th 2008 was the last time I cried out of happiness. It was the day that Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics won the Eastern Conference Finals by beating the Pistons in six games. I wasn't weeping or anything, just teared up a bit when I saw Paul and Doc Rivers embracing on the court in celebration. The people I was watching with looked at me like I was crazy but they didn't live and die with the Celtics like I had over the last 10 years. For me it was bigger than just a trip to the finals for a team that I liked, it was Paul Pierce coming back from being stabbed, it was the trade that didn't happen with Pierce to Portland, it was about Erick Strickland, Tony Battie, Eric Williams, Milt Palacio, Walter McCarty, Antoine Walker, Al Jefferson, Kenny Anderson, and every other guy that loved being a Celtic that wasn't there to enjoy the moment. So yeah, I cried, but it was like being a parent and seeing your kids grow up, I couldn't have been more proud of any team I've ever watched.

All of this brings us to Tuesday night. I only go to one or two games a year and when I realized that this might be the game that he passed Bird, I was excited to be a witness to history. Going into the game Pierce needed 9 points to tie and 10 points to pass Larry Legend and move into second place on the Celtics' all time scoring list. He started out slow, scoring seven points in the first half, but early in the third quarter it happened, and the Garden exploded.

I chose this fan video as opposed to the live broadcast because it showed how long the standing ovation was for. We stood and cheered from the moment the basket when in, through 3 free throws for the Bobcats, through the timeout that happened after and then through the video that the played for him. At the end of the video that put the spotlight on an empty spot on the banner of retired numbers, indicating that Pierce's 34 will someday join them. That was the moment that really hit home for me, when they showed that banner of retired numbers and I thought about Pierce having his number added, it made me realize just how privileged I'd been to get to watch him play. For the last 14 years I've gotten to watch one of the best scorers in the history of not only the Celtics, but the entire NBA. He was drafted by Boston, was a 9 time all star in Boston, won a championship in Boston, won a Finals MVP in Boston, and hopefully he'll retire in Boston. Paul Pierce may be from Inglewood California, he may have grown up a Lakers' fan, but he will always be a Celtic.

When I heard the experts talking about this accomplishment, they mostly downplayed it and made sure to say that Pierce wasn't in Larry Bird's league. I'll be the first one to say that he isn't in Bird's league but what the experts need to understand is that I'm 23 years old and for my generation of Celtics' fans, Paul Pierce IS our Larry Bird.

It's been a complete honor to watch Paul Pierce play. For as long as I've been watching basketball he's been the best player on my favorite team. The day that he does retire and have his number retired will be bittersweet for me. Much like graduating college or high school, I'll be sad its over but happy that it happened and proud to say that I got to experience it. I heard a dad talking to his young son at the game on Tuesday and he was telling him all about watching Larry Bird back in the 1980's and I smiled to myself thinking that someday I'll be able to go to a game with my kids and tell them about getting to watch Paul Pierce. (Authors Note: For those of you don't know me, I have no kids) For the rest of my life I'll get to be "that guy" who sees the new players and tells people that they're good, but they'd never be better than the guy I grew up watching.

It was a historic day for Paul Pierce and for everyone that has been a fan of his since he came into the league. I've seen a Red Sox vs Yankees game which doubled as Roger Clemens last start in Fenway Park, I saw Manny Ramirez hit his first grand slam as a Red Sox player, and I've been to a dozen Celtics game, but nothing will ever compare to watching Paul Pierce make history in the TD Garden on Tuesday night.

Thanks for reading, be sure to go back and read all my other columns, leave a comment, become a fan of this blog, and let me know if there's anything specific that you'd like to see me write about, I'm open to anything sports related.

-Josh