Player Spotlight - Dennis Rodman

Every Friday I will post a section on one of my favorite players. I thought it would be neat to set it off with the former bad boy of the NBA, Dennis Rodman aka "The Worm".

Dennis will be remember primarily for his actions off the court, most notably his brief wedding to dimepiece, Carmen Electra. What I am most impressed with though, is his abilities ON the court.

His accolades include:

• 5 time NBA Champion (1989 & 1990 (Detroit), 1996–98 (Chicago))
• NBA All-Star Team (1990, 1992)
• All-NBA Third Team (1992, 1995)
• NBA Defensive Player of the year (1990,1991)
  
• NBA All-Defensive First Team (1989–93, 1995, 1996)
• NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1994)
  
• NBA Top Rebounds Per Game (1992–98)
• NBA Top Total Rebounds (1992–94, 1998)
• NBA Top Offensive Rebounds (1991–94, 1996, 1997)
• NBA Top Defensive Rebounds (1992, 1994, 1998)
• NBA Top Field Goal Percentage (1989)

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"I shine like diamonds, they kicked me out of G-Unit and I rebounded like Rodman"
-The Game "300 Bars and runnin'"

Dennis was a winner. Fuck what he did off the court. He was one of those players who really looked like he was having a blast out there on the hardwood. He was hands down the best rebounder of the 1990s and some consider him the best rebounder of all time (players over 12rpg for a career include; Wilt, Bill, Elvin Hayes, Moses, Nate thurmond, Elgin Baylor for starters). Yeah, he didn't have the best numbers, but he was 6'7! He was always outsized by his opponent at the power forward position. Dennis did all that stuff on the floor that no one else wanted to do. He got inside the opponents head. His off the court antics seemingly overshadow what this man accomplished. He started it all off as a member of the legendary Detroi Pistons 'Bad Boys' of the late 80s/early 90s and he was even in the nWo with Hulk Hogan for a brief time (and does anyone remember the "Lingerie Football League"??? He was commissioner!) Ill tempered and flamboyant are only a few of the word used to describe this fella.

Dennis shows you all phases of the game-

(Left to right) Gettin hitched, on that Bull shit, and goin Hollywood.

Simply put, Rodzilla was an entertainer. Hahah he was even on the UK's Big Brother where his catch phrase became "I don't give a shit!". In my eyes, he will always be remembered as the hot-headed, cross-dressing rebound machine who changed his hair color every game. His biography, "Bad As I Wanna Be" was a New York Times best seller, depicting him naked on a motorcycle. In it, he claims Madonna actively tried to have a baby with him. Play on playa! I can't believe he never once violated the NBA's drug policy. Coaches often grew frustrated with him, but not nearly as much as opposing teams. No one fucked with Rodman on the boards. For this, I'm making Dennis the Menace my first Player Spotlight.

-C

Name that Player!

I'd like to introduce a new section of my blog, "Name that player!". Every week I'll post five descriptors of an NBA player (past or present) and post the answer the following week. Put your thinking caps on (without the use of a search engine)!

• I was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1985.
• I was once traded for Bill Cartwright.
• I appeared in the Hootie and the Blowfish video "I Only wanna be with you".
• I once punched Jeff Mcinnis in the jaw.
• I won $54,000 from Tyrone Hill in a dice game in 2001.

WHO AM I?

Yao out for season

"When coach tells everybody I am out for the season, everybody is like quiet," Yao said. "That kind of quietness makes me feel kind of scared. It was quiet like nobody was there, and you just feel alone." Detroit Free Press


The Houston Rockets got a serious blow to their playoff chances when it was learned that Yao Ming will be out for three months with a microscopic crack in his left foot. He is still seeking a second opinion on the injury, but it is believed that he has two options - surgery or immobilization, with surgery as the likely option. The Rockets were on a ultra-serious 13 game winning streak and the squad looked like it could be mentioned in the same company as the Spurs, Lakers and Phoenix. Currently the 7th seed, the Rockets will have an uphill battle in the very competitive west. However, I still believe they will cruise into the playoffs. Thats right. Meaning, Denver or Golden State will get an early summer. Some of us remember how effective Dikembe Mutumbo was last year when he had to fill in for the injured Yao. He's a better rebounder/shotblocker and he looks like he's still in great shape. The Rockets had some very good chemistry going and I think it will continue even without Yao. A major concern remains, what will posterboy Yao's status be come Olympic time in Beijing? He is suposed to be the leading force in establishing China as a worldwide basketball power (its actually their national sport). I geuss time will tell.

Happy Birthday Devin Harris!

Today Devin Harris turns 25! Though still injured, Devin believes he can lead the New Jersey Nets into the next decade. The Dallas Mavericks shipped out their brightest prospect for ya boy Jason only a few short days ago. Word has it co-owner of the Nets Jay-Z is saving up cap room to pursue a certain gifted friend who will become a free agent in the coming years....

The all 90s team

Seeing as I became a fan during the 90s, I thought it would be fun to list my personal "all NBA team" from 96'. Some of these players went on to have hall of fame careers, others got charged with cocaine possession. Go figure.


Point Guard

Penny Hardaway

Before Shaq headed to L.A. and before the devestating knee injury, Penny was the shit. He wasn't quite the defender Gary Payton was or the player John Stockton was, and I recognize this! However in 1996 which is the era Im focusing on, he was the most electrifying pg in the game. As a 23 year old in the 95-96 season, Penny averaged 22, 7 and 2 steals. At this point, he was coming off two straight First Team All-NBA selections, he dunked on people (see right), he shot over 50% from the field and his endorsement deals were as good as anyone at the time. Hell, the infamous "Lil' Penny" even got a cameo in the 'No Diggity' video so you know he was the man of the hour! After battling back from injury, Penny went on to have a 14 year career with the likes of the Suns, Magic and eventually the Heat. He never quite got back to the form that helped the Magic to the Finals in his 2nd year, but we remember the good times Penny.


Shooting Guard

Michael Jordan

What more needs to be said about this guy. League MVP, Finals MVP, 72 wins, etc etc. Even if Mike was injured, I'd still want him on the squad to shoot that game winning shot. After attempting a baseball career, MJ came back to re-threepeat. His Airness still holds the record for point per game. I even remember buying Ballpark hotdogs because he was the spokesman!






Small Forward

Scottie Pippen

You know I need him to run with MJ. Pippen just made everyone around him better. He was a lock for all defensive team, named one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players and he was unselfish in doing so. Even when MJ was doing his Daryl Strawberry impression, Scottie led the Bulls to the playoffs and was a legit MVP candidate (averages of 22,9,5 and 3 steals). Scottie complemented the best player on the planet perfectly. Dude played over 200 playoff games in his career, thats two and a half seasons worth right there! He's on my team because he's gives you versatility at the 3 (like a modern day Shawn Marion) and he'll lock down your best player.


Power Forward

Shawn Kemp

Don't hate. Shawn may not have been the best PF in the game, with the likes of Karl Malone and Charles Barkley still kicking around, and I realize they are better players! I got Shawn on the squad for his swagger. He got the Seattle Supersonics to the finals, only to lose to those legendary 96' Bulls in six games. "The Reignman", as he was known by, was the most ferocious dunker in the L. At this time, he averaged 20 and 11, but was far and away the most athletic 4 in the game. I got him on the squad to posterize your big white center and run the break past those "low post scoring threats" like Malone. After a contract dispute (allegedly because he wasn't gettin 'Jim McIlvaine' money), Kemp was shipped to Cleveland in the 3 team deal that brought Vin Baker to Seattle and Tyrone Hill/Terrell Brandon to Milwaukee. Since then, Shawn's career has been a bit of a joke. Caught numerous times with both cocaine and marajuana, Shawn fell off hard. He tried making a comeback with the Mavs as recently as 2006, but he didn't report for tryouts..surprise surprise. Keep it thorough Shawn.


Center

Shaquille O'neal aka SHAQ aka Diesel aka The Big Daddy aka Shaq-Fu aka the Big Baryshnikov aka Wilt Chamberneezy (I'm not making these up) aka the Big Cactus

In 96, no one was fuckin with Shaq in the middle. In an era of great centers like David Robinson, Patrick Ewing and Hakeem, Shaq was a freak. He had 12 straight seasons of 20 and 10 to start his career! He was truly unguardable on the block. If he gets it in the paint, chances are he's dunking on you, and maybe even ripping the entire net down with him. This dude could run the floor and neutralize your big man. He lost the finals to those pesky Rockets in 95, so he bimmed to L.A. to pursue his acting/rapping career. With family hits like Kazaam and Steel, Shaq was a triple threat! Career averages of 25.5, and 11.5 only tell part of the tale. He is a 4 time champ (3 with the Lakers, 1 with the Heat), but it all started in Orlando. Simply put, he was the most dominant player of his era, maybe ever. Always a media favorite, Shaq had this to say about his game:
"I am the number one Ninja and I have killed all the Shoguns in front of me."
"Me shooting 40% at the foul line is just God's way to say nobody's perfect."

Brittney Griner

Allow me to introduce a couple freaks of nature.

The first, is Brittney Griner, a 6'8 Junior who goes to Nimitz High School in Houston, Texas. She reminds me of a young Michelle Snow, but much better defensivley. Check the video bar on the left to see her do her thing. Don't sleep!

Sizing up the Trade Deadline

With the trade deadline having come and gone, a number of questions arise. Which teams benefited the most? Which teams will be shaking their head in a years time? Who will take it all?

I'll break it down like this-

Best acquisition



1. Pau Gasol


The L.A. Lakers were already borderline championship contenders with the likes of Lamar Odom, ever-improving bigman Andrew Bynum and the reigning scoring champ. The addition of Gasol (without giving up one of their "top10" players) to the Lakers gives them perhaps the best frontcourt in the league, (one of) the best one-on-one players and arguably the deepest team in the league (Shouts to DFish, Sasha, JFarm, Bill Walton's son and Ariza). They're 9-1 since Pau joined the squad and Bynum isn't even healthy yet. Needless to say, in the uber competitive West - they are my pick to win it all.




2. Shaquille O'Neal

The Big Aristotle has packed up his bags in a quest for a 5th NBA championship. The destination, Phoenix. The Suns pulled a shocking move when they traded do-it-all foward Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks for the staggering $20mil/season O'Neal. Personally, I thought it was a slight overreaction considering how close they came to winning it all last year (They should have beat those fucking Spurs) and they were still amongst the top teams in the West this year! But, you can't tell Steve Kerr nothin! He truly believes that Shaq is the missing piece to the puzzle. I think they'll really miss Marion defensivley and his unselfish 17ppg. It looks as though the Suns are going to become a team that can run and gun, and also have a feared half-court offense. If nothing else, this move sures up their front line, gives them a banger on the block and moves Amare to the 4....oh shit! I think it will take a time for the new group to mesh, but come playoff time - no one wants to play the Suns.


3. Ben Wallace/ Joe Smith/ Delonte West/ Wally Szczerbiak


As the readers will soon learn, I am a die hard Lebron James fan. So, naturally the Cleveland Cavaliers are my favorite team. I've seen the ups and downs of the past four seasons, culminating in a "undeserved" Finals birth last year. Yeah, they got swept, but I will contest that they were the best team in the East until I die. The Cavs needed to make a move at the deadline, and boy - did they ever. They pulled off a 3 team/11 player trade with Seattle and Chicago. They got rid of Larry "I am genuinley not worth the money" Hughes, Drew Gooden and some change (lesser players). What they got back is stiffling in my eyes. A former Defensive P.O.Y in Ben Wallace who was underachieving, but I still believe has plenty in the tank (I don't think he was trying too hard in the Windy City). They got former #1 Joe Smith who is pretty equal to (though older than) Gooden. In addition they acquired a true point guard (thank god) in Delonte West and a proven scorer in Wally Szczczczcczczerbiak. It set them back an extra $6 mil, but I believe this makes them a massive threat to eastern powerhouses Detroit and Boston.

4. Jason Kidd


Do I really believe JKidd is the savior in Dallas? The answer is quite simple, FUCK NO. Sure, he makes everyone around him better and someone told me he dropped 17 assists last night, but I'm not sold. Dallas will feel this trade in the long run, trust me. They had to give up alot for "the best all around pg in the league" (CP3, I see you). They shipped out Devin Harris, who was called the point guard for Dallas' future, athletic bigman Dasagna Diop and others bits and pieces of the team that DWade lit up time and again in the 2006 Finals. My thing is that - the point guard position wasn't Dallas' most glaring need! Sure, they made an improvement and Mark Cuban is having wet dreams, but I really don't think they can romp with the Suns or the Lakers (among others) in a 7 game series. They have talent and the reigning "MVP", but I think the West is too thick this year. I think Much like Phoenix, Dallas has bartered it's future and closed it's window to win a chip to a few years. Watch Kidd play 5 more seasons and I'll upload my blushing face.


5. The Sleepers

• Damon Stoudamire: The Spurs continue to keep their average age above 30 years by signing the veteran point guard. By releasing Brent Barry, there will be more shooting weight on Mighty Mouse's shoulders. Make those 95' Raptor fans proud!

• Brent Barry: If I was a contender, I would want this guy on the squad. Currently a free agent, Brent got released by the Seattle after a trade for Kurt Thomas. Brent is a former Slam Dunk Champ, a 2 time NBA champ with the Spurs and is deadly from 3 point range. I guarentee he makes his way several rounds deep with a new squad (word has it the Celtics, Suns, Spurs and Nuggets have interest).

• Primo Brezec: After being traded for Juan Dixon, Primo is ready to finally get some touches in Toronto. Much to the chagrin of Kris Humphries, "DJ" Primo will likely be gettin some good minutes off the bench to bang in the playoffs. hahah Im just playin, he will likely be the Non factor of the year.
  

First post

Hey all!
Well I've decided to let my rants be heard globally! I figure this is better than harassing my friends on MSN. This blog will serve as a platform for my thoughts on the NBA and anything else I care to scream on. With university almost complete, I intend to continue my education in the field of broadcasting and I plan on easing into it by letting my thoughts/opinions/ideas be heard. That said, this blog will likely contain biases, outrageous comments, insight and most importantly, slander!
Thank you for your time,
Christian