Why I want the Miami Heat to win

I should say first of all that I'm not a bandwagon Heat fan. I'm not any Heat fan, and I am not exactly rooting for them in the most typical sense. But as someone who likes the NBA, I would like to see them win this championship.

Ultimately, my reasoning is pretty simple. I believe that Lebron James is easily and by far the best player in the NBA today. And so it frustrates me that this is buried beneath the constant stream of criticism (valid or otherwise). I guess it's not surprising that in our culture, which is largely selfish, greedy and critical, we focus on Lebron's faults and what he doesn't have/can't do. He chokes in the clutch. He doesn't have a ring. He's a selfish player. He has no post game.

I know this because I used to be one of those people. It was absurd to me that people thought Lebron was better than Kobe Bryant (although a few years ago it was much closer). Lebron hadn't won anything. He hadn't repeatedly carried his team through the playoffs as Kobe had done in the Smush Parker/Chris Mihm days. For a guy his size, he looked clueless and helpless with the ball down low. He shot too much and too poorly from midrange and beyond.

But over the past couple years, now that I've actually watched him play...it's so obvious that he is the best player in the league. Obviously anything can happen in the next 1-3 games, but I find it hard to believe that people can honestly think that Kevin Durant is a better player than Lebron.

I love KD. In my brief basketball fandom, he's one of the best scorers I've ever seen simply because he can score from anywhere on the court and with his athleticism and freakish length, there's often not much you can do to stop him other than hope that he misses. Still, I think that the suggestion that he is superior to Lebron is outright laughable.

The fact that this has even been brought up is proof enough for me that the massive microscope of criticism we've turned towards Lebron has blinded us from appreciating the entirety of his game. I mean over the first four games of the finals he's averaging a 29.3/10/6 line and making it look routine. In the regular season he led his teams in points, rebounds, assists, and steals.

But his dominance should be clear even without looking at the numbers. His rebounding, court vision, and passing are much better than most people his size or at his position and he can assert himself on both ends. On the offensive side of the court he's a strange combination of size and speed, which generally allows him to shoot where and when he pleases either by beating his man to his spot or bullying him off of it. His shooting has greatly improved since he was a rookie and, despite what haters might say, his post game has as well. On defense, his size and speed again give him an advantage as it allows him to guard every position effectively. While there are several players who could likely get the better of him over the course of a full game, I truly think he could be fine defending anyone (without fouling) in the NBA for at least a handful of possessions.

Meanwhile Kevin Durant just played the biggest game of his life and the 6'9" (who many claim is closer to 6'11") forward grabbed two rebounds in 46 minutes of play (exactly the same amount as Miami's backup point guard Norris Cole had in eight minutes) and got outleaped on a crucial jump ball by Shane Battier, a 33 year old veteran with creaky legs. Durant's also had so many problems defending without fouling over the past few games that he was on point guards Mario Chalmers and Cole for long stretches of time.

This is not to hate on KD. He is a phenomenal player (and a good rebounder most of the time), but I don't know how else to illustrate what I perceive as a large, noticeable gap in between the two players. I don't know if any of this was actually necessary. I'd like to think not. I'd like to think that this was all very obvious, both because it would be nice if my views were validated and because again, I think it should be apparent to anyone who has watched basketball.

With all of this said, if the Miami Heat lose, especially now with a 3-1 lead, Lebron James's overwhelming talent will be even more obscured (granted, if they do lose three games in a row it's highly probable that harsh criticism of his game will be warranted). As fans, I feel like this hatred is preventing many of us from actually appreciating his game and realizing that we are, and have been, witnessing some of the finest displays of athletic ability on a basketball court. I get the backlash over The Decision. It was incredibly idiotic and out of touch. But are we really going to let a misguided 30 minute television special color our views so much that we miss out on just watching and letting ourselves be amazed at what Lebron does on the court on a nightly basis? I got over it and, if the Miami Heat close this out, it's about time everyone else did too.

Derrick Rose: Is he who we think he is?

In the past few weeks there has been so much buzz about Derrick Rose's MVP candidacy, whether it's Stan Van Gundy claiming that the media has all but crowned him MVP already, ESPN.com essentially agreeing, or a number of outlets vehemently stating that he should or should not win the award and how they can't see how the other side of the argument even exists.

It seems like so long ago that we were talking about LeBron James, after his 2nd consecutive MVP with fans and media alike already wondering if it a 3rd straight was inevitable, or Kevin Durant, with his humility, leadership, and 30 points per game making his case, as surefire MVP candidates.

But now it seems as if it's Rose's award to lose. Personally, I don't see it. Not to say I don't think he's a great player, which he clearly his. His defense seems to be getting better, and while his jump shot has very clearly not improved as much as some might lead you to think (his percentages on mid and long 2s is actually worse than last year), he has at least replaced relatively inefficient 2 pointers with 3 attempts, which effectively makes him a better shooter. He has clearly taken ownership of this Chicago Bulls team which has risen into the elite class of the Eastern Conference.

Still...I don't think any of this makes him a lock for the MVP. Defense in the NBA is clearly a team effort. Sure, great individual lockdown players always helps but only to an extent. The arrival of guru Tom Thibodeau and the continued maturation of players like Taj Gibson definitely played a big role in Chicago's improved defense. Rose may be getting better, but many people count the point guard spot as one of the least important spots in a team's defense. His offensive stats are impressive, and yet look at this comparison.

Player A: 22.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 8.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 3.9 TO, 44.4% FG, 84.1% FT, 53.9 TS%, 23.8 PER
Player B: 24.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 7.8 APG, 1.1 SPG, 3.4 TO, 44.0% FG, 84.7% FT, 54.0 TS%, 23.3 PER

Pretty freakin identical right? So why is Player B, Derrick Rose, talked about like he absolutely deserves the MVP above and beyond everyone else while Player A, Russell Westbrook, is not even in the discussion? Yes, Rose took a team that was .500 and an 8 seed last year to the top of the conference (for now). But I think it's equally impressive that Westbrook's team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, has moved into the upper half of the deeper Western Conference this year while also being an 8 seed last year. OKC was a 50 win team last year and, avoiding a massive losing streak, will win over 50 this year, due in no small part to Westbrook's emergence as not just a second fiddle to Durant, but a sidekick and equal.

And this is before we even talk about James, still putting up gaudy statlines, Dwight Howard, a defensive juggernaut and growing offensive weapon, or Dirk Nowitzki, who can still ball and whose Dallas Mavericks looked lost without when he went down.

I'm not trying to diminish Rose at all here. He and his team have kicked their play up another level this year and that is certainly to be commended. But it seems like there are too many holes in his MVP argument and too many other viable and legitimate candidates to be speaking of him as a lock.

The bigger problem is one that's familiar with sports fan. What exactly does the MVP award mean? How do we weigh a player's stats with his team's record with the simple eye test we all use when we watch him play? The MVP means something different to every person, which is why there's often such great debate over it.

In the end, because the definition of the MVP is so nebulous and vague, I think it's remarkable that Rose is even in this position. He is no doubt a legitimate candidate for the award, and, in just his third season, that's saying a lot. The rest is for the voters to decide.

P.S. I should note I looked into the Rose/Westbrook comparison because of this post from Hoopdata.com: http://hoopdata.com/blogengine/post/2011/03/26/Nix-The-Knicks-Offense-is-Fine-Chatter.aspx

"Rose is definitely a terrific talent. If all NBA contracts were declared null and void at midnight tonight, and all NBA players were re-drafted, would Rose go first? Can you find meaningful statistical differences this year between Rose and Russell Westbrook (they sit next to each other on this page)? It takes some significant rhetorical limbo to get a point guard on an offense that's only a point per 100 possessions better than league average as the MVP...particularly when it's DEFENSE that's taken the team to new heights...and he plays one of the least important defensive positions."

Grown Man Move

With all due respect to Mark Jackson.

It's been several days, but somehow I've been sick of the Lebronocalpyse for several years already. I hate everything about how he handled this situation. I hate how it seems like the trio planned their teaming up years ago yet still led several teams on this off-season even though, realistically, Miami was the only possible location for their union. I hate how after the Cavaliers got booted out of the playoffs by the Celtics, Lebron talked about how he and his team would implement their game plan for free agency (shouldn't you have tried to implement a game plan for, you know, the game?). I hate the one hour television special (and I hate that it took him 30 minutes to get to a decision he promised in 10). I hate how he said that wearing a Heat jersey "feels right." I hate his assertion that the three of them could lead a winning team with Pat Riley as their point guard. I hate that claims that they're looking to win "not one, not two...not six, not seven" championships when Adam Morrison has more rings than the three of them put together. But one thing I do love is the nickname for them that's been floating around: the Three Miami-egos.

But do I hate Lebron? Unless his ego has finally taken over as a sentient entity, a possibility I don't discount, no I don't. Do I even hate that he's teaming up with Wade and Bosh in Miami? No, and in fact it excites me and I'm going to look to buy Suns/Heat tickets when the NBA schedule comes out. Like I said before, while I don't think they should be praised for this move, they shouldn't be vilified either.

The whole situation in general has been covered to death. But Lebron really has taken a beating in the last few days, and I don't think it's right. Let's be real here. He's 25. What 25 year old wouldn't want to play basketball for a hundred million dollars with two of his best friends while living in Miami? Look, I don't want to say he "earned" the right to leave because I think that whole idea is stupid. The whole point of free agency is that a player can go play where he wants to play and where he feels like he's being paid what he's worth. Lebron doesn't "owe" Cleveland any more than Dwyane Wade "owes" his hometown of Chicago. How many times do owners and GM use the defense of "it's a business" to justify when they treat players like crap or send them off in trades or waive them? A player's duty to a city and an organization is done once they've fulfilled their contract. From there, it's up to management to create a situation in which that player wants to come back. Granted, it's a different situation if a player promises to come back and still jump ship. However, this was not the case at all with Lebron. I believe that yes, he would love to stay in his home state and bring Ohio a championship. But he had to consider all the other factors and evidently decided that the grass was greener, the ocean bluer, and the sun brighter in Miami (and he would be right, literally and metaphorically). As much as I don't like Lebron, I can't pile on him for this decision and, to some extent, for how he handled it either. It was completely unnecessary, but it's who he is. No one's ever accused Lebron of being understated in anyway.

The one thing that's been far more disgusting than Lebron's ego has been Dan Gilbert's antics. His now infamous letter ripping Lebron is the ultimate example of sour grapes. It's childish, condescending, and doesn't make a lick of sense. He's not fooling anyone by releasing this letter claiming that Lebron is a farce who quit and can't win a championship the minute he realizes he's not getting him. His use of hyperbole, ALL CAPS, and Comic Sans font makes it so ridiculous that many people thought it was a fake or parody.

Lebron's doing what he thinks is best for him and his family. Critics may disagree on the basketball implications of his decision, but no one can say, "You can't/shouldn't do that" just because it's not what they wanted him to do. You'd expect the owner of the team that Lebron turned from nothing into a contender and brought countless extra revenue to to take the high road, to thank Lebron for what he's done. But no, the person who claims that Lebron is teaching kids the wrong lesson by...well, I was never really clear on that, proved himself to be the biggest kid of all.