The full text of the article will posted in the next few days.

At the beginning of the season, I wrote an article entitled “The Disappointing Three” for Prose Before Hos, and put up link up on this website in a post called “Miami… Yawn.” For those of you who didn’t read the article, here are the highlights. And for those of you who didn’t read it, go here and read it now!

Okay, the highlights:

1. Miami started the season with a 16-8 record.
2. Seven of their eight losses came to +.500 teams
3. The Heat lost by a bigger margin when James, Wade, and Bosh scored similar amounts of points
4. Only five of their 16 wins came when James was the leading scorer
5. The Heat were 1-4 in games decided by less than three points
6. Miami struggled to take care of the ball, turning it over more than their opponents in every loss

Now it’s March. The Miami Heat have 20 games left until the playoffs. After a recent 3 game losing streak, Miami sits in 3rd place with a 43-19 record. A lot has happened around the league since I wrote that article back in December. But what’s happened in Miami?

Turns out, not much.

True, they’re now at .694 for the season, somewhat above their previous .667 winning percentage. But in comparison to 1st place Boston’s .750 winning percentage, that’s not that great. And it doesn’t hold a candle to the Spurs’ (the 1st place team in the west) .823.

The Heat are only 12-15 against +.500 teams. Let’s remember that in the playoffs, they will be playing only +.500 games. (Except maybe in round 1, as the 8th team in the east, the Indiana Pacers, are currently sitting at .435. But the east is never that competitive anyway.) Their recent three consecutive losses came at the hands of +.500 teams, and their next 9 games are against +.500 teams. They’ve already dropped from 2nd to 3rd place this week. The next ten games could knock them down even further.

They also haven’t improved their outcome in close games. They are 1-7 in games decided by less than three points and 5-12 in games decided by five or fewer. And James still isn’t the one who should be taking the final shot. For example, in their 99-96 loss to the Orlando Magic on Thursday (that’s a three point difference for those of you who can’t do math), James bricked the final three-point shot that would have tied the game in the waning seconds, while Wade stood wide open and watched. Way to draw up a game plan, Spoelstra.

The Heat have also started struggling to hold big leads. Let’s look at their most recent losses. In their loss to the Knicks last Sunday, Miami built a 52-36 lead in the 3rd quarter, only to lose 91-86. Against Orlando on Thursday, Miami was up by TWENTY-FOUR points in the 3rd before the Magic went on a 40-8 run for a come-from-behind win of 99-96.

Their loss to San Antonio on Friday was another story. The Spurs, the number 1 team in the NBA, outscored Miami 36-12 in the 1st quarter, and the Heat were never able to recover. After making a few “runs” to get the lead down to 10 or 12, Miami couldn’t close the deal and lost 125-95. Ouch.

Basically, the Miami Heat of today are very similar to the Miami Heat of December. Dominant in games against lesser opponents, struggling against elite teams. Their chemistry isn’t quite there yet and, frankly, they’re running out of time. The 1st round of the playoffs will probably go off without a hitch, but later rounds could be a problem. Miami will really have to prove themselves to the rest of the elite teams in the league during their next nine games and show that they can run with the big dogs.

Everyone knows how good the Big Two plus Bosh are. The question is can they, and the rest of their mediocre team, get it together and start winning when it matters?

Let’s be honest. The season is over. There is no reason to try and turn things around at this point. The Cavs need to cut their losses (ha, pun intended!) and move on. The only good thing that will come from this season is getting better picks in the draft because of our dreadful record. (Remember, aaaaallllllllllllllllllll the way back in 2003 when a little team called the Cleveland Cavaliers ended the season with the worst record in the league, only to go on to sign some guy named Lebron James? Yeah.)

So, in my opinion, there really was no point in trading any of players right now. Sure, when the season’s over, Mo Williams, Daniel Gibson, and Antawn Jamison need to go. Those three are worth enough that we could make some decent trades for them and clear out a bunch of players that score well but can’t play defense to save their lives. Granted, the entire team can’t play defense to save their lives, but give Byron Scott more than one season to make things happen.

So, imagine my disdain when I read that the Cavs and Clippers were considering a trade that would send Mo and Jamario Moon to LA for Baron Davis and a 1st round draft pick. However, the more I thought about it, the more sense it made.

For argument’s sake, let’s take Moon out of the discussion. In his 40 games played so far this year, he’s averaging 4.7 points and 3 rebounds per game. I could average that, and I’m 13 weeks pregnant. And 5’ 2”. And a girl. (Duh, thus the pregnant thing.) So to get rid of him in exchange for another 1st round (most likely lottery) draft pick is awesome.

So, let’s look at Mo for Davis. While Mo is (or at least used to be) a competent scorer, Davis is the better passer and therefore a better point guard. Even last season with James, one of the greatest scorers on the planet, on the team, Mo only averaged 5.3 assists per game. Davis, on the other hand, has proven how good he is at getting the ball into Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon. Hopefully, with the Cavs, he could facilitate similar situations with J.J. Hickson and Antawn Jamison. As a veteran player on the Clippers, Davis has proven that he can be an effective leader with younger teammates.

Also, Davis’ contract expires in 2012, while Mo’s continues until 2013. 2012, in addition to being our last year on the planet (so says John Cusack), is also the year that Chris Paul and Dwight Howard become free agents. I know, I know, our chances of signing either one of them are basically zero, but there will be other free agents next summer, and some cleared cap space would only help the Cavs’ chances of signing better players.

To sum up, we’re looking at getting rid of a point guard who has yet to play consistently to his potential, especially this season, and a forward who comes off the bench and shoots 40% from the field for a veteran point guard with strong passing and leadership skills and an addition 1st round draft pick. That draft pick will give the Cavs two 1st round picks and two 2nd round picks. Not too shabby.

One problem this trade doesn’t solve is the fact that the Cavs haven’t played defense all year. Adding another point guard probably won’t help with that. But, one thing at a time.

I still stand by my belief that the Cavs need to accept the fact that this season is over. They shouldn’t make any other deals before the draft. But if a trade had to happen, this is a pretty good one, all things considered. I definitely think the Clippers got the short end of the stick. (Short end of the ball? Of the hoop?) What the Cavs need to do now is play a little bit better, get some good draft picks, and show players around the league that they have potential. Small successes lead to bigger successes. A strong trade can beget an even stronger one. Hopefully this move has set the wheels in motion for the Cavs to build SOME kind of positive momentum going into next season and beyond.

**NOTE: I’m also okay with the trade that got Semih Erden in exchange for a future 2nd round draft pick. Lord knows the Cavs need more big men. And, with the trade of Kendrick Perkins, this move takes ANOTHER big away from Boston. Any trade that takes ANYTHING away from Boston is a good thing in my book.***

Image courtesy of instntrply.com

Put your thinking caps on, because it’s time for a quiz. Which one of these situations can result in a technical foul during an NBA game:

A.Kobe Bryant, in frustration, bounces the ball with extra force after being called for a blocking foul, resulting in the ball accidently bouncing into the second row of seats
B.Dwight Howard gets tangled up with a defender and throws an elbow into his opponant’s chin to “create separation”
C.Lebron James gets called for a questionable charge, and deals with his disappointment by grimacing and jogging away from the referee

That’s a trick question folks, because in the 2010-2011 NBA season, any of those situations can get a player T-ed up. That’s right, causing the ball to bounce off the court, hitting someone in the chin, and making a displeased face can all cause you to receive a technical foul. (How do you actually write out that expression? Teed up? T’ed up?)

In an effort to make basketball the most boring sport on the planet, NBA commissioner David Stern has expanded the definition of a technical foul and, by extension, taken away every emotional aspect of the game. Proponents of the league’s move call it enforcing respect for the game. Players and fans call it overkill.

“The emotion of the game can never be taken out of the game of basketball,” two-time reigning MVP LeBron James said before the regular season started. “And that’s when the fans, that’s when the real guys, and the people who are watching and who know the game of basketball will know there’s a problem with the game.”

In fact, it does seem like a problem has arisen. In previous seasons, technical fouls were handed out for infractions occurring after play had ceased, such as fighting, yelling and gesticulating at refs, repeatedly arguing calls, or being visibly disrespectful to the refs. Players could also get called for technical fouls for leaving their benches unnecessarily (read: when players on the court start fighting).

This season, however, refs are much more technical happy, T-ing players up for offenses that, in previous seasons, wouldn’t have even registered.

Take, for example, Lamar Odom getting called for a technical foul during a Lakers-Suns game for punching the air after getting fouled. He wasn’t arguing the call. If anything, he was agreeing with it! Did he punch the defender? No. Did he punch the ref? No. He punched the AIR.

Kyle Korver got the short end of the technical foul stick when the Bulls faced off against the Toronto Raptors early in the season. After experiencing contact with a defender, Korver looked at a ref and pointed to his elbow, indicating that believed a foul should have been called. Little did Korver know that pointing your elbow is apparently incredibly offensive, and he received a T.

And just the other day, Richard Hamilton was ejected from the Lakers-Pistons game in the first five minutes of the first quarter. After picking up his second foul at 7:01, Rip looked towards referee Mark Stafford and talked about the call. Stafford issued Rip his first technical, and when Rip continued to talk, Stafford sent him to the locker room. For talking.

It seems that players can hardly breathe without receiving a technical foul. In addition to previously known offenses, players can no long talk to the refs about any call, regardless of their tone, attitude, or level of aggression. And in addition to expanding the definition of a technical foul-worthy offense, David Stern has also raised the fine associated with these fouls. In 2010, players are now fined $2,000 for each of their first five technical fouls, $3,000 for each of the next five, and $4,000 for technical fouls 11-15. Starting at their 16th, players are suspended one game for every two technicals, along with $5,000 for each.

Technical fouls, when issued correctly, have their place in the NBA. We’re not talking about a gang of kids playing pick up ball at the park here. This is a multi-billion dollar industry and regulations are needed. Technicals for fighting, running off the bench into the game, and blatant disrespect towards the refs are understandable. They keep the game from getting out of control and prevent players from exacting revenge on each other.

Well, in most cases. While the threat of a technical foul has always been present in the NBA, that little T hand formation wasn’t enough to stop the disaster affectionately known as “Malace at the Palace” which occurred when the Detroit Pistons took on the Indiana Pacers on November 19, 2004. After fouling Ben Wallace from behind, Ron Artest escaped the resulting on-court fight and laid out on the scorers’ table. When a fan threw a cup of Diet Coke at his chest, Artest took to the stands, punched an innocent bystander in the face (believing that person to be Coke-hurler) and incited a fight involving 9 NBA players and countless spectators.

Could the refs have blown their whistles and started throwing techs? Sure. Would it have made a difference? Of course not. Instead, they (correctly) ended the game early.

Now, this of course is an extreme example. But it only serves to highlight the fact that technicals aren’t the be all end all of game management, and the refs need to realize this before they get all get carpal tunnel syndrome from all the Ts they’re forming.

In an average NBA game , denying players and coaches the ability to even question a call is taking it too far. Not allowing calls to be questioned implies that the referees never make an incorrect call, which we all know isn’t true. If it were, technicals wouldn’t need to be reviewed and, as is often the case, repealled. When a foul is overturned by the league (read: David Stern), it only serves to undermine the refs’ judgement and makes players and coaches want to question calls even more.

David Stern, and his crew of Fun Police…. ahem, refs…. need to calm down. Sure, officiate the game, keep things moving, and ensure sportsman-like behavior. But let the players play, the whiners whine (a bit), and let everyone just enjoy watching the game. Even if they don’t agree with a call.

My new article, The Disappointing Three, is up on Prose Before Hos. Chock full of reasons why the Miami Heat are overrated and not performing up to expectations, this article is for anyone who doesn’t like Lebron or the Heat. Hell, this article is for anyone from Cleveland!

Click here to check it out!

Are Technical Fouls Ruining the NBA?

Apparently this article isn’t as inflammatory as my last one. No one has called me a bitch, accused me of not actually watching basketball, or told me I’m sipping on hatorade. But I still think it’s good!

Head over to Prose Before Hos and check out my article!

You can also head over to digg.com and digg my article.

When you think of the greatest players in the history of the NBA, of course Jerry West, Oscar Roberston, Michael Jordan, and Magic Johnson come to mind. But amoungst this list of greats, we shouldn’t overlook Kevin Garnett. No, he’s not the best player ever, but his talent shoudn’t be discounted. Nor should the amount of time he’s been in the league. Or, as we’ve seen since Garnett joined the Boston Celtics, his ability to spout off insults at a moment’s notice at whatever player is in the immediate vicinity. As he starts his 16th season in the NBA, many are starting to wonder: is time for Garnett, and his volatilt attitude, to move on from basketball?

In July, 2007, 12 years into an impressive NBA career, Garnett was traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, cash considerations, Boston’s 2009 first-round draft pick (top 3 protected) and the 2009 first-round pick Minnesota had traded to Boston in the Ricky Davis-Wally Szczerbiak trade of 2006. This move marked the single biggest trade for a single player in NBA history.

Everyone remembers the anticipation for the new Boston Big Three when Garnett and Ray Allen joined Paul Pierce on the Celtics. And in the 2007-2008 season, they certainly didn’t disappoint. The Celtics won the NBA championship, while Garnett surpassed 20,000 career points and was named Defensive Player of the Year.

And then, on February 4, 2009, everything came crashing down. Or at least Garnett did. Garnett fell after a failed alley opp and strained his knee. The injury took him out for the rest of the season and playoffs and greatly debilitated his play in the 2009-2010 season. In 2009-2010, Garnett missed 13 games with knee and ankle problems, and posted up numbers — 30 minutes, 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and .8 blocks per game — all well below his career averages.

In fact, Garnett’s numbers have decreased every year since joining the Celtics, with one exception: the number of bullying incidents in which Garnett has been involved, sparked by his newly incessant trash talking. Never a stranger to conflict and intimidation, Garnett’s agression seems to have outpaced his talent and ability recent years.

There was the game in November 2008, when Garnett felt the need to taunt Jose Calderon of the Toronto Raptors by clapping and wagging his finger in Calderon’s face. Or how about the way he got on all fours and BARKED LIKE A DOG (yes, you read that correctly, barked like a dog!) at Rookie point guard Jerryd Bayless of the Portland Trailblazers in December 2008?

Or the time he elbowed the Miami Heat’s Quentin Richardson during the 2010 playoffs after fellow Celtic Paul Pierce got “injured”? And no one can forget when he made his own Celtics’ teammate, Glenn Davis, cry on national television. (Although in Garnett’s defense, Davis’ nickname IS Big Baby.)

And now, in the most recent example of his abrasive behavior, Garnett is being accused of calling Charlie Villanueva a “cancer patient” during the Celtics-Pistons game on Tuesday November 2nd.

Following Boston’s commanding 109-86 win over the Detroit Pistons, Detroit forward Charlie Villanueva hopped on Twitter, reporting that Celtics’ Kevin Garnett called him a “cancer patient” during the game. Villanueva tweeted, “KG called me a cancer patient, I’m (mad) because, u know how many people died from cancer, and he’s tossing it like it’s a joke.” He went on to explain, “I wouldn’t even trip about that, but a cancer patient, I know way 2 many people who passed away from it, and I have a special place 4 those.”

Villanueva suffers from alopecia universalis, a condition that results in sudden and rapid loss of all hair, including eyelashes and eyebrows.

Garnett, on the other hand, insists that Villanueva misunderstood the insult. Instead, Garnett said in a statement issued on Thursday November 4th that “[his] comment to Charlie Villanueva was in fact: You are cancerous to your team and our league.” Doc Rivers, the Celtics’ head coach, defends Garnett, saying, “I actually heard what Kevin said. I was right there, what he really said is in the statement. I’m going to leave it at that.”

Reaction to the event within the NBA has been mixed. Let’s be honest, Garnett isn’t exactly the most loveable guy in the NBA. And he’s known for his trash talking, so it wouldn’t be inconceivable to imagine him spouting off without thinking. And does he really think that people believe he said “you are cancerous to your team and the league”? Doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue in the heat of the moment.

Denver Nuggets’ head coach George Karl, a cancer survivor himself, felt that Garnett was out of line with his comments. “Sometimes, responsibility comes from knowing when to argue when not to — when to cross the line and when not to cross the line,” Karl explains. And Robert Villanueva, Charlie’s older brother and manager, explained that Charlie has been teased for his whole life and “it’s one thing to hear negative, insulting comments from sports fans rooting against you, but to hear it from your peers, it’s just complete stupidity.”

But plenty of people have come down on Villanueva for his role in AlopeciaGate 2010. In response to Garnett’s statement, Rivers said, “I don’t like the whole tweeting thing. I’m going to state that as well. Guys talk on the court. It doesn’t mean they should or shouldn’t.” And Stan Van Gundy, head coach of the Orlando Magic, was strongly opposed to Villanueva’s tweets, and said that the Pistons’ forward should act “like a grown man” and not complain about other NBA players on Twitter.

In the words of Doc Rivers, “we should be talking about basketball.” So let’s do that.

Garnett didn’t start out his basketball career as a bully. Drafted 5th overall in the 1995 by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Garnett became the first player to be drafted straight out of high school in 20 years. In his second year with Minnesota, Garnett led the Timberwolves to the playoffs, beginning an 8 year run of playoff appearances. He played in his first All Star game in 1997, and has remarkably been voted to every All Star game since. In addition to earning a gold medal with the 2000 Olympic team, Garnett put up the best stats of his career in the 2002-2003 season (23 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game) and was named the season’s MVP in 2004 after leading the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals.

Things quickly started to go downhill for Garnett in 2004. Though his play remained strong, the Timberwolves’ record began to fall along with the decreased talent of the team’s supporting cast. After two weak seasons, Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics, marking the beginning of his boorish behavior towards his peers.

Is it any coincidence that as his level of play declines, Garnett’s attitude and bullying have increased? In the prime of his career, Garnett was able to let his skills speak for themselves, without stooping to intimidation and humiliation tactics. It seems as if he’s desparately trying to cover up his rapidly decaying skills with an obnoxious, in-your-face attitude. If he keeps these antics up, he’ll be remembered as a trash-talking asshole who pounds his chest like a gorilla after every minor triumph, not as the great player he is.

And let’s be honest- at 38, Garnett isn’t getting any younger. As he, Allen, and Pierce approach the end of their contracts, the Celtics will be forced to rebuild and start over with younger players. At this point in his game, Garnett should be leading by example and mentoring younger players, not yelling, finger wagging, and hurling vindictive insults at players half his size.

Does this mean that Garnett’s career should be over? No, not necessarily. He has a bit more in the tank. But as he continues to age, his skills and stats will no doubt continue to decline. And his petulant behavior of late will only cause people to forget the brilliant player he once was. If he continues to let his actions speak louder than his play, it may be time to move on from the game, before he tarnishes his basketball legacy forever.

Head over to check out my first article: Is Kevin Garnett Ruining His Legacy?

(The article will posted up here in a few days, but I get paid if you read it on Prose Before Hos, so read it over there!)

Also, if you’re so inclined, head over to digg.com to digg my article. Thank you so much for your support!

He poses several questions, without actually answering them. Some of my favorites:

“Should I tell people I’ve done this before?”: What, you’re comparing driving from Akron to Cleveland to leaving Cleveland for Miami? As much as you want to insist that Akron is COMPLETELY different than Cleveland, it’s not as different as Miami. And man, you never left Akron. You LEFT Cleveland. However, if you’re referring to the fact that you played with your friends in high school and now you’re choosing to play with your friends in Miami, then yes, admit it. You stayed with your pals in Akron because you felt safe and successful with them. Any parallels with your choice to play in Miami? I think so.

“Should I say ‘I am not a role model’?” No. Because, whether you like it or not, you are a role model. You sponsor camps and activity days for under privileged kids. You promote athletics to your hometown. You are an international sports icon. Children look up to you, respect you, want to be you. Don’t say you’re not a role model, because you are.

“Should I try acting?” Actually, this wouldn’t be a bad idea. You’re incredibly funny and have a natural charisma in front of the camera. (Except when you’re letting down millions of people on live TV.) I loved you on SNL.

“Should I accept my role as a villian?” Yes, because that’s the role you’ve created for yourself. And admit it, you love it. You want to be the “bad guy”. You had your fun in Cleveland, but now you want to be serious and prove that you can win a championship. And you thrive off the negative attention because, well, it’s attention.

“Should I admit I’m a championship chaser?” It couldn’t hurt. I don’t blame you for wanting to win a championship, and I’ve admitted that you’ll probably do that with Miami this year. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to win. There’s something wrong with trying to be noble and insisting that winning isn’t your motivation.

All in all, the commerical fits in well with Lebron’s new “everything on this planet having anything to do with basketball must be about me” attitude. It rubs me the wrong way though, because it screams of insecurity and the desire to win approval from fans and haters alike.

I’ve never condemned Lebron for his choice, but the way he’s acted since making it is annoying! He is the best basketball player in the world and he knows it, but he acts like a scared little kid who wants everyone to love him. That ship has clearly sailed. He needs to get past that, and focus on the game. He’s already incredibly talented, and now he’s surrounded by an incredibly efficient team.

The championships are yours to win, Lebron.

Here are two opposing reactions to the commercial that I’ve come across.

This one must have been written by a Clevelander.

This one is much more forgiving. I tend to agree a bit more with this guy.