All-Star Players

I'm going to list 12 players from the East and West coast teams that I believe belong on the All-Star team. The names are not in any particular order. Also, I disregarded position and picked on who I thought was doing a solid job this year. There may be some names surprisingly left out. I chose only those players who seemed to be playing consistent so far for the year, have been playing most of the games (ie not injured majority of time),  and I thought deserving. I tried to go by how they were playing so far THIS SEASON. Here is my list:

West
1 Carmelo Anthony
2 Kevin Durant
3 Dirk Nowitzki
4 Kobe Bryant
5 Steve Nash
6 Brandon Roy
7 Deron Williams
8 Zach Randolph
9 Chris Paul
10 Monta Ellis
11 Tim Duncan
12 Andrew Bynum

East
1 Dwight Howard
2 Lebron James
3 Dwyane Wade
4 Gerald Wallace
5 Rajon Rondo
6 Chris Bosh
7 David Lee
8 Joe Johnson
9. Mo Williams
10. Paul Pierce
11. Joakim Noah
12 Josh Smith

I don't think you can go wrong with any of these names. I would have loved to have put Pau Gasol on my list. However, he was injured at the start and he is injured again. He was a little inconsistent too. However, he was putting up monster numbers and the team was winning. There are some other names too who I would love to put in there, but consistency or injury was a key to why they were missing.

This list could easily change in a week or so.

Shout out to BD - Baron Davis!

I mentioned Baron can be a beast if he plays to his ability and level. It appears lately he has been doing just that and I just wanted to list his averages for the past 5 games.

PTS: 19.6
AST: 10.4
REBS: 4.4
STEALS: 2.4
FG%: 52%
3PT-FG%: 35%

4 wins in those 5 games.

Pretty good work and he is definitely elevating the Clippers which is what they hoped he would do. BD is having fun.

Lakers don't look too good...

The Lakers got blown out by San Antonio last night, but made a mini comeback in the 4th before losing it and getting beat by 20. I believe its their 4th straight road loss. Injuries are even a bigger concern. Kobe left the game with back spasms and he needs to get better. He started the game off great, and he looked like he was in for a great game. If it wasn't for his injuries, Kobe could have gone off to have a great game. Pau is still out. Bynum showed some real solid play though. I was really impressed with how he was able to score in the paint. Very solid job. I also liked that Ron Artest got aggressive and started to drive, draw fouls, and score the ball. These things had to happen while Kobe was out. Ron's defense didn't look good to me though. Its not the Artest defense I'm used to seeing. The Lakers just need to come together as a whole. Its good to have these times at this part of the season so you can have a chance to put it all together by the end of the season. The Cavs look like they are at that point.

Lakers need to get better and the Cavs are playing great

The Lakers haven't been playing well at all these past few games. Kobe is shooting absolutely terrible, I mean terrible! I know it has to do with his finger, and hopefully he is able to improve his shot. Some of the guys have been hurt, so they need to get healthier. My biggest concern for them is their bench. Their bench is playing at its lowest in a while I've seen. The bench used to be the strong point for the Lakers, but not anymore. When Odom starts (in place for injured guys), he puts up spectacular numbers. However, coming off the bench he quickly disappears a lot. The bench guys need to play better for the Lakers to repeat. Meanwhile, the Cavs are playing their best basketball right now. Lebron James is in beast form. I must give props to Shaq as well. He is fitting in the best possible way. He is giving them what he can and the Cavs are smartly fitting him where they can.

Tyreke Evans - My new ROY

Brandon Jennings was great early but Tyreke Evans has been totally ballin and consistent. Its still early in the season but Tyreke is playing greating and put up great numbers. We'll see if Brandon can come back better or someone else shows up on the radar.

Armed Agent Zero

By now, I'm sure you all have heard about Gilbert Arenas and this whole gun incident. Its a pretty crazy thing and I think anything dealing with guns has to be dealt with in the most serious senses. Gilbert is currently suspended and part of that is because he is not of "sound mind." Anyone who follows Gilbert knows he is a jokester/prankster and has a sense of humor. However, this is not something to make light of. I know he's trying to be "positive" instead of carrying a depressed demeanor, but the proper reaction is of a serious tone. Of course, in this world, who are we to dictate how a person reacts or what is "proper". However, in this situation, there are responsibilities, representation, and proper etiquette that needs to be followed. My opinion is any "prank" or "joke" that deals with guns is not going to be funny at all. It just got me thinking this is one thing behind the scenes that got exposed. Imagine all the other things in the NBA and other pro sports that are happening behind the scenes. One of Gilbert's nicknames is Agent Zero. Supposedly the guns were not loaded-->"zero" ammo. Ergo my title, Armed Agent Zero.

On another note, I think Gilbert is a very talented player. Before he got injured, he was a beast. He was scoring, hitting game winners, and ballin. He got more serious this year and not wanting to talk much. He worked hard over the summer to rehab. By all accounts, he was looking good and was going to attain his previous greatness. He's been okay with some flashes of his old self. He has been more "serious" this season and not wanting to talk much. In fact, he used to have a blog that he no longer does. I can remember actually enjoying reading his blog. A more "serious" Gilbert this year. Too bad he wasn't serious for this situation.

Bad Lakers Loss and amazing Celtics win

Lakers lost to the Clippers a couple nights ago. I think the Lakers had won the previous 9 games against them. Its bound to happen and hey the Clippers have some good talent. Baron Davis was playing aggressive and when he plays like that he gives his team a good chance. When Baron is playing like the Baron he is capable of, there are few players better. He can be really unstoppable. Hopefully the Lakers can pick up their play. Even though the Clippers played well, I think the Lakers didn't sustain the right effort throughout the game. Ron is back, but Pau is still out. Lakers still have the best record, but the Celtics are right behind them. The Celtics are doing so well on the road. They are pulling out so many games and have injuries. Rondo helped pull a game Miami should have won into overtime and then lead them to the victory. Wade had a great game but it wasn't enough with the Celtics able to climb back and win.

Impressive teams!

Everyone knows about the power house teams such as the Lakers, Celtics, Cavs, and Magic. There are other good teams as well. However, what I'm impressed with are some of these younger upcoming teams holding their own and showing that they are the future. These teams include the Grizzlies, Thunder, Rockets, Trailblazers, and Bobcats. They are playing pretty impressive to me getting some quality wins and playing well.

Kobe...Last second...of course! Again!

Kobe hit another game winning shot against the Kings the other day. It was his third in the past few weeks. Its great he is hitting these shots. My concern is with the Lakers overall. Ron Artest has been out for a while after Christmas. He had an injury falling down the stairs or something to that effect bringing down Christmas boxes. He had a concussion and injury to his left elbow. He is still recovering and is "hopeful" to return soon. The Lakers defensively have been kind of terrible since Artest has been out of the lineup. I know Ron provides a lot, but there is no excuse to be this bad. The Lakers overall seem to be falling to the trap at times to playing at the level of the competition. The bench needs to step up. Last night, they blew out the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs gave them their first home loss, so it could have been a more focused group to get revenge. I hope to see the Lakers play more consistent. The bench played well in the game. Unfortunately, Pau went out with a strained hamstring. That isn't good news, because when Pau plays, the Lakers tend to win. Hopefully Pau comes back soon. Funny thing about Pau was that his game seemed to decline after he signed his contract extension. He was averaging monster boards like 18+ a game for a few games. Soon after signing his contract, he was getting like 5 or 6 boards in games. Hmmmmm. Seriously, I think it was more coincidental and he has seemed to pick it up in these more recent games. However, now he may be out for a while. We will see. Lakers still have the best record, but the Cavs have been playing real well recently.

Nate is back!

I guess Nate is out of the doghouse or Mike D'Antoni wanted to wait until New Year before he "allowed" Nate to play, but Nate definitely had a HUGE game. He scored 41 points in a WIN vs the Hawks which was a big win for them. Nate was absolutely sick and unstoppable. Good for Nate being back and hopefully he gets continued opportunities and chances. The Knicks are doing fairly well overall and I think they will definitely make the playoffs. They started off terrible, but have been really solid as of late.