SNI's WEEKLY WATCH

After a weekend where we saw a lot of action both on the ice and the hardwood, it’s time to once again take a look at the upcoming 5-days and forecast some intriguing story lines you should keep an eye on.

As always, you’re left to fend for yourselves on the weekend. I hope this helps dealing with the Monday blues…the implementation of three-day weekends is a definite must.

MONDAY

7:00 PM – A busy weekend leads to a relaxed night on the NHL front as only one game is going on. This should be a nice pre-cursor for Swedish Centre Peter Forsberg, as he eyes six potential suitors as a new destination looms imminent come the trade deadline. Detroit was one of the supposed teams on the All-Stars’ list of exclusively Western Conference cities he would veto his no-trade clause to join, and with six other countrymen already dawning the Red and White, everyone in Motown is dreaming of reigniting the Peter Forsberg who was such a menace for the Wings while a member of the Colorado Avalanche.

When analyzing Forsberg’s move to Detroit, it makes total sense if you look at it from all angles. Detroit is in need of a veteran centre to add some grit, leadership and goal scoring ability to their top lines. The transition phase will be seemingly non-existent as he will be joining players he has grown up playing with internationally. Coming to a team who is already situated at the top of the standings, Forsberg will be able to rest any nagging injuries he may still be fighting and prepare himself for the gruelling playoff stretch. Once back in the line-up, the Wings will not have to place total reliance on the center’s shoulders and may ask him to play more of a complimentary role, surrounding him with the young stars currently leading the way in Detroit. In return, Detroit has enough young talent to offer Philly and if it's draft picks that they are seeking, the Wings will use their scouting diligence and expertise in the latter rounds to make up for not having early round selections.

My white Forsberg jersey is already pre-ordered in anticipation of the Dog-F*%#ers first trip to Hockeytown. This reminds me of the good 'ol days.

In the new-NHL, blockbuster deals at the trade deadline are few and far between; the salary cap and levelled off playing field make teams much more hesitant to give up on the current season as the playoffs are always within sight. Thankfully the Flyers have been terrible and out of contention since the second week of the season. Now all we need is some added muscle and a deep playoff run seems inevitable…Mr. Georges Laraques anyone…

7:00 PM – The NBA offers a few games on Monday with Detroit hosting the LA Clippers in the nights marquee match-up. With CWebb showing exactly why the Pistons were wise in picking up the aging star for the second half, his passing ability has created a more fluid, steadily moving offense where slashing to the basket is rewarded. The question on the other side of the ball is whether or not the Clips will start playing up to their potential and regain the form that brought them from under the woodwork last season and near the top of the Western Conference.

8:00 PM – Prison Break is back on for another week of twists and turns. We left with the fleeing convicts (Sara’s now deeply rooted in their joint escape…er…pursuit of the truth) and defacto-exFBI agent, Kellerman, jumping from the train supposedly headed for the President. Kellerman is on a vendetta now that he has been played for a fool again by Agent Kim and I’m eager to see how he shows his appreciation for all the fun Kim has put him through over the past few weeks. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was with an iron crowbar or 9mm to the side of the head. Michael et al are once again going to be at the mercy of their followers and I’d think that jumping out of a train in the middle of the plains might not be the best for a camouflaged escape, but we know better, this is a network sitcom and Michael has read the scripts of those who are in desperate chase, so he should be able to work a little magic again...the show actually returns next week, Feb.19th. My bad...but to my credit, I didn't think I had to look that one up to make sure it was on. Lesson learned.

9:00 PM – Oklahoma St (17) @ Texas (25) – The Kevin Durant watch continues. I need some feedback! If you’re the team with the top pick in the upcoming draft do you:
A) Choose Durant for his insane all-around ability and freakishly unmatchable size
B) Take the next great centre in the NBA in man-child Greg Oden
C) Start throwing as much money/fame/celebrity/endorsements/girls/ANYTHING at these guys to get them to go pro and not stay in college for another year?

TUESDAY

7:30 PM – The boys from Long Island make a trip into Toronto to take on the Leafs and match-up two of the hotter teams in the Eastern Conference. It is a little odd to be mentioning the Leafs and Isles as two of the hotter teams in the East, but over the last 10 games the Leafs have tallied 15 pts, while the Isles have put up 14 pts themselves to enable both clubs to hold onto their fading and weak playoff hopes. The next few weeks will show us where the Leafs brass is directing the franchise. As the trade deadline approaches, John Ferguson’s phone will be off the hook as real playoff contenders call and inquire about Mats Sundin and Darcy Tucker. I’ve shown the more pity and offered honest analysts towards the Buds than ever before this season, but if a deal doesn’t happen sending the aforementioned out of town before February is over, I will quickly revert back to my cynical commentary surrounding Ontario’s storied franchise because they will once again prove to not truly care about legitimately building a Stanley Cup contender and rewarding their desperately naïve fan base.

8:00 PM – Dallas heads to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks. I wonder how Dirk Digler is going to respond to the remarks made by D-Wade late last week. Wade was quoted and seemed a little out of character, refreshingly so mind you, about Nowitzki’s play near the end of games saying: “you're remembered for what you did at the end. . . . I think that's the reason -- Dirk says they gave us the championship last year, but he's the reason they lost the championship, because he wasn't the leader that he's supposed to be in the closing moments. That's because of great defense by us, but also he wasn't assertive enough as a leader's supposed to be.''

I think it’s safe to say that the message was passed along to Dirk and the Mavs, although it’s tough to argue with the big German as the Mavs have only lost twice since Dec.13th and will be welcoming the Heat next week Thursday in what will be a classic match-up of putting your money where your mouth is….to be continued…

8:30 PM – The Raps head to Chicago and look to take down another team the experts had marked for supremacy in the East. They’ll look to end this affair as early as possible and make sure everyone is at the top of their game as Carter and the Nets head in to Toronto on Wednesday. It’s an event every time Carter comes back to town for what always seems to be a more meaningful game now that VC is the son who emancipated himself from the city of Toronto. Oh how we loathe thee.

College Hoops – It’s now just under a month until Selection Sunday, the precursor for the NCAA Tournament. In order to stay on top of the hot teams entering March, start your watch now and get an advantage on the office poolies. Games to keep a lookout for include: Texas Tech (UR) @ Texas A&M (7) – A&M is a dangerous team to keep your eye on. Virginia Tech (UR) @ N.Carolina (5) – NC is looking for redemption after falling to VT 94-88 a month ago.

WEDNESDAY

7:00 PM – The start of a busy day in the NBA has the Nets and JKidd visiting Toronto. I think I might head down to the ACC, boo until I fall over from lack of oxygen and then head home to keep up with a busy schedule of games on Wednesday. Carter, you will never be forgotten to us, we will always hate you.

7:30 PM – Montreal will be looking to start playing more inspired hockey as they head to the Meadowlands and play the Devils. The Habs have only one win over their last six contests and that one win came in overtime. They’re barely hanging on to a playoff spot and are going to need to start to prove their legitimacy sometime soon.

7:30 PM – San Antonio makes a trip into Detroit and if you’re one of those people who proclaims the NBA would be more exciting and better served if it was played under a college scheme, then watch the Pistons and Spurs. They play fundamentally sound, team basketball and at the highest level.

8:30 PM – The Sharks and Preds face off in a battle of two of the top teams in the NHL and the Gaylord Centre (insert joke here) will be host a fast paced, highly skilled affair. The Wings and Stars also play and Marty Turco will look to rid himself of his kryptonite; since the 01/02 season Turco is 1-8-5 against the Wings with his only win coming in overtime.

THURSDAY

7:00 PM – A fairly busy night in the NHL with seven games on tap. One you may want to keep an eye on, as implications loom for both the East and the West, is between Edmonton and Buffalo. The Oilers are fading as they do so often around this time of the year, and to be honest, another last ditch effort to make the playoffs will annoy me. Teams who are used to sneaking into seventh or eighth spot on a yearly basis (Edmonton anyone…) will need to prove their worth earlier this season as there is a log jam in both conferences.

8:00 PM – A resurgent T-Mac has supposedly put to rest anything that was holding him back earlier in the season, and is rounding in to the MVP-caliber player so many know he’s capable of. The Rockets welcome the Mavs in a test to see who has bragging rights in Texas.

10:30 PM – A match-up of two of the best players in the L comes head to head when the Lakers and Cavs meet in Lala Land. Hopefully LeBron packed his note pad because the young phenom needs to start studying what Mr. Bryant has been teaching all year, how to bring a team full of mediocrity to the top of the standings. (I know the Cavs are near the top of the East, but c’mon, let’s be serious…it’s the East).

FRIDAY

MLB!!! Yep, it’s that time of the year again. The time when I pray a buddy might call me with an extra plane ticket to Florida and somewhere to stay so we can watch our boys of summer prep for another year and bid adieu to the winter that was. Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report on Friday with Spring Training games to start March 1st.

To all my friends: I’ve tentatively booked the entire month of March off, I’m a great wingman and always remember my wallet, I promise you will not be disappointed...

7:30 PM – The Pens head to New Jersey to take on the Devils. With all the controversy surrounding the Penguins and whether or not they need to surround Sid the Kid with some knuckles in order to protect their most coveted asset, I think it’s in our best interest to look at the following: Anaheim and Nashville lead the league with 54 and 34 fighting majors respectively. They sit 2nd and T-4th overall in the NHL respectively. I think we see a small correlation here – the way the game is played today, with increased emphasis on speed and skill, you need to offset all the finesse players with a few guys who will make the other team think twice about taking a run at one of your top guys. This isn’t rocket science gentlemen.

Bonus Weekend Coverage…

The NBA Kicks off their All-Star weekend – yes, it’s on the weekend, I’m not sure what league would think it was a good idea to run their most publicized, fan-oriented event in the middle of the week – with the Rookie/Sophomore challenge. Heading the two squads will be 1st overall pick Andrea Bargnani, Brandon Roy and Randy Foye for the Rookie Team and Andrew Bogut along with the dazzling PG duo of Chris Paul and Deron Williams. With many picking the sophs to route, let’s cheer on the underdog Rooks and two Raptors (Bargnani & J. Garbajosa) in the process.

As for the weekend, make sure you don’t miss possibly the last Slam Dunk contest on Saturday, let’s hope they’ve tweaked the rules so we don’t find ourselves yawning through fifteen dunk attempts by lil’ 50 Cent Nate Robinson again. Then Sunday you’ll be treated to the most lackadaisical pick-up game involving the highly skilled stars of the NBA as the All-Star game comes at us for the first time from Las Vegas. How David Stern was convinced to bring all the NBA’s elite to Sin City is beyond me.

- JW

Loyalty is a Lost Art

Now that the trade talks have settled down between the Colorado Rockies and the Boston Red Sox for perennial all-star Todd Helton, its time to reflect on what could have been, or dreadfully, may still be. In the wake of hearing the news that the Sox were aggressively pursuing Helton, and after reading reactionary columns by many informed baseball writers; Buster Olney’s providing the best insight as usual, the impact Helton would have on the Sox brings a sick feeling to my stomach. By adding another daunting bat, albeit on the decline over the past few years, would have been exactly what the Sox needed. Helton would have fit in perfectly on the right side of the infield with his Gold Glove defense. His bat would fit in seamlessly in a line-up where his declining power production would be picked up by the likes of Ortiz and Ramirez. Projecting the Red Sox batting order with the inclusion of Helton would look something like this:

SS Julio Lugo
1B Todd Helton
DH David Ortiz
LF Manny Ramirez
RF J.D. Drew
3B Kevin Youkilis
C Jason Varitek
CF Coco Crisp
2B Dustin Pedroia

Yah, pretty ridiculous. This would have been a crown jewel of the Theo Epstein era in a sense; that Helton is coming at a reduced rate the Rockies would still be on the hook for slightly less than half of his remaining $90.1M guaranteed contract, meaning the BoSox are only paying him roughly $8-10M per season - and yes, I did say reduced rate) is exactly the type of player Epstein is known to love. He hits for average, works the count, hits the gaps hard, has a great OBP, extends the game, and compliments everyone around him perfectly. Now that he's aging and has shown a decline in his power numbers (his slugging has dropped from .630 to .620 to .534 to .476 over the past four years) he wouldn't be relied upon for power numbers, that's reserved for Papi and ManRam, and could just slap line drives off the Monster all day long, cashing base runners and setting the table for the big boys at a very high efficiency. Simply put, this would have been another kick to the collective groin of all Blue Jay fans and a reminder to the Yankees that the battle in the AL East is never over.

This off-season wasn’t as highly publicized as last year in Toronto, but key additions have been made by JP Riccardi to surround a very talented core group of players with some extra ammunition. The addition of Frank Thomas should compliment a very potent offensive barrage and provide Vernon Wells and Troy Glaus with even more protection to do what they do best. The loss of Ted Lilly hurt as the young arm of Gustavo Chacin will be relied upon heavily as one of the only left handers found in the Jays corps of starting pitchers. A few other minor additions in the likes of Tomo Ohka, John Thompson and Victor Zambrano combined with the young arms of Downs, Janssen, Marcum, McGowan and Taubenheim will act as a sort of crap shoot – whoever is throwin the hot dice is going to get their turn at the table – and hopefully on each fourth and fifth day there will be a solid contribution of innings out of two guys in the group. In a market where mediocrity is selling for more than $10M per season, placing hope in a few guys who came at a Dollar Store price and have proven they can have success as a major league pitcher is a smart move. The key word from that last sentence; hope.

All of the efforts by Riccardi could be lost however, due to the fact that money is evidently no issue whatsoever to our counterparts on the east coast. But wait a second! After not being able to reach an agreement based on the fact that the Red Sox weren't going to be adding one of their highly touted young prospects in the deal (the Rockies supposedly were eyeing Manny Delcarmen or Craig Hansen) the Rockies took Helton off the table and closed talks. Whether or not those same talks start up again as we near the beginning of spring training is yet to be seen, but the possibility is always there. What stroke me as a nice surprise, was the reaction of Colorado owner Charlie Monfort. After the Sox declined to offer Delcarmen or Hansen the Rockies owner’s response was that Helton has been, and will now continue to be, an integral part of the Rockies line-up and help in their efforts to make the playoffs and compete for the World Series. He also added that “this is not an issue of just dumping salary," and that they would not "disrespect Todd and receive nothing of value in return.” Now thinking that the Rockies are contenders for the World Series, or the playoffs for that matter, is a little suspect but, optimistic thinking on Monfort’s behalf nonetheless. Saying that he did not want to disrespect Helton and not receive anything of substantial value from the Red Sox in return, now that’s what pro sports needs more of today.

Although this deal would make complete sense for the Rockies – it’s true, they will always have an outside shot to make the playoffs coming from the weak NL West, but with a depleted pitching staff and heavy reliance on young players such as Matt Holliday, Garret Atkins and Brad Hawpe to provide consistent production - they will be hard pressed to make a major impact this year. Monfort also did just discuss the possibility of the most recognized player in franchise history leaving town, and supposedly not for the first time. All these things aside, the future of this team should be a different story. They have a great group of young position players making their way up to the Bigs (SS Troy Tulowitzki & C Chris Iannetta leading the way) and promising arms that continue to develop (Francis, Taylor Buchholtz, Aaron Cooke and Jason Hirsh) that have many people around the Rockies organization very excited, with Monfort leading the charge. The inclusion of Helton in a talented young line-up where he isn't forced to do all the heavy lifting and finally receiving the payoff you were planning for when you signed him to his 9-year $141.5M contract back in April of 2003 is an enjoyable thought. What really impressed me about the Helton trade talks though, was the tone in which Monfort conveyed his message. It was as though he was standing up for ethics and the proper treatment of players who love the city they have grown up in and who the city has loved watching grow up. He did it in sort of a commanding way, the way that the Boss talks to his henchmen, making sure there is no question in what his intentions are. And it's something that has become an afterthought when discussing professional sports these days.

No longer is it common practice for a player, or an organization, to continue their relationship for the entirety of said player’s career. The list of remaining people around pro sports who have remained in the city that drafted them into the league is a short one. This disheartening fact is something that comes to no surprise to anyone who even remotely follows pro sports. Common mentality is; draft a player, groom that player into a thoroughbred, and then pray to God that player likes the city/teammates/coaching staff/front office/direction of the franchise and has his family’s support in all these facets. If you’re fortunate enough to find someone who fits this mold, you’re one of the lucky few. Most often, a player is groomed by his hometown club only to become too good for them and forces a choice to be made: either keep him and take the hit in the chequing account (but appease your local fan base and earn some cred from writers and associates around the league), or deal him for young prospects and continue the vicious cycle teams like Oakland and Minnesota have found themselves in for the past decade. The fact of the matter is that it’s not in the best financial interest for many owners of pro teams to lock homegrown players up to long term extensions, unless that extension comes at a hometown discount, or if that player is one of those special multi-tool Hall-of-Fame types (please Vernon, don't make a fool of me). Even then, you still need an owner who is willing to spend money, and a lot of it. As shown by the Florida Marlins, you are able to provide the ultimate euphoric experience for your fans on a consistent basis with very minimal expenditures. This is accomplished by building a great farm system, developing your own players into modern day heroes, then spending a ton of money, winning a championship, then immediately trading all the high priced players away, and start all over again with the touted youngsters you got in return for the proven high priced players, only the next time around you minimize the amount of high priced players coming back in order to secure victory. It might not be the best public relations move, but it’s something that is financially sound and in the end, that’s all that it comes down to now.

That’s why Monfort’s decision to stick to his guns and keep the local hero around for a little longer is so refreshing. Fans are used and abused. Built to love and attach themselves to players, only to have those same players sent off to the highest bidder in a different city, bringing a new, unproven, unknown group of players back in return. The feeling after losing one of these players is like trading the perfect New Era fitted cap (the one that finally, after years of dedication and loyal wearing even in the most awkward situations, you've been able to mold to the contours of your head) to your buddy for the 7 1/4 he just picked up off the shelf at Champs. You lose something that you feel at one with. The new hat would take some serious getting used to. Just like the new guys will take some serious getting used to. They'll come strolling into both the clubhouse and our lives, and we are forced to start the entire process all over again, square hat in tact. It’s sickening in a sense. You purchase jerseys, attend autograph signings, boast to friends and families about the quality of people you have in your organization, only to have the front office ship those exact same guys out of town without even blinking.

It is however, a double edged sword. General Managers and Owners are not the only people who show loyalties first and foremost to their financial statements. Players are just as bad and just as easy to blame. Helton would have waived his no-trade clause in order to complete the deal with the Sox, and rightfully so. He has played a long career thus far and deserves a legitimate shot at winning a championship in his final few years in the league. His departure would not have come in the same light as others who flee for exorbitant riches (he's already got that). Nowadays, there will always be a biased thought in the back of the minds of all parties involved. The player is looking out for his best interest, he knows that the organization has no loyalties, so why should he? He has a family to fend for and his own personal dignity to keep intact. The ownership group on the other hand, is looking out for the best interest of the club in general and it too often comes down to the bottom line; are we in the black or are we in the red this year? We have lost the days where people really, truly cared about one another and being a part of a team was like being a part of a family. Toss in a side order of player agents and the plot even thickens. Needless to say, everyone is looking out for themselves, rightfully or wrongfully so, you can be the judge.

The manner in which Charlie Monfort approached the Helton situation is commendable. More people should act in the same light as the Rockies Owner and others who truly honor the old mentality of dignity, honor and respect. When all is said and done, we are still just simple people who work hard, go home to our families, and hope for peace of mind at the end of the day. Whether that peace of mind comes at the expense of those who pay for your million dollar mansion and five-car garage, sadly, doesn’t seem to matter too many people anymore. For the fans in Colorado, thankfully it does to Charlie Monfort.

Then again, Helton could get off to a great start, the young players may not develop as fast as previously thought, the team could be sputtering at the bottom of the NL West with the season looking awash, and Boston may approach them again, this time offering Manny Delcarmen with open arms and a giddy smile on their face, and Charlie Monfort et al. might say "Hmm...Do you know what, this deal makes sense for everyone" and wish au revoir to the greatest Rockie of all-time. Yes, this is a cruel world we live in.

- JW

NBA in the 416

To be honest, the mindsets and opinions of both Raptors fans and people who follow the NBA boggle me. The recent SLAM Magazine that profiles “The Greatest Dunk Off” has Vince Carter taking top honors and got me thinking. While Carter was in Toronto you couldn't get enough of Vinsanity – Vince is insane, and not because of his highlight reel dunks (which I thought he wasn’t supposed to be doing anymore), but because he’s a head case who periodically replenishes his Prozac prescription. A lot of people still can’t get enough of his soft, selfish play, which has me scratching my head. Every time I look down the bench and don’t see him auditioning for the Young & Restless by making a myriad of facial experssions I smile. Thankfully he’s not in Toronto influencing our young players and individually sucking the life out of an organization that is moving in the right direction. It’s nice to see though, that the American fan base and clubs south of the border might be slowly coming to their senses too.

With the Nets falling fast in the standings around Christmas time, and injuries to Nenad Kristic (out for the season after having surgery to heal a torn ACL in his left knee) and Richard Jefferson (out 6 weeks after having ankle surgery) the front office needed to think about the future. What they did was assess their current assets. They first deemed an aging JKidd who’s still playing at the top of his game as a guy who would attract some attention from clubs looking at making a big push for the playoffs, especially seeing that they drafted PG Marcus Williams this past year who looks like he’ll be a nice fit in the league. Unfortunately no teams bit at Kidd, probably due to the fact that he has a guaranteed $40M coming at him over the next two years. The Nets then turned their attention to the poster boy of the team, the aforementioned VC. Do you know what happened? Even with his contract expiring after this year (he’s got a player option for $16.3M next year) no one wanted him! Carter is not a team player. He’s not the guy that will take a beating and keep coming back. He’s not one to put the good of the group ahead of his own personal accolades. It seems as though he’s more interested in finding other NBAers to add to his group of facebook friends than he is with winning at all costs and maybe, just maybe, pissing someone off in the process. Vince hasn’t done anything of substance in the playoffs. He constantly reminds you why he’s not mentioned when discussing the top players in the game. He takes plays off, and doesn’t hustle on defense. To be honest, what playoff team would want a player like that?

If the Magic make a move this off-season to add Vince to their line-up, which has been a terribly kept rumor throughout the year, they’ll be making a terrible mistake. They’ve got a great thing going with a group of young talented players, led by a monster in the middle in Dwight Howard. To mess with the chemistry and cohesion of a group that is growing and learning how to survive life in the NBA is not on the agenda for GMs around the league. Bringing in Vince would do this, however. He would immediately become the face of your franchise, the guy with the ball in his hands during the final 20 seconds, the person others on the team are looking to for guidance and leadership. These are not Carter’s most attractive characteristics.

One place that would work for Vince though, and would please a pissed off giant, would be in the land of a thousand lakes, Minnesota. Pairing Garnett with Carter would work better than most situations. KG wouldn’t put up with Vince’s shit. Carter wouldn’t be the man running the show, which will be permanently reserved for KG; a real OG. Bringing the fire and drive back into his game that he showed can be there during his first three years in the league and at the 2000 Olympics (when he did this) would be phenomenal, not only for the KG and the TWolves, but more importantly, for Carter himself. I won’t argue with the fact that he can jump out of a gym, hit miracle shots, and be the go-to guy, but what I won’t accept is that he is a leader, a warrior on the court, and someone you feel confident going into battle with. Not yet at least. If this wasn’t the case, why would New Jersey want him out, or maybe the better question is why anyone else doesn’t want to let him in?

Now, we’ve got all of Toronto and the rest of the NBA jumping on the Chris Bosh bandwagon, deservingly so. When you look at Toronto and how they’ve been able to turn the season around, it happened when CB4 (terrible nickname by the way, we seriously need to find him a new one along with CP3, and any other guy who uses their initials followed by their number) was on the DL. Prior to the injury, if you had heard that Bosh was out of the line-up for any extended period of time you’d probably be safe to assume that the team would go on to win something in the neighborhood of 10% of their games. Wrong! Colangelo’s hard work is starting to come together and much earlier than anyone thought, myself and brother excluded. The team has been playing well due to the fact that everyone on the court is in motion, penetrating the lane, swinging the ball to the open man, making that extra pass and helping each other play better, more efficient basketball. That sounded something like what we’re seeing a team in the desert do right now. Toronto Suns? Already?

While Bosh was watching his team move forward with him sidelined, he must have been thinking things like; Wow, we can actually win ball games with me not on the floor. I thought this was supposed to be a three-year plan that we were barely into year one of. Now maybe I can take out these ridiculous mini-braids that make me look like I grew up on the wrong side of 8-mile instead of one of the more affluent areas of Dallas. Then when Bosh was healthy and ready to come back into the line-up, what did he do? Nothing, except for jumping right back into his role as a versatile 4 and just try to fit in to how the new Raptors played the game. He stopped thinking that everything was on his shoulders. No longer was he slowing down the offense by holding the ball when it came to him, or forcing the situation and trying to take his man off the dribble early in the shot clock, then attempting upwards of ten head fakes, only to launch an ill-advised 18 footer. Basically, he stopped trying to do everything himself (as he was forced to in years past). Now Bosh is making the extra pass with confidence, knowing the rock is in good hands and that if he moves well without the ball, he’ll get an open look himself. A similar enlightenment happened to another Raptor this year. When T.J. Ford went down, the Raps were able to learn they may possess the best PG combo in the league (Nash/Barbosa would give them a good run). When Ford saw the team not slowing down, but picking up steam, with him on the bench, he knew he had to excel his game and rehab. The emergence of Jose Calderon in his second season forced the issue. Now the Raps are able to run two point guards and not lose a step, something that is crucial in today’s NBA.

Colangelo has been in Toronto for almost a year now, after coming over late last February to assess the club for the final few months of a dismal season. In that short time he’s built one of, if not the best, PG combo’s in the league. He brought in a Euro League MVP shooting guard (H&M Anthony Parker) who’s quietly making a solid return to the NBA, and the team is loving the fact that they are receiving vital contribution from two BIG rookies in the likes of Jorge Garbajosa and Andrea Bargnani. Now all of those players mentioned were those who you would have thought would be able to contribute something to the team entering the year. Someone you may not have targeted as being that big of an addition was the signing of Serbian centre Rasho Nesterovic.

He’s been an ample body in the middle of the paint, forcing opponents to alter shots and playing a pivotal role guarding the opposing teams centre. What most don’t know is that his true value lies off the court. Nesterovic comes from a background infused with productive play overseas in Europe – where he was named MVP for players under 22 in 1996 – an eight year NBA career where he has been paired in the front court with the likes of Garnett and Duncan, and even more important, the ability to fluently speak Italian; Bargnani’s first language. Rasho is somewhat of a mentor and coach to all the new players from Europe and has made the transition of the leagues first overall draft choice much more seamless. Nesterovic however, isn’t the only player/coach on the Raptors that Colangelo has surrounded all the youngsters with. Derrick Martin, although portly in his demeanor, has been just as integral to the Raptors success as anyone else. He is able to tutor and lead from a level position with both Ford and Calderon. When either of the young PGs needs advice or guidance, they go straight to Martin, who has a decade long pro career that includes stops in the CBA and even a stint on the Harlem Globetrotters. Thankfully the former NBA Executive of the Year has the insight that not only do you need talent to win games, you also need the right people surrounding the talent, and in Nesterovic and Martin, we see two perfect examples.

The rest of the squad has been playing better ball as well. Joey Graham is slowly starting to show why he was a mid-first round selection as he continues to gain confidence and slash to the bucket the way he did while playing for OSU. We’re getting solid production off the bench from Peterson, who is a great locker room guy, can hit open 3-balls and plays steady defense. And although I would have been asking for his ass to be traded, now that we’re deeply planted in a playoff race, it looks as though he’ll stay put. To be fair, he is currently the longest serving Raptor and has seen the good, bad and trailer park ugly, so his presence and determination bodes well for anyone around him. This is also the last year on his contract, so after the season we can reevaluate our stance on him being a Raptor. Although, if an offer came up with a first rounder included, I’d take it. Colangelo works magic and I’ll invest numerous draft picks in his back pocket to ensure this team continues to go in the right direction. Rounding out the bench is P.J. Tucker who’s now back on the active roster after spending some time in the D-League, and with some steady minutes, can show you why he was the Big 12 Player of the Year, 2nd Team All-NCAA last year while at Texas and Chivas League MVP this past summer (the Chivas League is a summer league out of N. Carolina where a lot of players in the L who played for NC,NC St., or are Carolina natives return to and perfect their game). Hidden at the far end of the bench is Humphries, Jones, Slokar and Sow who have been reportedly set to join the Raptors Dance Pak to give them an added element of intrigue.

Remember when everyone was saying Toronto will have a good shot at the playoffs in Colangelo’s second season and should be a lock for it in his third year at the helm? Well, it looks as though everyone was wrong. The Raps currently sit atop the Atlantic Division (25-23) and with a strong second half, will be looking to firmly plant themselves in the top half of the Eastern Conference. Toronto Suns? Playing in the weak East, who knows how far this team will be able to go in the playoffs, but a surprising first round victory shouldn’t be ruled out. If they can get hot and stay hot, who knows how far Bosh and the crew can go. Could we be in store for a match-up between Colangelo Sr. vs. Colangelo Jr. sooner than we thought? In all respect, Junior has built two very impressive teams and the future of basketball in Toronto finally looks bright again, something the folks in New Jersey wish they could be saying right now too.

- JW

SNI - WEEKLY WATCH

After a SuperBowl that lived up to all the hype (the inevitable bombing by Sexy Rexy included), and finally nesting Manning atop a league he has toyed with for almost a decade, we as sports fans can recover from another weekend with what SNI likes to call; the Weekly Watch.

In this column we’ll take a look at the week ahead, and forecast any interesting games you might want to keep an extra close eye on while channel surfing on a frigid night or while you’re being diligent and attempting to plan one of those fun-filled dinner dates with the couple your girlfriend just met, who she claims have the exact same personalities as the both of you. Here we’ll keep things straight forward and honest, unlike that sly gal of yours.

Monday

7:00 PM - Even though the hang over from the party the night before still may not be fully worn off, have solace in the fact that you can drown the remnants of over-exposure to beer, chips, and Manning references with some good NBA match-ups. One interesting sub-plot you may be, or should be pleasantly following, are the heart-breaking last second losses the Nets have been able to rack up in the last few weeks. Since January 22nd they’ve been victim to not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR buzzer beating last second shots. The latest came from the smooth…er…surprising stroke of Tyronn Lue and the Atlanta Hawks. If nothing else, try and catch the last few minutes a little past 9:00pm ET and see if Iguodala has the rock with a chance to kick ‘em while they’re down….again.

7:00 PM - Only one game on the schedule for the NHL on Monday, so you can all join myself and watch the Wings handle the Rangers from MSG. Besides Shanahan’s reunion with his former club, we’ll get a chance to see how the Rangers stack up against one of the leagues elite. Jaromir Jagr will also be trying to extend his streak of 20 goal-seasons to 16 which will put him in a tie with Mats Sundin (who should extend his streak to tie the record of 17 years in a few weeks) and one short of the record holder Marcel Dionne (17).

8:00 PM – Prison Break: This is going be a great episode. We left with Michael and Lincoln searching for Sarah who still might be able to save their future, all while their (ex)FBIer is sitting contently, listening to the President direct him to bring back the fleeing convicts so things can go back to the way they used to be. This is the classic ploy to try and get something from someone after you have a fight: bribery. Make the other person think that you feel an ounce of remorse, make it seem as though everything is under the bridge between the two of you, and then say that everything will go back to how they were, and usually, you’ll get them coming back for more. Michael’s always got a plan up his sleeve though, kind of like a modern MacGyver so I’m sure he’s already thought of this scenario and will probably have a plan to separate themselves as quickly as possible, let’s see how they surprise us though.

9:00 PM - The late game to tune into will be the Suns making a trip into Denver to take on Melo, AI and the Nuggets. Although they did suffer two losses during the past week for the first time since the first week of the season, they’re still the jewel of the league and will show a Nuggets team who have been built to run, exactly how to do so.

9:00 PM - College Hoops gives us an early week treat as Texas stays in-state to play Texas A&M. There’s only one thing you need to know about this game: Kevin Durant. Watch the game and let me know what you think afterwards.

Tuesday

7:30 PM- The Celts make a trip into Auburn Hills to take on the Pistons and we will yet again be reminded why Boston so badly needs the ping-pong balls to bounce the right way this spring. Without Pierce in the line-up they are a decimated bunch of youngsters finding their groove and learning what it takes to 1) survive in the league 2) not lose every game.

7:00 PM - For the early slate of hockey games there should be a fun contest in the Dirty South, as the high flying Sabres make a trip into Atlanta to take on Kovalchuck, Hossa and the Thrashers. With the size and skill of Ilya parlayed with the speed and primal instincts of Marion, Atlanta will need to show Buffalo exactly why they’re not far behind for tops in the East.

7:00 PM – The NCAA gives us a second serving of lottery picks and matches up Michigan St. against OSU. If anyone hasn’t seen the latest teenage craze, tune in and watch Greg Oden. After you’ve seen him you’ll know exactly why he hasn’t been ID’d at the club for the past seven years.

10:30 PM - If you don’t work until noon, or just don’t need to be awake for the first half of the day, you’ll want to check out San Jose vs. Anaheim. I know; even after more than a decade, it still sounds strange to list two cities in California to reference an NHL game…we digress. Honestly though, this is going to be one of the best games you’ll see all year. The Ducks are coming off a tough loss Saturday night to the Preds (who, by the way, are now the best team in the NHL, yeah, that surprised me too) and will want to get out to a great start against the Sharks. They’ll go home tomorrow to wrap up the back end of a home-and-home, and then they’ll have the rest of the week off, preparing to go to Dallas on Saturday. I don’t think they’ll want to sit around all week thinking about the 3-game losing streak they’re on.

Wednesday

7:00 PM – The Sens are playing Buffalo and fantasy owners will be hoping that Ray Emery and Ryan Miller get the night off so that the offenses can run wild.

7:00 PM – Dirty Dozen and the Magic make a trip into the ACC to take on the Raps, so that’s where my night will be spent. If you’re not doing anything and want to watch one of the young future superstars of the NBA, make a trip downtown and marvel in everything Dwight Howard has to look forward to and then compare that with your own life outlook.

7:00 PM – Arenas has a chance to show one of the powers out West why he’s a starter in the upcoming All-Star game. If he’s able to put up a triple-double and involve everyone else around him the Wiz will have a slim chance at beating the Spurs, who are just starting to wake up from their first half slumber. With Jameson out of the line-up, the Wizards will be hard pressed to last the depth of San Antonio.

Thursday

7:00 PM – The NHL has a full line-up of games on Thursday, so try and do your best to constantly change the channel and piss off anyone else in the room with you. What you’ll want to keep your eye on will be both Ovechkin and Crosby, who are playing LA and Philly respectively. Montreal will be in Ottawa. And Toronto will get to show us why they need to deal Sundin, as they play in Nashville.

8:00 PM – We get a repeat of the 04 ‘Ship that opened everyone’s eyes in the NBA and finally proved, even after a few Spurs Championships, that teamwork and defense truly reigns supreme as the Lakers and Pistons do battle. I wonder what this years Suns team will do to change our mentality.

Friday

7:00 PM – A light night of action in the NHL as most will be out and enjoying the start of the weekend, but if you’re in, tune into the Lightening game. They’ll be playing NYR and the dynamic duo of St.Louis and Lecavalier are playing like they did when they brought a Stanley Cup to Tampa a few years back and having a lot of fun in the process. I just wonder when will Brad Richards start to live up to all the hype.

7:00 PM – Big night in the NBA. Kobe is in Toronto where we’ll wonder how the hell he put up 81 against us only a year ago. Denver visits Indy who has been surging after making the big deal with Golden State. By the way, this deal has also allowed youngster Danny Granger show us why he was a first rounder last year, as he’s getting increased minutes and showing confidence (avg 17.1ppg & 4.5rpg). Miami heads to Cleveland for another match-up with the Cavs. Let’s hope this is a repeat of last years instant classic that showed us exactly how good both these dazzling young stars can be. What LeBron needs to do is show us he really wants to be a star, even though he might not be surrounded with the most gifted supporting cast.

As for the weekend, well, you’ll have to fend for yourself. Looks like it should be a busy week so pace yourself and enjoy the action.

- JW

Era of the Alpha Athlete

In case you haven’t noticed, the current performance plateau found within the sporting world, from both a player and fans perspective, is at its highest level…ever. On Sunday, we were witnesses to three very special things: Tiger Woods winning his seventh straight PGA tournament, Roger Federer winning the 10th Major of his career (and going undefeated in the process), and those run and gun boys from the desert, taking their 17th in a row – a franchise record. During an era when practically every minute detail surrounding everything in our lives is dissected and crucially analyzed to find all the imperfections and inadequacies, we should be relishing in the fact that we truly are watching history before our eyes and get rid of the “ho-hum” attitude which has attached itself to popular public opinion.

Entering the final round of the Buick Invitational, Woods (31) was down four strokes, but that didn’t matter much. With his trademark red collar poking out from under his Nike mock, he once again showed the world why he truly is the most special golfer we have ever seen, coming back to win again, his seventh straight on the PGA Tour and 55th of his illustrious career.

Not to be outdone, Roger Federer (25) entered play at the Australian Open looking to claim his 10th Major of his young, yet ever impressive career. Playing the crowd favourite, Chilean, Fernando Gonzalez, who had an impressive win streak catapulting him to the finals (beating Hewitt, Blake, Nadal and Haas) Roger was pressed after a strong first set by the Chilean, only to have Federer win in the tiebreak 7-2. After two mirrored sets of 6-4, 6-4 we saw a sight that is getting very predictable, Federer standing at mid-court, raising another title.

To round out the trifecta of winning streaks on Sunday was a rolling Phoenix Suns team which beat LeBron and the hapless Cavs 115-100 to secure their team record and NBA’s fifth best win streak of 17 games. After a Raja Bell three ball five minutes into the second quarter, making the score 33-32 for Phoenix, the Suns never looked back, cruising to victory and holding the lead the rest of the game. Receiving even production on the offensive end – scoring contributions coming in the form of: 23 from Nash and Marion, 22 from Amare, 19 from Barbosa and 15 from Bell, they showed why they are getting compared to the best offenses of all-time and receiving remarks from players such as LBJ, who was quoted after Sunday’s loss saying, “The way they’re playing now, they’re unbeatable.”

Unbeatable.

This must be one thing that’s going through the heads of these three remarkable streak holders. If you sit back to think about it for a moment, you’ll see why this is so impressive. After entering the PGA Tour 11 years ago, Tiger has dominated the competition, living up to all the forecasted pressures built upon late night talk show appearances as a toddler, to impressive rounds against Pros as a teen, to a highly publicized collegiate career. Woods has now won 55 of 215 events on the Tour equating into a 25.6% winning percentage. He has finished in the top two spots 75 times (34.9%), the top three 92 times (42.8%), the top ten 133 times (61.9%), and the top 25 176 times (81.9%) so it’s safe to say that if Tiger is playing in a tournament, he’s always within striking distance. Federer has had an equally impressive, albeit shorter career, to that of Woods.

Federer’s rise to dominance has come just as imposingly as Woods’. Since exploding on the ATP Men’s Tennis scene in 2001, Roger has owned the competition, going 490-125 (79.7% winning percentage) after going undefeated and not losing a single set through the 2007 Australian Open. This was the 10th major title of his career, and he is now only four major’s away from Pete Sampras’ record of 14, and let’s remind ourselves again, Federer is only 25 years young. This past title was the 46th of his career. He is already a staple when the argument for greatest-player-of-all-time inevitably comes up after every passing championship. Assuming that he stays only relatively healthy over the next decade, Federer should not only surpass Sampras’ mark, but he should demolish it, like an old building strapped with hundreds of pounds of explosives. The only thing that’s missing on his astonishing resume is the Grand Slam (winning all Major titles during the ATP Men’s Season) which has only been accomplished by Don Budge in 1938 and twice by Rod Laver in 1962 and 1969. He has although, won 9 of 13 majors over the past three years including three of four twice. Now Federer is hoping to make history at Roland Garros and win the French Open for the first time in his career and keep the dream for the Grand Slam alive

Parlay these impressive stretches of greatness with what the Phoenix Suns are doing - 17th straight win Sunday and after starting the season 3-6 they have gone 33-2 since Nov.20th – and mix in a little bit of Pujols, Crosby, Manning, LDT, Nash and LeBron and you’re looking at one remarkable era to be a sports fan.

Why this is so important is because era’s such as that of the Golden Bear, Arnold Palmer, Bjorn Borg, Wilt, Kareem and the Lakers, the Oilers and Isles dynasties were all so long ago. We have been fortunate enough to watch Jordan and the Bulls teach us how the game of basketball was meant to be played. We have been treated to a new-aged Yankees dynasty (even though no one wants to admit that we need the Yankees, we really do...and I can't even believe I'm admitting that). We’ve been lucky enough to see a Patriots dynasty in the NFL, something that hasn’t happened since the Steel Curtain. Above all these great accomplishments however, we are now, once again, being treated to two of the most impressive careers anyone has amassed in a particular sport, and it’s all happening right in front of our very eyes, in dominating fashion nonetheless. There is no need to make a stop at your grand dad’s place to listen to stories of past greats, because those stories, well, they’re being etched in the history books as we sit back and take it all in from the comfort of our living rooms.

So before all the history has been made, do yourself a favour and let Tiger, Roger, the Suns and company treat you to some of the most inspiring displays of athletic ability anyone will ever get the chance to witness.

We are immersed deeply within the era of the Alpha Athlete.

- JW

Will We Ever Learn?

My Bro and I headed over to the Raps/Hornets game on Wednesday night as part of our flex-pack. We got to the game right at 7:00 after downing half a steak and cheese sub (from Mr. Sub; who’s gotten a bad rap over the past few years – and rightfully so, it is kind of grungy in there most times and you always feel a little uneasy about what’s going on behind the counter, but because it’s one of the newer...er...cleaner locations, we would partake). Anyways, it’s one of the best subs on the market today, absolutely delicious. It’s highly recommended to anyone who enjoys steak, cheese or submarine sandwiches. We then proceed to devour two $1 slices of za and head into the ACC. We grab our usual bar standing room stools (our real seats are in the Sprite Zone – Row 4, which is perfectly perpendicular to our bar standing seats, but we just enjoy the added space and ambiance of the bar area, oh, and the beers are about 10 feet away) order a couple brews and sit back for some entertaining ball.

As the game is going on I was determined to finally figure out how to use the quick shot on my digi cam. What do you know, all you have to do is hold down the shoot button and then rapidly press it over and over again. Wow, a lot easier than I thought. Now I’m feelin like a pro, snapping about 400 pics during the first half alone and some beauties of the Raps Dance Pak, sometimes so close together that it looks like a movie because all the screenshots are so similar. After I have my fun it’s now half time and the Raps finally put together a decent 2 min stretch of basketball to pull within 6.

During half time the guy beside me and the girl he was there with (I assumed it was some sort of preliminary date, maybe the third they’ve been on together by the looks of their body language and guilty feeling to laugh at each others jokes. I’m no Jerry Seinfeld, but this guy was like a college kid, desperate for a few extra bucks, telling locker room jokes at the local Yuk-Yuks, not the most tasteful to say the least). He turns to me and compliments my camera and photography skills. I humbly thank him, and then the three of us see the MLSE disclaimer about fan behaviour during games start to play on the video scoreboard – they use clips from the show The Office to tell patrons how to act (I LOVE The Office by the way, and if you haven’t watched it go and rent the dvds). Turns out that this guys girl(friend) loves it too. We talk about all the characters, the crazy plot lines, the similarities to the real life office world and other crazy topics for about 5 minutes, this whole time her date is sitting in between us. Being the kind man I am, I leave them to their own company, originally thinking I might be able to scoop her away from him, but I thought “Hey, I’m not here to steal anyone’s girl or get into a fight. I’m here to watch an exciting basketball game.” And that’s what I was going to do. I leave them and revert my attention back to the on-court action.

Did I just say on-court action, I mean sleepfest. The Raps were playing horrible! Couldn’t get the offense to flow, Garbo throwing up crazy shots from 20 ft and the Hornets, without Paul and Peja, start looking like last years squad; hitting a high percentage of shots, getting into the lane at will and pretty much killing the Raps.

They’re showing the NHL All-Star game on the TVs behind us, so my Bro and I are checking it out every few minutes, getting updates on the score, trying to see if it’s worth our time. On a side note, how boring was the skills competition? Was it just me or did it seem like CBC hasn’t moved forward into the 21st century with their telecasts? Where are all the montages of the all-stars showing off their skills throughout the season? Why weren’t they announcing the change when the competition would move from one event to another? Where is the competitive element in the speed skating drill (didn’t they use to have two skaters going head-to-head, but still against the clock, in past comps)? All of these things bothered me. The whole event seemed to be a letdown, poorly organized and executed. As if they were speeding through it all, getting it over in the least amount of time possible with the hidden agenda to make everyone want the season to get going again. "The NHL really has no idea what’s going on right now" I kept saying to myself throughout the show. And if what I heard yesterday is actually true (that even if they keep the Pens in Pitts they might expand the league to 32 teams bringing in KC and another dead market), I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’ll be able to defend this league anymore. As much as I love hockey, and think many others should, that’s just flat-out stupid, there’s no other way to put it.

My Dad was in town for a meeting the next day, so we told him that we’d swing by after the game and catch the 3rd period from his hotel. Well, after downing our last beer, the Raps are now down 15 and it’s not looking good. My Bro and I have seen this before and now that the pre-game haze was wearing off, the beers settling in and the clock ticking on the All-Star game, we decided that with 5 mins to play we’d make a quick exit, meet Dad for a few and get home reasonable early to chill and relax, all while missing a terrible loss. So we both make a quick stop by the pisser, relieve ourselves, head downstairs and stop by the gift shop because I spot a great deal on a Raps door rug for $20 (down from $70 - I'll save pricing at the ACC for another time) and we exit the building.

What ends up happening? Raps play like garbage for 43 minutes, turn it up once we leave, and make it back from 15 down. Thankfully we made it to Dad’s hotel room just as Bosh rattles his 3-pointer in to tie the game. After a few free throws and the Hornets finally coming down to earth, we pull out a very gutsy win, and one that this team should assume it should get entering the contest. Mark another one on the board for The Wasylyk Early-Exits-Followed-By-Dramatic-Finish. I’m thinking of starting to chronicle all the games we step out early on and see what kind of winning percentage we have. We’ve already missed the Eckstein walk-off grand slam in extras in St. Louis a few years back, my Dad and Bro 2 left Shea right before Beltran’s heroics against the Cards, after being down 7 runs this past summer, and now this game. Hey, at least we can say we were there, even if it was for only 90% of the game.

If the Raps keep this up, they will be good enough not to lose the Atlantic and make the playoffs. I think they will. Mitchell has them playing well, Bosh is back and in full swing with a crazy ferocity, and, like he showed against the Hornets, the willingness to say “This is my game now, we are NOT losing!” and going out and doing it. We haven’t had that since the good VC years, prior to him declaring he’s not dunking anymore and falling down on every other play with a “severe” ankle injury. The rest of the team is finally playing with confidence (which they gained during Bosh’s time on the DL) and they all have the mentality that they are able to contribute which will be why they make it into the playoffs.

Next up for us is Orlando and the Freak-of-Nature Dirty Dozen, Dwight Howard. This time we’ll be staying in our seats for the entirety.

Have a great Friday, everyone.

- JW

Vegas Bound: NBA All-Stars

In a couple of weeks, the desert oasis that prides itself on gaming, girls and entertainment will have a whole new show in town; the NBA All-Star game. On February 18th, the NBA makes its first trip away from local arenas and heads south to Las Vegas for the 56th annual mid-season showcase.

With a new atmosphere for this year’s spectacle, the fans should be in for a treat, that is, if the players are restrained from the casino floors and VIP parties long enough to attend the gala of a game. The temptation of sin city, and the motto that is closely linked to the dreamer’s paradise, will undoubtedly attract a lot of attention during the festival. Keeping the ballers in tact will yet again be at the top rung on David Stern’s to-do, um, can’t-do list.

Through the first half of the season there has been plenty to be thankful for. Both the Suns and Mavs’ remarkable winning streaks (currently at 14 and 8 games respectively), the rise of the Jazz, the blockbuster trade that sent AI to the mountains, Gilbert Arenas buzzer beaters happening seemingly every night, the upstart Raps and Italian sensation Andrea Bargnani, and the Durant/Oden race that currently has the Hawks, Grizz and Sixers in the futility lead, chasing a franchise altering stud.

Now its time to name the ballers who will be representing the East and West in this year’s game. Let’s get right to it.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Starters:

G – J. Kidd
G – G. Arenas
F – L. James
F – C. Bosh
C – D. Howard

Reserves:
G – D. Wade
G – M. Redd

G/F - L. Deng
G/F – P. Pierce
G/F – C. Butler
F – J. O’Neal
F/C – E. Okafor

When choosing an All-Star line up, separating yourself from popular public opinion is highly advantageous. No one likes to see the exact same players in the game year after year, just like no one likes to see the same teams play in the finals every year, it just gets too predictable. Too often many opinions and veiws are based on past experiences with a player, recalling on their once dominant game and rewarding what someone has done over their career, instead of the current season. Rewarding a stellar season, which the All-Star game is intended to do, seems as though it’s a train of thought lost by many involved. And really, why should someone get an invite for nothing short of All-Star credentials?

Jason Kidd is by far the top PG in the Eastern Conference. Running the floor very similar to a now bearded man from Phoenix, Kidd demands attention. When defenders zone in on him, he seems to always find the right man at the right time. His creativity, vision, athletic ability and basketball IQ have made him one of the most efficient and highly prolific PG of the past decade and a half. This year is no different. Rumours are flying around that Kidd may be the one uprooted from Jersey; a once bright and promising future. The decline of VC and injuries to Jefferson and Kristic, coupled with the Nets recent drafting of PG Marcus Williams, easily makes Kidd the most appealing target for playoff contenders looking to make a statement. Possible destinations for the future HOF include Houston (teamed up with Yao and TMac the Wild Wild West would just get even more interesting) and Minnesota (although they’ll never make a deal to please KG and make themselves better). Nonetheless Kidd will always bring a fierce competitive spirit to the floor and you can expect the same in Vegas.

Teaming up with Kidd in the backcourt will be, without hesitation, Gilbert Freakin Arenas. Arenas is putting up MVP numbers this year (29.7ppg, 6.2apg, 4.5rpg) and has continually been the man with the answer come the last 10 seconds of a game. Arenas is showing what made him an unheralded star throughout his rise to the NBA, and on a nightly basis, is the most entertaining player in the league. If you have yet to tune in and catch Gil and the Wizards, do yourself a favour and get on that, this guy is way too good for people to still not know who he is!

Running the floor with the talented backcourt duo will be a trio of young stars, insanely gifted, and who all are finding that killer instinct that made Jordan, Russell, Bird and Magic annual staples at the mid-season gala. LBJ is the King everyone touted him to be entering the league as a high-schooler. CB4 and Dirty Dozen are two players who are turning into the face of two franchises that have very bright futures in front of them.

In the case of Bosh, he was sidelined for 12 games early in the season, the best thing that could have ever happened for the Raptors. With Bosh in the line-up at the start of the season, far too much attention in the offensive sets were placed on his shoulders. Don’t get me wrong, he handled the added responsibility tremendously; the rest of the team was a different story, however. After coming to the realization that their best player would be sidelined for an extended period of time, the new group of cast-offs, youngsters and Euro League stars started to gain confidence, play with poise and feed off each other, something that was lacking with Bosh in the line-up. Things seemed like they were going great, until Bosh’s return that is. The team would continually pass to the now-vicious PF and then basically stand around the 3-point line, leaving Bosh on his own to go one-on-one with his defender. Well, after about two games of this, either from the tutelage of Sam Mitchell or finally remembering why they are in the NBA, the band of brothers surrounding CB4 started to play inspired, confident basketball. Now the Raps are one of the hotter teams in the League (ranked #9 in the current power rankings), all to the credit of confidence and team play. With the newly ferocious Chris Bosh playing at a very high level and the supporting cast getting better every night, this team looks like they may be good enough to not lose the Atlantic and make a long awaited trip to the playoffs.

Dwight Howard is a freak of nature with a wing span stretching from Orlando to Las Vegas, shoulders so broad that entering doorways must be difficult and a sixth sense to know where to be at the most opportune time. He is turning into the franchise player the Magic knew he would be when they drafted him with the first overall pick in the 2004 entry draft. Howard is a shot-blocking machine who has a very daunting presence at both ends of the floor.

The bench for the Eastern squad includes a few newcomers. Caron Butler (21.1ppg, 8.0rpg, 4.0asp, 2.0spg) is once again putting up stellar numbers, being the perfect compliment to a superstar. Benefiting from playing with the likes of Bryant and Wade in the past few years, Butler has matured into a legitimate star in the league, albeit, shadowed by Agent Zero’s nightly romps. Butler plays well off the ball and as a defender, making him a very strong all-around force that the Wizard desperately needed him to be. Michael Redd has continued to improve his scoring rates, averaging 27.7ppg this year for the Bucks. He is one of the only bright spots on a Milwaukee team that has been riddled with injuries early in the season. On a nightly basis, he is capable of going off for 40 and being the guy who opposing teams hate to see step on the floor. Emeka Okafor and Luol Deng are the last newcomers to the list of East All-Stars. Okafor has got many people referring to him as a new-aged Mount Mutombo for his tenacious defence and shot-blocking ability. Okafor (14.9ppg, 11.2rpg, 2.9bpg) swats offensive attempts into the third row with such ferociousness that makes slashers and shooters terrified to enter the paint. The Bobcat big man has had games of 5,6,7,8 (twice) and 10 blocks already this season. He mainly plays with his back to the basket, but scores at a very high efficiency and can alter a game at either end of the floor. Luol Deng (17.9ppg, 6.5rpg) has been the most consistent and productive player on a highly touted and hyped Bulls team. He has been able to turn in strong performances nightly and now that the consenus is to play as a team, and the growing comfort everyone has for eachother, the Bulls should finish strong in the second half.

Honourable mention goes to Joe Johnson who just missed out on a trip to Vegas. I wonder if he still thinks taking that max contract from the Hawks to exit Phoenix was a wise decision. And no, you did not miss something, thankfully, there is no Vince Carter on this list. All-Stars are rewarded for their on-court ability and hard work. For Carter, the ability has always been there, the willingness to do the little things, well, that’s another story. We also don't see any Pistons on this years roster, which is a dramatic change from last year. Minus four bad-boys from Motown is probably the best thing that could happen to the cohesive unit. Not having to consistantly justify themselves this year, and with the arrival of CWebb, the Pistons are looking to finish strong in a weak Eastern Conference and the break they'll get over the All-Star festival is both well deserved and much needed.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Starters:
G – S. Nash
G – K. Bryant
F – S. Marion
F – D. Nowitzki
C – Y. Ming

Reserves:
G – A. Iverson
G – D. Williams
F/G – K. Martin

F - C. Anthony
F – Z. Randolph
F – C. Boozer
F/C – K. Garnett

The Western conference is where it’s at this year. The conference bodes host to powerhouse teams Pho, Dal, SA, Den, Hou, Utah, LAL and the myriad of All-Stars that go along with them. Running the show is none other than Steve Nash (19.5ppg, 11.6apg, while shooting lights out from the floor: 53.9 FG%, 49.8 3pt-FG%, 88.8 FT%). I could easily go on for another 5,000 words on Nash alone, but I’ll leave it to ESPN.com columnist and personal favourite, Bill Simmons.

Playing the 2-guard will be the incumbent hero, Kobe Bryant. Bryant has once again displayed his marvellous skills throughout the first half of the year (28.3ppg, 5.5apg, 5.4rpg, 1.2spg) and showing that he can play within a system that allows for total team participation and interaction, making not only himself more effective, but his entire team that much better. LA currently sits fifth in the highly competitive West (27-15) and this has everything to do with Kobe. He’s on the short list for MVP candidates at the mid-way mark of the season (other MVP Candidates: Nash, Nowitzki, Arenas).

Leading the charge in the front court will be two international stars; Ming and Nowitzki, and an unappreciated, immensely intangible Shawn Marion. These three are all prolific in slightly different ways. Yao (25.9ppg, 9.5rpg, 2.2bpg) is a footer, hell, he’s a 7-foot 6-inch center who has a dominating presence in the blocks, alters shot attempts, plays hard on the glass and has found that sweet touch that made Wilt, Shaq and Kareem superb centres in the league. Yao has become everything the Rockets and the NBA prayed he could be after coming from China.

Dirk (25.1ppg, 9.5rpg, 3.3apg) has an added chip on his shoulder and burning intensity in his eyes following last years crushing loss in the Finals to the Heat, and has been playing like a man on fire throughout the first half of the season. He single-handily carries this team when needed and completely takes over games in late-game pressure situations. His extremely high efficiency from anywhere on the floor as a footer makes him almost impossible to stop, and with the emergence and consistency shown by Josh Howard, has the Mavs positioned for a deep run and a legitimate shot at the ultimate prize.

The x-factor out of them all though is Shawn Marion. Marion (18.9ppg, 9.8rpg, 2.1spg, 1.5bpg) is the one player, outside of Nash, that makes the Suns the special group of players they have come to be. His unselfishness and uncanny willingness to differ attention, both on and off the court, has favoured the greater good throughout his playing career. A defensive force that can run the floor like a cheetah, Marion makes the up-tempo, run-n-gun offence flow the way it was intended. His ability to slash to the basket, effectively run off screens and cut to the hoop, and be a highly efficient scorer while not being the focal point of the offence, makes him the special player he is. It’s too bad that there have been grumblings that Marion may finally want some more main stream attention. If he and the Suns can stay humble and focused on the task at hand, the sky is the limit for this talented group.

The bench for the Western team includes a group of players who have all driven a different road on their way to Vegas. KG will jump on his usual mid-winter flight to the yearly destination hosting the All-Star festivities, for all the others, this trip has come somewhat unexpectedly.

The tatted-tandem, who finally got the chance to play alongside one another in Denver earlier this week, will be teamed up again, this time at the All-Star festivities in Vegas. Allen Iverson (29.0ppg, 7.5apg, 2.1spg) and Carmelo Anthony (31.6ppg, 5.8rpg, 4.1apg) have both torched the league this year individually, scoring at an insane pace. Now teamed together, they quickly showed in their first game that this relationship can work, if handled properly. George Karl will need to keep the Nuggets running at the same pace the Suns operate at to be successful in the cock-fight that is the Western Conference. By running the floor on every possession and getting timely and consistent production from J.R. Smith, Nene and Marcus Camby (who just missed an all-star spot), they will be a very tough team to face come playoff time.

Another teammate tandem that should be chronicled at this year’s slamfest is Deron Williams (17.0ppg, 8.8apg) and Carlos Boozer (22.1ppg, 11.8rpg). These two have brought life back to Mormon territory and are drawing comparisons to that other PG/PF combo that toyed with their opponents for some many using an array of text book skills. After having a strong rookie campaign, Williams spent the summer at John Stockton’s basketball camp, absorbing anything and everything he could from the retired Jazz star. The results; the Jazz were the best team in the NBA for the first couple months and only now have cooled down to a bearable temperature. With the physically imposing presence and finesse scoring ability close to the basket displayed by Boozer, who has flat out killed just about every other big man he’s played this year, the Jazz are looking at a very entertaining second half of the season. I think Jerry Sloan deserves a little credit for this; he spends endless hours studying film, analyzing and dissecting opponents’ schemes and sets and prepares his team to compete every single night. Something he has been doing for the past 40 years as both a player and coach in the NBA.

Rounding out the new crop of Western All-Stars includes youngster and seemingly unknown swing man, Kevin Martin of the Sacramento Kings and redundant pseudo-star Zach Randolph of the Portland TrailBlazers. Coming off two very mediocre seasons in the league, Martin (20.6ppg, 4.4rpg, 2.1apg) has emerged as a dangerous scoring threat who has been scoring at a very high rate (49.6 FG%) and been the only bright spot on a dismal Kings squad. Joining him will be Zach Randolph who has had a pleasantly surprising season in Portland. Randolph (23.6ppg, 10.2rpg), being the last player left from the JailBlazers squad that attracted attention more so for their off-court antics and run-ins with the law then their basketball prowess, has solidified his stance as one of the most versatile and effective bigs in the League. He is able to break defenders down while facing up from 15ft or take them down to the blocks and play with his back to the basket. Part of a young nucleolus that includes himself, PG Jarrett Jack, SG Brandon Roy, F Martel Webster and F LaMarcus Aldridge, the Blazers could revert from a thick cloud of smoke to contend in the near future with Randolph playing a pivotal role.

Honourable mentions include: Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis, Amare Stoudemire, Tim Duncan, Elton Brand, Baron Davis, Lamar Oden (who was playing amazing alongside Kobe before an injury sidelined him), Marcus Camby, Pau Gasol (who has looked great since his return from the DL), Josh Howard, and Chris Paul. All of which could have easily been included on the roster given more available spots.

So there you have it, a roster which is somewhat unconventional, but nonetheless highly deserving of the honour to represent their franchises, cities and ultimately themselves at the 56th NBA All-Star game.

Let’s hope, for the sake of the NBA and parole officers’ everywhere, that the old adage stays true; whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

-JW