The LeBron Sweepstakes Are On (Breakdown of the T-Mac Deal)

Every New York Knicks fan knew that their team needed to make a big time move to give them a chance at having a chance at the Summer Sweepstakes of 2010 especially LeBron James.  So the Knicks made a move to get Tracy McGrady's massive expiring contract from the Houston Rockets, and the Rockets pried away Kevin Martin somehow

SACAREMENTO GETS: PF Carl Landry, PF Joey Dorsey, SG Larry Hughes
HOUSTON GETS: SG Kevin Marin, C Hilton Armstrong, PF Jordan Hill, PF Jared Jeffries 
NEW YORK GETS: SG Tracy McGrady, PG Sergio Rodriguez 

In my opinion, the Kings felt that Rookie of the Year candidate Tyreke Evans cannot play with Kevin Martin on a day-to-day basis and feel it's better to move on with a promising young team with Evans, Omar Cassipi, Jason Thompson, and Spencer Hawes. It reminds me a lot of what the Oklahoma City Thunder did when they developed their team when they were still in Seattle. While I feel Houston didn't give up enough to get Martin, I still feel the deal will work out in the long run.

As for Houston, they are 2.5 games out of the playoffs right now but they become a pretty dangerous team with Martin. Already, they had a team who just scrapped and did everything to get by.  Adding Martin to that mix makes them even more dangerous and gives them an actual scorer.  I feel guys like Shane Battier, Trevor Ariza, and Aaron Brooks are much better when they are role players instead of being the star of the team. I feel this move will make Houston a playoff team without question

The Knicks did this primarily for the money reasons. New York can say what they want about getting T-Mac to get them to the playoffs, but c'mon, he is a lazy player who is a complete me guy. I doubt that McGrady will be enough spark to the get the Knicks to the playoffs. They got Jeffries off the books and they will move Eddy Curry this summer (owed 11.7 mil) to create enough space to get LeBron and Dwyane Wade. I truly believe that James will not be a Knick unless there is another player to build this team with him.

I, for one cannot wait for the 2010 summer.

-Charlie.

NBA Southwest Division Preview

Keep it going, I am not really that tired so you are getting more of the preview....

1. San Antonio Spurs: KEY PLAYERS: PF Tim Duncan, PG Tony Parker, SG Manu Ginobili OUTLOOK: I think the Spurs have a chance to win the NBA Finals with the additions of Richard Jefferson, Antonio McDyess, and DeJuan Blair. They have to stay healthy though to have a chance. PREDICTION: 2nd in the Western Conference.

2. Dallas Mavericks: KEY PLAYERS: PF Dirk Notwitzki, SG Josh Howard, SF Shawn Marion OUTLOOK: I wasn't as excited as everybody else about the Marion deal but it should improve them in many ways especially on the defensive end. The Mavs will have a good year from Dirk who isn't dealing with that crazy bitch. PREDICTION: 5th in the Western Conference.

3. Houston Rockets: KEY PLAYERS: PG Aaron Brooks, PF Luis Scola, SF Chuck Hayes OUTLOOK: This seems to be the definition of a scrappy team with a bunch of maybe players and they will be dominated by bigger teams. It will be interesting to see what happens when T-Mac comes back in November. PREDICTION: 9th in the Western Conference.

4. New Orleans Hornets: KEY PLAYERS: PG Chris Paul, C Emeka Okafor, PF David West OUTLOOK: Could create some problems inside with the West-Okafor combination but they have no real mid-range player that makes a difference, please don't say Peja because he is over the hill. PREDICTION: 10th in Western Conference

5. Memphis Grizzlies: KEY PLAYERS: SF Rudy Gay, SG OJ Mayo, PF Zach Randolph OUTLOOK: This has more an And-1 Mixtape team, big time offense with no defensive concepts whatsoever. If they could somehow find a way to play defense then maybe they could do some things. I highly doubt it though. PREDICTION: 12th in the Western Conference.

-Charlie.

Ariza and Artest Trade Places

So earlier in the week I decided to blog the rumors that were going around the NBA and I myself thought that it was a sure thing that Ron Artest was going to Cleveland as did everyone else. I had a bunch of teams listed for Trevor Ariza but I loved the idea of him going to the Houston Rockets. Now we see Artest deciding to play in Los Angeles for the Lakers in where Ariza would play and Ariza will be playing in the place that Artest held court last year.

I think that Artest once again is a great fit for the Lakers because of the versatility that he brings to any team really. I said about Artest with LeBron James that because of his defense he will free up James to do a ton of things on offense and I feel the exact same way with Kobe Bryant. Artest will likely guard the top guy on the wing and Kobe will now guard the second best which would make Kobe's defense that much better. The Lakers have bolted back to the top of the charts with Artest/Kobe combination and now I feel that is inevitable that Lamar Odom will stay a Laker. The lineup of Fisher-Kobe-Artest-Odom-Gasol becomes the best lineup in the NBA right now. In addition, I think Los Angeles' chemistry will not be ruined by Artest because I think he is about right up there with intensity with Kobe which will bring a ton of fire to the Lakers. I really dont think Artest-Bryant will have in-house problems and think it will be a solid relationship.

Now on to Ariza, I said before that I was in favor of the Lakers keeping Ariza and letting Odom go play for someone else personally because of Ariza's young age. I also thought that Houston out of the five that were interested was the best spot for him. He will be the star of the show if Tracy McGrady isnt back in the beginning of the season (I think he should but who knows). The combo of T-Mac and Ariza on the wing isnt a bad 1-2 at all plus having Luis Scola in the middle will help out a ton. Not to forget that Aaron Brooks will be a year older where he is likely to have a break out year. I like the Rockets just as much as last year with those pieces.

-Charlie.

Yao Done Forever?

On Monday, we heard some terrible news that the Houston Rockets may lose center Yao Ming for the 2009-2010 season and there is a chance that he might be gone forever. This is horrible and sad news for Rockets fans although they couldnt have expected the "Ming Dynasty" to last over ten years.

The main reason why Yao career was going to short in the first place... he is 7'6. There arent many people in the world that keep a career going when they are that tall. Its been proven before with guys like Shawn Bradley, Manute Bol, and Gheorghe Muresan. Granted those guys are nowhere near as good as Yao has been. The Rockets built their franchise around this guy for the last five years in addition was a game away and an older point guard away from going to the Western Conference Finals last year. But now it seems like its all crumbling down with the news of Yao.

I dont believe that Yao is a bust by any means because he made the Rockets instantly better and provided them so much profit more so than disappointment. You had to expect the injuries were coming and Yao worked so hard to become a better player. Only two years did Yao not get his team to the playoffs so to say that he is a failure is absolutely ridiculous.

I hope that Yao's career is not over and he can come back with great success for at least two more years.

-Charlie.

Once Again Wrong About the NBA

Am I shocked? But last week I told you guys that I thought the Rockets were done for after losing Yao and went on to push to game 7. Then I tell you this week that I thought the Lakers were in more trouble for game 7 and that Boston would win handily... Wrong once again.

The Lakers took the Rockets behind the woodshed on Sunday afternoon with an 89-70 victory that was an absolute thrashing from the start of it. Showing that the Lakers could show up and dominate like they should have since game four. In all honesty, we should already be watching the Nuggets-Lakers in the Western Conference. I thought also that Kobe Bryant would take over and just do the damn thing himself in Game 7 which was also wrong haha. He only had 14 while his buddy inside Pau Gasol had 21 pts and 18 boards to boot. Also shut down Luis Scola and Chuck Hayes. Another interesting thing is that Phil Jackson went with Andrew Bynum starting who had 14 and 6 which is an admirable performance although he needs to be more aggressive on the boards in the next round.

Now on to the East, Boston what happened to Boston being a sure thing in game 7?! Wow they just officially ran out of gas because the Bulls could have beat them in the first round and they were a Glen Davis buzzer beater from losing this one in six. I also probably have to release the tag of Hedo Turkouglu of being a foreign choke like predecessors named Vlade Divac and Peja Stojakovic who were both classic for not showing up in big games. Also you could tell that Dwight Howard despite lack of post moves wore down the Celtic front line by running up and down the court.

The final thing I will say is how disappointed I was that neither of these games were entertaining to watch. You hope with a game 7 that it will be down to the wire and both didnt do that.

-Charlie.

Two Game 7 Showdowns: Whose in more Trouble?

Finally Finals are over and they kicked my ass which isnt surprising because it was a hell of a semester. Although its over now so I can just sit here at write on the blog. I hope to get a Twitter for Chuck's Corner, my own domain name, and become a fan on Facebook in the near future. Now on to sports...

The big question right now in what home team is in danger of losing a game seven at home on Sunday. The Boston Celtics turned the ball over more than most receration teams on a Wauwatosa Wednesday night as they lost 85-77 to the Orlando Magic with a 20-20 game from Dwight Howard. Then the Los Angeles Lakers laid a complete egg once again as they fall on the road to the pesky Houston Rockets 95-80. I think the team that is in more trouble is the Los Angeles Lakers, somewhere David Stern is planning on jumping off a buliding.

The reason why the Celtics are not in trouble? Stan Van Gundy. I dont think that SVG can keep it together in a pivotal Game 7. Van Gundy has no idea it seems at sometimes what he is doing at most parts of the game. He still isnt playing Mickael Pietrus enough who has been a huge part of the offense in this series. Hedo Turkoglu I still dont believe shows up in big games and makes awful moves down the stretch. For example that step-back three he took last night was an awful idea yet it looked great because he nailed a complete dagger. The other big thing is I still dont believe in Dwight Howard because he doesnt believe that SVG will give him the ball enough and will not give him his proper touches. I think Boston wins handily.

Then again if you look at my prior articles I completely buried the Houston Rockets. I didnt realize how good Aaron Brooks was and didnt think about Andrew Bynum's inability to score on the offense end really neutralizes Yao Ming's absence. I just have no idea how the Lakers can win by forty points in the Game 5 and then just lay down in Houston twice. I am expecting that Kobe Bryant will take over and try to win this game himself because I know damn well that he is pissed off at the performance of his teammates. The other thing is Brooks is a young point guard and that usually doesnt turn out with the best results in big games. I also feel that Luis Scola will be able to beat up Pau Gasol who has look softer than Charmin paper towel in this series so far. The other big thing with the Lakers is the Nuggets are waiting for them and they are just as physical as the Rockets if they do win. I will take the Lakers but its going to be a close game.

-Charlie.

Yao Ends Rockets Chances

I hate to call a series over before we havent even got to game four but I think we can all agree that the Rockets-Lakers series is completely done for with Yao Ming being out for the year with a small foot fracture. There are many problems for the Rockets now without Tracy McGrady and Yao out for the playoffs.

The first one is you have to hope and pray if you are a Rockets fan that a bunch of role players will be able to equal what Yao scores on a nightly basis. Ron Artest has only been the go-to guy of a team once in Sacramento but even then he had Kevin Martin in the early stages of his career. Aaron Brooks is another nice complementary player but he isnt going to carry a team to victory by any means. The exact same thing goes with Luis Scola.

The second big factor is on the defensive end. Of course when you lose a guy whose 7'6, its going to cost you down in the painted area but now this will lead to Kobe Bryant dishing it to the paint to Pau Gasol/Andrew Bynum all game long because no one on the Rockets can hold either of those guys on a consistent basis.

I guess the last thing to worry about as a Rockets fan is Yao being a bust? I mean he does some real nice things for the Rockets as a big man but he was supposed to be a top five player in the NBA by now which hasnt happened by a long shot. He has the big man syndrome of getting hurt almost every year and being out for a significant amount of time. I truly believe next year is a make or break year for Yao.

-Charlie.

NBA Western Conference Semifinals Pics

Here they are and I went 2-2 in the West. I really should have went 4-0 if I thought with a brain but as you all know, I am idiot sometimes.

1. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 5. Houston Rockets- Now there is a part of me that feels that the NBA should adopt the NHL rule because if an underdog wins, they should have to go through the gauntlet if they want to win a championship. This is a series that I think will be overhyped and not as exiciting as people probably will want it to be. One of the reasons why is because Kobe Bryant gets up for Ron Artest. He hates Artest for some reason and always wants to prove that he is one of the best offensive player in the game against one of the best defender in the game. I am still not convinced with Yao because now we will see Yao's teeth going up against Pau Gasol-Andrew Bynum who minus game 3 did a pretty good job with Carlos Boozer. Rockets are going to need to have their bench like Kyle Lowery and Von Wafer to have big games almost every game if they want to get ahead at any point in the series. There is a part of me that wants to take L.A. in five but we will go Los Angeles in six.

2. Denver Nuggets vs. 6. Dallas Mavericks- They have already played a game but it really wouldnt have changed my opinion. I have already wrote an article about how much I forgot how clutch Chauncey Billups is in the postseason. Billups can also have a good series with going up against an even older Jason Kidd and Juan Jose Berra whose defense is nowhere near Billups' offense ability. I think the matchup between Kenyon Martin-Dirk Nowitzki will be an awesome matchup with K-Mart refounded defense. The key x-factor will be Josh Howard if he has the series like he did in the first round, the Mavs may be able to push through into the Western Conference Finals. There really isnt a player who can stop Howard on Denver, I mean Melo is a great offensive player although not so much on defense. Bench play will be a big time factor as well. I will take Denver in seven.

On to the East....

-Charlie.

It was a Good Day For 6'10 White Long-Range Shooters

My title is for multiple reasons from last night due to two people. 1. Steve Novak and 2. Brian Butch.

Novak I was happy to see him hit a game winner against the Sacramento Kings last night. He has tried so damn hard to not fall off into obscurity and when I read he hit a game-winner, I knew today was going to be a good day. To be honest the only good thing was my mom bought me season two of Entourage, but for the most part it sucks since I feel like shit. I hope that he gets more playing time and has a chance to become a player for the Houston Rockets.

Brian Butch who is probably my most hated sports figure and has been for many years. He banked in a three-pointer to beat the Indiana Hoosiers. It could not just be an easy jump hook or a mid-range jumper, no he banked in an effin three. I will say this though, Wisconsin got away with a travel by Trevon Hughes who people say he is better than Jerry Smith is absolutely absurd, he is nowhere near the player Smith is. You could also argue Landry went over the back yet I would rather have the refs playing a minor role in the outcome of a game.

Then to put the cherry on top, he gets a text message from Erin Andrews, I just hate him more after this performance.

Charlie.