The Washington Wizard’s star guard, Gilbert Arenas, has been suspended indefinitely and without pay from the NBA for his involvement in bringing fire arms to the Washington Wizard’s locker room.  This incident has been a hot topic for a while now and some expected the NBA Commissioner, David Stern, to wait until this issue was handled legally before he sent down his punishment.  But after Gilbert Arenas’ demonstration last night, David Stern acted promptly.  Last night, during pre-game introductions, Gilbert Arenas made gun gestures with his hands as he pretended to shoot his teammates.  This action clearly shows that this guy just doesn’t get it.  His action to bring guns into the Wizard’s locker room was wrong entirely and it violated the laws of the NBA and the state laws of Washington D.C.  Arenas poking fun at this incident shows that he is an immature individual and he does not understand the severity of his actions.

People around the NBA are saying that the story became public after a heated argument over a card game took place on the Wizard’s plane after a game.  Arenas and his teammate Javaris Crittenton had a dispute over money being owed.  Apparently, the dispute carried over to the next day when Crittenton confronted Arenas in the locker room and Arenas responded by displaying his guns and telling Crittenton to pick one.  Crittenton knocked a gun on the floor and stated that he had his own gun.

The NBA already has a bad image to a lot of people across the nation.  People are tired of see young, rich, spoiled brats get into trouble with the law.  A lot of the NBA players today don’t have any self respect or respect for authority, let alone professionalism.  The NBA tried to clean up its image my enforcing a dress code while on NBA business, but that has not seemed to stop people from doing stupid things.  DUIs, drugs, guns, you name it, a NBA player has done it.  This Gilbert Arenas incident only hurts the NBA’ s image.  People will continue to think that the NBA is full of thugs.  I love basketball and it hurts me to see these things happen and it hurts me to hear all of the negativity that surrounds the NBA.  Gilbert Arenas will be forgiven, but for now he has to pay the consequences for his actions.

The Washington Wizard’s take on the Gilbert Arenas suspension:

“We fully endorse the decision of the NBA to indefinitely suspend Gilbert Arenas.  Strictly legal issues aside, Gilbert’s recent behavior and statements, including his actions and statements last night in Philadelphia, are unacceptable. Some of our other players appeared to find Gilbert’s behavior in Philadelphia amusing. This is also unacceptable. Under Abe Pollin’s leadership, our organization never tolerated such behavior, and we have no intention of ever doing so.”

Reasons Gilbert Arenas gave for having guns in the Washington Wizard’s locker room:

“As I have said before, I had kept the four unloaded handguns in my house in Virginia but then moved them over to my locker at the Verizon Center to keep them away from my young kids.  I brought them without any ammunition into the District of Columbia, mistakenly believing that the recent change in the D.C. gun laws allowed a person to store unloaded guns in the District.  On Monday, December 21st, I took the unloaded guns out in a misguided effort to play a joke on a teammate.  Contrary to some press accounts, I never threatened or assaulted anyone with the guns and never pointed them at anyone. Joke or not, I now recognize that what I did was a mistake and was wrong.  I should not have brought the guns to D.C. in the first place, and I now realize that there’s no such thing as joking around when it comes to guns — even if unloaded.“

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Tyreke Evans started out this season kind of slow, but he has turned it around and he is playing great basketball.  He is making a strong case for winning the Rookie Of The Year Award.  A couple of months ago, everyone, including myself were predicting that Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks would win Rookie Of The Year, but now, Evans seems to be closing the gap.

Evans is the starting point guard for the Sacramento Kings but he is not your prototypical point guard.  At 6-6 and 220 pounds, Evans is very large for the position.  His size gives him many advantages over his opponents.  Evans is fast, strong, and very athletic.  He bull dozes his way to the basket against smaller defenders and bypasses larger defenders with his speed.  He has a decent jump shot that needs more work but his forte is getting to the basket.  Not only can Evans score in a variety of ways but he also make plays for his teammates and demonstrates an all around type game.

Simpy put, Evans like Jennings, makes his team better.  He is an impact player.  Last year, the Kings had the worst record in the league.  They were 17-65.  So far, the Kings are 13-15 this year and 10-4 at home.  They only need four more wins to tie the amount of games that they won last year.  My money is on them having a much better year than last year and Evans is the reason why.  The Kings will go as Tyreke Evans goes.

The thing that I like the most about Evans is his swagger.  He is fearless on the court.  He is a clutch performer.  He is a rookie and he assumed the leadership role on day one.  Even though his team isn’t that good, Evans expects to win and at times wills his team to victory.  For the season, Evans is averaging 20.4 PPG, 5 APG, and 5.1 RPG.  If Evans keeps these averages throughout the season, he will be only the third rookie to average at least 20 PPG, 5 APG, and 5 RPG.  The only other players to have these averages during their rookie seasons are Michael Jordan and LeBron James.  This is good company to be in.  Over his last five games, Evans is averaging 22.2 points, 5 assists, and 5.6 rebounds.  If Evans can continue to play well and get his team a substantial amount of wins, he will win Rookie Of The Year.

Evans is in the company of legends.

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 John Wall

School: Kentucky

Position: Point Guard

Number: 11

Height: 6-4

Weight: 195 lbs.

Key Stats: 18.1 PPG, 7.1 APG, .368 3P%, 4.1 RPG

 Up first is John Wall.  I have been really impressed with his play so far.  As it stands right now, he is projected to be the number 1 draft pick in the 2010 NBA draft (assuming he declares for the NBA at the end of the season).  Wall has great speed, he can shoot, and he can get to the basket at will.  He has also exhibited leadership qualities and clutch play.  Wall hit the game winner against Miami of Ohio and he displayed poise and great competitive spirit with his 25 point performance in the win against UConn.  He is ready for the NBA right now.  At times he seems to get out of control on the court and turn the ball over, but he will learn and he will be a great player.

 Xavier Henry

School: Kansas

Position: Shooting Guard

Number: 1

Height: 6-6

Weight: 220 lbs.

Key Stats: 18 PPG, .533 3P%, 4.1 RPG

 Xavier Henry is the second best player in this class behind John Wall.  Henry has an NBA ready body and NBA ready shooting range.  Henry can score from anywhere on the floor.  He can shoot the three, he punishes defenders as he attacks the basket, and he has a good midrange game.  He is a very good all around scorer.  He leads his team in scoring with 18 points a game.  What amazes me the most about Henry is that he is a freshman that demands the ball.  Kansas returned two great players in Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins and it seems as if they both defer to Henry at times.  Xavier Henry will definitely be a lottery pick in the 2010 NBA draft assuming that he declares for the draft after the season.

 DeMarcus Cousins

School: Kentucky

Position: Forward

Number: 15

Height: 6-11

Weight: 260 lbs.

Key Stats: 14.2 PPG, .500 3P%, 8.3 RPG, 2.2 BPG

 DeMarcus Cousins is a beast and he is versatile.  He can shoot the ball well and he bangs down low.  Coach Cal has made his business to get as much from Cousins in the post as he can.  Cousins is also a man on the boards.  I’m impressed with Cousins’ numbers because he plays with John Wall and Eric Bledsoe who both have the ball in their hands a lot.  Somehow though, Cousins still manages to put up solid numbers.  Cousins will likely be a lottery pick in the 2010 NBA draft but he needs to get stronger and work on his conditioning to be effective at the NBA level.

 Derrick Favors

School: Georgia Tech

Position: Forward

Number: 14

Height: 6-10

Weight: 246 lbs.

Key Stats: 13.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 2.3 BPG

 I really like Favors.  He has great size and freakish athleticism.  He may be the best forward in this class.  I have him ranked slightly below DeMarcus Cousins because Cousins is more versatile.  I would like to see Favors score a bit more and grab more rebounds, but I do realize that he plays with junior forward Gani Lawal who leads the team in both categories.  His talent level suggests that he should be averaging a double-double.  I also like his defensive presence.  Expect Favors to be one of the top 5 forwards drafted in the 2010 NBA draft.  His game will translate well to the NBA.

 Eric Bledsoe

School: Kentucky

Position: Guard

Number: 24

Height: 6-1

Weight: 190 lbs.

Key Stats: 11.1 PPG, .533 3P%, 3 APG

 Bledsoe is good combo guard.  He can run the point and is a more than capable scorer when needed.  He scored 24 points in the season opener against Morehead St. while John Wall was carrying out his one game suspension.  His numbers would be more impressive if John Wall was not on the team.  He is a good ball handler and he can shoot.  He also attacks the basket well.  When Wall leaves the game, Bledsoe provides stability and leadership.  He also keeps the team in games and picks up the scoring load if no one else is scoring well.  He has the ability to know when to score and when to get his teammates involved.  He should stay another year in college before considering the NBA so that people can get a chance to see him lead the team when Wall leaves for the NBA.

 Avery Bradley

School: Texas

Position: Guard

Number: 0

Height: 6-2

Weight: 180 lbs.

Key Stats: 11PPG, .409 3P%

 I like Avery Bradley’s game.  He doesn’t really force anything.  He lets the game come to him.  He plays good defense and he scores when needed.  He needs to get stronger for the NBA game, but he has NBA shooting range.  He seems to have picked up his aggressiveness offensively as of late which is good.  I would like to see him be more aggressive all of the time.

 Lance Stephenson

School: Cincinnati

Position: Guard/Forward

Number: 33

Height: 6-5

Weight: 210 lbs.

Key Stats: 12.9 PPG, 2.5 APG, 5.9 RPG

 Mr. “Born Ready” has been solid so far, but I was expecting a bit more from him.  At times he seems to force his shots and his shot selection is questionable some times.  But, I cannot deny that the kid has talent.  He will be a lottery pick in the 2010 NBA draft based on talent and upside alone.  The only question mark that people have about the kid his is attitude.  Stephenson is a good scorer.  He can score from anywhere on the floor but excels at taking the ball to the basket.  He also draws a lot of fouls and is a good rebounding guard.  His three point (.208 3P %) shooting has been good so far, but I expect him to start shooting the ball better once his shot selection improves.

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Will women ever play in the NBA?

It may have been a public relations move or maybe he really believes what he said.  But David Stern, the commissioner of the NBA ruffled a lot of feathers over the weekend.  When asked if a woman would ever play in the NBA, Stern’s response was “Sure, I think that’s well within the range of probability”.  Then the question was asked if he believed that a woman could possibly play in the NBA in the next ten years.  His response to this question really got the whirlwinds spinning.  His answer was “I think we might,I don’t want to get into all kinds of arguments with players and coaches about the likelihood.  But I really think it’s a good possibility”.  I’m not a sexist or a male chauvinist, but women will not play in the NBA, ever.

Let me be clear, it may be possible for a woman to play in the NBA, but it will never happen.  The NBA game is completely different from the WNBA.  Ask yourself this question, “Who is the best player in the WNBA”?  Then ask yourself this question, “How do they measure up to NBA talent”?  The answer is that the best player in the WNBA would not measure up to the average NBA player.  By natural convention, men are stronger, faster, bigger, and more athletic.  That’s just the way it is.

Candace Parker can dunk, but can she play in the NBA?

A woman in the NBA would probably have to better than half of the men in the NBA just to get a chance.  Also, by the standards that the media puts on women, she would also have to be very attractive.  No NBA team is going to put a woman on the team just to come off of the bench.  She would have to contribute and make a big impact.  The expectations a woman would have to reach just to make it would be unrealistic.  The NBA would be forced to make modifications to the rules.  Now, I do think a woman has the skill set (shooting, dribbling, and passing) to be a NBA player.  But, the physical characteristics of the NBA would be too much for a woman to bare.

Can Diana Taurasi guard Kobe?

As I mentioned before, men are stronger, faster, bigger, and more athletic than women.  Could you imagine a women trying to guard Shaq?  She would die.  I can’t see a woman standing there and taking a charge from Dwyane Wade.  If guys cannot guard Kobe, then a woman has no chance.  Will a woman even be able to get a shot up without it getting blocked?  There are so many questions with very obvious answers.

You wouldn't put Sue Bird on D-Wade, would you?

Now, think of this issue from another perspective.  If you are the best WNBA player, would you even want to go to the NBA?  Would you want to go to the NBA knowing that you could not compete?  Would you want to be the last person at the end of the bench?  Would you want to take the trash talk and the sexual harassment?  It would be hard going from being the best in the WNBA to a peon in the NBA.  I don’t think a WNBA player would want this.

Could you picture Cheryl Ford guarding Shaq?

Here is what some NBA players/coaches have to say about the likelihood of a woman playing in the NBA:

LeBron James - ”Ten years?  That’s, like, right around the corner.  In10 years, I’ll be 34.  I’ll still be in the NBA.  I think 10 years is pushing it, honestly.”

Anthony Parker - ”First of all, I don’t see why, other than to say a woman can do it, but for long term?  No way.  My sister (Candace Parker) is a good player and has great skill, but as far as making an NBA roster?  No. She’s 6-4, which is the average height of a shooting guard.  I’m never going to say never.  I just hope I live to see it.”

Doc Rivers – “It would be a ridiculous story, it would be great for everyone … if it can happen. The key is whether the person is playing, or is she just on the team? The story will die down if she’s just on the team and not playing a lot. But if she is playing and helping the team improve and win, then it really is a huge story.”

Dirk Nowitzki – “Skills-wise, yeah, but physical-wise, it’s tough.  Even all the little guys are pretty strong in this league and pretty athletic.”

Kiki Vandeweghe – “The public would be excited about it.  Whether you’re in China or Europe or Africa, basketball is a common language and it breaks barriers.  It’s a language that’s spoken all over the world, and this is another barrier that it would bring down.  It’s exciting, and it’s a logical next step.”

Would you watch, if women played in the NBA?

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10

The Big Fundamental, Tim Duncan.

Coming in at number ten is the four time NBA Champion, “The Big Fundamental” Tim Duncan.  He earned this nickname because of his fundamentally sound game.  He is very skillful in the low post.  Every move is makes seems to be calculated.

9

Kevin Garnett is The Big Ticket.

At number nine we have none other than “The Big Ticket” Kevin Garnett.  Also known as KG.  When you watch Kevin Garnett play, he always entertaining.  He’s a ferocious competitor and he gives his all on the court.  He never ceases to amaze.  He’s one of few players that I would actually pay to see, thus he is “The Big Ticket”.

8

Mr. Big Shot.

Chauncey Billups, “Mr. Big Shot” is number eight.  This nickname was earned on the court.  Billups hit many tough shots in key situations.  He plays with an ice cold demeanor.  He has ice in his veins.  He always seems to make the big shots when necessary.

7

AK-47 blocking a shot.

At number seven we have Andrei Kirilenko “AK 47″.  An AK-47 is a deadly weapon and Kirilenko is just that on the court.  He plays relentlessly on the court and is considered a defensive weapon.  Although, lately he has not been living up to his rep.

6

Kobe The Black Mamba

Kobe Bryant comes in at number six.  He is known as “The Black Mamba”.  The black mamba is one of the world’s most dangerous snakes.  It is also among the most venomous snakes.  Black mambas have enough venom in them to kill 20-25 grown men. And Kobe Bryant kills just about everyone who guards him on the court.  He has killer instinct and is the NBA’s most dangerous player.

5

The Diesel.

At number 5, we have Shaquille O’Neal as “The Diesel”.  Shaquille has many nicknames, but I think that The Diesel serves him well.  He’s huge and very strong.  He dominates his opponents.  He’s brutal, need I say more.

4

Dwyane "Flash" Wade.

Dwyane Wade is fourth on the list.  He’s known as “Flash”.  He has great speed, strength, and athleticism.  Flash suites him well.

3

Half Man Half Amazing.

Next is Vince Carter “Half Man Half Amazing”.  This is one of my favorite nicknames.  Vince’s jumping ability is unbelievable.  This causes people to ask themselves if Vince Carter is human.

2

The Answer could be headed back to Phillie.

At number 2, we have Allen Iverson.  He is “The Answer”.  When all else fails and your team has many questions, just give the ball to Iverson.  He can get you the win.  And by the way, he may be on his way back to the Philadelphia 76ers.

1

Paul Pierce is The Truth.

And the number one nickname is “The Truth”.  Paul Pierce.  The truth is very powerful.  The truth will set you free.  Paul Pierce lives up to his nickname by being a very potent ball player.  He can do everything on the court.  He scores, passes, rebounds, and plays good defense.  He also was Finals MVP when the Boston won the championship in the 07-08 season.

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