There is something beautiful about sport.  Something poetic.  Something noble.

To so many, love for their sport stems from the elegance in simplicity that it offers.  Of course this is just a more verbose way of saying “I just love to play.”

My chosen sport, basketball, has taken me through so many highs and lows in life.  It has been as good a friend as any other I have had the privilege to meet, and has been as consistent a presence as my own family.

Our game has also shown an incredible ability to do good beyond the court.  Organisations like the Big Bangs and Peace Players are two great examples of that.

There are times, however, when the sport is dishonored in such blatant, brazen, unjustifiable fashion that one wonders whether as a community we are losing sight of what is really important about basketball, about sport.

From A Stern Warning:

“It has been a disastrous week for powerhouse basketball schools throughout the NCAA. Kansas was the first to fall with details emerging about a ticket scalping scam orchestrated by a pair of brokers.

Connecticut came next, once the Nate Miles saga came to a predictable end.

Now the one that everyone has been waiting for, Coach Cal, and his University of Kentucky Wildcats are under investigation for the recruiting practices surrounding star freshman guard Eric Bledsoe. Word is that Bledsoe received improper benefits by having his high school apartment paid for by Kentucky, in an attempt to render him geographically eligible to play for powerhouse Alabama high school, and eventual 5A champions, Parker High School. Bledsoe’s high school head coach also supposedly demanded large sums of cash as part of his recruitment.”

The NCAA was created especially to protect the amateur nature of collegiate sports in the United States, taking it upon itself as an integral part of its charter the promotion of student-athletics, rather than just athletics for a student fan-base.  At its very core is the principle of athletics being a secondary, though no less important, part of colleges around the country.

And yet as the sponsorship, prize, advertising and merchandising incomes continuously rose throughout the years, the allure of athletic “business” became too great.  Facilities became world class, rooms and classes created especially and exclusively for athletes, more investment was made on students as players rather than as “mere” students, and the entire concept of “amateur” was discarded, along with any morals, it seems.

Of course this is not an all-encompassing statement.  There are many, many colleges and programs who have kept their reputations clean in spite of all the money floating around (we salute you, Duke and Texas).

Yet even 1 program in disgrace brings dishonor to the entire game.

Some dis-honorable mentions in NCAA Basketball history:

• University of Georgia, 2004
  “The National Collegiate Athletics Association Division I Committee on Infractions on Aug. 5 placed the University of Georgia on probation for four years, retroactive to April 17, 2004, for violations of NCAA bylaws regarding recruiting inducements, unethical conduct, academic fraud and extra benefits in the men’s basketball program. ”
• University of Michigan, 1996
  Fab Five, Fab Mistakes…
• University of California at Los Angelas, 1964-75
  Booster Sam Gilbert funneled so much money to players that NCAA probationary poster boy Jerry Tarkanian quipped, “The only team with a higher payroll was the Lakers.” The NCAA didn’t take action until 1981, by which point Wooden and his ten titles had been retired for six years.
• University of Massachusetts, 1996
  No 1. Team in the country, Final Four participant… and payments to players…  fail.
• Boston College, 1978
  A game of gangsters…
• Special mentions: Oklahoma, Villanova, Memphis

While the NCAA has levied fines, stripped competition points and even removed teams from competitions, the mere fact that such grave infractions continue to happen means that more must be done to dissuade programs from even thinking of pushing the boundaries.  I would love to see punishments extended to the entire school, such as a year’s ban on receiving alumni contributions, for example, however in the meantime, it is up to the fans, supporters and alumni to enforce our high expectations of our teams’ not just on the court, but off of it as well.

It’s not good enough to pass it off as being “part of the game”.

We fell in love with this game for a very different set of reasons from those with which we now use to justify or excuse the continued violations of some programs.

Get your teams in order, gentlemen, before you’re no longer seen as student-athletes, but pawns.  I hope it’s not too late.

1. There is FAR TOO MUCH Lebron talk out there.  We know it’s exciting, and is the most amazing group of free agents in NBA history, but we’re already sick of hearing about it, we’ve all been talking about it for 2 years now!  Some reporter from New York has even been on a stakeout outside Lebron’s mother’s house in Akron, Ohio.  It’s all getting a bit much…
2. If an NBA team makes a play for the Magic’s Brandon Bass…that could be a great move this off-season.  Bass is due $16M over 4 years and if you actually give the guy minutes, he could be a very good player (perhaps the next Paul Milsap style of PF), and end up being a bargain at $4M a year.
3. Hedo Jerkoglu has openly told the Turkish press that he wants out of Toronto.  We’re sure Toronto are ok with this too… but after a season of sulking, b*tching in the media about not getting enough touches, and an overall poor performance on the court all season…who will take him?  Probably Isiah Thomas…even though he doesn’t have an NBA job, Thomas loves a player with a bad attitude who is burned-out… he’ll make the calls to the Raptors, you’ll see.
4. Hedo, you are a douche…
5. Sacha Vujacic… you also, are a douche…
6. Antoine Walker…you are the biggest douche of all.
7. Patrick Ewing is keeping his fingers crossed for a phone call from an NBA team looking for a head coach.  We’d love to see Pat on the sidelines in a head coaching role!
8. Matt Barnes is going to test free agency…good for him.  Lots of teams need someone who can piss Kobe off.
9. Doug Collins (the new 76ers coach) is apparently a big fan of Derrick Favors and considering passing on Evan Turner to take Favors with the no.2 pick.
10. Sad to see the Suns out after such a great run to the Western Conference Finals… could it have been Amare’s last game in a Suns uni?
11. As much as we talk about him, we STILL think Steve Nash is underrated.
12. It’s a Celtics-Lakers final!  Could there be anything better than a matchup from two teams with such rich history?  And clearly the two best teams right now, too…going to be an awesome series regardless of the outcome (and this is coming from a Lakers Fan…and Celtics Hater).
13. We think that loss against the C’s in the 2008 finals will haunt the Lakers more than they let on, and it’s such a factor that it COULD end up being the difference in the series…we’re just sayin’.
14. It was very cool that NBA players & coaches on both teams could put aside all competitiveness & egos…and all be a little in awe of Kobe’s 37 point outing against the Suns in game 6.  Even Alvin Gentry said with a smile after the game, ‘was that Michael or Kobe, I couldn’t tell!’
15. Not everyone is a Kobe fan.  But let’s be realistic for a second…against Phoenix he averaged 33.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 8.3 assists in the series while making 52.1 percent of his shots.  And that was against Grant Hill & Jared Dudley, who are stellar defenders.  If you compare that to MJ’s 1996 playoffs, where he was ALSO 32 years old, MJ averaged 30.7ppg, 4.9rebs, 4.1ass & shot 46%.  Quite comparable numbers…mind you, Kobe hasn’t changed the game like Mike, pioneered the marketing of NBA players, created the most successful basketball brand/shoe line in history, won 6 championships with lesser supporting talent, won two Olympic gold medals and is the all time scoring (per game) champion….but Kobe’s numbers at this stage of his career are definitely up there with the greats.
16. While we are on the subject, here are the 3MW NBA Guff top 10 of all time:
    1. Michael Jordan
    2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
    3. Wilt Chamberlain
    4. Bill Russell
    5. Magic Johnson
    6. Kobe Bryant
    7. Larry Bird
    8. John Havlicek
    9. Oscar Robertson
    10. John Stockton/David Robinson/Hakeem Olajuwon (yeah it’s a cop-out, but we couldn’t decide).

We welcome your retort!

1. Celtics vs Lakers in the finals… if you’re a fan of wither team you HAVE to check out the head to heads from this past season: FORUM BLUE & GOLD
2. Truehoop’s awesome Top 10 Possessions of the NBA Playoffs 2010.
3. Players that improved their draft stock these last few weeks.  If you’re organising your fantasy leagues, this is key information for you.
4. Australian Basketball is making a comeback, and so is media coverage, with the rebirth of a once-fallen online magazine.
5. Argentina travels to Australia for a pre-World Championships clash.
6. Indonesian basketball is back!
   “After years of declining interest, the Indonesian Basketball League hopes a new name and a new approach will revamp its fortunes.
   The IBL was relaunched as the National Basketball League on Tuesday, boasting a theme of “New Season, New Hope for Indonesia” for its first season.”
7. Bill Simmons on Lebron’s future.
   “I always thought his ceiling looked like this: Jordan’s DNA crossed with Magic’s DNA crossed with Bo Jackson. Nope. Take the Jordan DNA out. Have to. Jordan was a ruthless mother******. Jordan was a killer. Jordan didn’t care if his teammates despised him. Jordan never, ever, not in a million years, would have allowed his team to quit in the final two minutes of Thursday night’s game the way LeBron did. His teammates feared him, loathed him, revered him and played accordingly. Bird had that same quality. In the second half of his career, so did Magic. Winning meant so much to those guys that their teammates almost didn’t have a choice; they had to follow suit. Or else.”
8. A terrible week for NCAA basketball…
9. Will this be Coach Phil Jackson’s last season?
   “Phoenix guard Steve Nash was conducting a quick post-game interview in a congested hallway when a golf cart, stymied by camera wires and other mobile equipment, tried to get by but had to stop. Nash politely stepped to the side, his small smile turning wide when he saw that the passenger was none other than Lakers coach Phil Jackson. The moment suggested the unwashed multitudes making way for the pope. ”
   From Jack McCallum.
10. Andrew Gaze; Australia’s MJ, NBL and NBA (remember the Spurs?) championship winner, all-around great guy… and posteriser? (Dear dictionary manufacturers, please insert new word.  Thank you.)

Hey Guffers,

Been a few changes with some workouts and team chatter…

1. Washington John Wall. I still don’t see them passing on Wall.  You don’t pass on a quality PG like this…you just don’t.  They may then be able to trade Gilbert to a team with the cap room, and not be too fussed about getting equal talent in return.
2. Philadelphia Evan Turner. I am nearly excited enough to take Turner over Wall.  Turner played SG/SF and at 6-7 occasionally PF in college, then when their PG went down with an injury, he stepped in and ran the point!  The dude has talent and can do everything.
3. New Jersey Derrick Favors. Teams are loving the guy.  Not as much potential or athleticism than Cousins, but a much better attitude!  He may not be a better pick than Wes Johnson either, but NJ will still take a big because taking a SG or SF sends the wrong message to Lebron, Joe Johnson, etc.  Favors is not a bad pick at all, he has all the physical gifts, huge wingspan, has a standing 9-1 reach. 9-1!!! But GMs are all caught up in his physical traits, which he lived off to beat guys in college.  Teams love Favors, but still don’t think he can contribute straight away, you may see him come off the bench as a rook.
4. Minnesota Wesley Johnson. Minnesota are starting Ryan Gomes and sometimes Corey Brewer at SF.  Both nice players, but Johnson would be an upgrade and the Wolves have already said they want an athletic SF/SG.  I think Rambis will like Johnson… no problems with his attitude, effort and most importantly, consistency. He only scored in single-digits 3 times last year for Syracuse (averaged 16.5ppg), and all the games he only scored in single digits, they blew out the other team so he got alot of assists getting his team-mates some love. He’s already 23 years old, so quite mature….but this could be his downfall as NBA teams see this is a negative on his ‘potential’, that P word that GMs & execs get such a hard-on over in May & June every year….
5. Sacramento DeMarcus Cousins. Sac have some good players, but with the 5^th pick at their disposal and coming off a 25-57 season, all bets are off and they are taking the best player available at this point in the draft.  I think Evans & Casspi are safe, but if the Kings have to upset Spencer Hawes, Nocioni or Beno Udrih then so be it.  Cousins is apparently difficult to coach and GMs haven’t gotten a great personal vibe from him.  But the guy’s got all the physical talent, a bit of a mean-streak and is determined. Hope it turns into hard work in the NBA. Not great fitness, but when he’s out there, he’ll get it done. Number 1 in the NCAA in rebounds per 48 minutes. Has all the tools, possibly the most NBA-ready centre in the draft.
6. Golden State Xavier Henry. Henry is a nice player, but I personally think they need a C or PF, as they started 3 PGs and two SFs for most of last season.  But they will likely take someone like Henry who can shoot the lights out because (sorry GSW fans) this organisation sucks balls and Nelson can’t go past a nice guard.  They have drafted some good players, but never appropriate for what their team actually needs.  I think they may even draft Tony ‘The Bear’ Ronaldson and play him at the point…. and I hate Don Nelson… that is all.
7. Detroit Hassan Whiteside. I think this Pistons pick at number 7 is the most interesting in the top 10.  Joey D has already come out and said he wants his Pistons team to be tougher….now _I_ think it’s as much to do with their coach (John Kuester) as the team.  But they still allowed teams to shoot 48% against them last year (5^th worst in league) …by comparison, the Don Nelson-led Warriors allowed 48.5%…that says a lot!  They also had the second-worst perimeter defence, allowing teams to shoot 37.5% from three and they were 4^th worst in blocks per game.  They need toughness in the paint!!!  A 37 year old Ben Wallace can only do so much so Whiteside’s energy & shot-blocking would be a great addition. Whiteside loves the game, and makes more out of his physical gifts (7-0 with 7-6 wingspan) than anyone else in the draft, averaging 5.4 blocks per game in college.  BUT, I still think that Joe Dumars will work something to get up into the top-5 territory to nab Cousins or Favors.
8. LA Clippers      Patrick Patterson. Would be great in Clipper-Land.  One word…UNDERRATED.  He’s a good pick-and-roll player, which with Baron Davis out there is very valuable, and has a high basketball IQ.  Is a 6-9 SF/PF and has looked awesome in workouts.  Team love his NBA-ready body & his attitude.
9. Utah Cole Aldrich. He’s big, solid, plays with his back to the basket, has great footwork in the post and whilst he can step out and hit a jumper, prefers to live in the paint. Think Kevin Love with better defence (averaged around 3 blocks a game in college). Boozer is going and Fesenko is ordinary.  Milsap is the PF of the future for the Jazz, so they desperately need a centre.  Aldrich could still be snapped up higher, but with no FAHO, will likely fall.  Even past here perhaps.  Would be a good selection at 9 and is a very Jerry Sloan kind of player.  Greg Monroe is a possibility, but I think guys like Jerry Sloan & Larry Bird (pick 10) will cross Monroe off the list because of perceived work ethic (his 11.2% body fat).
10. Indiana Ed Davis. This 6-9 PF in a few years time could be a steal!  The knocks on his game are he’s not strong enough, and needs a bit of range…..that’s all.  Everything else is there, just no real wow-factor like some of the guys above, but looks great in workouts and the Pacers will likely need a big to replace the departing Troy Murphy.  BUT, Larry Bird will take a Larry-Bird style of player.  Word is, Bird is a big fan of Baylor’s Gordon Hayward, but doesn’t think he’s a no. 10 pick.  So the Pacers could still trade this pick to get the guy they want further down the board.
11. New Orleans Greg Monroe. I really like this 6-10 lefty outta Georgetown, but the word is he’s currently fallen a bit out of favour due to his 11.2% body fat.  Yep, 11.2%.  Whereas other guys are measuring in the 5s & 6s. Still, he’s a solid rebounder, defender and a great team-mate. Averaged 1.5blk & 1.2stl, very quick hands, hard worker, decent physical strength and size.  Just not enough FAHO.
12. Memphis Paul George. Paul George is a 6-8 SF who could slot in nicely with a team that already has a lot of scoring options.  George’s strengths are defence, running the floor, and he was in the league leaders in assists for all SFs in college.  Nice player, not a tonne of offence in college, but looking awesome in workouts and with some work could be very effective. 
13. Toronto Ekpe Udoh. The Raptors are sure to take a big.  Bosh could be leaving and that leaves a 7-0 SF (Bargnani) as your centre?  Udoh is a lean 235 at 6-10, but is strong and has amazing shot-blocking ability.  Will be able to step in and defend NBA power-forwards & most centres straight away.  Huge FAHO right here.
14. Houston Donatas Motiejunas. Potential is through the roof, will be as good as he wants to be, and pending workouts, could go as high as 3 or 4.  One of those wild-card players where you just don’t know how much effort he’s going to give.  Great talent though, 7-0 PF who can knock down outside shots, but also has a bit of mongrel and likes to beat guys in the paint.  Could go higher for sure.  Could also be a jerk?
15. Milwaukee Al-Farouq Aminu. He’s getting the ‘soft’ tag a bit…Gms think he could be soft, not a hard worker, etc… Still very early, but not wowing right now.  Aminu is a great defender, can guard 4 positions, blocks alot of shots for a guy who is 6-8. Great athletisicm, great on a fast break.  Bucks would really be getting another Luc Richard Bah Moute here…and whilst Bah Moute is a GUN of a defender, they really need some more scoring in the paint to complement Bogut.  Would be better for them if Greg Monroe or Ed Davis fell here for them to snap up.
16. Minnesota Avery Bradley. I think the Wolves will likely trade their 16^th or 23^rd pick…or maybe both.  They have another two picks in the second round aswell as the 4^th pick above.  But if they keep it, and Bradley is still available, the 6-2 SG from Texas would be a nice addition off the bench.  Not a PG at all, as he goes for his own shot all the time, but could suit a role as firepower off the bench (ala Eddie House or Bobby Jackson).
17. Chicago Daniel Orton. 6-10 & 255 with great potential make this guy a good pick for a Chicago team that can give the kid a bit of time.  He wasn’t very polished in workouts so far, looking a little out of his depth.  But John Paxson likes good kids from good schools, and drafts people just as much on character as potential or talent.  Orton would fit in well in Chicago.
18. Miami Damion James. The 6-7 combo forward outta Texas likely won’t go this high, but I am a fan.  The Heat needed some defensive presence against teams this year.  Udonis Haslem deserves some sort of award as the most underrated & underappreciated player in the NBA, being the Heat’s only solid defender other than Wade.  And at the same time, Q-Rich can’t defend a lamp-post, Beasley is more interested in his jumper and J-O’Neal keeps fouling out.  Damion James at 6-7 averaged 11.2 boards a game…read that again…what a monster!!!  And is super-quick and pretty fit, playing over 30 minutes a game in college.  He’d be great for the Heat and whilst undersized (for an already small team) you can’t look past the effort it takes to pull down 11.2 boards when you are only 6-7.             
19. Boston James Anderson. He’s a gun-slinging lock-down defender at 6-6 who could be a good addition to a Boston team that’s getting older and lacked defenders at times during 2009-10, especially at the 3 spot where Anderson can slot into, but also cause problems on offence with his flat-out shooting.  Not very polished and can’t handle the ball well, or pass/create well…so will be a late teens or maybe early 20s pick, pending workouts.
20. San Antonio Gani Lawal. He pulled out of the draft last year to spend another year at Georgia Tech to work on his game.  The reason I think the Spurs will take him?  He runs the floor hard, works hard, and has a great attitude.  Coach Popp can’t handle immature kids who won’t put in the work, Lawal isn’t one of those.  And he’s a 6-9 PF who can score & rebound, that helps too!
21. OKC                 Gordon Hayward. The 6-8 SF from NCAA Finalist from Baylor can score in a number of ways and is also a very effective rebounder (8.3rpg in college) that could be another weapon for an already awesome OKC team.  Knock on Hayward is a lack of fire & aggression…but passion & fire is something this OKC certainly doesn’t lack, so he would definitely rise to it. 
22. Portland Luke Babbitt. The guy can shoot!!  And shoot!  And shoot!  Babbitt is polished offensively but could be the next Adam Morrison….for Portland he would be some great shooting off the bench for a Blazers team that struggled for offence at times last year.     
23. Minnesota Armon Johnson. That’s if the T-Wolves even keep this pick.  Johnson could become a very good back-up PG.  Has all the tools, the size, and does everything well….just not great…yet.  He’s a pretty fearless little dude, so could thrive with the challenges in the NBA.        
24. Atlanta Larry Sanders. If he’s still here, the PF/C from VCU will be snapped up.  He has work to do, but a good defender, good size, and is a nice guy who is coachable.  Even though he’s far from a finished product, would give Atlanta another interior defender they desperately need.
25. Memphis Devin Ebanks. The 6-7 Ebanks has looked pretty good in workouts so far.  Doesn’t need plays drawn for him to score, gets a lot of offensive glass, takes good shots, good basketball mind and one rare quality….he gets fired up about defense!  May go higher for sure, but his lack of ‘superstardom’ will drop him to the 20s.
26. OKC                 Kevin Seraphin.  The 6-9 PF/C from France has all the tools for the NBA.  He’s similar to a young Nene Hilario at a fit, chiselled 258 pounds, and has been playing in the French National League.  Only played 16 mins a game, but with that size, great timing & great hands, he’s screaming out for some NBA training! 
27. New Jersey Quincy Pondexter. Pondexter (6-7 SF) is another guy who does a lot of good things, is a sound player and person, but is already 22 years old, so scouts won’t get the whole ‘potential’, ‘upside’ and FAHO.  So he’ll drop, maybe even to the second round, but a polished guy who averaged 19 points & 7 boards in college is worth a pick here for sure.
28. Memphis Elliot Williams. It’d be nice to see Memphis draft the home-town Memphis boy.  6-4 shooting guard who’s a great on the ball defender and rebounds well for a guard too.
29. Orlando Nemanja Bjelica. 6-10 SF from Serbia has great versatility, passing, size, and experience in a professional league in Serbia.  But crosses against him are defence, quickness, strength, etc.  It’s terrible to say, he’s a typical young Euro kid. 
30. Washington Stanley Robinson. The 6-8 combo forward from UCONN isn’t getting heaps of love, but I like him.  He’s a strong, long, fit (played 35 mins a game in college) defensive-minded guy who doesn’t have a huge range of offence.  But defensively, rebounding & touch around the basket is right up there.

Rumours

• Apparently you can have the Sixers no.2 pick…you just need to be able to put up a top 10 pick of your own and take back Elton Brand and his $51M over the next 3 years.
• Pick 23 (Minnesota), 25 & 28 (Memphis) and 29 (Orlando) are ALL up for grabs, as all of these teams don’t want to commit to a pick that they are only going to have to pay luxury tax on.  Look for the teams without first round picks AND money (Charlotte, New York) and to a lesser extent, the teams without picks who are already well-over the cap (Dallas, Denver, LA Lakers, Phoenix) to still try and trade up for a first-rounder.
• The lesser-known dudes who are looking good to be decent 2^nd rounders or sneak into the late first – Domonique Jones (SF), Jordan Crawford (SG) & Trevor Booker (PF).
• I LOVE that Wade, Lebron, Joe Johnson & Bosh are all going to get together to talk about where they are going to go this off-season….
• Rudy Fernandez used a bad word when talking about the Blazers organisation last season…deceived…  He said he was disappointed and deceived with his playing time, etc.  If he doesn’t go on his own accord, I reckon the Blazers should boot his a$$ out the door for saying that sh*t.

Falling out of Favour

Solomon Alabi Was predicted to be around the low 20s, but teams are looking at that 7-1 kid that only pulls down 6.0 rebounds a game in college…if you’re 7-1, and only getting 6 boards a game in college then you’re a lazy-a$$.

Craig Brakens 6-10, plays PF and also moves to the 3 spot.  Is big, long, but not strong.  Doesn’t play either forward spot overly well, but could blossom.  Hasn’t looked great so far and teams think he’s more a mid-second rounder.