The New York Knicks are embarrassing.

How could the New York Knicks one of the most respected franchises in all of sports become the laughing stock of the NBA? Stephon Marbury is reportedly at odds with head coach Isiah Thomas over reportedly being removed from the starting lineup because of his poor performance and his role and the Knicks point guard. Could this be the end of Marbury in his hometown of New York? Is their a chance the Knicks will finally fire Coach Isiah Thomas? Marbury, the former further overall pick in the 1996 NBA has never developed into the superstar Thomas envisioned when he traded for the guard from the Phoenix Suns. On the other hand Thomas is yet to help the Knicks regain the respect they once had as one of the most respected franchises. Even after trading for Zach Randolph the Knicks still seem to be a team full of knuckleheads. Thomas is constantly proving that he isn’t a good coach and he never will be. Okay, Thomas did lead the Indiana Pacers to the playoffs three straight years but at the time he had one of the best lineups in the league.

Suggestions: The Knicks should end their relationship with both Marbury and Thomas. Thomas had always defended Marbury even when with others players on the team felt as if he was receiving special treatment. This is Isiah Thomas fault and this is what happens when a player is allowed to run a team. Marbury will always think he’s one if not the best point guard in the league. If former coach Larry Brown was supported by Isiah Thomas who was the General Manger at the time I’m sure the Knicks would be a better team. Brown who has a history of turning around franchises tried to make the players work harder and elevate their games. Some of the players primarily Marbury complained to Thomas and after one season Larry Brown was replaced. The Knicks have a deep and talented roster they simply need to find a point guard who can help utilize that talent and a better coach.

Predict: After this incident and Thomas sexual harassment suite paired with the teams slow start he may be gone by All-Star break. Nevertheless, the Knicks are growing tired of Marbury’s wining and will buyout his contract.

You have to love Rex Grossman!

I’m a strong believer the Chicago Bears coaching staff along with all Rex Grossman bashers deserve a nice kick in the mouth. I’ve been a supporter of Rex Grossman since his days at Florida University and it was nice to see Grossman bounce back and possibly regain his starting job. Just to recap Grossman was inserted into the game for an injured Brian Griese who was leveled on a linebacker blitz that should’ve been picked up by Cedric Benson. Yes, Grossman did fumble his first snap from center but so did Griese on the first play of the game. After the Bears conservative play calling Grossman, finally got his chance when he hooked up with Bernard Berrian for a 59-yd touchdown with 4:19 remaining in the game. It was obvious Grossman was relived to finally deliver in the clutch which most people figured he was incapable of doing. This was a big win not only for the Chicago Bears who kept their playoff hopes alive but more for Rex Grossman. Since the middle of last season fans have been calling for the Bears to make a quarterback change and allow Brian Griese to start. That proved to be a mistake as Griese proved to be no better as a starter than Rex Grossman. How could a city turn on a player like Rex Grossman after three games?

I’m going to make this quite clear REX GROSSMAN is the best quarterback in Chicago. I totally understand Grossman make some bad passes and at times he seems clueless on the field. This is a man who took Chicago to the superbowl last season and they pulled the plug on him after three games. It wasn’t until the Bears made the switch to Brian Griese that the Bears realized Grossman wasn’t to blame. Maybe fans should blame an offensive line that can’t protect against the blitz or open up holds for Cedric Benson. The Bears offensive line is terrible and the offensive coordinator is even worse. Offensive Coordinator Ron Turner has no creative imagination and he constantly calls plays that are so predictable. When was the last time a Bears receiver was motioned before the snap? How about allowing Devin Hester to run a pass route and tank these stupid screens and hitch routes. Grossman is a better quarterback because the Chicago Bears don’t have a running game. If a team doesn’t have a running game you need a quarterback who will throw the ball downfield. Yes, Grossman makes mistakes but he also give his receivers a chance to make a play down field. Teams were stacking against the run and sitting on Griese’s short passes.


GROSSMAN FOR PRESIDENT!!!!!!!!

Will Garnett lead Boston to a title?

On paper the Boston Celtics are consider the overall best team in the Eastern Conference. With the signing of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen teamed with Paul Pierce, Boston, seems poised for a title run. The only problem with Boston is their superstars have yet in their career to prove they are superstars. Kevin Garnett was a statistical machine while with the Minnesota Timberwolves but his team was never a factor in the playoffs. Garnett most successful year in the playoff’s happened to be when he was teamed with Sam Cassell and Lateral Sprewell. That’s not surprising given Cassell was a true leader who was willing to take the big shot. If the Celtics are expecting Garnett to lead them to a title they are surely mistaken. Garnett has deceived all of his fans by displaying himself as a vocal and team player. The only reason Garnett is currently in Boston is because they gave him a contract extension for waiving so he wouldn’t opt out of his contract. Ray Allen is a nice compliment and his deadly shooting will certainly help stretch the floor. If a major game was on the line I would give the ball to Paul Pierce. Pierce has showed over his career not only can he carry and team but he’s willing to take the shot with a crucial game on the line.

With the big three no one can deny Boston is one of the top teams in the East. I don’t believe they have the debt or chemistry to strike fear in any opponent if they were to reach the NBA Finals. At some point Boston may think about trading for a veteran point guard to help Rondo. I’m sure no one is happier than Coach Doc Rivers. Over the years coach Rivers has taken heat for not being a good coach. This is defiantly the best team he’s ever had and I believe he will make good use of the talent on the roster. Rivers is a good coach who all the players seem to like. I will agree if the Boston Celtics don’t make it no further than the Eastern Conference Finals the season was a waste. Boston surrendered all of their young talent in a trade for Kevin Garnett. If Boston doesn’t make a strong showing this year in the playoffs it wouldn’t surprise me if Coach Doc Rivers and GM Danny Ainge are fired.

Can anyone stop Indiana?

When the NBA season first started I like most people didn’t mention the Indiana Pacers and one of the best teams in the East. The season is only four games old but its clear the Pacer’s have the players to be a contender in the Eastern Conference. Despite Jermaine O’Neal’s slow start, statistically he has produced every season since being in Indiana. Mike Dunleavy Jr. is finally showing he can be an offensive stud in the league by averaging 20.5ppg. Danny Granger the former first round pick of the Pacer’s is averaging is 21.0ppg and is constantly showing he is one of the best young small forwards in the league. Together Dunleavy Jr. and Granger have carried the team while also forming a nice young nucleus the Pacers can build around. If Jamaal Tinsley can stay healthy the Pacer’s have an excellent chance of being the surprise team of the Eastern Conference. Indiana causes a lot of match-up problems for teams giving a lot of their players are interchangeable and can play multiple positions.

The Pacer’s need to take advantage of both Chicago and Cleveland’s early season struggles. Indiana one glaring weakness is their lack of a true center. Jeff Foster and Troy Murphy are ideal candidates to come off the bench and add a spark. Sometime this season Indiana must get a true center who can compliment O’Neal especially since he has been injury prone these last couple of seasons. I believe Indiana will prove they are one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference.

Same old Bucks

I promise to keep this simple regarding the Milwaukee Bucks. The bucks seem like a team with a lot of talent but outside of Michael Redd none of the players strike fear in their opponents. Mo Williams is a nice young point guard who should become more aggressive on the offensive end. Out side of Michael Redd I believe Williams is their best player who has the skills to be one of the top point guards in the league. Yi Jianlian looks like he will be a good NBA player but his game needs time to develop. Some nights Andrew Bogut looks like he is on the verge of being a big time center in the league and other nights you want to label him a bust. I also believe Charlie Bell is an excellent player who needs more playing time. Every time Bell is on the court goods things happen on the offensive and defensive end. This will be another year Milwaukee ends the season with a losing record. The team doesn’t have good chemistry and Michael Redd can’t do it all by himself. I believe they need to make a trade and finally put some players around Redd. I will still argue the combination of Mo Williams and Michael Redd is one of the best backcourts in the league.

Detroit is still the best team in the East

When the Detroit Pistons resigned Chauncey Billups this off-season, they instantly became the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. With Chicago’s young promising talent and the singing in Boston of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen teamed with Paul Pierce, most people would argue the Pistons Dominance in the East would come to an end. As you have seen in my previous blog I strongly feel the Bulls are overrated especially without having a true leader. However, Boston is an intriguing because of their big three. I don’t believe the Celtic’s are deep enough to out dual the pistons in a series. The Pistons is a team who doesn’t score a lot of points but they have a strong commitment to defense. Even without Ben Wallace the Piston’s have shown they are still one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. Detroit is eager to bounce back from a poor showing in last year’s Conference Final’s were Lebron James dominated the Piston’s. Furthermore, I don’t expect a battled tested team to struggle offensively like they did against Cleveland.

Chauncey Billups is the key to the Pistons success. Billups is a true leader who seems to have a claming influence on the game. In many ways Billups is similar to Tim Duncan where they don’t need to have a big game offensively to have a major impact on the game. If Flip Saunders doesn’t manage to get the Piston’s to the NBA Finals this may be his last season in Detroit. Nevertheless, with a solid starting line-up and a deeper team than last year Detroit will be a tough handle for anyone. Detroit may still resign Chris Weber sometime this season; with the emergence of Jason Maxiell as their young enforcer down low don’t be surprised if the Piston’s is their year’s Eastern Conference Champs.

Can the Cavaliers do it again?

I must agree with most sports analyst who feel it will take a miracle for the Cleveland Cavaliers to repeat as Eastern Conference Champions. General Manager Danny Ferry did nothing to upgrade the team roster. Most people are starting to realize Larry Hughes is a waste and second year guard Daniel Gibson may be their most consist player next to King James. One problem I have with the Cavaliers is they have a nice starting rotation but they have no chemistry. Lebron needs to learn how to get Ilgauskas involve who is one of the top centers in the NBA. Ilgauskas lacks athleticism but he can score in the post and has a decent jump shot. If King James doesn’t want this to be another year where he’s lighting up the stat box while his team is loosing he better go to management like Kobe Bryant and demand they get him some help. The signing of Sasha Pavlovic will certainly help the team out. If you recall last year the Cavaliers struggled until they put Pavlovic into the starting lineup which gave Lebron James another combo guard.

My prediction is the Cavaliers will not do nearly as bad as some people expect them to do. In the NBA if you have a star of Lebron James caliber a team can always ride his back to at least 40 wins. I promise the Cavaliers will certainly make the playoffs but don’t look for King James to have another heroic moment where he gets his team to the Finals this year.