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28th February, 2010 - 3:16 pm
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| Current Features |
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SCOOP DU JOUR: NHL Talking Points – The Kovalchuk Saga Continues
The offseason continues to be dominated by the highest profile unrestricted free agent, Ilya Kovalchuk, in modern NHL history.
MOCK DRAFT: 2010 NBA Mock Draft, Version 5.0
An interesting week of prevalent deception is nearly over and the actual picks are hours away. Hundreds of hours have been spent watching the 60 players that 30 teams hope will improve their club in the coming years.
TEAM RANKINGS: Final NBA Power Rankings For 09-10
The Cavaliers were ranked first in the regular season for the second consecutive season. Following them in the top-five were the Magic, Jazz, Celtics and Spurs, while the Lakers were a surprising 11th.
PLAYER RANKINGS: 2009-10 Individual Awards
While the MVP, DPOY and ROY voting should be easy, the All-NBA teams and the other awards are more difficult to correctly determine.
LOCKER TALK: Nash, Cleveland, & Orlando
Steve Nash could draw trade interest this summer and Cleveland isn’t overlooking Orlando…
CLASSICS: Hakeem Vs. Ewing: Who Was The Better Center?
Born within six months of each other in opposite corners of the world, two seven footers who are finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame this fall are two of the best ever to play the center position.
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By Andrew Perna
If you grew up in the Michael Jordan Era like so many of today's basketball fans, whether you caught his career from the beginning or just at the tail end, you probably also grew up on NBA Jam, perhaps the best basketball video game in the industry's now fairly lengthy history.
The first NBA Jam was released back in 1993 for the Sega Genesis (the console I had) and other systems. Now, some 17 years later, EA Sports is putting together an updated edition for the Wii. The game is the reason why "Boom-Shaka-Laka" and "He's Heating Up!" are a part of basketball vernacular.
Personally, I was always a fan of using the duo of Reggie Miller and Derrick McKey in battle, but many favored Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant. Those of you familiar with the game have surely been waiting for me to address what you believe to be a mistake earlier in this column. No, MJ wasn't a playable character in NBA Jam, but he certainly put the league in a place to help launch one of the most popular video games of all-time.
EA Sports has been hosting polls in recent weeks, asking fans to vote on what three players should represent each team in the upcoming release. While I think it would be great to expand each team's roster to four or five options per team, I'm completely for EA's decision.
In what will be (and already is) a hotly-debated topic on basketball and video game sites and forums, let's go through each of the NBA's 30 teams and "suggest" exactly who should be featured in what will be one of the most anticipated games of the year, at least as far as we are concerned.
Atlanta Hawks - Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Al Horford
Ideally, each team would feature a true guard, wingman and a big, but that can't always be the case as you'll see below. There is danger in using Joe Johnson (pending free agency) as one of Atlanta's representatives, but the same case could be made when discussing the Cavaliers, Heat and Raptors. While Johnson is the unquestioned superstar, Smith and Horford are their young guns and Smoove is pretty close to a perfect NBA Jam player.
Boston Celtics - Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett
Ray Allen is an unfortunate omission, but you can't put him above Paul Pierce or Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo's future in Boston is much more secure (saying that would have felt strange just six months ago). As deadly as Allen is from deep, imagine racing down the floor with Rondo handling the ball and KG still gliding through the air like it’s 2002 for an overdone, but oh-so-entertaining, slam dunk.
Charlotte Bobcats - Stephen Jackson, Gerald Wallace, Tyson Chandler
If this was a regular basketball simulation (5-on-5), I'd probably suggest Raymond Felton over Tyson Chandler, but his athleticism (when healthy and digitized) is unquestioned. He'll be a huge asset on defense, jumping higher than the backboard to reject three-point attempts by the game's better shooters.
Chicago Bulls - Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah
We might be able to trade out the rather boring Luol Deng for one of the big free agents, but he remains as the lynchpin to the very quick and exciting Derrick Rose, along with a face and haircut perfectly suited for animated reproduction in Joakim Noah.
Cleveland Cavaliers - Maurice Williams, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal
Opting for Antawn Jamison over Shaquille O'Neal was tempting, but perhaps that 0-for-12 performance had lingering effects. No matter how much Shaq may have added in weight or lost in skill, he's a first-ballot Hall of Famer and a legend. Jamison lost his chance to make the cut when the struggling Wizards dealt him. Like Noah, Anderson Varejao has the hair for NBA Jam.
Dallas Mavericks - Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki
This is a fun trio. Jason Kidd brings the speed -- remember it's an arcade-style video game -- Shawn Marion has the hops and Dirk Nowitzki holds the star power. The only real question would be which hairstyle Dirk sports. Join me in hoping that his 70s rocker mane is used and that it flows almost as fast as the action on the court.
Denver Nuggets - Chauncey Billups, Carmelo Anthony, Nene
Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony are locks, but the choice between Nene, Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersen as Denver's big man was a tough one. Martin may be a tad old, but Andersen would have been fun to use assuming that his Mohawk would have been included. Did really I just reference a player's hair for four consecutive teams? Perhaps I'm envious.
Detroit Pistons - Rodney Stuckey, Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva
Just as in real life, the Pistons should be devoid of an interior presence in the game. Detroit paid to add Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva last summer, so they might as well get something for their money. It was hard leaving Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Price out (and to a lesser degree Ben Wallace), but I think it's a good decision. There's only so much a Stretch Armstrong clone can do for you in a video game.
Golden State - Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry, Anthony Randolph
Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry are definitive choices and Anthony Randolph narrowly made the cut over the more dependable, but slightly less exciting Andris Biedrins. I'm sort of going out on a limb for Randolph, though, since a breakout 2010-11 season will have a huge impact on whether or not he was a good choice over Mr. Biedrins.
Houston Rockets - Kevin Martin, Shane Battier and Yao Ming
Kevin Martin has barely broken in his Rockets jersey, but with Tracy McGrady and Carl Landry shipped out of town he's a no-brainer. Shane Battier will be one of the rare NBA Jam players that is selected for his defense above all else. What a minute, is there such a thing?
Indiana Pacers - Danny Granger, Troy Murphy, Roy Hibbert
Danny Granger is really the only shoe-in on Indiana's roster, with the remaining spots up for grabs. Troy Murphy will be an underrated option, with the ability to grab a rebound (no matter how rare they may be) as well as drain a game-changing three. Roy Hibbert will be one of the game's slowest players, but also one of the few true centers.
L.A. Clippers - Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, Blake Griffin
It's hard to leave out even a replacement All-Star (Chris Kaman), but Blake Griffin is more marketable even though he's yet to play a single game in the NBA. Boom Dizzle may not be the player he was in Golden State or New Orleans, but in his prime he would have been an elite NBA Jamer. That's got to count for something, right?
L.A. Lakers - Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum
There is a reason why the Lakers are so good; they have at least two great options that didn't make the cut in Ron Artest and Lamar Odom. Kobe Bryant gets the highest rating in the game (tied with LeBron) and with his tandem of bigs perhaps the most common selection among gamers.
Memphis Grizzlies - O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph
Rudy Gay is in the same boat as guys like JJ, LBJ and D-Wade, but Memphis has a backup for the soon-to-be free agent in Marc Gasol. I have a feeling that more people than expected would rock the court with this trio.
Miami Heat - Mario Chalmers, Dwyane Wade, Michael Beasley
Mario Chalmers may not be Miami's point guard of the present, but he still has a chance to be their point guard of the future. A group of short, unexciting contracts (Quentin Richardson, Udonis Haslem, Jermaine O'Neal) are too risky to include.
Milwaukee Bucks - Brandon Jennings, Michael Redd, Andrew Bogut
Brandon Jennings (hardcore fade included) will be one of the game's biggest stars, but Michael Redd might need some crutches to stay upright.
Minnesota Timberwolves - Jonny Flynn, Kevin Love, Al Jefferson
Corey Brewer has been playing well enough to challenge for a spot, but sticking with Jonny Flynn to handle the ball is a safer bet. How much of a risk would EA (and the NBA) take if they included Ricky Rubio?
New Jersey Nets - John Wall, Devin Harris, Brook Lopez
Sorry, I had to. The funny thing is I could see the Nets missing out on the top pick (ouch!) and having to use Yi Jianlian instead. Regardless, the NCAA should waive their arcane rules and allow Wall to be put on New Jersey's roster anyway. There's not anyone else truly worthy of a spot.
New Orleans Hornets - Chris Paul, David West, Emeka Okafor
Marcus Thornton and Darren Collison are making strong cases for consideration, but the Hornets can’t have two point guards among their three players. David West and Emeka Okafor are easy choices unless you'd prefer Sean Marks and Hilton Armstrong.
New York Knicks - Insert Free Agent Here, Danilo Gallinari, David Lee
Tracy McGrady would look great in blue-and-orange on my 40-inch screen, but there's no guarantee he'll still be in town this fall (the expected release time) and you have to believe that EA will analyze the possible (and expected) moves this coming summer. If they aren't OK waiting for one of New York's two potential big-time free agents, then I guess there are some in Manhattan that might have fun with Wilson Chandler.
Oklahoma City Thunder - Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Jeff Green
The Thunder have more young and talented players than you can shake a stick at, but only three can make the cut and it has to be this trio. James Harden lingered in my mind (over Jeff Green) for some time, but these guys give OKC fans a fairly diverse roster. And one that could be in NBA Jam 2020 as well.
Orlando Magic - Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis, Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard should have the ability to shatter backboards on game-winning dunks, while both Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter attempt copious amounts of jump shots. Jameer Nelson would be fun as well, but it's hard to take Vince Carter out of a game that he could have been on the cover of earlier in his career.
Philadelphia 76ers - Louis Williams, Andre Iguodala, Marreese Speights
It's too bad that the second marriage between Allen Iverson and the 76ers didn't work out better, because it would have been pretty cool to see him wearing his trademark jersey in the game. If you asked me to compile this list at the beginning of the season, I would have suggested Jrue Holiday, but Lou Williams will have to do.
Phoenix Suns - Steve Nash, Jason Richardson, Amare Stoudemire
Steve Nash is a lock, but both Jason Richardson and Amare Stoudemire could lose spots to Grant Hill and Channing Frye. However, J-Rich and S.T.A.T. get the nods despite the latter's contract situation and the late-1990s favoritism I may have towards Hill.
Portland Trail Blazers - Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden
There are a handful of other players worth a shot, like Rudy Fernandez, Andre Miller and Nicolas Batum, but these three are supposed to be Portland's core; health be dammed. Hopefully you can turn injuries off in the game.
Sacramento Kings - Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspi, Jason Thompson
Tyreke Evans is a lock (like Jennings and Curry), but there could be a debate about whether or not Omri Casspi or Jason Thompson are worthy. Carl Landry and Spencer Hawes are options, but Casspi brings the Israeli fan base in and Thompson has some ups.
San Antonio Spurs - Tony Parker, Richard Jefferson, Tim Duncan
Obviously, Manu Ginobili is a candidate over Richard Jefferson, but I don't think there will be any bat-catching games involved. Jefferson can throw it down and as bad as it may sound while trying to uphold the game's integrity -- that accounts for something as Manu would prefer to glide in for a layup.
Toronto Raptors - DeMar DeRozan, Hedo Turkoglu, Chris Bosh
DeMar DeRozan might be a stretch over guys like Jarrett Jack, Andrea Bargnani or Jose Calderon, but his hops make him a nice under-the-radar selection for the game. There are probably quite a few in Toronto that wish Hedo Turkoglu wasn’t a possible pick.
Utah Jazz - Deron Williams, Paul Millsap, Carlos Boozer
Andrei Kirilenko could replace Paul Millsap, but the Russian is a bit up-and-down for my liking. Deron Williams to Carlos Boozer could produce quite a few Boom-Shaka-Lakas.
Washington Wizards - Gilbert Arenas, Mike Miller, Andray Blatche
This roster would have looked a lot better a little more than a week ago, before Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison were sent packing. Obviously the price tags were much different and there were extenuating circumstances, but isn't it kind of crazy that Gilbert Arenas is the one left standing?
Andrew Perna is Deputy Editor of RealGM.com. Please feel free to contact him with comments or questions via e-mail: Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com. You can also follow Andrew on Twitter: APerna7 |
