January In The NBA

It’s that time of the month folks, when I chime in with 10 observations from the previous month’s NBA action. Let’s get straight into it.

1. KG – Mr Cheap Shot

I am a Celtics guy so I don’t dislike Kevin Garnett. In fact, I love what he brings to the floor. But I can’t hold this back any longer; nobody does a cheap shot like KG.

It usually goes something like this. When he’s over excited from a dunk or an and-one play he’ll dish out a cheap shot, typically an elbow to the grill or mid-section (then again, he could just chop you in the balls after a jump shot; ask Channing Frye). When the guy comes at him to remonstrate, he’ll throw his arms up and back away as if he’s the innocent party. I suspect he does this because he doesn’t have the stomach for a real confrontation.

It does surprise me that very few players take him to task on it (although Bogut has on several occasions). Just once, can someone please call his bluff and snot him one because he thoroughly deserves it. And you know what; I reckon he’d go down like a sack of spuds.

Sure, you’d get suspended and fined a princely sum, but boy, wouldn’t it be worth it to see KG hit the pine. And I am sure there would be no shortage of players around the league offering to help pay the fine.
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December In The NBA

It’s that time of the month folks, when I chime in with 10 observations from the previous month’s NBA action. Let’s get straight into it.

1. Chris Bosh Needs To Get His Hands Dirty

For the Miami Heat to reach their enormous potential (complete domination) Chris Bosh will have to undergo the same transformation as Paul Gasol – that is, removing the softness from his game. Gasol is still a finesse player in style, but he’s added grunt to his play on both ends of the floor. I acknowledge Bosh’s strong play of late, but in a seven-game playoff series an aggressive team like Boston with a big front line will expose him, as they did to Gasol and Odom in 2008.

Let’s not sugar coat it; Chris Bosh is a powder puff, a 6-11 jump-shooter who shies away from physical contact. But he can adapt. Instead of taking stand-still jumpers from the top of the key, rebounding and establishing a presence down low must become his priority. As was the case with Gasol, until he can make this transformation the scrutiny will be immense and the criticism harsh.

The reality is that Miami would have been better served with David Lee as their power forward; his heart and hustle would have been the perfect complement to LeBron and Wade. The price tag would have been $20-30m less, which would have allowed them to sign another role player (ex. Raymond Felton).

I am not saying that Miami’s success depends on Chris Bosh, in fact, far from it. I think they will go as far as LeBron and Wade will take them. But if Bosh wants to assist the cause and make this team unbeatable, he needs to roll up his sleaves and get his hands dirty.
Read more of my article at NBAMate