NBA Blogs

Money Mitch is here, blogging, handing out my opinion for my hot topic of the day.

Lebron finally got the chip last night as the Miami Heat went red rover all over the OKC Thunder in the second half. Lebron had his 8^th playoff triple-double while getting the monkey off his back claiming his first NBA championship.

Instead of analyzing a blowout, I decided to write this instead so quickly I must say that Mike Miller and Battier played outstanding last night, the Heat consistently had someone outside the big-three step up throughout this series which was huge, and that’s exactly how championship teams close out a game. Kudos to MIA.

Here’s my five new “Lebrons”. As you go down the list, the players you see are ranked by who SHOULD be most desperate to get that first title because of hype coming into the league and their age. The older they are, the deeper on the list you will find them. Nobody is on Lebron’s level, but there are definitely guys who will hear it (it = people shitting on you for not having a ring) until they call it a day.

5. Chris Paul- CP3 isn’t a guy that can single-handedly win his team a title, but put the right All-Stars around him and it can happen. He’s already got the most dynamic high-flying big man in the league; see Chris Paul’s ratings throughout the world if he wins that chip. Arguably the best defensive point guard in the league as well as the top floor general when it comes to finding the open guy and limiting turnovers.
CP might not be a guy who was really hyped coming out of college (even though most of my buddies predicted him to win Rookie of the Year), but he’s got the skill to win it so my expectations for him are on a championship level. You can swap CP3 with Blake Griffin in this 5^th spot seeing that BG was the 1^st pick in the draft, I just stuck with Paul since he’s in his prime and if he’s going to win it at his best, he has to do it now.

4.Derrick Rose- Rose is awfully young to throw on a list of desperate players who need a ring yet if you asked Rose, he’d want to be on this list. Just a guy that you know won’t slack at any time. OJ Mayo was on SLAM Magazine in high school with mock drafts all over the net having him go number one until a guy named Rose took over. Mayo basically became a Rudy Gay (funny how Memphis has both) and fell on draft boards as Rose became the clear #1 pick. Very rare for point guards to go #1 and you have to be a stud to do so.

3. Kevin Durant- He’s almost there and I absolutely love the will from this guy. KD has to be up there as one of my favorite athletes in this league and I never like guys just based on their skill set. I enjoy the attitude of a player and how straight their head is pointed. It’s incredible for a player to not only play at the highest level and show serious work ethic, but for his mind to also be solely focused on the prize is outstanding. I think fans are expecting KD to get that chip sooner rather than later.

2. Carmelo Anthony- Now this guy. I already explained in my Phil Jackson article why he needs a ring just as bad as Lebron and I will try and sum this up. Melo winning the title with Syracuse put him at a different level coming into the NBA, and he owned up his rookie season. He battled with Bron and was runner up for Rook of the year. That being said, what happened? People love Melo’s skill set and put him up there with the best in the L (see All-Star Game starting line-up every season), yet this guy has taken his team to the Western Conference Finals once and hasn’t heard a lick of anything from fans. This guy…. I’m just not a serious fan. Not the worst player, but not a true winner.

1. Dwight Howard- Magic just signed a 30 year old GM, so expect the same D12 bullshit as you did last season if he doesn’t get dealt this off-season. He’s such a monster compared to every center in the league, it’s definitely a must to win a chip. This guy is playing in a era where every center has retired and now it’s your chance before the fresh crops grow. Anthony Davis and Jonas Valanciunas are two guys I expect to impact the 5 spot around the league and other than that, what you see is what there is. If D12 can’t get it done at least once, his unbelievable defensive presence will be the only thing he’s remembered by which will make him hard to vouch for when ranking your all-time best centers with great big men like Olajuwon, Shaq, Bill Russell, Wilt, and Abdul Jabbar (all have at least two chips). C’mon Dwight, now’s your time!

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(Source: The Globe and Mail)