Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Time to Save This Kid's Career

I don't know how many posts I've written about Derrick Rose, but I think it's time that there be a change in how Rose plays the game. Coming off of two years of being a bystander and countless jokes at his (and the Bulls') expense it's time for Rose to stop putting his body through the torture that is his game. The whole "drive to the basket and get the foul" way of him playing is destroying his body and at 26 years old Rose should be able to play several games in a row. Right now Rose can't even play two games back to back without his body reacting negatively and that's when Rose has to sit for more games. Rose is too young to get the Tim Duncan treatment from coach Thibodeau. The way San Antonio coach Popovich treats the aging players on his roster is genius because they're well into their NBA careers, well into their 30's and Rose is, like I said, 26.

I understand telling Rose to reign it in is difficult because he won an MVP going 100mph and going so hard when he has the ball, but for his own sakes I'm hoping that he incorporates more of Chris Paul's game into his. Instead of being a Russell Westbrook type of point guard maybe it's time Rose dials it back, pace the floor, find his open teammates, and become more of a traditional point guard. So that he can be at his son's graduation without any soreness as Rose himself said he wants to do when he's older, he's going to have to adjust his game. Rose is not only doing himself harm he's doing the Bulls harm because the team is better when he's on the floor and with him missing every other game because of nagging injuries isn't helping. Especially when his teammates are playing through nagging injuries that has to irk fans, Thibodeau, and teammates.

Friday, November 21, 2014

How the Mighty have Fallen..

The Los Angeles Lakers were once a proud team. Their history contains names like James Worthy, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul Jabber, and Kobe Bryant all of whom are in the Hall of Fame or Hall of Fame bound in Kobe's case. Today's Lakers are relying on "Swaggy P" who's Swaggy P you may be wondering he's a 7 year player out of the University of Southern California who's real name is Nick Young (where he got the "P" from I have no idea). The Lakers haven't had the same string of success that they enjoyed under former owner Jerry Buss during the current ownership of his son Jim Buss who hasn't shown the same value for winning that his father once had. It's a more depressing version of what's going on in the Bronx with the Steinbrenner ownership group.

While yes no team's stretch of success lasts forever these Lakers are running the chance of becoming the clowns of the Association and the once proud name of the Lakers will not be worth as much as they did before. It didn't help that the Lakers drove out Dwight Howard who could've been the next star in purple n gold. Whether that be because Dwight Howard wasn't made to play in LA or because Kobe didn't make the necessary overtures to Howard to actually get him in the fold or maybe the Lakers should've waited for Howard to be healthy. Whatever the case may be the Lakers lost out on a star player which rarely happened back in the Jerry Buss times. While the Clippers have become the bigger draw at the Staples Center the Lakers have become the little brother so to speak. I'm not asking for a change in ownership (yet), but for now the Lakers name is going to be dependent on Swaggy P and the usual shot happy Kobe.