Trevor Ariza (left) is another player who could make more of an impact during a championship run than Carmelo Anthony. By Keith Allison, via Wikimedia Commons

Since when did NBA free agency become more like college recruiting? All I’ve heard over the past few weeks is how NBA general managers and coaches have been trying to woo free agents their way, with information chaos ensuing. In the world of sports, college recruiting is the only thing I can ever imagine comes close.

I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Players have always talked to one another. At one point in the late 90’s (probably during the Del Harris Lakers years), Shaq talked openly about trying to recruit Kendall Gill based on the perceived need for better outside shooting. Eventually, Rick Fox, Robert Horry and Glenn Rice were added, and the Lakers were off and running.

More recently, the types of moves toward a superteam have been less engineered by a General Manager and more-so by the players themselves. The Celtics got a pair of titles by bringing in Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to play alongside Paul Pierce. Miami went to four straight finals — winning two of them — with their even bigger “Big 3.”

The best “Big 3” of them all might have been Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan, and Tony Parker. Those guys have managed to help others rise along with them on a regular basis, and over the course of 10-plus years.

Now, it seems that a “Big 3” model is the one everyone is trying emulate, but they’re doing it the wrong way — through free agency. People forget that Ginobili, Duncan and Parker were all drafted by the Spurs. In case you haven’t been paying attention, the Spurs’ has been the only “Big 3” that has lasted longer than four years.

Hanging onto young talent and building around it is an important thing in sports. The problem with the NBA is that you are either a star or a role player. The problem is that more players get max contracts than deserve them. The Spurs are lucky to have a guy like Danny Green (who doesn’t make max money) on their roster. There aren’t a lot of Rick Fox’s in the NBA anymore — at least not ones who make less than maximum money. I can’t imagine what a guy like Horace Grant would get paid on the open market in today’s NBA, where solid role players think they are superstars and superstars aren’t happy unless they are on a team with other superstars.

I guess what I’m saying is that we can get all worked-up about NBA free agency. We can follow things like the Yahoo! NBA Free Agency Tracker. We can speculate on what effect various moves will have on our favorite teams. In the end, though, things like organizational stability and sound drafting decisions win-out. According to reports, we may see a Carmelo Anthony-Kobe Bryant combination in Los Angeles soon. We also may see Golden State hang onto their core nucleus of young talent and try to win with them.

If the Lakers do get Carmelo to play alongside Kobe, which California team would you most like to be a fan of? Which California team would have the best chance of making a deep playoff run? Would Carmelo to the Lakers really change anything? Would Carmelo signing with anybody really change the NBA landscape that much?

I guess what I’m getting at is that there times when players and free agent moves can change the course of title runs. LeBron James and Chris Bosh signing with Miami was one of those times. Unless LeBron decides to go somewhere else, this off-season will never be as impactful as when LeBron left for Miami, or when Shaq left for Los Angeles.

There are times when you can expect big things — I think this off-season is setting all of us NBA fans up for a letdown.

Every NBA offseason it seems that at least one star player changes teams and the 2014 offseason shouldn’t be any different. While not technically being free agents, many people expect Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James to opt out of their current deals and perusing other options. Like a lot of people, I expect LeBron to stay with the Miami Heat regardless whether or not they three-peat as champions. Carmelo on the other hand may have other ideas than to stay with the New York Knicks past this season.

Many Laker fans are hoping Carmelo brings his talents across the country this coming offseason. By Keith Allison, via Wikimedia Commons

Carmelo has said that what has happened this season disgusts him and seems to be very disappointed. The latest news in the Knicks season is that they have signed the Zen Master himself, Phil Jackson, to a position with the team overseeing basketball operations. Some think this is a ploy by the Knicks in order to persuade Carmelo to stay in New York rather than leave. But, the question remains, what should Carmelo Anthony do this coming off-season, assuming he opts out of his contract?

Many teams have been linked to Carmelo but the two teams with the best chance of landing the star are probably the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, with the Bulls being the best option.

Chicago already has pieces on their team that could piece together to be a championship team and adding a scorer like Carmelo could enhance their offense. If — and it’s a BIG if — Derrick Rose could just stay healthy, he and Carmelo could become a dynamic duo in the NBA for years. Anthony would fit-in perfectly with the Bulls as their starting small forward, but in order to make that happen the Bulls would need to make some costly but necessary cuts. Also there is a question of whether Carmelo is ready to step into the house that Michael built and lead the Bulls back to glory? I’m not so sure that he is ready for that despite him being in the league for over ten years now.

Another team that Carmelo could land with is the Lakers, which would make the 2014 season hugely intriguing. The Lakers season has fallen so flat this season. Teaming Carmelo up with Kobe Bryant along with their supposed lottery pick for Bryant’s’ last run at a sixth title could be very successful. Kobe and Carmelo are friends with much respect for one another and that has proven to be successful in this league in places like Miami and Boston. While Kobe and Carmelo are not James and Wade, the duo could turn out to be a scary scoring duo for opposing teams.

Like most off-seasons, this one promises to be entertaining. Even with the addition of Phil Jackson, I believe that Carmelo Anthony is as good as gone from the Knicks. If I have to predict where he would land as of right now, I would say the Lakers. It makes sense for both the Lakers and Carmelo; plus it will give Kobe a successor to hand the team over to once he finally retires. While I’m not sure it would be the best thing for the team in the long-term, I expect to see Carmelo be the next star to don the famous purple and gold jersey come next season.

Paul Pierce (seen here without his trademark wheelchair), may be getting old, but he still made L-Man’s top-10 active players. By Keith Allison, via Wikimedia Commons

LeBron James recently was awarded his fourth MVP award in five years which is an astonishing accomplishment, only have being done by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6), Michael Jordan (5), Bill Russell (5), and Wilt Chamberlain (4).  Not too bad of company I’d say for LeBron to be in but this got me thinking, who are the top ten NBA players currently in the league? Many people have disagreed about this fact and now I am here to put my input in about the debate. I am basing my order not only on statistics but also mental aspect, hustle, and winning. So here is in my opinion, the top ten current NBA players in order:

1. LeBron James: I can’t even argue this; the man is a freak of nature on the basketball court. This is the easiest placement of the players on my list so I won’t take too long on it. Career Stats: 27.6 PPG, 6.9 APG, 7.3 RPG
2. Kobe Bryant: A lot of people would have placed Kevin Durant here instead of Kobe but I am a person of resumes not just the “now” part of this. Kobe is still the best closer in the NBA defying basketball odds and opponents over and over again. At 34 years old, he can still put up the same of not better numbers than the younger players, which is incredible. Many people overlook the Mamba, but not me. Career Stats: 25.5 PPG, 4.8 APG, 5.3 RPG
3. Kevin Durant: Once Kobe retires then Durant will move up into the number two spot at least on my list but until then he is third which isn’t that bad at all. Durant is a unique talent with his length and shooting ability and I believe he will go down as one of the greatest scorers this league has ever seen. Durant said he was tired of being second all the time, well Kevin you aren’t second…you are third. Career Stats: 26.6 PPG, 3.1 APG, 6.8 RPG
4. Chris Paul: The best point guard in the NBA lands in the fourth spot on my list and I think he fits perfectly here. The way Paul can run the floor, pass and shoot is incredible. Almost like Kobe, Paul is a killer. By that, I mean he is clutch and will end you in a game. Paul is of my favorite players in the game and a great leader on the court. Career Stats: 18.6 PPG, 9.8 APG, 4.4 RPG
5. Dirk Nowitzki: This one might be a bit of a surprise to some as Carmelo or Russell Westbrook are neither in this spot but as I said, I base this off of resumes and every aspect of the game and Dirk has it all. He has won MVP awards, a championship and hits huge shots in huge moments. I don’t care about the age factor, he still is one of the most versatile big men to ever play this game and is still highly productive. The “German Moses” is about a year removed from many people agreeing with me, but I don’t care. He is the fifth best player in the NBA. Career Stats: 22.6 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 0.9 BPG

   //www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU6UHBYJOUw

6. Carmelo Anthony: Carmelo is a tough one to cover because he has so many skill sets but lacks the mental aspect of the game. To me the mental aspect of the game is just as important as the skills part. He is a superstar, no doubt about it, but he needs to learn how to act like one. If he can do that, he could be in the top-5. He can flat-out score the basketball and in my opinion the best scorer in the game at the moment but until he finds his mental toughness he won’t get any higher than here. Career Stats: 25.0 PPG, 3.1 APG, 6.4 RPG
7. Russell Westbrook: Now here is a player that is great at getting people out of their seats, he can shoot, he can dunk, he even plays defense. And what a scary thought that two of the top ten NBA players play on the same team (Thunder) and both are under 25 years of age. Westbrook has a lot of talent and with experience with continue to grow as a player and leader. He might just want to get the ball to Durant for a few more shots during a game. Career Stats: 19.9 PPG, 6.9 APG, 4.8 RPG
8. Tim Duncan: Four championships. That is all I have to say about Duncan, who I believe will go down as the greatest power forward to ever play the game. Career Stats: 20.2 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 2.2 BPG
9. Paul Pierce: The Truth. Well, the truth is that Pierce is still a top ten player even with his age and it is sad that he may be done soon. Even as a Laker fan, I admire Paul Pierce and his game. He has a knack for silencing the crowd on the road and hitting clutch shots. He grew up near the Forum in Inglewood and with the exception of the wheelchair incident, he’s been a pretty tough player throughout his career. Although he had to beat the Lakers to do so, I am glad that he won one title. Career Stats: 21.8 PPG, 3.9 APG, 6.0 RPG
10. Dwight Howard: Much like the Thunder, the Lakers have two of the top 10 NBA players on their roster (for now) and hopefully it stays that way. Howard may not be the offensive beast that Shaq was but he can flat out play defense and is a force at the rim. Many players could deserve to be number ten, but I gave the nod to Howard because of the defense aspect. Defense does win championships and maybe one day Howard will be holding up the trophy he is coveting. Career Stats: 18.3 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 2.2 BPG

While people may disagree with me, at least we can agree to disagree. Obviously this list will change yearly with players retiring, age and just the progression on younger players but for now this is in my list of the top ten current NBA players. What do you think? Leave your comments below.

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Dwyane “Flash” Wade was last seen wearing a number three around his chest with the logo of a fiery basketball swishing through a hoop. According to Miami Metro specialist Dexter Morgan, “Wade was spotted two weeks ago in Indiana, doing his usual mid-air trickery and picking the pockets of his foes.”

But that Wade, the man adored as “Flash” after the comic book hero Flash Gordon, has dispersed into thin air. “What I think,” said Tim Thabo Tanner, a ravenous geek of the comic book series, “is that Wade was like the human incarnate Flash Gordon.” While inhaling marijuana for his chronic anxiety, Thebo added, “The thought is a weight on my mind. It’s just way too much to bare. Imagine it yourself…” he finished, before descending into his coloring books and broken crayons.

Wade, best known for his MVP performance in the NBA Finals in 2006, when he averaged 37.1 points per game on 55% shooting, has, for the time being, been replaced with a lesser replica, a replica Heat Executive Pat Riley refers to as “Wade version 0.5.”

“Half a Wade is better than no Wade,” said Riley, bewildered as to where exactly his master of ceremonies is. “I imagine he may be in New York City disusing a possible house swap with Carmelo Anthony,” Riley Finished.

Anthony could not be found for comment, but his bespectacled Robin could.

“I was lost for a bit,” said the man known as Amare, “and then I found my groove again,” brushing his dork rimmed glasses to the higher surface of his nose.

Wearing a  jean vest (see vest here) with mid- 90’s like Snoop shorts and black converse sneakers, Amare joked it away. “Aint’ nobody worried about Flash. He’ll find his groove.” It is hard to take anyone serious who wears a jean vest, but Amare’s words are a harbinger of hope for Flash’s teammate, LeBron James.

In a press conference Monday night,  James outcried, “I need him to give me a big game, he still has it in there,” referencing the poor play of version 0.5, who has shot just 37% over the last six playoff games. On Monday night, 0.5 scored 19 points on 7 of 19 shooting, to go with 8 assists and 6 costly turnovers.

“Where is 1.0 when you need him?” James asked before succumbing to a snot nosed sob.

It is hard to tell the two apart but both versions of “Flash” have blinding differences. Wade 0.5 is slow as molasses and insecure on offense.  He has no jump shot whatsoever and his body is breaking down.  On the other hand, 1.0 is dynamically gifted around the rim, able to draw fouls and free throws at-will. He is fast as lightning (hence: “Flash”) with a killer mid-step cross over and methodical first step. On defense, 1.0 blocks shots with arms as long as a sloth and the leaping ability of a North American flying squirrel. 0.5 resembles a christmas tree swatting at the ball.  

To put it short: 1.0 is to hammock as 0.5 is to falling coconut.

And while the rest of America is drawn into this sad story, many, including the de-sleeved Amare, find hope. “I know Wade 1.0 myself, and look man…he has always been a real sweet guy,” before brushing aside a few tears. “I know he’ll journey back. He’s got heart, brothers. Heart.”

MISSING PERSONS SUMMARY:

Name of individual: Dwyane “Flash” Wade

Age: 30 years and 169 days

Last seen wearing a number 3 with an enflamed hoop logo on the front of a jersey

Missing since May 24, 2012, in Indiana. (Witnesses say he may have jumped in the air and never come back.)

Whereabouts suspected to be somewhere in the New York City Metropolitan area.

If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Dwyane Wade, please forward those tips to lebronjames@ineedaringtobecrownedking.when?.now! Or just send them to luke@fansmanship.com .

Everything in the world of history is a mystical equation. And every equation has a variable. We are trained to solve the variable X-factor through basic deduction, arithmetic, and logic. Take away the numeric value to its right or left and divide the sum total by X. The answered NOW breathes in life, becoming more and more tangible, as the ability to solve the paradigm reveals itself.

Like a spring flower, our answered world grows in its vibrancy.

Life’s dominoes begin to fall one by one, aligning into our new normal. All interpretation becomes a reflection of what Quantum Physicists call a mirrored image–our new normals interpretation of current circumstance: time and space. But according to Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, time is boundless and void of the boundary points of mathematics: X, Y and Z.

So where are we and why? We don’t really know.

This is where imagination becomes crucial and comes into play. Our emporium of memories are the elements that drive us into Einstein’s boundless dream-like state. The world tips, lilts, rocks, and the fathomable presence of NOW is lost in the surreal.

So we float.

Everything became surreal in the NBA after last summer’s shopping spree, and I believe we are in the most confusing shift between superpowers. In the midst of this all, the media has sounded like quaking tabloid writers spewing asinine hot topics.

Were not the Spurs too physical and too potent for the defending champion Lakers? Not if a 99-83 blowout at the hands of the Lakers two nights ago has anything to say about it.

So what NOW?

We know that we are top heavy with teams like the Bulls, Mavs, Thunder, Heat, Magic, and Knicks.

The Lakers, Celtics, and Spurs are still the elite of the elite. But what does that mean in an upside-down environment? It means I would abstain from betting the house, boat, or wife in Las Vegas.

A blockbuster trade involving Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups to the Knicks made things, shall we say, interesting. All of a sudden the Knicks have become a serious contender; a team that could knock off an over confident one, two, or three.

Even smaller trades can shift time’s mirrored world. When the Celtics rid themselves of Kendrick Perkins in a deal to Oklahoma City for an underachieving swing in Jeff Green, questions arose. Are the Celtics tough enough NOW? A team who had lived on its brutal team defense now has to rely upon a thirty-eight year old Shaquille O’Neal to anchor them defensively.

Most critics believe Perkins will act as the cog defensively that will help the Thunder deal with Western bigs like Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Tim Duncan, and LaMarcus Aldridge. Yet can we really have faith in a team relying upon two teenagers in the world of stardom? It has yet to be seen if Kevin Durant or Russel Westbrook can hit the big shot.

Who really knows? Still twenty games away from the most talked about postseason in recent history, die-hard fans are feeling more insecure and unsure than ever before.

…

Security is a gift, and boy do I miss it.

It was mortgaged last Summer when the NBA’s star faces tip-toed elsewhere like dancing ballerinas, creating what scholar Malcolm Gladwell calls a tipping point: A tipping point is the moment when an idea created by either a large corporal entity or an individual, spreads to the masses. It’s a non-discriminatory personality that can be better understood by humanities need for evolution because everything “new” at some point becomes old and stagnant. Humanity tires of the old.

I guess the NBA God was sick of Lakers vs. Celtics, and so he decided to blow our minds and flip us off in the process.

If LeBron James had stayed a Cleveland Cavalier, it is fair to say much of this shift would not have happened. Whether you like the guy or you don’t, LeBron James is a very powerful athlete on and off the court. He is the association’s fault-line star, with the power to change the league.

On the court, the 6’8, two-hundred-sixty pound point-forward is athletically in a world of his own. His developed jump-shot has made him nearly impossible to guard. Blend in his power-forward like strength, his explosive speed, forty inch vertical, and you have a machine that cannot be stopped.

Well, you do; just ask him to deliver in the clutch…

LeBron is a fan favorite. He is the highest paid player off the court with various endorsement deals. He interviews well, which is something lacking in today’s athlete, giving him a like-ability that is a key component to a tipping point. This is what Malcolm Gladwell refers to as stickiness in his book The Tipping Point, making the evolution taking place as painless as possible. There is no tipping point without the stickiness (like-ability) of an emerging idea.

Does not a fad proceed what was at one point stylistically original?

****

It is hard to believe Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh did not know about LeBron’s desire to complete the ‘trifecta’ in South Beach. Wade and LeBron have been close friends since splashing on the scene together in 2003. And I don’t know about you, but my friends and I talk. Also, considering LeBron had a more than a productive situation in Cleveland, it would be hard to believe he went into the South Beach Experiment without knowing first that Wade and Bosh would join forces with him there.

Whether or not Wade is the better of the two (he is), he played second fiddle to LeBron in last season’s free agent fray. For most of the 09-10 season, Wade had hinted he would like to go back home to Chicago, joining a potent squad with the talent that has now become Derick Rose. His situation was average in Miami, and at twenty-eight, Wade with a lot of miles on his smaller 6’5 frame, was in need of making a decision that would alter his hall of fame career forever.

Chicago made an offer right away. Bosh had already made it known that he would leave Toronto.  Who would blame the guy?  He also made it known he would be comfortable as a secondary role alongside either LeBron or Wade. Spending seven years in the wasteland of Toronto, the lengthy perimeter-oriented forward had learned life the hard way in the NBA, that he was nothing but a second rate star.

Now he is nothing but a Horace Grant. Ouch.

Just because Bosh and Wade co-mingled their visits with Chicago together, does not mean they were intending to couple on the same team. I think it is fair to say that the league was awaiting LeBron’s decision before big names like Wade, Bosh, Amare, and Boozer landed elsewhere. If you notice the trend, every time LeBron visited one of his top picks–New York, Jersey, Miami, or Chicago; Wade and Bosh setup meetings a couple days afterward. It was almost as if they were gauging LeBron’s visits. It’s like a high-roller shop-around for a lap dance at a club. His first pick decides she wants to ride his richer, better looking friend, so he goes after her slightly less attractive twin.

The South Beach Experiment was the biggest heist in league history, a three headed Godzilla in the making, one that has ended up in lack of the “balls” needed to win big games. As of today the Heat are 1-9 against the top five teams in the NBA. And yet somehow it was LeBron who not only altered careers forever but changed our perception of the league with a trend as cheesy as an eighties horror flick.

“Attack of the Sporting Threesomes!” coming to a theater near you.

Everything from this point on fell into place. LeBron to Wade to Bosh to Amare to Boozer.

Amare signing with the New York Knicks for max dollars before the LeBron signing was like the Knicks dangling a piece of raw beef in front of a starving dog. The Knicks wanted LeBron and had made that known all along. So signing a dynamic piece like Amare gave them the thundering bargaining chip they needed when wooing the King.

Woo all you want. According to Andy Stevens on fansmanship.com, when you are wooing the King, you are wooing a “kingdom of clutch bricks.” Over the last week LeBron has wilted under the pressure. His Heat blew a twenty four point lead to the Orlando Magic, and lost numerous close games in which LeBron, like a pizza delivery boy in training, was unable to deliver on time.

It is interesting that Chicago never really made headlines when it came to signing LeBron. Though they were one of LeBron’s top choices, they courted Wade and Bosh as a duo. It makes me wonder if LeBron made it clear early on that he did not want to play with the Bulls. If so, the Bulls were trying to dismantle a powerful menage a twa. A triage that would be impossible to beat.

Uncertain and in need of a scoring big man, the Bulls did the smart thing, ditching the sweepstakes by signing Carlos Boozer; a guy who had toyed with the idea of signing in Miami with Wade early on. Boozer has solidified the Bulls, a group of team players who have the gel, firepower, and defense to terr Miami and many other elites a new one. They are the victors in this all, losing out on Bron, Wade, and Bosh, but as of today, with a core of Rose, Boozer, Noah, and Deng, are 3-0 against the Miami “Meat”.

Had LeBron stayed in Cleveland, I believe either Amare or Bosh would of paired with him there. This would have made the Cavs a bigger threat in the postseason and kept them at the top of the Eastern Conference food chain. Wade would of signed alone in Chicago, becoming the face of a fresh franchise. Bosh or Amare sign with the Knicks for top dollars. Boozer stays in the Western Conference and signs with his third choice, the Thunder.

Boozer in Oklahoma City voids the trade for Perkins because the Thunder as a small market team would be unable to take on his large contract extension. Therefore he stays in Boston, making our lives a lot easier because the Celtics are still, well, the tough-nosed Celtics.

…

Humanity relies on our greater purpose. We purport to have control over our circumstances, but life would say otherwise. Natural disasters, life decisions: good or bad, death, commerce, and history, creates a difficult and unsolvable equation. In the world of sports, things are the same. One player, just ONE, has the power to gamble away everything we knew or know. So let it take you, and dangle upside down. The dizzying merry-go-round of the world will, like a magician, continue to fool you.

Just because LeBron James has the power to shake the entire league, does not mean he is worthy of mention in the talk of all-time greats. Weren’t the Backstreet Boys a mentionable name in music in the late nineties? In and of the same, as of now LeBron, like Dominique Wilkins or Vince Carter, is a living highlight reel. Nothing more. His significance as a player took a nose-dive when he cowered as the face of a franchise and jumped ship to be a fellow juggler in a circus parade.

And as of now he can only juggle one, losing.

Go ahead, compare him with Charles Barkley. He was a unique talent that could also do things no one else in the league could for his particular sub-era. Charles, also like LeBron, after not being able to win a championship as a centerpiece, sought out another all-time great to try and fancy his finger with the ultimate shine. D-Wade, giving Hakeem a call at this point in time, might behoove you greatly.

Be my guest, compare him with Karl Malone. He also revolutionized a particular skill-set for his time and place. Try as they might, the greatest assisted connection of Malone and John Stockton could not reach the pinnacle. Karl, also like LeBron, “took his talents to a Beach,” this time Venice Beach, after his failure in the hopes of confetti and champagne in Utah.

The angle of these comparisons is simple: you can group James with a group of all-time greats if you so choose. Just make sure that group of all-time greats you are grouping him with is the one filled with the all-time greats that either never achieved championship immortality at all, or never won a ring as the heads-and-shoulders “best” player on their team.  Make sure to separate that group from guys that had the ultimate, the ring and the clutch gene that looks the penultimate in the face and laughs. To group James beyond this elite group is myopic, is in some way bias, and simply beyond a stretch of reality. He can sit at the Barkley and Malone table no problem; just don’t place him at the head table with Jordan and Bryant.

But hey, anyone can reveal “what is,” right? I’d like to burrow into “why.” What is below the surface? Why are his elite talents ostensibly devoid when it matters most?

I believe it is a culmination of many factors. It starts with a lack of humility. LeBron already thought he was much better than he actually was at a very young age. He was the guinea pig, the Neal Armstrong of today’s phenom basketball player that is coddled like a movie star from a junior high age. We are just now seeing the full tsunami of this generation come through the league, and LeBron was the Pioneer. Just search Sports Illustrated’s archives, and in February of 2002 you will find a barely 17-year old “Chosen One” in his St. Vincent – St. Mary Irish #23, trying to emulate some kind of Magic Johnson Showtime dime.

However, it goes beyond that. It stretches further than just a preconceived throne in all its majesty. His constant lapse in judgment seems to be an ever-progressing monster with James. He just can’t help himself. And even with the factor of the scrutiny of a microscope following him, he has exposed himself time and time again by saying or doing the worst possible thing at the worst possible time. How can this be explained?  Some people just have the virus of absolute obliviousness?

It has nothing to do with basketball and everything to do with character. Be it on-camera during post-game interviews, he and Jim Gray wrapping uncomfortably for supposed production value before “The Decision,” or his constant spamming of ignorance on his Twitter feed.  There is, at its core, something missing with LeBron.

Most recently on Twitter, for LeBron it’s now “war,” he is a “soldier” and it’s time for “battle?” Does James even vaguely remember how Kellen Winslow, Jr. was vilified for the very same inconsiderate and insensitive statements no more than five years ago? You are supposedly a grown-ass man, LeBron. When will you start acting like one and not like a juvenile?  Champions don’t behave like this, do they?

I believe the road to making it right or at least respectable in the department of public relations starts with James cutting the fat of some of his supposed “advisors.” With LeBron, this is mostly a collection of his childhood friends.  I know if I had the friends of my youth helping advise me in my career, I’d end up selling hot dogs at Costco.

Advisors are supposed to give advice in the best interest of their “client,” right? What James could really use are less people to telling him what he wants to hear, and more people telling him what he needs to hear.   He needs less childhood friends and more of the industry’s best PR-geniuses. You have the money? The underlying fact of the matter simply is: surrounding yourself with gravy-training “yes” men has never ended up taking anyone anywhere close to their full potential.

All the analysis of this social ineptitude be as it may, let’s return to the bottom line of “on-the-court.” Recent examples relating to the overall theme being presented are becoming more and more prevalent. Just checking in with your favorite media outlet over the past two weeks will reveal as much. We don’t even have to begin to list the history of buzzer-beating failures from past seasons.

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On Thursday versus their heated inter-state and Atlantic Division rival, the Orlando Magic, the ever-present issue reared its ugly head again. This time it capped off an implosion of epic proportions. With the Heat up 24 in the 3rd quarter, Orlando went on a 40-9 run, highlighted by Jason Richardson going 5-5 from behind the arc in the second half.

Despite the avalanche, the Heat had a chance to tie in the final possession. Chris Bosh badly missed on a 3-point attempt, and upon the Heat scrambling for the offensive rebound, Lebron had a wide-open 3-point attempt with only seconds remaining. The expected occurred once again.  These aren’t just insignificant regular season games that don’t matter anymore. This victory for Orlando pulled them to within 3.5 games of Miami in the Southeast division.

In the Heat’s last home game prior to this debacle, also they blew a lead in an eventual loss to the New York Knicks, this time of the 15-point variety. A clutch performance by Carmelo Anthony coupled with some stout New York defense lead to the Knicks taking the lead in the closing moments. With a chance to be the hero in the closing seconds once again, a James drive to the hole was thwarted by the shot-altering defense of Anthony and a greatly-timed blocked shot coming from the weak side by Amare Stoudamire. The “King” was again unable to rule.

On February 24th, The Chicago Bulls had their turn. What was different? The Heat didn’t blow a late-game lead this time, but rather were neck-and-neck with the vastly improving Bulls for the entire contest. What was the same? Lebron missing yet another clutch shot, this also an uncontested 3-pointer, down 3 with 15 seconds remaining. You are supposed to wear a crown? Maybe a court-jester cap is more suitable for right now.

These recent instances are obviously just part of a small sample size. That doesn’t make them any less relevant of a piece in the way the overall puzzle is being sculpted. Go ahead, put the pieces together yourself. It’s the same as what you see on the box cover – the “King” bricking another game-winning shot when it counts.

Who? Yea I know, I know. For most of the sports world a name like McNamara means nothing. That is unless you are talking about the Central Coast realty agency. But for March Madness Maniacs like myself, the name McNamara takes  on a life of its own.

This is the best time of year. A time when college athletes from all over the country battle it out for supremacy. Conference tournaments do one of two things. If you come from a mid-major conference (Big West, Missouri Valley, etc.) winning your conference tournament is your only shot at recieving a birth come March. If you are from a power conference (ACC, Big East, Big 12) this is a time to settle the nay-sayers and establish yourself as a legitimate seed come playoff time.

The one-and-done atmosphere is like electricity to the veins of its viewers. March Madness Maniacs live for the David vs. Goliath matchups–1 vs. 16, 2 vs. 15, 3 vs. 14–because within the human heart we all root for the underdog. All of us at one time or another have felt completely overmatched whether it be in our business, collegiate academics, married life, health concerns, and the list goes on. And when we overcome incredible odds, the certainty of miracles grows stronger, more steadfast, more golden.

This common strand that interlinks our societal consciousness is lost when players go professional. Money becomes the central driving point, and before you know it, the competitor is lost to a swirling world of popularity. No longer can we revel in the that moment in time–that one moment in March–when the man we watched on TV was a strungout kid proving his greatness on the largest stage.

Which is why memories haunt college basketball fans. We only get the innocence of our loved competition for two to four years. Watching kids graduate, go pro, or overseas is less a culmination of success, and more a feeling of uncertainty for a game split down the seams between its two largest entities: collegiate and pro.

I am not surprised that our fastfood sports junkies have so quickly forgotten greatness wrapped in its stocky, awkward, out-of-nowhere form. A package wrapped with an outlying vanilla colored goatee, instead of a pretty form of wrapping paper that screams “ME!”

“Draft ME! Look at ME!”

His name is Gerry McNamara. One of the greatest players to ever adorn a Syracuse Orange jersey. A guy who played with the likes of current pros Carmelo Anthony and Hakeem Warrick.  The 6’2, 185 pound pride of Scranton, Pennsylvania, gloried in a four year run at Syracuse, leaving Orange fans and March Madness Maniacs with some of their greatest memories in tournament history.  Who as a freshman co-led with Carmelo Anthony, the Orange to their first basketball title in 2003. Had he been endowed with four more inches of height, he would still be tearing through defenses like a cavalier slicing and dicing foes to the bone.

Here is a nice clip of McNamara to ‘Melo. Pure beauty.

The true Mighty Mouse drove the lane with a poised abandon that made his knock-off, Damon Stoudamire, look like a cheap version bought at Wal Mart.  His ability to hit the step back three meant a defender had to body up at all times. If his defender did, G-Mac would stagger his off shoulder, drop a Tim Hardaway crossover then finish with a tear drop in the key.

2005-2006, McNamara’s senior year, left fans with his image inked in their minds forever. For much of the season McNamara was ridiculed with “too slow” and “undersized,” by pro scouts. The pinnacle of this type of media hit hard when Sports Illustrated published a featured story on McNamara being the most “overrated” player in the country. G-Mac bore the brunt of his teams off kilt 19-12 regular season record. Facing the Big East Tournament, the Orange needed to roll through its entirety to have any hope of earning McNamara and the Orange their fourth birth in March.

What he ended up doing was pure greatness. Fueled by the Sports Illustrated reports, and hobbled by a deep leg bruise, McNamara’s Orange upset Cincinnati in the first round of the tournament 74-73, in which he hit a one handed three point shot at the buzzer. The following day, he hit a fading three-point shot to tie number one ranked U Conn and send the game to overtime. There McNamara scored five more of his team high seventeen points to close out the country’s number one team.  In the conference semi-finals, McNamara hit five three-pointers in the second half against Georgetown to win their third game in three days.  Things culminated when G-Mac and the Orange upset Pitt in the Big East title game, 65-61. The Orange was the first team in Big East history to win four games in a row in the tournament. McNamara as you would expect, was Conference Tourney MVP.

His play was so superior to his foes, that the great and quiet natured Jim Boeheim went on a tirade like this:

McNamara adorned this t-shirt in mockery for a media more in love with big money athleticism than with the heart of a competitor…

G-Mac finished his Syracuse career starting every game (135). His 2,009 career points ranks him fourth all-time in Orange history, 4,781 minutes first, 258 steals second, 648 assist third, and 400 three-pointers first. He also owns the record for the most three-point field goals in Big East Tournament history (183).

So where in the world is Gerry McNamara?

After three years of bouncing between NBA training camps and professional ball in Greece, McNamara now leads shooting clinics near Syracuse University at Onandaga Community College. He has become a primetime guest on a popular radio station, and as of 2009, has been an assistant coach for Boheim and Syracuse. Despite never making the pros, McNamara left fans with memories of why college basketball’s March Madness is superior to the NBA’s take-a-night-off-and-nap seven game series.

Thinking of McNamara brought up a few more past greats…

Leading his team to back-to-back title games (winning one),  former Arkansas Razorback guard Scotty Thurman took a set of bad advice and declared early for the 1995 NBA draft, where he went undrafted. Thurman was a do-it-all guard with a wide wingspan. His ability to hit the deep shot was on full display when he drilled a three-point shot in the final minutes of a title win over Grant Hill’s Duke Blue Devils 76-72. Thurman played overseas for a few years, but never stepped foot in the NBA. He is now a real estate agent in Little Rock, Arkansas.

How about the 5’10, 202 pound tank, Khalid El-Amin? El-Amin was the driving force with Rip Hamilton to U Conn’s title in 1999. Rip went on to a nice NBA career, but El-Amin left after his junior year citing financial troubles. Playing just fifty games in the pros, El-Amin has had quite a nice career overseas. He was a back-to-back all-star in Turkey from 2004-2005, averaging 20.5 points per game, and in 2007, El-Amin won the Ukranian league MVP award and led his team to the Ukranian title.

Most of you remember Brevin Knight, the former great who played point guard for the Stanford Cardinal teams in the late nineties. But what about Brevin’s brother Brandin Knight of Pittsburgh? Knight was a standout point guard for the Panthers who helped establish their recent string of success. He was co-Big East player of the year in 2002, and is currently first all-time in assist for the Panthers, and first in steals. Knight played two years in the NBDL before blowing out his knee, and is currently an assistant coach for the Panthers.

Another past name is Joseph Forte, former standout guard for North Carolina. In his sophomore season he averaged 21 points per game and shot 38 percent from the three-point range. Still considered one of the great guards to ever roll through North Carolina, Forte left early for the NBA draft. Drafted by the Celtics late in the first round, Forte never got the PT and currently plays overseas.

Power forward John Wallace of Syracuse left Orange fans with great memories. A bruiser in the paint, Wallace led the Orange to the 1996 championship game, where they lost to a deep Kentucky team filled with Tony Delk, Walter McCarty, Jeff Shepherd, Ron Mercer, Derek Anderson, and Antoine Walker. Wallace is one of fifty-six players to finish his collegiate career with 2,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds. Drafted 18th overall in the 1996 draft to the Knicks, Wallace bounced around the league for eight years before retiring in 2005.

Before Buckeyes like Greg Oden, Evan Turner, and Jared Sulinger,  Scoonie Penn was the god of Ohio basketball from’98-’00. Born with a forty-inch vertical, the alt-athlete–a blend of both finesse, strength, and speed–led the Buckeyes with current pro Mike Redd to the 1999 final four. An inch under six feet, was the only knock on Scoonie’s Chauncey Billups like game. Because of that Penn was drafted 57th overall to the Hawks in 2000, and never played a minute in the NBA. Penn currently plays ball in Italy.

Checkout this video of Scoonie’s greatness and how about the young Ronald Artest?

The “fab five” for the Michigan Wolverines went to back to back final fours in 1992 and 1993. With Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, and Juwan Howard, it was easy to dissapear. But the “other two,” Ray Jackson and Jimmy King were no slouches. Both were high school all-Americans and top one hundred recruits. King had the ability to drive to the hoop, acting as a safe zone offensively when Rose or Webber was in foul trouble. Ray Jackson was a defensive stopper and a captain, a guy who acted as the glue in tense situations. Once the other three left for the pros, both King and Jackson combined for 30.5 points per game their senior season. King was drafted 35th overall to the Raptors in 1995, and played a total of sixty-four games in his pro career. Retiring in 1997, King now works for Meryl Lynch in New York City.  Jackson was the only one of the five who went undrafted in the NBA, though he played three years in the CBA, winning the Rookie of the Year in 1996. He now runs a non-profit in Austin, Texas assisting underpriveledged kids.

As the gift of March Madness enfolds in the coming weeks with game winners and upsets, players will establish themselves in the ranks of tournament greats. These players will leave us with their legacies in the backdrops of our minds, haunting us with the need to replay their moments over and over. Which is the very reason, why college basketball’s march madness is the greatest playoff atmosphere in the world.

When trying to capture the overall implications of this most recent trade deadline, one needs to realize that there were a lot of risks taken and futures mortgaged. There hasn’t been a deadline similar to this in recent memory where so many superstars were swapped. Some trades could be honestly questioned. Some made complete sense. Some teams made out and some teams got taken for the proverbial ride. Let’s go ahead and delve into “who, to where, for what and why?”

The headline for months was the much hyped “Melo-drama,” as it was so cleverly described. We couldn’t see that one coming, could we? While ESPN’s Chris Broussard basically conjured the validity of a Carmelo Anthony for Andrew Bynum trade out of thin air, the real competition in the waning days for Anthony’s services was between New Jersey and New York.

It was much publicised that New Jersey was having significant talks with Denver up to about a month ago, when in a display of impatience, Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov nixed all talks between the two. They became the New Jersey “Nyets.” Most thought this was due to Denver simply needing more in return for an Anthony package than New Jersey was willing to give up. The truth of the matter may have been that Prokhorov finally saw the light and realized what was truly going on.

It had been blatantly obvious from day one of all trade discussion that Carmelo wanted to be a New York Knick. He is from New York and saw playing in the Mecca of basketball, Madison Square Garden, as a life-long dream. While the Nets have particular fan strongholds in the New York/New Jersey area, and even though they started vertical construction on their new Brooklyn Barclays Center three months ago, they are no competition for the Knicks as far as the brightly lit stage of the big city of dreams is concerned.

Prokhorov is no idiot. He is the 89th richest man in the world. You don’t find yourself at that level of wealth by getting played by 30-year old team presidents and general managers like Josh Kroenke and Masai Ujiri. He finally came to the realization that the Nuggets were only using trade discussions with his Nets as a leverage play against New York. If New York thought New Jersey was a player and had a legit shot to score Anthony, Denver could trade him to New York, where he was inevitably going to go anyway, for much less than they would have had New Jersey not been in the picture.

All of this front-office analysis aside, what does this trade do for the bottom line of buckets?

The Nuggets parted with a superstar in Anthony, as well as a serviceable point guard, albeit in the sunset of his career, in Chauncey Billups. The less newsworthy of these two players was a significant part of this deal. Billups still can hit big shots, is one of the best veteran leaders in the league, and will mesh with Knicks Coach Mike D’Antoni’s run-and-gun system almost instantly. New York also got throw-in forwards; Renaldo Balkman, who was originally drafted by New York in 2006, and Shelden Williams, whose only note of significance in his meager NBA career has been being the husband of WNBA superstar Candice Parker.  Quite a resume.

The Knicks parted with a young and improving point guard in Raymond Felton, as well as New York sociological attraction, Italian forward Danilo Gallanari. Also headed to the Rocky Mountains are roundly-skilled forward Wilson Chandler and big-man project Timofey Mozgov.

The Nuggets got a full hockey line, but the Knicks got a superstar, a championship-seasoned veteran and two expiring and insignificant contracts. While each team got a lot of what they needed for the point each franchise currently is in their overall process, the advantage still has to go to the Big Apple. A top five superstar is a top five superstar, especially packaged with a solid veteran point guard.  You trade what is needed to be able to acquire these two if you are the Knicks, even if you have to give up your right arm and your first-born to get them.

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A cornerstone and respected leader in this league, Jerry Sloan, retires? The longest tenured coach in the NBA just walks away after twenty-two seasons right in the middle of his twenty-third? Now that all-star point guard Deron Williams has been traded to New Jersey two weeks after this unpredicted turn of events, popular and reasonable belief can only consider two options as to why Sloan walked away. Either Williams did what he could to push Sloan out the door through open defiance simply out of his own choice, or the “bling” in his left ear that should belong on Kate Middleton’s finger whispered to do the same because old man Sloan was cramping his style. Either way, Williams played a part, and I have a feeling Jazz management and ownership saw the writing on the wall. The fact that Williams was going to become a free agent in 2012 only had something to do with his ousting. His attitude and arrogance is what ultimately got him shoved out the door and banished to one of the league’s worst situations.

Not only did Utah get to unload an egotistical malcontent, but they made out with the biggest trade deadline steal in recent memory. Williams may be arguably the most complete point guard in the NBA today, but he is still only one player. Last I checked, Deron Williams can’t pass the ball to Deron Williams.

In return for Williams, the Jazz received a solid point guard replacement in Devin Harris. They also acquired last year’s number two overall pick in the draft, twenty year-old potential-phenom forward, Derrick Favors. Giving up on this kid so soon is seemingly a display of impatient haste by the Nets, is it not?

What a great deal for the Jazz, given there was no way Williams was going to resign with Utah after next season, right? Well, that’s not all they got. Let’s toss in two first-round draft picks, one from the Nets and one from the Golden State Warriors.  Both of these picks could very well be lottery picks, given the foreseeable ineptitude of New Jersey and Golden State in the coming years. Wait, that’s not all? How bout three million in cash for the pocket as icing on the cake? A top ten to fifteen point guard, a number two overall pick who is twenty, two potential lottery picks, and cash?  For one player?  Feliz Navidad, Utah.

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In the most questionable move made when considering the implications of the real race for the ultimate prize this season, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge sent stalwart center Kendrick Perkins to Oklahoma City along with jitter-bug guard Nate Robinson. Wait, I thought Perkins getting hurt during last year’s finals was the sole reason you guys couldn’t get over on the Lakers, Danny?  He is supposedly that important to your team in crunch-time, yet he is this movable less than a year later? Sounds like that excuse back then was just a cry for a crutch, reminiscent of the squeaking from Paul Pierce’s wheelchair brakes. Yes, this trade has now proven that was in fact cow excrement you were smelling from the mouths of New Englanders after the Lakers were celebrating the spoils last year. How does your excuse look now, crybabies?

On the red-eye to the land of “chowdah” comes former Thunder forwards Nenad Kristic and Jeff Green. Green was originally drafted by the Celtics, and was then subsequently traded on a draft-day deal to the then Seattle Supersonics for Ray Allen. Ainge was obviously high on Green that draft, but when given the opportunity to add a sharpshooter like Allen to the centerpiece of Paul Pierce and at the time, recently signed free agent Kevin Garnett, he sold out.

While that move then ended up helping bring a championship to Boston in 2008, Ainge now making the deal for Green reeks of desperation, ego, and a chance at some sort of twisted “I told you so.” When you consider the thought-process of the idea behind the trade, Ainge claiming Green could be the heir-apparent to Kevin Garnett, what he gave up to be able to claim this possibility is borderline comical.  Ainge trading Perkins for Green because he kind of ‘reminds’ him of Garnett is the equivalent of Mitch Kupchak trading Andrew Bynum for Thaddeus Young because he kind of ‘reminds’ him of Lamar Odom. Way to go, Danny. This is the move that people will point to when you are forced out the door in a few seasons.

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As the schedule continues, unflappable to the time needed to digest all the recent changes in the league-wide chemistry, the positioning for playoff seeding will obviously become more heated than it has been to this point. Now comes this very segment we have all been debating for months, and with the shock of these recent moves, questions instantly arise:

Can the Lakers ‘flip the switch’ and make child’s play of the Western Conference like in recent years past?

Is the Spurs’ chase-rabbit record really who they are?  Did regular season records do anything for the Cavaliers the past two seasons? Can unproven playoff role-players like George Hill, Dejuan Blair and Gary Neal become championship-level counterparts?

Does Dallas still even have a seat at the Western Conference table?  Are they to be taken as a serious threat?

Is the addition of Kendrick Perkins the much needed ingredient of inside presence the Thunder need to be an actual and legitimate player in the Western Conference shakedown?

Can the defensive blockade Tom Thibodeau’s Bulls are displaying carry them up to the level of the Eastern Conference elite, and most importantly, carry them in a seven-game series?

Are Dwight Howard and Stan Van Gundy’s mess of wing players even relevant as we come down the finish line?

Will Danny’s Ainge’s ego in trying to prove he was right about Jeff Green cost the Celtics a realistic chance at the title in their now dwindling years near the top? I know this much for sure, Laker and Heat fans are ecstatic about the loss of Kendrick Perkins. The Lakers now hold a distinct size advantage and the Heat now don’t have such a size discrepancy against Boston.

And lastly, as far as the Heat, will the most gravy-trained collection of elite stars in recent memory topple the naysayers? Will they reach The NBA Finals in their first try at conceived and orchestrated glory? Good luck big three. You’re going to have to drag your dirty-dozen along with you en route to a title. The bricks of Mike Miller and James Jones are building a structure of mediocrity thus far for the level of overall talent you have boasted. The Heatles? Give me a break, “King.” Win something, then talk. I’ve never heard of a King who doesn’t have a crown, you paper champ.

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Questions and vemon aside, when all is said and done, the choices made and paths sought at this deadline will effect these upcoming moves as much as they will effect numerous moves down the road. Some teams played for now and some teams played for later.  Playoff-time reveals destiny, and the free will of the trade deadline move-makers plays a major role in the fate of the actual move-makers on the court.  Now that the trade deadline has come and gone, the time to really make your move is upon us.

ESPN’s Marc Stein reported on February 2nd that Ron Artest was requesting a trade. This was not confirmed by his agent, and it seems Stein cited his source as Artest’s brother Daniel’s Twitter account. Nice scoop. Way to trade the potential story-breaking credit in exchange for your integrity.

Twitter accounts are now apparently sources. I would honestly defy you to find something less relevant than a running mental ‘blurbology’ in it’s most primitive and impulsive form. Maybe you can camp out in your car next to the driveway and see which one of his cars he drives to the gym? If it’s the Benz, he’s styling with content. If it’s the Hummer, he wants to run something over on the way out of town. Sounds fool-proof to me? Take your reliability and shove it, Twitter.

I implore everyone to follow Daniel Artest on Twitter for a couple of hours. The running ticker of absolute nonsense you will be subjected to will urge you to flee to your local news stand and absorb the latest Enquirer just to try and bring yourself back to some semblance of reality.

What if Artest were to be traded? Would the acquisition of a package including either Rip Hamilton, Andre Igoudala or even Carmelo Anthony be something Mitch Kupchak should be interested in? Yes. Would it behoove L.A. in the long run? Yes.

Even with Artest not fitting as well as he should at this point in his stint with L.A., could making a move and throwing an unknown piece in the mix this late in the season hurt L.A.’s chances at a three-peat? Also, yes.

That’s what makes this a very tough call. Do I see it happening? I’m not sold on the idea – but I still offer the possibilty. I don’t think Kupchak would trade any of the big-money players currently on the roster aside from Luke Walton along with Artest for any one player in return. Anthony makes too much money to be swapped for Artest and Walton, as Andrew Bynum or Lamar Odom would have to be included in any deal including Anthony. To that point, I believe even though Odom comes across as aloof at times, his versatility and rebounding tenacity proves invaluable.

That leaves Andrew Bynum and his fourteen million dollar a year salary along with Artest and Walton. There are however a couple of roadblocks with the proposition of packaging all three. First of all, you would be projecting nearly twenty-five million dollars a year to a potential suitor. Second of all, you would need a respectable big man in return to replace the void left by parting ways with Bynum.

With these two factors considered, in the case of Carmelo Anthony, we might be onto something. Twenty-five million in Bynum, Artest and Walton on it’s way out, twenty-eight million with Anthony, as well as a solid veteran replacement at center who also wants out of his current situation, Nene, on it’s way in.

Nene for Bynum straight-up is a win for L.A., as even though both have bad knees, Nene (28) is only 5 years older than Bynum (23), has only played 3 more seasons than Bynum (Bynum was drafted as a 17-year old) and is more of a versatile offensive threat when healthy than is Bynum. Obviously Bynum can be somewhat of a rebounding and shot-blocking force in the middle when 100%, but what Nene gives up slightly in that regard, Bynum does not make up for with his lack of overall elite skill and tenacity when compared to what the Lakers could get along with Nene, a top five player in the NBA, Carmelo Anthony.

I am of the opinion that Bynum has just been incredibly too spoiled by his situation since the day he was drafted, and it shows. He is the first love of co-owner and head of player personel, Jimmy Buss, and when interviewed, he almost has a wry smile that screams, “I know you need me and you know you need me, so I think I hold all the cards and I will give it my all on my schedule ” (as seen early this season with the drawn out, 6-month process of a return from a knee scope, which generally takes no more than 6 weeks).

Are Lakerfans to be held hostage with this frustration season in-season out for the next decade? I would hope not. The franchise is better than that. No twenty-three year old will hold the franchise at ransom. We don’t care if you are seven feet, two hundred eighty-five pounds. Get ready to catch a permanent flight out of town, at any time, away from one of the greatest sports franchises in the world.  Stop taking it for granted kid and start playing like you understand this threat.  Comfort breeds underachievment.

As far as the more important side of the deal, Anthony for Artest and Walton would rival the Pau Gasol trade as far as steals go. Anthony, only 26, and his wife, La La Vazquez, who he tied the knot with in the off-season, might be the perfect fit in ‘La La Land’ to keep the Lakers big-market dominance rolling throughout the decade, even after Kobe retires. Anthony is the type of talent that only comes along less than once and a while. When you have the opportunity to obtain a guy who has the entire offensive arsenal and can score from anywhere on the court and in any way possible, it is worth taking that shot for the sake of the future of your franchise.  If a sign and trade can be worked out with Anthony for five or six years in the neighborhood of just over 100 million, you pull the trigger.

Another real option for the threesome of Bynum, Artest and Walton, would be Igoudala and Elton Brand from Philadelphia. Financially feasible, yes. Athletically and health feasibility, maybe not so much. Igoudala for Artest and Walton alone would be an athletic upgrade, as Igoudala’s attitude, versatility and ability to fit where needed at a very high level would mesh well with what the lakers currently put on the court.

Even with this taken highly into consideration, and while Bynum has had numerous nicks and dings over the first five years of his career, Elton Brand has been a walking wheelchair in recent years past. He isn’t getting any younger at age 31, and his acquisition would require Gasol to play center on defense, something that we saw wasn’t a good situation for the Lakers in the 2008 Finals versus the Celtics. This deal wouldn’t necessarily be the best option that is currently out there.

Bynum, Artest and Walton could also score you Hamilton, Ben Wallace and Ben Gordon from Detroit. The salary swapped is exactly twenty-five million going each way. Yes, the Lakers get a bit older – but you know Wallace will bring it defensively and crash the boards with reckless abandon for the next two years remaining on his contract. This is just the garbage-man puzzle-piece the Lakers need to fill in for the next two to three-year twilight of Kobe’s championship-winning career as a number one, go-to guy.  Poor-man’s Rodman to Kobe’s Jordan?

As far as Hamilton and Gordon – each have three years remaining on their deals, and obtaining these two would not only allow Shannon Brown to inevitably go get his mid-level exception or even more from another organization at season’s end, but would also prove vital in helping replace the aging Derek Fisher in two years.

Combo, mid-sized guards like Hamilton and Gordon, who can both score and have a certain amount of handles, are right up Phil Jackson’s alley, as well as the alley of the coaching staff that is waiting in the wings to continue his legacy.

Moreover, in this particular deal, a trade exception exists. If the Lakers were to acquire Ben Wallace, they could use two million of the five and a half that they owe Sasha Vujacic to pay Wallace’s already bargain of a two million dollar salary. The Nets then become responsible for the two million owed to Vujacic.  извините, Prokhorov.

This move overall would lose the Lakers something in the front-court for this season, but over the long-haul would give them a significant amount of sustainability in the back court.

Whatever all of this analysis is worth, the main counterpoint as to why any of these pipe-dreams would be a daunting proposition to pull the trigger on is the learning curve of joining the Lakers mid-season.

However lacking Bynum still is in the post passing out of the double-team, and however lost Artest may seem in the offense, they are leaps and bounds beyond where anyone acquirable would be come playoff time, and that could be a big problem for the Lakers’ title hopes this season, Phil Jackson’s last.

Could they learn the offense? Everyone does in a matter of time. Would any of them learn enough of it to be comfortable and confident in the limited amount of time between now and when the playoffs start? I highly doubt it.

At the end of the day Lakerfans, it looks as if we could very well be stuck with what we’ve got, and I don’t know if I’m even sure what that is. I still can’t believe I’m saying this at the all-star break. That worries me as it should you.  Although, the recent big win in Boston and the subsequent blowout win in New York gives the like-minded a sliver of hope – hope that it is turning in the right direction and there is no need for the snap-jerk reaction of a trade.

Then again, opportunities arise and the Kupchak swindle could surprise us as it did three years ago. Holding onto Bynum keeps you formidible for now in the middle, but may keep you from staying ‘ahead of the game’ if you shy away from obtaining Anthony, who is without a doubt a once-in-a-generation type of player who is in the prime of his career.

If by the slimmest of chances a trade involving the Lakers happens to unfold before the deadline, some Lakerfans will question it, most will rejoice. If not L.A., Mrs. Vazquez, bank on at least the Big Apple. Either way, get the bags packed and keep them packed, La La.