The Forgotten Point God

Rondo fakes out Mo Williams and LeBron James, creating an easy bucket for Tony Allen. The year 2010 will always be a difficult time to reflect on for Cavs fans.

Before his impressive performance in the 2018 playoffs, Rajon Rondo was definitely a forgotten player in this league. And that’s completely understandable due to the fact that the league has completely evolved into a offensively-driven, pace-and-space game. As a result, basketball fans shifted their focus from a traditional point guard like Rondo to the new, trendy point guards like Steph Curry and Damian Lillard.

It’s funny because as much as I and many other basketball fans like seeing a guard like Curry pull up and hit 35-footers or Lillard make defenders look foolish as he does a hesitation-dribble combo, with a step-back and quickly rises, hitting a tough contested three-pointer, I love watching Rondo pick apart defenses with his pinpoint passing, slashing ability and instinctiveness.

So why is Rondo a “forgotten” point god? Well, avid basketball fans may know this but the general basketball fans who aren’t “woke” and only see the NBA for what it is now don’t realize that Rondo revolutionized the game as well. During his all-star years from 2009-2013, Rondo (only at the height of 6’1″) set the trend for point guards to record triple-doubles and dominate the game without a reliable jumpshot. Not only did Rondo prove he could be productive but he also was exciting to watch by incorporating playground moves to the NBA stage. His famous fake behind-the-back move fooled countless players and captivated millions of fans.

Despite being plagued by injury, with every team Rondo has competed on, he has been productive. With the exception of his rookie season, Rondo has never averaged less than 5.1 assists per game. And for all those in love with “Playoff Rondo” here’s some food for thought: Rondo is 4th all-time in most triple doubles recorded in the playoffs with 10 which is tied with Larry Bird (http://www.interbasket.net/news/21767/2017/04/the-15-players-with-the-most-playoff-triple-doubles-in-nba-history/).

And in the 2018 playoffs, Rondo averaged a career-best 12.2 assists (https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/rondora01.html#all_playoffs_per_game). Just when people count Rondo out, he reassures people how great he is. Currently, Rondo is an unrestricted free agent and will be apart of this summer’s blockbuster free agency starring big stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Paul George, Chris Paul, Demarcus Cousins, etc. I have no doubt that if a team wants to win, they will not hesitate to pick up Rondo.

Meet Milos Teodosic: Europe’s White Chocolate

The mysterious international prospect from Serbia, Milos Teodosic, first gained NBA buzz after recording 26 points and 9 assists on the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 2013 exhibition game when he was a part of a Russian pro basketball club known as PBC CSKA Moscow. That same year, ESPN’s Marc Stein, confirmed that the Memphis Grizzlies had tried to sign Teodosic for $5M but failed. And, during the 2016 Rio Olympics, Teodosic created more buzz for himself after leading Serbia to a near-victory versus Team USA, they lost 94-91. Now, the Los Angeles Clippers are giving the Serbian an opportunity to test his abilities in the NBA, and he will not deny another NBA offer this time around.

Teodosic signed a two-year deal worth $12.3M with the LA Clippers. The 6-foot-5-inch Serbian guard can be a key difference maker for the Clippers: for better or for worse.

In the history of the league (dating back to the 1946-47 season), there have only been 24 Serbian NBA players. Of those 24 players, 3 played the point guard position. Those 3 Serbian guards never played 1 full NBA season (Igor Rakocevic played 42 games for the Minnesota Timberwolves, in 2001, before being waived). So, Serbia is not known for producing NBA-level point guards. Will Teodosic defy those odds and avoid being a bust?

To add, Teodosic is 30-years old which puts him in the “oldest rookies” category. Either he can just be an “old rookie” who went on to be an epic failure like 30-year old Barry Stevens who only played 2 games for the Warriors in 1992-93. Or, be an “old rookie” who makes the most of his opportunities like 31-year old Arvydas Sabonis who, in 73 games with the 1995-96 Portland Trail Blazers, averaged 14 points per game and 8 rebounds per game. In today’s NBA, the game is very fast-paced with teams trying to perfect the “small ball” system. Assuming that Teodosic plays a big role on the Clippers, durability and endurance are two things that are concerning when assessing what kind of impact he can make at his age.

Now, positively, Teodosic has the potential to be a perfect point guard replacement for the Clippers. At 6’5″, with his playmaking ability and his soft shooting touch, Teodosic will be able to play the point and shooting guard positions which is very important in today’s NBA. Also, at his height, Teodosic will be able to see overtop of many of his point guard matchups. And, to add, Teodosic is also a very intelligent pick-and-roll player who is able to make the right basketball play. So, don’t be surprised if Teodosic continues to keep Lob City alive and Danilo Gallinari’s career gets revitalized due to plenty of open shot attempts Teodosic creates from pick-and-roll scenarios.

Teodosic has been getting the NBA’s attention for nearly half a decade now. Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski calls him “as good of a player, and as good of a guard, as there is in Europe.” Now, the Serbian-native will get his chance to showcase his playmaking skills on the grandest stage of them all.

 

NBA Offseason Trading Bonanza!

There’s been a lot of ground-breaking trades this season. To be honest, these offseason transactions are receiving more attention and excitement than this year’s NBA regular and post seasons. Here are some recent and old NBA trades that took place so far:

• Chris Paul, Clippers make sign-and-trade deal worth $24.3M with Rockets

Chris Paul and James Harden? How will it work in Mike D’Antoni’s point-guard-dominant system? It will definitely be an adjustment for the two who both were a part of teams where they were “the guy.” But these are pros and WILL find a common ground on how to compliment each other’s games.

If I’m Mike D’Antoni, my primary ballhandler will be CP3. First, CP3 is far too small to take on the responsibilities that come with being an NBA shooting guard. Second, Harden led the league in turnovers; plus, I don’t think he’d mind increasing his scoring responsibilities since he doesn’t have to go out his way to set up teammates for buckets. This brings me to my third and final point which is, CP3 understands pace and has a unique ability to control it. He knows when to score and when to facilitate. Hey, Mike D’Antoni! I trust your judgement. Don’t make me look stupid!

• Paul George to OKC, Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis to Pacers

How do you want two role players over Kevin Love? Or, how do you pass up a 2018 protected first-round pick, Jae Crowder, and Marcus Smart from the Celtics? So many questions, so many better solutions. Everyone in the Pacers’ front office should be fired for letting George walk away for practically nothing!

• Andre Iguadola resigns with Warriors for $48M/ 3 years

Steph Curry has the richest contract in league history, Shaun Livingston resigned for another 3 years, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are still secure under their contracts, and KD is expected to resign a deal worth $31.8M. The Warriors have once again successfully kept their championship core without losing any assets. The Warriors have complete control over the league and know they have the opportunity to be one of the league’s greatest dynasties. No surprise here…

• Serge Ibaka signs deal worth $65M/ 3 years with Raptors

A free agent actually signed with an eastern conference team! Serge Ibaka is actually a decent player and will have a pretty good shot at making the Eastern All-Star team due to the fact that everyone is leaving to play in the Western Conference (no knock on Serge’s game though!).

• Taj Gibson signs deal worth $28M/ 2 years with Timberwolves

After getting Jimmy Butler in dramatic fashion, on draft night, the T-Wolves sign free agent, Taj Gibson, to play under Tom Thibodeau once again. Butler, Gibson, and Thibodeau are like one big, happy family again!

The T-Wolves future looks bright with the personnel they have been acquiring. Butler and Gibson will bring grit, that of which Thibodeau preached back in Chicago, and veteran leadership. Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns will add youth and make the team multi-dimensional with their versatile skill sets. To add as a final note, Jimmy Butler’s career can be greater than Kevin Garnett’s T-Wolves career if he is able to lead this franchise back into title contention.

• JJ Redick signs deal worth $23M/ 1 year with 76ers

76ers made a really good decision to pick up Redick who is a knockdown shooter who can compliment nonshooting playmakers like Ben Simmons, spread the floor for a potentially high-volume scorer in, Markelle Fultz, and strengthen the supporting cast surrounding the team’s leader, Joel Embiid.

The 76ers have a lot of young guys who have high ceilings. To name a few: Jahlil Okafor, Dario Saric who was a Rookie of the Year candidate and has the ability to stretch the floor, Robert Covington who is another decent shooter, etc. The 76ers coaching staff has a lot of weight on their shoulders in that they have to be flawless in player development. And then ditch players who don’t show any progression and pick up proven prospects like they did with Redick through trades and/or free agency. The 76ers have a lot of potential. I really hope the 76ers front office doesn’t blow this!

This offseason has been crazy good so far! And, with the moves that have been made and the moves that will be made in the future, it makes it that much harder to wait for the 2017-18 NBA season to begin.

 

Bust A Move!

In the 2017 NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers were dethroned as “defending champs” after the Golden State Warriors almost effortlessly defeated them in 5 games. The Cavs team payroll is at a whopping $128,492,467 (Hoops Hype). Awarding the Cavs as the NBA team with the highest team payroll in the NBA. So, from a logical standpoint, the Cavs should have never been severely outplayed in these Finals if they paid the most money in order to attain “best team to contend with these juggernaut Warriors,” right? Wrong! In all and utter honesty, the Cavs have simply overpaid some of these rotation players that look appealing on paper but cannot get the job done when an NBA title is on the line. As a result, in the offseason, don’t be surprised if the Cavs make some jaw-dropping transactions in order to make a more legitimate title contention and pose a real threat to the new-found dynasty we identify as the Warriors.

• Iman Shumpert

Iman Shumpert is currently under a contract where the Cavs will have to pay him around $10.33M this upcoming season. Now, on a good note, Iman Shumpert is a good defender and is a gifted athlete with phenomenal leaping ability, however, Shumpert is an unreliable shooter. In the 66 minutes he played in the Finals, his true shooting percentage was just 42.1%. He only connected on 4 field goals (2 of them being 3 pointers) (Basketball-Reference). So, just having Shumpert out on the floor did more harm than good because his shooting inconsistencies caused the floor to shrink significantly making the Cavs offense even more painful to watch.

• Channing Frye

The 2017-18 season will be the finale of Channing Frye’s current contract where the Cavs have to pay him $7.42M (Hoops Hype). Over-paid? Without question, Frye is over-paid! Arguably, Frye was at his best and putting up career-best numbers when he was with the Phoenix Suns (2009-2014); they only paid him, at most, $6.4M (Spotrac). For Cleveland, Frye is merely a reserve getting paid to sit the bench. In these Finals, Frye only played a grand total of 11 minutes (Basketball-Reference). Sure he’s a 7-footer who can efficiently shoot three’s, but he is a great defensive liability further proving that he is severely over-paid.

• Kyle Korver

Cavs had only signed Kyle Korver for this season only paying him $5.23M (Hoops Hype). In his career, Korver is #7 all-time in 3-point field goal percentage (43.1%) in the regular season. However, he is #72 all-time in 3-point field goal percentage (38.6%) in the post-season (Basketball-Reference). Not the most reliable shooter when it counts most. Korver played about 19 minutes per game (97 minutes total) in the Finals. In the time he played he shot 16 three’s connecting only on 5 of them resulting in him shooting just 31% from beyond the arc (Basketball-Reference). Korver is 36 years-old unclutch shooter and I will be very surprised if the Cavs sign him to an extension.

• Richard Jefferson

Cavs gave 36-year old Richard Jefferson a multi-year $2.5M contract which expires in 2019 (Hoops Hype). MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR DEAL FOR 2 MORE YEARS?! RICHARD JEFFERSON?! Mind you this is the guy who contemplated retirement last year. I don’t know what Cleveland was thinking with this one. Why sign a 36-year old who is a shell of himself? They would’ve been better off signing a guy from the D-League! But on a serious note, Jefferson does bring veteran leadership and tried to somewhat contain Finals MVP Kevin Durant who averaged 35 PPG, shooting 55% from the field, 47% from 3, and 93% from the free throw line. And, in the 83 minutes he played, he only made 1 3-pointer shooting just 11% from beyond in the entirety of the series (Basketball-Reference). Father Time is undefeated and Richard Jefferson is not getting any younger or more dynamic as a ball player, so once again: WHY SIGN THIS MAN TO A MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT DEAL?

• Deron Williams

Deron Williams signed the veteran minimum which is worth $400K for this year only (Hoops Hype). Supposedly, Williams was deemed to be the playmaker LeBron and the Cavs were desiring in order to put them in the best position for a repeat. But the exact opposite happened. Williams, who is 32-years old going on 40, looked completely outmatched the entire Finals. In the 61 minutes he played, Williams only made 2 field goals, dished out only 6 assists, and turned the ball over 5 times (Basketball-Reference). There’s no assessment needed after seeing the terrible stats Williams posted in these Finals. If Williams wants to save face and not slip a disc while trying to walk the ball up the floor, I suggest he do one thing, and one thing only: RETIRE ASAP!

• Kevin Love

Kevin Love is currently under a multi-year contract with a player option in 2020 worth about $25.5M (Hoops Hype). The reason why Kevin Love is on this “doomed” list of players likely to be moved in the offseason is because he has consistently come up small in moments when the Cavs need him the most. In a must-win Game 3, Love only recorded 9 points. Cavs loss 118-113. In Game 5, Love had the same amount of points as Warriors rookie reserve, Patrick McCaw, which was 6 points. Cavs loss the game 120-129! Imagine if Love doesn’t underachieve and actually makes an impact in those key moments in these Finals… But those hypotheticals aren’t important as of now. Now, the real hypothetical is: where will the Cavs trade Love this offseason? In a perfect world, Love will get traded to the Indiana Pacers for Paul George who won’t mind taking a pretty big pay-cut and shapeshift his role in order to play best with James and Irving.

All in all, the window to win championships is closing steadily and LeBron’s 3-4 years of dominance is gradually declining in a similar fashion. Cavs have put themselves in a bad spot by overpaying mediocre players and has-beens, but with a little luck and execution, the Cavs can still be a legit contender against the Warriors for several more years.

 

3 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Count the Cavs Out After Game 1

• Game 1: “The game players get their feet wet”

Kyle Korver, Deron Williams, and the rest of the supporting cast (excluding the starters) were getting a taste of what was and will be the enormous task at hand in these NBA Finals against, arguably, the greatest team ever assembled. No one really seemed comfortable and as a unit, Cleveland looked unfocused. As the players have been preaching in postgame interviews, it’s impossible to simulate opponents as well as the gametime atmosphere in practice; so Game 1 puts everything into perspective. Game 1’s tale was a combination of Cleveland being a bit awe/star struck and the Warriors unleashing their anguish on the bitter events that took place in last year’s NBA Finals. LeBron and his Cavs are now 0-3 versus the Warriors in Game 1’s, but I doubt that discourages Cleveland. I expect LeBron and Kyrie to gather their troops and recalibrate their focus so they can execute a lot better in Game 2.

• Cavs Dominated the Boards

The Warriors did gain a lot of its initial momentum and took advantage of Cleveland lethargic behavior through second chance points. Warriors ended with 18 second chance points while Cavs had 13. With that being said, Cleveland still won the rebounding battle in totality, 67-60. Kevin Love led the pack with 21 rebounds. LeBron James added 15 rebounds. But Tristan Thompson, one of the league’s premier rebounders, only had 4 rebounds. I don’t expect Thompson to have another lackluster performance, on the glass, for the remainder of the series. And, I expect Cleveland to continue dominating the glass as well as converting more efficiently on the additional scoring opportunities they receive from their rebounding efforts for the rest of the NBA Finals.

• LeBron James

He was the only player, outside of Kyrie Irving, who was actually challenging the Warriors. James posted 28 points, 15 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 blocks. But what about the 8 turnovers? Yes, he did commit 8 turnovers (Cavs committed a grand total of 20 turnovers which GSW converted into 21 points) but most of his turnovers were unforced errors and can easily be avoided with James’ unique ability to analyze and break down film and gameplans. Additionally, with no one on the Cavs shooting the ball well (team shot only 35% from the field) the Warriors could apply even more pressure on James making life even more difficult. Also, with the terrible shooting performance the Cavs’ supporting cast displayed, excluding Irving, the Cavs offense was conducted through LeBron-James-isolation situations where James had to create offense all by his lonesome throughout the entirety of the game (Cavs only had 15 assists as a team versus GSW who had 31 assists as a team). With this being the only offense the Cavs could conduct, the Warriors’ defense barely rotated, only had to pay close attention to James, and treated everyone else as a nonscoring threat.

At the end of the day, James has been to 8 NBA Finals (7 NBA Finals in a row), so this isn’t his first rodeo. I expect him as well as his supporting cast to adjust exponentially. As a competitor, when you get beat that bad, the only solution is to prepare the mind and body 110% harder to avoid that feeling of defeat yet again. Game 2 is a pivotal game for Cleveland, so don’t be surprised if James puts on a historic performance.

3 Time’s a Charm

The time has come. On June 1st at 9 PM, the Cleveland Cavaliers will travel west to face off against the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are heavily favored to win the title but the Cavs could be the opponent to spoil their anticipated champagne showers. Why do the Cavs have the best chance to defeat the most talented team ever assembled? Here are the reasons:

• New Acquisitions

Over the course of the season, the Cavs acquired Derrick Williams, Deron Williams, and Kyle Korver (Andrew Bogut was also a major addition but his season was ended in literally 2 minutes so I guess it wasn’t meant to be). I doubt that Derrick Williams will play major minutes in the Finals, but if the Cavs should play him, he is a versatile, athletic forward who has the ability to shoot the ball and spread the floor. Now, Kyle Korver will be a major component for the Cavs. Since he will most likely be a liability to Cleveland on defense, Korver will have to sink just about every single three-point shot he attempts. If Korver is able to consistently be a threat from the perimeter, he will force the Warrior’s defense to stay at home which will help Kyrie and LeBron do what they do best. Deron Williams is obviously the other primary ballhandler which will help take pressure off Kyrie and LeBron. With Deron, he will need to be aggressive when the opportunity presents itself (like he was vs. BOS in Game 5) and not defer immediately to LeBron or Kyrie; it will make the Cavs’ offensive attack not solely based on isolation play which can become oversaturated and predictable.

• Cleveland vs. The World

The core of this 73-win Warriors team still remains intact with the addition of the league’s second-best player, Kevin Durant. Logically, if the Warriors team, prior to KD, was up 3-1 in a series they eventually lost, then surely this year’s Warriors superteam will be destined to win now with KD coming to save the day. However, the beautiful thing about sports is the unpredictability and drastic shift of momentum from game-to-game. Right now, everyone is counting the Cavs out and giving them no chance. Surely, the players are aware of this and will be intrigued to silence all the doubters. During interviews with the media, LeBron and the Cavs are innately-trained to be humble, acknowledge and praise the extraordinary talents of the Warriors. But, from a competitor’s standpoint behind closed doors, the Cavs don’t find the Warriors intimidating at all. At the end of the day, the Warriors have home-court advantage but the Cavs are the defending champs.

• Kyrie “Uncle Drew” Irving

He’s already deemed the best ballhandler to ever play this game. And, without question, he has proven that he is the go-to guy during critical moments in the game (“The Shot” in game 7 vs. Warriors during 2016 Finals, the 42-point performance in game 4 vs. Celtics during 2017 ECF). Since game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals and the entirety of last year’s NBA Finals, Kyrie has proven to be a far better asset and leader to his team than Steph Curry. In last year’s finals, Kyrie averaged 28 points per game while shooting 48 percent from the field. On the other hand, Curry averaged only 22 points per game while shooting only 42 percent from the field. With Kyrie on the floor, the Warriors have to worry about an explosive-scoring guard who is very capable of taking and making any shot, anywhere, at any time. LeBron put it best when he stated: “He [Kyrie] was born to perform and make big plays during key moments in the game.”

• LeBron “The King” James

LeBron is the best player in the game. He just passed The G.O.A.T, Michael Jordan, to become the leading scorer in NBA playoff history. Just to add, LeBron needs to make only 2 three’s to pass Reggie Miller and become the second-leading three-point scorer in NBA playoff history. And, I almost forgot! This finals appearance in 2017 will be LeBron’s 7th in a row! So, LeBron is used to this stage. However, this will be LeBron’s biggest challenge thus far in his career. KD is licking his chops, in the west, waiting to carry out his revenge after getting swept by LeBron in the 2012 NBA Finals. KD is obviously one of the best/unique scorers this league has ever seen. LeBron and the Cavs will have to try and contain KD and the Warriors’ high-octane offense to the best of their ability. If everyone plays their role and remains fundamentally-sound defensively to create more offensive possessions, then there’s no doubt that LeBron can and will find gaps in the defense in order to exploit the Warriors from the inside-out.

Without a doubt, this will be one of the most anticipated matchups in the history of sports. The series between these two juggernauts is tied 1-1 and this third meeting at the grand stage could potentially be the conclusion to an amazing rivalry. Players on both sides are healthy so the matchups are very promising ensuring an ultra-competitive series. Like ESPN analyst, Stephen A. Smith, declared: “THERE ARE NO EXCUSES!” Players’ legacies will be on the line. Who will rise to the top and be the cream of the crop?

Rocket Malfunction

Last night, the third-seeded Houston Rockets were demolished by a handicapped Spurs squad. Without the aid of Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs defeated the Rockets 114-75. How does this much-improved, offensive juggernaut Rockets squad get beat this bad, on their home court, in a must-win game? Well, I’m not really sure but I have some theories that may justify the confusion plaguing the masses that witnessed such a lop-sided affair.

• Taking Ryan Anderson out the starting lineup

Mike D’Antoni and the Rockets coaching staff made a game-time decision to swap out 6’10” stretch-four, Ryan Anderson, for 6’4″ sharpshooter, Eric Gordon. The rotation change was obviously adjusted so the Rockets could quicken the tempo of the game while also putting on a 3-point barrage to bury the Spurs early. But that plan failed miserably. The Rockets shot only 13-40 (32.5%) from the 3-point line. The height-dominating Spurs won the rebounding battle 60-37 and took advantage of the mismatches where James Harden, who fouled out, was forced to guard LeMarcus Aldridge in the post. Aldridge bulldozed Harden all night and recorded a game-high 34 points and added 12 rebounds; a stat which hadn’t been recorded since Tim Duncan and the Spurs faced off against the Phoenix Suns in 2008 (ESPN). Two other Spurs (Dejounte Murray, Pau Gasol) recorded double-doubles via points and rebounds.

• James Harden struggling under pressure

All night James Harden looked bent out of shape and lost. He shot just 2-11 from the field and had 6 unforced turnovers. He failed to score in the first quarter. And he could never help the Rockets recover the momentum and energy they needed in order to put themselves in a greater position to win. Only 3 Rockets players scored in double-figures; Rockets starting small forward, Trevor Ariza, had a team-high 20 points. On the contrary, the Spurs had 6 players score in double figures. It was like in Space Jam where the aliens stripped the talent from the NBA players so they could beat Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes. In theory, maybe some ambitious-seeking aliens stripped away James Harden’s talent. To add, Coach D’Antoni reported that Harden was also battling “a common cold.” Either way, something was bothering Harden last night which led to his abysmal performance.

• Popovich continuing to solidify his legendary legacy

ESPN commentator Michael Wilbon made the perfect tweet: “If LeBron should be MVP every year then Pop should be Coach of the Year every year.” With a game-time decision to bench Leonard (who could have played), due to sprained knee injury, and be without Tony Parker for remainder of playoffs, due to a ruptured quadricep tendon, Popovich still managed to work with what was remaining of the Spurs to not only win the game but win convincingly by a margin of 39 points! However, don’t be surprised about the Spurs winning without Leonard. During the 2016-17 regular season, the Spurs recorded a 7-1 record without Leonard active. No matter who Popovich has on his team, he always finds a gameplan that will be perfectly executed and that can beat any team on any given night. James Harden and the Rockets definitely learned this the hard way!

Flipping The Switch

LeBron James has had to prove doubters wrong all his life. When he and his teen-aged mom were struggling to find a stable living, James eventually found a safe-haven in Akron, OH at St. Vincent St. Mary’s High School where he eventually became a prodigy and an NBA prospect at the age of 18. When James went to Miami and lost to the Mavs in 2011, no one expected James bounce back and win two championships in a row. When James and the Cavaliers were down 3-1 in last year’s finals versus Golden State, James took it upon himself to lead his team to victory over, arguably, the best regular-season team ever.

It’s funny how Cavs superstar forward, LeBron James, continues to have his legacy questioned by being deemed one of the worst shooters in NBA playoff history. In James’ playoff career, he is only successful on 34.2% of his shots from beyond the arc (FOX Sports).

But just when people try to convince themselves that James has reached his basketball pinnacle and his reign of NBA dominance is coming to its inevitable end, he always proves the critics wrong and showcases another facet of his game validating his extraordinary versatility, undeniable greatness, and bizarre durability.

In these 2017 NBA playoffs,  James is shooting a career-best from three-point range as well as from the field.  As of right now, James is shooting 56.6% from the field and 48.6% from beyond the arc (FOX Sports). James’ unprecedented efficiency correlates greatly with the fact that he is also the second-leading scorer in the playoffs behind “Mr. Triple-Double,” Russell Westbrook (who is obviously not in the playoffs anymore).

Raptor’s all-star point guard Kyle Lowry best summed up LeBron’s greatness when he admitted: “They’ve got LeBron James and nobody’s closing the gap on him. I don’t know when his prime is going to stop. I don’t think it’s going to stop anytime soon. I think he’ll be able to continue what he’s doing for a long time.”

Review: NBA 2K17 MyCareer Game Mode

NBA 2K is one of the most successful basketball video game producers in the world. NBA 2K17 was released in September 2016. One of the game’s most highly-touted features is known as MyCareer.

MyCareer is a game mode where gamers create their own NBA player and experience the life as an NBA player (virtually of course!).

I am here to judge the good, bad, and ugly of the game mode by bullet pointing some first-hand impressions that I’ve experienced in this year’s mode thus far.

Since I consider myself an optimist, I’ll start off with the bad and then end with the good.

The Bad:

• Glitches- Sometimes when equipping my player with a new jumpshot or dribble move, it fails to do that action which makes me furious. However, the good thing is that 2K developers insert updates, also known as patches, to prevent miniature problems that make a big difference like this one.
• Patches- NBA 2K17 has been out for a couple months now and there’s already been 6 patches implemented into the game! The staggering amount patches just signifies how flawed the game has been so far. And, just because these patches fix issues doesn’t mean that it makes the game better. In my opinion, the recent patch that 2K developers put into the game made the game a lot slower!
• Archetypes- Players who are created can be identified only as one of the following: play-makers, shot creators, sharpshooters, defensive specialists, glass cleaners, or athletic finisher. In my opinion, this system is flawed because it only allows players to be good in one particular area which, technically, makes our player a “role player.” Speaking for most 2K players, we want to be multi-skilled and be “superstars” like LeBron James or Damien Lillard.

The Good:

• Story Mode- The story that 2K17 brings to the table, compared to last year, is a lot more enjoyable to play. This year’s game mode brought famous actor Michael B. Jordan (known as Justice Young in the game) to form a dynamic duo with my created player. Also a unique feat in the story is a beat reporter follows my player.
• New Features- In MyCareer, the dynamic duo between Young and my player form, what is called, “Orange Juice.” Orange Juice is activated when both players perform 4 successful plays with each other; the Orange Juice effect then allows the gamer to not only control their player but also Young as well. This feature is very vital to gameplay and prevents it from being repetitive.

Overall, this game mode has its hiccups but this game mode is phenomenal and I find myself playing it for hours on end at a time.

The Greatest Starting Five of All Time

Many basketball players have come and gone through the NBA. However, few NBA players have come into the league and have left their mark in the record books.

The five players that I will announce are the five best players that are unbeatable due to their natural talents, physicality, and unrelenting will to win.

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1. Allen Iverson/ Point Guard- A.I. is one of the toughest players that has ever played in the league while only standing at 6 feet and only weighing 160 pounds. Despite his under average NBA stature, he managed to  be one of the most prolific scorers to ever touch a basketball; he also single-handedly turned the whole Philadelphia 76ers franchise around.
2. Kobe Bryant/ Shooting Guard- Bryant also well known as “The Black Mamba” is arguably the best scorer in the modern era of basketball. On January 22, 2006, Bryant posted the second-best scoring performance ever by scoring 81 points while also shooting 60 percent from the field. Oh yeah and Kobe also scored 60 points in his final NBA game against the Jazz as well. Kobe not only was a scorer but a winner; he won 5 NBA titles in his career.
3. Michael Jordan/ Small Forward- Michael “Air” Jordan is the best player to ever in the NBA hands down. His will to win was second to none. His fierce competitiveness struck fear into all his opponents. His clutch factor was unmatched; in his whole NBA Finals tenure, he never allowed an opposing team to force a game 7.
4. LeBron James/ Power Forward- Arguably the best small forward to ever play in the NBA. At 6 foot 9 inches, he is a walking freight train with the skills and athleticism which poses a match-up nightmare for opposing players. He also has a resumé that has him destined to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Just recently, he became the youngest player to score 27,000 points.
5. Kareem Abdul Jabbar/ Center- He is one of the most dominating big men to ever play the game. He revolutionized the game by introducing the sky-hook which is literally unguardable. To prove this claim true, Kareem is the all-time leading scorer in NBA history.

There is my starting five of all-time greats. Post your starting five of all-time greats in the comments and see if you can pose any threat to my lineup.