In a truncated NBA season which has already been marred by injuries, bad officiating, and poor play due to slow starts, the “fan voted” NBA All Star starters have been announced.

In most cases the fans seemed to get it right. However, I must take note in a serious miff by all the voters. His name is Kevin Love, and should have been the most obvious choice for anybody who knows anything about basketball. Luckily, the coaches will undoubtedly vote him in.

Not to knock on Blake Griffin, who is uncanny in his own right, but Love is easily the more complete player. Love out-rebounds, out-shoots, out-thinks, out-hustles, and out-plays the tomahawk-dunking maniac Blake Griffin, whose dunks are named after the victims he dunks on (Item 1: The Mozgov. Item 2: The Perkins) is the sole reason the fans voted for him to start.

To put it in easier terms for the voters to comprehend, Love is working with a lot less, but making a lot more out of what he has to work with, in comparison to Lob City.

Anyone with even a mild comprehension of basketball should realize that Love is far more deserving. Love has a lot less talent, and a lot less hype, and happens to play in Minnesota, which has 1 nationally televised game this year. Hence the cause for his neglect in ballots.

It’s sad, but yet it is reality that in a year where all NBA ratings are mercurially rising at an insane level, and even though Love has the most sensational playing Ricky Rubio, the Wolves have no shot of receiving the exposure they deserve.

I can only hope that Rubio and Love both make their way onto the roster. Rubio is more of a serious hope, likely not making it over the likes of Russell Westbrook and Steve Nash. It would be nice to see how he would do in the skills competition or rookie challenge game.

From the Eastern Conference I also believe that Carmelo Anthony should not be a starting forward this year. Anthony is averaging more shots per game than he has in the past 3 years, and his scoring is down by 3 points per game, and while he is of to his worst start in years, his New York Knicks are a lowly 8-14.

If the fans where to get this right, it should be Chris Bosh making all of the “Big Three” as starter in this years All Star Game. Bosh has adapted and fit in well in his second season in Miami, but it appears the fans are so in love with Dwyane Wae and LeBron James, that they look to a crappy team, and voted for the reputation of black hole, ball stopper Carmelo Anthony.

There is nothing less sensational to me than a player who stops the ball on offense, drains valuable seconds from the clock, and doesn’t do a thing to get his teammates involved. Bosh, in comparison to Anthony, is roughly averaging the same amount of points on 5 less shots per game, turns the ball over less (likely because he moves the ball instead of hoarding it), and has learned to play well with his superstar teammates.

It’s sad to me that because of this, he gets the starting snub to Anthony, who has been steadily regressing and grown more selfish over his career.

Come on people, don’t let the coaches bail out your crappy voting judgement every year!

Carmelo Anthony is a black hole on offense. He holds onto the ball as valuable seconds of the shot clock becomes devoid. Amare Stoudemire is also a player whom is considered devoid of ball distribution skills.

Did anybody not see this coming? If you look at the Denver Nuggets, and how dramatically improved they are after shipping Anthony to the Big Apple, it reinforces the theory of Melo being cancerous to team chemistry.

Stoudemire has always had a rep for putting up tons of shots, and not passing the ball back out, or moving it in general. Unlike the example of Melo, the Knicks were actually playing an overall higher caliber of basketball while Stoudemire was the lone black hole on the Knicks roster. Then again, they had a solid supporting cast with Chauncey Billups, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler to compensate as well as move the ball around the black hole (Amare) and pound the ball in when they deemed so.

In short, these two have been in the league far too long for this to work out, no matter what anybody is saying. These old dogs are too engrained in their ways, and it’s unfortunate that Tyson Chandler is going to spend the remaining years of a long contract having to watch the ball stop on offense. It could have been a good thing.

I do not think Baron Davis is going to be the man who steps in and turn things around. I don’t take crazy pills, so there is no way I am going to buy into this ideology. I’ve always liked Boom Dizzle’s game, but I think he has lost a few steps since the “We Believe” era in Golden State.

Something will have to give, or else Knicks fans will have to painfully sit through an interstellar collision of negative energy fields both highly consummate of the ball, with 3 teammates standing around watching things implode.

What must happen is the Knicks must trade one of these offensive black holes if they want to have a chance to make some noise this or any future year. It will likely need to wait for another season, in order for the post-black-hole-implosion-fall-out.

They can get a lot of players in return for either Stoudemire or Anthony. Draft picks, youth, expiring contracts. The brass has the skills to make something happen, and they should. Otherwise, this season will be further sucked into the black hole.

The Boston Celtics are falling apart faster than the rubber of a blown tire flying off the rim on a car being driven by a negligent driver who is trying to get to a service station as fast as possible.

The driver seems to be sitting in the car, pushing on the gas, holding the wheel firmly, reassuring himself “I can make it, just a little further and it will be ok!”

Is Danny Ainge the negligent driver in my aforementioned analogy? Time will tell. One thing going for Ainge is that he is pretty crafty. But he needs to make moves, and any indecisiveness could prove to be costly.

Ainge’s Celtics have three valuable trading chips in Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and especially, Paul Pierce. All possess value to teams in need of that one player to push them over the hump, or in the form of an expiring contract (cough, cough, Garnett).

I look up and down the Celtics roster in search of answers, and I sit there, scratching my head, wondering if Ainge has been receiving random packages in the mail from Robert Parish, consuming he contents of those packages, and then thinking his current roster is going to make it happen.

Ainge can take solace knowing that Rajon Rondo is a solid piece to build around. He is still young but at the same time he is experienced enough to lead the rebuilding movement. Having a gem of a point guard can accelerate the rebuilding process and the Celtics course correction of becoming a contender.

The Celtics can aim their trade radar right at the hearts of teams who need prime time, seasoned veterans. If Ainge positions himself wisely, he can target teams based on the following 3 factors:

Send Ray Allen to a team with youth but lacking a deadeye shooter to spread their offense.

The Ideal Trade:

Ray Allen to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Anthony Randolph and Martell Webster.

Shipping Ray Allen off for Anthony Randolph and Martell Webster is mutually beneficial for both teams. Anthony Randolph is the type of player Doc Rivers could reach and unlock his unbelievable upside. Martell Webster is an athletic player when healthy, and if he regains his form, is a low-risk, high-reward type energy player who hits the three.

There are many other potential deals out there, naturally, but I feel Anthony Randolph has a lot more potential than other 6’11 prospects in the league.

Garnett could be sent off to a team in need of a fat expiring contract.

The reality is Garnett is as impossible to trade as a player can be. He has $21,161,308 remaining on his contract. A team in need of his services could not mortgage that much of their roster to make the push. The only viable trade option the Celtics could pursue would be teams that are looking to clear cap space to go after big free agents during the off season.

Paul Pierce could be swapped out for a equal caliber, younger player. 

The Ideal trade:

Paul Pierce to Indiana Pacer for Danny Granger and Lance Stephenson.

Paul Pierce to the Indiana Pacers for Danny Granger and Lance Stephenson. The Celtics with Danny Granger and Rajon Rondo would represent a solid 1-2 punch that would allow the Celtics to build around immediately. Granger would be Paul Pierce light, but he has much more left in the tank than Pierce does at this point. Lance Stephenson is another player who, like Anthony Randolph, has amazing upside but needs to get to a coach and roster that has an opportunity to allow him to play through his mistakes.

The reality

A roster featuring Rondo and Granger with a bunch of young guys is a good place for the Celtics to rebuild with. If Anthony Randoph could reach his potential, there are three solid players to fill in the cracks with. Webster and Stephenson could be more of write offs than long term solutions, but if Jeff Green recovers from his heart surgery, you have another young player that which you can solid your roster with.

Ultimately, Ainge must realize that the wheel has indeed gone flat, and that he is driving on three instead of four tires. Celtics fans must cling to the hope that Ainge will realize the gravity of his situation, park, get out of the car, and change the tire.

So to speak.

He’s back. He’s looking fit, and sweating like a pig, in all of his 6 minutes, he scored 6 points on 2-3 shooting, and 2-2 from the free throw line. He also grabbed a few boards. Perhaps it was the South Beach Diet, but whatever it was, Eddy Curry is looking ready to resume a career that was tailspinning out of control with the New York Knicks.

If Curry can get into game shape, and even play a platoon role of 15 minutes a night, the Miami Heat will stand to be the front runners for this years NBA title.

This is because the one thing the Heat truly need this year will be a large man in the middle with some semblance of offensive skills. Joel Anthony, this means you.

Its ironic that I say that it took Eddy Curry losing 100 pounds to be that big body, but its true. As insane as his career has gone, Curry can still impact games due to his size and strength. That is, once his legs catch up to speed.

It doesn’t take an NBA mastermind to figure out that Joel Anthony is not the long-term solution for the Heat in the middle, but Eddy Curry try well could be.

Curry has every reason to be motivated. He has two hall of famers (sorry Chris Bosh, I just don’t see it happening for you) around him, and real opportunities to win rings. After a career playing for nothing but absolute bottom dwellers, this is his chance to be on a winner.

Even more noteworthy is that he is still only 29 years old. If he can get into shape and be productive, he still has a few potentially good years left in him.

Eddy Curry, if he comes around (HUGE IF), could bring some serious spice for the Heat.

I really don’t like it when ESPN insider writers waste time to blow up a huge deal about something like Dwyane Wade telling the world he has started eating salad. I pay a premium to have access to inside information. This is not what I had in mind when I shelled out the cash, and clicked agree.

No offense, but at age 30, if you are only starting to eat salad now, whoa nellie…. just think of how good you COULD have been had you been eating properly your entire career. It really blows my mind that these NBA athletes boyishly joke about how they hate salad.

Recently , Kevin Love had been boasting about his diet, and how he lost 25 pounds just by eating right. My god man, what has the world come to? (In the case of Love, at least he figured this out while still being young, and he is crouching it this season – kudos)

Everyone in the NBA should have to eat under a mandated list of healthy and nutritious meals. I am not joking, its your job to be in optimal physical shape.

If I am an owner, and you are a multimillion dollar basketball machine, that’s it. It’s going to be in the contract. Once you agreed to be paid a huge contract, you should be responsible to do everything possible to take the absolute best care of your body.

Ask any nutritionist where fitness starts. You will predominantly receive one answer, and one answer only. That’s nutrition.

Too often we here of athletes coming into training camp out of shape, planning to play into shape.

YOU ARE A FREAKING PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE.

Am I missing something here?

It is YOUR JOB to be in shape, and eat right.

Somehow, people find this is a newsworthy concept. I find it disgusting that this whole story coincides with a new year beginning, and writers, likely on a new year resolution of their own to get in shape, thinks “hey, I know, I’ll just write a piece on how D Wade eats salad, and finally, at age 30, decides he will start to take care of himself now. Why not write about it? it fits the theme of the new year?”

Are you kidding me????

Nutrition is extremely important in storing energy that can be consumed and accessed by the body to use for endurance, stamina, and enhanced performance.

On that note, it is the one legal performance enhancing substance. I am shocked that it took Wade this long to figure this out.

It’s scary to imagine what these players could do if they bought into eating foods that are good for them, and not just good tasting. It’s also scary to imagine what these writers could enlighten us with if they decided to write about something worthy of a read.

Let me start by mentioning I don’t believe statistical measurements such as power rankings are truthful in resulting in NBA championships. Furthermore, I don’t know when the last team ranked first actually won any jewelry as a result of their top ranking. To top it off, I don’t possess the time or the patience to investigate this sort of phenomenon as well.

This is a crazy season due to the stunted quantity of games, back-to-back-to-backs, and overall lack of rest. This type of scenario should indeed favor young legs, so long as the injury bug can be avoided.

Ok, all disclaimers aside, lets take a look at these Philadelphia 76ers.

THE X FACTOR

I can start by saying that this 76ers team’s success can be directly linked to the night and day turnaround in the performance of center Spencer Hawes. His play has been amazing thus far this season, and if he continues to keep this up, I will continue to believe that the Sixers can be a legitimate force in the East.

Andre Iguodala, Jrue Holiday, Elton Brand, and Jodie Meeks, along with Hawes, have seemingly bought into and gelled under the guidance of Doug Collins. Their defense is solid, and their surprising offensive output has combined to thrust them to the top of ESPN analyst John Hollingers Power Rankings.

THE BENCH

Unlike the usual suspects, such as the Lakers, Spurs, Mavericks, to name a few, the 76ers bench is substantially better in comparison. Lou WIlliams is currently leading the team in scoring as the ignition to the offense for the second unit.

Former #2 overall pick Evan Turner is coming around, and Thaddeus Young is making his usual solid contribution on defense and offense.

Something that really pops off the charts: The 76ers have 3 reserves averaging over 10 points per game. Williams is leading the team in scoring while Evans and Young are both over 10 a night. I don’t know if there is any other team in the league who has three bench players averaging over 10 a night.

It’s a small sample size, and as legs and conditioning improve, shots start dropping more frequently, and teams start improving their overall play, it will be interesting to see how things level off in relationship to the Sixers.

Regardless of ratings, pundits’ commentary, these Sixers seemed poised and confident to make sure that all the naysayers shouting “fluke” are choking on their words.

Ricky Rubio is turning heads all around NBA circles. Sometimes it’s simply because fans and players alike can’t follow or predict his passes, and other times because they cannot believe he actually made the pass he just made. Regardless of which cause, two things are certain:

1. You should not take your eyes of the court while Rubio is in the game.

2.Ricky Rubio has Minnesota TImberwolves fans falling in love.

Having watched every minute of Rubio play this year it’s instantly apparent that he makes everyone around him significantly better. His style of play is infectious, and players are willing to hustle to their spots within Rick Adelmen’s offense in order to present Rubio with passing options off the pick and roll. He makes passes other players wouldn’t dare attempt, and thus far, his teammates are converting them.

Rubio has used his 27 minutes a game in highly productive fashion, currently averaging 8.8 points, 6.4 assists, 3.8 rebounds while hitting 50% of his threes. It’s a relatively small sample size thus far, and likely to level out during the season, but Rubio is proving you can’t allow him to catch and shoot. He can hit the set shot.

Rubio single handedly led the drive to finish off the Mavericks on January 1st, making the Dallas’ defense look like a bunch of loiters on the court at times. His use of the pick and roll with Kevin Love is quickly developed into a tandem Minnesota will thrive off of watching for years to come.

Rubio is quickly proving he is capable of being the man at the helm in crunch time. He is calm, poised, and has lead his team against the Spurs and the Mavericks to victory, winning the last two games.

It is also notable that Rubio and the Wolves have not lost by more than 3 points in their 3 losses to Oklahoma City, Milwaukee, and the Miami Heat. This is a huge turnaround from previous seasons. The Wolves are in games, late in the game.

I commend Rick Adelmen for his approach to ease Rubio into games, but it is only a matter of time until he is the unquestioned starter in Minnesota. He is simply too good, and having his energy and infectious play to start games will only provide better winning opportunities for the Timberwolves.

Another point I made about Rubio, while he was struggling a bit in Spain over the past two years, was that there is no hand checking allowed in the NBA. This is a distinctive advantage to his style of play; one he will continue to use to exploit defenses night in and night out. Once his ability to shoot off the dribble improves, Rubio could potentially be the most lethal administrator of the pick and pop in basketball. The potential is there.

Rubio is already proving critics wrong, only if it’s a small sample size of 5 games, and 27 minutes per game. If you look at just a few things you will realize he is playing with the best team he has ever had. He has Derrick Williams catching reverse  alley-oop dunks that he tosses from half court. He has defenders snapping ankles trying to close out on their man as Rubio creates passing lanes nobody could see. He has three point weapons in Anthony Tolliver, Kevin Love, Wes Johnson, and J.J. Barea. He has a young team and a coach who knows how to turn marginal players into potential all stars.

Essentially, Ricky Rubio has more assets for his game to develop than ever before.

This season marks the first season in a long time for Minnesota Timberwolves fans to truly be excited about their future. Additionally, with this current roster, it proves that as crazy as we all might have thought David Kahn to be, he might actually be on to something.

On that note: David Kahn, get Kevin Love inked to that extension YESTERDAY. At all costs please make sure you have the Love and Rubio duo locked up as long as you can.

It has become quite apparent 2 games into the 2011-2012 NBA season that Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers are in trouble this season. Bryant is playing his usual great quality game but it appears the the Lakers are a mess while Andrew Bynum is sitting out the first 4 games of the year due to his suspension.

Even with Bynum, do the Lakers have what it takes to make some noise this year?

I don’t think so.

Kobe is a year older, and has had two “mad-scientist” procedures performed on him by a doctor in Germany. He just suffered a slight tear in a ligament in his shooting hand. He claims it cannot get any worse, but over a grueling schedule due to the shortened season, there will be a lot of wear-and-tear on his wrist.

Add into the fold the recent news of his pending divorce, and Kobe is getting press for all the wrong reasons. How will he cope? I am guessing that the egotistical Kobe will be the usual Kobe Bryant everyone either hates or loves. He is to sociopathic to allow something like a divorce to bother him.

You can bet that NBA teams will perform a vintage “Karate kid” and sweep the wrist. All scouting reports and pre-lakers matchup practices will make sure of this. Any time Kobe takes it to the rack, expect to see hacks going directly at his wrist. This defensive strategy will be implemented league-wide to try and slow down the league’s best player.

The second fact is that there is no point guard worth mentioning on their roster. Whoever the Lakers face, their PG match ups will be a nightmare. During their second game, the Kings starting back court lit the Lakers up for a combined 47 points. You simply will not win when players can score like this.

Lamar Odom being “given” to the Mavericks. This move makes zero sense. You don’t just give away the 6th man of the year. Odom is a jack of all trades, and does it in a 7-foot frame. You just don’t let that get away. Period. And if you do, you get at least get something for it.

All said and done, the Lakers are not near being a championship caliber team after the moves they made. If they do manage to make a big trade this season, it will further deplete and disrupt the lineup, but perhaps it might give them some hope for the next season.

To get someone like Dwight Howard you will have lose Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, which will leave the lakers with Kobe, Dwight, and Metta World Peace.

Yikes.

The Players bounce a basketball. They run, jump, pass, shoot, and score. They block shots, they woe us with their athletic ability and thunderous slam dunks.

As a result of their abilities, we view them as deities of athletic marvel, gods of the hardwood. Well, this fan has opened his eyes.

It’s really quite simple: you play a game. A game that if any of us could do so for a living, we would. I wouldn’t need  $1 million a year to do so, let alone $10 million.

Let’s face the reality. NBA players are greedy.

The owners are businessmen, and have done things their entire lives (in most cases) to  earn their fortune. They did not just dribble a basketball and have success on the court (again, in most cases, Michael Jordan being the lone exception – yet even he marketed himself, and used his earnings wisely) to gain this. Their business sense and drive got them to where they are.

Long story short, in my opinion, these owners know a boatload more about how the economical world works. These players just say give us more, as their agents whisper and pollute their purity.

Would you tell a doctor what to do? How he should practice his practice? What medicine he should prescribe and diagnosis he should give?

Would you stand up to your boss and tell him his way of doing things is wrong?

What right does a player have telling an NBA owner what is wrong and what is right?

Listen, NBA players, and listen well. Your boss has been doing their jobs well, and have been able to pay you millions of dollars while the rest of the world continues to suffer during these hard times.

If you don’t shut up, make a deal, and be happy that you make more money in half a season than many do in their entire life, you will lose our love forever.

For those of you from the NBA whom decided to go elsewhere, make less, and play because you want to play, stay sharp, and realize that making some money doing what you love is truly the good path, I applaud you.

You have my utmost respect.

To the other players, I tell you this: You will never regain my respect, no matter how many points you score, or how amazing you can play.

You are a big loser, and will always be one. Your greed kills the spirit of the game, and nothing you can say will convince my otherwise.

The owners and the league facilitate your earnings in ways you will never understand. They cater and nurture your lifestyle so all you have to do is physically stay in shape and play your game.

Call me crazy, but C.J. Miles? Am I about to write about C.J. Miles?

Really? Am I on drugs? Sheesh…..

Has the NBA lockout and lack of viable and meaningful content gotten so dreary that they have to waste time on sites like ESPN.com and Yahoo.com to highlight the fact that C.J. Miles is getting slimmer?

Well, here is what strikes me with a bit of anger. It is a double edged sort of anger, really.

1.The media must have something better to do. if they don’t they should leak something, or simply make something up, ethics be damned. The invention of a story would be better than reading that someone like a role player such as Miles is on the path to stardom now that he has lost a bit of weight.

2. The larger and more overlying issue is this: C.J. Miles is a professional athlete. He should be in peak shape.  He is not a player like Baron Davis or Shaquille O’Neal, a player who no matter how fat they get, seem to never let their talent elude their grasp long enough as to not being able to regain form.

Surely Miles is not Eddy Curry, who is someone whom if lost a ton of weight, would be a shocking new story.

He should be in peak shape, he has all day, everyday, to do so. If he is not, this is the equivalent of saying he basically played his career to date out of shape.

The bottom line is, there has got to be something more newsworthy than NBA players and diets. Why not go on a personal crusade to attack every owner and every NBA player to get their story on the lockout.

Maybe ask Wilson Chandler why he is such a dumb-ass, oh, wait, that’s right he is a stoner- for heading to China and forgoing an NBA deal.

What is this world coming to? Seriously!