Chris Kaman has let his game do the talking for him this season. Until now, telling NBA Fanhouse the following after his Clippers were defeated oin Denver:

“I don’t think Gasol should be in it at all,” Kaman said when asked if he would be disappointed if Gasol, who starts at power forward for the Lakers, is slid over to be the backup center when West coaches vote for All-Star reserves. “He’s only played like 20 games (he played Thursday in his 25th out of 42 Lakers games) this year. I think there should be a number of games you should play. I think you should have to play like 80 percent of the games.

I stated yesterday I think Kaman is an All Star and should have been named the starter. What I disagree with adamantly is how Kaman is throwing Gasol under the bus. There is no reason to campaign in this manner. Whatever happened to the humble athlete?

I think Gasol is clearly the better overall player. It is understandable that Kaman, who is averaging more points (20.4 to Gasol’s 16.8), has a legitimate argument. However, Gasol is on a superior team, sticking to the team dynamic, and sacrificing personal statistics for the overall benefit it has for the Lakers.

Kaman needs to act like an All-Star. (Credit: picapp.com)

If you can imagine what sort of damage Gasol would do in a Clippers uniform, you start to understand how much better Gasol is than Kaman.

Kaman also stated “I don’t think he’s a center.” Well,standing at 7’0″ tall, Gasol sometimes will play the center position. Clearly, there is a discrepancy in this logic.

Obviously players who have missed time will be scrutinized if they get selected over players who have not missed a lot of games. This logic can be tossed out when you consider that Allen Iverson is somehow a starter.

The thing that bothers me about Kaman’s statement is how unprofessional his words come across. Throwing another colleague under the bus is never wise, regardless of profession, especially when it is done so publicly over personal accolades.

Forget the Shaquille O’Neal trade to Cleveland.  Lets focus on the franchise that made the largest strides this off season.

The San Antonio Spurs are now a major threat to win the NBA title in 2010.

RIchard Jefferson will be on his best team ever. (Credit: nbainchina.com)

San Antonio dumped old horses Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas, and the intermittent Fabricio Oberto, receiving Richard Jefferson in return. This liquidation of old players for a player with 6 seasons of playoff experience and loads of productivity remaining is the best off season move in the NBA thus far.

Odds are probable the Spurs plan to resign Oberto if he is waived by Detriot.

We ask Gregg Popovich only one thing: Are you complaining now about the league voting on trades? If you have been living on an island or a 3rd world country lacking internet connectivity you would not know how Popovich publicly ripped the Pau Gasol trade .

Here is his is what Pop had to say upon discovering Pau Gasol was being sent to the Los Angeles Lakers for Marc Gasol, Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, and a pair of first-round picks:

What can stop Gregg Popovich's Spurs now? (Credit: daylife.com)

“What they did in Memphis is beyond comprehension,” said Popovich. “There should be a trade committee that can scratch all trades that make no sense. I just wish I had been on a trade committee that oversees NBA trades. I’d like to elect myself to that committee. I would have voted no to the L.A. trade.”

Really Pop? Do you still possess these convictions now that you just pulled off an even more lopsided trade? Should the league be able to vote on trades? Would you like that committee to still be assembled?

How many coaches in the Western Conference would vote “yes” to this transaction?

San Antonio now has 4 bonafide scoring threats, all of whom are highly capable of erupting for 30 or more points at any given moment.

Can Manu Ginobili and the Spurs fight past LA? (Credit: interbasket.net)

Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker, should be able to rip opponents apart now. Once a double team collapses, the options to dish to Richard Jefferson, Roger Mason, and Matt Bonner for open 3s will wreak havoc to all defensive schematics. When all else fails, San  Antonio can spread the floor, and dump the ball into an isolated Tim Duncan for one on one post play.

If his ankle is fully recovered, Manu Ginobili should have no problems picking up 6th  Man of the Year.

Tim Duncan will keep opponents D honest. (Credit: onemanfastbreak.com)

Tim Duncan is a highly apt passer from the post, and he now has one more option forcing teams to play him straight up. Duncan’s scoring and assists total should see a spike this year. Duncan will make sure everyone is a beneficiary of defenses trying to figure out how to guard them.

The harsh reality is that the Spurs managed 54 wins in 2008-09. They did so with Parker out 1 month, Ginobili in and out all season recovering from his ankle surgery, and Tim Duncan’s problematic sore knees. Adding Richard Jefferson to the mix makes it hard to imagine even the Lakers getting past them in 7 games.

San Antonio will have a higher playoff seed than 2008-09 (3rd), if not the #1 seed. With home court advantage for the majority, if not all of their match ups, the post season will become easier.

Look to see them in the NBA Finals in 2010. Oh yeah, and winning the NBA Championship.

Kobe Bryant wins his 4th NBA Championship (photo by AP)

At the start of Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Orlando, we expected to see the Magic come out of the gate like gangbusters. Dwight Howard’s claim of a game 6 led us to expect fighting, clawing, and intimidation in forcing their way  into a game 6 at the Staples center.

In reality, the Orlando Magic played as if they did not want to fly west.

Kobe Bryant had a compelling all around game with 30 points, 5 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 4 blocked shots. His supporting cast played wonderfully. Odom scored 17 points, Ariza had 15, Gasol 14 and 15 rebounds, and Fisher, whose clutch 3s in Game 4 lifted L.A., finished with 13 points.

Orlando started the game matching the Lakers pace, but  faltered in the second quarter being outscored 30-18 by the Lakers.

At the start of the second half the Magic were unable to gain ground. Orlando showed some fight, but costly turnovers  were then converted by the Lakers and defused Orlando’s chances at a run. It became apparent things were going the Lakers way in the 3rd.

Due to Dwight Howard’s limited offensive repertoire, the big and athletic Howard was called for an offensive foul  with 7:12 left to play. Lamar Odom then converted a high arching 3 from the corner which squandered and deflated the Orlando Magic.

The Lakers then rolled over the Magic, basically matching Orlando bucket for bucket until the buzzer sounded in an otherwise unexciting 4th quarter.

Mark Jackson of ESPN brought up a very intelligent point during the fourth, directed towards Dwight Howard:

“If I am Dwight Howard…..after this game…… I am going to seek out a big man camp”

Dwight Howard needs to learn more than a dunk. (Photo AP)

Truer words could not have been spoken. Dwight Howard must realize the short comings of his game. How hard can it be to develop  a 10-15 foot jump shot, or even a baby hook?

I am sure we have all had that friend, who tries to play a pick up game after never playing ball before.  You watch them, the form of the shot is horrible, and  no real clue or basketball sense.  Time passes, and that person does get better. Some eventually become actually fairly decent.

How is it that a kid who gets paid gobs of cash with nothing but free time does not use his time to develop an all around game?

Andrew Bynum  adhered to a work regimen after Kobe Bryant called him out, and he has a ton of moves now.  Beset by injuries over the past couple seasons, he still has a leg up on Howard’s offensive sets.

Maybe it is time these players are paid less cash. Reflecting upon the old Lakers and Celtics rivalries, and further back, we see how players cared more about winning and losing. Players refined their games.

Nowadays  players would rather make predictions in the media while drinking vitamins, spending the off season stroking a superman cape preparing for the photo shoot to be on the cover of NBA Live 2010.

It would be nice if there was time for learn some jump hooks, an elbow jumper, and perhaps a few other valuable fundamental elements for the game of Basketball.

Kobe's Lakers have what it takes (Chris Carlson -- AP)

I do remember the 2004 ALCS, (The Red Sox won the series four games to three having been down three games to none in the best-of-seven series.) but with the Lakers up 3-1 in the 2009 best-of-seven NBA Finals, it appears a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if’ Kobe wins his fourth ring, but his coveted first without that famous guy with all those Twitter followers.

Yes, he’ll finally win without Shaq, but it’s not like he’s leading the Cavs to the title.

Don’t get me wrong, Kobe is a great player—in everyone’s top two—but he’s also on the best team. It’s not pure vindication. His team is superior.

This shouldn’t be about Kobe. It’s about an amazing organization that pulled all the right strings and had some luck along the way. The stars are aligned for the Lakers—nearly lost Kobe, Pau Gasol fell into their laps, Derek Fisher comes back—in winning their first without Shaq.

Kobe has been the best player on the floor, but the supporting cast has been every bit as championship-caliber.

So skilled in the post and not intimidated by anyone, Gasol is the most Tim Duncan-like player since Tim Duncan, maybe better than Duncan at this point.

Derk Fisher is Steve Kerr and John Paxson rolled into one, plus he’s a good ball-handler, great defender, and leader on the floor.

Trevor Ariza plays in control, hits shots when it matters, and is a physical, yet quick-footed defender.

These three players have all been instrumental in L.A.’s playoff success.

Put LeBron on the Lakers and they don’t lose. Put Gasol on the Cavs and they don’t lose.

Kobe got his first without Shaq, but he had almost as much help this go around as he did winning three to start the decade.

Proves it takes more than one great player to win. Then again, LeBron could tell you all about that.

Players win games, but Lakers management put those players on the court. General Manager Mitch Kupchak deserves recognition.

So you’ll no longer be able to say Kobe can’t win without Shaq. Now we’ll say he can’t win without Derek Fisher.

Now maybe next year we’ll get that Kobe versus LeBron battle we all crave.

If you have not heard of Ricky Rubio by now one must wonder where on earth you live. Rubio is the Spanish teenager whom pundits deem to be the second overall draft pick (some proclaim top five) who showcased his vast array of skills during the 2008 Summer Olympics Gold Medal Game vs Team USA in Beijing. He is compared to NBA legend Pistol Pete for his resemblance and confidence, as well as his undeniable basketball IQ.

Rubio will make 54 times more his salary in the NBA (AP)

Rubio is currently under contract with DKV Joventut of Badalona, Spain in the FIBA Euroleague. His currently salary is 125,000 Euros next season (about $175,000), which is what some NBA players make in a single game. DKV Joventut is demanding in the whereabouts of 4.75 million Euro (approximately $6.6 million) to buy out of his contract.  This is buyout demand is 54 times his current salary.

I have to interject now that in the NBA teams negotiate a player to receive less of their salary for a buyout.  In the  FIBA Euroleague,  teams make the players pay them. It appears eminent that Rubio will indeed have to take this settlement to a Spanish court for arbitration. Imagine that… suing your team to be let go? What do you think Stephon Marbury would comment on this issue? Hmm,True. He would probably be lucid and incoherent, as he usually is.

But honestly who can blame Ricky Rubio for wanting to go to the main stage of basketball that is the NBA? He could possibly earn his entire DKV Joventut salary by playing in a handful of NBA games. Here is a breakdown of salary from last years draft:

If Ricky Rubio is selected third (odds are Memphis will have to skip on him or trade down as Players from Spain playing in  Memphis does not work- just ask Pau Gasol or sharp shooter Juan Carlos Navarro) he would average $43, 851 per game. After the final buzzer of Ricky  Rubio’s fourth ever NBA game he would have already surpassed his salary playing an entire season for DKV Joventut. This makes sense to this blogger as to why he should make the leap.

Besides, from what I have seen and heard this kid is pretty talented. He had a hell of a game against team USA in the Gold Medal game. He was only 17 years old at the time. Now Rubio is going on 19, slated to be a top 5 NBA lottery draft selection, and if he receives the right nurturing in the right NBA system, Team USA might have something to be concerned about during the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Let the Ricky Rubio buyout extravaganza begin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, and Hedo Turkoglu need to get tough fast, or this series is going to end abruptly. The Lakers have been dominant, and Orlando needs to turn it on yesterday.

The Soft Leading the Soft (AP)

During the Magics offensive set with 10:34 left on the clock of the first quarter, it became apparent to me: The Orlando Magic are a downright soft team.

Rashard Lewis’ weak attempt at a screen, which was a sad excuse for an attempt to free up a teammate, resonates to me the tone of this teams overall flaws , thus setting the tone for the final outcome of game 2 of the NBA Finals, a 101-96 loss in overtime to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Orlando is playing weak basketball. Other than Dwight Howard and Courtney Lee (more on him later), there is not a single player with toughness on the roster.

Howard rebounds and patrols the paint like a man. Lewis and the rest of the Magic, however, have no idea how to do so, rather opting for finesse over strong play.

Dwight Howard’s strength and ability to run the floor resulted in Andrew Bynum sitting on the bench with 7:54 left in the first quarter. Everyone from Lewis, Turkgolu, to “Air France” seem to have no clue, or cannot learn simply by watching Howard, on how to play tough.

With 7:00 remaining in the first quarter, Michael Pietrus attempted to take the ball to the rack tenaciously, and in doing so, forgot that when you outnumber your defenders during a fast break, the smarter play is to draw the defender and pass the ball to your open teammate.

It is called fast break basketball where I come from.I have no clue what they call it in France.

It seems in the few instances that Orlando  plays tough, they sacrifice intelligent fundamental basketball in the process.
Another sign of weakness Orlando is displaying is how they rely on their outside shooting.

Granted, Orlando has shot a ridiculous percentage this year and during the playoffs, but this is the NBA Finals, and there is no way a team is going to win it all relying on 3 point field goals. In the few instances during the game when Rashard Lewis penetrated into the paint he was highly effective.

Lewis did have a great offensive night, but his defense was suspect. If he can change his defensive mentality to match his offensive efforts, he could help Orlando to possibly winning a game.

Orlando could have left Los Angeles with the series tied 1-1. But Courtney Lee allowed the contagious lack of overall toughness from  to allow his game to regress. With 0.6 seconds remaining in regulation time, Hedo Turkoglu lobbed a brilliantly placed alley oop pass. Pau Gasols defensive presence caused Lee from a game winning dunk, to play passive and weak, trying to avoid Gasol, and toss up some god forsaken fledgling attempt at a layup.

I mean, am I crazy, but has anyone else thought that when you are in the NBA Finals, and you are a NBA athlete, you take that ball and ram it down the rims throat as if you mean to kill it? So what if Pau Gasol blocks your shot, if you try to dunk the ball on him, odds are the referees are going to make that call.

You relax at the line, make a free throw, and win the game.

I knew, right from the start, from the weak screen attempt by Lewis all the way to Lee’s weak attempt to win a game, that when you play weak basketball relying on threes  and are afraid to take the ball to the rim like a man, you are not going to win. You do not deserve to win.