The NFL - Where Crime Happens

When I was a kid I lived in a very small town. We had a weekly newspaper that kept up with the goings-on in the town and one of the best parts was the police blotter that was included. Usually there were only about 4 items a week, but I always hoped some huge crime had happened or someone I knew had gotten arrested so that things would get exciting around our parts. Well as I'm realizing over the past few months, if our little town back in Connecticut can have a weekly police blotter for such things as speeding tickets and petty theft, than the NFL should too for all the arrests that occur on a nearly daily basis.

Brandon Marshall, a wide reciever for the Denver Broncos, was arrested for the third time this year yesterday for hitting his girlfriend. In other news, grass is green (except in Athens, go drought!!). Last week another wide reciever, Javon Walker, had his ass whooped in Vegas after apparently spraying a crowd with champagne. Cedric Benson has been arrested twice for DUI charges. Jevon Kearse got a DUI arrest last week. The list of players goes on and on. I'm even going to argue that this current NFL is the most crime-infested league in the history of American sports, and yet somehow the league is as teflon as ever. Television ratings continue to be high and the popularity of the sport is easily number 1 even if every team seems to have multiple players arrested during a typical offseason.

While the crimes committed by players in the NFL players are both terrible and embarrasing, they are not even considered to be a 'thug' league by society in general. Actually, college football is thought to be much more crime-ridden than the pro's even though that assumption is absolutely false. While players do get arrested on college teams, it should be considered that college teams have many more players therefore making crime more likely simply by sheer number. Secondly, it should be remembered that college players are, surprise suprise, college age. I know for a fact that I did some stupid shit in college that probably could have been arrested for, and I bet you every journalist or TV commentator that rags on thuggish college kids could say the same. The thing about NFL players is that they are grown ass men. I'm almost 25 now and i've cut out a lot of the stupid things in my life, why shouldn't NFL players be able to?

Another league that is commonly referred to as a "thug league" is the NBA. If you never actually watched a game, you'd think that every player in the league is a rapper wannabe who spends times with hoodlums and smokes weed. In reality, the NBA is filled with great people, black and white mind you, who have done a lot to clean up the image of the league while being highly active in charity and outreach events. Two examples of this include the league-wide effort to rebuild New Orleans during the All-Star weekend, and Stephon Marbury creating his own basketball shoe to be sold for 15$ so inner city kids could affort them. And yet these two events are spun in a way by our society so that potential crime at all-star weekend is a bigger story, and that Marbury is a selfish punk who only cares about himself, despite the fact that he's created his affordable shoe line and has donated over a million dollars to New York Public Schools.

As is usually the case, there are a lot of people to blame for this situation. Here's who should be taken to task, and what they are doing wrong:

1. The entire NFL. Its bad enough for the players and coaches in the NFL to do so many stupid things to get arrested, but its even worse for such a popular and succesful league to let this culture of violence be allowed to exist. Sure Roger Goodell played to the PR set pretty well by crucifying Michael Vick, and I guess he's done a fair job of suspending players with a criminal history, but its still pretty obvious that his own players don't fear his suspension policy. Its not stopping these guys from driving drunk, beating up their wives, being involved in drugs and possibly committing murders, so obviously something else has to be done. First of all, Goodell should make it clear that NO crime can be permitted, and if you do something stupid you are out of the league for good. If I got arrested, my employer would fire me tomorrow and it would be extremely hard for me ever to get a decent job again. So tell me why an NFL player should be any different, because he can catch a ball? Or because he's fat? The league should make it known that if you want to do stupid stuff, you don't belong. I really doubt Chicago would miss Cedric Benson, or the Broncos would miss Brandon Marshall in the long run.

2. TV Media. Not only does the media have a very visible love affair with the NFL, but it also has a pretty obvious bias towards the NBA and other sports. When a football player gets arrested, it usually draws a few murmors from the sports stations and a blurb on the bottom line of those news channels, but rarely is the story more deeply covered unless a station is forced to. This is because many major networks are in bed with the NFL and it would be bad business for them to draw a negative light towards the sport that pays the most bills. You think ESPN is going to hype up NFL crime the same way it does other sports, when it relies of Monday Night Football for so much revenue. And do you think GE, which owns NBC, is going to dedicate time to its networks to criticize the NFL when its trying to entice casual viewers to watch its Sunday Night Football telecasts? On the opposite end of the spectrum, any little news that comes out of the NBA is made into a huge deal. Carmelo Anthony has pretty much been vilified for a DUI arrest, which while stupid and dangerous is no different than what happens in other sports constantly. Shaq's apparent freestyle about Kobe is not just a story about two spoiled men with immense ego's, yet has to be something more about the thug rapper culture that permeates in the NBA. And events such as fights between teams like the Nuggets and Knicks are blown out of proportion to be an indictment of the entire league and its African-American players despite the fact that the same sort of event is glorified in sports like baseball and hockey, and worshiped as competitive fire in the NFL. With a double standard so evident in coverage, it's pretty obvious that public perception is trying to force people to like one sport more than another. Its pretty dumb for people to believe this crap, but I guess I wouldn't have a third group to blame if they didn't.

3. Our stupid society. While this last point could go on forever, I'll try to sum up this point in how it relates to this specific topic by saying that its time for people to try to form their own opinions and understandings based on their own experiences than by assuming that what someone else says is true. If I had a friend tell me that the Waffle House was the greatest resturant in the world and I believed him at face value, my own opinion on Waffle House would be invalidated because I never experienced their food enough to agree or disagree with his claim. Only by going to Waffle House and realizing that it is in fact the shittiest resturant in the world do I have the requisite evidence to not only question my friend's opinion but to support my own opinion. In the same way, we live in a society in which we are told what to think by others, instead of being encouraged to form our own individual opinions. And if what we are told plays into our pre-conceived notions of black men and their pursuits in life, than all the more better. 99% percent of casual American sports fans think Allen Iverson is a complete thug riding around smoking weed and slapping bitches, yet none of them have actually met him and gotten to know who he truly is. Iverson may in fact be exactly that, but it is unfair and wrong to assume anything about someone you really have no idea about. Yet because America seems to still fear black people so much, they eat up the idea that players in the NBA are threats to them, and that white NFL superstars like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are better people who we can feel safe in giving our adoration to, even though we know just as much about their true character as we do about Carmelo Anthony or Ron Artest. Racism is old, outdated and completely uneccesary, and it makes me embarrased that the majority of our society still uses it to form narrow-minded opinions of people and cultures they are simply too lazy and ignorant to try and better understand.

Tonight is the NBA Draft. One of the top prospects, Michael Beasley, is reported to be dropping because of "character issues". Among these character issues are that he is immature, and that he may not be totally dedicated to basketball. The evidence used to support this claim is that he carried around 4 cell phones in college, pulled a prank on a teacher once and attended 6 different high schools. What is failed to be mentioned is that Beasley is only 19 years old and that as a college superstar in a small town in Kansas, he was probably the center of attention anywhere he went. And I'd be willing to guess that there were other important factors playing into him moving around so much in high school than simply that he was immature. All of these indictments against Beasley not only further drive pre-conceived notions of NBA players and the sport in general, but also plants the seeds for opinion to be formed on Beasley based on racial stereotypes before the kid (19 is still a kid folks) has even bounced a basketball in the pro's once. So now if Beasley fails to win 10 NBA Titles or become the next Tim Duncan, its because he's lazy and immature instead of being that is simply not good enough to be what people expected him to be. I guess people can be critical of Beasley to a point, and the NBA isn't exactly the most wholesome organization of the face of the planet, but its situations like these that sum of the point i'm trying to make perfectly. In the NFL you can literally get away with murder, in the NBA you can't have more than one cell phone. Hopefully people will turn down Bill O'Reilly, Nancy Grace or the talking heads on ESPN long enough to realize the existence of this dichotomy, but then again this is America, where double-standards are about as common as high gas prices.

NBA Weekly Preview

It was quite an exciting week in the NBA.  Houston extended their winning streak to near 20 games, Lebron pretty much locked up the MVP award and the west is still the west.  With only 4 weeks left in the regular season, every game is important.  Lets see what's on tap in the association.

The Power 16

1.  Boston 49-12.  Sam Cassell and PJ Brown are the perfect types of veterans to help compliment the big 3

2.  Detroit 46-17.  Detroit is the deepest team this side of the Lakers, but losing again to the Celtics has to be a little disconcerting.

3.  LA Lakers 44-19.  A bad loss to the Kings considering the brutal road trip the team is about to embark on at the end of the week

4 . San Antonio 43-19.  A slip-up this weekend against the Nugs and Suns, but the Spurs appear to have entered playoff mode.

5.  Houston 42-20.  The streak could reach 21 before the Rockets start an unreal stretch of games next week.

6.  Utah 42-22.  Another impressive week for the Jazz who have now won 5 in a row and are playing the best offensive basketball in the league.

7.  New Orleans 42-20.  The Hornets are really going to need David West to come back strong if they are going to survive 3 hellish games this week.

8.  Phoenix 41-22.  A huge win yesterday over the Spurs, but the true test will be if they can develop some consistency with Shaq before the playoffs.

9.  Orlando 40-24.  With their easy schedule upcoming, could the Magic catch the top 2 in the east?

10.  Golden State 39-23.  Baron Davis stays healthy and the Warriors keep winning.

11.  Dallas 40-23.  If the Mavs can't beat the top teams in the West then they are going to be out in the first round for the 2nd straight year.

12.  Denver 37-25.  Going 2-2 last week wasn't the worst thing in the world, but the Nugs are going to have to play more consistently if they want to make it in the playoffs.

13.  Cleveland 36-27.  Lebron is going to be a Knick in 2 years, that is a Young Swole guarantee.

14.  Toronto 34-28.  Its not a good time to start a west coast trip without Chris Bosh.

15.  Philadelphia 30-33.  The frisky Sixers have been on a serious roll, but games this week against the Celtics, Pistons and Spurs will show us how good they are.

16.  Portland 33-30.  Stuck between playoff contention and Clipper-like mediocrity.

Young Swole's Baller of the Week

Until further notice, Lebron James will always be the baller of the week.  With the way he is playing right now, the Cavs are just as likely to make the finals as the Celts or Pistons, simply because King James is that damn good.

Young Swole's Jackass of the Week

Pat Riley has always been two things: an excellent coach and a turncoat bitch.  Now that the Heat have gone south he's getting ready to bail again on a team even though it was his choice to get rid of Stan Van Gundy, build his team around slobs like Ricky Davis and Mark Blount and run Dwyane Wade into the ground.  Hopefully his bad karma of skipping out on the last month in the regular season will result in the Heat not getting a chance to draft Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose.

10 games to watch this week

1.  Boston @ Philadelphia, Monday.  Are the Sixers really as good as they've played recently.  A home game against the league leading Celtics is a great opportunity to convince Philly that they are for real.

2.  Denver @ San Antonio, Monday.  Beating the Spurs at home on Friday was a huge win for the Nugs, but if they lose tonight they will be 3 games behind the Warriors for the 8th spot. Such is life in the West

3.  Philadelphia @ Detroit, Wednesday.  A second huge game for the Sixers in three days.  Can they hang with the big boys in the NBA or are they still too young.

4.  San Antonio @ New Orleans, Wednesday.  The Hornets should have David West back for this huge battle for division and conference playoff positioning.

5.  Golden State @ Phoenix, Thursday.  Simply the most exciting matchup the NBA can offer.

6.  Utah @ Boston, Friday.  The best offensive team in the league faces the best defensive team in the league in a possible finals preview.

7.  LA Lakers @ New Orleans, Friday.  Kobe against CP3 in a matchup that will be as exciting as it is important in the West playoff race.

8.  San Antonio @ Detroit, Friday.  Nobody seems to want to see these two teams face each other in the finals, but both teams are good enough to reach that goal.

9.  New Orleans @ Detroit, Sunday.  CP3 heads east to take on Chauncey Billups in a matchup of two of the greatest point guards in the league.

10.  LA Lakers @ Houston, Sunday.  There's a good chance the Rockets could have a 21 game winning streak heading into this clash with Kobe and the west-leading Lakers.

Rollin' on Snubs

Tonight on TNT, the NBA All-star Reserve Squads were announced. The teams are now officially set for the All-Star Game in N'awlins on Sunday, February 17. Let's take a look at both sides before delving into the meaty part of the discussion.

EAST
Starters
Guard-Jason Kidd
Guard-Dwyane Wade
Forward-Lebron James
Forward-Kevin Garnett
Center-Dwight Howard
Reserves
Chauncey Billups
Chris Bosh
Caron Butler
Rip "City" Hamilton
Antawn Jamison
Joe Johnson
Paul Pierce

WEST
Starters
Guard-Allen Iverson
Guard-Kobe Bryant
Forward-Carmelo Anthony
Forward-Timmy Duncan
Center- Yao Ming
Reserves

Carlos Boozer

Steve Nash

Dirk Nowitzki

Brandon Roy

Chris Paul
Amare Stoudamire
David West

Now, I'm not going to tackle the "Who should be a starter vs. reserve" debate, because all of these guys are going to get PT. The most important thing to consider is who should be going to the Big Easy and who should be eating at the Buffett on Gameday (like Marwan).

East Snubs
Guard- Jose Caulderon...A month ago, I would have still labeled him as a fluke, but there's no denying anymore how talented this young Spaniard is. He is the Rafael Nadal of Basketball because of his lightning quick reflexes. He has an excellent Assist to turnover ratio, and has stepped up admirably in TJ Ford's absence. You could make a strong argument that he's better than Ford when healthy at his best. Without Caulderon, the Raptors would be somewhere in Knick-land.

Guard- Jason Richardson...When the Bobcats made the trade during the draft where they sent the 8th overall pick to the Warriors for J Rich, most people (including myself) questioned owner MJ's sanity. At least at the present time, we may have been wrong. While Branden Wright (the pick that Charlotte traded) is accumulating splinters in his ass on the bench, J Rich has been ballin' on a budget for the Bob's. He leads the NBA in 3's and has more points than any other Guard in the East.

Forward- Gerald Wallace...I realize the Bobcats aren't that good, but the Heat have won half as many games as them and D Wade still got a roster spot. Wallace has turned into a great all-around player and leads the East (and all forwards) in steals. Defensive stats just get overlooked in the voting process. It's too bad, because he's a great offensive player too and he definitely deserves a reserve spot.

Forward- Hedo Turkoglu...I was going back and forth on which Magic Forward to give this to, but in the end I think that Mr. Glu edges 'Shard, because he contributes more points, rebounds, and assists. Turkoglu is a huge reason for Orlando's success this year and has been arguably the best Fantasy value so far this year. Not that fantasy matters in all-star voting, but you gotta give Hedo some love. He's having a career year and is playing outstanding basketball.

Center- Rasheed Wallace...For argument's sake, we are going to call Sheed a Center, even though he is more of a PF. Still, the other Wallace is putting up his usual sick numbers. Is that good enough to get him an all-star nod...maybe not, but he's the only worthy snub candidate at Center in the East.

West Snubs
Guard- Baron Davis...In my opinion, this is the biggest snub of the them all. BD has been sick this year. When healthy, Baron has always been a top 5 guard, but this year, he's been a top 5 player. It's ludicrous that a guy that's leading the league in steals, not to mention top 10 in triples, points, and assists is not an all-star. Without him, the Warriors would have no shot at a playoff spot in the West. There's no way he shouldn't be going to the big game.

Guard- Deron Williams...This is a tough call. Manu Ginobili is also very deserving, but I only have one guard spot and I had to give the edge to Deron based on his sick 9.5 assists a game (I understand Manu is a SG, but there isn't another stat that he has that separates him from Williams enough). He hasn't been as baller as he was earlier in the season, but there's no denying that this is one of the best PG in the game today. Substitute a mediocre PG on the Jazz and they would be floundering. Without Deron feeding Boozer the ball, Booze Cruise wouldn't be an all-star. Not to mention he has one of the best FG % among all guards at nearly 52 percent.

Forward- Shawn Marion...How come the Matrix never gets any love from voters. This is one of the best all-around players in the game today. There's a reason he's always on top of the fantasy leaderboards. He produces in every category. There a select few who hustle as hard as he does on both sides of the floor. Sadly, it seems that his trade demands during the off-season might have cost him some popularity points with voters.

Forward- Stephen Jackson...What a thug. This baller missed the first 7 games of the season because of a suspension, and he is still putting up numbers with the best of 'em. Not only is a mean son of a bitch (he'll steal the ball away from you and your lunch money), but he's an excellent 3 point assassin. The Warriors couldn't survive without him.

Center- Marcus Camby...You could make an easy argument that this is the biggest bust of them all too. Camby has been a Monster on the defensive side. He's averaging 4!!! blocks a game and a steal as well. This doesn't even take into account the shadow he casts over anyone who's driving the lane and all of the defensive rebounds he snags. He doesn't have the flashy offensive stats that Yao and Amare do, but neither of those guys can hold a candle to the Defensive Numbers that he's lighting up the scoreboard with.

All-Star Snobs
These are the guys who I feel don't deserve to be going to New Orleans. This isn't to say that they aren't ballers, it's just that some of the snubs are having better seasons.

Rip Hamilton- I love my Pistons and Rip is having a great year, but he's basically just a great scorer, he doesn't bring enough else to the table to make him worthy of a spot.

Joe Johnson- Pretty much the same thing goes for Young Jeezy. He's been scoring at a high clip as usual, but he offers little else and plays no D (even though he may lay the D on the Hotlanta Betty's).

David West- This bid baffles me. Sure, West was one of the most underrated players in the league, but now it appears he's being overrated. I don't see how he's any better than his teammate Tyson Chandler. It appears they wanted to give another Hornet some love because they are doing so great and it's in their hometown. He'd definitely make it if he were playing in the East, but the West is too stacked at Forward for Young West to make it.

Carmelo Anthony- Everyone seems to love Melo. I don't really understand why. Remember when he got that 15 game suspension last year for that fight in the Knick's game. In my book he's as big of a ho bag as Ronny Artest. He is a great scorer like Rip and Joe, but he turns the ball over hella and is a puss on the Defensive end. He also is a fairly weak 3 point shooter.

Thursday Hoops Throwdown

Before the Super Bowl this Sunday, the sports gods decided to give us a pre-game gift: 4 amazing hoops battles taking place tonight. Lets break down the action GDB Style

Los Angeles Lakers @ Detroit Pistons, 730 PM

Laker Scouting Report: Tonight is the beginning of the gauntlet for the Lakers. They play 9 straight games on the road before the All-Star Break hits. Included in the trip are games at Orlando, Toronto and Washington, but the toughest game is tonight. The Lakers are only 3-4 since Andrew Bynum got injured, and any more slippage could put their playoff spot in serious jeopardy. We all know that Kobe is going to show up every night, they key is whether the Lakers role players, who have been so good so far this season, can be consistent enough to get some wins on this trip. If guys like Lamar Odom and Jordan Farmar can play well, the Lakers may survive the trip and grow up a lot in the process.

Piston Scouting Report: After losing 3 out of 4 games to teams such as the Kings and Knicks, the Pistons have now won three in a row. Now they have 6 of 7 games at home before the All-Star break, which means they could be in position to snatch the 1st seed from the Celtics by the end of that stretch if Boston continues to struggle. Detroit still has one of the best starting fives in the entire league, but now they are developing a youthful and athletic bench to compliment all-star caliber plays like Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace. The Pistons are consistent as always, and their low turnover rates and solid shooting percentages show us that they aren't going to beat themselves.

Prediction time: Despite the brutal schedule of games, Young Swole thinks the Lakers are going to survive this trip. The tough opponents are spread between crappy teams like the Heat and the Nets, and if they steal one of the tough games a 5-4 is not out of the question. Tonight though is a different story. The Pistons have the big guys to neutralize Lamar Odom and the defense and experience to shut down the other Laker role players. While Kobe will probably have a huge game, there are simply too many weapons in Detroit for him to singlehandedly overcome. Pistons win 106-87

Dallas Mavericks @ Boston Celtics, 8pm, TNT

Mavs scouting report: Not only is this an important game for the Mavs, but it comes at an important juncture in their season. We've all heard the Jason Kidd rumors, which will no doubt affect how the Mavs play (Look at what trade rumors did to the Bulls). Dallas has also lost emerging point guard Devin Harris for a few weeks. With all this extra drama, its easy to forget that the Mavs are 11-2 so far in January and seem to be coming together as a team. Tonight will be a good test to see how they match up against a league powerhouse. The team may not look the same the next time these two play, but a win tonight will give the Mavs lots of confidence that they can handle the Celtics.

Celtics scouting report: We all knew the Celtics were going to cool off eventually. Most of us outside of the City of Delusion, aka Boston, also knew that a team that relies so much on veterans were bound to fall off because they could not maintain the intensity and health for a full 82 games. So while the Celtics have looked ordinary the past two weeks, don't act like its a surprise. There's no need for them to play every game like their last, because they are pretty much guaranteed a top-2 spot in the east, and they have already proven they can win in Detroit. Tonight they won't have Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen will probably not be 100 percent. Their bench played incredible in Miami last night, but the old saying is if they could play that good every night, they wouldn't be coming off the bench.

Prediction time: One of the tougher games on the card to forecast. The Mavs come in with a lot of confidence, but they have injury issues and the Celtics have been great at home. The key to the game will be the Josh Howard and Paul Pierce matchup. Pierce will have to wild out tonight to get a Celtics victory. If Howard can slow him down, or force Pierce to defer to his teammates the Mavs will win. This one will probably be close, but the lack of KG will hurt down the stretch and the Mavs will pull away late. Mavs win 98-92

Indiana University @ University of Wisconsin, 9pm, ESPN

Hoosier scouting report: The Hoosiers were outhustled badly against an undermanned UConn team on Saturday. You can pretty much bank on a Kelvin Sampson team not being outhustled two games in a row. Sampson was probably giving the entire team the Neil Reed treatment this week, and Young Swole expects the Hoosiers to come onto the court like a pack of wild dogs. The Hoosiers have a great chance to win this game if they can get consistent play from their guards. We all know the talent level, what we don't know is whether they can make the right decisions on the road for 40 minutes. Guys like Crawford and E Gordon are so good, that if they just play smart and run the offense through DJ White in the post, they will both score in double digits even if its in a complimentary role.

Badger scouting report: For years Bo Ryan has been the most underrated coach in America. He doesn't get the recruits that teams like North Carolina or Arizona get, and yet every year the Badgers are not only a ranked team, but also a team that constantly upsets more talented squads. Additionally, the Badgers hardly ever lose at home. Young Swole remembers how big a deal it was when Illinois went into Madison and got a victory 3 years ago. That game told the country how good the Illini were because if they could win in the Kohl Center they could win anywhere. The Badgers are not as explosive as they were last year, and probably not as talented either, but they still have solid big men who can control the glass, and good guards like Michael Flowers who can hit the big buckets. Plus, while Sampson is a good coach, he won't outcoach Bo Ryan.

Prediction time: This is an such an intriguing game. You have the young and talented Hoosiers with the freshmen phenoms rolling into one of the best home courts in the country. No one doubts the Hoosiers have the talent to win tonight, but if their guards are not more careful with the ball, they will not get that win. Wisconsin plays at a different level at home, and that crowd is going to be rowdy. Its a lot to ask for freshman guards to go on the road and win this game, and based on their recent decision-making, His Swoleness thinks their inexperience combined with the Badger efficiency will give the Badgers the win in a Big 10 slugfest, 65-57

San Antonio Spurs @ Phoenix Suns, 1030pm, TNT

Spurs scouting report: We haven't seen the Spurs look this vulnerable in years. Their annual rodeo trip started out consecutive losses in Utah (understandable) and Seattle (disgraceful). On top of that, Tony Parker is now out injured with foot issues, placing even more pressure on Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili to carry and older team without many other consistent options. Now they limp into the valley of the sun to face a Phoenix team that you can guarantee has not forgotten about how their season ended last year. Ginobili usually has huge games in Phoenix, but without Parker to break down the defense, he is going to have to be the orchestrator. This means that a Spurs wing player like Michael Finley or Bruce Bowen is going to have to step up to provide an effective offensive option.

Suns scouting report: While the Spurs seem to be falling apart, the Suns appear to be coming together in the way we thought they could. Grant Hill has returned from appendix removal and mainstays like Amare Stoudemire, Raja Bell and Shawn Marion are playing at their highest level all season. A good sign for the Suns is how they defeated the Hawks the other night. For all their talent, the Suns tend to let bad teams hang around, rarely blowing them out. But with every reason to look ahead to tonight's game and overlook the Hawks, Phoenix came out and promptly blew the Hawks out by 33. Now they get the game they've been looking for all season, the chance to play the wounded Spurs, at home, for the first time since last year's playoffs.

Prediction time: This sure does seem to a one-sided game. The Spurs are reeling, and the Suns are going to be more angry and focused on this game than any other so far this season. Even more than usual, the Spurs will have to control the tempo of this game. Without Parker, they simply do not have the firepower to run with the Suns. If Steve Nash can open the game up of offense, and if the Suns can force Ginobili to give the ball up on offense, this one may not be close. Sweezy thinks the Spurs will play better tonight, they have too much pride to get destroyed, but overall they just aren't bringing enough firepower with them tonight. Maybe if they play from ahead the game will be interesting in the 4th quarter, but if they get behind early, its over. Suns win 107-92.

NBA Power Rankings

Its Monday Night, which means its time to set the table for another full week of NBA action.

The Sweet 16

1. New Orleans 31-12. Its time to give this team its props. They have the best record in the West, they've won 8 in a row and just demolished the Spurs by 24 in Cow Country. People may still be skeptical, but why can't they win the West this year?

Opponents this week: Denver, Golden State, @Sacramento

2. Boston 34-8. The Celts still have the best record in the league, but they aren't playing like the best team anymore. They barely beat the hapless T'Wolves on Friday and couldn't beat the Magic without KG. Is this a bump in the road, or have we seen the best already of the men in green?

Opponents this week: @Miami, Dallas

3. Phoenix 32-13. The Suns survived pretty well without Grant Hill and posted a big win over King James on Friday in Cleveland. Now they get a chance to exact revenge on the reeling Spurs this week, think the Valley of the Sun will be ready for that one?

Opponents this week: Atlanta, San Antonio

4. Detroit 31-13. The Swole One liked what he saw out of the 'Stons this week. Losing in Orlando is no big crime, and they turned around and thumped them at home three nights later, proving they are still the second big dog in the Eastern Conference.

Opponents this week: @Indiana, LA Lakers, Dallas

5. Dallas 30-13. Swole has been wondering for weeks now how good this Mavs team really is. Well he's about to find out this week, they face the top 2 teams in the East in a span of three days and just lost Devin Harris to an ankle injury.

Opponents this week: @Memphis, @Detroit, @Boston

6. San Antonio 28-14. Something seems wrong with the Spurs. When was the last time anyone went into their house and crushed them by 24? Now they start the 9 game rodeo trip, which means they will either come together as they so often do, or they could be in the bottom half of the WC playoff standings at the All-Star break.

Opponents this week: @Utah, @Seattle, @Phoenix

7. Orlando 28-18. Swole is going to give props to this team for going 2-1 against the Pistons and Celtics last week. To do it in the playoffs though, they need a big time point guard. Hello Jason Kidd?

Opponents this week: Miami, @Philadelphia, @Indiana

8. Denver 26-17. Losing Carmelo hurt, but the Nugs are still tops in their division. If they can tread water until Melo returns they should be fine going forward because they have the most talent in the Northwest.

Opponents this week: @New Orleans, @Memphis, Charlotte

9. Utah 26-18. Don't look now but here come the Jazz. They've gone 8-2 in their last 10 and have shown signs of stepping it up on the defensive end.

Opponents this week: San Antonio, NY Knicks, @Washington, @Memphis

10. Golden State 27-18. Andris Biedrins ripped down 26 rebounds last night against the Knicks. Not coincidently, Eddy Curry at 26 hot dogs on the bench while Biedrins was on his rebounding rampage.

Opponents this week: @Houston, @New Orleans, Charlotte

11. LA Lakers 27-15. Yesterday's loss to the Cavs was not a good sign. As competitive as the west is, the Lake Show cannot let games like that slip away and still expect to make the playoffs, regardless of when Bynum comes back.

Opponents this week: NY Knicks, @Detroit, @Toronto, @Washington

12. Portland 26-19. The Blazers keep on hanging around in the WC. We'll see how much longer they can keep it up, but if they are this close to 1st place at the ASB it would be an incredible achievement.

Opponents this week: Cleveland, New York

13. Cleveland 24-19. LeBron pretty much told Kobe yesterday that this is his league from now on. If he ever got a good teammate to play with, this team would be instant title contenders.

Opponents this week: @Portland, @Seattle, LA Clippers

14. Toronto 24-19. Huge victory over the Celtics on Tuesday night. That was the kind of win that the Raptors needed to give them the confidence that they can hang with the Eastern Conference's elite.

Opponents this week: @Washington, Washington, LA Lakers

15. Washington 23-19. A tough week for the Wiz, who seem to be wearing down a little right now. Two big games against the Rap Show this week to see where they stand up in the Eastern Conference pecking order.

Opponents this week: Toronto, @Toronto, Utah, LA Lakers

16. Houston 24-20. Yeah they are 4 games over .500, and yeah they have T-Mac and Yao healthy. But losing at home to the Jazz further convinces His Swoleness that this team doesnt have what it takes to even make the playoffs this year.

Opponents this week: Golden State, @Indiana, @Milwaukee

Young Swole's Baller of the Week

LeBron walked into the House of the Mamba and pretty much tore Kobe's heart out. Putting up 41 points with little help from anyone else shows everyone just how damn good this guy already is, and how sick he's going to be in a few years.

Young Swole's Jackass of the Week

Gerald Green can't get consistent playing time on the worst team in the NBA. So what does he do, he demands to be traded. If you can't cut it on the sorry ass Timberwolves then the only place you should be asked to be traded to is the NBDL. I knew he only had half a hand, i didn't know Green also only had half a brain. Young Swole is hoping McHale cuts Green and fills his roster spot with recently reinstated Chris "Birdman" Anderson.

5 Games to watch this week

1. Toronto @ Washington, Tuesday. Washington faces four teams with winning records this week, and this may be the easiest game of the bunch. Bosh against Jamison is a good enough matchup to risk getting carjacked in DC for.

2. Golden State @ New Orleans, Wednesday. The most exciting team in the league faces up against the league's biggest suprise. Baron Davis versus Chris Paul gives Young Swole goosebumps (no homo).

3. LA Lakers @ Detroit, Thursday. The Lakers head east for a 9 game road trip at a crucial point in their season. If they can go 5-4 on this trip, things just might be OK. It will be tough to get a W in Motown though, the Pistons own the Lake Show in the D.

4. Dallas @ Boston, Thursday. Two teams with suddenly a lot to prove. Is Dallas a serious title contender? Has Boston already peaked? The arena will probably be empty for this as most Boston residents will be busy jerking off to pictures of Tom Brady's ankle cast.

5. San Antonio @ Phoenix, Thursday. The Suns have played 26 of their 45 games on the road. With a bunch of home games coming up, nothing would jump-start their second half better than to exact some revenge on the Spurs in what has become the best rivalry in the NBA.

The Official GDB All-Star Squads

Here at GDB we call it like we see it. Therefore, when we came together to select our all-star squads we were brutally honest in our decision making. Popularity got you nowhere, neither did past success. We are looking for the best players in the NBA regardless of reputations. Our squads will probably differ from the actual East and West teams, but rest assured that our selected teams better represent which players have been the best this year so far.

Eastern Conference

STARTERS

G- Chauncey Billups - Mr. Big Shot has averaged 18 points, 3 rebounds and 7 assists while leading the Pistons to the 2nd best record in the East. One of the most consistent and reliable players in the entire NBA, Billups is helping to make this the most dangerous Pistons squads in years.

G-LeBron James - We took some liberty at putting King James at the shooting guard spot, but there is no denying how incredible he has been this year. With averages of 29-7-7 and 2 steals while shooting close to 50 percent from the field, James is certified MVP material.

F-Caron Butler - Nobody gave the Wiz much of a chance to contend without Agent Zero. But thanks in large part to the Holy Caron, the Wiz find themselves well above .500, with victories over the Celtics and Mavericks in recent weeks. 21-6-4-2, 48% from the field, 90% from the line shows how complete a player he has become.

F-Kevin Garnett - We all knew The Big Ticket would make a huge difference in Boston, but it is incredible how quickly the metamorphosis occurred. From day one its been his team, and its because of him that they have gotten off to the best record in the league. KG is averaging his typical 20 and 10, and is shooting an amazing 55 percent from the field.

C-Dwight Howard - Simply the most dominant physical force in the NBA. With numbers per game like 22 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks, you can pencil D Howard in this spot for the next 10 years without hesitation.

BENCH

G-Jason Kidd - While the Nets are one of the most dissapointing teams in the NBA, you can't blame it on Kidd. He's averaging 11-8-10, which puts him dangerously close to Oscar Robertson territory.

G-Joe Johnson - Very quietly, the Hawks have become a competitive team. And very quietly, Joe Johnson has become one of the most well-rounded players in the NBA. 21-4-5 looks nice, and his leadership is helping a young team mature before our eyes.

G-Dwyane Wade - Probably the most controversial decision on our roster. The Heat have been absolutely terrible, but since coming back from injury D-Wade has been good as always. He'll probably have an even bigger second half and make our doubts about putting him on the team look even more bogus.

F-Paul Pierce - The Truth has been reborn with the arrival of KG and his play has been markedly improved. 22 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 1.5 steals show that he's been a great team player and doing everything he can to bring the Celtics success.

F-Gerald Wallace - Probably the most underrated player in the league. Wallace was always an amazing athlete which helped him become one of the best defensive players in the league, but now his offense has caught up to that level. Put it this way, the Suns would trade Shawn Marion for this guy straight up, and not blink an eye.

F-Antawn Jamison - Another player having a great season under the radar. A double-double guy who can shoot the three, Jamison along with Butler has been indispensible in the Wizards surprise success.

C-Chris Bosh - Not only was his commercial a stroke of genius, but Bosh has the game to back it up. 22 and 9 while shooting 48 percent from the field make him one of the best big men in the game today.

Others recieving votes: Jason Richardson, Jose Calderon, Rasheed Wallace, Michael Redd

Western Conference

STARTERS

G-Steve Nash - One of the toughest decisions for the committee was choosing who should be the starting PG for the west. We gave it to Nash because he still means so much to the Suns and is playing better than ever before with stats like 17 points and 12 assists per game while shooting over 50 percent from the field

G-Kobe Bryant - Kobe's been as good as ever this year while shooting less. His ability to make his teammates better while still averaging 27-6-5-2 gives even more evidence that he is the best in the game.

F-Carlos Boozer - Booze Cruise has become a certified superstar in this league. He's shooting 54 percent from the field and is averaging 22 and 10 per game and never takes a game off.

F-Tim Duncan - His stats may be down this year, but in no way does that mean he's having an off year. This guy simply knows how to play, and will continue to be the most complete big man in the game for years to come.

C-Marcus Camby - Its about time for the sports community to give props to the criminally underrated Camby. His defensive efforts of 15 rebounds and 4 blocks per game are tops in the league and have allowed AI and Melo to focus on their offense.

BENCH

G-Chris Paul - Quite possibly the most exciting player in the NBA. CP3 is the main reason the Hornets have vaulted into the NBA's upper echelon, thanks to his averages of 21-3-10 and almost 3 steals per game

G-Allen Iverson - Another great season for the Answer. Not only is he averaging 27 ppg still, but he is shooting at a better clip than usual while helping to push the Nuggets to the Northwest Division lead.

G-Baron Davis - The ringleader of the most exciting team in the NBA. When Davis is healthy, he is nearly unstoppable, as evidenced by last spring's playoff run and his averages this year of 22-4-8 and 2.5 steals per game

G-Manu Ginobili - A flat-out winner. Manu is still doing his thing averaging near 20-5-5, and even though the Spurs seem more vulnerable, they are still close to having the top record in the West.

F-Shawn Marion - Quite possibly the most versatile player in the game. The Matrix has the talent to fill up every stat category while being the only player on the Suns who plays any sort of defense.

F-Dirk Nowitzki - No one is really mentioning the Mavericks this season after last season's playoff disgrace, but Dirk as usual is busy leading his team to another 50 win season.

F-Brandon Roy - The Blazers have been the surprise team in the NBA to this point, surviving and thriving in the brutal west despite not having their top draft pick Greg Oden. Much of this success can be attributed to Roy, who's averaging 19-4-5 and providing the leadership that a young team needs.

Others receiving votes: Amare Stoudemire, Yao Ming, Stephen Jackson, Deron Williams, Andrew Bynum, Carmelo Anthony, David West

NBA Weekly Preview

Happy Martin Luther King day all you lovers out there, don't let the haters keep you down. Busy day in the association today, with the traditional full slate of games to honor MLK. This also means a tripleheader on TNT tonight. The schedule of games is pretty shitty, but it also means more time for Charles Barkley to make fun of EJ and Kenny. With that said, lets get down to business.

The Sweet 16

1. Boston 32-6. After back-to-back losses, there was talk of moving the Celtics from the top notch on the list. But the Celtics rebounded against the Blazers and Sixers, and really don't have a tough game until January 31 when Dallas comes to town.

Opponents this week: @NY Knicks, Toronto, Minnesota, @Orlando

2. Phoenix 29-12. Suns move up to the 2nd spot thanks to 3 straight victories and some unrest below them. If they add Damon Stoudamire to back up Steve Nash, they could be even tougher, though Swole thinks they still need another big man to win it all.

Opponents this week: @Milwaukee, @Minnesota, @Cleveland, @Chicago

3. New Orleans 27-12. Face it people, this team isnt going anywhere. And if Chris Paul and David West keep up their play, they may even win their division.

Opponents this week: Milwaukee, Portland, LA Clippers, @San Antonio

4. Dallas 27-12. A quiet week for the Mavs as they only played 2 games. The schedule gets tougher though, they have to play the Lakers, Nuggets and Celtics in the next 2 weeks.

Opponents this week: @Washington, @Charlotte, LA Lakers, Denver

5. Detroit 29-12. Boy is this team stuck in the January doldrums. The whole team looks tired and the bench play has been terrible. But we all know its just a phase and they will turn it around, probably after the all star break.

Opponents this week: @Orlando, @Philadelphia, Orlando

6. San Antonio 25-13. Something just doesnt seem right with the Spurs. Maybe they are just coasting right now, because they know its such a long season, but this team never used to lose a game like they did Thursday night against the Cavs.

Opponents this week: @Charlotte, LA Lakers, @Miami, New Orleans

7. Denver 24-15. KG is my boy and all, but Marcus Camby is playing just as good and no one ever hears about it. If he stays healthy all year and keeps playing like this, he better get some MVP consideration.

Opponents this week: @LA Lakers, Atlanta, New Jersey, @Dallas

8. LA Lakers 26-12. Went 1-1 their first week without Bynum, but they have a brutal week of games, and now Trevor Ariza is hurt too. Time for Kobe to play like an MVP.

Opponents this week: Denver, @San Antonio, @ Dallas, Cleveland

9. Orlando 25-17. Two nice home wins last week. The two games against the Pistons this week will be a good test to see where this team is right now, and how much of a threat they could possibly be in the playoffs.

Opponents this week: Detroit, @Memphis, @Detroit, Boston

10. Portland 24-16. Went 2-2 this week on their road trip. If they can split their last 2 games on the road, then they are in good shape to get some wins on an upcoming homestand.

Opponents this week: @Atlanta, @New Orleans, Houston, Atlanta

11. Golden State 25-17. Baron Davis led the Warriors to a 3-1 week on the road. He is playing like one of the top 5 players in the entire league right now, and Swole thinks this team is even better than the squad that took out the Mavs in the playoffs last year.

Opponents this week: Minnesota, New Jersey, NY Knicks

12. Utah 23-18. The Jazz ran into the Linas Kleiza revelation on Thursday night in Denver, but overall still had a 2-1 week. If this team can play enough defense against the best of the west, they can beat anyone.

Opponents this week: @LA Clippers, Sacramento, @Houston

13. Washington 21-17. The Wiz is playing better without Gilbert Arenas than anyone though they could, Young Swole included. The way they are playing, they are going to be no lower than a 5 seed in the EC Playoffs.

Opponents this week: Dallas, @Cleveland, Memphis, @Milwaukee

14. Cleveland 21-18. Another huge week for King James, and little help from anyone else. Beating San Antonio was impressive, now they have to build on that victory and keep playing that well.

Opponents this week: @Miami, Washington, Phoenix, @LA Lakers

15. Toronto 22-19. An inconsistent week for the Rap Show. Losing to the Sixers is inexcusable for this team, must step it up in Boston on Wednesday to show Swole they still belong on this list.

Opponents this week: @Boston, Milwaukee

16. Houston 21-19. The Rock Show beat the Spurs on Saturday night, and also got T-Mac back. He has to stay healthy if the Rockets want to try and move into playoff contention, without him they simply do not have enough to get there.

Opponents this week: Seattle, @Seattle, @Portland, Utah

Young Swole's Baller of the Week

His Swoleness thought long and hard about giving the award to Baron Davis or Lebron James, but he could simply not ignore the week Gerald Wallace had. His weekly averages were 29pts, 7.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 3 steals, 1 block and only 2 turnovers per game. This dude better make the all-star team, he has been straight up ballin this year.

Young Swole's Jackass of the week

This week's award goes to Ben Wallace. Apparently Big Ben was the one mad at Joakim Noah, all because Noah was stealing some of his rebounding opportunities. This guy sure does talk a lot of shit for someone who has done nothing in Chicago other than steal money and live off a past reputation. Maybe its time for Big Ben to take a look in the mirror, realize he needs a fucking haircut, and then also come to grips with the fact that the only difference between him and Bo Outlaw is that he makes a lot more money that he hasn't earned.

5 Games to watch this week

1. Denver @ LA Lakers, Monday 1030pm. A good test for the Lakers to see how they match up against the big and strong Nuggets.

2. LA Lakers @ San Antonio, Tuesday 8pm. The second of a brutal B2B for the Lakers. Will the Spurs break out of their rut and start again to play the basketball we have become so accustomed to?

3. Minnesota @ Boston, Friday 7pm. I wonder how the Big Ticket feels about this one. Swole predicts their is a 100 percent chance the Celtics win by at least 20.

4. New Orleans @ San Antonio, Saturday 8pm. The Hornets are acting like a team that wants to be a title contender. This game in San Antonio will be a good measuring stick to see exactly where CP3 and the rest of his boys match up against the best in the west.

5. Boston @ Orlando, Sunday 330pm. Another up and coming team gets to test itself against one of the premier squads in the NBA. Dwight Howard versus Kevin Garnett is about as good as an individual matchup you will find in this league, get dat popcorn ready O-Town.