8 Reasons Why the NBA NEEDS to Come Back Next Year

Now I know, Saturday night is a really strange time to publish a post, but believe me, I had my reasons. First off, although I am recovering quite nicely (thanks for all the good wishes), the surgery has crippled my ability to go out and keep myself busy on a night such as this. Second, my girlfriend is at a wedding so if I wanted to watch a movie or something I have nobody to do so with. And finally, chising (For the definition of 'chising' check out my post on Plaxico Burress and Randy Moss.) in MLB 2k11 can only occupy so much of my day. So, what better way to spend my Saturday night than to vent on some of the reasons I think the NBA NEEDS to come back next year? And by the way, I know 8 is an odd number to chose but I chose because I legitimately thought there were 8 great reasons, no more, no less. Sorry Ricky Rubio..

(Quick side note: I promise this will be my last NBA post for awhile.. Just needed a way of wrapping up this truly sensational season. Expect a heavy dose of baseball after this post.)

So! Without further interruption.. The long awaiting official STUDENT OF SPORTS list for why the NBA NEEDS to come back next year. (OK, I'll admit this post probably did not deserve the hyping I just gave it.. 'long awaited'? really? ...I wish)

8. Blake Griffin - This is an easy one. Who doesn't want to see how Blakey Blake will follow up his insane rookie season? This guy is an absolute athletic freak and if there is a season next year, he'll be fun to watch. By the way, he'd be higher on this list if the Clippers didn't suck. (Another interesting story will be if Blake can beat the rookie of the year curse. Very funny video)

7. Dirk Nowitzki - After his all-time great playoff performance it'll be fun to see how Dirk follows it up in year two. This isn't as high on the list as maybe it should be because I think age will finally overtake the Mavericks next year and they won't be able to repeat. You gotta figure the Grim Reaper has been just sitting on Jason Kidd's porch for a year or two now waiting for his game to answer the door.

6. The Oklahoma City Thunder - This is a great story and possibly underrated by me. It'll be a great test to see how this young team matures after a tough defeat in the western conference finals. I'll be looking for two major things, Russel Westbrook's development as a point guard and Kevin Durant's growth as a leader. 

5. The Lakers - How will Kobe and the gang respond to being bounced out early in this years playoffs? How huge will the loss of Phil Jackson be? Will new head coach Mike Brown be able to earn the respect of Kobe and other veterans on the team? Will they land Dwight Howard? All extremely relevant questions. Absolutely captivating story.

4. Basketball is Back in MSG - After acquiring Carmelo Anthony at the trade deadline last season the Knicks became a legit playoff team, not a title contender yet, but a playoff team. You cannot under value the impact of meaningful basketball in MSG on the NBA. It'll be cool to see if the Knicks can find some sort of defense (preferably in the form a legitimate big man) and take the next step as a team. Hopefully the loss of Donnie Walsh doesn't slow down the momentum they've gained.

3. Derrick Rose - Last season's regular season MVP got bounced out of the playoffs in the eastern conference finals but the good news is, he's still 22! Unfortunately the bad news is that Carlos Boozer's contract is going to make it tough for the Bulls to give Rose a better supporting cast but hopefully he can overcome that. After proving he is one of the best players in the NBA this past season, if we have a season next year he'll be out to prove he's even better. No other way of putting it, I cannot wait to see more of D-Rose.

2. Where Will Dwight Howard Go? - This one wins the award for "Most Likely to Get Annoying if Dragged out". That aside you can't underestimate how important Howard picking a new destination will be for the league. In an era where there is only one elite center, where that player goes is a HUGE deal for the league. Let's just hope this all goes smoother than last season's Melo Drama.

1. Ricky Rubio Coming to the NBA! - (just kidding.. but I got your attention didn't I?)

The real number 1..
The Miami Heat - Believe it or not the Heat losing in the NBA Finals this year was great for the NBA. This pretty much means Miami's version of Two and a Half Men got renewed for a second season and all the scrutiny, media, and craziness that surrounded this years squad will be back for year 2! Love'em or hate'em you can't deny the Heat made this year an awesomely entertaining season of professional baskatball. Should make for a great 2012

Hopefully..

This is pretty much me, an NBA fan, pleading with the league to solve the labor situation and come back! This past season was sick and it would be torture to go a year without it. The NBA is more popular right now than it has been at any time since Michael Jordan. Taking a year off and killing that momentum would be terrible, not to mention the negative impact it would have on the careers of some promising young players. I've said it once and I'll say it again, the NBA NEEDS to come back.

I hope you guys enjoyed the list and if you think there is something I missed, or if you don't like the order, feel free to let me know in the comments!

Class Dismissed,
The Sports Undergrad

SoS

P.S. For predicting that the Mavericks winning the NBA Finals in 6 games (Nostradamus has nothing on me!) SportShouting.com was kind enough to send me this awesome shirt. This picture will be up permanently in the bottom left corner of this page and will start a Student of Sports corner of Fame.

Will Westbrook Bring the Thunder?

Let me start off by apologizing for taking a bit of a break from the blogosphere of late. The school year was winding down for me and I decided I needed to devote more time to my finals and take about a month long hiatus from Student of Sports. But most importantly I am back and we can go back to what we really love and care about, sports!

So I'm watching last night's Mavericks/Thunder game, while enjoying a quality meal consisting of Teddy Grahams and Mountain Dew (By the way have you ever looked at Mountain Dew? There is no way that stuff is good for me.. It looks like I'm drinking acid.. Oh well.), and down the stretch I am in absolute awe of the fact that Thunder coach Scott Brooks had the balls to sit out star point guard Russel Westbrook for the entirety of the 4th quarter. I mean, we're talking about Russel Westbrook here, a guy who was named to the 2nd team all-NBA, second only to MVP Derrick Rose. I'll admit, I've been just as confused as everyone else watching the Thunder at times this post season and seeing Westbrook decide to take the game into his own hands and ignore the NBA's leading scorer Kevin Durant. But watching him sit out the 4th quarter was almost as strange as Nicole Scherzinger and 50 cent's, Spanish-channel-soap-opera-like, performance of Right There on American Idol last night. At first I didn't get it seeing as Westbrook was actually having one of his better shooting nights of the playoffs (7 for 15 from the field with 18 points) but as the game ended Eric Maynor guided the Thunder to the win and I was pleasantly surprised. There are 3 things to make from this:

1. Scott Brooks has watermelon-sized cajones. Simply put, you know he'd get blasted if that backfired.
2. The Thunder have a legitimate shot at this series. The significance of the Thunder taking one of those first two road games to start the series cannot be taken lightly. 
3. Young Russel Westbrook is at a career defining moment. For me this is the main thing that came from last nights game because it not only impacts this post season but the next decade of NBA post seasons...

There is no doubt Russel Westbrook is a sensational player with limitless potential but there might not be a bigger factor in determining what kind of player he will turn out to be than how he reacts to this 4th quarter benching. He has a chance here to show how mature of a person and how great of a teammate he is by keeping his chin up, showing he's a team player by commending Maynor's effort, and playing his ass off in game 3. Unfortunately this can also go the other way. If he pouts, throws his team and coach under the bus and takes his disappointment out on the court with him we could see the beginnings of a Starbury (Stephon Marbury) like career. As an NBA fan, and someone who doesn't want to see the Heat cruise to a decade of dominance, I am hoping Westbrook does what he needs to do to be the best teammate he can be. There in no way of denying that if Westbrook reaches his true potential (which involves being a great teammate) he and Durant have the ability to go head to head with any foe the East can muster up, including Miami's version of Two and a Half Men. (Side note: Who do you think has been more damaging to his version of Two and a Half Men this year, Charlie Sheen or Chris Bosh? Seriously, that's how low my opinion of Bosh has become...) So putting it plain and simple, the type of player Westbrook will become, along with the type of team the Thunder wil become, may be decided in this next few days. Will Westbrook turn into a mature, all about the team type player? Or will he transform into an immature, me-first type of jerk? For the sake of the Thunder and the league let's hope he takes the high road and from what I saw from him on the bench last night, I think he will.

Class Dismissed,

The Sports Undergrad

SoS

PS: All NBA fans should check out this sick link about The NBA Dunk Contest (<---click here). Thanks to my good buddy Ray for sharing this gem with me. Also, follow Student of Sports on twitter at Student of Sports on Twitter!