THE BOTTOM LINE: The Free Agents You (and everyone else) Forgot About

“We [used to have]the advantages of the underdog. Now we have the disadvantages of the overdog.”
-Abba Eban, former Israeli Foreign Minister

The "Summer of LeBron" is nearly over (insert sound of joyous cheers from ESPN audiences everywhere, exhausted from the never ending praise and attention that has been pumping from said sports station for the "King" during the past month) and I can't help but feel a sense of detachment from the moment. I'm sure most of you would agree that this whole free agency ordeal has become pretty comical and tabloid-esque. Every "expert" in the land has given their predictions as to where James, Wade, Bosh, etc. might end up playing, each claiming to have THE inside information/sources with all the final answers (magically ALL differing from the others' guesses). And to them all I say this: Go get a job at the E! channel or TMZ.com and leave my sports channels alone!!!

At any rate, you can probably tell I'm just a little over the LeBron-a-palooza all around me. And I think I've come up with the biggest reason WHY: I believe it is the lesser-known players who actually end up making a team ultimately good or bad. The sixth mans, the role players, the back-ups...the SUPPORTING role surrounding the All-Stars are who keep the team together when Kobe hits a cold streak, or LeBron goes down with an injury, or Duncan shoots 67% from the free throw line (his ACTUAL career average, by the way). And in the middle of all the public lauding and loving for the BIG names in this year's free agent market, it's the "underdog" free agents who are being neglected. So, as a general rooter of all underdogs everywhere, I give you my list of "The Free Agents No One Is Thinking About Who Will Still Make an Impact in the NBA Next Season":

(Player/ Former Team/ Best 2009-2010 Stat)

Derek Fisher/ LAKERS/ 2.5 APG
-Fisher has won 5 NBA Championships with the Lakers. Yes, he did this with one of the best players ever in Kobe, but that is NOT a slight AGAINST him, but a perk to being able to sign him to your team. Just look at what he was able to do for the future of a young Deron Williams during his short stay with the Utah Jazz....'nuff said.

Nate Robinson/ BOSTON/ 10.1 Points Per Game
-Backup point guard who provides fast-paced, effective offense and in your face defense. Forces opponents to respect both his shooting and slashing abilities.

Jermaine O'Neal/ MIAMI/ 13.6 PPG
-O'Neal's stats from last season make the argument for him: 13.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and a respectable 1.4 blocks per game (19th over all last season). Not to mention he shoots roughly 50% from the field... AS A CENTER.

Brad Miller/ CHICAGO/ 4.9 RPG
-Statistics don't truly show the things Miller does for a team when on the court. A veteran who provides quiet leadership, at 7 feet 261 lbs., Miller can bang with the best of the Bigs and keep them in check on the blocks.

Raymond Felton/ CHARLOTTE/ 12.1 PPG
-Physical point guard who not only averages double digit scoring, but also 1.5 steals per game, proving his ability to shut down usually smaller, thinner guards he's up against.

Kyle Korver/ UTAH/ .536 3P%
-I could say a lot about Korver (such as how he has the best, purest shot in the league, or is an underrated passer, or can take a charge better than most shooters in the history of the league, or how anywhere he goes he becomes marketable gold due to his next-door demeanor and Kutcher-esque appearance), but I'll simply point to his record setting three point percentage last season of 54% and leave it at that.....

Matt Barnes/ MAGIC/ 5.5 RPG
-As a back-up small forward, Barnes leaves everything on the floor night after night. While he may not provide the flashy scoring most wings possess in today's NBA, he is a hard-nosed pest who will defend the big names with linebacker-type grit, causing more than one All-Star to have a season low sometime during the course of the year.

Mike Miller/ WIZARDS/ 10.9 PPG
-Miller is a tall and lanky shooting guard who averages double digits in scoring and a respectable 4.3 defensive rebounds per game. While his temperament can be a little on the teenage-drama-queen side of things, he's a ten year veteran who will excite fans with his ability to both entertain and get under the skin of his opponents.

Honorable Mentions:

Shannon Brown/ LAKERS/ 8.1 PPG
Josh Howard/ DALLAS, WIZARDS/ 12.7 PPG
Richard Jefferson/ SPURS/ 12.3 PPG

While none of these guys make you ask "LeBron who?", I can guarantee each of them brings something to the table that opposing teams DO NOT want to overlook, and that's the Bottom Line on the underdogs of this year's free agency market.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Ten Sports Pet Peeves That Must Stop NOW!

Attention: All athletes, coaches, fans, spectators, commentators, and anyone else who may be considered a guilty party. The following is a list of things that must be stopped IMMEDIATELY in the sports world:

10. Deny today, confirm tomorrow.

This is when an athlete, coach, general manager, etc. denies a report that has been made, only to turn around the next day (oftentimes sooner) and do or say something to CONFIRM the report anyway. If it’s a true, legitimate report, confirm it and move on. Enough of the Rich Rodriguez-syndrome. If you need to, use the old cop-out “No comment,” until you can confirm the report.
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9. Boo-boos

I’m so sick of athletes today making paper cuts into hemorrhages. I’m not talking about legitimate injuries that require rest or surgery. I'm referring to the stubbed toes keeping players on the bench for 3 weeks type of "injuries" (or my personal favorite:the "strained" muscle). Listen: Unless you’re needing surgery or a tourniquet, get back to work. I won’t bring up the money thing….ok yes I will. They make WAY too much money to be allowed to sit out 7-10 days every time they stub their toes. Someone put an end to this circus. (FIFA, you are officially on notice….start calling dives or get rid of the rule.)
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8. “Touchdown!.....er, I mean, No touchdown!....er, I mean, uh, Fumble!....er, actually He’s Safe…uh, Out! Oh forget it, can I go eat my hot wings now?”

Missed calls. Now, in no way am I one of those people who blame the officials for everything. I’m also not a purist who believes human error is “good for the game.” Yes, it is PART of the game, but it shouldn’t RULE the game like it does. There needs to be a system in place (in EVERY sport) that protects the officials, players, coaches, organizations, and fans from games being RUINED by human error. The technology is there, so why not use it?
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7. 15 Minute Replay Reviews

I know, this contradicts #8, but not really. There is a happy medium that needs to be reached between the use of the replay technology, and the length of time it takes to complete a review. If while sitting on my couch watching the TV (non-HD, I might add) can determine after only a couple of replays that the runner was down, or the shooter had his foot on the line, or Bob Bobson wasn’t actually in the crease, then a professional AT THE GAME, WITH THE TECHNOLOGY AT HIS FINGER TIPS, BEING PAID TO MAKE THE DECISIONS can certainly do the same! If you have to cut to more than one sixty second commercial break because a review is taking too long, just call the game and start over tomorrow.
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6. Conspiracy Theories

The idea that a referee or a group of referees would actually join together in efforts AGAINST any one team is the most insane notion I’ve ever heard of. There are no conspiracies. Your team will lose an important game now and then. It doesn’t mean that the commissioner has summoned his armies of officials and commanded them to destroy your blessed empire. It just means that in sports someone has to win and someone has to lose. Yes, TV ratings do in fact matter for revenue purposes. But not enough to throw outcomes and lengthen playoff series, risking the demise of the entire sport itself if found out. Take the tin foil off your head and enjoy the game. Speaking of someone having to win, and someone having to lose…….
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5. Ties

There is no room in sports for a tie. Period. The reason sports were ever invented in the first place was to provide a way for differences to be settled (have you never seen a John Wayne film?) The Olympics, perhaps the first ever known organized sporting event, were created so that different cities could prove their worth and strength to their rivals. Someone had to win, and someone had to lose, otherwise nothing would ever get accomplished. The reason we have sports is so that we can learn the joy of victory, as well as the agony of defeat. If after 90 minutes of playing no one has lost and no one has won, then we’ve wasted 90 minutes of our lives and might as well have had a compliment session where everyone goes around the room saying nice things about everyone else, and ending it with a big group hug and tearful smiles. People: it’s sports, not religion. Meaning, it’s not personal. If you are beaten by someone who was better than you that day, then you have learned a valuable life lesson or two and will be better for it. And that’s the whole point of sports anyway.
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4. Cliches

“It is what it is.” “We need to step up and make plays.” “He gives 110%.”

Stop it. Just stop it already. If you are not intelligent enough to give a thoughtful, well phrased response to a question, then don’t answer it at all. I’d rather hear you say “No comment,” your entire career than hear another “A win’s a win, and that’s all that matters.” I’m not expecting Socrates or Plato like response. I don’t even care if it makes sense. Just as long as YOU are construing YOUR thoughts, and YOUR feelings about the issue at hand, and not regurgitating age-old responses in order to get it over with quicker.
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3. Stupid Celebrations

The dog-pile on the mound. The Gatorade baths. The burning of cars following a championship. The jumping up onto the scorer’s table and screaming primeval grunts. It’s all got to go (by the way, all of these actions took place in professional, televised sporting events within the last six days). I would really prefer that when you score/win/make a good play that you act like you’ve done it before. But if you must celebrate, do so with class. And if you can’t muster a classy, professional display of happiness, then at least be creative and original. Chad Ochocinco-nueve-dix-carpe diem-Johnson (or whatever he’s calling himself these days) may be a clown, but at least he is imaginative. If you can’t celebrate maturely, then celebrate originally. That’s all I’m asking. (This includes “The Wave.” No other action could be made to show just how bored you actually are. So, if you’re bored enough at a sporting event to do “The Wave,” get up and go do something that interests you.)
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2. Vuvuzelas / Corny, Cliché Arena Music

The awful noise that never ends at those infernal soccer matches (you know the ones I speak of-they sound like a herd of tone deaf mammoths are being skinned alive and sautéed in Tabasco) ought to be against the Laws of the Geneva Convention. No one should have to endure the refuse that comes as result of blowing into one of those things.
Secondly, the music that is played at sporting events has been, well, played. Get a new gig, or get out and let someone else take over. “We Will Rock You,” and “Y.M.C.A,” and the like were cute for the first little while. But now it’s time to be innovative and find something new.
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And finally, the number one thing in sports that has got to be stopped IMMEDIATELY….

1.The Lakers Winning the NBA Championship

I don’t care if the Jazz win it every year, so don’t give me the "You're just a homer" baloney. I just get sick of seeing that Satanic purple and gold year after year after year, amidst the devilish purple and gold ticker tape rain, all accompanied by that smug, crooked, spoiled smile of Kobe Bryant as he pretends to feel the joy he will chase his whole life (I speak of TRUE joy, here, in case you didn’t catch on. You know, TRUE love, TRUE spirit, TRUE happiness. Not the kind that comes from winning basketball trophies). So please…PLEEEEAAAASSSEEEEE! Someone else step up next year and knock the Los Angeles Fakers off their high horse.

And that’s THE BOTTOM LINE.

THE BOTTOM LINE

THE BOTTOM LINE

-University of Utah Moving to the Pac-(TBD) Conference:
There’s been a lot of discussion and rumors regarding whether or not the Utes will be leaving the Mountain West Conference and joining the (currently named) Pac-10 Conference. There is a plethora of information to go through and analyze regarding this subject, but I’m just going to focus on the local implications such a move would have.

1. Recruiting: Right now, Utah is doing very well recruiting out of the Mountain West Conference. They currently only have two teams with whom they squabble over the top recruits coming to the conference-BYU and TCU. However, if they were to move to the Pacific Conference, they would have to recruit players away from the likes of USC, UCLA (both schools have a LOT more than great football to offer….like, say, beaches. Girls. Weather. The glitz and glammer of Hollywood.), Arizona State (notorious party school), and Oregon. Undoubtedly, by being a member of the Pacific Conference, the Utes would draw bigger talent than they currently do in the Mountain West, but they’d be taking only the players the “fun” schools (read: NOT in Salt Lake City) wouldn’t want. They’d be to the Pacific Conference what Colorado State currently is to the Mountain West.

2. While they’ll be able to “compete” in the Pac., they won’t necessary be a “winning” program. Certainly not the way they have been in the MWC. Meaning, the Utes will be trading games against Wyoming, New Mexico, SDSU, and UNLV for games against USC, UCLA, Oregon, Washington, and Stanford. While I don’t perceive the Utes as being terrible in the Pacific Conf., I certainly don’t see them consistently winning the 9 or 10 games they have been producing in the MWC.

THE BOTTOM LINE: In the Pacific Conference, the University of Utah will be able to compete, but they won’t be King of the Hill anymore. Expect 8-4, 9-3 seasons consistently. They will be the Utah Jazz of the Pac. Conf.-competitive, but not elite.
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-How U of U Move to the Pacific Conference Would Effect BYU:
If in fact the Utes left the MWC (and BYU stayed), it would have drastic effects on the Cougars and their program. Here are the pros and cons for BYU if such a move were to occur:
PROS:
1.With Utah gone, BYU would only have one other school who could legitimately contend with them recruiting-wise: TCU. And let’s face it, while TCU is a good team coming off a great year, how long can they really expect to ride the BCS wave they enjoyed recently? BYU has the history and facilities needed to draw in the big recruits. TCU does not. The Cougars will benefit talent-wise from a Utah defection.
2.BYU would be the “BIG TICKET” in the MWC, much like Boise State is in the WAC. It will be the “BYU and Others” Conference. Boise State has been the nation’s darling for a long time, mostly because they play well in a mediocre conference, and show up when ESPN and ABC are watching. With no Utah to worry about, BYU would OWN the MWC.
3.Without Utah to go against, the MWC Title will be BYU’s every year for a long time to come. Sure, TCU will be a force to reckon with for another year, maybe two, but after that I really don’t see the Horned Frogs consistently winning double digit games. What’s a MWC Title worth, you might ask? Well, with the likes of who will be left in the conference, I’m assuming an MWC Title will also mean an undefeated season, which equals BCS attention.
CONS:
1. BYU will still be stuck in a conference full of crappy competition. This will not only mean less respect/value for victories, it will also mean loss of big time money as no one wants to pay to see San Diego State (change out for any other school in MWC) lose by 50 in Provo, Utah on a cold October Saturday.

2. BYU will still be stuck with crappy Mtn televison coverage. Trust me, in this day and age, TV coverage is EVERYTHING in college football. Don’t believe me? Look at the SEC, or the Pac10, or the Big East, even. They ALL have contracts with big time TV stations: ESPN, ABC, Fox, etc. What does the MWC have to offer? A road-show-esque production, run by nobodies, featuring irrelevant has-beens for talent, and broadcast with old USSR equipment. Sure, it’s on national reaching frequencies, but no one is tuning into The Mtn to see New Mexico take on Wyoming when they can see USC vs. Notre Dame on NBC.

3. Finally, BYU will still need to go undefeated in order to get some BCS love, while Utah will be in an automatic BCS conference. While the Cougars will likely be favored in every matchup they have in the MWC, an off week leading to a surprise/fluke loss to a cellar-dweller will shut down the season, whereas Utah could lose to BYU every year and still have a chance to show up in a BCS bowl because of their conference’s automatic bid.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Utah leaving BYU behind in the MWC would be less than an ideal situation for the Cougars. While they will indeed be the top dog in the conference, BYU will have ZERO competition to deal with. The rivalry may still be active, maybe even with a more bitter edge to it (what BYU fan wouldn’t relish a victory over a Utah team that would take away a potential Pacific Conference top-seeding?), it won’t have the Conference Title implications it seems to have year in and year out. BYU needs Utah to thrive, and without them I feel Provo will be even less of an “exciting” place to visit in the Fall.
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-Carlos Boozer: At Least He’s Not Terrell Owens
We all remember the circus that was Carlos Boozer last offseason. The tongue baths he gave every city/team whose radio monkeys would put him on the air was far less than appealing. He really made it easy to hate him. However, I just wanted to take a quick second and compare his mannerisms of last year to those he is portraying this year.
While last offseason Mr. Boozer could not even spell the word LOYALTY, this year is quite the opposite. In every interview he does he is quick to reference his desire to rejoin the Jazz, and calls them “his team” and uses grouping words such as “we, us, ours” when referring to both himself and the Jazz. AND THEY AREN’T EVEN HIS TEAM ANY MORE!!! He is politically correct, mature, and even loyal this time around when discussing his free agency plans. Everything a Jazz fan wanted from Carlos Boozer in the past, he is displaying currently.
Now, you may question whether or not he is being sincere or honest. That is more than fair, in my opinion. He’s never had the George Washington “I cannot tell a lie” persona. But let me say this: Remember how he left Cleveland high and dry to come to Utah? Well, so does Carlos Boozer. And so does his agent. They’re not idiots. They know that this offseason is the Year of the Prodigy, and Boozer is second-tier. So, he may be blowing smoke, but smoke is better than fire. Meaning, teams are more likely to sign him if he’s lovable. If their fan base can get behind him and fall in love with him, Carlos Boozer will provide his new team with profits.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Even if it’s cliché and cheesy, Boozer has in fact matured. He DOES know loyalty, and I may dare say he learned that when the Jazz refused to trade him last season. They remained LOYAL to the commitment they had made to Boozer. Also, last offseason Boozer was going through A LOT personally. His marriage was falling apart, and divorce looked imminent. But his personal life is now in order, and his marriage is “in a good place,”according to Carlos. While his actions and words may drip with insincerity, the way he is conducting himself THIS offseason is sure making it hard to have a case to still hate him.

Major League Baseball Projections 2010

Here are my predictions for the final standings in Major League Baseball this season:

American League

-WEST
1.Angels
2.Mariners
3.Rangers
4.A's

-CENTRAL
1.Twins
2.White Sox
3.Tigers
4.Royals
5.Indians

-EAST
1.Yankees
2.Red Sox***
3.Rays
4.Orioles
5.Blue Jays
(***wild card)

National League

-WEST
1.Rockies
2.Dodgers***
3.Giants
4.Diamondbacks
5.Padres
(***wild card)

-CENTRAL
1.Cardinals
2.Cubs
3.Astros
4.Brewers
5.Pirates
6.Reds

-EAST
1.Phillies
2.Mets
3.Braves
4.Marlins
5.Nationals

PLAYOFFS:
-ALDS
Yankees defeat Red Sox***/6 games
Angels defeat Twins /6 games
-ALCS
Yankees defeat Angels /5 games

-NLDS
Phillies defeat Dodgers***/5 games
Cardinals defeat Rockies /6 games
-NLCS
Phillies defeat CArdinals/6 games

WORLD SERIES:
Yankees defeat Phillies /7 games

NCAA Tournament: The Mascot Bracket

March Madness is finally here again!!! That special time of year when both adults and kids play hookie from school/work and glue their eyeballs to college basketball tournament games, hoping to see every "shining moment" that the win-or-go-back-to-your-final-exams format of a college playoff provides.

While we all love to see a George Mason run to the Final Four, or a Bucknell defeating Kansas in the second round, or even the awkward Jimmy V search-for-someone-to-hug celebration lap after an unlikely victory in the championship game.....it really doesn't help our social status at work/school/church/social media sites. If you're at all like me, you put a lot of thought and energy into preparing your "Brackets" every year, hoping to pull off that miracle of correctly selecting every winner in the tournament and receiving heaps of praise and respect from your peers for doing so. It's one reason I only circle the winners, and never cross out the losers. Nothing hurts me more than looking down at my work-of-art bracket and seeing giant red x's over my incorrect selections.....

So, in lieu of feeding you numbers AND analogies AND offensive efficiency vs defensive efficiency statistics AND why Cornell is this year's George Mason AND why Kentucky is better than Kansas AND whether or not BYU will finally get out of the first round (every year I promise myself I won't choose them....every year I forget that promise and stupidly pencil them in as winners....) AND how Syracuse is peaking at the right time AND so on AND so on AND so on.....I'm going to give you a completely different approach of how to fill in your brackets and win the office pool. An approach of innocent, juvenile, even childish proportions. One which Charles Darwin would have a hard time arguing with. My friends, I give you, The Mascot Bracket: The Food Chain Never Fails.

The rules are very simple. Make your picks based on which team's mascot would win a real life fight against the other. Throw out all knowledge of basketball and numbers you may have. Forget the fact that a 16th seed has never defeated a 1st seed. It doesn't matter. All you need to have is a general knowledge of the Animal Kingdom and how it works. Here's what I mean...

In the opening round Maryland takes on Houston. The Terapins (a turtle) against the Cougars. Obviously, a turtle has no shot against a Cougar. Hence, you would select Houston to win that game....etc. Get it?

After I went through and filled out my bracket this way, I have predicted the National Champion this season to be the St. Mary's Gaels. After all, who controls the elements? God. And no one can defeat God.

I did have a couple situations where Tigers met Tigers, Cougars met Cougars, or Aggies vs Aggies. In this case, I chose to eliminate both teams, assuming they would both kill each other in a fight. You may choose any other method you'd like, such as rock-paper-scissors, coin flipping, whose team colors are better, or even witch craft. It's up to you.

So, in conclusion, it doesn't matter who has the most potential NBA players on their team, or the best coach, or the most talent....all you need ask yourself is whether or not a Demon Deacon can beat up a Longhorn. Or if a Golden Eagle can hold its own when cornered by a Huskie. Or if a Buckeye plant could poison a Guacho.

Just remember, if anyone asks why you're picking Vermont to upset Syracuse in the first round, remind them that an Orange has no arms, legs, or even a brain, and therefore could not properly defend itself against the viscious Catamount of Vermont (Wildcat).

Go Gaels!!!

John Stockton vs Steve Nash

Ignore all the references. This was a paper I wrote for school as well, so I had to document. Thanks!


The one holds the record for most steals and assists in a career. The other has won two MVP trophies.
One played with arguably the greatest power forward to ever bounce a basketball. The other has been teammates of Shaquille O’Neal, Amare Stoudemire, and Dirk Nowitzki, a few of the greatest players at their respective positions.
He made basketball relevant in an irrelevant state, while he turned a nation’s attention from hockey to hoops.
The older one has two Olympic Gold medals, while the younger recently lit the Olympic cauldron for the Vancouver Winter games.
The one has been inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame. The other? Someday soon.
Neither of them have won an NBA championship. One of them still has a chance.


The comparisons between point guards John Stockton and Steve Nash have been well documented and reiterated time and again, and that will probably never change. Ever. They are both very similar to one another, from their playing technique right down to their physical attributes and nice-guy demeanor. Many a sports columnist has tried to separate the two and convince the masses that one is better than the other. At first glance, this seems to be an insurmountable task. How can you choose between the two best point guards of all-time and list one above the other?
It’s easy, actually. The numbers don’t lie…….
John Stockton was born in Spokane, WA. His father owned a local sports bar and raised him with a blue-collar work ethic and tough-as-nails, never-say-die attitude. This didn’t only apply on the basketball court, but in the classroom and at home as well. He attended Gonzaga Prep High School, and later played college ball at Gonzaga University. In 1984, Stockton was selected 16th overall in the NBA draft by the Utah Jazz.

What first comes to mind about John Stockton are three unlikely attributes you usually don’t find in an NBA legend. His height (or lack thereof): He was listed as 6’1”-though he was more likely just over six feet-and played in a league stacked with giants. (the average height of an NBA player is 6’7”) (NBA.com, 2006-07 Player Survey) After this you’ll notice he didn’t really include fancy or flashy technique in his game play. Sam Smith of EPSN.com put it this way: “He doesn't dribble behind his back or through his legs. He doesn't crossover. His highlight reel features primarily bounce passes and layups. Despite evidence to the contrary these days, that's basketball.”(NBA.com, Encyclopedia) Finally, unlike most basketball stars, John Stockton never dunked the ball. He preferred the fundamental, ordinary lay up shot off the glass to the high flying rim rockers one would see multiple times in a game today.

Despite these shortcomings, John Stockton was able to amass enough assists (15,806) and steals (315) over his career to hold the NBA record for both statistics. He led the Utah Jazz to two NBA Finals championship runs (1997 and 1998), where they lost, both times, to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. Stockton helped both teammate Karl Malone and coach Jerry Sloan further their careers and reach Hall of Fame honors (Sloan last summer; Malone this coming June). He made everyone around him better, by sharing the ball and picking apart defenses.

On the world stage, Stockton joined the USA Olympic Basketball team and earned two Gold Medals: 1992 and 1996. These teams came to be widely known as the “Dream Team,” because there were eleven of the Top 50 Greatest NBA Players of All Time on the team, including Stockton and Malone. (Hoopedia.com, NBA 50 Greatest Players) This team beat every opponent they played by an average of 44 points, just to give you an idea of how good they really were.
Stockton was also named to ten All-Star games, and won the All-Star MVP award in 1993 (co-MVP with teammate Karl Malone). (Basketball-Reference.com, Players)

As mentioned earlier, even if you were not privileged to have witnessed John Stockton play the game of basketball in your lifetime, all you need to do is look at his career statistics, and you’ll have a firm grasp of what kind of player he was. According to Basketball-Reference.com, Stockton made 52% of his field goals, 83% of his free throws, had 15,806 assists (#1 all time leader), and 315 steals (#1 all time leader) over his 19 year career. These are astonishing numbers, and have vaulted him into the argument that he is the best point guard to ever play the game.

Then there’s Steve Nash. A player who can give Stockton some competition for this grand title…..

Nash was born in South Africa, and later moved to and became a citizen of Canada, where he grew up in Vancouver, B.C. (Steve recently was chosen to light the Olympic cauldron during the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver). His father was a professional soccer player, and gave Steve his natural athletic ability and hard-nosed toughness.

While most kids coming from Canada play hockey and soccer, Steve found he had a true joy for basketball (though he is also well known as a very skilled soccer player), and played for Santa Clara college. He was drafted 15th overall in the 1996 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns. He has spent his career with both the Suns and the Dallas Mavericks.

Something that often goes unnoticed when comparing Steve Nash and John Stockton is that they both played college basketball in the West Coast Conference, where each of them became two of only four players in history to lead the conference in scoring and assists in the same season. (NBA.com, Player Files/Basketball-Reference.com, Players)

In two different seasons (2004-05, 2005-06) Nash was named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA. In those years he made, on average, 51% of his field goals, 90% of his free throws, had 1,687 assists, and amassed 137 steals. Nash has been named to seven All-Star games.
He was, at one time or another, teammates of NBA greats Shaquille O’Neal, Dirk Nowitzki, and Amare Stoudemire. Also, in each of the last five years, Nash has been one of the top three assists leaders in the NBA. (ESPN.com, NBA Statistics)

Finally, while he hasn’t been to the NBA Finals yet, every year his team is considered to be contenders to win the Western Conference title and change that statistic.

As you can see, both Nash and Stockton are very well fit and skilled as point guards in the NBA. They are about the same height and weight. They have both played with great teammates who have helped elevate their own personal games. Neither player has won a championship, nor do they ever dunk the basketball. At this moment, things may seem too evenly matched to make a decision between the two. However, there are a few key arguments that need to be made here, and they are in favor of John Stockton.

First of all, while Nash may have a better career free throw percentage and has won two MVP awards, neither of these statistics compare with the record setting performance Stockton displayed in his career in regards to assists and steals.

As a point guard, your job is to get the team to work together in the offensive game-plan, smoothly and collectively. Your goal is not to score a lot of points yourself, but to make smart and timely passes to teammates who can then have a higher probability of scoring, as they will most likely be closer to the basket. That is to say, the point guard will usually stay farther away from the basket, and thus his chances of making a shot are drastically lower than that of his teammates’ who usually are closer in proximity to the hoop. That being said, the assist statistic is the one area that defines the duty of a point guard. Get the ball to the best player, at the right time, who will give your team the best opportunity to score. Having done this 15,806 times in his career, Stockton has clearly left no room for comparison in regards to assists (the next closest player behind Stockton on the career assists chart is Jason Kidd with 10,742. Nash is 8th all time with 8,167.) (Basketball-Reference.com, Leaders)

The second point that needs to be made in arguing Stockton as the better of the two point guards is that he statistically made everyone around him better than they had been previous to being his teammate. One of many examples of this would be Bryon Russell.

Bryon Russell was a fine basketball player at California State University, Long Beach. After being drafted by the Jazz, he enjoyed nine full seasons in Utah with John Stockton as his point guard. While on the team, Russell averaged 497 shots per season, and made an average of 47% of those shots. After leaving Utah and playing for three other teams, Russell averaged only 267 shots per season, and was successful on only 37% of them. With Stockton as his point guard, Russell was taking more shots per season, which shows that Stockton was able to create more open shots for him. This is backed by the shooting percentage statistic which shows Russell made 47% of his shots while in Utah; a direct result of his being wide open because of Stockton’s ability to draw defenders in close to him, and then pass it to the unguarded Russell. The statistics show that once Russell left Utah and had point guard other than Stockton passing him the ball and running his team’s offense, Russell was no longer shooting the ball as well, or as often. This was undoubtedly due to the fact that the guards he was then playing with were unable to create as many open shots for him as Stockton had earlier in Bryon’s career. (Basketball-Reference.com, Players)

As stated earlier, the numbers do not lie. Yes, Steve Nash is a fantastic point guard in his own right. He does even have very similar game techniques and statistics comparable to those of John Stockton. However, the assists record Stockton holds, and the statistics which show Stockton actually made other players around him better, prove that John Stockton was indeed the better point guard between the two. He is a legend, and will forever be etched in the history books as one of the greatest players to ever enter the NBA. While Nash will surely retire with grand accolades of his own and a spot in the Hall of Fame, he will never be able to statistically conquer the great John Stockton.

ESPN.com's Mock NBA Lottery Draft 2010

ESPN.com (Chad Ford) has a page where you can simulate the lottery picks for the upcoming NBA draft. I ran it ten times, and here are the results the Utah Jazz came out with:

PICK #
#6: 70%
#7: 20%
#3: 10%

PLAYER
Wes Johnson (Syracuse, SF): 50%
Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest, SF): 40%
DeMarcus Cousins (Kentucky, PF): 10%

Wes Johnson's career stats:
http://stats.syracuse.com/cbk/players.asp?id=60093&team=553
Al-Farouq Aminu's career stats:
http://wakeforestsports.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/wake/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/career-stats0809
DeMarcus Cousin's career stats:
http://bigbluehistory.net/bb/Statistics/Cousins_DeMarcus.html

-By the looks of this system, the Jazz are thought to be looking for a small forward; this thought process is most likely driven by the recent departure of Ronnie Brewer, Andrei Kirilenko's contract expires in 2012, and past AK on the depth chart there really isn't another TRUE small forward on the roster.
-Stating the Obvious: Don't get your hopes up about Cousins; he'll be gone LONG before the Jazz make it to the podium
-Previous to this season, I would have thought the Jazz would be looing for a shooting guard this draft, with Korver going elsewhere, CJ Miles is not working out, and there was no such thing as a Wesley Mathews. However, Korver has certainly proven he's vital to the team's success (I think the Jazz will resign him), and Mathews came out of nowhere and made a name for himself as well. And then there's Miles, who for whatever reason, seems to be a favorite of Jerry Sloan, so.....
-Whatever happens, it's still a long way off in the future. But still kind of fun to play around with......

INTERESTING NOTES:
-In all ten mock drafts, the New Jersey Nets had the #1 pick, and all ten times selected PG John Wall of Kentucky.

-In all ten mock drafts, PG Evan Turner of Ohio State was selected #2 overall, and DeMarcus Cousins (see above) #3 overall.