Sterling Gets LIFE

Technically, Adam Silver has been the NBA Commissioner since February 1st, but yesterday he finally got a chance to earn his stripes. He hasn't been faced with many challenges until the recent racial comments by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Commissioner Silver laid down the law by banning Sterling for life from the NBA, and fining him $2.5 million (maximum under NBA Constitution). All eyes have been on this situation since TMZ received the audio of the conversation between Sterling and his girlfriend. In this audio, Sterling made it clear that he felt minorities were inferior, and that he didn't want his girlfriend bringing African Americans to his games. These comments didn't come as a shock to some due to the fact that Sterling has had a history of alleged racism towards minorities. He's been sued for housing discrimination, and a wrongful termination suit was filed against him by the legendary Elgin Baylor who had served as General Manager for 22 years. There's a saying that goes "what's done in the dark will eventually come to the light," and I believe that's exactly what has happened with Sterling.

I truly do believe that there are more owners in the sports world that have the same ideas and thoughts as Sterling. Unfortunately for Sterling, he's the first one to get caught and be made an example. Some people feel as though how can you punish a man by making him sell a team that's now worth over $500 million, but to me it's about making a stand. Sterling may be rich financially, but he's poor in so many other areas that money can't buy. By making him sell the Clippers the NBA would be showing that this type of ignorance will not be tolerated. I applaud Commissioner Adam Silver for his disciplinary actions towards Donald Sterling. For many this is just the beginning, and justice won't be served until Sterling is forced to sell the Clippers and I couldn't agree any more.

UNDER THE RADAR

With two games remaining in the regular season the San Antonio Spurs sit on top of the Western Conference with a modest 62-18 record. Not to mention the 19 game winning streak that was just snapped just over a week ago. Greg Popovich, who in my eyes is the best coach in the NBA just continues to get the most out of his players no matter the circumstance. With all the media attention in the NBA going to teams such as the Heat, Knicks, Thunder, Lakers, and Pacers the Spurs seem to just keep piling up W's. Tim Duncan has turned to the fountain of youth, while Manu Ginobili is being his usual self, and Tony Parker continues to be the playmaker that he is on the perimeter. These Spurs aren't the most athletically gifted team in the league by any means, but they have their execution and fundamentals they rely on every night to keep them in games. With the Playoffs just under a week away the Spurs have as good a chance as any team to win it all. However, I do believe that there are a few teams that can give them trouble along the way. Those teams being the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers, and the Houston Rockets. Here's a look at the Spurs record versus these teams during the regular season.

• 0-4 vs. Thunder
• 0-3 vs. Rockets (Final meeting tonight at 7:00PM on NBATV)
• 2-1 vs. Clippers

I'll be the first person to tell you that regular season wins don't necessarily translate to winning in the Playoffs, but it's all about matchups. As great as the Spurs are they tend to struggle against teams that are more athletic. Out of these three teams the two that I believe the Spurs will have the most trouble with are the Clippers and Thunder. In my pre-season predictions I had the Rockets in the Western Conference Finals, but they have shown that they can't guard a nosebleed and that type of defense won't get it done in the Playoffs, especially against the Spurs. However, the Thunder just seem to have that firepower with Durant and Westbrook that I don't believe the Spurs will be able to match. Many people aren't believers in the Clippers just yet, but I do think Blake Griffin has improved tremendously and his improvement along with DeAndre Jordan is what can take the Clippers to the next level. While the Spurs have maintained to stay under the radar once again, their road back to the NBA Finals won't be an easy one. The Western Conference is stacked, and will be MUST SEE TV come April 19th. The Playoffs are finally right around the corner, and I can't wait!!! I LOVE THIS GAME!

A NEW BREED

It's every childhood basketball player's dream to play in the NBA. At a young age you're taught the fundamentals of the game and are told that with these fundamentals, hard work, and dedication you can go a long way. Unfortunately, in this new era of basketball it seems that the fundamentals have been completely thrown out the window. From high school all the way up to the NBA it's obvious that the fundamentals aren't being taught, and being athletic is the only aspect that matters. Whether you want to admit it or not, the NBA brand is suffering with these players entering the draft early when they clearly aren't ready. While some of you may be sad that the NCAA Tournament is coming to a close tomorrow night I will be relieved in some ways. From terrible free throw shooting, lack of court awareness, and just flat out poor execution watching these games can be more frustrating than entertaining to watch. There were so many examples of these scenarios happening in the tournament, but one that sticks out in my mind is the game between Iowa State and North Carolina.  ISU's DeAndre Kane put the Cyclones up 85-83 with 1.8 left in the game. You would think right after the basket one of the Tar Heels would've signaled for a timeout to orchestrate one last play, but that wasn't the case. UNC raced the ball to half court before calling a timeout. With so little time on the clock by the time UNC got the ball to the half court the game was over. Not to just pick on the college kids but even at the pro level these superstars lack fundamentals as well. When I was younger I was taught never jump to pass the basketball and stay away from one hand cross court passes. You see these exact things happen all too often while watching NBA games. You can look at the best player in the world LeBron James and see even he lacks fundamental discipline on the court. With the younger kids looking up to these NBA players they tend to often imitate what they see their favorite player do on the court, whether it's good or bad.

 This upcoming NBA draft has developed hype with the anticipation that players such as Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker will go pro. With Wiggins declaring for the draft not too long ago people are awaiting Parker's decision. Personally, I believe Wiggins could use more development on the college level as well as Parker. There's speculation that Parker is leaning towards coming back for another season at Duke which I would be a great move. Don't get me wrong though, I would never knock a player for leaving college early for a chance to provide for their families, but at the same time college basketball isn't what it use to be with all these one and done players. The lack of player development in the NBA is one of the reasons I believe Commissioner Adam Silver may raise the age limit for players to enter the NBA. What ever happened to the back to the basket big men? The mid range jumper? The only answer I have is that these fundamentals are no longer being taught at a young age and it's a shame. Bring back the fundamentals!