Stephen Jackson got what he wanted essentially and was recently let go by the Golden State Warriors and traded to the Charlotte Bobcats. Good for him and good for the Warriors, letting go their often disgruntled forward. If we take a look back at Jackson when he was actually good, he did produce and helped the Warriors in their playoff run when Baron Davis was orchestrating the flow. When Jackson first entered the league, he was a member of the New Jersey Nets in 2000. He then was shipped to the Spurs for a two year stint, Atlanta for one and Indiana for two. Golden State then entered the mix as I mentioned, where he has spent the last three seasons.

Coach Don Nelson and Jackson became pretty taught with each other during the past year and a half and that really had an impact on the trade to Charlotte. Why does Jackson have the attitude of a god’s gift to the world type of person? Hear me out on this one Mr. Jackson, you just aren’t that good. Watching the Bobcats in action last night was not a breath of fresh air or a happy moment in my life. You would think that getting a player in a trade that can supposedly shoot the ball very efficient and be tough on the court at the same time would spark interest. Nope. Stephen Jackson does not have it anymore.


The trade to Charlotte was merely a move to keep him happy while he still makes a comfortable living. Face it, the guy will not win anything nor make it close to a playoff run in his career again. The Bobcats fit Jackson perfectly if anyone wants to know. Their lackluster offense with forced shots and non-rhythmic flow are Jackson’s favorite. Whenever Jackson can get his in the offense, he is happy. Last night for example he put on a display for 26 points, but shot 21 times. The next closest shot attempt was 11!

With this in mind, what happens next for the Bobcats? Gerald Wallace has been the prime offensive weapon, averaging 16 points per night and making that a franchise best. Tyson Chandler is a big guy down low who is athletic enough to score. D.J. Augustine and Raymond Felton both like to shoot the rock in the offense. Put that all on hold because the unhappy, me type of player is in town. Jackson shot over double teams and forced the issue countless times last night. Just by watching the game, it was clear he needs to get his stats.


Actually this is pretty sad for a player who was able to thrive in the Warriors’ offense with Davis and Monta Ellis playing at a fast pace. The confusing part of this scenario is that Jackson left the Warriors who possess the athletic talents of Ellis, Kelena Azubiuke, Corey Maggette and the highly touted shooter in Stephen Curry. Seems like a fit to me. Just remember that as much as a fan you are and follower of a player or team, this is a business. Players whine, bicker and stomp their feet when they don’t get their way. Jackson did that and look what happened. A trade. Now you can watch the Bobcats struggle to win games and Jackson’s face repeatedly scrunch in frustration.

What is Larry Brown to expect from his team now? Give the ball to Jackson and let him go to work. That’s what you can expect because if that doesn’t happen, Mr. Jackson will make the front page again for wanting another trade until he gets what he wants. Listen, Jackson has been a double digit point scorer eleven out of the thirteen seasons he’s taken the floor. I don’t shun that stat out the door. He did win a title in San Antonio in the 2002-2003 season. He also was surrounded by a plethora of talent in Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and the Admiral himself, David Robinson. The Indiana Pacer incident in Detroit stemmed from his time with their organization when he entered the stands with Ron Artest to take on some fans. Jackson has been notorious for his countless run ins with referees that lead to technical fouls.

The final verdict here is that the guy just doesn’t have what it takes. He’s a shoot first, no defense kind of guy who needs to get his. Have fun Charlotte and I bid you all the luck in the world. Hopefully the team can find their cohesive niche. In the meantime, Mr. Jackson, I hope you enjoy playing for a losing franchise and getting yours.

Let’s face it people, the Washington Wizards have been nothing but sub-par the last few years. Playing in the Eastern Conference where the talent has flooded recently with the likes of Boston, Cleveland, Orlando and even Atlanta, the Wizards have been non-existent. Last night marked the first time in a while in which they went out and just pounded a team. That team by the way was led by King James himself with the new addition of the, “Shaq Daddy.” This wasn’t supposed to happen. Or was it?

Listen, I watch a lot of NBA and love the game. I am a lowly Knicks fan and take pride in that. But Washington, if healthy can make some real noise in the East Division this year. Mark that down. Gilbert Arenas is back and for the most part healthy. Antawn Jamison showed his worth by pouring in 31 points in his first game returning from an injury. When you look at this roster, how can you not be excited as a basketball fan? The additions of Randy Foye, Mike Miller and now the little man, Earl Boykins presents an endless opportunity for an uptempo style of offense. Arenas, also known as Hibatchi can shoot the rock from basically anywhere in the arena and light up the scoreboard. With Jamison back, the Wizards are now able to experience from his inside/outside style of play. Let’s not forget the likes of Caron Butler who can get out and finish on the break along with knock down the long all.

Those are they key three players really to watch because for them to be on the same page means the team will go as they do. Now, inside the paint for the Wizards lies a huge body in Brendan Haywood. Haywood may not pose as a big time scoring threat but you can believe his 13 rebounds against the Cavaliers allowed for some easy transition buckets and second chance opportunities. His counter part, Andre Blatche has shown he can hit the mid range jump shot and also stick his nose in the middle of the tall maples roaming around to sniff out rebounds as well. Miller is a streaky shooter and has been his whole career, but look out when he hits his streak because you can bet the Wizards will enjoy a lot more W’s moving through the season.

Looking at the Eastern Conference as a whole, the Wizards really do control their own destiny. You can already tell that the Celtics, Cavs, Magic, Miami, Orlando and even the Hawks may indeed be playoff bound. Don’t forget there are eight teams that qualify from each division. Competing with possibly Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee and even Toronto may present itself. Give me a healthy Wizards line up the for the better part of the season and get healthy for the stretch run and I’ll book it! With the health and chemistry of these dynamic offensive weapons on tap, the Wizards have all the ability in the world for a nice season and I look forward to seeing them match up against the better half of the East come post season time.

The New York Knicks and Allen Iverson have something in common. The last few years of their lives have been nothing short of disastrous. Iverson has endured a downward slide in his career after leaving the Philadelphia 76ers and heading to Denver. While in Denver he struggled to help propel the Mile High City to playoff dominance, while playing alongside the likes of Carmelo Anthony. After his stint in Denver, he was shipped to Detroit in exchange for Chauncey Billups. This did not work out at all and Iverson did not see much playing time at all. His bickering and moaning about practice made others uneasy around the locker room and eventually led to his termination from that franchise. Finally, this season Iverson was picked up by the Memphis Grizzlies who are thriving with young talent. O.J. Mayo, Mike Conley, Rudy Gay and the addition of Zack Randolph left very little space for Iverson to play the way he is accustomed to. His game consists of getting his shots in the offense and not coming off the bench.

So looking at the scenario that has played out, Iverson was released from Memphis recently. Now, Donnie Walsh and the Knicks are reported to be in talks with Iverson to possibly lure the future Hall-of-Famer to the Big Apple. This wouldn't be all so bad when you think about the way the Knicks' franchise has been in the last few years. They haven't made the playoffs or even contended for that matter. Their struggles with front office, coaching and players has led to imploding situations time and time again. Just look at what the Stephon Marbury saga brought to the all around aura of the Knicks franchise. So the debate amongst many fans is if Iverson is a good fit or not for this franchise because he too, has had attitude problems and history of not getting along with people within an organization. Here's why he will be a good fit.

1. Iverson is an offensive specialist who can score on anyone. He has proved time and time again he can put up points and basically put a team on his shoulders when the game is on the line. Look at what he did in Philadelphia when he took on Shaq and Kobe in the finals. Iverson had nothing short of mediocre talent surrounding him at that point in time and was able to show his toughness and willingness to compete at a high level. With that in mind, the Knicks need that toughness on the floor because quite frankly, right now they have none. There is not one person on the Knicks' roster who brings it every night and demands respect on the floor. Sure one or two players may have good games here and there, but teams go into Madison Square Garden expecting to add another W to their record without even a fear of losing.

2. Do I believe Iverson would be a disgruntled, uncooperative player for this team? No. Mike D'Antoni's run and gun system will allow Iverson to have the ball in his hands to make plays and also allow him to run off the ball for open jumpers. Iverson's penetration ability will be on full display and can create shots for himself or others. With Nate Robinson, Al Harrington, Danillo Gallinari able to knock down the long jumpers, this drive and draw ability will open up avenues for better offense. Also, the return of Eddy Curry around the corner could be a positive aspect that will allow Iverson to run pick and rolls create opportunities in the paint.

3. With the idea of landing a huge free agent player in the off season, signing Iverson for the rest of this year would not hurt. The younger players can have the opportunity to get used to playing with a star for once. Also, the opportunity to win more ball games can help develop the winning attitude again that has slowly and painfully vacated the arena many see as the Mecca of Basketball. Winning and playing alongside the star has tremendous upside for this franchise and when the time comes next summer, the organization can make moves and develop their game plan for landing a big time player.

If Iverson does land in a Knicks uniform sometime in the near future, it really couldn't hurt. Could it? I mean Knicks fans have to be sick of losing by now could use a little bit of positive rebuilding in their life. After all, Iverson can light up the scoreboard at any given time and provide at least a dynamic show for the Broadway Crowd.

The Philadelphia 76ers are preparing for a showdown at home, tomorrow night against the Utah Jazz. The Sixers are coming off a grind-it-out win at New Jersey where Marreese Speights had the game winning three point play with just over a minute to play. Utah was the victim of a 105-86 drubbing at the hands of the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.

Coming into the game, Utah boasts a valuable point guard in Deron Williams who has the ability to score and penetrate. Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur are good shooting big men with Okur displaying more range than that of Boozer. The Sixers need to come out and play with urgency early to establish the tempo of the game. Andre Iguodala and Louis Williams need to push the ball and try to pick up easy transition points to give the Sixers a bit of a cushion in the half court.

The big factor coming into the game is if Elton Brand can break out of his early season funk and just play basketball. Enough thinking about his previous injuries and playing with a sense of caution. For Brand to produce like the player he was brought here as, he needs to just go out and ball. If Brand can get going and score 15 to 18 points in this contest, the rest of the Sixers can feed off his newly renowned energy and make a push for the victory.

Match ups:

Louis Williams vs. Deron Williams- Deron Williams is surely the more potent point guard in this match up with his ability to create off the dribble and nail the jump shot. Louis Williams needs to take Deron out of his comfort zone early and show him that he is indeed going to work for every bucket.

Thaddeus Young vs. Andrei Kirilenko- Young has been playing well thus far and has that uncanny court awareness about himself. He often does not force shots and takes what the defense gives him. Kirilenko has been known to be a good shot blocker so taking him off the dribble will be a valuable route for Young to take. The result of this avenue can lead to foul trouble for Kirilenko.

Samuel Dalembert vs. Mehmet Okur- Okur has the ability to stretch the defense with his pin point accuracy from beyond the three point range. Dalembert needs to seek help on switches with his teammates in order to stay in the painted area for rebounding help. This will also eliminate the chance of Okur going off the dribble and catching Dalembert on his heels and committing fouls.

Elton Brand vs. Carlos Boozer- Brand has not measured up to his ability thus far. Boozer is a strong guy who can face up and finish at the rim. Brand needs to bring his A game and begin playing his old style of tough-man basketball. If Brand does not come out strong and quick, Boozer may just have his way.

Andre Iguodala vs. Ronnie Brewer- Iguodala is vastly one of the most underrated forwards in the game today. He has improved his ability to rise up and hit the jump shot along with his ability to go off the dribble and flush it down on defenders. Iguodala also possesses the ability to rebound the ball and start the fast break. Brewer is quick and has good defensive technique. I won’t worry too much about his ability to score points on Iguodala just yet.

Tonight marked the start of college basketball in the area of Scranton, Pennsylvania. I ventured to check out a game that featured a friend and teammate of mine at one point. The two teams that took the floor are considered Division III institutions with one being a branch campus of a major university and the other an area technical school. The branch campus team displayed around three to four decent athletes on the floor, while the technical school had one to two. The issue with this scenario is not who has the most athletes, but who uses their given talent the best.

After the game started, both teams were immediately turnover prone. The basic movements and motions that are taught at a young age in the game were being violated. Traveling, double-dribbles, terrible passing were all visible at a high degree. The most annoying trend in the game was the use of the mid range jumper. As I say the use of the jumper, I should say non-use because players of all ages have fallen in love with the three point shot. It was evident as I watched warm ups. Between both of the teams, I counted twelve total players who automatically ran to the three point line and started hoisting shots. Both layup lines were turned into a catapult contest to see who can make it rain from deep. The result wasn't too promising and the players got a good laugh at each others misfortunes.

Watching the actual game gave me the last laugh because both teams played down right, terrible basketball. Time after time players would run their man off screens so far beyond the three point line that the offense wasn't even run. Then, players would shoot the rock like they were reminiscing Reggie Miller's last second heroics. The sound, "clank," became so instilled in the half filled gymnasium that it was really the only sound I heard. With this in mind, the branch campus team who should have been ahead by a huge amount only posted close to 30 points in the first half.

Why do players love the three point shot so much? I have no idea, but I bet teams at this level of play and younger would benefit to using the basics to their advantage. Coming off of a curl screen at the elbow should be a money shot for any guard or big man for that matter. Having the ability to score in the mid range allows for lanes to open up to the basket using a pump fake, or just plain taking it strong to the tin. More teams would get to the foul line and limit transition baskets. But no, long rebounds are created due to constant heat checks from players who think they look like Jordan holding their finish for the camera.

The three point shot is a nice weapon to have and when it does drop, people go crazy. The three ball presents the opportunity to push the lead to considerable margins and put a team away. Okay, I get that. But how about improving your shooting percentage and taking higher percentage shots, while getting back on defense to stop the other team. This too is an easier and more logical way to stay in games as well as put games away. It's miserable to watch three after three because quite frankly, I can watch that at a pick up game in the park. These are programs coached by teachers of the game and still they don't get it.

The ability of the mid range game also can improve a team's foul shooting percentage. Tonight's free throw shooting was next to none in the department of disgusting. Why? Because players are too busy shooting three upon three and have not developed range for even the mid range jumper yet. The foul line is in the hot spot of this valuable shot. You think if a team can master their mid range game, their free throws may improve? I do. In the end it comes down to using all your offensive weapons to their fullest potential. With teams and programs all over the country playing ball this season, I hope some take notice and improve on this skill. If not, then fans and teams will experience a lot of, "clank," sounds from the land of not so plenty.

Today marks a very important day in the United States as we get together and celebrate the service that our men and women have performed to keep America safe. Veterans Day is what I am talking about. So first and foremost, thank you to all the veterans out there and your courageous, gracious efforts you have instilled in today's service men and women as we move forward, still keeping America safe. God Bless.

On the Veteran's Day schedule tonight, there are a slew of games to be watched and chosen from. I am going to give you the top five games I am going to be focusing on tonight and a run down on each match up.

1. Cleveland vs. Orlando- This game has all the makings to be something special because it is a rematch of last season's Eastern Conference finals. The Magic over came Cleveland and went on to represent the East in the Finals against Kobe and the Lakers. The Cavaliers have not really hit full stride early on with the addition of Shaquille O'Neal in the middle. Also, Delonte West has returned from his off season mishaps and personal problems to help balance the offensive attack. Tonight, the Magic are coming off a convincing win at Charlotte where Vince Carter made his surprise return. Dwight Howard is more athletic and agile under the rim than any of the Cavaliers' big men and I look for him to have a possible 20 and 20 type of performance. My pick: Magic at home in a close one by four.

2. Utah vs. Boston- On to Bean Town we roll for a good match up of two good point guards in Deron Williams of the Jazz and Rajon Rondo for the Celtics. Each player is the catalyst is starting the offense and getting players their open shots. Tonight's game will be a matter of making the better decisions and limiting each others offensive skill set with solid defense. Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko need to score in double figures to give Utah that offensive edge. In the end, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Rondo are too strong at home for the Jazz and come away with a ten point victory.

3. Dallas vs. San Antonio- The Spurs really laid an egg last week on the road against the Jazz. Watching the game it didn't seem that it was the same Spurs team projected in the preseason. Richard Jefferson really needs to step up his scoring when he is on the floor to open up more opportunities for Manu Ginobili. Duncan has those old knees now and isn't as agile like he once was. Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks are enjoying their 5-2 start and look to keep that mark climbing tonight. Jason Kidd is really doing a great job as always getting his teammates into the flow of the game. Jason Terry, Eric Dampier and the returning Josh Howard all seem to have one sight in common, and that's winning ball games. Nowitzki and the Mavericks go on the road and get it done, while the Spurs still try to iron out their creases. Dallas wins by 12.

4. New Orleans vs. Phoenix- The two best point guards in the game square off tonight in sunny Arizona. The struggling Hornets are just 3-5 this season behind the direction of Chris Paul and his frustration has been noted. Steve Nash and the Suns on the other hand are in total control at 7-1 and look to keep that mark going. Twice last week, Nash was able to deal out 20 assists on two separate occasions. Jason Richardson and Channing Frye have been taking care of the three point duties, while Stoudemire is holding down the action in the paint. Paul will need a big performance from his perimeter shooters in Peja Stojakovic and Morris Peterson. Devin Brown is coming off a 25 point performance against the Clippers and another performance like that would certainly help. In the end, the Suns take this one considerably by 15 tonight at home against the Hornets.

5. Chicago vs. Toronto- I chose this game for one reason. That reason is to see how well the Bulls can forget about their close loss at home last night at the buzzer against the Nuggets and put together another solid performance. Good teams need to have the ability to play with a short memory. Last night's loss could have an effect on this team and it could not. This is where we find out the Bulls true identity. Joakim Noah is next to none in the rebounding category this year because he is simply owning the paint night in and night out. Derrick Rose is playing well and getting to the rim when he needs to. I look for Chris Bosh and Noah to have a battle under the boards tonight. With Toronto's new addition of Hedo Turkoglu from the Magic, the Bulls will need to respect his outside shooting ability. Coming off a loss last night, I'm going to take the Bulls because I believe Kirk Hinrich will score more than six points tonight and find his shooting stroke early. Bulls win by seven.

First and foremost, I would like to say that having the ability to stream live NBA games right on the computer is an awesome things. Tonight featured a last second call in Chicago, Dwyane Wade lighting up Washington and Dallas putting up 121 points. In the last game of the night, Kevin Durant and the Thunder took the court in Sacramento to try and stop the two game winning streak the Kings have going. Take note that the Kings have won two straight without their best offensive weapon on the floor in Kevin Martin.

With everything aside, Oklahoma City insists on keeping teams in the game. I know you're going to say their defense is nonexistent like in previous seasons, but you are wrong. Their defense is not the problem here. The problem that the Thunder face is too much one-on-one play at the offensive end. When you look at this game tonight, Durant was able to put up 37 points and score at will like a man on a mission. True. But, how about in the third quarter when he came out and hit six straight shots to get the Thunder back into the flow of the game? Pretty impressive. Durant was 18-for-18 from the free throw line and was able to take his man off the dribble whenever he wanted.

In the fourth quarter, however, the offense didn't go through Durant. There were four straight possessions down the floor in which Durant did not touch the ball on offense and ill advised shots were on full display. Russell Westbrook tries to create too much with too little space. Jeff Green had not found a shooting touch for the life of him in the fourth quarter. Nenad Krstic, well that's enough said. The point is Durant was on fire and unstoppable and there was no urgency to get him the ball. After coming off a screen, the play had already gone the opposite direction and failed almost 100 percent of the time.

Kevin Durant needs the ball most of the time down the floor. He can create double teams and allow cutters to dive to the basket and create fouls and easy opportunities. When he is not factored into the offense, the defense guards their man straight up and sags off Durant on penetration attempts, causing a cluster of bodies in the lane and forced turnovers. His 37 point performance was impressive because he can create something out of nothing. His shooting numbers were not impressive with a 9-for-23 showing. That doesn't tell it all. His 18 free throw attempts could have easily been in the twenties and essentially keeping his team within one to two points down the stretch. Instead, the Thunder struggled with missed shots and long rebounds lost while facing a five to six point deficit. That deficit in turn allowed for a 101-98 loss on the road at the hands of the Kings who have now won three straight.