The difference between Wisdom and Wizdumb

The Spur of Greatness

The Spurs are mad old, but, with age comes wisdom.

(Sorry, side bar. During Wizards games they have a wide variety of acts during timeouts and halftime. As I sat during the second half of the Spurs-Wizards a high school dance group runs onto the floor during a timeout. Some over-zealous teenage boy decides it would be cute to all the little girlies in the building if he did some flips as his introduction. Good idea, poor execution. As he flipped past mid-court he over estimated his available space and landed his last one on top of the scorers table. Not cool. Paris Hilton would say, “That’s not hot.”)

Back to Spurs wisdom.

The Spurs have developed a winning formula over the years focused heavily on defense and Tim Duncan. It’s a formula that they have found success with since the days of David Robinson. Draft a big man and build a winner around him. Throw in an older player (i.e. Manu Ginobli and Avery Johnson – different people, same concept.)

The only problem with there system is that it is running thin. The Spurs roster averages 29 years old. That’s old, considering that Atlanta’s average age is 23 years old. They can always rest easy in the fact that Jay-Z thinks 30 is the new 20.

The Spurs remind me of pick-up games with my dad and his crew. They all had game at some point but bad knees and the onslaught of rigor mortis has made them foul happy jump shooters. Yet, in spite of all they have the nastiest jumpers you’ll ever see outside of 20 feet.

They play to there abilities. They know that Tim Duncan can’t run the up and down style that Ginobli and Tony Parker want to play. They know that Robert Horry is a second half player and Ginobli is better off the bench. They have the best team in the league year after year because there smarter than everyone else. Period!

Would the real team leader please stand up?

The Wizards recent slump has everything to do with Gilbert Arenas.

The players are tired of his antics and new found love of self. After last nights loss to Portland Arenas had nerve to blame Eddie Jordan for only dropping nine points. Apparently, focusing on defense causes you to lack offensive ability.

WHAT?

That would be like Dirk Nowitzki saying that his range went down because Avery Johnson taught him how to play in a 2-2-1 zone. Defense is a part of the game. If you’re not able to shoot jay birds on one end and keep your hands up on the other you shouldn’t be an All-star or an MVP candidate. In my mind you are struggling to be an NBA baler without those talents.

Arenas is treading a very thin line. It seems that his Zeroness is starting to, as my grandmother would say, smell his fur. Arenas is showing signs of T.O. like behavior. Ignored your entire life, shown some love, lose your damn mind!

His behavior has become a distraction to the team. He’s making a spectacle of himself. The guy starts hot and now he’s predicting points, shifting blame, and making a mockery of the one organization that believes in him. Grow up!

The world isn’t against you. It was cool to hear your rags to riches story at first. It was inspirational every time you broke a barrier and showed people that you are one of the NBA’s finest. It’s fine to start off as a zero, I did.

My problem with is the guys who finally get attention and like it too much. Act cocky, show swag, strut your stuff on and the court. All of that is perfectly fine. But realize that some young star is out there, just like you were, waiting to get there shine. How can they do that if you’re casting a shadow over the only available light? Time too tap the roots and remember where you came from.

Tomorrow

Should Melo be an All-star? And since when did D-Wade become the leader of the rat pack (anything to blog on the current champs)?