Aside from the Pacers, their management, and their die-hard fans, most people following the league probably predicted the Pacers to start 1-2 or 0-3. Yet, they find themselves at 3-0 to start the year, with big home wins over Eastern Conference foes Washington and Miami. The opening game win over Washington came with star forward Jemaine O'Neal sitting out while resting an ailing knee. Although it is still early, perhaps Indiana has more in store for the rest of the league.
In accordance with the release of the new NBA 2K11 basketball video game, legendary Chicago Bulls shooting guard Michael Jordan has returned to the media's spotlight. That is, Michael Jordan has caught the sports world's attention by saying that today's NBA rules would have allowed him to score 100 points in a game. No one is questioning Michael Jordan's uncanny ability to make plays, create shots, and score points. Michael Jordan is right in saying that, overall, today's rules favor offensive players, particularly guards. Much less contact is allowed in defensive play; some of what was legal when Jordan played (such as forearms and handchecking) is now deemed personal foul-worthy. Furthermore, with a 30-team league, talent is spread out more than it used to be, and players--while on average are more athletic today--come into the league much less fundamentally sound. However, Michael Jordan has forgotten about the re-emergence of zone defense in the NBA. True,