The trade deadline is two weeks away. Unlike Major League Baseball, most NBA trades occur during the offseason. Yet, in the past week, two bold trades were made by competing Western Conference powers. While the Memphis Grizzlies and Miami Heat each received some talent, the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns obtained a couple big-name players: Pau Gasol and Shaquille O'Neal. The last NBA Champions to not have an All-Star caliber offensive post player were the Chicago Bulls (whose best offensive post player during six championship seasons was Toni Kukoc, who was more of a slasher and sharpshooter than an inside threat). The Rockets had Olajuwon; the Spurs had Robinson and Duncan; the Lakers and the Heat both had Shaq; and the Pistons had Rasheed Wallace. While the Suns have Amare Stoudemire and had Shawn Marion, neither draws attention on the court like Shaq. The Lakers, meanwhile, have not had an All-Star big man since O'Neal left town. Thus, the moves to pick up talented veteran big men may have positioned the Lakers and Suns for deep playoff runs.
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, ...