Igromo's NBA Truths and 2012 Yearly awards

After watching a couple of playoff games this past weekend I was reminded of what the game of basketball used to be and what it has evolved into today. Today's game consist of flopping, technicals for bullshit, players whining after every call, and offenses that revolve around pick and roll, three point shooting and hero ball. Coaches are at the mercy of their players and actually have little to know authoritative power at all. Everyone wants to play with their boys or take their talents to South Beach to try and form super alliances because of  the fear of failure. The game used to be about uptempo vs half court. Toughness vs finesse. East vs West. There were no layup rules and everyone understood that if you went into the paint you were going to pay a price. If you were a 7 footer your ass played in the paint and you were a center. Ball handling was done by your PG who was responsible for quarterbacking your team. Trash talking was not only encouraged but it brought out the best in players and enhanced rivalries. Friendships were put on hold until after the season, because guys wanted to win not make it rain together. The greats competed in the 3pt contest and slam dunk contest, because they wanted to have bragging rights and be regarded as the best in their profession. Now don't get me wrong  today's athlete's are some of the greatest to ever play the game and they are taking the game to new heights, but at what expense.Franchises are being held hostage by star players, coaches are being fired one year after winning coach of the year, everyone wants to play in a big market and superstars care more about their so called brands than winning and losing. When played properly and for the right reasons basketball is second to none in terms of skill, athleticism, showmanship and entertainment. I'm not asking for basketball to go back to the way it used to be, but in order for the sport to properly evolve it must first remember the principles and players that made it the global institution that it is today and hold onto that foundation and build upon it. To put in terms that you might understand. Jay Z does not need Diddy to remix Reasonable Doubts for him, because it is a classic, but there is nothing wrong with working with Kanye on a new project to expand his all around style.

• MVP: LeBron James 27.9 pts 7.9 reb 6.2 ast - He had better numbers in 2009, but he was more efficient this year. Take the star off of your favorite team and insert LeBron in his place and tell me if your team is better or not. Enough said.
• ROY: Kyrie Irving 18.4 pts 3.8 reb 4 ast
• COACH OF THE YEAR: Glenn "Doc Rivers Boston Celtics
• DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Dwight Howard
• OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kevin Love 26 pts 13.4 reb 4 off reb a game and they don't call plays for him
• 1ST TEAM ALL NBA: Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant,Kevin Durant,LeBron James,Dwight Howard
• 2ND TEAM ALL NBA:Russell Westbrook,Dwayne Wade,Kevin Love,LaMarcus Aldridge,Andrew Bynum
• The Knicks will never win a ring with Carmello Anthony as its centerpiece. He is not as good as his Olympic counterparts and he does not make his teammates better.. In order for him to succeed he must have a team built around him similar to the one Allen Iverson had when he went to the finals with Philly.Melo is the ultimate ball stopper and unless he is dropping buckets he brings little in the way of play making for others and defensive prowess. The Knicks were better off with the team they had prior to Melo coming with Amare as their focal point and athletic wing man in the form of Gallinari and Chandler. The Knicks have talent. Carmelo is just not the guy to get the best out of them.
• For a man that is about to win his 3rd MVP can someone tell me why there are no so called LeBron stoppers or defensive strategies designed to limit his effectiveness. Jordan had people such as John Starks, Gerald Wilkins, Joe Dumars and Byron Russell who thought they could stop him. Hell Chuck Daly invented a defensive system just to try and slow his ass down called the Jordan Rules.Kobe has had Ruben Patterson,Shane Battier,Bruce Bowen, and Raja Bell as guys whose sole purpose in life was to slow The Mamba down yet LeBron has no one to speak of. One of those things that make you say hhhhhmmmmmmmmmm
• Why do teams that are successful running their offense for the first 45 minutes of games switch to isolation's and pick and rolls in the last 3 minutes of games? Defending 5 players to me is a lot more difficult than defending 1 0r 2. You do the math.
• The NBA is slowly but surely turning into the NFL as far as the post season is concerned. The Heat played poorly down the stretch and the Lakers played up and down all year, yet analysists like their chances in the playoffs. Why play 82 games if all it amounts to is one more game being played in your building. The Spurs threw games all year and they have the best record in the league, yet they are not the favorites to win it all. Confused yet. Well you should be, because I damn sure am.
• I'M OUT LIKE AMARE AND THE KNICKS.