Saturday Slam: The Chicago Bulls should have gone for a 7th title

(Photo: Jack Smith, AP)

Upon finishing The Last Dance, one of the burning questions that remains is whether or not the Chicago Bulls should have gone for a 7th title. Jerry Krause, who was the general manager of the Bulls during their dominant run created a lot of tension between the players and the front office, especially during their final year together. What created so much tension was the fact that the players all knew that the 1997-98 season would be the last year that they would be together. If you watched the 10 part ESPN documentary, you would know that the name "The Last Dance" comes from the nickname that head coach Phil Jackson gave to that season.

They knew this would be their last time together because of Krause and his desire to begin the rebuilding process. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Phil Jackson all would have preferred to give it another go after they won their 6th title. If it was up to them, they would have all come back and chased a 7th title.

While every dynasty must come to an end and front offices need to think about the future, it's odd that Krause was so quick to shut the door on a run for a 7th title. Hell, Krause told Jackson before the season started that he could go 82-0 and he still wouldn't be back. Regardless of how successful the 1997-98 season was to be, it was to be the last that Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen would all be together.

What makes it odd is the fact that the Bulls were still kicking butt. They were just two seasons removed from their historic 72-10 season. While there were some signs of them slowing down a bit, they were still the best team in the NBA. We've often seen players choose on their own to walk away when they're at their peak, but it's another thing for an organization to do so. Especially when that organization historically hasn't been very good.

Before Michael Jordan came onto the scene, the Bulls were not a very good team. They were mediocre to bad. They were the least popular team in Chicago and there was very little buzz around them. The arrival of Jordan changed that, turning them into a franchise that gets mentioned in the same sentence as the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. For them to think that it was totally cool to prematurely end Jordan's run was ludicrous and to this day has proven to be a mistake.

Since Jordan's retirement, the Bulls haven't come close to sniffing another NBA championship. The Derrick Rose era was a little exciting, but fleeting. The Bulls are back to being a bad franchise and there is no sign of them changing course anytime soon.

Going back to the 1997-98 season, considering the success that they were having, the Bulls should have at least remained open to the possibility of one more go with Phil and the gang. When you have such a good thing going, why not ride it out and see how far that wave can take you? 

What makes it all the more difficult to justify the early disbandment is the fact that the 1998-99 season was a lockout year in which only 50 regular season games were played. Jordan and Pippen would have gotten some extra time to rest up and that may have made the difference in their quest for a 7th title. On top of that, the 8th seeded New York Knicks won the Eastern Conference crown. It's hard to think that Jordan and Pippen wouldn't have disposed of them rather easily. As for who they would have met in the NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs proved to be a great dynasty in their own right, but at the time, they were sort of the new kids on the block with Tim Duncan leading the way. In hindsight, one would have to pick the veteran Bulls to snatch one from the Spurs, giving Jordan seven rings and Duncan four.

Now, I don't think the Bulls would have won an eighth title had they come back in the 1999-2000 season given the emergence of the Shaq and Kobe Lakers. The Bulls would have had no answer for Shaq inside and with even more mileage on them, it's fair to wonder if that series would have even been much of a fight. Still, it is fun to think about Jordan's Bulls going up against Shaq and Kobe's Lakers. I mean, had the Bulls actually won, that would have put the Jordan/Kobe debates to rest, right?

To wrap this all up, I think it's clear that the Chicago Bulls should have gone for a 7th title. They had the greatest player of all-time, perhaps the greatest coach of all-time, and would have had a shortened season to give them an edge. Perhaps all things do happen for a reason and that it's fitting things ended the way that they did, but all the same, it does feel like this team had one more dance in them.

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Saturday Slam: How should the 2020 NBA champion be viewed?

The 2019-20 NBA season is tentatively scheduled to resume on July 31st with an NBA Finals ending on October 12th at the latest. The NBA Draft will be October 15th, free agency will start October 18th, 2020-21 training camp November 10th, and the 2020-21 season starting December 1st. These dates are per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The rest of the season is tentatively set to be played at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. All 16 current NBA playoff teams plus six additional teams that are within six games of the final playoff spot in their conference will make up a 22 team field. There is some discussion about what the other eight teams that aren't invited will be doing. At the moment, nothing is planned, but it is possible that they get allowed to do some joint workouts together or form their own summer league kinda thing. For more details on what the rest of the season will look like, click here.

The big question that I think is yet to be addressed much is how should the 2020 NBA champion be viewed? It's a unique season in that the champion will be determined at a neutral site location. Home court advantage won't be a factor. This of course means that lower seeded teams gain an advantage while higher seeded teams are put at a disadvantage. There is some discussion of giving higher seeds other advantages like an extra challenge or an extra foul for their best player, but let's be real, nothing the league can do can make up for home court advantage. Probably the best thing the league can do is give the higher seed a three point advantage in each game or something like that. But that would still feel kinda weird and artificial.

Personally, I think there's no way around the fact that there will be somewhat of an asterisk next to whatever team wins the 2020 NBA championship. Especially if it's a team that comes out of nowhere to win it. I think if one of the higher seeded teams wins it, there will be less of an asterisk, but if a five or six seeded team wins the title, there will be a greater asterisk for sure. I don't think it's totally fair as the playoffs will be played in a traditional best-of-seven format all the way through, but it is what it is.

On the flip side, one could argue that winning in this format and season is even harder and that it will require an even greater mental fortitude. Everyone is given the same set of challenges and whichever team prevails certainly will deserve credit. There also won't be the stink of home cooking from officials, so that in a way will make the games feel more legitimate.

Also, the NBA has had champions in unusual seasons before. The 1998-99 lockout season was a 50 game season in which the top seeded Western Conference team San Antonio Spurs defeated the eighth seeded Eastern Conference team New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. One could just as easily put an asterisk next to the Spurs' 1999 championship. At the time, I think there was some discussion about that, but as time has gone on, that championship has been viewed as legitimate. I think in part because of the fact that the Spurs went on to win four more NBA championships.

I think when it comes to how the 2020 NBA champion will be judged, I think a lot of it will come down to which team wins it and how that team does in subsequent seasons. If say the Milwaukee Bucks win the title and go on to win a few more afterwards with Giannis Antetokounmpo at the helm, I think the 2020 NBA champion will be still be remembered as an oddity, but there won't be much of an asterisk if any next to their name. If instead, a team like the Indiana Pacers shock the world, odds are greater there will be more scrutiny.

Regardless of how the 2020 NBA champion will be viewed, I think it's safe to say that this season will be one to remember and hopefully the most unique season in league history. While I do think odds are high that there will be at least a tiny asterisk next to the champion, I really don't think there should be one. Winning an NBA championship is not easy and if you are able to survive that grind and get across that finish line, you deserve to be remembered as a champion no matter how you got the job done.

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Saturday Slam: Remembering Jerry Sloan

                                         (Credit: Bob Leverone/Getty Images) 

On Friday, the basketball world lost a legend in 78 year-old Jerry Sloan, who averaged 14.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game during his 11-year NBA playing career, 10 of which were spent with the Chicago Bulls. Sloan was drafted 4th overall in the 1965 NBA draft by the Baltimore Bullets before getting selected by the Bulls in the 1966 NBA expansion draft one year later. As a result of being selected by the Bulls in their first season, Sloan received the nickname "The Original Bull." Sloan would go on to make two All-Star teams and six All-Defensive teams with the Bulls, becoming one of the franchise's most iconic players and the first to have his jersey retired (#4).

Known for his toughness and grit, Sloan epitomized what it means to come from the Midwest (McLeansboro, Illinois). He did all the things that a lot of today's players don't want to do: He played defense, he rebounded, he fouled hard, and he never backed down to anyone. Players like Jerry Sloan are a rare breed nowadays and with him no longer with us, it feels like the end of an era.

After a stellar playing career, Sloan took a shot at coaching. After three bumpy seasons as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1979-1982, Sloan joined the Utah Jazz as an assistant under then head coach Frank Layden. After spending four seasons on Layden's staff, Sloan took over the reins in the 1988-89 season. From then on, the rest was history as they say.

During his 23 years as head coach of the Utah Jazz, Sloan had a coaching career that earned him a spot in the Basketball Hall of Fame alongside his two best players, John Stockton and Karl Malone. Together, the trio would take the Utah franchise to new heights, culminating in back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998 where they lost to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, Sloan's former team. Sloan finished his career with 1221 wins, 1127 of which came with the Jazz. Sloan is the 4th winningest coach in NBA history and without a doubt the greatest coach to never win an NBA championship.

The loss of Sloan is dear to my heart because I grew up as a fan of the Utah Jazz. I have fond memories watching Sloan's teams battle in the playoffs. I remember the shot that John Stockton hit to send the Jazz to the NBA Finals in Houston and the look of sheer jubilation on Sloan's face. Those were the teams that first got me interested in basketball.

What stood out to me the most about Sloan during those days was his competitiveness and how much he backed his players. Getting ejected from games felt like a regular occurrence for him as he would loosen his tie and blow up at the refs for a call that they missed or for no reason other than that he just felt like popping off. At the same time, he was always classy in defeat and knew how to connect with his fellow man.

In the end, Jerry Sloan became much more than a great basketball coach. He became an icon in the state of Utah for the way he connected with the state and the passionate Jazz fan base. He gave it his all and demanded the same from his players. He will truly be missed.

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Saturday Slam: Five players who challenge Michael Jordan as the GOAT

                                         (Credit: USA TODAY Sports) 

Given that ESPN's 10 part series "The Last Dance" about Michael Jordan's career is the most exciting thing happening in basketball right now, I thought I would do a blog post about his Royal Airness and those who tried or are still trying to knock him off his perch as the greatest basketball player of all time a.k.a. the GOAT.

In this blog post, I'm not going to argue that someone is the GOAT instead of MJ. I think MJ's career speaks for itself. He led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships, is #1 all-time in points per game (30.1), is #3 all-time in steals (2514), won six NBA Finals MVPs, five regular season NBA MVPs, is a 10x scoring champ, 3x steals champ, 9x All-Defensive, was the 1987-88 Defensive Player of the Year, 11x All-NBA, 14x All-Star, the 1984-85 NBA Rookie of the Year, 1984 Naismith College Player of the Year, 1982 NCAA champion, member of the NBA's 50th anniversary All-Time Team, member of the 1992 Dream Team, and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Jordan is the GOAT. I don't dispute that. However, I think there are five players who legitimately challenge him in their own way. My list may shock you and that's ok. I'm not about writing what's always popular.

                                          (Credit: NBA.com) 

#1. Magic Johnson: The guy who I feel challenges Michael Jordan the most in the GOAT conversation is a guy who also has the initials "MJ." Magic Johnson. Magic Johnson alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led the Los Angeles Lakers to five NBA championships, is a 3x NBA Finals MVP, 3x NBA MVP, 4x assist champ, 10x All-NBA, 12x All-Star, an NCAA champion (1979), member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, member of the 1992 Dream Team, and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Why Magic Johnson: The reason why Magic Johnson challenges Michael Jordan is because he was a more complete player. Magic Johnson is #1 all-time in assists per game at 11.2 and also averaged 19.5 points per game along with 7.2 rebounds. At  6'9", 215 pounds, Johnson could play the point guard position as well as anyone who played the game and could also play the other four positions on the court as well.

When you watch highlights of Magic, it's not hard to see how he earned the nickname "Magic." He was literally like a magician out there on the court with his passing, court vision, and ball handling. There's probably never been a more complete player than Magic. To top it all off, Magic has five NBA championships, something that is big in the GOAT discussion.

Why not Magic Johnson: The number one reason why Magic Johnson is not the GOAT is because he doesn't have six NBA championships. If he had six rings and had beaten Jordan in the 1991 NBA Finals, then I think the debate would be much more fierce. Also, Magic played alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who is also in the conversation for GOAT. It's not really fair to dock Magic because he played alongside another all-time great, but one can ask if Magic would have won five rings if he didn't have Kareem alongside him.

One other reason why Magic isn't the GOAT is because the overall accolades don't match that of Jordan. He didn't win as many NBA Finals MVPs or NBA MVPs or All-NBA teams. If he had more MVPs under his belt, that would help his case a lot more.

                                               (Credit: NBA.com) 

#2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: The second player on my list is Milwaukee Bucks/Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kareem is the NBA's all-time leading scorer (38,387) and is arguably the greatest center in NBA history. Alongside Magic Johnson, he led the Los Angeles Lakers to five NBA championships and before arriving in Los Angeles led the Milwaukee Bucks to their lone NBA championship. Kareem is a 19x All-Star, 6x NBA champion, 3x NCAA champion, 6x NBA MVP, 2x NBA Finals MVP, 11x All-Defensive, 2x scoring champ, 4x blocks champ, 15x All-NBA, 1969-70 NBA Rookie of the Year, 1969 Naismith College Player of the Year, a member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Why Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Right off the bat, one has to acknowledge that Kareem has six NBA championships and won one of his titles without Magic Johnson. That's always the number one argument people use to say Michael Jordan is the GOAT, conveniently forgetting that Kareem also has six. If you look at the accolades, Kareem stacks up pretty well, too. He has more MVPs, more All-Star appearances, more All-Defensive nominations, more NCAA championships, and has four blocks championships to Jordan's three steals championships. Plus, no small thing, Kareem is #1 all-time in scoring.

When you look at the whole package that Kareem brings to the table, one could actually argue he's an even bigger challenge to Jordan than Magic Johnson. Especially when you consider his college career.  He played a different position than Jordan, which I think helps him and in his prime was nearly as dominant with that patented skyhook.

Why not Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: The first reason why I think Kareem doesn't surpass Jordan is he had more help around him when he was with the Lakers. He played alongside Magic Johnson, who has already made my list of guys who challenge Jordan as the GOAT. If he doesn't play with Magic Johnson, I don't know if he has six NBA championships. I hate to hold that against him, but it is something to consider. Especially since as I mentioned earlier, he won one title, his first, without Magic in Milwaukee.

Secondly, Kareem wasn't as dominant offensively as Jordan. While he does have more total points, he ranks 15th all-time in points per game (24.6). Considering he spent all those years playing alongside Magic Johnson, who is #1 all-time in assists, one could argue that Kareem should have averaged more points per game for his career. If Kareem had more points per game and was a bit more dominant on offense, the gap between him and Jordan would be much closer.

                                         (Credit: Mark Duncan/AP) 

#3. LeBron James: LeBron James is the modern challenger to Michael Jordan in the GOAT discussion as his career is still unfolding. LeBron is a 16x All-Star, 3x NBA champion, 3x NBA Finals MVP, 4x NBA MVP, 15x All-NBA, the 2003-04 NBA Rookie of the Year, and future member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Ever since he entered the NBA, LeBron has been compared to Jordan and so far has done about as good of a job of living up to the hype as possible.

Why LeBron James: The number one reason why LeBron James challenges Jordan is that he was a better and more complete player at a much younger age and also played a more complete game. James was a phenom in high school and was drafted #1 overall in the 2003 NBA Draft, skipping college altogether. Jordan in contrast played three years of college at North Carolina and had to spend more time polishing his game.

To a certain extent, the fact that Michael Jordan played college is also reflective of the era he played in. Had he come up in today's era, he probably would have been a one and done player. But that notwithstanding, James was pound for pound a more complete and better player out of the shoot. Remember, Jordan was selected #3 overall in the 1984 NBA Draft behind the infamous Sam Bowie and Hakeem Olajuwon, who while not making my GOAT list, was definitely the better pick at the time.

On top of being the better player out of the gate than Jordan, LeBron also has put together a pretty impressive resume of his own with three NBA titles, three NBA Finals MVPs, and four NBA MVPs. If the eye test matters at all, it's hard to imagine anyone being better than LeBron James. He's a 6'9", 250 pound freak of nature that can do it all on the court with Jordan-like athleticism.

Finally, LeBron led the Cleveland Cavaliers to an NBA championship. The freaking Cavaliers! One championship in Cleveland is arguably worth several in another city. The fact that he delivered the goods for his hometown team and brought them a title against a Golden State Warriors team that won a league record 73 games absolutely puts him in the GOAT discussion. That might be the greatest NBA Finals performance of all-time, putting up a triple-double on the road in a Game 7 to beat a 73 win team.

Why not LeBron James: The first reason why LeBron isn't the GOAT is because of the whole "I'm taking my talents to South Beach" thing. While he did deliver a title to Cleveland, one cannot ignore the fact that he bailed on Cleveland for the Miami Heat where he won his first two titles with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Michael Jordan never bailed on the city of Chicago when the going got tough against the Bad Boy Pistons. Instead, he kept getting better and had the patience to figure it out.

Secondly, LeBron doesn't have as many rings as Jordan. He's got three to Jordan's six. That's a problem if you are arguing that he's the GOAT. While his accolades and personal achievements are amazing, they don't quite stack up to Jordan.

Finally, this is a super technical thing, but LeBron has never been a good foul shooter, shooting a career 73.5% from the line. LeBron has shot less than 70.0% from the foul line in four of his 17 seasons. LeBron's best foul shooting season is 78.0% in his sixth season. Jordan in contrast shot 83.5% from the foul line for his career with his worst foul shooting season being 78.4% in his final year in Chicago. That's right, Jordan's worst foul shooting season was still better than LeBron's best foul shooting season. If you had to have Jordan or LeBron at the foul line to win a game, you would have to take Jordan for sure.

                                            (Credit: NBA.com)

#4. Bill Russell: When talking about the greatest basketball players of all-time, Bill Russell absolutely deserves to be in the conversation. Russell is an 11x NBA champion, 12x NBA All-Star, 5x NBA MVP, 11x All-NBA, 4x NBA rebounding champion, 2x NCAA champion, member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Why Bill Russell: The first reason why Bill Russell challenges Jordan is the simple fact that he won 11 NBA championships and was the anchor of those Boston Celtics teams. He is the greatest team player of all-time. 11 NBA championships plus two NCAA championships. In his last two championships in the NBA, he was player-coach!

Russell knew the game better than anyone and understood better than anyone that basketball is a team sport. He said the happiest he's been was when he was on a team in middle school that won a title even though he didn't play much. It was his first taste of success and he was happy to be on a winning team above anything else. If that doesn't say how great of a team player he was, I don't know what does!

On top of the consummate team success, Russell was an amazingly gifted player who averaged 15.1 points, 22.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. We don't know how many blocks he got because they didn't keep track of that stat back then, but if they did, that would just add to his already impressive stats. If you put him in today's NBA, Russell would be one of the top players in the league. Period.

Why not Bill Russell: This is mostly due to being a victim of his own era. In his last season (1968-69), the NBA had 14 teams. For most of his career, the NBA had 10 teams or fewer. It's a lot easier to rack up championships when there's only nine other teams to compete against. If you put him in today's NBA, Russell wouldn't have won 11 titles and I'm not even sure if he would have won six.

If you want to put a modern comparison to Bill Russell, it's probably Tim Duncan. Russell in today's NBA probably wins 4-5 titles if given the right system and pieces around him. Duncan was a fabulous team player who learned how to maximize his talents by buying into Gregg Popovich's system and putting the team above individual accolades. That sounds just like Russell.

By the way, Tim Duncan, I'll quickly slip in as a bonus honorable mention for the GOAT discussion: 5x NBA champion, 15x All-Star, 15x All-NBA, 15x All-Defensive Team, 3x NBA Finals MVP, 2x NBA MVP, 1997-98 NBA Rookie of the Year, and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. If I'm going to say Tim Duncan is a modern day Bill Russell, I kinda can't leave him out of this blog post.

The reason why Duncan isn't #5 on my list is because of his individual statistics. He led the NBA in total rebounds just once (2001-02) and never led the league in any other major category in any other season, whether it be totals or per game. As great as he was, you would think he would have led the NBA in rebounds per game and blocks per game at least a few times.

                                            (Credit: NBA.com) 

#5. John Stockton: I said at the beginning that I would have a controversial choice and that choice is John Stockton. Stockton is #1 all-time in steals (3,265) and #1 all-time in assists (15,806). He is a 10x NBA All-Star, 2x steals champion, 9x assist champion, 5x All-Defensive, 2x Western Conference Finals champion, member of the 1992 Dream Team, member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Why John Stockton: If you want to talk about who the best pure basketball player is of all-time from a technical/IQ standpoint, it's hard to find a better player than John Stockton. At 6'1", 170 pounds, Stockton was as well-rounded as they come. He could shoot, pass, rebound, and defend at an elite level. He is the consummate point guard. No one in NBA history knew how to run an offense better than Stockton. His assist numbers reflect that.

Stockton was also an amazing defender as is evident by his all-time steals record. He wasn't afraid to guard the team's best player and had many fierce battles with Michael Jordan over the years, giving him as tough of a run in the NBA Finals as anyone else. As a matter of fact, Hall of Famer Gary Payton said Stockton was the toughest player he ever had to go up against. Not Michael Jordan:

"It's not Michael Jordan because it's fun to play against Michael Jordan. It's a fear to play against him [Stockton] because I had to guard him 94 feet every time. He had the ball all the time. When a guy can shoot 10 times and make eight, he shoot 10 free throws and make nine, he has 16 assists, he has five rebounds, and five steals. You do the math of that."

If you got Gary Payton saying you were tougher than Jordan and you're 6'1", 170 pounds, that's pretty amazing. One other thing Stockton has going for him is his durability. He played in 1504 games in his 19 year career. He played in all 82 games in 16 of his 19 seasons. One of those seasons was the 1998-99 lockout season in which the NBA played in 50 games. In case you were wondering, Stockton played in all 50 games that season.

As a result of his durability, Stockton is way out in front of the rest of the field in steals and assists. #2 in steals is Jason Kidd (2,684) and #2 in assists is also Jason Kidd (12,091). I don't know if either of those records will ever be broken. To be #1 all-time in two of the five major statistical categories has to put you in the GOAT conversation. Especially when you hold those records by miles and miles.

Why not John Stockton: Considering that he's a controversial pick, I feel I had to say a little more about Stockton and why he deserves to be on this list. The reason why Stockton is not the GOAT starts with the fact that he never won an NBA championship. It's somewhat unfair because he was so amazing, but you can't be the GOAT without a ring. He also played alongside a phenomenal power forward in Karl Malone, who was responsible for a lot of those assists. Without the Mailman by his side, one has to wonder if Stockton has the legendary career that he has. And vice versa. Without Stockton, Malone may not have reached #2 on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

Also, Stockton wasn't as physically gifted as Michael Jordan. He could barely dunk and while being lighting quick and possessing hands the size of frying pans, Stockton wasn't anything near the physical freak that Jordan was. What makes Stockton amazing is that in spite of not being a physical freak like Jordan, he was able to hang with him and give him a run for his money. But, at the end of the day, not being as physically gifted as Jordan is what prevents him from being the GOAT. But, as I said earlier, you wanna talk pure technique and basketball IQ, no one was better than Stockton.

                                         (Credit: Blazersedge.com) 

Honorable mention-Arvydas Sabonis: An honorable mention in this discussion is Arvydas Sabonis. Born behind the Iron Curtain in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sabonis was truly a victim of his own era. When he finally reached the NBA in the 1995-96 season with the Portland Trail Blazers, Sabonis was past his prime by quite a bit. Sabonis had his best years from 1981-1989 with his hometown team BC Zalgiris based in Kaunas, Lithuania. Sabonis was 1995-96 NBA All-Rookie, FIBA's 50 Greatest Players (1991), 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors, and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Why Arvydas Sabonis: When he was coming up, Sabonis was arguably the best player in the world. There were articles written about how the best basketball player in the world (Sabonis) wasn't even in the NBA. At 7'3", 292 pounds, Sabonis was truly ahead of his time as a versatile big man that could score, rebound, defend, and facilitate. He had guard like skills at 7'3" in an era when most guys his size were just there to block and rebound. Had he played in the NBA since the 1980s, he may have won several NBA championships and given Jordan a real run for GOAT.

The fact that Sabonis was as productive as he was when he did finally reach the NBA (16.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in his third NBA season) just shows how gifted he truly was. To be that productive at age 33 is remarkable. Especially when you've had all the mileage that he had.

Why not Arvydas Sabonis: This one goes back to the simple fact that he wasn't allowed to play in the NBA until later due to being a citizen of the USSR. The Iron Curtain held him back. While he could have played in the early 90s, he was such a rock star over in Europe that it makes sense why he didn't play in the NBA earlier. Had he played a full NBA career in his early 20s as well as his late 30s, we might be talking about him as the GOAT instead.

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Saturday Slam: Is there a real possibility the NBA season gets canceled?

We are one month into the 2019-20 NBA season being shut down due to COVID-19 and with a return date still up-in-the-air, we have to start thinking about the unfortunate possibility that the season does not return. If it does return, I don't see the full 82 games being played. Rather, I see the league doing something like stopping at 72. That way teams get a few games in before the playoffs start. You wouldn't want to just dive straight into playoff mode after missing more than one month of action.

Further, I don't see fans returning this season. If the NBA does indeed return, I foresee a scenario in which only players, coaches, refs, and essential media personnel are allowed into the arenas. Something that was discussed as an alternative to the season getting shut down. I think that's how we'll ease back into things.

Back to the possibility of the season getting canceled, there are a number of reasons why I'm starting to think this will happen. The first reason is the NBA calendar. You gotta remember, the NBA operates year-round. It's not like during the offseason nothing happens. You have the NBA Draft, free agency, training camps, summer league, etc. That's not to say those things can't be rearranged for a year. They can. It's just that the longer things remained shut down, the more complicated things become.

The second reason why the season could get canceled is television. Television companies have built in contracts to broadcast certain events at certain times. ABC for example may have to choose between the NBA Finals and some other program they want to air and may not be willing to give up the NBA Finals to another company. Things like that.

Third, there's the issue of player safety. It's hard to go from not playing at all to playing high level basketball. Players will need at least a couple of weeks to get back in game shape before play resumes. It's possible that players decide that resuming play just isn't feasible if they want to have some recovery time in the offseason and resume things on time in the fall.

Finally and most importantly, the fluidity of this whole COVID-19 situation makes the possibility of a canceled season all the more real. I could see the season restarting in June, but what about July or August? At some point, doesn't it just make more sense to bag the season and restart in October?

I want the NBA to return as much as anyone. It's been a fantastic season with lots of fun stories to follow with the Lakers, Clippers, Bucks, Raptors, and much more. But, that all said, sometimes you have to acknowledge the writing on the wall. At best, I think there's a 50% chance the season resumes and the longer this goes on, the more I think the odds of a canceled season will go up.

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Saturday Slam: It's about time the Los Angeles Clippers get their own arena

                                          (Credit: Brad Graverson/The Daily Breeze/SCNG)

Earlier this week, Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer purchased the Forum in Inglewood, California for a cool $400M from The Madison Square Garden Company. This purchase helps pave the way for the Clippers to get their own arena in Inglewood. It should be noted that the Forum isn't being torn down and will remain as a concert venue. However, the Clippers' new arena will also be able to serve as a concert venue, making it competition to the Forum. That is, unless the Forum and the Clippers new arena are owned by the same company. So, in case you were wondering why Ballmer needed to purchase the Forum, that's why.

As for the title of this blog post, it really is about time the Clippers finally get their own arena in Los Angeles. I've believed for the longest time that the Clippers should have their own arena and have wondered why they didn't move into the Honda Center (home of the NHL's Anaheim Ducks) years ago.

During their entire time in the Staples Center, the Clippers have been second fiddle to the Lakers. At times it's almost been awkward. There was the whole controversy of them putting black drapes over Lakers banners during their home games to get some distance from their more successful co-tenants. But no matter how many drapes they put up in the Staples Center or whatever other moves they make, so long as they play in the Staples Center, the Clippers will always be the B-team in Los Angeles.

But by finally having plans to have an arena all to themselves, the Clippers can finally establish their own identity that is separate from the Lakers. Especially since they'll be in a different part of town. Typically, I'm not a fan of all these teams getting new arenas, but the Clippers are one team that I feel really needs to get a new home that they can truly call their own. It's the principle of the thing.

What also helps is that with Ballmer at the helm, the Clippers are actually putting a competitive product on the floor. These aren't the Clippers of the 1990s and 2000s that were dismal. They're finally a championship contending team and should treat themselves as such by getting their own arena.

As for when the arena is scheduled to be completed, per Wikipedia, construction is supposed to begin in 2021 with a completion date in the fall of 2024. So if you're a Clippers fan that is nostalgic for the Staples Center era, you have at least a few more years to enjoy it. However, I bet that most Clippers fans can hardly contain their excitement for this new arena and are eager to say goodbye to the Staples Center. Saying goodbye is often hard, but in this instance, saying goodbye will be a feeling of sweet relief for the Clippers and their loyal fans.

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Saturday Slam: Now is the time for Adam Silver to push for his wacky tournament idea

                                                (Credit: Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP via Getty Images)

With the future of the 2019-20 NBA season up-in-the-air due to coronavirus/COVID-19, now is the time for NBA commissioner Adam Silver to push for his wacky tournament idea. Maybe not right now since player safety and all that jazz should be priority number one, but right after that, Silver has to be licking his chops to make his idea for an NBA tournament a reality.

The reason why now is the time is because the whole season is in peril and it's unclear how it can be saved without ending the season in say August or September. The NBA shouldn't want to get too out of synch with their yearly calendar, making a tournament an exciting and efficient way to expedite the season, save it, and get things back to normal as soon as possible.

As it stands, NBA teams have played around 65 games at this point of the year. E.g. Milwaukee Bucks (53-12). The NBA could still aim to finish the full 82 games, but instead of having a best of seven series for each round of the playoffs, they could do something crazy like invite all 30 teams to a round robin tournament that culminates in a knockout stage that is single elimination until the NBA Finals. It would be a fun substitute for March Madness in a year that has deprived us of the most exciting tournament in sports.

Like, really think about that for a second. A single elimination NBA tournament! Think of how intense each game would be! Especially if you opened the doors for say the Cleveland Cavaliers to get a shot at the title.

Such an idea seems crazy, but given the current climate we are in, now is the time to try something of this nature and see how things go. I'm not saying the NBA should permanently switch to a tournament model in future seasons. But, what I am saying is that if Adam Silver is serious about that kind of format becoming a reality, what better season to try such an experiment than this year? The fans would love it, the players would love it, and it would make the 2019-20 season fun and memorable in a good way. Even if it's just a one-time thing that gets scrapped and never used again.

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