What's An NBA Get You?

Not shit if you're still looking for a job. I'm bitter about it and there has been nothing to post about my favorite sport in the world. I have gotten way into college football this year, since the Dolphins are nothing to write home about and 3/4's of the NFL's top plays this first half of the season were just sloppy ass mistakes on defense. But I don't even like the college sports system, because of greedy bastards that run it and some dumb "insight" that having a completely different game and set of rules helps make these athletes better. Regardless I have been studying up on the whole college basketball scene because I'd lose my damn mind with hearing that constant ball hitting hardwood dribbling sound. Hell even NBA 2k12 is awful, the lockout is far reaching. Anyways I had a dream the other night where LeBron was still on the Cavs and it was this season being played out (a severe case of crazy no doubt). I assume the release of the book The Whore of Akron helped spawned this scenario, but it was a welcomed distraction. Now I have no clue how the lockout stopped and play resumed but it was clear why LeBron stayed with this Cavs team; an Ohio native was traded for instead of Antwan Jamison. Who was this mystery man? None other than Kevin Martin. I'll go ahead and guess that name isn't ringing any bells for the casual fans (believe me right now I wish I could go back to that life) so here is a link to a SLAM article where they anointed him as the 45th best player in the league. That number might sound low but two facts: there are about 360 players in the league in season and of those guys the average NBA career is 4.5 years. So with the constant turnover and taking into account that teams usually use a rotation of 9 players a night, 45 ain't bad. The downfall of no one knowing about this gem of a player made it so that he was off Danny Ferry's radar when he went to gut the team for another "star" to pair with James. Kevin Martin won't sell tickets even though he is from Ohio. Instead he just help lead a Rockets team to a respectable record with a beat up and incomplete team. His strengths of shooting from deep and getting to the line, or in other words creating his own offense, would have been actual boosters. Unlike Jamison's penchant for scoring off others abilities. His knock of not playing defense is also some misinformation, while he won't stop Kobe Bryant, he will make Kobe work on the other end while matching some of the scoring he is giving up. Plus on a team like the Cavs were, team defense makes up for a lack on one players behalf and he has a knack for getting steals. At the worst LeBron and Martin could have switched on and off of the tougher assignment.

-Jason