Team Dreamin' 2011: NBA All Star Weekend

At No Regard, we love basketball. We love the spectacle and strategy of the game, but sometimes the league's lack of imagination confounds and disappoints us. Call us optimists, visionaries, or kids who watched too much Space Jam, but we have ideas. Damn are we gonna share 'em.

I have believed for some time now that the Saturday night events at the NBA's All-Star weekend rank as the best All-Star events for any current American professional sports league. However, there is a certain competition that Stern has yet to implement that he needs to seriously consider. This event would kill it.

How about it, David? Host a 1 on 1 tournament in Los Angeles during this years All-Star festivities.

Whoa. I know, crazy right? But ponder it for a moment and try and come up with some sort of legitimate argument which suggests that hosting an 8 person 1 on 1 tournament during All-Star weekend is not a brilliant idea for David Stern to think about.

Here's how the single elimination style tourney should be played out. Select 8 potential 1 on 1 players in the NBA via fan voting. For argument's sake: Kobe, Lebron, Melo, Cp3, Wade, Howard, Durant, and Rondo receive the most votes and all agree to compete in LA. The names are put into a hat and the bracket is randomly selected by luck of the draw. First round and semi-final games would be played to 7 with 3's counting as 2's and 2's counting for 1. The final match will be played to 11. Please take a moment and picture what might be witnessed if this were to go down.

Everyone grows up playing 1 on 1. It is ball in its most basic and fundamental form. Undoubtedly, games are won and lost based on the outcome of individual 1 on 1 battles throughout 4 quarters of play. Being able to watch the most ridiculous ballers in the world go at it in a 1 on 1 situation would be unforgettable. Seriously, let's put aside the "What if someone gets hurt?" nonsense and facilitate the coolest thing ever this February.

Dear Matt Barnes,

and Chris Brown,

Please stop making people with neck tattoos look like monsters.

Love,

Deshawn Stevenson & Chris Andersen, on behalf of the People with Unfortunate Tattoos Association (PUTA).



Seriously. Stop hitting ladies. You know?

Earning Those Cheetos

Semi-Finals, baby! Team USA bested Russia behind inspired efforts from OKC's finest today in Turkey. Westbrook came up with steal after steal and was able to fly to the rim for some powerful finishes and KD was deadly as usual on the offensive end for the red, white and blue.

The Russians battled in the first half, keeping the game close with offensive rebounding and solid jump-shooting, but they could not find an answer to America's gambling defense during the 3rd quarter. It was a dominating half for the Yanks. Looking ahead, they potentially face a piping-hot Luis Scola-led Argentina team in a game that awards the winner a spot in the finals of this tournament.

Two more wins and Lady Liberty proves once again that basketball's international crown rightfully belongs to the United States of America. Enjoy those cheesy snacks, Westbrook; you burned off those calories, man.

Mixtape for LeBron

Our relationship with LeBron is reaching Inception-sized levels of confusion. He was so good and kind to us for so long; he made us happy. But this summer we realized he was more Zooey Deschanel than Meg Ryan, more manic pixie dream girl than stable and perfect object of affection. Or maybe he's most like Sarah Marshall.

See? He's got us all mixed up. Regardless, during "The Decision" and its aftermath, we finally realized we were in a destructive relationship. All the things he did that made us happy? He did them for himself, not us. We should have figured this all out long ago, but any time the thought trickled in, he swooned us with another new handshake or giggle-inducing look-away pass. "See?! He's a great teammate! He cares!" We know he's bad for us, but we just can't shake him. Reminders of the good times are everywhere... Jesus, we named our site after one of his grandest highlights.

So, as any heartbroken young adult is taught to do by John Cusack, we've made a mixtape for you, LeBron. Listen to the entire thing. Some is vicious, we admit; we want you to know you hurt us. But pay attention, because we have room for forgiveness and we want some form of success for you. We're compassionate. But we'll never go steady again.

The W: Ladies Be Ballin'

When it's the end of August/beginning of September and there are no trades being made, no big international games being played and no insane off-the-court drama, NBA news often finds itself replaced by something that can appear as filler: WNBA news. From the sports section of amNew York to case-pleading endorsements by Shoals, the last few weeks have offered the sports media the opportunity to turn their attention to the oft-neglected lady ballers. Now, as we approach the upcoming finals between the Seattle Storm and the winner of the New York Liberty-Atlanta Dream series, the fever pitch is forcing me to ask some questions of myself.

Every year--and particularly this year, when blogging has forced me to pay even closer attention to the goings-on of the basketball world--this end-of-summer interest increase gives me the same sense of the Guilties, for I have never paid close attention to the WNBA, and to this day I can count all the active players I can name on my hands and toes.

Top 5 Player Tweets of the Week - In Pictures!

From Skillanueva's half-time tweets to Gil's fateful outburst, we're keeping tabs on this whole Twitter thing. Each week we wade through the rants, shout outs and sheer insanity to bring you the best micro-blogging the NBA has to offer.

5. "Good Deed ALERT: Who wants to go help look for homeless people and feed the with me...."

- George Hill

4. "Things taller than me: giraffes, Shawn Bradley and most high school girls."

- Muggsy Bogues

Slippery When Wet

Eric Gordon made it rain yesterday. All over these hoes. Well not "these hoes" so much as Tunisian basketball players but the imagery still works. Sort of. Seriously though, Gordon sizzled draining multiple 3 pointers and finishing the game with 21 points as the USA cruised to an easy victory over Tunisia. I hope Coach K was taking notes for the future.

Onto the knock-out stage of the tournament where much tougher foes await like Spain and Greece. Will KD, Rose and Duke's Head Coach do enough to lead our heroes to FIBA immortality, or will Minnesota's lost boy carry Spain to international basketball triumph?

We'll just have to tune in to find out. How lucky are we to get to see the smile pictured below playing in one-and-done basketball games in early September?

Ridin' Dirty (On A Motorcycle)

Do not even consider calling it a comeback: He has been here for years. Delonte West is back in Boston.

This is a great signing by Ainge. Looking beyond the stories swirling about his off-the-court activities (which include West and his relationship with a former teammate's mother, and his infamous motorcycle joy-ride that involved high speeds, the police, and a shotgun in a guitar case) it is clear that this young man has serious potential to be a great guard in the NBA.

West is quick, a natural scorer, and a player that can come off the bench and ensure there is almost no let down when Rondo needs a break. He has been dominate for games playing in Cleveland and will provide much needed depth for Beantown at the guard position.

Miami at Boston opening day cannot come any sooner. There is so much to look forward to.