2. LAKERS VS HEAT IN '11 NBA FINALS- Even as a Bull fan, i recognize how monumental this would be for the league. Unbelievable star power, two glamour cities, and ratings through the roof. Storylines galore but the primary one being: Can a "past his prime" Kobe muster up one more command performance to tie MJ against two of the best players of their generation in their primes?
3. THE KNICKS IMPROVEMENT CONTINUES- Simply put, the NBA is good when its biggest cities are relevant and playoff games in the MSG are like no other. The Knicks continuing their rise back to contender is something to watch. Facing a tough 2nd-half schedule, can Amare and Felton keep the Knicks on path for the playoffs? Knicks have been a fun watch so far this season, with their ESPN Wednesday Night clash vs Celtics a Game of The Year contender
4. CARMELO HOLDS HIS WATER- The prevailing theory is that Carmelo Anthony wants to be back East, preferably with the Knicks. The Nets hold the most pieces to trade, a Russian billionaire, and a new arena in Brooklyn. All that sounds well and good but even with all of that going Nets are still the 2nd team in the Tri-State area. Melo should hold on just a little bit and wait until the summer where he can move freely, just don't have your own "Decision". But if Melo had a "Decision" show, don't you suspect it wouldn't be on tv but held on the radio and hosted by FunkMaster Flex and Angie Martinez.
5. PUBLIC RELATIONS(SPEAKING) CLASS FOR DERRICK ROSE- The best young guard playing in a major market for an improving team means there will be a lot more camera time coming for Young Mr. Rose. 2011 will bring the second of many All-Star selections and has the Bulls get more exposure, we need Mr. Rose to start becoming more and more comfortable in front of the camera. The Nice, Quiet kid act doesn't sell on Madison Avenue and doesn't sell tickets and he's too good a player to not get more notice. You worked on that jumper this off-season, now its time to work on that speech.
6. EVERYBODY MUST GO, WELL EXCEPT FOR MAGIC AND LEGLER- As the premier sports network in the world , ESPN has set the trends in sports television and marketing. When its come to broadcasting, its fallen short in many areas and the NBA is no exception. The NBA studio crew ranks only behind NFL on Fox as the worst studio crew in television. Jon Barry believe he knows a lot more than he does, Jalen Rose (loved him with Fab 5) never makes a salient point, and Stuart Scott is Stuart Scott. Here is my idea: Throw some more dollars at Scott Van Pelt with added duties and replace him for Stuart, steal Chris Webber from NBA TV to replace Barry and Rose, Tim Legler is probably the most underrated "ex-athlete" in sports and gives you the X and O combined with Magic's overenthuiasim at times, with C-Webb and you got in immediately watchable product
7. TAKING IT BACK TO THE OLD SCHOOL AT ALL STAR WEEKEND- Too many times the All-Star Weekend is seen as good or bad depending on what happens during the dunk contest and somehow the dunk contest becomes the measure of what's happening in the league. Here are some ways to change up the weekend. A) Invite the old heads like Craig Hodges, Mark Price, Dale Ellis to be in three-point shootout as suggested by C-Webb. A shooutout between the greybeards and guys like Steph Curry, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce would be great. B) Take a page from NHL and Let Captains pick the teams: After fan voting and coaches have picked the 24 all-stars, Kobe on one side, Lebron on the other. You think it wouldn't be fun to see who gets picked last or who actually gets along with who.
8. BEST OF 5 IN FIRST ROUND: The best- of - 5 playoff series led to classic series ending games like '89 Jordan over Ehlo, ''94 Nuggets over Sonics, 99 Allen Houston beats Heat. But more importantly, the games were played with urgency. Being down 1-0 in a best of seven there is no pressure, in a five game series, you got one foot in the grave. Shortening series makes the favorites come out and have to put foot on gas early because of the fear of being behind.
9. HOW MUCH TIME OFF YOU NEED? One of my biggest pet peeve with the NBA playoffs is how the league manages to kill its own momenum by putting three or four days between games , especially when the venue isn't changing. The following game then starts off slow for a quarter and a half like a preseason game because both teams are shaking off ring rust. Work with your adverstisers and networkers to get a better flow between games. The NBA is a rhythm sport, players are used to playing 3-4 times a week. Twice a week make series arduorus, lessens quality of game and more importantly becomes easier to lose interest in. Unlike the NFL, where the buildup to the game is as interesting if not more interesting than game itself, the NBA is about the game and its flow.
10. BRING BACK THE ANSWER- A long-shot I know but Allen Iverson belongs in the NBA. Granted most of why AI isn't in the league is on him and he has to sort himself out but even at advanced age, he still is a dynamic personality who could help give many teams a strong 20-25 minutes a night. Ask Celtic fans if they would rather see AI or Nate Robinson pulling off the sweats as the sixth man.
11. SEATTLE GETS THEIR SONICS BACK- Everytime I watch OKC Thunder highlights, its hard not to feel for Seattle Sonics fans. An up-and-coming , likeable team led by a certified star in Durant and a great 2nd option in Westbrook surrounded by a cast of young energetic players. While Oklahoma City has done a great job of supporting the Thunder, that team should be playing in the green, white and yellow of Seattle. Relocation means someone has to lose their team and that's not fun but if anything positive comes out of the new Labor talks, maybe Memphis, Toronto, or New Orleans loses their appetite for the NBA and the Sonics can return home.
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