Happy Birthday Mike

Happy belated birthday to the greatest basketball player to ever live thus far.  Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born on February 17, 1963 in Brooklyn New York.  So there you have it, the best player in NBA history is a New York native.  New York is to basketball what Mecca is to Islam... six NBA Championships to go along with six NBA Finals MVP awards.

Goodbye STAT...

The New York Knicks have reached a buyout agreement with former all-star forward Amare Stoudamire.  Amare was New York's prime free agency acquisition in 2010.  That year NBA free agents included Dirk Nowitzski, Chris Bosh, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Joe Johnson.

The Knicks entered that summer with hopes of landing a big fish.  The possibility of Amare joining the Knicks seemed like a great plan B if LeBron would decide to play elsewhere. New York wined and dined LeBron to no avail as the King would opt to form a super team in Miami with Wade and Bosh.  New York received heavy criticism for signing a player with a history of major injuries to a five -year max deal.

Amare started his tenure in Gotham in MVP form.  He and Raymond Felton developed great chemistry in training camp.  Midway through the 2010 season the two were one of the best guard - forward combo ' s in the NBA.  Amare was a great fit in Mike D'Antoni 's explosive offense.  Amare looked worth every dollar the Knicks shelled his way.

Amare's game was altered drastically due to the addition of Carmelo Anthony.  Combine that with lingering injuries and now you have a damaged star looking to recapture his glory. After a promising beginning the Amare deal hurt the Knicks on the court and financially.  A player receiving 20$ Million dollars per year needs to be available more often than not. Amare has never been that type of player.

Signing Amare was an experiment.  At 28 it was difficult to predict what type of player he would be five years down the road.  The manner of his departure from a city that truly embraces him is a tad bit disappointing.  Fans should thank Amare for being the first player to give New York a shot following years of futility.  Without Amare maybe the Knicks don't go out and acquire Carmelo Anthony  If he manages to stay healthy, Amare will be a decent late season acquisition for the Dallas Mavericks.

REST IN PEACE DEAN SMITH

The basketball world lost an extremely important person with the passing of legendary UNC Tar Heels basketball coach Dean Smith.  Smith was 83 years old at the time of his death.

I for one have certainly been enlightened these past few days about who Coach Smith actually was as a person.  Everyone is well aware of the immense talent Smith molded during his 36 years as head coach at UNC.  11 Final Four appearances,  two NCAA Championships and 25 first-round NBA selections are some of the things Smith accomplished on the sideline. However, to understand this legends accomplishments you must look beyond the hardwood.

Adolf Rupp is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of NCAA Basketball.  He retired the winningest coach in NCAA men's history with 876 victories. Rupp was an imposing figure to say the least.  His players revered him and opposing coaches respected him.  Frankly, NCAA Basketball nor the NBA would have developed into what we see today without Rupp ' s contributions.

Despite the greatness Rupp accomplished during his coaching career, he is also remembered as an outspoken racist.  Rupp would have likely gotten along with Donald Sterling.  Smith, on the other hand advocated for change.  He became head coach at UNC in 1961, two years prior to Martin Luther King Jr's historic speech in Washington D.C.  During this time America needed more Caucasian individuals in respectable positions of authority to take a stand.  Not only for the advancement of blacks, but for the overall development of our country.

In 1966 Smith recruited Charlie Scott to North Carolina.  Scott was the first black scholarship athlete In North Carolina history.  During the 60's the state of North Carolina was still racially divided.  Recruiting a black athlete to one of the leading institutions in the state was making a statement.

In 1982 Smith guided his UNC Tar Heels to the first of his two NCAA Championships. Michael Jordan was a freshman on that team.  Michael hit a two-point basket in the final minute to secure the 63-62 victory for UNC.  Smith's reaction to reaching the highest point of his profession was classy.  He immediately ran over to console Georgetown coach John Thompson after one of the greatest championship games played to date.

Smith was class personified.  He was an innovator in his own regard.  North Carolina tried things in the late 60's and early 70's that other head coaches had never thought of.  North Carolina was one of the first schools to utilize the point guard position to its full potential. Smith liked to run the four corners offense.

During his 36 years at UNC Smith's players maintained a 96% graduation rate.  His teams were never placed on probation for NCAA violations.  Smith ran a clean program for almost four decades.

Dean Smith was one of the elite basketball coaches in the games history.  His contributions to the sport will be felt for years to come.

The development of Teague

Jeff Teague  has taken his game to another level this season.  He's averaged 19.5 points, 8.7 assist and 1.9 steals per game  as the Atlanta Hawks starting point guard.  Point guard is the best position in the NBA today.  Teague is poised to cement his name as one of the best at his position in the league.  If Teague is to be mentioned with players such as Damian Lillard, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook, he'ill have to come with the same intensity every night.

So far this season Teague has been up for the challenge.  Atlanta has a win against each of the Western Conferences top eight teams.  Teague's leadership is one of the reasons the Hawks have been unbeatable in 2015.

Atlanta put a great deal of emphasis on keeping Teague around.  That decision has turned out well for the organization.  Having a quality starting point guard in today's NBA is crucial. The Hawks have found that guy in Teague.

Hawks streak halted.

The Atlanta Hawks are the first team in NBA history to complete an entire month undefeated.  Atlanta finished the month of January with a 17-0 record. Coming into the season the Hawks were not expected to be one of the elite teams in the NBA.  Right now it's fair to say the Hawks are the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.

Atlanta isn't a traditional championship team.  A number of players can beat you on any given night.  Despite their lack of a superstar, the Hawks boast arguably the best starting five in the NBA.  This team won't be a pushover come postseason play.  At this point the elite teams around the league may still be skeptical about Atlanta.  Rightfully so, Atlanta hasn't been a playoff hotbed to say the least.

The city of Atlanta is yearning for a winning sports franchise.  Atlanta is the flagship city of the south.  If the city is ever going to stand hand-in-hand with the likes of New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, a team from Atlanta has to get it done.  The Atlanta Falcons came one win shy of the Super Bowl a few years back.  The Hawks are the latest team to captivate the city.

Atlanta lost their first game of 2015 to the New Orleans Pelicans bringing their season long winning streak to a halt at 19.  The streak is the longest by any team since the Miami Heat won 27 consecutive games in 2013.  Miami validated their 27 game winning streak by beating the San Antonio Spurs to win their second consecutive NBA Championship.

Atlanta must keep up the intensity during the second half of the season.  Right now a dominant team does not exist in the Eastern Conference.  If the Hawks get a few favorable opponents they could find themselves in the NBA Finals come June.

Lillard snubbed

Adam Silver should exercise his rights as the NBA'S commissioner and get Damian Lillard a slot in the 2015 NBA All-Star game.  Lillard has been one of the most electrifying players in the NBA this season.  He shows up every night with the intentions of destroying the oppositions lead guard.  Other than Russell Westbrook Lillard could be the most intense point guard in the NBA.

A year ago Lillard became the first player to compete in all five skills competitions during all-star break.  While most of the league treats all-star break like a mini vacation until the big game Sunday, Lillard chose to give the fans a show to remember.  The entire world is still waiting for LeBron James to enter his first dunk competition.  Maybe LeBron has been reluctant due to a fear of losing.

Winning is believed to play a key role in the coaches decision of what players make up the reserves.  Portland currently has a record of 33-16.  Lillard has been great for the Blazers like always. He's averaged 21.7 points, 6.3 assist, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 49 games. Frankly, Lillard has dominated while the Blazers have picked up from their success last postseason.  What more should Lillard have to do to make the all-star team?

Every time Lillard gets disrespected he returns a better player.  This latest snub could spurn him to take his game to another level.  A few more game winning baskets could be included in Portland's second-half package.

All-star or no?

Dwayne Wade is one of the surprise selections for the 2015 NBA All-Star Game.  This is the 11th time Wade has been selected to be an all-star during his career.  Wade is one of the leagues best spokesman.  His wholesome style has been great for the NBA'S image since he entered the league in 2003.

Wade ' s selection as a reserve could be based more on career accomplishments than his overall performance this season.  Miami currently has a record of 20-25.  The Heat have taken a step back since LeBron James' s departure.  Miami will probably be an easy first-round out come playoff time.

Wade is likely a first ballot Hall-of-Fame selection once his playing days are officially over. One more all-star selection isn't necessary to bolster his Hall-of-Fame resume.  Three NBA Championships, an NBA Finals MVP award and one of the greatest performances in NBA Finals history is saying enough.

Wade was nearly selected as a starter by the fans.  Fan voting has never been a great indicator of whose playing well in the league.  Fan voting is more like a popularity contest by one sided voters.  The league still hasn't gotten the memo on that topic.

Wade will probably use the all-star break to rest his aging body.  At this stage of his career, Wade needs all the rest he can get heading into the stretch run.  Despite having a losing record, Miami still has a great shot at returning to the playoffs due to a weak Eastern Conference.

Brandin knight and Kyle Korver have a legitimate beef over this selection.  Milwaukee is right above 500. despite losing rookie sensation Jabari Parker for the season.  Atlanta is the hottest team in the league and Korver has been shooting lights out this season.