---

More Suns, more Sonics, more LeBron

Three reasons why this is my favorite NBA season in a long, long time:

1. The Phoenix Suns.

2. The Seattle SuperSonics.

3. Cleveland’s LeBron James.

I know I’ve written too much about all three already, but guess what? It’s MY newsletter. If I feel the need to carry on about three reasons to love this game, by golly, I’ll do it. And when it comes to the Suns, the Sonics, and LeBron, you can never carry on too much.

Let’s start with the Suns.

If I had to pick a league MVP today, it would be a toss-up between Phoenix big man Amare Stoudemire and point guard Steve Nash.

Nash and Stoudemire have become a modern-day John Stockton and Karl Malone, with Nash running the Suns’ fast break offense to perfection and Stoudemire finishing with grace, brute force … you name it.

To give you an idea how valuable Nash really is, all we need to do is listen to Suns color commentator Eddie Johnson, a 19-year veteran. During the Suns-Cavs broadcast Dec. 1, Johnson correctly pointed out that Nash could average more than 20 points if he really wanted, “but he cares more about getting his teammates involved than scoring,” Johnson said.

Listen to that again, young point guards: He cares more about getting his teammates involved than scoring.

Still, Nash leads the league in assists, is averaging around 15 points per game, and most remarkably, is the only guard among the top five players in the league in shooting percentage. And the Suns are winning -- a lot.

As usual, credit also belongs to coach Mike D’Antoni for his laid-back-and-intelligent approach, and high-flying forward Shawn Marion and silky-smooth swingman Joe Johnson. Both Marion and Johnson were already pretty good, but are now flourishing on a team that leads the league in scoring. And just wait until newcomer Quentin Richardson gets completely adjusted to the Suns’ breakneck pace.

All of this leads me to a question from Vincent Stafford (Tempe, Ariz.), who asked, “Do you think the Suns can win the Pacific Division -- beating out Sacramento in the process -- with such a weak bench?”

My answer is YES. As long as Nash stays healthy, the Suns will win 50-55 games, capture the Pacific Division, and go deep into the playoffs.

As for the Sonics …

Longtime readers know at the beginning of each season, I pick a team that I thoroughly enjoy watching, follow it closely and root for during the remainder of the year.

And just to show I’m not a frontrunner, last year’s team was the Memphis Grizzlies. The year before that it was the Washington Wizards. There’s no rhyme or reason to my pick -- although I typically choose a team that is among those least likely to continuously be shoved down my throat on SportsCenter (not exactly an easy proposition nowadays).

Anyway, my pick this season is a tie between the Suns and Sonics.

You know all about the Suns, but why the Sonics, you ask?

Well, you can start with the fact I and most writers picked them to struggle this season. But they've shocked the world and risen to the top.

Also, Seattle leaders Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis are more than just two of the best players in the NBA -- they also win with class. You don’t see Allen or Lewis woofing or pounding their chests when they hit a 3-pointer in your face, or act like the world should genuflect at the mention of their names. They just play the game, and seem to have a lot of fun doing it. Goodness knows, I have fun watching them.

Mostly, the Sonics are a team of overachievers. Centers Danny Fortson and Jerome James are having career years when most people weren’t even sure if they would still be on the roster by the All-Star break.

Second-year point guard Luke Ridnour seems to get better with each game, and forward Vladimir Radmanovic reminds longtime Sonic fans of “Downtown” Freddie Brown of the late 1970 glory years. Like Brown, Radmanovic’s high-arching long-range bombs are a thing of beauty.

And speaking of overachievers, wasn’t Seattle coach Nate McMillan supposedly on the hot seat before the season even started? Today, you can take away the word "seat," because the only thing hot about McMillan is the way his team is playing.

Can the Sonics continue their torrid pace? I don’t know. All I know is they have been finding ways to win when everything seems lost -- and like the Suns, the Sonics deserve your attention.

Finally, The King.

My third early pick for NBA MVP?

Try that 19-year-old second-year swingman from Cleveland who is in the top 15 in the league in 10 different statistical categories.

You read that right, LeBron James is among the 10 best in the league in almost EVERYTHING! Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, free throws attempted, free throws made … basically, if it has anything to do with basketball, James is really, really good at it.

And as Eddie Johnson also pointed out, LeBron conducts himself like a champion, playing with a great amount of confidence, but never allowing showmanship to get in the way of the ultimate goal.

Don’t get me wrong, I like a little flair from time to time. But in today’s sports world, NOT being over-the-top and begging for attention after making a great play is rare, and acting humble has suddenly become more admirable than ever.

At any rate, the Cavaliers could still use some consistent perimeter shooting (perhaps the one area that James has yet to master), and they need more aggressive play from their big men (are you listening, center Zydrunas Ilgauskus?). But because of James, I think they are capable of reaching the Finals THIS SEASON.

Hey, why not? The Pacers have had been slaughtered by suspensions, the Pistons seem to have put it in cruise control, and it’s too early to tell if Miami has what it takes.

That leaves the Cavaliers, who have a wonderful coach in Paul Silas, tons of confidence, and the superstar every team needs to go far.

Random Thoughts

-- Another reason I love this game? Scoring everywhere is way up, as NBA teams seem to have discovered the joy of reaching 100 points. The Suns and Sonics are leading the charge, which is yet another reason why I’m calling them my co-favorites. But can you guess which team was second in the league in scoring as of Dec. 1? The surprising answer in a minute.

-- At this point, you’re probably thinking that I’m picking Phoenix and Cleveland to meet in the Finals, and you’re ready to do one of two things: 1). Type an angry e-mail so viciously that you smash your keyboard; 2). Find out where I live and throw my laptop out the window, and follow it with me. But the truth is, when it comes to who will reach the Finals, there really isn’t a clear-cut favorite. And when was the last time we could say that?

-- In case you haven’t noticed, former Bulls forward Marcus Fizer has played well off of Milwaukee’s bench. Fizer pretty much flopped after being selected with the No. 3 overall draft pick six years ago, but there’s no doubt he has talent and plays hard. The questions have always surrounded his willingness to work on his skills during the offseason. I don’t profess to know anything about that, but based on the first month, Fizer was a nice addition.

-- So what’s wrong with the Bucks? You tell me. They have the same team back, a talented cast that made the playoffs and features Michael Redd, Keith Van Horn and Desmond Mason. Perhaps reader Robert Benson (Chicago) said it best when he wrote, “I think everyone else has figured out the Bucks. Last year, no one knew what to expect because they had a new coach in Terry Porter and new go-to guys in Redd and Mason. This year, people are taking them seriously.”

-- Toronto has received little interest in its efforts to trade Vince Carter. The Raptors have had talks with Chicago and Orlando, but neither was willing to take a risk on a player who already seems to be on the downside of his career. That’s not necessarily Carter’s fault, though. All those knee problems have robbed him of his old explosiveness.

-- If you were starting a team today, who would you rather have: Vince Carter or Michael Redd? E-mail me here and I’ll print the best responses next week.

-- It’s good to see Mike Fratello and Eric Musselman back in the league as coaches of the Memphis Grizzlies. Musselman will be Fratello’s assistant, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see Musselman get a head coaching job again soon.

-- It’s also good to know that former Grizzlies coach Hubie Brown is joining Al Michaels on ABC’s lead announce team this season. Nobody breaks down a game like ol’ Hubie.

-- Meanwhile, my vote for best studio guy is ESPN’s Greg Anthony. I always enjoyed watching Anthony as a player, and he’s done nothing to disappoint me as an analyst. Anthony is polished, never too critical, and you can tell he really enjoys talking about the game.

-- The answer to the question about which team is second in the league in scoring: The Washington Wizards, who were averaging 102 points per game as of Dec. 1. Credit goes to crafty coach Eddie Jordan and sensational forward Antawn Jamison. I said during the summer that the Wizards will make the playoffs and I still believe it.

-- Finally, after one month, I give you my All-Star Game starters: East -- C Shaquille O’Neal; F Antawn Jamison; F LeBron James; G Michael Redd; G Allen Iverson. West -- C Amare Stoudemire; F Tim Duncan; F Kevin Garnett; G Ray Allen; G Steve Nash. Toughest omissions: Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki and Jermaine O’Neal.

Reader Feedback

From Chris Cammarata (Santa Clara, Calif.): “What will be the spin by all the Laker haters and doomsayers after this team shows it's headed in the right direction? Are the 10-6 Heat (we can't beat anyone good) really better than the 9-6 Lakers (who play in the West). Seems one is being anointed and the other written off each time it loses. The Headlines: Shaq scores 34 and Heat LOSE at home (get used to it?); Kobe scores 20 and Lakers WIN on the road.”

Dear Chris: How about this headline -- Kobe scores 28 and Lakers lose to 1-10 Bulls. The bottom line is the Lakers aren’t as good as the Heat this season, but I won’t argue that they have at least as much potential in the long run. And you know what? I enjoy watching both teams more this year than I did last season. Kobe seems to be at peace for the first time in his professional life, his quest to lead the league in scoring clearly satisfied. He also seems to be a more willing distributor of the ball than ever before. But let’s face it, the Lakers are worse than they’ve been since before Shaq got there.

From Mike Thompson (Saginaw, Mich): “I’m a former sportswriter here at the Saginaw (Mich.) News and there was a minor league hockey game here a quarter century ago with a incident similar to the fight between the Pacers and Pistons fans. The local team the Saginaw Gears were playing the Flint Generals, when a Saginaw fan hit a General with a plastic pop bottle and the Generals went into the stands. They didn't have much punching power, being on ice skates on concrete. But it's happened before and it will happen again. I believe the NBA players took a worse hit because the players are black.”

Dear Mike: That’s an interesting e-mail, and I thank you for it. I usually try to avoid the race issue in this newsletter because this newsletter is for people who love the NBA -- period. If people have a problem with skin color, then the NBA probably isn’t for them. But you bring up a valid point, and a big part of me agrees.

From D.J. Swif (Toronto): “I'm from Canada, and as a nation we tend to believe that things don't get solved with violence. Look at the political climate in America, couple that with what gets played on TV , and tell me how you can expect acceptable behavior in a mob scene. It’s inexcusable, but Ron Artest probably did the only thing he knew how to do.”

Dear D.J.: Another good point.

From Monika Burman: Just wanted to tell you that I completely agree about the alcohol being served at sporting events. Bravo for saying that. I've always believed it to be a bad combination, and now the world knows why. I've had my fair share of bad encounters at basketball games (including a confrontation after a Raptors-Pistons playoff game in Detroit), and I'm pretty sure they all stemmed from drunkenness. If you want to drink and watch the game, do it at home or at a bar where only people of age are. Don't drink where young kids and children are going to be.

Dear Monika: A perfect way to close this week’s newsletter. Thank you.