Welcome to the Madness!

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Well, 2nd most. The most wonderful time of the year for me is spending time with family and friends over the Holidays. This is 2nd. Most sports writers will agree that the two sporting events which are the most exciting and capture the public's attention are the Super Bowl and March Madness. Granted, these are two big events for gambling, but I think there's a good share out there that enjoy the high drama and the close games that will take place over the next month. We're not going to see the quality of play that we saw last year, there were so many great, experienced players. But, we could be in for an even more exciting March because of the youth present in college hoops. A lot of players are going to be experiencing this for the first time which means anything is possible. So I hope you enjoy it as well, it's going to be another fun ride.

It appears that Allen Iverson will not be invited to the 2008 Olympic team, a decision I fully approve of. And it got me thinking, what would my Olympic team look like. Well, here it is:

• Marcus Williams, point guard, UConn. Not a great shooter, but can defend, rebound, and most importantly, he's a distributor first. He's big and plays big. He will body you up defensively. He will get the ball inside.
• Deron Williams, point guard, Utah Jazz. Another big point guard who can body up defensively and looks to pass first. He is a better shooter than Williams, especially in crunch time.
• Chris Paul, point guard, New Orleans Hornets. No one can guard him. He can shoot, drive, and dish. He can get a little out of control, but when he pushes the ball, his head is always up. And if he sees no one open, he's tough enough to take it inside and finish himself.
• JJ Redick, shooting guard, Duke. The best shooter in America at any level, period.
• Allen Ray, shooting guard, Villanova. Can shoot the ball well also and can defend. He's quick in the passing lane and rebounds like a post player.
• Ray Allen, shooting guard, Seattle Sonics. Best shooter in the NBA at his position. Provides experience and a team-first attitude. He'd be my 6th man, instant offense off the bench.
• LeBron James, small forward, Cleveland Cavs. The all-purpose player who can do a little bit of everything. I don't think I'd let him take the outside shot because he'd be able to drive on the guys guarding him or post them up. And if I were to play some zone, he'd be at the point creating havoc on the smaller, opposing point guards.
• Adam Morrison, small forward, Gonzaga. He has the mid-range game that will be successful, plus he has the size to shoot over his opponents. He's not the greatest 1on1 defender, but he could play team defense well enough to get playing time. It's hard to pass up his offensive ability and variety.
• Brandon Roy, small forward, Washington. He can shoot, drive, defend, rebound, just a great all-around player who is overlooked because he's playing up in Seattle.
• Sean May, power forward, Charlotte Bobcats. Here's my bruiser who would be a load to guard on the block and try and box out. He would bring a physical presence despite his lack of height. I don't think he'd score much, but he can rebound and defend, which would be his primary role.
• Chris Bosh, power forward, Toronto Raptors. Very skilled back to the basket player who can also step out and hit the 15-footer. He's a European prototype with quickness and athleticism that would make him hard to match up against.
• Dwight Howard, power forward, Orlando Magic. Another physical presence with athleticism who plays hard. Not the greatest offensively skilled player yet, but he's good at being the garbage man, and every team needs one of those.
• Amare Stoudamire, power forward/center, Phoenix Suns. I think he should've played more in the last Olympics, he's a tough matchup for anyone. He would have to improve defensively in order to get more minutes. He is dynamite in transition. You get out of the way when he's flying at you.
• LaMarcus Aldridge, power forward/center, Texas. Talk about unlimited potential, this guy has it. He can score with his back to the basket, can hit the turnaround and fadeaway jumper, and can hit the 15-footer. He runs like a deer and at times, is the most physical player on the floor. Very young and inexperienced, but wow, he could be really good.
• Ben Wallace, center, Detroit Pistons. Strictly there for defense. I would draw up an 8-foot circle and say, "Ben, if you shoot from outside this circle, you're coming out of the game." The best defensive player in the NBA and also one of the more vocal leaders I think. With him guarding the basket, it allows you to play tight man defense, knowing that if you get beat, Ben's waiting to swat it away.

Here are other players I considered:

• Dee Brown, point guard, Illinois. He has the heart of a champion and is the one man fast break. But, he's too inconsistent of a jump shooter and lacks things others can bring to the table, most notably size.
• Ray Felton, point guard, Charlotte Bobcats. He can be a difference maker, which he was in last year's NCAA title game. Again, others can bring more to the table and are more consistent with regard to shooting and taking care of the ball.
• Dwayne Wade, shooting guard, Miami Heat. He's a great player, but in the Olympics, you've got to be able to make shots, which he's getting better at, but not consistent enough.
• Mike Gansey, shooting guard, West Virginia. Can shoot and is smart, especially on defense. He would be a perfect role player. I considered him very strongly.
• Joe Johnson, shooting guard, Atlanta Hawks. Phenomenal talent, one of the few NBA players with a legit mid-range game. But he's not a great defender and he's not a winner, he's never really won anything. If you notice, most of the guys I chose have won at some level.
• Michael Redd, shooting guard, Milwaukee Bucks. A great scorer and shooter, but not a great defender and ball handler.
• Kobe Bryant, shooting guard, LA Lakers. Not Kobe's kind of game. Actually have to pass the ball in the Olympics.
• Marvin Williams, small forward, Atlanta Hawks. Tough to pass on him, I really like his game. I don't think he could be physical enough.
• Shane Battier, small forward, Memphis Grizzlies. The ultimate role player who would play great defense and show great heart. But he's limited in what he can do offensively and he'd be undersized at his position.
• Rudy Gay, small forward, UConn. Obviously has unlimited potential, but he doesn't play hard all the time. I wouldn't be able to tolerate that.
• Emeka Okafor, power forward, Charlotte Bobcats. Would bring great defense and rebounding, but I'd be worried about him getting hurt.
• Kevin Pittsnoggle, power forward, West Virginia. Perfect for international ball. He can hit the outside shot and is very skilled offensively. But, he's not much of a rebounder and defender, which you have to do some of.
• Shaquille O'Neal, center, Miami Heat. I don't think Shaq would play, but even if he wanted to, I think his "get me the ball" attitude would be a detriment. You've got to play a team game in the Olympics. Shaq would dominate, no question, but would he hold up physically and would he share the ball?
• Tim Duncan, center, San Antonio Spurs. One of the top 5 players in the NBA, can do it all. But, I don't think he would play, and he wouldn't fit into what I would want to do.

I want to push the ball, reverse the ball on the break, get a touch inside and score, or kick it back out for a 3. I want a point guard who can put pressure on the ball defensively, handle the ball and distribute the ball offensively. I want shooting guards who can shoot. I want small forwards who are versatile at both ends. I want inside players who can finish, run the floor, play defense and rebound.

I had my last burger and fries until Easter, going to McDonalds (thanks to a gift certificate I received). Double quarter pounder with super size fries, mmmm good. We'll see if it's any harder than when I gave up chocolate.

And my favorite reality show returned tonight. The Amazing Race began in Denver and ended up in Sao Paulo tonight with the gay partnership finishing last after they got unlucky with their original cab driver. This season looks interesting because you have very outgoing partnerships who aren't shy. There are the hippies, the ladies, the mom and daughter who can argue bilingually, the old couple ("I think the clue box wasn't there before", after they walked by numerous times), the nerds, and the sisters among others.

I think I have a new pet peeve. At the gym I work out at, the new trend among guys is now to bring your own gallon jug full of water and carry it around while you workout. I've never needed a gallon of water during a lifting session; I don't even need a gallon of water while I'm running. But you see these guys do one set, then drink a half-gallon of water. They have to fill it up after every exercise in some cases. They might be ripped up top, but they still have a nice gut, probably due to the extra water weight from all the unnecessary water they drink. I just need enough to stay hydrated during the workout, then I drink enough water to rehydrate afterwards. But the gallon jug thing, c'mon.

Enjoy the Madness.