The Sports Guy: Columnist of the People

If you know sports, you know who Bill Simmons is. Dubbed "The Sports Guy", Simmons is a writer from Boston. He is an unapologetic Boston sports fan, and he HATES the Lakers (sadly). What is best about Bill is his willingness to be blunt and honest, as well as his wacky and entertaining scenarios he creates in his mind. This week, his weekly mailbag column is a must read for NBA fans.Fixing the NBA Playoffs

You can't help but love Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan is the best. Even after multiple MVP awards, 4 NBA titles, and countless All-Star appearances, Timmy D and the Spurs are on fire in the west. There's nothing insightful about this post. Just look at the gif of Duncan trolling the always stone-faced Kendrick Perkins. First Dwight Howard, now Perkins. How can you not love the guy?Tim Duncan had a priceless reaction after getting shoved by Kendrick Perkins

Get Rid of the One-and-Done Rule

It's about time the charade ends. Ever since the NBA and NCAA came to an agreement that made players attend college and play there for at least one year before entering the NBA Draft, players have come and gone through college basketball. The top players only attend college for one year, then go straight to the NBA. Every analyst wants these young guys to stay and develop their craft in college, as they think many players rush to the NBA simply for the money.

In my opinion, that is a ridiculous stance. If you are in a position to get paid millions of dollars for your talents, why wouldn't you go to the NBA as soon as possible? Everyone praised Marcus Smart last year, who could have been a top pick in the 2013 draft but returned to college to work on his game. Fast forward one year after an underwhelming season, and his draft stock is weaker. Guys like Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker will always leave after one year, yet this charade will continue on and on.Marcus Smart Did The "Right Thing" And Look Where It Got Him

Apparently, J.R. Smith Likes to Shoot!

J.R. Smith. I dont even know where to begin. Against the Miami heat yesterday, he shot 22 three point shots. Yes, i'll say it again. He shot 22 THREE point shots! Most players don't shoot 22 shots. With Carmelo Anthony set to be a free agent, having Smith be the ultimate ballhog sure doesn't Help the Knicks chances of retaining the superstar this offseason.
Amar’e Stoudemie Unhappy With JR Smith Shooting 22 Threes

Indiana...What Happened?!

The Pacers were once the favourites to win the Eastern Conference. In fact, they were a lock for the 1 seed in the playoffs. As we head into the final few games of the regular season, they have completely collapsed. Miami has taken over the top spot in the east, despite their own struggles and injury problems.

Paul George is not playing to his superstar potential. If he isn't playing Miami, Roy Hibbert is nowhere to be found. And those two problems are just the tip of the iceberg. No solution is in sight, and you might be able to say the same for their title hopes.

The Pacers Have Hit Rock Bottom

Blake Griffin Earned my Respect

I always thought Blake Griffin was overrated. He is a guy who puts up fantastic numbers, but I only saw him as a highlight player. The type of guy who can jump out of the building, but has no skill. After attending the Raptors vs Clippers last Saturday, I can safely say I was so wrong. Blake is such a skilled player. The way he gets to the basket and maneuvers his body is great to watch. His passing ability and off-ball movement is sharp and well executed. Blake Griffin earned a new fan on that day.

Slow your Roll: Miami still reigns supreme

Ever since the OKC Thunder beat the Miami Heat This past week, everyone has been declaring Kevin Durant as the man to finally take the MVP trophy away from LeBron. While I agree with this, people have decided to go even further than that. Now they are saying that Miami is doomed, and that they have no chance of beating OKC if they were to meet in the NBA finals again.....

Really? I find it comical that everyone is already writing off the team that has won the last two championships, and been in the finals the last three. This same reaction came up when the big three were first together in Miami, and history has shown that they have proven the doubters wrong. So while the Thunder have definitely become a strong contender, the Heat are still the team to beat until someone does just that.

No Westbrook? No Problem.

Kevin Durant is on an absolute tear right now, as he has been putting up insane numbers over the past several games. He is on pace to be the man to finally take the MVP from LeBron James, and the OKC Thunder are rolling. What makes it more special is that Russell Westbrook has not played in many weeks. Last season's playoffs saw the Thunder run out of gas without their star point guard. This season, Durant has more than plenty of fuel in the tank to carry his team to a title.

All-star Weekend Needs to go

There used to be something special about NBA All-Star Weekend. The Slam Dunk Contest was unpredictable, and put players on the map. The All-Star game was a hard-fought battle between the best players in each conference. Sadly, those days are long gone.

The Dunk Contest has become a complete joke. Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan have all won the dunk contest. The caliber of player that used to compete in the event was incredible. Now guys like Jeremy Evans, who almost never play in an actual game, are the caliber of player competing in the event. People can try and sway Lebron James to join the contest all they want, but even he knows it's not worth his time.

If there is anything that needs to go, it is the actual All-Star game itself. The fans have realized they are not going to see any competitive play anymore. The players just use the game to throw down a few fancy dunks and silly shots, but who can blame them? Would you try hard in a meaningless game on a meaningless weekend and risk injury? I didn't think so.

Struggles of the Black Mamba

I am a lifelong Los Angeles Lakers fan, and my favourite player of all time is Kobe Bryant. Since I've been a fan, the team has won a total of five NBA titles, and Kobe has set countless all-time records. Of all the seasons I've watched, this one has been the most painful for two big reasons.

The first is the success of the other LA team, the Clippers. While the Lakers have spent the last 40 years cementing themselves as one of the best franchises in sports, the Clippers have been cementing themselves as one of the worst. Ever since the Clippers traded for superstar guard Chris Paul (after the NBA denied a trade that would've sent Paul to my beloved Lakers), the teams have gone in complete opposite directions. They flipped from a miserable franchise to a championship contender, while we have stooped into entering the "Tank for Wiggins" race.

The second reason is poor Kobe. While his peers Tim Duncan, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant are battling for the NBA title, Kobe is recuperating from another injury after already missing six months with a torn achilles. Kobe wants to do nothing but win games and titles, but a depleted roster filled with hobbled veterans and career underachievers isn't helping his cause.

So the Lakers will continue to lose, the Clippers will continue to win, and Kobe Bryant will still be on the sideline...giving his under-performing teammates his trademark death stare. The way this season has been going, there'll be no shortage of Kobe death stare gifs in the near future.

How in the World did the Raptors Become a Winner?

Everyone believed the Toronto Raptors were primed to be a lead horse in the “Tank for Wiggins” race, a battle of how bad teams were willing to be for the chance of getting Canadian phenom Andrew Wiggins in the 2014 draft. It all seemed like the perfect storm: a Canadian superstar coming home to a struggling franchise with a lot of disposable parts. The Raptors sure seemed like they were jockeying for the #1 ranked prospect, until they traded Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings. The day the disgruntled star left Toronto, the Raptors were a whole new team.

A dominating win over the Lakers on the night Kobe Bryant made his return from injury has sparked a phenomenal run for the team. This has included wins over the Pacers and Thunder, the teams with the best records in each conference. A return to a much more team-oriented play style has allowed stars like Demar DeRozan and Amir Johnson to reach their true potential and help the squad become a top team in the Eastern conference. While trigger-happy Rudy gay is gone, so are the prospects of drafting Andrew Wiggins. Fortunately, a long-awaited return to the playoffs will have Raptors fans feeling more than happy they fell out of contention in the “Tank for Wiggins” sweepstakes.