--Written By: Devin Dombrowski--

With the news yesterday that Manny Ramirez is the latest star to get suspended for a banned substance; I finally realized that I just don’t care about baseball anymore. I was nearing a sports crossroads and this latest news just shoved me over the line.

To get the full picture, I feel the need to explain a little about myself in terms of the teams I root for. The most obvious is my Buffalo connection. I love the Bills and Sabres more than any other team and I follow those respected sports more than all the others. If Buffalo had a MLB or NBA team, I’d be fully into them as well. Explaining my history with the Buffalo teams would basically just waste everyone’s time, so I’ll skip right past them.

When it comes to NCAA football, I follow the Miami Hurricanes, which is actually an easier explanation than one might think. I’m only 24 years old so in my youth Jim Kelly was huge in Buffalo and was easily my favorite player. One of the first real books I read was his biography “Armed & Dangerous”. So being young and impressionable, I chose to follow Miami because that is where Kelly attended college. This was without knowledge of their past championships and I’ve followed them since then, witnessing the Ken Dorsey led Hurricanes win another Championship. I’ve also been privy to their epic downfall under Larry Coker and their subsequent revival with Randy Shannon. Can someone say ACC Champs for this season? Yes, I’m pumped.

In MLB baseball, I’ve always followed the Atlanta Braves. It was during their second consecutive World Series loss that I was watching Toronto celebrate and distinctly heard the announcer say “The Braves are the Buffalo Bills of baseball”. I was in either first or second grade at the time so I had no idea that it was most likely meant as an insult rather than a compliment, but it didn’t matter to me. Since that day I decided the Braves were my team. One could argue that I hopped on their wagon because they had just won the NL twice, but I swear on my future child’s grave that this isn’t the case. It was really as simple as that. They are the Buffalo Bills of baseball? Cool, I think I’m going to root for them.

Baseball was never that big for me in comparison to the other sports. I could always watch the games on TBS and often did, but I was never fully invested in them. When they were in the playoffs I always watched all the games and usually shut the television off in disgust as they choked away yet another division title. Even through the steroids scandal, I didn’t let it really bother me. I read Jose Canseco’s book “Juiced” and none of it shocked me. Then the news broke about Ramirez yesterday and I took some time to really think about it (along with deciding what to do on my fantasy team). I have finally had enough.

I finally realized I just don’t care that much about baseball. I love the statistical portion of it and I’m currently running four different fantasy teams, including two keeper leagues. I did quite a bit of research on it and for the most part I know what I’m talking about. That isn’t going to change anytime soon. I caught the two Braves games that ESPN has shown, but other than that I just get the scores text messaged to me and that is that. It’s nothing like the other sports. Not only do I watch every single Bills and Sabres game, I go absolutely crazy if I don’t know what is going on with them at all times. The comparison between those teams and the Braves is night and day.

I thought about the Braves winning the World Series this season… I’d watch, I’d root and I’d be happy if then won. But it wouldn’t alter my life. Then I thought about either Buffalo team finally capturing a championship. I literally got goosebumps on top of goosebumps at the mere thought of them winning. Like I said, the difference is night and day.

(Quick Rant: Hey, I like the Braves, but could the fans in Atlanta be more annoying? Nobody shows up to games anymore and when they do they just sit around lifeless until the scoreboard tells them to do that horribly annoying tomahawk chop. Good lord, knock it off people. One reason I rooted against the Rays last year was the annoying bandwagon fans and you guys aren’t doing much better. Ok, I’m done ranting for now.)

When listing my teams/sports I follow in order it always went like this:

1(a). Bills

1(b). Sabres

2. Miami Hurricanes

3. Atlanta Braves

4. --Insert NBA Team--

What, no NBA team? Let me explain. When I was much younger I wanted to get into the NBA. I refused to root for the Bulls because I was literally surrounded by kids wearing Michael Jordan jerseys and I wasn’t about to hop on that wagon. I decided to root for the expansion Charlotte Hornets because I took an interest in Alonzo Mourning, Larry Johnson, Dell Curry and Mugsey Bouges. Plus they were an expansion team so nobody could really accuse me of just picking a winning franchise (Like LA, Chicago or Boston).

Then the Hornets took off for New Orleans and I was left without a favorite team. I refused to root for New Orleans and was left without a team. I decided at that time I would just follow the sport half heartedly for a little while. Then the Bobcats came to Charlotte as an expansion franchise. Perfect. I was a fan of Charlotte basketball and they now have another team. I tried my hardest to get into them but I just couldn’t do it for the long haul. It was at this point that I read this little passage from Bill Simmons:

19. Once you choose a team, you're stuck with that team for the rest of your life ... unless one of the following conditions applies:

The owner of your favorite team treated his fans so egregiously over the years that you couldn't take it anymore -- you would rather not follow them at all then support a franchise with this owner in charge. Just for the record, I reached this point with the Boston Bruins about six years ago. When it happens, you have two options: You can either renounce that team and pick someone else, or you can pretend they're dead, like you're a grieving widow. That's what I do. I'm an NHL widow. I don't even want to date another team.

(Link: Rules For Being A True Fan)

So this is what I did. I divorced from the Charlotte Bobcats before this season and I’ve been an NBA widow since. Not only do I think the ownership in Charlotte is doing NOTHING to build a winning franchise, I fully expect that team to be gone in the next 3-5 years. The only way I’d root for them now is if they moved to Buffalo (not in a million years will this happen).

But lately I’ve been watching quite a bit of NBA. It somewhat stemmed from me capturing the championship in my fantasy NBA league and partly because of the Celtics/Bulls first round series. It was in that series that I watched more basketball than I have all season. I started getting that itch like I enjoy watching basketball and could keep doing this. It continued into the second round as I’ve caught several different games so far. I started getting that itch that I should have a team to root for. Am I allowed to pick another team? How do I pick that particular team without hopping on the wagon?

I will in no way root for Lebron and the Cavs. In fact, I hope they lose the Finals to Kobe and the Lakers. For one, I like Kobe better, and two, I don’t want Cleveland winning a championship because that will leave Buffalo as probably the most depressing sports city in America.

I then stumbled upon the fact that Bill Simmons is petitioning to become the GM of the Minnesota Timberwolves, one of the most irrelevant franchises in the NBA right now. I think this is a great idea. Consider the following:

- What better way to put yourself back on the map then make a splash in the hiring of a GM. That would no doubt be the leading story on Around the Horn, PTI and Sportscenter. From obscurity to national spotlight in seconds.

- Simmons has said he will work the first year for free as long as he can write a book about his experience. So Minnesota is hurting in this economy and now they can save themselves anywhere from 5-10 million next season just by doing this.

- Simmons just got finished writing a 600+ book about basketball so simply put, the guy knows what the hell he is talking about.

- This would finally make writers responsible for what they write. How many times has someone within a front office said that the media really doesn’t know what is going on and the media has acted like they know it all? Well, this is putting their money where their mouth is. Hire a sportswriter and see how much he really knows.

I sent the Sports Guy this e-mail but in case it never sees the light of day, I want to put this in writing on a more open forum.

I have no NBA team right now. I want an NBA team. I want to become more involved in the sport. If the Minnesota Timberwolves hire Bill Simmons for the GM, I will fully throw myself into Minnesota Basketball. I’m talking about buying merchandise, attending games when they are in the area and possibly even purchasing the NBA package to watch their games.

I’m sure I’m not the only person with these thoughts. This could quite possibly be the smartest thing Minnesota could do as an NBA franchise to salvage what is left of a dying product.

If this happens, my sports list will now look like this:

1(a). Sabres

1(b). Bills

2. Miami Hurricanes

3. Minnesota Timberwolves

4. Atlanta Braves

I think this would finalize my list for a good portion in my life. The only way it would possibly change is if Buffalo either gained another professional franchise (not likely) or they lost one (very likely). If that happens, a definite re-order will be needed.

What was the point of the article? Well quite simply I wanted to vent a little bit about how MLB baseball has been sucking my will to live lately and I don’t see it improving anytime soon. I also wanted to discuss how the NBA is definitely coming back strong and has the potential to attract a ton of new fans. I’m one of them. Of course, the odds of Minnesota hiring Simmons are a bigger longshot than Trent Edwards leading Buffalo to a Super Bowl this season, but anything can happen. If they hire someone else, I’m back to the drawing board. I might be stuck without a team for the upcoming season, which will suck, but it’s the way it goes.

Hey, maybe someone will move to Buffalo. (Yeah right)

Some relative links in regards to this article:

- The Book of Basketball (Facebook Group)

- Simmons for GM (Facebook Group)

Fresh off my championship season in Fantasy NBA, I’m here to bring you my first round picks along with some real in-depth analysis.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Cleveland Cavaliers (1) vs Detroit Pistons (8)

This series is going to be a massacre. I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I know everything about the NBA, or anything for that matter, but there is no way Detroit is winning this series. The Pistons had their one fun season and have been slowly falling apart ever since. The trade for Allen Iverson was a miserable failure this season which hurt the team more than ever. I’ve read on several sites that they made the trade to clear cap room for the summer of 2010, but I don’t see it happening. Handicapping your team for two seasons just for the chance to possibly sign a big free agent is probably the worst strategy I’ve ever heard. I know several teams are employing this strategy so I don’t mean to pile on Detroit, but quite frankly, I don’t like Detroit.

As for the Cavs, David Stern should just reward the Eastern Conference Championship to them now. This season reminds me of those seasons during the Chicago Bulls glory years where everyone in the conference just competed to see who could lose to the Bulls in the most games and put up the biggest fight against Michael Jordan. The only difference between the Cavs this year and the 90’s era Chicago Bulls; the Bulls actually won the title while the Cavs aren’t winning it this year.

My Prediction: Cleveland in 4

Boston Celtics (2) vs Chicago Bulls (7)

The Celtics effectively went from worst to first last season en route to winning another NBA Title. This year, things are a little bit different. They do still have the number two seed, but they are a hurting team. Kevin Garnett is most likely gone for the rest of the season and that is going to kill Boston. It’s not just his stats, but it’s his presence. That guy is a leader and losing him is something that they won’t be able to fully replace.

Lucky for the Celtics, they draw the Bulls in the first round and shouldn’t lose this series. The Bulls are a young and talented team, but the Celts are the defending champs and they aren’t going down in the first round.

My Prediction: Boston in 7

Orlando Magic (3) vs Philadelphia 76ers (6)

The Magic round out the big three of the Eastern Conference with their first round match-up with the Philadelphia 76ers. I have a rule of thumb when picking games in the playoffs, and that rule is to not pick teams that made the playoffs and didn’t finish above .500. This is always prevalent in the Eastern Conference and the NFC during the NFL playoffs.

The Magic have a strong chance at facing Cleveland in the conference finals now that the Garnett injury has been leaked to the media. Dwight Howard had yet to prove himself in the post-season so it will be interesting to see how he responds with a legit chance to make a run this spring.

The Sixers…well…they don’t stand a chance in this series. If I were a Philly fan I’d be totally invested in the Flyers or the Phillies right now.(And by the looks of it, they might want to head to the ballpark pretty soon)

My Prediction: Orlando in 5

Atlanta Hawks (4) vs Miami Heat (5)

This might be my favorite series of first round…in the Eastern Conference. D-Wade has been absolutely amazing this season and if I were voting, he would be co-MVP with Lebron. Starting with the Olympics in the summer and extending all the way through the NBA season, D-Wade has proven himself to be elite after an injury marred season last year.

I’d also like to take this time to thank Wade for his great production this season because I had him on my fantasy team that dominated the entire season en route to my first championship in Fantasy NBA. I’d also like to thanks the Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, for writing a fantasy draft article that hinted about Wade being a stud this year. Thank you all.

My Prediction: Miami in 7

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Los Angeles Lakers (1) vs Utah Jazz (8)

The Jazz have a pretty solid roster so it’s somewhat of a shock to me that they are the eighth seed this season. Then again, I haven’t seen a single Jazz game this year so maybe I shouldn’t be so shocked.

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Kobe Bryant and I’m all out rooting for the Lakers to win the Championship this season. I could really care less that most of the general population outside of L.A. can’t stand the guy, but you have to respect the guy. His workout routines are nothing short of amazing and I’ve read several theories that both D-Wade and Lebron owe their great seasons to Bryant because he drove them to be better during the summer.

My Prediction: Lakers in 4

Denver Nuggets (2) vs New Orleans Hornets (7)

It’s a role reversal this season as the Nuggets are the high seed and it’s the Hornets that are limping into the playoffs. New Orleans has had an interesting season. They attempted to trade away Tyson Chandler, only to have the trade fail, and it was the failed trade that basically propelled the Hornets into the playoffs.

The Nuggets on the other hand fleeced Detroit in the Iverson/Billups trade and it’s been great for them this season. Getting rid of a ball hog like Iverson for a true team guy like Billups was just what the doctored ordered in Denver. This not only instilled some veteran leadership in the locker room and on the court, but it allowed Carmelo Anthony to take over instead of worrying about whether or not he’ll upset Iverson by taking too many shots.

My Prediction: Nuggets in 7

San Antonio Spurs (3) vs Dallas Mavericks (6)

I think this match-up is pretty deceiving. The Spurs have been a staple in the NBA playoffs for so many years that it’s almost commonplace to see them in the first round and just pick them to win. However, I think this year is different. They have had several injuries this season and Tim Duncan is starting to show some wear and tear on his body that is going to hurt them going forward. It reminds me of the years when David Robinson started to slow down and stepped into a lesser role when Duncan came to town. I’m thinking something similar has to happen very soon or San Antonio won’t even make it in the coming years.

Dallas was on the fringe of not making the playoffs earlier in the year but they caught fire at the right time and I think they are primed to at least advance to the second round. Jason Terry has been great for them and if he plays well, the Mavs are going to do well.

My Prediction: Dallas in 6

Portland Trail Blazers (4) vs Houston Rockets (5)

Despite blowing the Oden/Durant draft pick, the Blazers have a solid foundation built and are going to be a dangerous team. Brandon Roy has been a force this season and Rudy Fernandez has been nothing short of solid coming off the bench. Is that even a compliment? The Blazers are a fun team and it should be interesting to see how far they are going to advance this post-season.

Houston had a chance at a higher seed to close the season but blew that opportunity and now start the playoffs on the road against a young, upstart Portland team. The Rockets have several players like Shane Battier and Ron Artest that have that drive to lead a team, but I don’t think it will be enough to overcome Portland. The Blazers just have too much raw talent to defend.

Portland in 7

In my quarterfinal edition of Who is the Best Player in the NBA, LeBron James got the nod over Dirk Nowitzki, and Chris Paul edged out Dwight Howard as well. Today, James and Paul go head to head, with the winner facing off against Kobe Bryant in the Final.

Chris Paul vs. LeBron James

Interestingly enough, both of these players have drawn many comparisons to the same Hall of Famer in their short times in the league. Due to their ability to fill up a stat sheet in multiple ways, many have called both Paul and James the next Magic Johnson. While Paul is a true point guard and certainly has Magic's ability to pass the ball as well as score, LeBron is much closer to the actual mold. Magic had size much like James does, and while LeBron might not be quite as good of an assist man, he's certainly not a slouch, and the argument could be made that he's a superior scorer. Both Paul and James also have great ability defensively as Paul leads the league in steals with James right behind him in 5th.

Since the last article, both players have been named starters for the upcoming All Star Game via fan voting, adding to their already impressive list of accolades in their young careers. Here's a quick look back at their career highlights discussed in the previous article.

Chris Paul:
- 2006 Rookie of the Year
- 2006 All Rookie Team
- 2 Time All Star (2008, 2009)
- 2008 All Defensive First Team
- 2008 All NBA First Team
- 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist

LeBron James:
- 2004 Rookie of the Year
- 2004 All Rookie Team
- 5 Time All Star (2005-2009)
- 2 Time All Star Game MVP (2006, 2008)
- All NBA Second Team (2005, 2007)
- All NBA First Team (2006, 2008)
- 2007 NBA Finals Apperance
- 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist

While the two are quite close in age, James is just 6 months older, LeBron got a major jump start by heading straight to the NBA from High School, while Paul put in 2 years at Wake Forest before heading to the league. At 23, and 24 years old, the future for these two superstars looks incredibly bright. The question however, is who is the best so far in their careers. Stats and accolades aside, LeBron James has done more with less so far. He took Cleveland to the NBA Finals in 2007 despite little help from his supporting cast, and he currently has them amongst the best records in the NBA this season as well. While he has gotten a bit more help this year, Paul seems to have the better teammates in general.

Purely from a gameplay standpoint, there is perhaps no other player in the NBA that can dominate a game like James can when is at his best. He's 6'8, 260 lbs. and has incredible strength and power. He also shows uncanny quickness for size and is quite possibly the most explosive player in the league. Top it off with his ability to handle the ball and set up his teammates, and there is little to be desired, outside of a sometimes streaky jumpshot which has improved throughout his career.

Paul on the other hand has a fairly typical point guard build, and while he can score proficiently if needed, he is best served as a setup man, easily leading the league in assists this season at 11.1 per game. He has been known do take over games from time to time, but just not at the same level that LeBron can. While a very good player, at this point he still has to rely on teammates to help him get the job done, much more so than James.

Winner: LeBron James

Chris Paul is certainly one of the best young players in the NBA and is already on pace for an incredible career, but James, while only a few months older, already has Hall of Fame type numbers and accolades. LeBron came into the NBA with more hype than any player in memory and has yet to disappoint in the least. It's likely only a matter of time before he begins to rack up MVP trophies and quite probably NBA Championships as well.

Don't forget to check back next week as Devin and I go head to head and make our cases for the best player in the NBA. Can LeBron overcome the cagey veteran, Kobe Bryant? Or is the Mongoose too much for King James to handle?

It's an often asked question these days. Who is the Best Player in the NBA right now? Here at D & S Sports Report, we're going to attempt to answer the question, tournament style. Devin and I will take who we view as the Top 8 players in the league and face them off against one another to see who reigns supreme. Today, we bring you the first 2 quarterfinal matchups. LeBron James will be taking on Dirk Nowitzki, and Chris Paul is head to head with Dwight Howard.

Quarterfinal #1: LeBron James vs. Dirk Nowitzki

LeBron James has had to live up to more hype than perhaps any athlete on the planet, and thus far has done an admirable job in doing so. Since being drafted by Cleveland at the age of 18 in 2003, James has been responsible for single handedly carrying his team on his back. For his career, he is averaging 27.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game. It's not just offense for James though as he also averages just under 2 steals per game. His accomplishments include 4 all star game apperances (MVP twice), All NBA 2nd Team twice, All NBA 1st Team twice, and All Rookie First Team. He also lead his team to an NBA Finals appearance in 2007.

James has improved virtually every year of his career thus far and is currently the leading candidate for MVP this season, as he once again has his Cleveland Cavaliers near the top of the standings. Teams have already begun to make moves anticipating his free agent status in 2010, and at just 24 years old, his best years are still ahead of him.

Dirk Nowitzki was the 8th overall pick in the 1998 draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, but was immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks, where he has spent his entire career. The German born forward is best known for his remarkable shooting ability considering his size at 7'0". HIs career numbers include 22.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. He is currently 5th in the NBA this season with 26 ppg and has not scored below 23.6 per game in the last 5 seasons. Dirk has made the all star team 7 times, been named to 8 All NBA teams, and was the league MVP in the 2007 season. In 2006, he took the Mavericks to the NBA finals, but was beaten by the Miami Heat in 6 games.

Nowitzki is widely recognized as perhaps the best International player to play in the NBA. He has been the cornerstone of the Dallas franchise for many years now, but after repeated postseason flameouts, their is talk of him leaving town in the near future. At 30 years old, he still has some valuable years left in him, and his numbers are still amongst the best of his career.

Winner: LeBron James

James simply has too much upside to be ignored. He's already among the elite in the NBA and is still so young, that his potential is almost frightening to think about. Dirk has been a very good player, but simply hasn't been able to get it done when it counts the most, and his time to do so is starting to run out.

Quarterfinal #2: Chris Paul vs. Dwight Howard

Now in his 4th season out of Wake Forest, Chris Paul has been redefining the point guard position since entering the NBA. His numbers improved each of his first three years and he continues to be a statistical machine. For his career, he is averaging 18.7 points, 9.7 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and an amazing 2.4 steals per game. Paul has made all of his teammates in New Orleans better players with his incredible ability to distribute the ball, but he's not afraid to do it himself when the situation calls for it either. He's already established himself as one of the best clutch shooters around, and his defense speaks for itself. The 2006 Rookie of the Year also earned himself honors in 2008 by being named to the All Star team, the NBA All Defensive Team, and the NBA First Team.

Paul currently leads the league in assists (11.0) and steals (2.7) per game this season and has been mentioned by many as a potential MVP candidate, an award which he placed 2nd in voting to last season behind Kobe Bryant. At just 23 years old, the future is very bright indeed for both him and the Hornets. He lead the team to their first postseason in 5 years last season, where they advanced to the 2nd round before losing to the Spurs in 7 games.

Dwight Howard was drafted first overall straight out of high school by the Orlando Magic in 2004. His play has gotten increasingly better with each passing season and he has become one of the most dominant big men in the NBA. He's averaging 16.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game for his career, but is putting up better numbers in all categories this season. In addition to his 20.2 points a night, he leads the league in rebounding at 14.1 per game, as well as blocks with an astounding 3.2 per game. Howard has become a virtual walking double double, having accomplished the feat 31 times so far this season, also good for best in the league. Howard has been an All Star each of the last two seasons and won the Slam Dunk contest at last year's festivities. He was named to the NBA 3rd Team in 2007 and both the NBA 1st Team and All Defensive 2nd Team in 2008.

Howard has restored the Orlando Magic to prominance in the Eastern Conference where they are currently tied for 1st place. Last season he took them to a division title as well as the 2nd round of the playoffs where they were defeated by the Detroit Pistons in 5 games. Like Paul, Howard is just 23 years old and steadily improving.

Winner: Chris Paul

This is a very close contest with both guys still extremely young and constantly getting better. Both will be forces for years to come in the NBA, but Paul gets the nod at this point for having more overall success as well as finding so many ways to lead his team. His stat line is just a bit better and more diverse than Howard's, but ultimately it's his team's success that makes him the better player right now.