However, there has been a new trend of shifty little men disrupting passing lanes and playing great defense using their lateral quickness. Players that have shaped the mold for their teams include Chris Paul of the Hornets and Rajon Rondo of the Celtics. These guys disrupt an offense to the point of the play bankruptcy.

Dwight Howard has won the defensive player of the year award in back-to-back seasons. He is the first player in league history to lead the league in rebounds and blocked shots in the same season twice. Better yet, he has done it in back-to-back seasons. The question is, can he do it again? There is no slowing down for this guy. I think he will win it again this year unless Andrew Bogut of the Bucks can duplicate what Howard has done. He had a solid year last year until his horrific elbow injury sidelined him for the season. Josh Smith will always be a contender to win the award, but until proven otherwise, this is Howard’s to lose right now. He is a defensive juggernaut.

Up next is my pick for the most improved player. Stay tuned.

By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network

One other topic that deserves mention is Kobe Bryant’s legacy. If the Lakers win this series, Kobe Bryant will have 5 championship rings, which would make him the leader among active NBA players, and tie him with fellow Laker great Magic Johnson. At this point,there is no doubt that Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA. At the same time, however, there is some debate as to where he stands amongst the best guards of all time: Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson and of course, Michael Jordan, could all be considered to be better players than Kobe.

Many of Kobe’s detractors point out that Kobe Bryant was not the best player on three of his championship teams. These same detractors will also point out that after Shaquille O’Neal’s departure to Miami, the Lakers struggled to achieve a winning record for three seasons of Kobe’s prime. All of these are valid points, but it is still impossible to discount everything Kobe Bryant has achieved. Kobe’s longevity and consistency is incredible, and it is now time to evaluate Kobe’s place amongst the best players in NBA history.

After Michael Jordan won his last NBA title in 1998, a new generation of players emerged who hoped to take his place. Although there were quite a few disappointing players who were supposed to be the next Jordan (Vince Carter) there are three players who followed Jordan who were clearly superior to their peers. Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant are all among the top 20 players of all time, but now there is a new debate: Duncan or Bryant.

If the Lakers are able to win this NBA finals, then the debate becomes more complicated. Duncan’s supporters will point out that he has also won 4 NBA titles, and that Duncan was the best player on all of those teams. These are all valid point, but if Kobe Bryant can win yet another title as the best player on his team, then the discussion needs to be held: who is better, Kobe or Duncan?

by Nathan Eagan at the Sports Fan Blog Network

“Man, one big game,” Parker said, smiling. “Look at all this.”
Jefferson took it in stride. After all, he was probably glad Parker didn’t woof or bark.

Knowing he was among the guys Spurs coach Gregg Popovich thought “played like dogs” in the opener, Jefferson bounced back by scoring 17 of his 19 points in the first half to help San Antonio beat the Dallas Mavericks 102-88 in Game 2 on Wednesday night. The win ties their first-round series at a game apiece, with the next two games in the Alamo City.
“You could see it in his eyes that he was motivated,” Parker said. “Nobody likes to play bad and he knew he didn’t have a good first game. Knowing his mentality, we knew he was going to come back.”

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

Duncan led San Antonio in scoring for the sixth time in eight games with 22 points, and the Spurs beat the Sixers 97-89 on Sunday night to extend their longest winning streak since pulling themselves out of a similar early slump last December.

“We really shouldn’t care that much about winning five in a row,” Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. “It’s always good. It helps your confidence, and of course your standings, but we still believe we’ve got a long way to go.”

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

San Antonio Spurs Sports Memorabilia
and other San Antonio Spurs Gifts and Collectibles
Below are links to memorabilia available for Tim Duncan.

Parker was already out with a left ankle injury of his own. He rolled the ankle in the second quarter against the Trail Blazers and did not return to the game.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

San Antonio Spurs Sports Memorabilia
and other San Antonio Spurs Gifts and Collectibles
Below are links to memorabilia available for popular San Antonio Spurs players.