Written by: Elliot Allen

            The first half of the season is over, and the NBA All-Star weekend and game is mercifully over! The big push to make the Playoffs begins. The teams that are not in are trying to push their way in. The teams that are in, are jockeying for the best possible positions.  This is also the critical time of the year in which the mental edges are formed. Often the teams that can gather the most momentum from now until the end of the season will be very strong going into the Playoffs. That strength is most importantly reflected mentally. If a team goes on a winning streak in this second half, they can start to really develop a feeling of invincibility. Sometimes that is the difference in that team winning or losing a Playoff series. That can prove to be true even when that team is less talented than their opponent. So, let’s lock in, and enjoy this spectacular time of the NBA season!
            The New York Knicks are one of those teams that has a lot at stake in the second half of the season. They have had an outstanding first half of the season! The expectations in New York are always very high, and certainly with this current group much is expected.  Do they have enough talent to win the Championship?  Certainly, it does not appear they quite have the talent to match up with the likes of a Boston Celtics team. However, the Knicks are one of those teams that can generate momentum in the second half of the season and that will be a HUGE factor. The more they believe in their system, and their chemistry as a team it will put them in the mindset they can beat any team in a series.  They will be getting back a major piece of their roster with the return of Mitchell Robinson. This is another mental edge for the Knicks as they played well without him and if they can orchestrate him seamlessly back in the flow of the team it will be big advantage. The Knicks have proven to be a gritty team throughout the first half of the season. The question is can they add the polish to put them in serious championship contention. The battle begins tonight against the Chicago Bulls. Each game at this point in the season is important to establish playoff mentality and confidence. We will get a chance to see the leadership of the team captain, Jalen Brunson, who is having an outstanding season and has shown great focus and leadership throughout his tenure with the Knicks. This is a great opportunity for Brunson to go to another level in this league and cement himself in legendary status for the storied New York Knick franchise. Let’s see what players emerge alongside the captain. This will be a mental battle that will be a treat to watch.

Written by: Elliot Allen

​As the NBA and sports world stands stunned by the surprising trade of the Dallas Mavericks Luca Doncic to Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, the resounding question is why?  There is talk about the X’s and O’s of what this trade means to both teams. Most believe the Lakers are looking to build for the future and put themselves in a position to win the championship for multiple years to come. On the other side, it is speculated that the Mavericks are going for the win now approach. While those are legitimate points, there appears to be more to it. So why make this trade?

IT’S BIGGER THAN THE PLAYERS TRADED!!!

That is a bold statement considering the players involved in this trade. Considering the current climate of the NBA this is a huge power move by NBA management. Considering the Jimmy Butler situation in Miami, along with the growing frustration of players missing a high volume of games, this trade becomes HUGE! One take is that the players are dictating the show with how they want teams to be run. That includes their unwillingness to play through injuries and back-to-back situations. Joel Embiid and Zion Williamson are two notable names who have had a tumultuous time with injuries and missing an inordinate number of games. Here is where the storyline thickens. Those two players, along with Doncic, have been questioned regarding their ability to stay in shape. This has been something that all three players dealt with for numerous years. One would have to believe lack of conditioning contributes to their injuries. Embiid has played very few games this year, Williamson also has played very few games this year and Doncic came into the season not in the best shape and subsequently went down early in the season with an injury which he is still out with at the time of this article rendering him to miss half the season so far. For all three players this has been the pattern for multiple years. This leads to the question of why this trade is bigger than the players involved.

THE LINE WAS DRAWN IN THE SAND BY OWNERSHIP WITH THIS DEAL

                This deal was initiated by the Dallas Mavericks, a clear indication of their frustration with Doncic not taking his conditioning seriously. It’s a tricky line because Luka’s success in the NBA is high level, particularly coming off of a NBA Final’s appearance last season! On one side of the line the Mavericks front office is taking a stand to say not just to Doncic but they are making a statement to the entire NBA. The statement is about players mentally accepting that their physical conditioning is very critical to the success of their teams and even more so to the business of the NBA. Having major stars sitting on the sidelines due to injuries is never good for business.
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          So, what stand could management take to change the mindset of players to take conditioning more seriously? This trade was the stance. It was interesting to see the reaction of the players in the NBA to the trade. Some reactions were captured live during the games. Some statements made in the aftermath. Bottom line it appears that message hit home. Many players have expressed anger, and a tone of uncertainty has been set. What will the result of uncertainty be? That brings us to the other side of the line drawn in the sand. The players are not happy with this feeling of seeing a seemingly untouchable player being traded without any knowledge or approval. Certainly, that must put players in a position to look at why? Maybe it will cause them to look at the accountability of being in supreme shape. Injuries in sports are definite; however, it can bring speculation when players are getting hurt because they are not in shape. This trade is an indication that management is reacting to that speculation. This sets the tone of attempting to change the mental approach of players regarding their physical training.  The NBA surely cannot be happy with the number of games missed by their marquee players. However, what can the league take to hold players more accountable for keeping their bodies in the best possible condition to compete on a nightly basis? It is tricky because the NBA does have guaranteed contracts, and it would be an epic fight with the players union to monetarily have consequences to players being injured and sitting out of a game.  So, this stance of trading Doncic is monumental, and it did have a financial effect on his next contract. While he can receive the max NBA contract, Doncic will lose out on millions of dollars because you can exceed that max amount only when re-signing with same team original contract came from.
                So, what does all this mean? Sports are thought of as a physical battle. That clearly is a true statement, but this situation highlights the importance of mental clarity. Consistent play is something every professional sport thrives on for various reasons ranging from having the best chance to win a championship, to attracting the best possible viewership for furtherment of the business. When that consistency is compromised it sacrifices the clarity of the sport. It is very difficult to regain that clarity in a large league like the NBA. Sometimes the path for clarity is dramatic move like the Doncic/Davis trade and the fashion in which it was done. The fallout in the coming months and into the next season will be interesting and that’s aside from what happens with wins or losses of the respective teams. Will this be a change in the players’ approach to conditioning their bodies in more compliance with the team and playing as many games as possible? As much as the game of basketball is a physical sport, this is where the conditioning of athletes minds is on display and the results are in front of us.

Written By: Elliot Allen

​A growing trend in the N.B.A. is players expressing to owners that they no longer want to play for their respective teams.  This is not new, however the frequency in which this happening is becoming a phenomenon.  

Written By: Elliot Allen

The current hottest debate in the sport of basketball involves Michael Jordan and Lebron James.  Which one is better?  I believe these debates are very unfair to both individuals as well as numerous other players who have reached immortal status as a basketball player.  At the same time, I do understand the need to explore the comparisons.  I’ve been watching basketball for 39 years!  I have witnessed many Hall Of Fame careers during this time.  I have great respect for domination in any life situation.  Athletes, more specifically basketball players in this case, have to have sustained dominance over a long period of time.  This feat is not easily obtainable.  So which players have done this and how? 
In all my years of watching the sport of basketball I have witnessed so many players with absolutely supreme physical ability.  However, all those players do not turn out to be Hall of Fame caliber players.  There are players with similar physical abilities of Michael Jordan and Lebron James, but what makes these two guys standout in a discussion of being among the best to ever play the game?

Jordan/James
When speaking of both of these men’s physical talent, it’s clearly undeniable.  I actually believe it’s somewhat silly to compare their physical gifts.  Both men are off the charts with the amazing feats they can physically perform on a basketball court.  Can we be picky and say one guy is faster, stronger, or can jump higher than the other?  Of course we can, but ultimately they cancel each other with different physical advantages they have over each other.  
With that being said, what makes Jordan/James standout above the rest?  I believe the overwhelming factor is their Mental Strength!  These men are in another class when it comes to their Mental Conditioning.  Interestingly because they are so physically talented it is not easy to recognize how much of a role their mental dominance plays in their greatness.  If not for their mental advantage, other players in the league would be very competitive with them night in and night out.  

Jordan
First and foremost let me establish that I am a diehard NY Knick fan.  Yes I am proud of it despite what’s currently going on.  Anyway, I say that to say, that Michael Jordan has broken my heart on many occasions.  I wanted him and the Chicago Bulls to fall short of their goals every year!  Unfortunately it never happened.  It became a vendetta just to see anybody dominate Jordan and Bulls.  As I watched year after year and player after player try to challenge his dominance it was a moot point.  As new players came into the league, as other superstar players got better, it was undebatable that Jordan was absolutely the best player in the league!  I did have the opportunity to watch the Chicago Bulls play quite often during the infamous 70 win season.  I watched every night hoping they would lose.  That was when I really got a chance to witness firsthand the mental dominance of Jordan.  His determination to win every game was astonishing.  It didn’t matter if they were playing a team with an outstanding record or a team with the worst record in the league, he would attack with the same fire and venom.  That takes strong mental strength.  The execution was the same regardless of his opponent.  What made it even more incredible was the manner in which he elevated his play to translate into his teammates.  The Bulls had great talent, but he made sure the team performed on the level they had to nightly regardless of opponent.  On the given nights where the team wasn’t performing up to that standard, he had an uncanny ability to recognize that and take it upon himself to do whatever necessary to win.  This is a phenomenal mental feat to be able to recognize and physically turn up that intensity to match.  Jordan’s ability to do this whether it was a regular season game against the worse team in the league or in a championship deciding game makes him mentally an all-time great who can be considered the best!!!!

James
Lebron James is still in the process of writing the script of his legacy.  However, the narrative that has been written thus far is so good that if I didn’t witness it myself I would assume it was a fairytale.  Obviously this man’s physicality is legendary.  Just as Jordan, Lebron’s mental strength is something that even legends have to admire.  The story plays out quite different in some ways than Jordan.  James has been on multiple teams and has had a wide array of teammates.  Many have different opinions on that. Despite those opinions one thing is evident.  No matter the team or the teammates, he has been able to elevate the level of play from day one when he entered the league.  He has gone to and won the finals with outstanding teammates and he has done the same with less than stellar teammates!  I believe this speaks volumes about this man’s mental strength.  Over the years there are countless players, even Hall of Famers who score points and elevate their play on teams that are less than stellar.  However, it’s hard pressed to find a player mentally who took those type of teams to an elite level and provided a winning mentality in the fashion that Lebron James has.  This makes him unquestionably a player to be considered an all-time great who can be considered the best!!!