National Basketball Association

In opinion game, you win some and lose some

Published Aug. 24, 2009 10:15 p.m. ET

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This entry marks my 1,000th story for FOXSports.com, the first one being posted on July 9, 2004. During that time, I've expressed my opinions on a wide variety of people and events that have turned up in the basketball universe. Some of these opinions were right on. Some were way off base.




From that first year, here's a retrospective sampling of both:

Hits

No. 1 — July, 9 2004: Rudy T named Lakers coach

"Rudy Tomjanovich's run-in with The Punch, and his bout with bladder cancer, have generated sincere and well-deserved sympathy, and he's already proved that nice guys can finish first. But it says here that no matter how Mitch Kupchak may reconstitute the roster, Rudy T is too nice and Kobe is too ruthlessly selfish for the Lakers to seriously contend for a championship in the foreseeable future."

No. 5 — July 15, 2004: Shaq traded to Miami

"The Big Mover is in place, but because of the flaws in Shaq's supporting cast, it's much too early to project Miami into the heat of championship contention. As presently constituted, Miami is more of a one-man band than a serious threat to dethrone Detroit."

No. 7 — July 23, 2004: T-Mac traded to Houston

"For sure, T-Mac can fill the basket from very conceivable angle — he can shoot from the outskirts, pull-up left or right, post, penetrate and is routinely spectacular in the shadow of the basket. Nor is he unwilling or unable to share the ball. Too bad that his stupendous ball-in-hand talents aren't enough to make T-Mac a winner."

No. 7 — July 26, 2004: Evaluating trades and free-agent signings

"Kenyon Martin comes with a considerable down-side: He's a chest-beating blowhard who talks the talk, but when a game is on the line, he walks with a limp."

"(Etan Thomas is) young, active, and eager to attack the boards. Too bad he can't pass or dribble, and couldn't hit a jump shot to get into heaven. Undersized and overpaid."

"(Chris Andersen is) Mr. Excitement off the bench. Can run amok, rebound some and block shots. Capable of changing the energy level for a few minutes at a time, but can't score with a pencil."

"(Steve Nash) is the jewel of the free agent signings. Like (gasp!) Larry Bird, Nash has the ability/instinct for seeing (and moving into) open spaces before they actually open, for being able to play the game a heartbeat ahead of everybody else."

No. 30 — September 3, 2004: Evaluating coaches

"It says here that Lenny Wilkens should walk away while the walking's good. The Knicks will only break his heart and Zeke will eventually run him out of town."

No. 35 — September 13, 2004: Evaluating coaches

"Look for a cold, hard and frequently nasty season as the decertified Doc Rivers tries to perform a miracle cure in Boston."

No. 58 — October 28, 2004: Season preview: Cleveland

"Young player to watch: Who else except LeBron? His inconsistent hand mechanics make every jump shot an adventure. But in his sophomore season, the game-time action should slow down so that his understanding will encompass a wider and deeper view of the court."

No. 63 — November 2, 2004: Underrated players

"(James Posey is) about this far away from being a stopper on defense."

No. 72 — November 17, 2004: Isiah Thomas

"The biggest picture is that Isiah Thomas is a phony, and under his guidance the Knicks are destined to be only good enough to break the hearts of their devoted fans."

No. 81 — December 2, 2004: Cavaliers vs. Suns

"James is obviously a very talented young player, who's fortunate enough to be playing at a time when (for various reasons) the caliber of NBA action is on a downswing. He's also a savvy, unselfish player with an accelerated learning curve. Look for him to be a truly dominant player in the next few years."

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