It is a question that will be debated as long as there are sports fans on the planet. Who is the greatest guard that ever played in the NBA? There are arguments to be made for a number of amazing players who excelled at the guard position for extended periods.
If scoring is the metric, then the battle is between Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. They are 3rd and 4th on the all-time points list, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone (neither of whom was a guard). That's all-time points. If we go average points per game, Michael Jordan is #1 all by himself. He is the highest scoring NBA player of all-time when tracking career points per game. Jerry West is the next closest guard at #6 on the total all-time list. Alvin Iverson and Oscar Robertson are behind West and ahead of Kobe Bryant on this list.
But there is more to being a great NBA guard than scoring. Magic Johnson leads the all-time average assists per game with only John Stockton coming anywhere close to him. Michael Jordan ranks 85th on this all-time list. Kobe Bryant is below him at 116th.
A lot has been made of the triple-double stat. Well, it is Oscar Robertson who had the most triple-doubles all-time, with 181. Magic Johnson at 138 and Jason Kidd with 107 are the only other players with over 100 of those gems. To contrast, Michael Jordan has only 28.
Maybe the best metric is NBA championships. If that's the case, Sam Jones has 10. K. C. Jones has 8 as does John Havlicek. All three of these guards (Sam and John were swingmen) played for the Boston Celtics. Michael Jordan and Bob Cousy aren't even in the mix with only six each.
Is there one metric or a combination of metrics that can determine who was the best guard of all time? I don't think so. But it's fun to discuss.
* * *
The broken leg of Julius Randle in the Lakers opening game of the season was tragic. But was a movement by Lakers management to "tank" the season already underway before the first tip? Some analysts are floating that theory and they are basing it on three factors and I quote:
"Mitch Kupchak is smarter than he showed this summer"
"Like a tanking team, the Lakers looked to the future in the offseason"
"There is a lot of credible deniability here"
There's also suspicion that Kobe Bryant is on this so-called conspiracy, because he lusts after the all-time NBA scoring record. That doesn't make sense. In order to pass that record, Kobe would have to play at least three more seasons after this one, or boost his average over this and the next two seasons to over 28 points per game. Not likely.
Mitch Kupchak is a very smart guy and a great GM. He didn't do well in the off-season with free agents because of factors beyond his control. The fact the Lakers are looking to the future just validates Kupchak's wisdom because you can't build any kind of championship team by thinking one season at a time.
There is no conspiracy here. It is probably more likely that the team was somehow cursed with the death of the man who brought multiple NBA championships to Los Angeles, the late Dr. Jerry Buss.
* * *
Before the Centrist Party issues its endorsements for next week's election, I want to comment on a campaign commercial I've been seeing frequently. It involves the race for the 65th District of California's State Assembly. Incumbent Sharon Quirk-Silva (D) is running against Young Kim, the handpicked candidate of long-time member of Congress from the area, Ed Royce. Kim worked for Royce as Director of Community Relations and Asian Affairs for an extended period.
This commercial takes Ms Kim to task for travel to Asia and for having the nerve to accept six raises, funded by taxpayers while she herself opposes the minimum wage. I'm not sure I get the twisted logic by which anyone who doesn't support the concept of a minimum wage must forego any raises for themselves. Or why the fact that these raises were funded by taxpayers matters, considering she was a government employee at the time.
It is just a perfect example of how negative campaigning has become the norm and it is why I am so relieved each year when Election Day is done and we are free from this bombastic bombardment of negativity.
On to the L. A. Times. They endorse a number of candidates and positions on ballot propositions and the Centrist Party only comments when its endorsements disagree with those of the region's largest newspaper.
The Times has endorsed Sheila Kuehl in the race for the vacant 3rd District County Supervisor seat. The Centrist Party disagrees with their endorsement and one of the silly arguments behind it. They claim that because this particular district has cities like Beverly Hills and Santa Monica that are better equipped to meet the municipal needs of their constituents. That's nonsensical. The 4th District is home to Culver City, Torrance, El Segundo and the rest of the South Bay's beach cities. They are all blessed with strong city governance. Same for the 5th District, home to Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena.
Ms Kuehl's opponent, Bobby Shriver brings to the table several things that Ms Kuehl does not. He's not beholden to the unions that Ms Kuehl, current supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and incoming supervisor Hilda Solis cannot remain in office without. Just as this made Eric Garcetti a better choice than Wendy Gruel in the last mayoral election in the City of Los Angeles, the labor factor alone is enough of a reason to support Shriver over Kuehl. The biggest problem that government currently faces at all levels is unfunded future liabilities. Labor unions have no interest in solving this problem and will oppose any effort to reduce/erode future benefits for their members and the costs created by the largesse of elected officials in the pockets of those unions.
Bobby Shriver knows how to balance budgets. For that reason and those stated above, the Centrist Party endorses him for County Supervisor.
The Centrist Party is not a fan of current Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsome, but cannot in good faith endorse his challenger, Ron Nehring. Nehring was a vocal supporter of Prop 8 and he becomes unpalatable based solely on that position. This is a race where the Centrist Party would prefer to see "None of the Above" as a choice for voters.
* * *
Random Ponderings:
How ironic is it that TMZ.com, which respects no one's privacy, has a privacy policy statement that visitors to their site agree to by visiting?
Bruce Jenner with red nails isn't nearly as bothersome as is seeing him about to light a cigarette. Decathletes don't smoke. At least if they still care about their bodies they don't.
Did Melissa Rivers choose the law firm she will use to sue the facility where her mother died because it has seven named partners?
I still think that a friend of mine who took a big cardboard box and made it look like a giant box of Kellogg's Corn Flakes, and then put knives, axes and other deadly weapons all over it; creating a cereal/serial killer is one of the most inventive costumes I've ever seen.
I would think whatever moron decided to label plus-size Halloween costumes for women as "Fat-girl costumes" on the Walmart website is seeking new employment. When I first saw the headline, I wondered if the retail giant was trying to cleverly market the Batgirl outfit Alicia Silverstone wore in "Batman and Robin."
Why is it that the Obama administration wants states not to impose quarantines on healthcare professionals returning from West Africa when they are themselves imposing a quarantine on all military personnel returning from the same region?
The news story about Jose Canseco shooting off his middle finger while cleaning his gun is the latest reminder to treat all weapons as being loaded until you have personally verified they are not. The gun was a semi-automatic and I'm betting he took the clip out but failed to remove the round that was already chambered.
Going more than five years without having your teeth cleaned leads to a very painful hour in a dental chair. Very, very painful.
Hasbro, owners of the Milton Bradley company should pony up the $25,000 that the creator of the game "Operation" needs for an operation. They rake in tons of money from the game which was purchased from John Spinello. He is currently 77 and needs oral surgery that he can't afford. He was paid only $500 for the game by the Milton Bradley company.
Dating sites are often home for some who are desperate but one company that runs multiple dating sites was so desperate for cash they gave new users free profiles and then sent them phony messages from people who they thought lived nearby. In order to see who was interested in meeting them they had to buy a subscription. They've just been fined. Dating sites are tough enough without predatory operators.
The more I see of Taylor Swift as she promotes her new album, the more impressed I am by her as a genuine human being. She's clearly quite intelligent and well-read. Of course, being young, gorgeous and at the top of her industry doesn't hurt.
* * *
October 31st in history:
475 – Romulus Augustulus is proclaimed Western Roman Emperor.
683 – During the Siege of Mecca, the Kaaba catches fire and is burned down.
1517 – Protestant Reformation: Martin Luther posts his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg.
1587 – Leiden University Library opens its doors after its founding in 1575.
1822 – Emperor Agustín de Iturbide attempts to dissolve the Congress of the Mexican Empire.
1861 – American Civil War: Citing failing health, Union General Winfield Scott resigns as Commander of the United States Army.
1863 – The Maori Wars resume as British forces in New Zealand led by General Duncan Cameron begin their Invasion of the Waikato.
1864 – Nevada is admitted as the 36th U.S. state.
1876 – A monster cyclone ravages India, resulting in over 200,000 deaths.
1913 – Dedication of the Lincoln Highway, the first automobile highway across United States.
1913 – The Indianapolis Streetcar Strike and subsequent riot begins.
1917 – World War I: Battle of Beersheba: The "last successful cavalry charge in history".
1918 – World War I: Dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
1922 – Benito Mussolini is made Prime Minister of Italy
1923 – The first of 160 consecutive days of 100º Fahrenheit at Marble Bar, Western Australia.
1924 – World Savings Day is announced in Milan, Italy by the Members of the Association at the 1st International Savings Bank Congress (World Society of Savings Banks).
1926 – Magician Harry Houdini dies of gangrene and peritonitis that develops after his appendix ruptures.
1938 – Great Depression: In an effort to restore investor confidence, the New York Stock Exchange unveils a fifteen-point program aimed to upgrade protection for the investing public.
1940 – World War II: The Battle of Britain ends: The United Kingdom prevents a possible German invasion.
1941 – After 14 years of work, Mount Rushmore is completed.
1941 – World War II: The destroyer USS Reuben James is torpedoed by a German U-boat near Iceland, killing more than 100 U.S. Navy sailors. It is the first U.S. Navy vessel sunk by enemy action in WWII.
1943 – World War II: An F4U Corsair accomplishes the first successful radar-guided interception by a USN or USMC aircraft.
1944 – Erich Göstl, a member of the Waffen-SS, is awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, to recognise extreme battlefield bravery, after losing his face and eyes during the Battle of Normandy.
1956 – Suez Crisis: The United Kingdom and France begin bombing Egypt to force the reopening of the Suez Canal.
1961 – In the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin's body is removed from Vladimir Lenin's Tomb.
1963 – An explosion at the Indiana State Fair Coliseum (now Pepsi Coliseum) in Indianapolis kills 74 people and injures another 400 during an ice skating show. A faulty propane tank connection in a concession stand is blamed.
1968 – Vietnam War October surprise: Citing progress with the Paris peace talks, US President Lyndon B. Johnson announces to the nation that he has ordered a complete cessation of "all air, naval, and artillery bombardment of North Vietnam" effective November 1.
1973 – Mountjoy Prison helicopter escape. Three Provisional Irish Republican Army members escape from Mountjoy Prison, Dublin, Republic of Ireland aboard a hijacked helicopter that lands in the exercise yard.
1984 – Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated by two Sikh security guards. Riots break out in New Delhi and other cities and nearly 10,000 Sikhs are killed.
1998 – Iraq disarmament crisis begins: Iraq announces it would no longer cooperate with United Nations weapons inspectors.
1999 – Yachtsman Jesse Martin returns to Melbourne after 11 months of circumnavigating the world, solo, non-stop and unassisted.
1999 – EgyptAir Flight 990 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean killing all 217 people on board.
2000 – Soyuz TM-31 launches, carrying the first resident crew to the International Space Station. The ISS has been crewed continuously since then.
2002 – A federal grand jury in Houston, Texas indicts former Enron chief financial officer Andrew Fastow on 78 counts of wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy and obstruction of justice related to the collapse of his ex-employer.
2003 – Mahathir bin Mohamad resigns as Prime Minister of Malaysia and is replaced by Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, marking an end to Mahathir's 22 years in power.
2011 – The global population of humans reaches seven billion. This day is now recognized by the United Nations as Seven Billion Day.
Famous Folk Born on October 31st:
Ferdinand I of Portugal
Edward, King of Portugal
Pope Clement XIV
John Keats
Boston Custer (General George Armstrong Custer's younger brother, he also died as Little Bighorn)
Chiang Kai-shek
Susie Gibson (she lived to be 116)
Dale Evans
Barbara Bel Gedes
Lee Grant
Michael Collins (the astronaut)
Michael Landon
Ron Rifkin
Dave McNally
David Ogden Stiers
Brian Piccolo
Stephen Rea
John Candy
If scoring is the metric, then the battle is between Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. They are 3rd and 4th on the all-time points list, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone (neither of whom was a guard). That's all-time points. If we go average points per game, Michael Jordan is #1 all by himself. He is the highest scoring NBA player of all-time when tracking career points per game. Jerry West is the next closest guard at #6 on the total all-time list. Alvin Iverson and Oscar Robertson are behind West and ahead of Kobe Bryant on this list.
But there is more to being a great NBA guard than scoring. Magic Johnson leads the all-time average assists per game with only John Stockton coming anywhere close to him. Michael Jordan ranks 85th on this all-time list. Kobe Bryant is below him at 116th.
A lot has been made of the triple-double stat. Well, it is Oscar Robertson who had the most triple-doubles all-time, with 181. Magic Johnson at 138 and Jason Kidd with 107 are the only other players with over 100 of those gems. To contrast, Michael Jordan has only 28.
Maybe the best metric is NBA championships. If that's the case, Sam Jones has 10. K. C. Jones has 8 as does John Havlicek. All three of these guards (Sam and John were swingmen) played for the Boston Celtics. Michael Jordan and Bob Cousy aren't even in the mix with only six each.
Is there one metric or a combination of metrics that can determine who was the best guard of all time? I don't think so. But it's fun to discuss.
* * *
The broken leg of Julius Randle in the Lakers opening game of the season was tragic. But was a movement by Lakers management to "tank" the season already underway before the first tip? Some analysts are floating that theory and they are basing it on three factors and I quote:
"Mitch Kupchak is smarter than he showed this summer"
"Like a tanking team, the Lakers looked to the future in the offseason"
"There is a lot of credible deniability here"
There's also suspicion that Kobe Bryant is on this so-called conspiracy, because he lusts after the all-time NBA scoring record. That doesn't make sense. In order to pass that record, Kobe would have to play at least three more seasons after this one, or boost his average over this and the next two seasons to over 28 points per game. Not likely.
Mitch Kupchak is a very smart guy and a great GM. He didn't do well in the off-season with free agents because of factors beyond his control. The fact the Lakers are looking to the future just validates Kupchak's wisdom because you can't build any kind of championship team by thinking one season at a time.
There is no conspiracy here. It is probably more likely that the team was somehow cursed with the death of the man who brought multiple NBA championships to Los Angeles, the late Dr. Jerry Buss.
* * *
Before the Centrist Party issues its endorsements for next week's election, I want to comment on a campaign commercial I've been seeing frequently. It involves the race for the 65th District of California's State Assembly. Incumbent Sharon Quirk-Silva (D) is running against Young Kim, the handpicked candidate of long-time member of Congress from the area, Ed Royce. Kim worked for Royce as Director of Community Relations and Asian Affairs for an extended period.
This commercial takes Ms Kim to task for travel to Asia and for having the nerve to accept six raises, funded by taxpayers while she herself opposes the minimum wage. I'm not sure I get the twisted logic by which anyone who doesn't support the concept of a minimum wage must forego any raises for themselves. Or why the fact that these raises were funded by taxpayers matters, considering she was a government employee at the time.
It is just a perfect example of how negative campaigning has become the norm and it is why I am so relieved each year when Election Day is done and we are free from this bombastic bombardment of negativity.
On to the L. A. Times. They endorse a number of candidates and positions on ballot propositions and the Centrist Party only comments when its endorsements disagree with those of the region's largest newspaper.
The Times has endorsed Sheila Kuehl in the race for the vacant 3rd District County Supervisor seat. The Centrist Party disagrees with their endorsement and one of the silly arguments behind it. They claim that because this particular district has cities like Beverly Hills and Santa Monica that are better equipped to meet the municipal needs of their constituents. That's nonsensical. The 4th District is home to Culver City, Torrance, El Segundo and the rest of the South Bay's beach cities. They are all blessed with strong city governance. Same for the 5th District, home to Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena.
Ms Kuehl's opponent, Bobby Shriver brings to the table several things that Ms Kuehl does not. He's not beholden to the unions that Ms Kuehl, current supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and incoming supervisor Hilda Solis cannot remain in office without. Just as this made Eric Garcetti a better choice than Wendy Gruel in the last mayoral election in the City of Los Angeles, the labor factor alone is enough of a reason to support Shriver over Kuehl. The biggest problem that government currently faces at all levels is unfunded future liabilities. Labor unions have no interest in solving this problem and will oppose any effort to reduce/erode future benefits for their members and the costs created by the largesse of elected officials in the pockets of those unions.
Bobby Shriver knows how to balance budgets. For that reason and those stated above, the Centrist Party endorses him for County Supervisor.
The Centrist Party is not a fan of current Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsome, but cannot in good faith endorse his challenger, Ron Nehring. Nehring was a vocal supporter of Prop 8 and he becomes unpalatable based solely on that position. This is a race where the Centrist Party would prefer to see "None of the Above" as a choice for voters.
* * *
Random Ponderings:
How ironic is it that TMZ.com, which respects no one's privacy, has a privacy policy statement that visitors to their site agree to by visiting?
Bruce Jenner with red nails isn't nearly as bothersome as is seeing him about to light a cigarette. Decathletes don't smoke. At least if they still care about their bodies they don't.
Did Melissa Rivers choose the law firm she will use to sue the facility where her mother died because it has seven named partners?
I still think that a friend of mine who took a big cardboard box and made it look like a giant box of Kellogg's Corn Flakes, and then put knives, axes and other deadly weapons all over it; creating a cereal/serial killer is one of the most inventive costumes I've ever seen.
I would think whatever moron decided to label plus-size Halloween costumes for women as "Fat-girl costumes" on the Walmart website is seeking new employment. When I first saw the headline, I wondered if the retail giant was trying to cleverly market the Batgirl outfit Alicia Silverstone wore in "Batman and Robin."
Why is it that the Obama administration wants states not to impose quarantines on healthcare professionals returning from West Africa when they are themselves imposing a quarantine on all military personnel returning from the same region?
The news story about Jose Canseco shooting off his middle finger while cleaning his gun is the latest reminder to treat all weapons as being loaded until you have personally verified they are not. The gun was a semi-automatic and I'm betting he took the clip out but failed to remove the round that was already chambered.
Going more than five years without having your teeth cleaned leads to a very painful hour in a dental chair. Very, very painful.
Hasbro, owners of the Milton Bradley company should pony up the $25,000 that the creator of the game "Operation" needs for an operation. They rake in tons of money from the game which was purchased from John Spinello. He is currently 77 and needs oral surgery that he can't afford. He was paid only $500 for the game by the Milton Bradley company.
Dating sites are often home for some who are desperate but one company that runs multiple dating sites was so desperate for cash they gave new users free profiles and then sent them phony messages from people who they thought lived nearby. In order to see who was interested in meeting them they had to buy a subscription. They've just been fined. Dating sites are tough enough without predatory operators.
The more I see of Taylor Swift as she promotes her new album, the more impressed I am by her as a genuine human being. She's clearly quite intelligent and well-read. Of course, being young, gorgeous and at the top of her industry doesn't hurt.
* * *
October 31st in history:
475 – Romulus Augustulus is proclaimed Western Roman Emperor.
683 – During the Siege of Mecca, the Kaaba catches fire and is burned down.
1517 – Protestant Reformation: Martin Luther posts his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg.
1587 – Leiden University Library opens its doors after its founding in 1575.
1822 – Emperor Agustín de Iturbide attempts to dissolve the Congress of the Mexican Empire.
1861 – American Civil War: Citing failing health, Union General Winfield Scott resigns as Commander of the United States Army.
1863 – The Maori Wars resume as British forces in New Zealand led by General Duncan Cameron begin their Invasion of the Waikato.
1864 – Nevada is admitted as the 36th U.S. state.
1876 – A monster cyclone ravages India, resulting in over 200,000 deaths.
1913 – Dedication of the Lincoln Highway, the first automobile highway across United States.
1913 – The Indianapolis Streetcar Strike and subsequent riot begins.
1917 – World War I: Battle of Beersheba: The "last successful cavalry charge in history".
1918 – World War I: Dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
1922 – Benito Mussolini is made Prime Minister of Italy
1923 – The first of 160 consecutive days of 100º Fahrenheit at Marble Bar, Western Australia.
1924 – World Savings Day is announced in Milan, Italy by the Members of the Association at the 1st International Savings Bank Congress (World Society of Savings Banks).
1926 – Magician Harry Houdini dies of gangrene and peritonitis that develops after his appendix ruptures.
1938 – Great Depression: In an effort to restore investor confidence, the New York Stock Exchange unveils a fifteen-point program aimed to upgrade protection for the investing public.
1940 – World War II: The Battle of Britain ends: The United Kingdom prevents a possible German invasion.
1941 – After 14 years of work, Mount Rushmore is completed.
1941 – World War II: The destroyer USS Reuben James is torpedoed by a German U-boat near Iceland, killing more than 100 U.S. Navy sailors. It is the first U.S. Navy vessel sunk by enemy action in WWII.
1943 – World War II: An F4U Corsair accomplishes the first successful radar-guided interception by a USN or USMC aircraft.
1944 – Erich Göstl, a member of the Waffen-SS, is awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, to recognise extreme battlefield bravery, after losing his face and eyes during the Battle of Normandy.
1956 – Suez Crisis: The United Kingdom and France begin bombing Egypt to force the reopening of the Suez Canal.
1961 – In the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin's body is removed from Vladimir Lenin's Tomb.
1963 – An explosion at the Indiana State Fair Coliseum (now Pepsi Coliseum) in Indianapolis kills 74 people and injures another 400 during an ice skating show. A faulty propane tank connection in a concession stand is blamed.
1968 – Vietnam War October surprise: Citing progress with the Paris peace talks, US President Lyndon B. Johnson announces to the nation that he has ordered a complete cessation of "all air, naval, and artillery bombardment of North Vietnam" effective November 1.
1973 – Mountjoy Prison helicopter escape. Three Provisional Irish Republican Army members escape from Mountjoy Prison, Dublin, Republic of Ireland aboard a hijacked helicopter that lands in the exercise yard.
1984 – Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated by two Sikh security guards. Riots break out in New Delhi and other cities and nearly 10,000 Sikhs are killed.
1998 – Iraq disarmament crisis begins: Iraq announces it would no longer cooperate with United Nations weapons inspectors.
1999 – Yachtsman Jesse Martin returns to Melbourne after 11 months of circumnavigating the world, solo, non-stop and unassisted.
1999 – EgyptAir Flight 990 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean killing all 217 people on board.
2000 – Soyuz TM-31 launches, carrying the first resident crew to the International Space Station. The ISS has been crewed continuously since then.
2002 – A federal grand jury in Houston, Texas indicts former Enron chief financial officer Andrew Fastow on 78 counts of wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy and obstruction of justice related to the collapse of his ex-employer.
2003 – Mahathir bin Mohamad resigns as Prime Minister of Malaysia and is replaced by Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, marking an end to Mahathir's 22 years in power.
2011 – The global population of humans reaches seven billion. This day is now recognized by the United Nations as Seven Billion Day.
Famous Folk Born on October 31st:
Ferdinand I of Portugal
Edward, King of Portugal
Pope Clement XIV
John Keats
Boston Custer (General George Armstrong Custer's younger brother, he also died as Little Bighorn)
Chiang Kai-shek
Susie Gibson (she lived to be 116)
Dale Evans
Barbara Bel Gedes
Lee Grant
Michael Collins (the astronaut)
Michael Landon
Ron Rifkin
Dave McNally
David Ogden Stiers
Brian Piccolo
Stephen Rea
John Candy
Jane Pauley
Nick Saban
Bernard Edwards
Lynda Goodfriend
Ken Wahl
Peter Jackson
Dermot Mulroney
Rob Schneider
Vanilla Ice
Beverly Lynne (The Girl from B.I.K.I.N.I.??? Really????)
Piper Perabo
Willow Smith
posted by me at 2:36 PM
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