Disgracing the Name

The NBA Champion HEAT waived Derek Anderson a few days ago. The HEAT need the roster spot for an extra point guard, and DA reportedly has been begging to be bought out by the Champs for an opportunity with more playing time elsewhere.

Elsewhere? Not in the NBA, Mr. Anderson. You are 32 years old at the League’s most athletic position, and your last good season is now three years old.

DA is a clown. His four years in Portland were miserable. Lots of missed games to injury were partially to blame. But his insanely inflated self image mixed with his delusions of being this extra righteous dude made him a bad teammate, on and off the court.

Maybe it was being selected as one of the early Jumpman players, but DA has always acted as if he is the cream of the crop NBA guard. He is clearly more in the class of Raja Bell than Ray Allen. . . meaning he can really contribute in the right situation with the right attitude. DA is a damn good passer, with decent handle and an ability to score from the free throw line. Though he gets over-powered by most shooting guards one on one, his team defense is above average.

But in the end, it is DA’s skewed attitude that makes him a detriment to a team. He forces his jumper late in games, despite shooting under .400 4 of the 9 seasons he has been in the League. When the media was going house on the poorly behaved Portland teams in 2003 and 2004, he said super devise stuff to reporters all the while acting like the well-behaved school boy. He is always spouting platitudes about Loyalty for Life, and winning is everything.

And he leaves the NBA Champs for more playing time. . .

Maybe he will do one of those sports facial hair related psyche jobs, and proclaim that he won't shave his beard until he is starting. Here is my image of DA in 2010, still waiting to start.