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Apr. 21, 2006 1) Now that the NBA’s regular season is over, it’s time to start passing out a little hardware—or, at least, sharing with you who I think should be getting some hardware. Here are my picks to win the six major awards, along with a brief explanation as to why they should be honored: Red Auerbach Trophy (Coach of the Year): Flip Saunders, Detroit Pistons. Saunders took the defending Eastern Conference champions from 54 wins to 64 wins after replacing Larry Brown. Eddie Gottlieb Trophy (Rookie of the Year): Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets. Paul was hands down the best rookie in the Western Conference, and led all rookies in average minutes played, points per game, assists per game and steals per game. Most Improved Player Award: David West, New Orleans Hornets. Moving into the power forward slot after veteran P. J. Brown was forced to move to center, West led the team with 17.0 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game. Sixth-Man Award: Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat. A wily veteran who has battled kidney ailments, Mourning gave the Heat another option behind Shaq, ranking third in the league in blocks per game (2.66) and sixth in the league in total blocks (173). Defensive Player of the Year: Gerald Wallace, Charlotte Bobcats. Also a candidate for Most Improved Player, Wallace joined Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson as the only players in NBA history since 1973 to average 2 blocks and 2 steals per game. Maurice Podoloff Trophy (Most Valuable Player): LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers. James got his stats being a team player—31.4 points per game, while averaging 42.5 minutes per game (only Allen Iverson logged more minutes per game)—not by being a one-man team. And that should earn him the first of many MVP awards. 2) Remember the name Samantha Ivers. She’s only been in one motion picture, the Spike Lee bank-robbery thriller Inside Man, as a stereotypical New Yorker who one character describes, rather indelicately, as having nice breasts. The Brooklyn-born beauty does have nice breasts, but that’s beside the point. The woman can act, and I suspect we’ll see her on the screen a lot in the future. 3) Are there any black people out there in favor of this war in Iraq? If so, I’d like to know why. Where I live, I haven’t met a single black person who approves of it. So it’d be interesting to hear a different viewpoint. If I get enough responses, I’ll cull them together and share them here, without naming any names of course. 4) Here’s a scary thought: I am now paying more to fill up my car in one month than I am to pay my light bill. That didn’t used to be the case. But with fears of supply shortages because of Middle East tensions and the regular downtime refineries face as they switch fuel blends, gasoline prices are approaching all-time highs in the United States. As I write this, the average price of regular gasoline is $2.855 per gallon. In California, Hawaii, New York and Washington, D.C. are paying more than $3 per gallon for regular. Somebody somewhere is making a killing on us. But the American consumer is not completely blameless. Our driving habits contribute to wasteful use of gasoline. That includes everything from buying gas-guzzling SUVs to cruising the parking lot at the grocery store to find a close space to shorten the walk. Unfortunately, Charlotte has very few options in terms of public transportation, so for people who live and work here, the high prices of gasoline have a major impact. 4) As a regular recreational bowler and former league bowler, I can tell you that nothing ruins the experience faster for me than a person who does not know or adhere to the standards of bowling etiquette. Specifically, people who violate the right-of-way on the alley are my greatest source of aggravation. Bowling etiquette grants the right-of-way on the lane to the bowler to the right, if you both reach the approach at the same time. That bowler can, but is not obligated, to yield to the person on the left, if he so chooses. Of course, if there’s someone already up on the approach to your left, you stay off the approach until they finish their shot. One of the reasons I like bowling mid-week is because league bowlers are more likely to be at the center, working on their game. These people understand the rules of the lanes and adhere to them. Unlike recreational bowlers who either don’t know or don’t care about the rules, league bowlers like to extend courtesy to fellow bowlers, whether they’re league members or not. A complete guide to bowling etiquette can be found on the United States Bowling Congress website. ------------ About the author: Claxton Graham has written a number of articles for Useless Knowledge. He works as a business systems analyst. Email: scifiwriter8502@email.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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