Kobe Bryant quest for 6 – Eric Bledsoe, not Melo is the answer

Kobe Bryant‘s highly anticipated return was met with both uncertainty and excitement. Although no one expected Bryant to go off for 81 points again against the Toronto Raptors, eight turnovers certainly was not expected.

At the ripe age of 35 years old the Black Mamba has continued to defy the odds, using pundits who doubt him as fuel to push even harder toward that elusive sixth NBA Championship.

However, unlike in seasons’ his first week back put us all on notice that the days of the Black Mamba taking over games and defending the opposing teams best player is long gone.

Bryant may be a viable first option for short stretches but if the Lakers are to be serious title threats additional assets must be added. Since making the playoffs this season would be considered a tremendous accomplishment, the blueprint for the Lakers winning the title starts now.

Too those projecting Carmelo Anthony bolting to Lakerland I kindly remind you that the D’Antoni-Melo experiment has already failed once before, so there is no need for a sequel.

In my opinion the Lakers would be best served targeting Phoenix Suns point guard Eric Bledsoe who will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. Bledsoe is a dynamic athlete who has only scraped the surface of his potential and lure of playing with Bryant on the big stage may be just enough to make him a Staple Center favorite for a second time.

Bryant’s quest for six will begin or end with finding a partner who can score, defend, and leave their ego at the door. The Lakers 2014 free agent class will serve as the  building blocks for life after Bryant. Could Bledsoe’s pave the way for the Lakers revival? Stay tuned…I know I will?

Anthony Denmark is a writer for eatdrnkslpsprtz.com. Follow him on Twitter@eatdrkslpsprtz2, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. Listen to eatdrnkslpsprtz radio  Subscribe to podcast

College basketball: Do I stay or do I go? The toughest decision of their careers

A National Champion has been crowned, a parade has been given in the Louisville Cardinals honor and several players have accomplished their life long dream of trending on twitter. But now underclassmen have two weeks to make the tough decision either to declare for the 2013 NBA Draft or return to school to improve their draft stock and take the Economics course that all students dread.

NBA benches are filled with can’t miss high school phenoms like New Orleans Hornets guard Austin Rivers, Houston Rockets forward Thomas Robinson, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Perry Jones III, and Phoenix Suns point guard Kendall Marshall who have failed to live up to their draft stock barely registering any significant minutes in the regular season. Each of the players mention would have been locks as First Team All-Americans and would have altered the college basketball landscape and we may have possibly had a different team celebrating winning a National Championship in Atlanta.

However, this is the tough decision that awaits a number of talent NBA prospects: Do I declare while I am still considered a first round pick? Do return to school to improve my stock and risk scouts souring or worst risk injury?

For talented underclassmen NBA prospects like Missouri point guard Phil Pressey and Louisville guard Russ Smith there is little chance of them improving their draft stock and due their teams losing talent to graduation and since there is no growth spurt in sight for each of them they are unlikely to shake the hand of NBA Commissioner David Stern as first round selections whether they declare for the draft now or wait a year.

Indiana forward Cody Zeller returned for his sophomore year and he was projected to be a lock to be a top five pick got exposed throughout the season for being soft, frequently being out-muscled and bullied out of the point forced to settle for jump shots. Although Zeller is still a lock to be selected in the first round his plummeting draft stock made declaring this year a virtual certainty because returning he may have risked dropping out of the first round all together.

Returning to school also has its benefits, last season Michigan point guard Trey Burke was considered a borderline first round pick at best. But with another year of seasoning leading the Wolverines to the National Championship game and collecting Player of the Year awards along the way Burke is now a lock to be the first point guard selected in the NBA Draft.

As promising prospects continue to weigh the pros and cons of this momentous decision the landscape of college basketball lays in the balance. A tough decision awaits  promising prospects: Miami guard Shane Larkin, Michigan State guard Gary Harris, Baylor forward Isaiah Austin, and Michigan’s talented trio guard Tim Hardaway Jr., forwards Mitch McCrary and Glenn Robinson III. Should they stay or should they go? Stay tuned… I know I will – A. Denmark

Anthony Denmark is a writer for eatdrnkslpsprtz.com. Follow him on Twitter@eatdrkslpsprtz2, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. Listen to eatdrnkslpsprtz radio Tues/Thurs 630 PM EST & Sat 1030 AM EST

Where have all the elite guards gone? The source of college basketball mediocrity

After weeks of looking for the source of parody and the absence of elite teams in college basketball I have finally found the source.  The players who would have provided a boost of excitement and highlight to a mediocre college basketball season are getting splinters on NBA benches collecting checks and DNPs.  In the 2012 NBA Draft 56 underclass declared and only 22 were fortunate enough to be selected in the first round.  While some rookies have experienced high levels of success like top pick Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Hornets and point guard Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers regretfully nearly half of them are contributing very little to their NBA franchises.

Last year the college game was decimated when several promising guards prematurely declared for the 2012 NBA Draft in their quest for the millions. Guards such as Kendall Marshall (Phoenix Suns), Austin Rivers (New Orleans Hornets), Marquis Teague (Chicago Bulls), Jared Cunningham (Dallas Mavericks), Tony Wroten (Memphis Grizzles) would have garnered All-American honors, improved draft stock while also altering the fortune of their college teams who have struggled to fill their void.

As rivalry week  continues I ask  college basketball fans and hoops loyalist to imagine how different fortune of their favorite teams would be had these guards chose to return to school and log major minutes instead of collecting DNP on a NBA bench. Although no player will ever be bigger than college basketball rivalry but the inclusion of great guard play in these games are truly what make these rivalries must watch television.

During rivalry week I am certain that these former college stars find themselves having second thoughts about their decision to go pro. When one of the favorites for the Naismith Player of the Year Award is Michigan Wolverine point guard Trey Burke who was an after-thought when compared to the guards who declared for the draft last year speaks volumes about the state of the college game and how vital a guard is to building a title contender. As the season of parody continues the players who declared and the fans will all wonder what if. Stay tuned… I know I will – A. Denmark (@eatdrkslpsprtz2)

Anthony Denmark is a writer for eatdrnkslpsprtz.com. Follow him on Twitter@eatdrkslpsprtz2, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google