Drazen Petrovic: What could have been

Ever hear of Dirk Nowitski? How about Pau Gasol?

If Drazen Petrovic have the heart of a champion, you wouldn't have.

If you didn't get a chance to watch the lastest ESPN "30 for 30" film, "Once Brothers", it tells an absolutely captivating story about how Drazen and former NBA star, Vlade Divac's once inseperable bond on and off the court was torn apart due to war and politics between Croatia and Serbia in the late 1980's.

Tragically, Petrovic died in a car accident in 1993 at the young age of 28; the peak of his NBA career and without making peace with Divac. The basketball world was left asking what could have been.

It was known overseas that this man was one of the best to lace up a pair of Nikes, but everyone in the United States was just starting to realize how good Drazen Petrovic really was.

Draz first made his splash onto the scene back home in Croatia when he signed to play professionaly at the age of 15. Over 10 years, Drazen won three Olympic medals, four FIBA Championship medals (one gold), won six separate European Player of the Year awards and once scored 112 points in a single game. Not bad.

In 1989, he brought his talents to the NBA with the Portland TrailBlazers and saw limited time off the bench. Stuck behind Hall of Famer, Clyde Drexler, in the rotation. Petrovic worked harder than ever in the gym and on the court. He was traded to Nets halfway through the 90-91 season and that's when people who were unfamiliar started to realize he was one of the best in the world.

Getting more playing time in 91-92, he averaged 20.6 points per game and improved the win total of a young Nets team by 14 to help them reach the playoffs. In 92-93, his final year, he averaged over 22 points a game and was named 3rd team All-NBA. Somehow, he wasn't named to the All-Star team that year and he began to contemplate going back overseas to play in Greece before his untimely death.

Drazen Petrovic constantly had the terrors of what was going on back home in the back of his mind, but courageously shifted his fire and energy into every second he was on the court, whether he was on top of the world or losing by 20.



He was regarded as one of the most fierce competitors and greatest shooters of his time. He may not have garnered the adulation he deserved during his short life, but he was recognized for his contributions by having his #3 retired by the Nets in 1993 and being inducted into The National Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. A statue of Petrovic also stands in front of the Olympic Museum in Switzerland, he was the second athlete to ever receive such a high honor.

"It's hard for you to imagine here in America, because you have so many great players, but we are a country of four million; without him, basketball takes three steps back."

-"Aco" Petrovic

And to think...he was just getting started.

Melo to the Nets?

One of the elite players in the NBA may soon be coming to Jersey!

Rumors are hot about a possible four-team deal that would send Carmelo to the Nets and ship Devin Harris and the #3 pick of this year's draft, Derrick Favors, to the Rocky Mountains in Denver.

Stay tuned! The Nets may come out of this year's offseason as the last ones laughing just yet.

After rejecting a 3 year/65 mil extension from the Nuggets, Denver is looking for a way to deal their superstar. Let's see. Carmelo was born in Brooklyn, N.Y, where the Nets will be playing in 2 seasons. Also, the move to the New York area would benefit the entertainment career of his wife, La La.

As a fan of the Nets through the thick and thin, (I own an Ed O' Bannon pennant), it would not devastate me to see Devin Harris and Derrick Favors get sent packing.

For once being considered the "future of the franchise", Devin hasn't showed me that he has what it takes to take this team to the promised land; that title has been given to Brook Lopez.

Let's face it! Derrick Favors was the third player taken in a two-player draft and the Nets never wanted the third pick in the first place. Favors is only 19 and will be a project for the next couple of seasons. Fellow Jersey product and only 29, Troy Murphy will be a SOLID force at power forward for this team. Murph has averaged 10+ rebounds a game in 5 of his 9 seasons.

No point guard? No Problem! I'm sure Terrence Williams can fill in just fine for a season. How about Jordan Farmar and his 2 championship rings?

A frontcourt with Carmelo, Lopez and Murphy means two things Nets fans.

1) More than 12 wins

2) guaranteed playoff spot in the East!

Can you imagine the reaction the Knicks would have to this one!

The time is now Nets fans!

For all of those Nets fans, including myself, that have waited months for this day, it's finally here!

For those that struggled to even remain fans of a team that lost their first 18 games and flirted with having the worst record of all time; the light at the end of the tunnel can finally be seen..

Around 8pm tonight, the ping pong balls will decide who will be the man hosen in hopes to play the role of "savior" to the 12-70 New Jersey Nets. 25% percent of those ping pong balls tab the Nets as the favorites to get rights to the #1 overall pick, which many people project as the man in the picture. Kentucky phenom point guard, John Wall.

In a prefect world, or system, the worst record should get the #1 pick just like in every other sport. However, David Stern and the NBA like to keep things interesting.

Regardless, the Nets are guaranteed one of the top 4 picks and guys like Evan Turner or DeMarcus Cousins will be stars in this league. However, John Wall is by far the surest thing at the top of the board and he's the man the Nets need in order for a bright future.

As far as a supporting cast goes, the Nets are loaded with young talent that now has experience playing at this level and with each other. Brook Lopez would have been an all-star this year if he wasn't on a terrible team and is sure to be an all-star in the future. Courtney Lee, Terrence Williams and CDR showed signs of being great scorers and contributors; and don't forget that Devin Harris was hurt for a better part of last season. With the exception of Harris, who is an ancient 27 years of age, none of the guys I just mentioned are over the age of 25..What's missing in all of this? A stud point guard. Enter John Wall.

Add 3 picks in the top 30 and a ton of money to spend in free agency and you have all the ingredients for one hell of a turnaround...Did I mention LeBron is a free agent this year?

Did NY forget how to win already?

Remember this New York sports fans?



This happened just 2 short weeks ago and unless you wear pinstripes.....you don't win games



Now just incase you haven't heard the rediculous statistic that was shown on Sportscenter...it is a sad but true fact that in the first 17 days of the month of November...the World Champion Yankees have won more games (2) than the Giants, Jets, Nets and Knicks combined...(1)





Let's start off with the team that's actually won a game this month...The New York Knicks...



At 1-9, the Knickerbockers are a team that is obviously locked into next year...unfortunately, there is 72 games until next year...



10 games deep, Donnie Walsh is already at a crossroads with his team...the players who already know they won't be back next year are not showing up while Harrington and Lee continues to be the glue that holds this team together....They might as well go full force with the youth movement...Guys like Gallinari, Chandler, Toney Douglas and Jordan Hill have really shown me something and they should be getting more looks than bums like Larry Hughes, Jordan Jeffries and Darko "please don't call me a bust" Milicic...



I can see clearing cap space for 2010, but what if Donnie doesn't get his man? The Knicks will, no question, nab at least 1 big free agent next offseason with all that cap room, but will it be LeBron? Do you really see him leaving from Cleveland and a team on the brink of a championship to a franchise that only watches the playoffs from a TV set?



It won't be a complete failure if they don't nab "The King", but it'll definitely be one hell of a disaster considering the Knicks bagged the last 2 years with hopes to get James..









Knicks fans will surely be crying if the King doesn't come to the Big Apple, but the man shedding the waterworks around these parts lately is Coach Cryin' Ryan of the New York Jets..or is it Titans? I'm not too sure anymore..




After starting the season off 3-0, gang green has actually not looked as bad as their record indicates...As close as these games have been, this team fails to make the big play when it matters and they have gone 1-5 since....







When he is not eating hot dogs or throwing interceptions, Mark Sanchez is writing his postgame press conference on a napkin somewhere...and Rex Ryan has been doing his best Mark Messier impression by crying during the best and worst of times...if he keeps this up, he could go into business filling swimming pools....he'll need something to do during the playoffs...




So will Eli Manning if the Giants can't find a way to win a game...








After cruising to a 5-0 start, the G-Men have faced good team after good team and the flaws in their injured defense began to shine....






It was inexcusable to lose to the Chargers the way they did and their schedule will not be getting easier with the Falcons, Broncos, Cowboys and Eagles coming up..








Lucky for them, the first-place Cowboys are due for their December collapse and the Eagles haven't been able to pull ahead of the pack...unlike the other 3...there's still some hope






And then there's the Nets......


A team that has recently resorted to giving out an extra pair of tickets to their season ticket holders in order to increase fan attendence...it's not working...




The Nets are into full rebuilding mode...while V.C, J.Kidd and RJ have all gone off to greener pastures, Jersey remains in the swamps with the worst start to a season by any team in 8 years...




11 games into the season the Nets have failed to win one game, but they've also been playing with 8 players as half of the roster is reenacting the 2009 Mets season, including All-Star Devin Harris....Once Devin gets back in the fold and mixes it up with Lopez and CDR...a win could be on the horizon...eventually...until then...the Nets will continue to hype the first win of the season as a way of selling tickets...