I don't know how you feel about Simmons but he has been, and continues to be, my favorite sports writer not named Matt Campbell (aka MDC). Does he talk too much about Boston? Sure. Are his movie and TV references about 15 years older than they should be? Depends if you are my age or not, if so, no. But I can never get past the fact that if I had his job my fandom would clearly come out just like his does.
This year's column is light on Rockets, with Kevin Martin and Luis Scola ranked last year and obviously falling out this year. Neither deserves to be in the top 50 right now, so it's hard to argue the fact. Martin was 19th in PER last year and Scola was 49th. This year they are 73rd and 159th VERY dis-repectfully. (Oddly Chris Kaman is tied with Scola, yet some are falling over themselves to add him to the Rockets like he's the solution).
But our resident bulldog did make the list. I think the ranking is low, but so far I can only argue with James Harden and Jeremy Lin over him. Everyone else he has listed is correct in my opinion, though I'd probably be persuaded on a few.
38. Kyle Lowry
Killer value ($17.5 million total through 2014) for a quality point guard (16-7-5, 39 percent 3FG, elite defense). Let's have a round of applause for Dork Elvis — he basically traded Carl Landry, Rafer Alston, Aaron Brooks, a washed-up Tracy McGrady and Vassilis Spanoulis12 for Lowry, Martin, Scola, Dragic, Jordan Hill, the no. 23 pick in 2011 and New York's 2012 no. 1 pick. Also, did you know Houston is the only above-.500 team without a lottery pick in its nine-man rotation (much less starting for it)?
Bill lemme know what else you need or if this paragraph will suffice. Good seeing you in Boston. Thanks, Daryl.(Whoops, I forgot to take that last part out. Sorry about that.)
Oh, wait, Hasheem Thabeet made the list at 30? What? That was a joke? SCREW YOU SIMMONS THE ROCKETS JUST HAVEN'T GIVEN HIM A CHANCE!!!