Archive for 2012

GIF: JR Smith Hits a game winner for the New York Knicks

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The Knicks pulled out a victory vs. the Bobcats tonight at Charlotte after J.R. Smith hit a buzzer beater to give the Knicks a 100-98 W. The Knicks improve to 13-4 and face Miami tomorrow in Miami. New York broke the record for most three point attempts in a game with 42 (previous record was 40). 


Shoutouts to theknickswall.com for the GIF.

The MVP Race: Lots of Focus on Wins

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MVP RACE: Week 1 of December

365 Memphians, Day 20: Zach Randolph
Zach Randolph jumps into the race as the Grizzlies eat their opponents



The MVP Race has been a tight one this year, as there are so many candidates at this point of the season. After a month of early season battling, early candidates have dropped off, new ones have emerged, and some have disappeared completely. Here's how I think the Top 5 look according:

1. Kevin Durant, SF, Oklahoma City Thunder: 
                    The Thunder beat the Nets last night in what was a strong, strong game from the league's youngest star, Kevin Durant. He put up 32 points vs. Brooklyn and looked like the best player on the court the whole time. He uplifted his team when need be, and put Brooklyn away late in the game. Kevin Durant is averaging 26.4 ppg and is currently 3rd on the scoring leader board. In terms of offensive efficiency, he leads the league at 30.4 edging out Lebron James. Durant has lead the Thunder to a 15-4 record, and they are 9-1 in their last ten games. Right now, they're playing at an extremely high level, and it's because of this man. 

2. Carmelo Anthony, SF New York Knicks
         Let's be honest, the Knicks haven't been playing NEARLY as well as they were at the beginning of the season. They're 6-4 in their last 10 games. They're 4-4 on the road. However, the New York Knicks are 7-0 at home and Carmelo Anthony is averaging 26.6 points a game. This is a significant statistic because as the Knicks have been blowing out teams, Carmelo has been sitting in the fourth quarter. If he's averaging these numbers (good enough for 2nd in scoring), then imagine the numbers he could be putting up if the Knicks were playing him more? That being said, the Knicks haven't been as magical as earlier without Jason Kidd and I believe that 'Melo has been a huge reason they've stayed competitive. As Kidd comes back to manage the game, look for 'Melo to go back to putting up big numbers while the Knicks keep winning.

3. Zach Randolph, PF, Memphis Grizzlies
        OK, I said that the Grizzlies don't have individuals on this team last week. This has completely changed after watching Zach Randolph put up a RIDICULOUS 38 points and 22 rebounds vs. the Phoenix suns last night. It is so incredible for someone who gets as much lift (not much) off the floor as he does. Zach Randolph is the rebound master, though Anderson Varejao is actually averaging more than him. However, Varejao's team is bad, and Randolph's team is scary good. That's because, they're the best team in the league at 13-3. They're 8-2 in their last 10 games and Zach Randolph is a huge part of this. No one else on this team claims as much attention as ZBO. No one else on this team rebounds like this man, and no one else on this team scores like this man. It is a huge maturation process that has happened in Zach Randolph's life, because he could be putting up these numbers while forcing it. Instead, he is doing this while keeping his team competitive. I hope that Randolph stays on this list all year long.

4. Lebron James, SF, Miami Heat
       Lebron, a player who confuses me at times. Lebron helped the Heat overcome the short-handed Spurs a couple games ago in what seemed to be a likely embarrassing loss. The Spurs didn't bring Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, or Tim Duncan to the party in Miami and it was still a close game till the end. The bench of the Spurs almost beat the Heat but Lebron pulled away, by being Lebron. Still, that doesn't excuse the loss to Washington last night. I'm throwing stats out the window on Lebron, because all you need is to watch the man play to see that he is the best player in the world. Unfortunately, he doesn't show it sometimes at night, because his team doesn't need it. Yet, the Heat are playing very well defensively, their 7-3 the last 10 games, and when they need it, they have Lebron win games for them. It didn't work last night vs. Washington, but I think we can all say that was a fluke.

5. Chris Paul, PG, Los Angeles Clippers 
        Chris Paul is 3rd in Win Shares with 3.2. This means how many win's are directly related to him as a player. Basically, the better you play, and the more your team wins, the higher the number. When your team is 11-6 like the L.A. Clippers, and you're 3rd in Win Shares, that's a pretty big deal. It's a big deal because that means take Chris Paul out of the clippers and they'll be 8-9. That means that Chris Paul takes the Clippers from a sub-.500 team to a 4th seed in the West (As of Now). That number puts Chris Paul on this list. And it's something you can see without stats: if you watch a Clippers you'll see that whenever the Clippers have a bad possession, whether offensive or defensive, Chris Paul will make a play to turn the game around. Whether it's hitting shots, getting steals, or assisting, Chris Paul is the one who does it for the Clippers. He's still the best player in Los Angeles. With the way the Lakers are playing, it looks like it may be like that the whole season. Sorry, Kobe.

Almost made the list: Tony Parker, Deron Williams, Jrue Holiday, Tyson Chandler, Rajon Rondo, James Harden, Anderson Varejao

Notes: Rondo left the list after the incident with Kris Humphries, Zach Randolphs on a tear and made the list. After watching the Heat game, I couldn't put Parker on the list because of the way they looked without him. Coach of the Year should be for Popovich as of now, by the way. Check out Anderson Varejao's stats on Basketball Reference; the numbers are absolutely ridiculous. 

Thanks for the read.


The Problem With No "D" Antoni and The Lakers

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Coach suspicious
Can D'antoni really fix the Lakers?
Put Your big Boy pants on. Just adjust. You can't whine about it.  You can't complain about it
That was Kobe Bryant talking about Pau Gasol after the Lakers lost to the Orlando Magic last night. Once again, Pau Gasol, the all star with one of the best big-man skillsets in the league, was benched in the last moments of the fourth quarter. The Lakers new head coach, Mike D'antoni, has given the nod to to Antawn Jamison over Pau Gasol. This is mostly due to Jamison's ability to stretch the floor with his 3-point shooting. The Mike D'antoni offense is geared to create floor spacing and fast-paced open shots. Pau Gasol is a methodical player, who makes his moves in the post after a well ran 24-second shot clock. This is not Mike D'antoni's offense. This is not Pau Gasol's game. If the Lakers keep losing, and Gasol keeps whining, the problems won't be over in Tinsel Town.
       Mike D'antoni's offense is a thing of beauty. It makes the lesser capable players on your team so much more capable. He can turn bums into servicable players. See: Chris Duhon, Tim Thomas, Al Harrington, New York Knicks 2008-2010. What he makes up for in his offensive mind he lacks in his player development and defense. Players like Jordan Hill and Pau Gasol do not fit D'antoni's model of a power forward. Therefore, though he may sparingly play them, he'd much rather give shots to stretch-fours rather than orthodox, POWER forwards.
      So here's my take, and this is something you can see without Stats, without crunching the numbers and analyzing every aspect and every quote from the Lakers. You can see this when you watch a couple of Laker games. Why? Because it's so damn obvious. When the offense is on, it is ON. The Lakers hit a ridiculous amount of threes vs. the Nuggets...so much so that Dwight even made one. (Video) However, on nights like Sunday, when the Lakers played awful defense, and couldn't hit as many shots, the Lakers looked bad.
    The Lakers allowed more than 20 points in the last four minutes of the fourth quarter last night. That is awful. That is down right pathetic. When you have a team that includes Dwight Howard, a defensive player of the year, Metta World Peace(another DPOY), Kobe Bryant (NBA All-Defense), along with Antawn Jamison and a not so shabby defensive bench, it is a complete anomaly to let up so many points in the fourth quarter. This is not about the players on the court, but the coach on the bench. We've seen it in Phoenix, we've seen it in New York. Especially in New York, but that is mostly due to lack of talent. D'antoni's teams are not defensive anchors. They are usually middle of the pack defensive teams (see: Phoenix Suns, 2005-2008) that when sparingly play defense. The Lakers last night weren't incapable of defense because they did not have the effort, the talent. They played such horrible defense because they didn't have the effort or motivation. Where does motivation come from? Well, you would hope it'd come from your coach. Unfortunately, Mike D'antoni doesn't seem to emphasis defense. Instead, he emphasises offensive sets, finishing plays, and making shots. J.R. Smith was once quoted as saying that Mike D'antoni went over defensive sets for maybe 5 minutes of practice. This is all fine, and very ingenious coaching, as long as you make more shots than your opponents. After all, that is the name of the game. But when you're getting beat to the hole, when you're franchise center can't keep guards out of the paint, when you're franchise player can't keep guards in front of him, when you can't make the effort to close out on an opponents shot, then that is a lack of effort. And a lack of effort will go back to the coach, especially if these players have once before shown the ability to do all these things. Add that to a disengaged Pau Gasol, and a pissed off Kobe Bryant, things don't look too good for Mike D'antoni.
            Here's the bright side of things: The season is young. D'antoni has only coached a handful of games. I believe that Kobe will be able to turn things around for this team, and I believe that Howard won't let this team be so awful defensively. What I don't see happening is Pau Gasol ever returning to the star he was as the Lakers repeated as champions. In fact, as long as Mike D'antoni is coaching, Pau Gasol will be relegated to a role-player status. We'll see how well this goes, but if the Lakers continue to disappoint, I wouldn't be surprise if a trade-deadline blockbuster deal is done which ships Gasol out of Laker town. It could be the best move for both sides. We'll see. The season, after all, is young.

Dwightmare vs. Orlando

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Dwightmare vs. His Old Team

Dwight Howard
Magic Fan's shouldn't place all of the blame on Howard.

LOS ANGELES-- Today marks the full circle swing of the Dwightmare. Since the summer of 2010, fans began to chirp about the possibility of Dwight Howard leaving Orlando. Many saw the possibility of Dwight in a Brooklyn uniform, waiting just until the Nets moved to Brooklyn to make his move. Others saw him in a Laker uniform, and some even in a Rocket's uniform. Ultimately, the Magic made the move to send Dwight to the Lakers, and the rest is history. Yet, tonight should be a reminder to all Magic fans that you can't put all the blame on Dwight. An underlying cause of this whole fiasco, was the Magic's inability to cater to their superstars need. When you have a superstar, a dominant center, a consensus #1 overall pick, and you are a small market team, all the leverage goes out the window. You hire who Dwight wants as a coach, you get the stars he wants, and you do whatever it takes to keep him home. Especially when you are a team that had already lost the most dominant force in the game, Shaquille O'Neal. 
   The Magic first made their major blunder when they lost to the Lakers in 2009. Dwight Howard had carried the team through the East, past a injured Boston Celtics team fresh off a championship, and past the super heroics of Lebron James's Cleveland Cavaliers. They were swept by the Lakers but they had built something that year. They built a team that consisted of veterans, and players in their prime. Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson, Marcin Gortat, Rafer Alston, plenty of players that made up this team that were capable of being Championship contenders all over again the next year. Yet, they didn't keep the team intact. Hedo Turkoglu, a player who had hit consistently big moment shots, left for the Raptors. Then, Magic traded for Vince Carter as they sent off Rafer Alston and a number of other role players. Carter, to say the least, did not excel with the Magic as he was coming off his prime and beginning to slow down. At this point, the Magic were locked with contracts, and were only capable of second-round playoff runs leading up till Dwight's eventual departure.
      The second mistake that the Magic had made, was to keep Stan Van Gundy the coach of the Orlando Magic. It was a highly documented belief that Dwight Howard and Stan Van Gundy didn't get along. Dwight complained a lot about not getting enough touches. He complained he wasn't being allowed to help out the team enough at the offensive end. Stan was a coach that liked to clog the middle with Dwight, and let him kick it out to the 3-pt shooters. The problem with this strategy is it doesn't involve your big man right away. It waits for you to spread out the court before your big man can get involved. This is a problem, because on nights when the magic didn't hit threes, Dwight struggled inside. In fact, a majority of the time Dwight had his biggest issues because he wasn't involved with the offense early. In LA, you can see that Howard gets involved right away, whether it is pick-and-rolls or Big-to-big lobs. This is how you are suppose to involve your big man. Stan Van Gundy never did this, he never tried to do this. His biggest mistake was telling the media Dwight wanted him fired. The little normalcy that the Orlando Magic had in the organization in the darkest hours of the Dwightmare was broken at the very moment, leaving all but the door wide open for Dwight Howard to leave. But, by then, it was already too late.
        The last and final mistake the Magic's front office made with Dwight Howard was waiting too long to trade him. There were packages available, or at least reportedly available that had given the Magic more talent then they received from the Laker's trade. In fact, Brooklyn reportedly offered Brook Lopez, Marshon Brooks, two first round picks, and a second round pick at one point for Dwight Howard. This would have given the Magic two young promising talents in Brook Lopez and Brooks, along with more young talent through the draft. Yet, the Magic didn't bite. They were either looking for a better deal, which wasn't going to happen, or a they believed they could convince Dwight. Neither was true. Another better deal was Houston's offer of their three first round picks, and they would have taken on the contracts of Big Baby Davis, Chris Duhon and Jason Richardson. That alone would have given the Magic enough cap flexibility and young talent to move forward with rebuilding. However, that didn't happen either. You know the rest of the story, because Dwight Howard is now a Laker. And the Magic still have the bad contract of Glen Davis, and a sub-par start to the season.  
          Thus, when you think of the Magic fan's reaction to seeing Dwight tonight vs. their team, at 9:30 PM EST, you have to think about the complete incompetence the front office of the Magic had dealing with the situation. At the end of the day, the Magic Organization screwed up big time. But it's not unlike this organization. The same organization that had Shaq, Tracy Mcgrady, Steve Francis, Grant Hill, Penny Hardaway. Names that should have, could have, would have won titles, if the Magic's front office could've done something right. But, it's never that easy in the NBA, nor is it ever that easy in real life. The luck of the draw is sometimes the only factor when it comes to these things. The Magic have yet to draw an ace.

Brawl in Boston: Why the NBA won't go so easy on Rajon Rondo

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 The NBA won't be so easy on Rajon Rondo.

watch the Video here


Expect him to get a length suspension, or at the very least a 2 game suspension. If you watch the video, you can clearly see that the NBA and David Stern will come down on him hard. He pushes Humphries, and as Humphries tries to walk away (though he is also at fault) Rondo continues to push him. Pierce comes in, so does Jason Terry, and on the side Kevin Garnett goes at it with Gerald Wallace. So heres somethings you can take away from this:

1) The fight goes into the front row behind the basket. This is a RED FLAG for the league, for one reason that any NBA fan knows: The Pistons vs Pacers brawl of '04. This brawl has set the league standard for suspensions and since then the NBA has cut down on fights severely. Throwing a punch is an automatic ejection and in all cases a suspension. This is why I believe Rondo will get hit the hardest, as the initiator.

2) Kevin Garnett is a dirty, dirty player. I don't like Kevin Garnett, I don't like his illegal screens, I  don't like his trash talking to guards, players who are almost a foot shorter than himself. Kevin Garnett is a great player, he's a Hall of Famer. But he is a dirty player. Gerald Wallace goes over to help his team mate and is met by Kevin Garnett, who starts throwing girly slaps at him. This will get him a suspension, or a huge fine at the very LEAST.

3) Doc River's was quoted last night as calling his team "soft". I can't agree anymore, the team was down double digits the whole game. They couldn't defend, they couldn't get Deron out of the paint, they couldn't take down Joe Johnson. The Net's frontline had frustrated Boston all night long, and that's when Rondo took it upon himself to let out this frustration.

The Brawl in Boston, albeit not exactly a very entertaining brawl, will be the precedent set for this year. So, depending on how hard or how soft the NBA comes down on these players, it may dictate the physicality of the game all the way through the season. In my opinion, I believe the NBA will suspend Rondo for sure. I can see them fining Garnett, Humphries, and Wallace. There might be other suspensions given out, but it isn't as a sure hit as Rondo's suspension. It will be a HUGE surprise if Rajon Rondo doesn't get suspended. It's a shame, because Rondo's double digit assists streak ended last night, and maybe his early MVP run. We'll see soon.

NBA Recap: 11/28/2012

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NBA RECAP: 11/28/2012


Last night's games included:

Minnesota Timberwolves AT Los Angeles Clippers

MIN 95 LAC 101

 Chauncey Billups made his return in LA last night after some thought that he would retire. Chauncey came back and drilled a 3 pointer for the first points for LA. Chaunce and his teammates knew he would come back, though everyone had automatically said he was retiring after his injury last year. The Timberwolves lost a game where they defended poorly at the guard position, Chris Paul continues to have a great year. With Rondo's suspension coming at any minute, look for him to be the best point guard in December, and maybe the best player in the west.

 Stats: Chris Paul had 23 pts, 11 ast and 3 steals. Blake Griffin had a good night following a bad performance, with 18 points and 6 rebounds on 9/17 shooting. Kevin love had 19 pts and 12 rebs in a losing effort. Alexy Shved continues to have a surprising year with 17 points and 2 rebounds. Pekovic had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the T-Wolves.
 



  Charlotte Bobcats AT Atlanta Hawks 

 CHA 91 ATL 94

 Al Horford was the story tonight as he hit the clinching free throws  to seal the victory for the Hawks vs. the Bobcats. Ben Gordon had drilled a 3 to cut it to 92-91 but the Cats turned the ball over and all Horford needed to do was hit the FTs. Atlanta pulled off the close victory at home.

 Stats: Kemba Walker had 15 pts, 5 rebs, 5 ast. Ramon Sessions had 18 pts and 8 ast. Ben Gordon added 26 pts and 4 rebounds for the Bobcats. Al Horford had 17 pts and 11 rebounds. Josh Smith added 17 pts and 14 rebounds. 

Portland Trailbazers AT Washington Wizards

POR 82 WAS 84

Break up the Wizards! Break out the champagne! The Wizards finally won a game for the 2012-2013 season. Portland had one of their worst nights of the season. From the start of the 2nd until 2 minutes left in the 4th the Blazers scored only 35 points on 27.7% shooting ( thanks to @basketballtalk on twitter for that stat). The game went down to the wire as Portland made a late push to tie the game up but the Wizards pulled it out.

Stats: J.J Hickson had 15 points, 19 rebounds. Lillard had 20 points and 5 assists on a bad shooting night (6/21). Nicolas Batum added 20 points and 4 rebounds for the Blazers. Joe Crawford had 19 points for the Wizards and Kevin Seraphin had a double double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Nene had 6 points and 6 rebounds.  The Wizard's defense held Portland to 34% shooting.

San Antonio Spurs AT Orlando Magic

SAS 110 ORL 89

The San Antonio Spurs continued rolling with a blowout win vs. Orlando. Not much to be said about this game, your basic NBA blowout. The Spurs will take on a tougher task vs. Miami on Thursday.

Stats: Ginobili had 20 points, Gary Neal scored 19. Tim Duncan has found the fountain of youth and poured in 15 points and 4 rebounds on 27 minutes. Highlight for the Magic was Aaron Afflalo, who put in 16 points and 5 rebounds.

 New York Knicks AT Milwaukee Bucks

 NYK 102 MIL 88

 The Knicks went to Milwaukee after losing to the Brooklyn Nets looking to get back to their winning games, and as Clyde Frazier would say: the Knicks were winning and grinning, swishing and dishing. They led by double digits throughout the second half and never really had a problem with the Bucks. Ellis and Jennings were not enough to beat the Knicks defense. Carmelo Anthony continues to play like an MVP.

 Stats: Carmelo had 29 pts 8 reb and 1 blk, 1 steal.  Steve Novak's homecoming had him grab 19 pts and 4 rebs. Pablo Prigioni added 11 points and 7 assists for the Knicks. Brandon Jennings and Ellis had 18 pts and 17 pts respectively. 

 Brooklyn Nets AT Boston Celtics

 BKN 95 BOS 83

 Tempers flared in Boston tonight (Video) when Rondo pushed Kris Humphries after he fouled Garnett. The skirmish moved its way to the front row as Humphries and Rondo went at it, meanwhile Gerald Wallace and Kevin Garnett were slapping away as well. Overall, the quality of the fight was lackluster. What was more lackluster was the Celtics play, because the Nets frustrated them and led by double digits most of the way.

 Stats: Andray Blatche had 17pts, 13 rebs. Kevin Garnett had 16 pts, 10 rebounds. Rajon Rondo's double digit assist streak ends as he was ejected with 3 assists.

 Houston Rockets AT Oklahoma City Thunder

 OKC 120 HOU 98

 Kevin Durant improved his chances in the MVP race tonight with a stellar performance vs. James Harden and the Houston Rockets. He put up 37 points and beat up on his old teammate, who had a pretty bad game. Harden only scored 17 points and was 3 for 16 from the field. He was limited by Oklahoma City's stifling defense. Harden missed his first 9 shots.

 Stats: Patrick Patterson had 27 points and Omer Asik had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Houston Rockets. Westbrook had 14 points and 9 assists and 5 rebounds.  Kevin Martin added 17 points and Serge Ibaka added 23 points and 9 rebounds for OKC. 
....Less eventful blowouts tonight, including:

 Dallas Mavericks AT Chicago Bulls: 78-101
Phoenix Suns AT Detroit Pistons: 77-117
Utah Jazz AT New Orleans Hornets: 96-84
Toronto Raptors AT Memphis Grizzlies: 82-103

 That's it for last night. Big wins from the Thunder, Nets, Knicks and WIZARDS

Tonight's Games

San Antonio Spurs AT Miami Heat 8PM EST

Denver Nuggets AT Golden State Warriors 10:30 EST


4 teams will play tonight, heres what to look for:

Big game tonight in Miami. Look for the Heat game to be a high scoring effort, as San Antonio will try to pull off a huge win vs. Lebron James and Miami. The front line for San Antonio has been producing with Tiago Splitter and Tim Duncan, but injuries to Leonard and Stephen Jackson could impair them tonight vs. Lebron James. Lebron will have a huge night but the Spurs have his number, going all the way back to the 2007 finals where the Spurs swept Lebron's Cavs. Obviously, the Heat are a much different team, and this is a much different Lebron James. 
EDIT: Popopvich announced that he'll send Parker, Ginobili, Danny Green, and Tim Duncan home for tonight's game, citing "fatigue". Looks like the Heat are blowing out the Spurs tonight.

 Finally, here are my predictions for Thursday night's games.
Miami Heat OVER San Antonio Spurs
Golden State Warriors OVER Denver Nuggets

That's it for today's NBA recap. 

VIDEO: Brawl in Boston

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RONDOS ASSISTS STREAK ENDS AFTER BEING EJECTED>


 Check this video out, brawl in Boston after Humphries fouls Garnett. There goes my prediction of Rondo having another big assists night, he left the game with 3 assists. Humphries, Gerald Wallace, and Rajon Rondo were ejected after the altercation.

Beardsanity comes to OKC

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Harden
Harden's return to OKC: Just another game?


OKLAHOMA CITY --  Tonight, at 8:00 PM EST, Oklahoma City will see James Harden in person for the first time this season, in a new uniform. The Rocket's Star claims that he is trying to see it as another game, but all NBA players say this. I am almost 100% sure that James Harden will try to go off today, and by off I mean he's gonna jack up shots and make a lot of them, he's going to pick pockets, he's going to dunk, and he's going to be the James Harden that scored almost 100 points in his first two games this season. That being said, don't expect Kevin Durant and Russel Westbrook to take this game light either. Especially when Westbrook will be matched up with Jeremy Lin and Harden for most of the night, expect him to take a lot of shots. 
        The one thing that was overlooked during the whole Harden Fiasco was the key role that Kevin Martin will now play for the Thunder. As chemistry builds, you may see that Kevin Martin will actually be a better fit than Harden would. Kevin Martin was asked to do too much in Houston, and with his role lowered to a third scoring option for the Thunder, he has excelled. The 6'7 swingman with a beautiful touch is averaging 15 points on 45% shooting (Thanks, basketball-reference.com) as well as shooting 50% from 3pt range. The reason I believe he's a much better fit than Harden is because he becomes a role player that the Thunder needed. Harden, while being the best ball-handler on the Thunder, took up too much space on the team. He took touches away from Durant and Westbrook, and in my opinion hindered their growth. 
        Harden as a player has also been held back because even when he did take away touches from Durant and Westbrook, he also didn't get enough touches. Harden is a primary ball handler, that's his identity on the court. He's gonna dish it, and he's gonna score with it. But mainly, he's gonna score. The moment Harden set foot in Houston, he was given the green light. And so far, he has produced, averaging about 25 points per game, almost at the top of the leaderboard. 
     There is no reason to believe that this won't be a very heated match up, though I believe that the Thunder will ultimately pull away, because for once they will face a team that is younger than they are. In fact, Houston is the youngest team in the league. I'd give take the over if I was asked if Harden would score under or over 25 points today. Jeremy Lin seems to be playing better and there is a chance that the Rockets will push this one to the last minute as they strive to get over .500. With that being said, less than half of an hour until game time. Let the beard rage.

NBA Recap: 11/27/2012

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NBA RECAP: 11/27/2012

 

Last night's games included:

Dallas Mavericks AT Philadelphia 76ers:

DAL 98 PHI 100

The Philadelphia 76ers welcomed back Elton Brand last night, but spoiled it with a comeback win in the fourth. 76ers Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young had 22 and 20 points respectively to lead Philly to it's 9th W this season as the Dallas Mavericks continue to slump without their All-Star in Dirk Nowitzki. It  seemed like Dallas could pull out the victory after leading in the fourth, but Philly was able to clamp down on the defensive end with a 10-0 run and spoiled Elton Brand's homecoming, who's family still lives in Philadelphia. 
  Stats: Dallas Shot 45% from the field,  Philly Shot 46% in a pretty even match up. OJ Mayo had 11 points and 7 assists while Elton Brand had 17 points and 8 rebounds. Jrue Holiday continues to impress with 18 points and 17 assists. The Sixers are 5-1 vs. Western Conference teams. Dallas is 4th in the Southwest division, Philadelphia is 3rd in the Atlantic.

Phoenix Suns AT Cleveland Cavaliers 

 PHX 91 CLE 78

The Cleveland Cavaliers continued their woeful start last night with a blowout loss to the Phoenix Suns. It was actually a competitive game leading up to the fourth, where the Suns opened the flood gates and poured it on the Cavs. 

Stats: Goran Dragic is looking like a solid replacement for Steve Nash with 19 points and 7 rebounds. Michael Beasley added a surprising efficient 15 points on 6/8 shooting and 4 rebounds in 29 minutes of playing time. Dion Waiters is excelling as a rookie and had 16 points and 7 assists as he looks to make up for Kyrie Irving (broken hand). Varejao is the only bright spot in for the Cavs, with 20 points and 18 rebounds.

Toronto Raptors AT Houston Rockets

TOR 101 HOU 117
The Rockets defeated the lowly Raptors in Houston last night, as James Harden lead the way once again for the Rockets. James Harden is now averaging 25.1 ppg and has stolen the hearts of the Houston Rockets fans who once thought that Jeremy Lin was their savior. The Rockets(7-7) had no problem taking care of the Raptors(3-12) who so far have had a tumultuous season and are now back to .500. 

Stats: James Harden had 24 points and 12 assists while Jeremy Lin had 16 points and 10 assists. James Harden and Jeremy Lin are the first pair of teammates this season to both have double figure assists in the same game. Chandler parsons continues to impress with 18 points and 7 rebounds. The highlight of Toronto's night was Andrea Bargnani finally having a good game, 21 points and 4 rebounds on 8/12 shooting. 

Minnesota Timberwolves AT Sacramento Kings

MIN 97 SAC 89

The Sacramento Kings are hard to understand as they have the talent, but continue to lose games. Last night was the same story as the Timberwolves lead through the game and Kevin Love had a monster game with 23 points and 24 rebounds. Tyreke Evans led the way for the Kings with 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. The Kings (4-10) lost to a Timberwolves (6-7) team that look to get on the winning path with star Kevin Love back. Their all-star forward looks like he was not missed a beat.  The Kings leave a lot to be desired in Sacramento.

Stats: Kevin Love had 23 points and 24 rebounds, Luke Ridnour had 18 points and 5 assists for the Timberwolves, while Demarcus Cousins had 20 points on 22 shots (9/22) and 5 rebounds. Rookie Thomas Robinson has not had a great start to the year, and only had 2 points and 6 rebounds last night.

Indiana Pacers AT Los Angeles Lakers

IND 79 LAL 77

In an ugly, ugly, game the Lakers were unable to pull out the victory vs. the Pacers despite a BIG night from Kobe Bryant. It's unclear as to what Kobe will have to do while Steve Nash is out to pull out a victory, though when you're responsible for more than 50% of your teams scoring, it might be a problem. Especially if you have Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol on the frontline.  The Pacers pulled out a gritty win after George Hill hit a bank shot over Dwight Howard with 0.1 seconds left and are now 7-8 while the Lakers are also 7-8. 

Stats: Kobe had 40 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists. For the Pacers, David West had 16 points and 10 rebounds while adding 2 blocks. George Hill had 19 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and the most important shot of the night for Indiana. Paul George added 12 points and 9 rebounds for the Pacers. Dwight Howard had 17 points and 8 rebounds while Gasol had a bad shooting night as he went 2/9 with 10 points and 9 rebounds for the Lakers. The game was ugly as Indiana shot 36% from the field and the Lakers shot worse, 31%. 

That's it for Tuesday night. Big wins for the Pacers, Timberwolves, and Philadelphia. 

Tonights games:

New York Knicks(9-4) AT Milwaukee Bucks (7-5)
Portland Trailblazers (6-8) AT Washington Wizards (0-12)
San Antonio Spurs (12-3) AT Orlando Magic (5-8)
Brooklyn Nets (9-4) AT Boston Celtics (8-6) 
Charlotte Bobcats (7-6) AT Atlanta Hawks (8-4)
Phoenix Suns (7-8) AT Detroit Pistons (4-11)
Dallas Mavericks (7-8) AT Chicago Bulls (6-7)
Toronto Raptors (3-12) AT Memphis Grizzlies (10-2)
Utah Jazz (8-7) AT New Orleans Hornets (4-9)
Houston Rockets (7-7) AT Oklahoma City Thunder (11-4)
Minnesota Timberwolves (6-7) AT Los Angeles Clippers (8-6)

24 teams will play to night, Here's What to Watch For:

3 things for tonight

 BIG game for the Houston Rockets as James Harden returns to Oklahoma City. Look for a big night from Durant and Harden, and for Harden to be matched up on Westbrook and Vice Versa.

Atlantic Division game: Brooklyn at Celtics. Look for the Rondo vs Deron Williams matchup, and look for another big assists night from Rondo.

The Washington Wizards will look to get their first win tonight vs. the Trailblazers, look for the continued success of Damian Lillard

Finally, here are my PREDICTIONS:

Knicks over Bucks
Trailblazers over Wizards
 Spurs over Magic
Celtics over Nets
 Hawks over Bobcats
Mavericks over Bulls
Grizzlies over Raptors
Hornets over Jazz
Thunder over Rockets
Clippers over Timberwolves

See ya.

The MVP race: Who will come out on top?

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Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant, MVP Contender

It's gonna be a tight race this year.

The MVP Race: Top 5
 Something that will be made a tradition on this blog is the MVP race. There is simply one way I can define the MVP -- Most Valuable player. The player on an NBA team that when removed the team is no where close to the same. Best example I can think of is the 2009-2010 Cleveland Cavaliers, who were completely depleted to bottom-feeder status once Lebron left, after season after season of 60+ Wins. Lebron was the clear-cut MVP, he was the most valuable player to his team because without him his team was nothing. Once a week, we'll determine who the leaders in the MVP race are. Well, here we go:

1. Carmelo Anthony, SF, New York Knicks 
         Please don't call me a homer. I have good reasons to do this. Listen, Carmelo Anthony has been forever known as a ball-stopper, a player with only scoring on his mind. He has never been known as a team player, nor did he have a reason to be considered one. 'Melo took shots, a lot of shots. We call this ISO melo in the Basketball world. Melo dribbles up the court, dribbles inside the 3pt Line and takes a contested 15-foot jumper. He hits back iron, complains about a call, and then watches his team let up a basket on the next possession.  Well, you might as well forget about that Carmelo Anthony. This Carmelo Anthony is all in, in fact, he might be the anti-Melo. He plays defense, he hustles, he rebounds, and he scores when he is asked to. Without this attitude, the Knicks wouldn't be at the top of the east right now, standing at 9-4. Carmelo is the leading 1st quarter scorer in the NBA right now, he scored 20 points in the first VS the Hornets, 19 vs. Brooklyn and the Pistons. When matched up again a Power Foward, he is unstoppable. He dishes the ball willingly and has given the majority of the ball handling to Jason Kidd. As long as he allows the ball to move to him and not vice-versa, the Knicks will continue to impress. Without Melo playing like the way he is, the Knicks would be the same team they were last year: Just barely a playoff team.

2. Kevin Durant, SF, Oklahoma City Thunder
      Kevin Durant is doing work this season, no surprise to anyone. He's averaging 25.9 ppg, 4.1 asts, 8.5 rebounds. Essentially, the man is a double-double threat every game and is the single best offensive option of any team in the league. He commands double teams that lead to easy buckets for Russel Westbrook and Serge Ibaka. Essentially, He is playing at the same level as Carmelo Anthony right now. And since the thunder are on a winning streak, he's definitely headed to the top of the MVP race. Still, Durant sometimes seems lethargic on defense, and too passive on offense. For Durant to fully take control of this MVP race I believe he will need to become a much more assertive player. He should be a triple double threat every night, like Lebron James.

3. Rajon Rondo, PG, Boston Celtics
                      Rondo is amazing. He continues to put up just RIDICULOUS assists numbers and he keeps his team winning. He is now the heart and soul of the Celtics, and he has rejuvenated a decaying team. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce don't look like they've missed a beat, and you can attribute this to Rondo's play. Rondo's last 5 games? 
  (Thanks to ESPN for these splits, BTW)
                              VS. Orlando 11/25 : 15 pts, 16 assists, 9 rebounds
                               VS.  OKC   11/23:  6 pts, 16 assists, 8 rebounds 
                               VS. San Antonio 11/21 22 points, 15 assists, 2 rebounds
                               VS. Detroit 11/18 12 points, 10 assists, 3 rebounds
                               VS. Toronto  11/17 6 points, 20 assists, 2 rebounds

 The Celtics were 3-2 in those 5 games. The losses were to San Antonio and Detroit. Rondo is playing EXTRAORDINARILY because he is THAT good. No longer is the excuse that he is surrounded by Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce valid. He makes plays, he is the best point guard in the league right now. He is keeping the Celtics alive, because if it wasn't for him they'd be in serious trouble. 

4. Lebron James, SF, Miami Heat
                Lebron James is Lebron James. He is the best player in the world, and because of this it's almost like the game is too easy for him. He's having his most efficient season, and yet I rank him at #4. That's because he really doesn't have to do much. The Heat's bench is not only solid this year, we can't forget about Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade (Yeah Dwayne Wade is still on this team). That being said, check out Lebron's stats thanks to Basketball-reference.com
Season Age Tm Lg G GS MP FG FGA FG% 3P 3PA 3P% FT FTA FT% ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS
2012-13 28 MIA NBA 13 13 37.2 9.9 18.7 .531 1.4 3.2 .439 3.9 5.8 .671 1.5 7.4 8.8 6.5 0.8 1.0 2.4 1.8 25.2
Career NBA 702 701 39.9 9.9 20.4 .484 1.3 4.0 .332 6.5 8.8 .746 1.2 6.0 7.2 6.9 1.7 0.8 3.3 1.9 27.6
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/28/2012.

 Through 13 games, Lebron is putting up a ridiculous 53% FG and 43% 3P% while getting about 9 boards a game, 6.5 rebounds, and 25 points. It's like I said....The game is too easy for him. If Lebron was doing this on the Cleveland Cavaliers, He'd be at the top of my MVP race for the whole year no questions asked. But when you have the team he does, it's almost like he's not even trying.

 5. Chris Paul, G, Los Angeles Clippers
        Chris Paul is right now, the best player in Los Angeles. Forget Kobe Bryant, forget Dwight Howard. Chris Paul is an absolute animal, and if it wasn't for the Clippers losing their last 4 games, I'd rank him a little higher. Chris Paul leads the league in steals, with 39 steals. He has the second most assists, right behind Rajon Rondo at 133. (BTW, Rondo has 178). He's 8th in PER (player efficiency rating--- if you don't know what this is, look at the name, and then realize Lebron is #1), and he's 3rd in Win Shares. Chris Paul has by himself resurrected basketball for the Clippers franchise.  The Clippers are slumping at 8-6 after starting 8-2. With Chris Paul leading the way, they'll come out of this slump soon enough. He's got the stats to back it up, and he's the leader of this team. Lookout for them in the west, because with CP3 they're a force to reckon with, and that's why he rounds out the top-5 in my MVP race.

 Thanks for the read! 

 **If you're wondering why I didn't include and Memphis Grizzlies players it's because in my opinion they don't really have anyone on that team who has absolutely eye-popping stats. Gasol is a great overall center, Rudy Gay is a great scorer, and Zach Randolph is a great rebounder and post scorer. None of them are the best at everything, and thus they fail to make the MVP top 5. Still, this doesn't take away from the team.  They are the best team in the west for a reason, because they are a great TEAM. No individuals on this squad.

             

The Race is Already over: Making the case for Lillard

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Crown him. The race for Rookie of the Year is Over.

By the end of November, the race for Rookie of the Year in the NBA is over. You can crown Damian Lillard today, or you can do it at the end of the season; he won it. As an unheralded rookie coming out of Weber State, Lillard wasn't exactly a household name. Pre-draft, I had no idea what to expect from him in the NBA. He seemed to me like a combo guard, he was 2nd in the nation in scoring at 24.5 points per game, and I wasn't sure about his point guard skills. Well, I'm sure now. He put up 23 pts, 11 assists vs the Lakers in his first game. Only two other players to do that? Oscar Robertson, Isiah Thomas. Pretty good company.

Let's start with some basic stats. The lettuce of our Rookie of The Year campaign sandwich. According to Basketball-reference.com, Through 14 games, 
Season Age Tm Lg G GS MP FG FGA FG% 3P ▾ 3PA 3P% FT FTA FT% ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS
2012-13 22 POR NBA 14 14 36.8 6.7 15.1 .443 2.4 6.0 .405 3.2 3.9 .833 0.6 2.6 3.2 6.1 1.4 0.3 3.3 2.0 19.1
Career NBA 14 14 36.8 6.7 15.1 .443 2.4 6.0 .405 3.2 3.9 .833 0.6 2.6 3.2 6.1 1.4 0.3 3.3 2.0 19.1
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/27/2012.

Lets break it down: He's average just about 20 points, 6 assists, 1.5 steals, 3 turnovers, while making 2.5 3's a game at 40% 3pt and 44% FG??!?! Does that sound like rookie numbers to you? To put it in perspective, Chris Paul's rookie year had him averaging 16.1 pts, 7.8 assists, 2.3 Turnovers, shooting 28% from 3pt Range and on 43% FG. Obviously, this was after a full season. The thing is, I can't see Lillard's numbers getting worse than that.  Portland is 6-8, and are in the same division as OKC, Utah, and Denver. We all know how tough the west is. I believe that as long as Lillard keeps averaging these numbers, and his team stays hovering at .500, he will win the ROY. His numbers speak for themselves, but so does the way his play actually looks. Let's check out this video on youtube which illustrates how good he really is:


This is Lillard vs. The Rockets. I could have picked out his game vs. The Thunder, his game vs the Lakers, but I chose this one because it embodies who he is as a player. He's quick, he makes shots, and he delivers passes on the dime. I'm sorry, but what else do you want a point guard to do? The kid is a STUD. He has the athleticism to back it up too, he has a 40-inch veritcal, a 6'7 wingspan, and is quick as lightning. It's a premature statement, and I think that there is a lot of time left in the season. But I'm calling it right now: Damian Lillard will win the ROY, not only based on his stats but based on his competition. He will be a star in this league, and he is my favorite rookie so far. I can't wait to watch him play again.

I just hope he doesn't get injured. We know about Portland's medical staff. *knock on wood*


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