Ahh, finally a place where Kyle’s southern bias’ hold no weight. (Sorry Ryan, but the Bobcats just aren’t there yet). With the NBA season already a month deep, there’s a ton of story lines to be looked at. Dwight Howard’s emergence as a top 10 player in the league. The Celtic’s going from “Marcy to Madison Square” as Jay-Z would put it. And the disaster that is the New York Knicks. That last one will soon be getting a post of its own, but for now lets focus on the brighter side of the NBA, starting with some predictions.
MVP: LeBron James, CLE
Any fan of the NBA right now is blessed to be able to be watching a player with the talent of LBJ. A year after taking his team to the finals, King James is continuing his dominant play and has even stepped his game up another level, as scary as that is. This 22 year old phenom is average career highs in rebounds (7.5) and assists (8.1), while still posting gaudy scoring numbers as well (30.7). He recorded 4 triple-doubles in his first 15 games before injuring his finger, and missed 2 others slightly, both times coming 1 assist shy. Even in games where he starts off quietly, anytime the game is on the line, its LeBron time. What is so impressive is that the other teams know this, yet still have no answer. In late November, LBJ dropped 38 on the mighty Celtics, 11 of which came in OT, leading them to a victory. While the stats speak for themselves, if that’s not enough evidence then try out this one: In the 5 games he has missed since his hand injury, the team is 0-5.
Close 2nd: Dwight Howard, ORL
Rookie of the Year: Kevin Durant, SEA
And my man crush continues. While you can’t argue with the Trailblazers pick of Greg Oden (big men are more likely to lead their teams to a championship) Seattle got quite the consolation prize in the 19 year old Kevin Durant. While early in the season he has not matched his rebounding numbers he had at Texas (is that even possible?) he still has put up 20ppg, while averaging 1 block and 1 steal per game. With Seattle not being a contender right now, the reins are off Durant who will be every opportunity to shoot early and often. Will he shoot about 40%, probably not. Will his lack of passing sometimes not be the best thing for his team to win games, maybe. But in my eyes, this kid is the future of your franchise and if him shooting now will help the team later, than shoot away Kevin. TO and FG% will hurt him in the voting, but his scoring will be far too much for anyone to overlook.
Guaranteed 2nd: Al Horford, ATL
Most Improved Player: Chris Kaman, LAC
Not a house hold name, Kaman was definitely on the radar to any fantasy players or basketball enthusiasts because the man can flat out rebound. This year, with Elton Brand being out until at least after the all-star break, Kaman has had a chance to show who he really is. He is averaging career highs in all major statistical categories, and is currently 3rd in the league in rebounding at an astounding 13.9 RPG. His 3 blocks per game (4th in the league) make him a serious presence in the paint, and on the offensive end is more than a viable option with 18 points per game. While his cave-man-like features and horrendous hair may never get him a shoe deal or TV commercial, it embodies the grittiness with which he plays the game perfectly.
Coach of the Year: Mike Woodson, ATL
The Hawks coach? I know it sounds crazy, but that’s fine. The Hawks are perennial losers. Their a lock for a lottery pick every year, and seem to mirror the Detroit Lions approach of drafting the same type of player each year (tall athletic swingman who really could play the 1, 2, 3, or 4). This year, however, it seems to be clicking as the Hawks are off to a fast start for their standards at 8-10, and have the talent to make some noise in the horrendous Eastern Conference.
Now lets talk about the rest of the NBA (mainly the Spurs, otherwise David Stern will shut this blog down). This has been one of the better regular seasons in recent NBA history, and there is a TON of talent in the NBA. How many teams are really pushovers anymore? Portland has already went on a stretch where in 4 straight victories, 3 came against New Orleans, Dallas, and Detroit. Minnesota is not going to win very many games, but they have a young team who will definitely make you pay if you over look them. That being said, the top still stand strong, and this will be the case down the stretch I’m sure. The Spurs are my odds-on favorites to repeat until another team can prove me wrong. Time to go out on a limb with some sleeper picks however.
Playoff Predictions: EAST 1. Boston Celtics 2. Orlando Magic 3. Detroit Pistons 4. Cleveland Cavaliers 5. Toronto Raptors 6. Chicago Bulls 7. New York Knicks 8. Atlanta Hawks
WEST 1. San Antonio Spurs 2. Phoenix Suns 3. Utah Jazz 4. New Orleans Hornets 5. Dallas Mavericks 6. Houston Rockets 7. Golden State Warriors 8. LA Lakers
NBA Finals Sleeper (Western Conference): Utah Jazz After going to the Western Conference Finals a year ago, the Jazz will have another year of chemistry under their belts, and will be hungry for some revenge. Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams are doing their best Stockton and Malone impressions, as both continue to get better and better. AK47 is an underappreciated animal who will fill up the stat sheet and might somehow get a triple double in blocks, steals, and ugliness. Ronnie Brewer is stepping up as a superior role player both offensively and defensively, and helps to force turnovers with his 2.4 steals per game. Their division is theirs for the taking, as Denver isn’t yet on their level as a team Jerry Sloan has consistently had winners and this year will be no different.
NBA Finals Sleeper (Eastern Conference): Orlando Magic That’s right. I’m throwing the Eastern Conference on the shoulders of a 21 year old man-child. He’s been knocked for not having a “go to” offensive move. Really? That argument is worse than Brian Skinners blonde-tipped goatee. I wouldn’t care if Howard wore his jersey backwards and converses, the man is averaging 23 points and 15 rebounds. 15! Before his career is over, he will have seriously flirted with averaging 25 and 20 for a season. Jameer Nelson has also stepped his game up to become the distributor that the Magic need at the PG position. Teaming these two up with Rashard Lewis (who I have to admit, hated as an off-season signing) and a revitalized Hedo Turkoglu seems to be a combination that just works. Stan Van Gundy (who everyone forgets had the Miami Heat rolling before Pat Riley decided to step in and take credit) has gotten every ounce out of his guys, and with Howard down low it gives every other player a sense of confidence to play tough nose defense. Why? Because if you get beat it really doesn’t matter, Howard will be kind enough to send the ball into the fans in the 3rd row. If Keith Bogans can continue to consistently hit 3’s when everyone else is double teamed and they stay healthy as a team, look for the Magic to be legitimate contenders to come out of the Eastern Conference.
Lets finish up with some other random predictions.
Most Likely to be Traded: Jason Kidd, NJ He’s already not happy, and there’s about a dozen teams who think that he is their missing piece. Look for the Nets to move him before the all-star break, and then realize their team has much worse problems to deal with than trading Jason Kidd. (These include somehow finding a way to make Vince Carter care, finding a better center than Kristic, making Richard Jefferson sound like less of a bitch, and to see if they could have Jay-Z perform at every game)
Most Likely to beg to be Traded: Andre Iguodala Already has complained about his teammates effort, and has said that “something needs to change.” Will firing Billy King change anything? I doubt it. I’m putting the over/under at 42 games before the new AI in Philly completely loses it and attacks Reggie Evans.
Fantasy Stud:Josh Smith, ATL He is an absolute beast. He’s only 22 years old, already has a few seasons under his belt, and works well in the system he’s in. Having a career year, he is already filling up the stat sheet every single category. Let his numbers do the talking: 17.6 ppg, 7.2 rbg, 3.5 apg, 3.7 bpg, 1.9 spg. No, that’s not a typo. 3.7 BLOCKS per game. Enough said. (Now is a good time I own Josh Smith and he has helped Team Ins to their current 1st place standing)
Haha "southern bias", well maybe if the North got some good college sports (or girls for that matter) then I wouldn't have to be so "biased". Being that I had to ask if Gerald Wallace was on the Bobcats I obviously can't post much here. That being said I plan on getting my act together, starting tomorrow as I head down to see Coreys MVP pick who BETTER PLAY. In all honesty was is holding me back from diving into the NBA is a torn heart of sorts. My childhood is full of memories of watching the Knicks and being a very strong fan of the team. Being that they never won anything I wouldn't say I jumped off the bandwagon,I just stopped caring about the NBA in general.Now being 600 miles away it is hard to really follow the team as much as I'd like to. Now before Corey gets his "trading on LI,WB,NY etc" rant on let me note that I have remained faithful to the Mets and Giants and have travled to other cities and paid for online subscriptions just to see them play. For me to watch the Knicks I would have to find a sports bar in town and beg them to put them on, it's a very difficulut scenario to imagine. On the other hand the Bobcats are an hour away and are on TV almost everynight and are also loaded with players from my favorite school. I'm not quite sure on what I'm going to do here..I'd like to hear some opinions on it
The wonderful world of the NBA and now with the blog finally someone, Ins, to talk to about "The League." The very young season has shown a new NBA, back to actually playing basketball. Teams are getting up and down, scoring points, and letting the game flow. Before I move on to some predictions i have to take exception to the Bobcats comment. If you want to look at the last 2 years (which is taking away our expansion year) the Bobcats have won a combined 59 games, not very good. However, Ins' Knicks have won a combined 56 games. Hmmmmm..... But Ins does know i have a love for New York and want to move there so I have a plan to fix the Knicks, ESPN.com NBA Trade machine said so. Now to some predictions......
MVP: LeBron James, Cavs
WOW. That is the only way to describe "Bron-Bron" these days. His talent is finally coming full circle and I am just happy i get to see it. LeBron is getting to were he is making DEFENSE a responsiblity while still improving a already unreal offensive arsenal. LeBron has now entered full circle what i like to call "the zone." This is because honestly it does not matter who his teammates are because King James can be a one man show. With his heighth and court vision I would not be totally suprised to see him challenge the "Big O" and average a triple double in the next few years. Is that unrealistic? Yea proably. Is it impossible? Not at all and thats the scary thing that I am even mentioning this. The best thing for all of us NBA fans to do is sit back and.....WITNESS.
2nd: Steve Nash 3rd: Dwight Howard
Rookie of the Year: Kevin Durant
Plain and simple: KEVIN DURANT IS MY HERO. While stuggling some with his shot early this should not be unexpected. He already has to be the go-to man on a young and bad Sonics team. You can see glimpses every night of the greatness that is to come. For instance, in a nationally televised game against the LA Lakers and Kobe Bryant, Durant went 10-19 from the field 1-2 from behind the arc 4-7 from the charity stripe for 25 pts. This proves that he likes the spotlight and can step up, not to mention the number of big shots he hit for the Longhorns last year. NBA take your best shot now cause it aint going to be long before KD turns the NBA into his own playground. BTW, PJ, can we play my man close to the basket on D a little more to take advantage of his ablity to clean the glass and get his long arms on some shots. Also, wouldnt mind to see him operate down low on the offensive end....People have always been stronger than him so thats no excuse, he is a basketball player.
2nd-Al Horford
Most Improved Player: LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland
No question here in my mind. Aldridge is getting 18 and 8 a night compared to his rookie year where it was 9 and 5. Also, Aldridge in 19 games has got as many double-doubles as he had in 63 games last year. He started the year off in the shadow of Greg Oden before he went down, however, LaMarcus put the minds of Trail Blazer fans everywhere at rest when he put up 27 against the Spurs on opening night going 12-19 from the field with 2 blocks. Plan on Aldridge and Oden to blossom into one of the best big man duos in the NBA for years to come.
Coach of the Year: Stan Van Gundy, Orlando
Orlando was a solid team last year but this year they are playing with the elite. After being ran out of Miami by Pat Riley for no reason, other than Pat to get another championship, is showing that he is a premier coach in the NBA. He is getting every ounce of talent out of Nelson and Bogans, bringing back Turkoglu from the dead. His best coaching move might be giving JJ Redick very few minutes and a lot of DNP's in the box score. With the combo of Lewis (good player, still think he was over paid) and Howard with Van Gundy pulling the strings this team is going to be a force in the East for a while.
Best Young Team: Portland Trail Blazers
Great job by the Portland front office with putting together a awesome mix of young talent. Building a team around Brandon Roy,LaMarcus Aldridge, and Greg Oden with solid role players like Travis Outlaw, Channing Fyre (lots of potential), Darius Miles, Jarret Jack, a very solid Steve Blake and the list could go on. A player i wanted to throw in there but think he deserves his own blurb is Martell Webster. Steppin up this year and he just turned 21 (a few days ago on December 4th actually) he can be a premier point producer in the league with his size 6'7 and skill set.
Playoff Predictions East
1.Boston- Please get KG a ring! 2.Detriot 3.Orlando 4.LeBron,opps, Cleveland 5.Toronto 6.Washington 7.Nets 8.Hawks
West
1.San Antonio- Favorite to win it 2.Suns 3.Jazz 4.Rockets 5.Mavs 6.Hornets 7.Warriors 8.Lakers
Last but not least......A mega-deal trade request
Okay Suns, the time is now and you have to make this happen. Some people might not like this but go with a Amare for 'Sheed and Maxiell and a #1 pick....Sheed is one of my favorite players ever and he could bring the toughness and D, because lets face it 'Sheed is gonna knock Timmey out before he gets pushed around. Mix him with Raja Bell and you got a offensive machine with TOUGHNESS AND "D" which is what wins championships, just ask the Spurs....
Okay, it's been a couple of days since the last NBA installment. Honestly, I just feel lucky David Stern hasn't had Corey and me knocked off, tied a cinderblock to our feet and dumped in some large body of water. So let's make the head of the Mafia, i mean head of the NBA happy. Lets start this off with why the regular season so far has been so great. If your familiar with the NBA at all you can see that in the first part of the season we've had games being played like playoff games. The young players in the league are showing a hunger of not wanting to lose....ever, regular season or playoffs. This makes for great rivalries and games. Here are a few games that have stood out to me.
1. Cleveland 109 - Boston 104 - One of the better regular season games your going to see. King James, all by his lonesome, takes on "The Big 3" and doing what only LeBron can do, WIN. LBJ put up 38 pts, 13 ast., and 4 boards, 2 steals, and 2 blocks while playing hard on both ends. The BIG 3 combined for 64 points with Ray Allen leading the way with 29.
2. Warriors 129, Suns 114 - Have there been better games? Sure. Have there been any more entertaining games? Nope. A reason I picked this game is because i believe the NBA is headed in the right direction again. The Warriors exploded for 45 points in the first quarter. Usually you figure the game is over, but Steve Nash is on the other side to keep the Suns in it and they went for 37! This also marked, in my opinion, the return of one of the most important players on a playoff team, Stephen Jackson. I'm not saying he is the best player on the team (SEE: Davis, Baron) but he moves everyone back to natural positions and takes a ton of pressure off of "B-Diddy" and Monta Ellis by adding in another more than capable scorer and outside threat.
Young Players Ready to Bust Out
Andrew Bynum, LAL - After being punk’d by Kobe, Bynum came into the season ready to play. While averaging 26 minutes Bynum is giving the Lakers very solid play with 10.6 pts and 9.6 reb. Bynum has posted 10 double-doubles already this year and missing two more double-doubles by 2 points both times. His play is going to be a key for Kobe and the Lakers down the stretch (more on them in a minute).
Rudy Gay, Memphis - RUDY,RUDY!! Finally starting to show why everyone was so excited about him coming out of High School and UCONN. Gay, is a high flyer that can put it on the ground and go around you or step back and put a jumper in your eyes. Also, he has bought his shooting percentage up to 47% this year from 42% as a rookie. Adding Mike Conley JR in the draft put another piece of the puzzle in place for Memphis to rebuild with.
Biggest Man Crush:
Kevin Martin, SAC. - I am just going to say, if you have not watched this man play make it your civil duty to do it. Way more on him in a couple of days because i could go on and on and on and on............btw did i mention he is avg. 25pts a game and never gets mentioned? Also, you can wait a few weeks before you fulfill your civil duty because he is on the injured list.
Now.......
L.A. Lakers -Please do something. But whatever you do, don't trade Kobe. Get Kobe some Help! I'm not a big Kobe fan just in general as a person but i am a HUGGGGEEEEEE Kobe Bean Bryant fan when he is on the hardwood. Honestly, if you don't like Kobe's game your dumb or don't know anything about having the killer instinct and the will to win. So nothing more that would I like to see Kobe playing in some meaningful playoff games. So Lakers go get some help (J-Kidd???) not just for your win-loss sake but for all of us who want to see the best basketball players in the most important games. I get the feeling nobody would shine brighter than Kobe on the big stage, give him a little help to get there......
5 comments:
Ahh, finally a place where Kyle’s southern bias’ hold no weight. (Sorry Ryan, but the Bobcats just aren’t there yet). With the NBA season already a month deep, there’s a ton of story lines to be looked at. Dwight Howard’s emergence as a top 10 player in the league. The Celtic’s going from “Marcy to Madison Square” as Jay-Z would put it. And the disaster that is the New York Knicks. That last one will soon be getting a post of its own, but for now lets focus on the brighter side of the NBA, starting with some predictions.
MVP: LeBron James, CLE
Any fan of the NBA right now is blessed to be able to be watching a player with the talent of LBJ. A year after taking his team to the finals, King James is continuing his dominant play and has even stepped his game up another level, as scary as that is. This 22 year old phenom is average career highs in rebounds (7.5) and assists (8.1), while still posting gaudy scoring numbers as well (30.7). He recorded 4 triple-doubles in his first 15 games before injuring his finger, and missed 2 others slightly, both times coming 1 assist shy. Even in games where he starts off quietly, anytime the game is on the line, its LeBron time. What is so impressive is that the other teams know this, yet still have no answer. In late November, LBJ dropped 38 on the mighty Celtics, 11 of which came in OT, leading them to a victory. While the stats speak for themselves, if that’s not enough evidence then try out this one: In the 5 games he has missed since his hand injury, the team is 0-5.
Close 2nd: Dwight Howard, ORL
Rookie of the Year: Kevin Durant, SEA
And my man crush continues. While you can’t argue with the Trailblazers pick of Greg Oden (big men are more likely to lead their teams to a championship) Seattle got quite the consolation prize in the 19 year old Kevin Durant. While early in the season he has not matched his rebounding numbers he had at Texas (is that even possible?) he still has put up 20ppg, while averaging 1 block and 1 steal per game. With Seattle not being a contender right now, the reins are off Durant who will be every opportunity to shoot early and often. Will he shoot about 40%, probably not. Will his lack of passing sometimes not be the best thing for his team to win games, maybe. But in my eyes, this kid is the future of your franchise and if him shooting now will help the team later, than shoot away Kevin. TO and FG% will hurt him in the voting, but his scoring will be far too much for anyone to overlook.
Guaranteed 2nd: Al Horford, ATL
Most Improved Player: Chris Kaman, LAC
Not a house hold name, Kaman was definitely on the radar to any fantasy players or basketball enthusiasts because the man can flat out rebound. This year, with Elton Brand being out until at least after the all-star break, Kaman has had a chance to show who he really is. He is averaging career highs in all major statistical categories, and is currently 3rd in the league in rebounding at an astounding 13.9 RPG. His 3 blocks per game (4th in the league) make him a serious presence in the paint, and on the offensive end is more than a viable option with 18 points per game. While his cave-man-like features and horrendous hair may never get him a shoe deal or TV commercial, it embodies the grittiness with which he plays the game perfectly.
Coach of the Year: Mike Woodson, ATL
The Hawks coach? I know it sounds crazy, but that’s fine. The Hawks are perennial losers. Their a lock for a lottery pick every year, and seem to mirror the Detroit Lions approach of drafting the same type of player each year (tall athletic swingman who really could play the 1, 2, 3, or 4). This year, however, it seems to be clicking as the Hawks are off to a fast start for their standards at 8-10, and have the talent to make some noise in the horrendous Eastern Conference.
Now lets talk about the rest of the NBA (mainly the Spurs, otherwise David Stern will shut this blog down). This has been one of the better regular seasons in recent NBA history, and there is a TON of talent in the NBA. How many teams are really pushovers anymore? Portland has already went on a stretch where in 4 straight victories, 3 came against New Orleans, Dallas, and Detroit. Minnesota is not going to win very many games, but they have a young team who will definitely make you pay if you over look them. That being said, the top still stand strong, and this will be the case down the stretch I’m sure. The Spurs are my odds-on favorites to repeat until another team can prove me wrong. Time to go out on a limb with some sleeper picks however.
Playoff Predictions:
EAST
1. Boston Celtics
2. Orlando Magic
3. Detroit Pistons
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
5. Toronto Raptors
6. Chicago Bulls
7. New York Knicks
8. Atlanta Hawks
WEST
1. San Antonio Spurs
2. Phoenix Suns
3. Utah Jazz
4. New Orleans Hornets
5. Dallas Mavericks
6. Houston Rockets
7. Golden State Warriors
8. LA Lakers
NBA Finals Sleeper (Western Conference): Utah Jazz
After going to the Western Conference Finals a year ago, the Jazz will have another year of chemistry under their belts, and will be hungry for some revenge. Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams are doing their best Stockton and Malone impressions, as both continue to get better and better. AK47 is an underappreciated animal who will fill up the stat sheet and might somehow get a triple double in blocks, steals, and ugliness. Ronnie Brewer is stepping up as a superior role player both offensively and defensively, and helps to force turnovers with his 2.4 steals per game. Their division is theirs for the taking, as Denver isn’t yet on their level as a team Jerry Sloan has consistently had winners and this year will be no different.
NBA Finals Sleeper (Eastern Conference): Orlando Magic
That’s right. I’m throwing the Eastern Conference on the shoulders of a 21 year old man-child. He’s been knocked for not having a “go to” offensive move. Really? That argument is worse than Brian Skinners blonde-tipped goatee. I wouldn’t care if Howard wore his jersey backwards and converses, the man is averaging 23 points and 15 rebounds. 15! Before his career is over, he will have seriously flirted with averaging 25 and 20 for a season. Jameer Nelson has also stepped his game up to become the distributor that the Magic need at the PG position. Teaming these two up with Rashard Lewis (who I have to admit, hated as an off-season signing) and a revitalized Hedo Turkoglu seems to be a combination that just works. Stan Van Gundy (who everyone forgets had the Miami Heat rolling before Pat Riley decided to step in and take credit) has gotten every ounce out of his guys, and with Howard down low it gives every other player a sense of confidence to play tough nose defense. Why? Because if you get beat it really doesn’t matter, Howard will be kind enough to send the ball into the fans in the 3rd row. If Keith Bogans can continue to consistently hit 3’s when everyone else is double teamed and they stay healthy as a team, look for the Magic to be legitimate contenders to come out of the Eastern Conference.
Lets finish up with some other random predictions.
Most Likely to be Traded: Jason Kidd, NJ
He’s already not happy, and there’s about a dozen teams who think that he is their missing piece. Look for the Nets to move him before the all-star break, and then realize their team has much worse problems to deal with than trading Jason Kidd. (These include somehow finding a way to make Vince Carter care, finding a better center than Kristic, making Richard Jefferson sound like less of a bitch, and to see if they could have Jay-Z perform at every game)
Most Likely to beg to be Traded: Andre Iguodala
Already has complained about his teammates effort, and has said that “something needs to change.” Will firing Billy King change anything? I doubt it. I’m putting the over/under at 42 games before the new AI in Philly completely loses it and attacks Reggie Evans.
Fantasy Stud:Josh Smith, ATL
He is an absolute beast. He’s only 22 years old, already has a few seasons under his belt, and works well in the system he’s in. Having a career year, he is already filling up the stat sheet every single category. Let his numbers do the talking: 17.6 ppg, 7.2 rbg, 3.5 apg, 3.7 bpg, 1.9 spg. No, that’s not a typo. 3.7 BLOCKS per game. Enough said. (Now is a good time I own Josh Smith and he has helped Team Ins to their current 1st place standing)
Haha "southern bias", well maybe if the North got some good college sports (or girls for that matter) then I wouldn't have to be so "biased". Being that I had to ask if Gerald Wallace was on the Bobcats I obviously can't post much here. That being said I plan on getting my act together, starting tomorrow as I head down to see Coreys MVP pick who BETTER PLAY.
In all honesty was is holding me back from diving into the NBA is a torn heart of sorts. My childhood is full of memories of watching the Knicks and being a very strong fan of the team. Being that they never won anything I wouldn't say I jumped off the bandwagon,I just stopped caring about the NBA in general.Now being 600 miles away it is hard to really follow the team as much as I'd like to. Now before Corey gets his "trading on LI,WB,NY etc" rant on let me note that I have remained faithful to the Mets and Giants and have travled to other cities and paid for online subscriptions just to see them play. For me to watch the Knicks I would have to find a sports bar in town and beg them to put them on, it's a very difficulut scenario to imagine. On the other hand the Bobcats are an hour away and are on TV almost everynight and are also loaded with players from my favorite school. I'm not quite sure on what I'm going to do here..I'd like to hear some opinions on it
editors note "what is holding me back"
The wonderful world of the NBA and now with the blog finally someone, Ins, to talk to about "The League." The very young season has shown a new NBA, back to actually playing basketball. Teams are getting up and down, scoring points, and letting the game flow. Before I move on to some predictions i have to take exception to the Bobcats comment. If you want to look at the last 2 years (which is taking away our expansion year) the Bobcats have won a combined 59 games, not very good. However, Ins' Knicks have won a combined 56 games. Hmmmmm..... But Ins does know i have a love for New York and want to move there so I have a plan to fix the Knicks, ESPN.com NBA Trade machine said so. Now to some predictions......
MVP: LeBron James, Cavs
WOW. That is the only way to describe "Bron-Bron" these days. His talent is finally coming full circle and I am just happy i get to see it. LeBron is getting to were he is making DEFENSE a responsiblity while still improving a already unreal offensive arsenal. LeBron has now entered full circle what i like to call "the zone." This is because honestly it does not matter who his teammates are because King James can be a one man show. With his heighth and court vision I would not be totally suprised to see him challenge the "Big O" and average a triple double in the next few years. Is that unrealistic? Yea proably. Is it impossible? Not at all and thats the scary thing that I am even mentioning this. The best thing for all of us NBA fans to do is sit back and.....WITNESS.
2nd: Steve Nash
3rd: Dwight Howard
Rookie of the Year: Kevin Durant
Plain and simple: KEVIN DURANT IS MY HERO. While stuggling some with his shot early this should not be unexpected. He already has to be the go-to man on a young and bad Sonics team. You can see glimpses every night of the greatness that is to come. For instance, in a nationally televised game against the LA Lakers and Kobe Bryant, Durant went 10-19 from the field 1-2 from behind the arc 4-7 from the charity stripe for 25 pts. This proves that he likes the spotlight and can step up, not to mention the number of big shots he hit for the Longhorns last year. NBA take your best shot now cause it aint going to be long before KD turns the NBA into his own playground. BTW, PJ, can we play my man close to the basket on D a little more to take advantage of his ablity to clean the glass and get his long arms on some shots. Also, wouldnt mind to see him operate down low on the offensive end....People have always been stronger than him so thats no excuse, he is a basketball player.
2nd-Al Horford
Most Improved Player: LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland
No question here in my mind. Aldridge is getting 18 and 8 a night compared to his rookie year where it was 9 and 5. Also, Aldridge in 19 games has got as many double-doubles as he had in 63 games last year. He started the year off in the shadow of Greg Oden before he went down, however, LaMarcus put the minds of Trail Blazer fans everywhere at rest when he put up 27 against the Spurs on opening night going 12-19 from the field with 2 blocks. Plan on Aldridge and Oden to blossom into one of the best big man duos in the NBA for years to come.
Coach of the Year: Stan Van Gundy, Orlando
Orlando was a solid team last year but this year they are playing with the elite. After being ran out of Miami by Pat Riley for no reason, other than Pat to get another championship, is showing that he is a premier coach in the NBA. He is getting every ounce of talent out of Nelson and Bogans, bringing back Turkoglu from the dead. His best coaching move might be giving JJ Redick very few minutes and a lot of DNP's in the box score. With the combo of Lewis (good player, still think he was over paid) and Howard with Van Gundy pulling the strings this team is going to be a force in the East for a while.
Best Young Team: Portland Trail Blazers
Great job by the Portland front office with putting together a awesome mix of young talent. Building a team around Brandon Roy,LaMarcus Aldridge, and Greg Oden with solid role players like Travis Outlaw, Channing Fyre (lots of potential), Darius Miles, Jarret Jack, a very solid Steve Blake and the list could go on. A player i wanted to throw in there but think he deserves his own blurb is Martell Webster. Steppin up this year and he just turned 21 (a few days ago on December 4th actually) he can be a premier point producer in the league with his size 6'7 and skill set.
Playoff Predictions
East
1.Boston- Please get KG a ring!
2.Detriot
3.Orlando
4.LeBron,opps, Cleveland
5.Toronto
6.Washington
7.Nets
8.Hawks
West
1.San Antonio- Favorite to win it
2.Suns
3.Jazz
4.Rockets
5.Mavs
6.Hornets
7.Warriors
8.Lakers
Last but not least......A mega-deal trade request
Okay Suns, the time is now and you have to make this happen. Some people might not like this but go with a Amare for 'Sheed and Maxiell and a #1 pick....Sheed is one of my favorite players ever and he could bring the toughness and D, because lets face it 'Sheed is gonna knock Timmey out before he gets pushed around. Mix him with Raja Bell and you got a offensive machine with TOUGHNESS AND "D" which is what wins championships, just ask the Spurs....
Okay, it's been a couple of days since the last NBA installment. Honestly, I just feel lucky David Stern hasn't had Corey and me knocked off, tied a cinderblock to our feet and dumped in some large body of water. So let's make the head of the Mafia, i mean head of the NBA happy. Lets start this off with why the regular season so far has been so great. If your familiar with the NBA at all you can see that in the first part of the season we've had games being played like playoff games. The young players in the league are showing a hunger of not wanting to lose....ever, regular season or playoffs. This makes for great rivalries and games. Here are a few games that have stood out to me.
1. Cleveland 109 - Boston 104
- One of the better regular season games your going to see. King James, all by his lonesome, takes on "The Big 3" and doing what only LeBron can do, WIN. LBJ put up 38 pts, 13 ast., and 4 boards, 2 steals, and 2 blocks while playing hard on both ends. The BIG 3 combined for 64 points with Ray Allen leading the way with 29.
2. Warriors 129, Suns 114
- Have there been better games? Sure. Have there been any more entertaining games? Nope. A reason I picked this game is because i believe the NBA is headed in the right direction again. The Warriors exploded for 45 points in the first quarter. Usually you figure the game is over, but Steve Nash is on the other side to keep the Suns in it and they went for 37! This also marked, in my opinion, the return of one of the most important players on a playoff team, Stephen Jackson. I'm not saying he is the best player on the team (SEE: Davis, Baron) but he moves everyone back to natural positions and takes a ton of pressure off of "B-Diddy" and Monta Ellis by adding in another more than capable scorer and outside threat.
Young Players Ready to Bust Out
Andrew Bynum, LAL
- After being punk’d by Kobe, Bynum came into the season ready to play. While averaging 26 minutes Bynum is giving the Lakers very solid play with 10.6 pts and 9.6 reb. Bynum has posted 10 double-doubles already this year and missing two more double-doubles by 2 points both times. His play is going to be a key for Kobe and the Lakers down the stretch (more on them in a minute).
Rudy Gay, Memphis
- RUDY,RUDY!! Finally starting to show why everyone was so excited about him coming out of High School and UCONN. Gay, is a high flyer that can put it on the ground and go around you or step back and put a jumper in your eyes. Also, he has bought his shooting percentage up to 47% this year from 42% as a rookie. Adding Mike Conley JR in the draft put another piece of the puzzle in place for Memphis to rebuild with.
Biggest Man Crush:
Kevin Martin, SAC.
- I am just going to say, if you have not watched this man play make it your civil duty to do it. Way more on him in a couple of days because i could go on and on and on and on............btw did i mention he is avg. 25pts a game and never gets mentioned? Also, you can wait a few weeks before you fulfill your civil duty because he is on the injured list.
Now.......
L.A. Lakers
-Please do something. But whatever you do, don't trade Kobe. Get Kobe some Help! I'm not a big Kobe fan just in general as a person but i am a HUGGGGEEEEEE Kobe Bean Bryant fan when he is on the hardwood. Honestly, if you don't like Kobe's game your dumb or don't know anything about having the killer instinct and the will to win. So nothing more that would I like to see Kobe playing in some meaningful playoff games. So Lakers go get some help (J-Kidd???) not just for your win-loss sake but for all of us who want to see the best basketball players in the most important games. I get the feeling nobody would shine brighter than Kobe on the big stage, give him a little help to get there......
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