Dick Bavetta Reffing Game 7: Spurs @ Hornets

Well, I haven’t posted in a while… but who has time to post with all these NBA playoff games on?! I have so many thoughts on the NBA right now, just not enough time to write them all up. But one thing I must bring up is the decision tonight to have Dick Bavetta ref possibly the most important game of the playoffs so far, tonight’s game 7 San Antonio vs. New Orleans. This has all the making of an all-time classic, but I have a terrible feeling that I am going to sitting in my condo at 11:15 PM EST furious at another Dick Bavetta playoff travesty.

Noooooo!!!!!!

Where is the accountability, David Stern? How can the NBA possibly reward this guy after his performance during game 6 of the Cavs-Celtics series? I’m not even going to get into all the foolishness that went on in that debacle, but lets just say I’ve seen Harlem Globetrotters – Washington Generals games that were more legitimate. And what is Bavetta even doing still officiating important games? He should have been banned, arrested and possibly deported after his role in game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals.

But, instead David Stern and the NBA continue to send Bavetta, Joey Crawford, Bennett Salvatore, etc. to fix… errrr, officiate the biggest games of the playoffs. Does Stern have this little faith in the quality of the NBA product that he feels he needs to turn the league into the WWE just to get his most marketable players and teams to advance in the playoffs? I just don’t get it. Why are you trying to ruin the game that I and so many other fans love?

The audacity of the NBA in how they deal with official really is astounding. Not only do they quite obviously officiate games way different depending on arena, team and player involved in each call, but they don’t even make an attempt to appear unbiased. How could anyone argue that Dick Bavetta of all the basketball refs on this planet is the best person to be officiating this (or any) NBA game. Think about that. The NBA could basically choose any referee in the whole world to work these games and Dick Bavetta, Joey Crawford and Bennett Salvadore are the best three people they could come up with. Seriously? You are telling us all that there is no one in the world who could do this better?

Why isn’t Arlen Specter calling for an investigation into all of this? Tim Donaghy was alleged to have fixed over 100 NBA games! And clearly, something else is very, very wrong with how these games are being officiated. And its not like this is something new. I can remember back in 1999 the refs giving every single call to the Jazz in their first round series win against the Kings. Ralph freaking Nader even chimed in on that absurd game 6 from 2002. And lets not forget last year’s Suns-Spurs series, the Heat-Mavs Finals, just about any Lakers game from the Shaq-Kobe era… I could go on and on. God help us all if Lebron ever goes to New York… it will be like the perfect storm of NBA referee fixing.

I would honestly feel better with Doneghy working the game over the guys I mentioned above; at least Doneghy was (from what I can tell) fixing the over/under.

Oh, and one more thing, Stern… I’m not sure if you’re aware or not, but many of us now have DVR/Tivo. This makes it very easy to rewind any questionable call that is made. Combined with clear HDTV, we can easily see these bad calls instantly. So, your strategy of having ABC not show replays on obviously blown calls is not going to stop us from seeing through the BS. (I wonder who got fired today for letting that Lebron jersey pull replay) In fact, if anything, the fact that you are not showing these replays gives more credence to those of us who believe these games are being fixed or at least assisted by the NBA and its refs.

Anyway, I sincerely hope that I am wrong and this game tonight plays out fairly and the only deciding factor is that the better team will win. We will see…

NBA Playoff Predictions

Its been a while since I’ve posted, but I am reinvigorated for the playoffs. An amazing NBA season came to a somewhat uneventful end. The only intrigue over the past few weeks was the battle for the last playoff spot in the West. Now that all the dust has settled on the regular season, I am more than ready for the playoffs to begin.

This year’s Western Conference is loaded and I could see anyone coming out. People talk about the golden years of the NBA being when the Celtics played the Lakers or when Jordan’s Bulls dominated. I never understood that. Sure, those teams were great, but where’s the drama? I would much prefer this year’s scenario where we have 8 excellent teams in the West, each capable of beating any of the other teams. John Hollinger has an excellent piece on just this subject.

Western Conference

I’ll start with my predictions in the West, though I should point out that I have zero confidence in these picks. I wouldn’t be surprised if any of my picks lost in the first round or even if they all went down! Anyway, here we go…

West First Round

Lakers over Nuggets (7 games) – I think people are underestimating Denver, and they can make a series out of this. The Lakers have shown to be the best team in the West, but I think they are vulnerable as long as Bynum’s health is in question.

Jazz over Rockets (5 games) – The Rockets had that great run, but I don’t think they have enough to stay with the Jazz. The Jazz have been on fire down the stretch and I expect them to continue to play well, especially at home.

Spurs over Suns (7 games) – I think the Suns with a healthy Shawn Marion take this. But I still hate the Shaq trade. Amare has been on fire and they have played better with Shaq recently, but I don’t think they play good enough defense to beat the Spurs.

Hornets over Mavs (6 games) – I see CP3 all over this series. New Orleans has been just a flat out better team plus they will have the edge in motivation against Dallas.

Western Conference Semis

Lakers over Jazz (7 games) – Bynum should be at least back on the court by this series. That combined with Kobe’s ability to take over games, the Lakers’ homecourt advantage and the likelihood of the refs keeping it “fair” for the Lakers makes me pick Los Angeles in this battle of what I think are the West’s two best teams.

Hornets over Spurs (7 games) – The Hornets have the big guys to neutralize Duncan down low and CP3 should be able to take over. I think the Spurs age is starting to catch up with them and see them losing a hard fought series here in 7 games.

Western Conference Finals

Lakers over Hornets (6 games) – By this time Bynum should be 100% or close to it. With a healthy Bynum and homecourt advantage, I don’t see anyone in the West staying with the Lakers. look for Kobe to dominate this series in this matchup of MVP candidates.

Eastern Conference

The East seems much easier to predict and I feel fairly confident about my picks here. Of course, I also predicted a Suns-Raptors NBA Finals matchup last year… so take these with a grain of salt.

East First Round

Celtics over Hawks (4 games) – This is a total mismatch on every level.

Wizards over Cavs (6 games) – As much as the NBA would love to see Lebron go further in the playoffs, this Cavs team really isn’t any good. The midseason trade seems to have hurt more than it helped. Even without Arenas, i would give the Wizards the edge. Now that he’s back, I see the Wizards winning fairly easily. Of course, Lebron could always go bananas like he did in last year’s playoffs and make this prediction look foolish.

Magic over Raptors (6 games) – The Magic are the team that no one is talking about. They come into the playoffs red hot and should be able to take out a decent Raptors team.

Pistons over Sixers (5 games) – Detroit is just too deep and experienced. Successful season for Philly as they are headed in the right direction.

Eastern Conference Semis

Celtics over Wizards (5 games) – Remember when Gilbert Arenas predicted the Wizards would beat the Celts in the season opener, then they got blasted by 20? Thats pretty much how I see this series going.

Pistons over Magic (7 games) – I agonized over this pick more than any in the East. I think the Magic are an equal team to Detroit, but the Pistons just have too much experience. Usually the effect of experience can be overstated, but this Pistons team plays exceptionally well together (cliche alert!… the sum > parts) and they know all the tricks and when to use them.

Eastern Conference Finals

Celtics over Pistons (5 games) – The Celtics are too good defensively and KG will not let the team lose focus. The Pistons will be exhausted from their last series and when the Celts take game 3 or 4 at the Palace, the Pistons will have no chance in game 5.

NBA Finals

Celtics over Lakers (6 games) – Boy, I went out on a limb here, huh? In the series that everyone seems to be predicting, in the end I see banner number 17 being raised to the rafters of the Garden. To much defense, too much intensity and too much KG and Paul Pierce for a very good Lakers team to handle.

Isiah Thomas Fired?

Isiah Thomas was officially fired this morning.  I’m baffled at this move… what has Isiah done to deserve this?!

NBA Awards (*so far)

Here is a look at my top ten candidates for NBA awards as of today (March 16):

Most Valuable Player:

1. Kobe Bryant
2. Lebron James
3. Kevin Garnett
4. Chris Paul
5. Tracy McGrady
6. Dwight Howard
7. Tim Duncan
8. Steve Nash
9. Dirk Nowitzki
10. Chauncey Billups

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Rookie of the Year:

1. Kevin Durant
2. Luis Scola
3. Al Horford
4. Jamario Moon
5. Carl Landry
6. Al Thornton
7. Thaddeus Young
8. Juan Carlos Navarro
9. Joakim Noah
10. Mike Conley

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Most Improved Player:

1. Andrew Bynum
2. Rajon Rondo
3. Rudy Gay
4. Travis Outlaw
5. Jose Calderon
6. Hedo Turkoglu
7. Ronnie Brewer
8. John Salmons
9. Jordan Farmar
10. Kendrick Perkins

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Coach of the Year

1. Rick Adelman
2. Byron Scott
3. Doc Rivers
4. Maurice Cheeks
5. Phil Jackson
6. Don Nelson
7. Jerry Sloan
8. Flip Saunders
9. Nate McMillan
10. Eddie Jordan

Two Teams No One is Talking About

The consensus around here (Boston) and most of the country is that no one wants to play Cleveland come playoff time. After what Lebron did last year to the Pistons, I can sort of see that point. Even with Lebron playing out of his mind, I don’t see Cleveland as that scary of a team for either Boston or Detroit. The Cavs are 10-9 since Jan. 25 including losses to Seattle, Milwaukee and Chicago. it doesn’t seem like the trades have made the Cavs any better. They are a slightly above average team before and they are a slightly above average team now. Sure, they have the most unstoppable player in the game, but not much else.

Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic are 13-5 since the end of January and 4.5 games ahead of the Cavs. They have been the better team than Cleveland this season and are playing much better basketball right now. Lebron might be the best player in the NBA, but Dwight Howard ain’t that bad either. And he has a lot more help. In a matchup of the Cavs and Magic, Orlando would have 3 of the top 4 players.

And the team that absolutely no one is talking about is the Washington Wizards. Its amazing that the Wizards have maintained a near .500 record this season with the injuries that they have had – especially after their 0-5 start. If both Arenas and Butler come back at 100% (or close to 100%), the Wizards could be a very tough matchup for anyone come playoff time. And, yes, I realize that this is a very big “if”. But the Wizards were rolling along last year until injuries to the same two guys virtually ended their chances. The good news for Wizards fans is that the players surrounding the big 3 of Arenas, Jamison and Butler have drastically improved this season.

So while the Cavs get all the hype, its the Magic and (possibly) the Wizards that I see as the biggest upset threats to the two top teams in the East.

So be careful what you wish for Celtics and Pistons fans…

2008 NBA MVP

Who is the 2008 NBA MVP: Lebron or Kobe?

Updating this post, here are my top ten choices for the 2007-2008 NBA MVP (as of Feb 26):

1 – Lebron James
2 – Kobe Bryant
3 – Chris Paul
4 – Kevin Garnett
5 – Chauncey Billups
6 – Steve Nash
7 – Manu Ginobili
8 – Dirk Nowitzki
9 – Dwight Howard
10 – Antawn Jamison

The Demise of the Phoenix Suns

Following the Suns was a fun ride while it lasted

The 2005-2006 Phoenix Suns might have been my favorite NBA team of all time. This was actually the first year that I ordered the NBA League Pass. I had this Suns team on my radar as one of teams to watch, but less than 2 weeks into the season it was clear to me that not only were the Suns a team to watch, but all Suns games were “can’t miss TV”.

This Suns team might have won the championship, but they played outstanding basketball and were by far the most entertaining team in the league. Here was that lineup:

C – Boris Diaw
F – Shawn Marion
F – Tim Thomas
G – Raja Bell
G – Steve Nash

Bench – Leandro Barbosa, Eddie House, James Jones, Kurt Thomas

Could you find a more unselfish group than that? I know that Marion and Tim Thomas might not be the most unselfish human beings on the planet, but on the court these guys were both excellent team players. Nash was the engine that made everyone go; Marion his perfect running mate; Bell added toughness and defense; Thomas hit nearly every big 3; Diaw flourished maybe more than anyone in this style; Barbosa broke out as a borderline All-Star caliber player; and House came off the bench at about 200 miles per hour. The whole team was just a joy to watch offensively.

Last year, they lost Tim Thomas and Eddie House but got Amare Stoudamire back from injury. They still somewhat resembled the run and gun Suns from the previous year, but the unselfishness was gone. A lot of the ball movement had disappeared on offense, thanks to the black hole known as Stoudamire.

Turn the page to this year and the Suns add Grant Hill while keeping most of the core from last year in tact. Now Hill is a great team guy and fit this system perfectly. Everything this season looked great as the Suns had the second best record in the West. The Spurs are struggling with Duncan, Bowen and Horry a year older and the Mavs not looking as good as they had in the past.

And what do the Suns do? Trade their second most important player for a fat, old, washed up Shaq! I still can’t get over this trade. How could the Suns have pulled the trigger on this? Now, not only do they have ballhog Amare clogging up the middle, but they’re going to have fat Shaq camped out there as well?! Forget about running now whenever Shaq is in the lineup. And you can also forget about getting anywhere near the amount of open shots the 2005-2006 team got since they won’t be able to spacing the floor or work the ball around on offense.

You thought Diaw was useless with Stoudamire on the team? Now with Shaq in the mix, he’ll have even less value. As far as Barbosa goes, its going to be harder for him to run or drive (the two things he does best) and he’ll have less open looks now. And if you thought Shaq is going to help their rebounding… Marion is a better rebounder (from the SF position) than either Shaq or Amare. Marion was also an excellent defender and the Suns most versatile defender. Shaq might be the least versatile defender in the league.

Maybe I am wrong and the Suns will make me look like an idiot by winning it all this year, riding a re-invigorated Shaq all the way through the June. But I probably won’t be cheering them on… at least not like I have the past two years. I still love Steve Nash, Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, Leandro Barbosa and maybe even Grant Hill. But I just can’t get into this team and don’t believe in what they are doing.

I also find Amare Stoudamire to be one of the most unlikable guys in the league. He clearly seems like a great player, but how much better does he really make the Suns? Does he make anyone around him better? Or does he do just the opposite? And Shaq is just a disaster… he can’t run, he can’t shoot free throws, he can’t defend, and he can’t do anything outside of the paint. He is the anti-Marion. Well, Marion absolutely flourished in this system and I just can’t fathom why the Suns would trade him away for so little. As Jim Rome said, adding Shaq seems like subtraction by addition for the Suns. So now the Suns are a worse team, less entertaining and less likable.

I hate you, Steve Kerr.

The 2007-2008 NBA Season Told by 90’s HipHop

I feel like there’s two things in this world that I know way too much about… 90s hiphop and NBA basketball. So what better way to spend part of my day off from work than to tell the 2007-2008 NBA season through 90s hiphop lyrics. Without further ado, on to the lyrics…

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“Don’t call it a comeback, I’ve been here for years.”

(LL Cool J – Mama Said Knock You Out)

LA Lakers – After a couple of so-so years, the Lakers are right back in the thick of the NBA Championship race. In my opinion, they are the clear winners so far in trade deadline maneuvering. Assuming Kobe’s finger holds up and Bynum comes back 100%, the Lakers have as good a shot as anyone to come out of the West.

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“Socrates philosophies and high prophesies can’t define how I be droppin’ these mockeries.”

(Inspectah Deck of Wu-Tang Clan – Triumph)

New Orleans Hornets – Who would have predicted that the Hornets would have the best record in the Western Conference at the All-Star break? No one, thats who.

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“What’s up doc, can we rock?”

(Fu-Schnickens w/Shaq-Fu – What’s Up Doc)

Shaquille O’Neal – Clearly Shaq and the Heat could not rock. Maybe Shaq can rock with the Suns… if he ever plays.

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“I been had skills, Cristal spills, hide bills in Brazil… its all about the Benjamins, baby.”

(Notorious B.I.G. – It’s All About the Benjamins)

Anderson Varejao – The crazy-haired Brazilian sat out the first couple months of the season, trying to force the Cavs to trade him or sign him for more money. Unfortunately for him, that meant that another team had to step up with an offer sheet and it wasn’t until December that the Bobcats stepped up with a 3-yr, 17 mil deal that the Cavs matched to keep Varejao.

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“Livin’ this till the day that we die. Survival of the fittest, only the strong survive.”

(Mobb Deep – Survival of the Fittest)

Allen Iverson – This quote goes to the biggest warrior in the NBA, AI. Iverson is once again leading the league in total minutes and average minutes/game. Since 2000-2001, Iverson has led the league in minutes/game every year except for 2004-2005 when he was 0.1 minute behind Lebron. Did I mention that he is 32 years old, in his 12th NBA season and only 6 foot, 175 pounds?! For his career, AI averages a ridiculous 41.8 minutes per game! No wonder he doesn’t like to practice.

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“‘Cause I’m a veteran from the c-o-m-p-t-o-n.”

(DJ Quik – Born and Raised in Compton)

Baron Davis, Tyson Chandler and Tayshaun Prince – Its been a great year so far for players from Compton… Davis is healthy, Chandler is a rebounding and defensive machine and I would argue that Prince is the second best player on the Pistons. Even Aaron Afflalo is getting some PT in Detroit.

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“Dodi-oh-doh, there’ll be no nose job. I said dodi-oh-do no nose job.”

(Humpty Hump of Digital Underground – No Nose Job)

Hedo Turkoglu – Turkoglu is having a career season for the Magic. I’m convinced he has had a nose job as his nose looks completely different from when he was a rookie on the Kings. Maybe he can breathe better now… seriously. If he heard Danny Ainge and John Thompson clowning him on TBS/TNT back in the early 2000s, I wouldn’t blame him for getting that schnoz fixed.

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“Is Brooklyn in the house? What about Queens in the house? Manhattan in the house? Long Island in the house? Is the Bronx in the house? The West Coast is in the house!”

(Westside Connection – All the Critics in New York)

New York Knicks – Its been another terrible season in New York. For a team with the highest payroll in the league, this is beyond embarrassing. Nice 3-20 record against the Western Conference, Isiah.

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“I’m not saying I’m number one. Uhh, I’m sorry I lied. I’m number one, two, three, four and five.”

(KRS-One – Step Into a World)

Lebron James – Lebron has stepped up this year and shown that he is the best basketball player on the planet right now. Not only that, but he knows it, too. Who else would have had the audacity to wear a Yankees hat to a Yanks-Indians playoff game at Jacobs Field?

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“I know your fed up, ladies, but keep ya head up”

(2Pac – Keep Ya Head Up)

Miami Heat – Less than two years removed from a championship, the Heat are at rock bottom. Amazingly, they have only won once in the last 25 games! With the trade of Shawn Marion and the probability of a high pick (Michael Beasley with Marion and Wade?!), things can only get better for the Heat. Oooow Oooow child, things are going to get easier…

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“Too many MCs, not enough mics.”

(Pras of the Fugees – How Many Mics)

Sacramento Kings – How many guards and small forwards do the Kings need? This season, they have played Mike Bibby, Kevin Martin, Ron Artest, Francisco Garcia, John Salmons and Beno Udrih. Thats too many players for 3 spots and not enough minutes or shots to go around. The Kings realized this and traded Bibby last week for cents on the dollar.

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“Ain’t no party like a West coast party, ’cause a West coast party don’t stop”

(Coolio – 1, 2, 3 , 4, (Sumpin’ New))

Golden State Fans – How crazy have the fans been in Golden St. this year? I love watching any game at the Oakland Arena. NBA League Pass is great for watching the Warriors since the NBA would rather force feed us Lakers, Cavs, Spurs, Pistons, etc. for most national games. Unfortunately, I usually pass out sometime in the second half of Golden St. home games. Maybe its just us East coasters who feel like Warrior’s parties never stop.

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“So, here we go now. Holla if ya hear me, tho. Come and feel me flow.”

(Treach of Naughty by Nature – Feel Me Flow)

Steve Nash – Nash plays so smooth, like he just flows through games. He’s still flowing and maybe having his best season, though he’s way under the radar.

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“I’m the type that likes to light another joint like Cypress Hill”

(The Luniz – I Got 5 On It)

The Spurs – You gotta love adding notorious pothead Damon Stoudamire to a team of character guys. I bet he’s the only Spurs player to try to sneak his weed through an airport metal detector by wrapping it in tin foil. That was pure genius! I’m not saying that Stoudamire is going to kill the Spurs, but I did find this pickup odd.

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“Ain’t nuthin’ but a G thang, baby!”

(Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg – Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang)

The Boston Celtics – The signature song of the 90s goes to the signature team of the season so far, the Boston Celtics. In Boston, though, its nuthin’ but a K-G thang, baby!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day from Str8Hoops and Zach Randolph!

Blazers eCards

NBA All-Star Ballot

NBA All-Stars 2007-2008

Will Camby finally make an All-Star team?

Voting for the 2007-2008 NBA All-Stars is now over and the starters have been named. As usual, NBA fans have screwed it up and voted for popular players (cough, Carmelo Anthony) rather than the most deserving. In this post, I will do my best to choose the top 12 players in each conference. This season has been crazy and its been harder than I can ever remember to make these picks, especially in the Western Conference at the guard position. Up first…

Eastern Conference Starters

(*see 82Games for more on Roland Rating)

C – Dwight Howard 22.0 pts, 14.9 reb, 2.6 blk, .596 FG%, +11.3 Roland Rating
Howard’s been an absolute beast for Orlando, drawing comparisons to a young Shaquille O’Neal. On both ends of the court, he has improved leads and bounds even over last year (when he was excellent). Howard deserves MVP consideration, his only weakness being his poor FT percentage.

F – Kevin Garnett 19.2 pts, 9.9 reb, 1.4 blk, .551 FG%, +15.4 Roland Rating
Possibly the MVP of the first half, KG has led an amazing turnaround in Boston. He is the most intense player in the NBA, bar none. Garnett’s tenacity seems to have infected the entire Celtics roster and right now he is playing at a championship level for the best team in the league.

F – Lebron James 29.7 pts, 7.6 reb, 7.4 ast, 2.0 stl, +18.0 Roland Rating
Lebron is the definition of a one-man gang for the Cavs. The Cavs are one of the worst teams in the NBA without Lebron and with him they are a legitimate Championship threat. His combination of size, strength, skill and drive is unprecedented… and he’s only 23. A +18 Roland Rating? Lebron is just ridiculous.

G– Chauncey Billups 18.0 pts, 7.1 ast, 91% FT, 41% 3PT, +14.3 Roland Rating
Chauncey Billups is once again the driving force for the Pistons. His strength creates an incredibly tough matchup for most PGs in the league. Billups is solid and consistent on both ends of the court and his late game heroics are well-documented. He is the one player the Pistons cannot afford to lose.

G – Paul Pierce 20.3 pts, 5.6 reb, 5.1 ast, +11.1 Roland Rating
Now that Danny Ainge has surrounded Pierce with some talent, he’s showing that he can be the go-to guy on the offensive end for one of the best teams in the league. Pierce’s game has always been underrated in my opinion. Obviously, he can create his own shot and fill up the scoresheet, but he also a great passer, rebounder and solid defensive player. The addition of Garnett seems to have invigorated Pierce as his intensity has been more consistent this year then in the past few.

Eastern Conference Bench

Chris Bosh 22.5 pts, 9.2 reb, 1.1 blk, 85% FT, +11.6 Roland Rating
Bosh is Mr Consistency. You can pretty much pencil this guy in for 20 points, 10 boards, good shooting and solid defensive play. While he probably won’t in an MVP award, Bosh is easily and All-Star caliber player and the heart of the Toronto Raptors.

Caron Butler 20.4 pts, 6.8 reb, 4.7 ast, 1.8 stl, 89% FT, +10.2 Roland Rating
Antawn Jamison 21.3, 10.4 reb, +12.7 Roland Rating
Butler and Jamison have stepped up huge for injured Gilbert Arenas, keeping the Wizards in the thick of the playoff race in the East. If the playoffs started today, the Wizards would be the 5 seed in the East… and outside these two guys, this is a terrible roster. Roland ratings of 12.7 and 10.2, respectively, place Jamison and Butler alongside the elite players in the NBA. Butler has done everything this year for the Wizards while Jamison has been immense averaging 20+ points and 10+ rebounds for the first time in his career.

Jason Kidd 11.3 pts, 10.6 ast, 8.3 reb, 1.6 stl, +3.6 Roland Rating
Kidd, having perhaps his worst season in recent memory still makes the sqaud in my opinion. Other than Steve Nash, no one else comes close to making their teammates better offensive players than J-Kidd. Plus his 8.3 rebounds from the PG position are insane.

Josh Smith 18.2 pts, 8.2 reb, 3.4 blk, 1.9 stl, +5.6 Roland Rating
J-Smoove has been a force at both ends of the court for the Hawks. This year, Smith’s basketball skills seem to finally be catching up to his freakish athletic ability. His offseason work with Calvin Murphy and Hakeem Olajuwon has helped him average a career best 18.2 points. And defensively, he has always been a beast. He’s second in the league in blocks and 11th on steals while averaging an eye-popping 8.2 boards from the SF position. And while an 18-22 record might not seem that great, the Hawks are actually in position to make the playoffs for the first time in 9 years. The only complaint with Smith is his attitude and tendency to lose his temper.

Michael Redd 23.0 pts, 4.7 reb, 2.0 3PT, 86% FT, +6.2 Roland Rating
The Bucks aren’t having much of a season, but Redd can hardly be blamed for that. Redd is having another tremendous season (especially shooting the ball) and might be the only thing keeping the Bucks from having the most ping-pong balls in the upcoming lottery.

Gerald Wallace 21.3 pts, 6.2 reb, 2.2 stl, 3.6 ast, +4.9 Roland Rating
Wallace has always had the defense and his offense has been growing leaps and bounds over the pat few years. This year, he has improved his outside touch and increased his scoring average over 20 points for the first time in his career. His production has been more consistent this year than in year’s past and he has meshed well with addition Jason Richardson. The Bobcats disappointing season can be attributed to the regression of Emeka Okefor rather than the performance of Wallace.

Just Missed the Cut:

A few days ago, when I originally made my picks, Ray Allen held down the last spot. Ray has been outstanding for Boston for most of this year, hitting a number of huge shots. However, with his shooting struggles since the New Year and a few recent losses for the Celts, Allen dropped of my ballot in favor of Wallace. Joe Johnson, who’s still only 26 years old, is putting in a season that demanded serious consideration for the All-Star squad: 21 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists. His 41% FG are his lowest in 5 years, though. Dwyane Wade, as amazing as his is, has not been 100% this year and I just can’t justify an All-Star spot for any player on a team with a .214 winning percentage, coming off a 15 game losing streak. The Pistons have a number of players that could make a case to join Billups on the All-Star team; in my opinion, none moreso than Tayshaun Prince. Prince’s Roland Rating of 5.6 is second on the Pistons. He is an excellent defender, but his tendency to disappear on offense is what keeps him off my ballot. Hedo Turkoglu (who was outstanding today against Boston) and Rashard Lewis have put in great seasons for the Magic and also just missed the cut.

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Western Conference Starters

C – Andrew Bynum 13.1 pts, 10.2 reb, 2.1 blk, .636 FG%, +11.1 Roland Rating
I know he is injured, but he’s been the best center in the conference so far this year. Bynum’s emergence is the main difference in the Lakers this season vs last. Without Bynum in the lineup, the Lakers are an average team; with him they are title contenders. Plus there’s a good change that Kobe is long gone if not for the young kid’s improvement this season. 64% FGs… are you kidding me?!

F – Tim Duncan 19.3 pts, 11.1 reb, 1.8 blk, .515 FG%, +8.6 Roland Rating
Tim Duncan is Tim Duncan is Tim Duncan. He’s one of the top all-time players and is still playing close to his best ball.

F – Dirk Nowitzki 22.1 pts, 8.5 reb, 3.7 ast, 87% FT, +12.7 Roland Rating
It seems like Dirk is the forgotten man this year. After his huge season last year followed by the Mavs early exit from the playoffs, no one in the media seems to wan to even acknowledge the big German. But Dallas only 1 game out of the top spot in the West and Dirk is leading the way, once again. His stats are down a bit from last year, but he’s still one of the most feared players in the league.

G – Kobe Bryant 27.7 pts, 6.0 reb, 5.1 ast, 2.0 stl, +13.1 Roland Rating
Kobe has done more this year than any in his career to make the players around him better. He game seems to have matured as he has shown more confidence in his teammates and its paid off for the Lakers. Kobe is not only a great offensive players, but also an outstanding defender. He is a leading MVP candidate and one of the top 5 players in the league, without a doubt.

G – Chris Paul 20.6 pts, 10.5 ast, 2.6 stl, 88% FT, +13.1 Roland Rating
In the most shocking development of the NBA season so far, Paul has led the New Orleans Hornets to the best record in the Western Conference. He can do it all: pass, shot, drive, defend and now is becoming a leader in only his third year in the league. A top 5 candidate for the MVP, I see no weakness in Paul’s game at the moment. And he’s only 22!

Western Conference Bench

Steve Nash 17.7 pts, 12.0 ast, .519 FG%, 90% FT, +13.9 Roland Rating
The two-time MVP Nash is having another spectacular season for Phoenix. Who cares if he can play much defense? Nash changes the game in the way that no one else in the league can. He’s the best passer and probably the best shooter in the NBA and he’s an absolute warrior as well. The Suns are percentage points behind the Hornets for best record in the West right now and if they end up with the number one seed, look for Nash’s to be right in the thick of the MVP race once again.

Brandon Roy 19.3 pts, 5.6 ast, 4.5 reb, +4.0 Roland Rating
Roy has been the catalyst for the Blazers return to prominence this season. He can do it all, is super quick and has the ability to seemingly get to the basket at will. He has been versatile and consistent all season long and cannot be denied an All-Star slot.

Allen Iverson 27.1 pts, 6.1 ast, 2.1 stl, +9.5 Roland Rating
Iverson seems to be getting better with age. Playing almost 42 minutes/night, Iverson has matched last seasons 45% FG and increased his scoring average to 27.1 points, while leading the Nuggets to a surprising division lead. He is thriving in George Karl’s system and is a better player on both ends of the court than teammate Carmelo Anthony.

Josh Howard 20.8 pts, 7.6 reb, +9.0 Roland Rating
The jack-of-all-trade Howard has shown steady improvement over the first 5 years of his career. A borderline All-Star the past couple of years, Howard has cemented his place on the team this year as he is on pace for career highs in points, rebounds, assists, FG% and FT attempts.

Marcus Camby 9.4 pts, 14.4 reb, 3.9 blk, +6.6 Roland Rating
Camby is an absolute force on the defensive end, pulling down 14+ boards, blocking almost 4 shots per game and altering many more. As George Karl said today, Marcus would be the hardest player on the Nuggets to replace and is deserving of his first All-Star game appearance. Camby runs the court extremely well for a big man and has a knack for getting to loose balls.

Manu Ginobili 19.0 pts, 4.8 reb, 4.2 ast, 1.7 stl, +12.3 Roland Rating
Considering the Spurs success over the years, its surprising that Manu doesn’t seem to get the credit he fully deserves. Ginobili is a sparkplug on offense, a pest on defense and a general nuisance for anyone he plays against. With the injury to Duncan and a decline in some of the Spurs role players, Manu’s had to carry more of the load this year and has responded with a career highs in points, rebounds and assists.

David West 19.7 pts, 9.3 reb, +8.8 Roland Rating
My last spot goes to the underrated David West. West has been a monster on both ends of the court this year. His consistent play has largely been overlooked as Paul seemingly gets all the national hype out of New Orleans. But it has not been a one man show down in the Big Easy. West’s Roland Rating proves how integral he has been for the Hornet’s success. He might be flying under the radar, but he gets my nod for the All-Star team.

Alternate (Injury Replacement For Andrew Bynum)

Yao Ming 22.1 pts, 10.7 reb, 2.5 blk, .502 FG%, +6.8 Roland Rating
Although his stats are down this year, Yao is still a tough matchup and you can’t argue with his numbers. I still maintain that Yao could be so much more with his size and touch. How a 7 foot 6 inch guy gets substituted for defensive purposes is still incomprehensible to me.

Just Missed the Cut:

The toughest omission had to be Baron Davis. The Baron has been spectacular for Golden State, averaging 22 points and 8 assists with a Roland Rating of 10.8. Davis probably would have been my choice to start if he was in the East, but he barely misses out on my Western Conference team due to the depth of outstanding guard candidates this year. In a brutal year to choose only 12 players, other tough luck omissions include Shawn Marion (only averaging 15.7 PPG) , Tony Parker (see Baron Davis), Deron Williams (see Tony Parker), Carlos Boozer (Roland Rating not as high as competition) and Amare Stoudamire (plays no defense).

So there you have it! Feel free to let me know what you think.

We’re Playing Basketball

This video speaks for itself…

Vince Carter for Jermaine O’Neal?

Vince Carter for Jermaine O’Neal Deal Back On?

It is being reported that the Nets and Pacers have resumed talks of a trade that would send Vince Carter to Indiana for Jermaine O’Neal.

The Nets should think long and hard before they trade Vince Carter for Jermaine O’Neal. It seems like everyone loves to pile on Vince. Consider these stats… the Nets are 0-5 this season without Carter, losing by an average score of 92.6 to 76.6. With Carter, they are a respectable18-16. Over the past 2+ seasons, Vince has only missed 8 games (out of 203) and the Nets have lost all of them.

O’Neal, on the other hand, has missed 52 games in that span plus another 38 the previous season. His scoring average has dropped the last four seasons: 24.3, 20.1, 19.4 to 15.3 this season and his 7.3 rebounds are 1.5 rebounds less than he has had in any year since he became a starter.

I just don’t think Carter is the problem in NJ and an ailing and oft-injured Jermaine O’Neal doesn’t seem to be the solution.

The only reason the Nets could think about pulling the trigger on this deal is to get out of Carter’s long term deal. Vince is signed for the next 5 years at about 13.3 M/yr while O’Neal is signed for 19.7 M for the next two years.

2007-2008 NBA MVP (so far)

*** Updated 2007-2008 NBA MVP post (Feb 26)

The guy who runs this blog is doing a group piece and asked a bunch of us NBA bloggers who will win the NBA MVP this year. Well, I gave him my response as to who I think the MVP has been so far plus my list of top ten candidates up to this point in the season. Here it is…

Kevin Garnett has to be the MVP of the season so far. KG has completely transformed the Celtics, particularly on the defensive end. The intensity that he brings every single night is absolutely amazing and it has infected the entire team. Everyone knew the Celtics would be improved this year, but the pace they have set so far has shocked even the most optimistic Celts fan. And to top it off, he has almost singlehandedly changed the atmosphere at the Boston Garden. His interaction with the crowd is like nothing I have ever seen… and it has given Boston a huge home court advantage that they have lacked in previous years.

As far as Garnett’s impact on the defensive end, all you have to do is look at the numbers. The Celtics are #1 in PPG Def, FG% Def and 3 Pt% Def. Last year they were 18th, 24th and 9th in these categories, respectively. The Celtics defensive turnaround, led by KG, is the main reason they have the best record in the NBA this season.

My Top Ten NBA MVP Ballot

(as of 1/20/08)

1. Kevin Garnett
2. Kobe Bryant
3. Chris Paul
4. Steve Nash
5. Brandon Roy
6. Dirk Nowitzki
7. Dwight Howard
8. Tim Duncan
9. Lebron James
10. Allen Iverson

FYI: Before the start of the season, I predicted the top 5 in the MVP voting would be:

1 – Steve Nash
2 – Kevin Garnett
3 – Gilbert Arenas
4 – Lebron James
5 – Kobe Bryant

NBA: High Schoolers vs International Players

In a follow up to “Which College Basketball Conference has the Best Players?“, I figure I’d take a look at NBA players who bypassed college and went straight to the NBA as well as International players.  With the new NBA rules in place, these will be the last High School players to jump straight to the NBA.

What no one remembers about the mass exodus of HS players to the NBA is that it was all started by the fact that Kevin Garnett could not pass his boards and would have to sit out a year before he was eligible to play in college ball.  He was all set to go to Michigan, didn’t pass his ACT or SAT, entered the NBA draft and got picked 4th overall.  This opened the floodgates for everyone from stars like Kobe Bryant to busts like Korleone Young to guys who never even sniffed an NBA team.

Anyway, lets take a look at the lineups.  As good as the ACC team would be, either of these teams should be able to handle them.

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High School – This team is loaded and pretty much unbeatable – well, at least an unbeatable on paper as a USA team.  How good defensively would a lineup of Howard, Garnett, Josh Smith, Kobe and McGrady be?!

C – Dwight Howard (Amare Stoudamire)
F – Kevin Garnett (Al Jefferson)
F – Tracy McGrady (Josh Smith)
G – Kobe Bryant (Rashard Lewis)
G – Lebron James (Stephen Jackson)

Other notable players – Jermaine O’Neal, Andrew Bynum, Tyson Chandler, Eddy Curry, Monta Ellis, Kendrick Perkins, Andray Blatche, Al Harrington, JR Smith, Travis Outlaw

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International Players – Definitely the deepest of all the teams we’ve looked at as you could literally make up 7-8 rosters of quality NBA players.  Note that I disqualified players who went to college in the US from this team because they already would have been eligible for the conference teams.  So there’s no Steve Nash, Tim Duncan, Luol Deng, Samuel Dalembert, etc.

C – Yao Ming (Mehmet Okur)
F – Dirk Nowitzki (Andrei Kirilenko)
F – Pau Gasol (Hedo Turkoglu)
G – Manu Ginobili (Peja Stojakovic)
G – Tony Parker (Leandro Barbosa)

Other notable players – Andres Nocioni, Anderson Varejao Nene, Boris Diaw, Juan Carlos Navarro, Luis Scola, Mickael Pietrus, Andrea Bargnani, Andris Biendrins, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Sarunas Jasikevicius, Carlos Arroyo, DeSagana Diop, Marko Jaric, Nenad Krstic, Darko Milicic, Vladimir Radmanovic, Bostjan Nachbar, Beno Udrih, Jorge Garbajosa, Jose Calderon

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While we’re on the topic of High School players, take a look at some of the players in the 1995 McDonald’s HS All-American game.  If there ever been a more talented group of HS basketball players together in one place, I would love to hear about it.

Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison, Chauncy Billups, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Stephon Marbury, Ron Mercer, Robert Traylor, Wayne Turner, Shammgod Wells and more!

Merry Christmas… NBA Style!

Its Christmas and that means the first big national TV games for the NBA this season. This year… its Heat vs Cavs followed by Lakers vs Suns. The Heat-Cavs matchup features two of the NBA’s best and most marketable players with D-Wade facing off against Lebron. Yet, that game must have looked a lot better on paper a few months ago than it does now with these two teams combining for 20 wins and 35 losses so far this season. If the playoffs started today, neither team would be in. The Cavs probably will be when its all said and done… but the Heat, probably not. Knowing what we know now, Celtics vs Pistons should have been the Eastern Conference showcase game for Xmas.

Lakers-Suns, on the other hand, should be excellent. Any game involving the Suns is potentially entertaining and the fact that the Lakers have been playing great recently sets this up as “must-see TV” for NBA fans. Also, you can’t forget about the fact that these teams have quite a history, which includes first round playoff series wins for the Suns each of the past two years. The amazing seven game series from 2006 was probably the most entertaining and competitive first round playoff series I have ever seen.

NBA E–Cards for Christmas

With the Portland Trailblazers absolutely on fire right now (10 wins in a row and counting), give that Blazers fan in your life the gift that keeps on giving… a Blazers e-Greeting Card. What embodies the Christmas spirit more than sending your loved ones a picture of everyone’s favorite wife-beating, nanny-raping registered sex offender Ruben Patterson in a Santa hat?!

Do I send out Patterson or Telfair? Thats a win-win situation!

If for some reason you are not a fan of the 2004-2005 Portland Jail-Gangstas, you could always send a Suns e-card. They offer coach Mike D’Antoni and a giddy Shawn Marion in addition to the two exceptional cards displayed below.

The Suns Gorilla has a cool signature, especially considering his hairy gorilla fingers.