If you missed that game in Brooklyn last night, you missed a thriller. The Brooklyn Nets pulled out an overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks thanks to Joe Johnson’s heroics. Let us rewind to the last two minutes of regulation. The score had been stuck on 101-100 (Milwaukee) since there was two minutes and nine seconds left in the 4th quarter. With just under thirty seconds left, Deron Williams drove to his left, drew two defenders at about five feet from the basket, and found Andray Blatche under the hoop. Blatche threw two pump fakes up before he got fouled going up to the basket. Blatche stepped to the free throw line and knocked down both free throws, giving New Jersey a 102-101 lead with twenty seconds left (Blatche came up huge in the 4th quarter scoring 10 points). Coming out of a twenty second timeout, Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings (Jennings had a great game with 34 points) took the ball to the basket and missed a right handed lay-up, but Larry Sanders was there for the put back right at the rim. This gave Milwaukee a 103-102 lead with ten seconds left. After a twenty second timeout, the Nets inbounded to Deron Williams at half court. The ball was inbounded off a defenders leg and should have been a kick ball, however it went unnoticed. With Monta Ellis well within Williams’ three feet of personal space, Williams swung the ball past Ellis’ face and inadvertently struck him in the jaw with his elbow. The referee made an insanely late call, not blowing the whistle until Williams had passed the three point line. Now, I am in the minority that believes that fouls are fouls no matter when they occur. A foul in the first ten seconds of a game should also be a foul in the last ten seconds of the game. However, this call on Williams was a HORRIBLE CALL!! And on top of it, the call was made two hours late. This gave Milwaukee two early Christmas Presents, ahem, I mean free throws. Ellis knocked down both free throws, and put the Bucks up 105-102 with six seconds left. After another twenty second timeout by the Nets, the ball was advanced to half court. They inbounded to Deron Williams who quickly swung the ball to Joe Johnson at the top of the key, who caught the ball in stride, stepped up, and knocked down a three with one second left on the clock!! The crowd in the Barclays Center erupted!! With the Nets in celebration mode, the Bucks inbounded the ball and heaved up a three-quarter court shot that banged off the side of the rim nearly stealing an improbable victory. Off to overtime they went. It was a back and forth overtime, and Keith Bogans of the Nets kept them in the game with two huge three pointers in the extra frame. We’ll fast forward to a tie ball game (111-111) with five seconds left. Even though everyone and their mother knew Joe Johnson was going to take the last shot, the Bucks still allowed him to get the ball off the inbounds. Johnson drove the ball to the right, put a crossover through his legs back to the left, and off of one dribble he rose from 17 feet and drained a jumper right at the buzzer!! The crowd went wild, and the New Jersey Nets won a thriller over the Milwaukee Bucks 113-111.
Tag: NBA
Lakers Owner Jerry Buss Passes Away, at 80
I wanted to take time out of my day to pay respects to the late Jerry Buss. Jerry passed away yesterday, February 18th. He was 80 years old. Buss hadn’t been able to attend any Lakers games this season due to health complications. It turns out that he had been battling an undisclosed type of cancer since early 2012. My condolences goes out to the entire Buss family, as I know how difficult losing a loved one can be. Jerry Buss had been the Owner of the Los Angeles Lakers since 1979. During his tenure with The Lakers, they made 16 trips to the NBA Finals winning 10 Championships. His winning ways spanned across five decades, and his teams included some of basketball’s all-time greats. Most notably: Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’ Neal. Jerry Buss was a great owner and was an innovator in the sports world. Rest In Peace Jerry Buss. The Lakers will play in your honor for years to come.
NBA Trade Talks
The All-Star break has come and gone, and it is now time for the 2nd ” half ” of the season. With approximately 30 games left for every team, and the trade deadline looming, contenders will be looking to make a move to solidify their playoff positioning. The trade deadline is this Thursday, February 21st. There are many talented players names swirling around the trade rumor mill, and certainly some of them will be moved in the coming days. Most notably the Knicks have been in the midst of trade talks. Everyone believes that they need to make a trade prior to the deadline to become a real contender. I do believe that the Knicks are one piece away from being a true contender for a title, however they need to be careful who they trade this week. The most popular name in these trade rumors has been Iman Shumpert. He is the Knicks most valuable trading chip because of his potential and inexpensive rookie contract, but he is a valuable asset to the Knicks for the same reasons. By the way, if I have to hear how much better J.J. Reddick is than Iman Shumpert one more time I’m going to throw up. Most people are pointing to Shumpert’s knee and saying he’ll never be the same after a torn ACL last season. It is a serious injury, but how many guys have come back and succeeded after the same injury? While the Knicks are certainly in win now mode, they need to keep their bright future in mind as well. The core of their team is young. Look at their roster: Carmelo Anthony,Tyson Chandler, Raymond Felton, J.R. Smith, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Iman Shumpert(none of these guys are heading out to early bird dinners). Carmelo Anthony needs to try to convince these guys to stick around for the next five years(that shouldn’t be that hard to do, I mean this is New York). The Knicks youngest player with the most room for improvement by far is Iman Shumpert. He is 6’5″ and 220 pounds with great athletic ability. He can jump out of the gym, he is a phenomenal perimeter defender, and by my opinion is an underrated offensive talent. Just because the Knicks have the oldest team in NBA history, doesn’t mean they need to dump young talent to try to win this year. The older players on their roster are all nearing the end of their careers and are simply role players on an overall young team anyway. Think about the names that we’re talking about: Marcus Camby, Rasheed Wallace, Kurt Thomas, and Jason Kidd. Everyone can stop pretending these are the guys that are going to make the difference. When was the last time these guys were on a list that mattered besides a waiting list for a nursing home? While I think Camby and/or Wallace could solve some of the teams problems, they are ancient and shouldn’t be relied on. The Knicks have obvious weaknesses and have holes on their roster that need to be filled. I believe part of the answer to the Knicks struggles is Iman Shumpert. He should be playing more than Jason Kidd. Jason Kidd has been averaging 28 minutes per game this season and 32 minutes over his past three games(the three games the Knicks have struggled in most this season), while Shumpert has only been averaging 19 minutes per game. Plus, Shumpert has only played in 13 games since returning from his injury. He needs to be given a little time to return to form. I am a Jason Kidd fan, but Mike Woodson needs to realize that Kidd is 40; not 26. If Coach Woodson can get over his man crush maybe he’ll scale back Kidd’s minutes a little bit. If Woodson flips Shumpert and Kidd’s minutes upside down, I bet he’ll be a lot happier. The bottom line is: DON’T TRADE IMAN SHUMPERT!! Also, if the Knicks are going to continue to be trigger happy from three point land, why don’t they play their best shooter, Steve Novak? I know he doesn’t play a lick of defense, but right now neither does anybody else. Right now, Kidd is out there as the Knicks shooting guard(taking up precious real estate). Also, when did we start confusing Jason Kidd with Steve Kerr? Kidd was one of the best point guards ever in his prime, but he was never a great three point shooter. Kidd needs to play less minutes which will keep his legs fresher come playoff time, and he needs to be an extension of Coach Woodson on the floor.
There have been a few other teams in the trade rumors along with the Knicks. The Jazz have an overloaded front court, and I believe Paul Millsap will be moved before the deadline. The injury prone Celtics should look to make a trade before Thursday, but it doesn’t appear that will happen. Kevin Garnett will not waive his no-trade clause and Paul Pierce is a big name still. Even though he is past his prime, the Celtics are looking for way too much in return for Pierce. Another player who’s name has been all over the news is Josh Smith. In my estimation, he is very overrated, but someone will trade away too much to get him and will be moved before the deadline. At the 23rd hour, there are always surprise moves that happen. Stay tuned to see what goes down before the trade deadline. Enjoy the rest of the NBA season.
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NBA All-Star Weekend(best by default)
The entire All-Star weekend can be summed up in one word, Blah. It is the best All-Star festivities of all the major sports, but it’s the best by default. The game itself is what it is, and I don’t expect that to change much in the future. It is a fun way for the NBA’s best to showcase their skills. The rest of the world had the pleasure of learning what some of us have known for about a year now, that Kyrie Irving is an exceptional talent. In two or three years, we will all be talking about Chris Paul and Kyrie Irving as the top point guards in the NBA. On a side note, everyone can stop talking about Lebron returning to Cleveland to team up with Kyrie, it’s not going to happen. I watched most of the events this weekend, but I watched simply because it was the only thing on television. I understand that All-Star weekend is meant for fun, but it needs to be revamped. It needs to regain it’s oomph. Yeah, I used the word oomph. The event with the most room for improvement is definitely the Slam Dunk Contest. I hope someone from the NBA catches wind of this article and takes the advice I’m about to give (for free). I spoke to this issue in my preview of the All-Star weekend, but the Slam Dunk Contest needs to be changed drastically. Literally the only part they’ve gotten right is that the players compete for a charity. Other than that, the event is a disaster. I think we can all agree we want to see the premier leapers and dunkers in the game in the contest. Everyone knows who I’m talking about (cough, Lebron, cough). The question is how do we get these Superstars to enter the dunk contest? We all know that money isn’t the answer(lord knows Lebron makes enough of that). Apparently it isn’t enough of an honor for them to do it willingly. So, how do we get the best players in the NBA to compete in the lowly dunk contest? The answer is to call them out; plain and simple. All the commentators and former players who have transformed into media personnel can joke about how scared Lebron is to fail, but what eats away at a self conscience Superstar like “King” James more than anything else? You need to tell him he can’t do it. What inspires athletes to succeed more than adversity? The answer to that would be nothing. You must also convince him that it really matters. You must convince him that it’s another notch that must be added to his belt of career achievements. And who must implore him and the other great leapers of the world to compete? None other than the man they all idolized as a kid, Michael “Air” Jordan. You all saw how quickly Lebron reacted when MJ told everyone he’d take Kobe over him any day of the week. I think it’s that simple. All the fans want is a better show. They want the guys they know can come up with new and innovative dunks to show off on the big stage. With a new and improved approach to All-Star Weekend, the NBA’s superstars are the only ones who can revive this special event. By the way, they really need to put a limit on the number of dunk attempts each contestant gets. A minute and a half is way too long to watch some no name try the same dunk over and over and over again (and they don’t get penalized for missing 1, 789 attempts before finally throwing it down). As the panel of Shaq, Charles, Kenny the Jet, and C Webb said, “We’ll call it the Birdman Rule.” All we want to see is the dunk contest come back to it’s original form. Will there be a savior or will it head toward extinction like the Pro Bowl?
The ugliest thing on TV since Sarah Jessica Parker
What an ugly game!! This game was sloppy to say the least. NO check that, this was literally the ugliest basketball game I’ve ever watched. Even when the Knicks got to the basket they forgot how to make layups!! I’ve never seen a professional basketball team miss so many layups. It was embarrassing. This was by far the Knicks worst loss of the season. In case you missed the game, they lost to the Toronto Raptors 92-88 on their own court. On top of the horrid performance, the officials in this game were horrible!! Do you want to know how you can tell the officials had an off night? When there are FIVE technical fouls given out in one quarter, that’s how. See, what happens when you let the “players play” is the game gets physical. And when the game gets too physical, it gets out of hand. That’s what took place in the 3rd quarter of this game. Frustration also set in with Carmelo Anthony. Melo became upset in the 1st quarter when he took the ball to the hole on two separate occasions looking to attack the basket. The defender attacked his arm instead, but the refs let each play go. From then on Melo became his own worst enemy. He proceeded to pick up a technical foul(his 10th if the season), and his rhythm and shooting stroke were both negatively effected. Do you know what Melo blamed for his worst game of the year(5-24 from the field)?!?!? He said he was playing with a dead arm. What the hell does that mean?? Everyone has been talking about his maturity, and is overall improvement this season. I have to be honest I don’t see a difference between 2013 Melo and 2008 Melo. He is still making excuses for his poor play. And if he really had a legitimate injury, then he shouldn’t have taken so many damn shots. He could have tried this thing, it’s a new concept called relying on your teammates. I know, that sounds wild. The bottom line is if he has really changed he would have stood up to the microphone and said, “I stunk it up tonight. This is my team so I put the blame for this loss totally on my shoulders. If I play better, we win, period.” That’s what I want to hear from the “new and improved” Carmelo Anthony. On a quick side note, where did Jason Kidd go and who is this guy wearing his jersey? This guy has been awful! I haven’t seen shooting this bad since Shaq at a free throw line. If there is one positive that can be taken away from this game it is that Iman Shumpert’s intensity seemed to be sky high. He played solid defense, attacked the boards(grabbing 7 rebounds in only 21 minutes), and pushed the ball nicely up the floor. The only question is why Mike Woodson isn’t playing him more than Jason Kidd??
I’ve been telling everyone for weeks that the Knicks are not as good as their record. That certainly is coming to fruition. Nothing has gone right for the Knicks as of late, and this break couldn’t come at a better time. The Knicks need to take some time off, clear their heads, and be ready to kick up their intensity. This will get them back to their winning ways. By the way, Melo is an underrated passer I just don’t think he knows that yet. He draws a double team virtually every time he gets the ball inside 18 feet. Like I wrote in my blog weeks ago, the best play I’ve seen from the Knicks is when Melo is penetrating and dishing to wide open players. Melo is still going to get his 20 shots a night, and believe it or not when you start passing more it opens the floor up for better looks for you too, not just your teammates. Then maybe they will have a balanced attack. I put the majority of the blame though on Coach Woodson’s shoulders. If you want to play a style of basketball that calls for a collaborative effort on both ends of the floor, then you better get your players to buy into that concept real quick. Come on Mike, do you want to take a trip to the NBA Finals, to be coach of the year, and to get a nice pay raise next year?? Then you better earn it!!
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You gotta fight..for your right..to fiiiiggghht!!(Thanks Beastie Boys)
Hey hockey fans don’t worry, I didn’t forget about you. Everyone I talk to is excited to have hockey back, and I don’t blame them. The Chicago Blackhawks have started out on fire winning 10 out of their first 13 games, as they are still the only undefeated team in regulation left in the NHL. The New Jersey Devils have also gotten off to a nice start this season as they head up the Eastern Conference. And as usual, My Islanders are hanging out in the bottom of the barrel(there’s always next year). On a serious note, Islanders fans may have something to get excited about. They will be moving to Brooklyn after the 2014-2015 season. This move should give the New York franchise a badly needed fresh start. The Nets of the NBA can tell them how nice it is to call Brooklyn home. Personally, I haven’t been to The Barclays Center, but everyone can’t get over the awesome atmosphere inside the arena. This move should also help attract talented free agents. Another headline early on in the season is the Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings getting off to an extremely slow start. They have played 8 of their first 11 games on the road, so they shouldn’t be as worried as their fans are.
The story grabbing all the headlines so far in the NHL is the same issue plaguing the NFL. Of course I am talking about player safety. Hockey like football is a very physical sport, however hockey is not a violent sport by nature. Some of you, if you could see me, would probably be looking at me like I have 4 heads. Hear me out now. Fighting in hockey is a tradition. It is as much a part of the game as line changes or shoot outs. Let me be the first to say that I would stop watching hockey entirely if they banned fighting. Fighting in hockey serves a purpose. It’s not just there for the sheer entertainment of the fans(even though it is a huge part of the attraction for casual hockey fans). See, it’s kind of like a retaliation pitch in baseball. When a baseball player shows up an opposing team or player, they get thrown at in their next at bat. When done respectfully and not done out of anger, it accomplishes something important. It’s the same in hockey. This tactic is used when an opposing player does something uncalled for or out of line(in layman’s terms: when you do something dumb you get punched). This solves problems quickly, and it can be part of a teams strategy. Fighters and instigators also have their own place on NHL rosters. A fighting ban would certainly put some NHL players out of work. These guys simply make a living playing that role. It is the same as a defender or rebounder in the NBA who lacks offensive skills. A prime example is Dennis Rodman. He played to his strengths and filled an important role for his team. There are guys just like that in the NHL. Their only role is to rough people up, retaliate, or instigate. To take fighting out of hockey would be like taking charges out of basketball, it would change the culture of the sport.
When NHL players were asked about this issue, 97% of them said they’re against banning fighting. That is an astonishingly high number! I also guarantee you that if you polled hockey fans, at least 95% of them would want to keep fighting in hockey as well. I understand that player safety is a real issue that every sport should take seriously, but this is not the right issue to take a stand.
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My humblest apologies Mr. Jordan
Let me start by saying I think this discussion is down right ridiculous. I think the people who dare put Lebron James in the same sentence as Michael Jordan should be ashamed of themselves. I am simply here to defend Michael Jordan and his legacy. As usual, I have to educate those who can not educate themselves. It seems that fans and media personnel of this era live in the moment too much(thanks Facebook, thanks Twitter). It’s like people who saw Michael Jordan play forget just how dominant he was. And the people who never saw him play don’t do the proper research to understand and pay homage to his greatness. All they know is what is right in front of their face. Now I love having a thought provoking debate, but don’t you think we’re overreacting to Lebron’s accomplishments? NO? Not even a little bit? Okay, well let’s agree to disagree. I’m going to explain why all the Lebron fanatics are wrong.
We as responsible journalists must give Lebron all the credit he is due. He is the best player in the world right now. His combination of size, strength, leaping ability, and quickness are unmatched. The stretch he’s going through has never been seen before. Through his last six games his offensive efficiency is off the charts, averaging 30.8 points per game while shooting an amazing 72% from the field. As an all around talent we all know how talented Lebron is, and when it comes time for him to hang ’em up, I’m sure he will end up being one of the top 5 greatest players of all time(he has the potential to be the 2nd best of all-time, but not yet). With all that being said, we still need to bring all of the Jordan comparisons to a tire screeching halt. For those of you who never saw MJ play, or for those who are having selective memory loss, let me remind you just how GREAT he was. Michael Jordan played in 15 NBA seasons, one being cut short due to injury and another due to his first retirement. His list of accolades is too long to mention every one, so I will do my best to highlight the most impressive ones. MJ was the NBA MVP 5 times and also won 10 scoring titles. He won rookie of the year, defensive player of the year, and was the leagues leader in steals 3 separate times. Last but not least, he appeared in 6 NBA Finals where he won all 6 and was named the Finals MVP in all 6. Not only did he win every Finals he ever played in, but the opposition never even took his greatness to a decisive game 7. Michael was also one of the best on ball defenders the league has ever seen. The list keeps going and going, but I think we all understand that Michael Jordan is the best basketball player that ever played. Period. The things that didn’t show up on the stat sheet were the things we really loved about Michael. His incredible will to win, his uncanny trash talk during games, and his incredible ability to hit game winning shots in the clutch. Those attributes are part of what made Michael so great. By the way, just imagine if Michael never took almost two years off in the middle of his prime to play baseball and never retired the 2nd time. I think he’d have at least 2 more championship trophies in his trophy room at home. I’m just saying, unfortunately we’ll never know what could have happened.
Now, the problem is ever since MJ finished his final game a decade ago everyone has been searching for the heir to his thrown. For Lebron, this all started back in Akron, Ohio when the media donned him as the Next MJ. This task has always put too much pressure on Lebron and forced him to live up to a standard rather than be himself. During the early part of his career, that pressure brought about insecurities and highlighted his mental weakness. For an athlete of his stature to care what people think about him is astonishing to me. From the pressure of carrying a mediocre Cavaliers squad to the NBA Finals(and get swept) to his departure to South Beach, he has shown that the pressure was too much to handle. He seems to finally be finding his stride, and we are witnessing Lebron in his prime. Lebron’s ceiling is to become the 2nd best player of all time. To do that he needs to win at least 4 or more titles and at least 3 or more MVP’s. However, I still think to be compared to MJ you need to be “the guy” and not use such a talented supporting cast to win titles. Most people think I’m being ridiculous but if you want to be compared to the best, your greatness needs to stick out like a sore thumb. And just like Kobe, you can’t be the best who ever did it when you play with the likes of Shaq. Sorry.
The bottom line is we live in the society of the “knee-jerk reaction”. This has caused the sports world to act and react to everything in a matter of seconds. It’s good because we can stay current and up to date with important events, but it’s bad because we jump to conclusions too quickly when it comes to athletes, teams, and coaches. Everyone needs to pump the brakes with this Lebron vs. MJ talk, and just let Lebron be Lebron. I promise you will enjoy his achievements much more, and we will also realize that there has always been and will always be 1 Michael Jordan.
P.S. Happy 50th Birthday Michael!!
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It’s definitely better than the Pro Bowl, but the NBA’s All-Star Weekend is no slam dunk
Come Thursday night, the NBA will wind down the first half of the season with two thrillers. First, you will have a rematch of the NBA Finals from last season as Miami travels to Oklahoma City(and this could very well be a preview of this year’s finals as well), and then you will have a showdown in the city of angels. The Clippers will try to continue their winning ways against their cross building rivals(get it, I said cross building instead of cross town because they play in the same arena, well at least I thought it was funny), the Lakers. Once the final buzzer sounds on that contest, it’s off to Houston for the 2013 All-Star Weekend festivities. Now I know that the All-Star Game’s TV ratings have been climbing the past couple of years, until last year(“hey, let’s put the All-Star Game on TV at the same time as the Oscars!!” “Good idea!!”, said the two employees who were surely fired as soon as the ratings came out). However, I believe the NBA is not maximizing it’s potential throughout the entire weekend.
The game itself is not what I have a problem with. You can’t make superstars try in a game that is solely meant to be an honor. The game gets good enough ratings as is, and I still tune in because basketball is fun to watch when the score is 184-179. You get to watch the NBA’s elite throw alley oops to each other, and in the off chance that the game is close down the stretch they do actually try. The one problem that I have with the game is actually the voting process. This game is meant to showcase the leagues best players. It is not meant to be a popularity contest. I understand why the NBA allows fans to vote but it ruins the integrity of All-Star appearances. Think about it. When the talking heads debate whether or not someone is a hall of famer don’t they always bring up how many All-Star teams they’ve been on? How are you going to tell me that Joe Schmo from his couch, who doesn’t even know the first thing about basketball(he has heard of Kevin Garnett though), should have any say in who gets in the hall of fame? Most people would probably say, “you’re overreacting, it’s just the All-Star game.” That’s my point. This weekend should matter. It should be an honor for the best players in the league to say, “I’m an All-Star.” I think the NBA should allow a combination of the coaches and hall of fame committees to vote on All-Star appearances. If the committees aren’t willing to get involved with active players then the NBA should decide on a collection of well respected basketball journalists to vote on the All-Star game.
The biggest problem I have with this weekend is what happens on Saturday. These days, the slam dunk contest is essentially a joke. Remember when the slam dunk contest used to mean something? And it was more exciting then the game itself? Yeah, me too. But those days are long gone. One of my most vivid memories of any All-Star game is Vince Carter’s spectacular dunk fest of 2000. Carter threw down one unbelievable dunk after another, putting together a highlight reel for the ages. If you ask me, that is still the single greatest slam dunk performance of all time. No offense Mr. Jordan, but I’m sure you were watching the beginning of Vinsanity too. Anyone remember who assisted Carter in that slam dunk contest?? No peaking at the video, that’s cheating. Yes, it was a young Tracy Mcgrady. The most memorable moments in slam dunk history are definitely Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins in the 80’s battling it out for the title of slam dunk champion. That concept seems laughable now a days, and that’s what has me steaming mad. Michael Jordan was the best player in the NBA every time he competed in the slam dunk contest(hell, he was the best player whenever he did anything). Fans also got to see greats like Clyde Drexler and Scottie Pippen perform once upon a time. That is what the fans want to see today. They want the best players in the league to battle it out like the slam dunk contest still means something. You have to be an avid basketball fan to even know who the competitors are in this years contest. No offense to the guys competing, but are you tuning in to watch Terrence Ross? Nope, didn’t think so. Lebron James and the rest of the superstars of the league are doing the NBA a disservice by not competing. They are only hurting themselves and their brand by not putting together the best show possible at a star studded weekend. I mean, it’s not like any of the guys we want to see would be inconvenienced by competing. They are already going to be in Houston. Instead of tweeting little jokes to cause a stir about possibly maybe hopefully competing in the dunk contest(what a subtle way to get attention buddy), Lebron should come on TV and emphatically say, “I’m going to bring the dunk contest back to life by competing in it and winning it!” If he did that and implored other superstar dunkers like Russell Westbrook to compete, everyone else would follow suit. Listen I’ll still be watching all the events this weekend, including New York Knick James White in the dunk contest, but don’t tell me you wouldn’t rather see Lebron do a 720 dunk or watch him dunk from the 3-point line. Insert haha here…
Here’s the slam dunk roster I would like to see:
Lebron James, Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin, J.R. Smith, Javele McGee, and Josh Smith
Now tell me you wouldn’t tune in to watch that!
If you want to see more of my work, please check me out at intheneutralzone.com. I am now a contributing author on that site as well.
Mid-Season NBA Awards
It’s that time of year again. We’ve played about 50 games so far, and it’s time to gear up for the All-Star Game. It is also time to dish out some mid-season awards. The awards to be given out are MVP, Sixth man of the Year, Defensive Player of the year, Most Improved Player, Coach of the Year, and Rookie of the Year. Some of these races have clear cut winners at this point in the season, and some are so difficult to differentiate a front-runner that we need to delve further into each category. I am here to clear up any confusion as to what you’ve seen thus far in the 2012-2013 NBA season.
Let’s start with the easiest debate, Rookie of the Year. If the season were to end today, the obvious winner for this award would be Damian Lillard of the Portland Trailblazers. There are some other nice rookies this year(Anthony Davis, Bradley Beal, and Dion Waiters come to mind), but Damian is head and shoulders above everyone else right now. He has started every game this season for the Trailblazers. In those games he is averaging 18.2 points on 42% from the field in 38.5 minutes per game(not to mention he’s shooting an impressive 85% from the charity stripe). That is the easiest award to give out, but the rest are a little tougher. Don’t be scared. Just close your eyes, count to three, and rip off that band-aid.
Let’s move on to Sixth Man of the Year. For me this is a two man race between Jamal Crawford and JR Smith. Both have been instant offense off their teams bench. They have both been an integral part of their teams success this season. As much as I love the Knicks, this award has to go to Jamal Crawford. Not only did he outplay JR this past Sunday in a head to head match up, but he has been the better player all season, barely.
Next let’s talk about Coach of the Year. This is a tough one, so let’s throw all the potential candidates out there and then break them down until this makes sense. The candidates are Mike Woodson, Mark Jackson, Frank Vogel, and Tom Thibodeau. If you read my blog you know I am a die hard Knicks fan, and while Woodson has done a phenomenal job with the team so far, their most recent struggles against good teams might hurt him for now. He did, however, do a great job right from the start of the season. He was motivating Carmelo Anthony, JR Smith, Jason Kidd, and even Rasheed Wallace to maximize their potential out on the floor. He had everyone buying into his concept of team defense and an uptempo offense. It was working perfectly until Amar’e Stoudemire and Iman Shumpert came back from injuries. I believe it will work out in the end for the Knicks, but there is definitely a growing period that the Knicks and Woodson are going through right now. The final chapter for the Knicks will determine whether Woodson is the Coach of the year or not. As of now, I say he is not. As for Tom Thibodeau, he has impressed by continuing to succeed without his superstar. For the second straight season Derrick Rose has missed a significant amount of time, yet the Bulls continue to put up winning records. His team plays a defense first, physical brand of basketball that creates nightmare match-ups for smaller teams and turnover prone teams. It is also extremely impressive to win with Luol Deng as your best player(no offense to Luol he is a nice little player, but let’s be real, he is NOT a #1 guy). With all that being said Tom is still not the coach of the year. Who is? I’m getting there just calm down! The popular pick right now is Mark Jackson. I like what Mark Jackson is doing with Stephen Curry and the rest of those boys, but his team is not good enough to push him to the top of this debate. While I always liked him as a player, and I personally always thought he would make a good coach some day(ahem, Jason Kidd, ahem), he is not the coach of the year at this point of the season. My pick for coach of the year right now is Frank Vogel. I bet most of you don’t even know what team he coaches. That is part of the reason why he is coach of the year right now. He is a nobody to most people, and he is succeeding with nobodies. Even his best player who is not playing right now due to injury is a nobody amongst the ranks of superstars. I like Danny Granger’s game, but he like Luol Deng is not a #1 guy. The only problem for the Indiana Pacers(ohhh that’s who Vogel coaches) is that Granger IS their #1 guy. Frank Vogel is my pick for Coach of the Year.
There could have been a nice segue into this next category, seeing as The Pacers have two candidates for Most Improved Player, George hill and Paul George. They have both vastly improved their games, but I think this award is a two man race. Greivis Vasquez and Jrue Holiday have both taken their game to the next level. They have both increased their points and assist totals tremendously from a year ago, and they both have bright futures ahead of them. No disrespect to Greivis, but Jrue Holiday has taken his game into another stratosphere. He has quickly become one of the premier point guards in the NBA, and the league recognized this by selecting him to his first all-star appearance. My award for most improved player goes to Jrue Holiday.
This next category is the toughest for me to choose. It is difficult to find a clear cut winner for Defensive Player of the Year. There are many worthy candidates so far this year that include: Tyson Chandler, Serge Ibaka, Larry Sanders, Lebron James, and Joakim Noah. Larry Sanders and Serge Ibaka will most likely be battling each other for this award for years to come. They are both physical presences underneath the hoop and both block approximately 3 shots a game. It is not due to their lack of defensive effort that they aren’t going to win this award, it’s because someone else on this list has managed to stand out above all the rest. This is me building suspense. Next, what else can you say about Lebron James? The guy is as physically gifted an athlete as anyone who has ever stepped foot on the hard wood. He can guard 4 positions at anytime while still managing to dominate on the offensive end. He is not going to win this award though(at least not this year), but don’t feel too bad for him I’m sure he’ll win another award real soon(hint hint). The reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Tyson Chandler, has yet again found his way into contention for this award, however when he played the Bulls earlier this season he learned why he isn’t going to repeat as DPOY(he would get my vote for the most intimidating man on the planet though if that was a real award). Joakim Noah has placed himself at the forefront of defensive forces in the NBA. Man is he ugly!! Anyway, as much as I dislike Noah, he does anchor the best defense in the NBA. When he’s on the bench they give up 10 more points then when he’s on the floor. Joakim Noah gets my vote for Defensive Player of the Year.
Finally, last but not least, the MVP award. This is always a fun debate because people think it’s strictly about offense. It mostly is, but you really need to look at the overall skill-set of a player plus his impact on his team to measure the MVP. The candidates this year are: Lebron James, Kevin Durant, and Carmelo Anthony. There are two honorable mentions for this category, Chris Paul and Tony Parker. Parker is doing spectacular things that go mostly unnoticed, especially with a banged up Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobli on his team. Chris Paul will be in this conversation at the end of the year because he is clearly the best point guard in the NBA. For right now though he has missed too many games to be considered for this award. I love what Carmelo Anthony is doing this season, and I hope he can sustain his outstanding play throughout the whole season, but he doesn’t do enough of the little things to make his teammates better. Let me see if I can use an analogy that makes sense for this argument. Kevin Durant is like The Utah Jazz in the 90’s. If it wasn’t for that Jordan guy and the Chicago Bulls, they might have a couple of rings right now(sorry John, sorry Karl). Get it? Not yet? See, Kevin Durant has improved every facet of his game this year. The problem is that there is this guy named Lebron James in the NBA. As good as Durant is(28.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 51% from the floor, 43% from three point range, and 90% from the free throw line), Lebron is better. Sorry Kevin, I know I’m pulling for you because I certainly don’t like Lebron “I can’t win a title without an all-star roster” James, but Lebron is on his way to another MVP. As much as I don’t like Lebron, I must give credit where credit is due. My vote for MVP and best player on the face of the earth is Lebron James.
Who knew Carmelo Anthony’s kryptonite was Grant Hill???
The Knicks weaknesses were highlighted very brightly in their loss to the Clippers on Sunday. We saw how bad the Knicks are in defending quick point guards. We saw how being out-rebounded by a taller front line effects the outcome of the game. And, if they don’t play team defense for 48 straight minutes they can’t beat good teams. Chris Paul has missed some action this season, but today was a prime example as to why he is just as valuable to his team as anyone in the league. Don’t be surprised when his name is in the mix for MVP with Lebron, Durant, and Melo. Carmelo Anthony as usual was fantastic, but when it mattered most he was shut down by the 40 year old Grant Hill. This goes to show you that if the Knicks don’t get production from JR Smith or Amare Stoudemire, they have a very hard time out scoring solid offensive teams. Raymond Felton played a solid game and continues to be a great orchestrator for the offense when Melo isn’t going one-on-one in isolation. One of the Knicks bright spots this season has been their depth and outstanding bench play. Today they were completely outmatched by the Clippers Bench. Eric Bledsoe and Jamal Crawford were too much for the Knicks to handle combining for 40 points(on 18-28 shooting). JR Smith and Amare Stoudemire usually bring instant offense off the bench, but today were nonexistent scoring a combined 15 points(on 5 of 18 shooting). A game like this against a top tier team in the NBA is sure to bring about a lot of questions about the Knicks. Are they as good as their record would indicate? Can they realistically make a run at a title the way their roster is built? These are all valid questions, and I think the answer can be yes to both of those questions but a lot of things would need to fall perfectly into place. The Knicks would need the entire roster to shoot lights out at the same time. The Knicks live and die by the three, and they would need to stay lights out from behind the arc while out scoring the opposition. I’d think this franchise learned from the Mike D’antoni era that you don’t win titles by trying to run up the score. Now in no way shape or form am I comparing Mike Woodson to mike D’antoni. Woodson is a defensive minded coach, but he needs some bigger bodies down low if he wants to succeed NOW. The other question that is being raised is whether the Knicks should look to make a trade for a low post presence? I definitely think they should do that but it all depends on what they would need to give up. If they can add a power forward who’s strengths are defense and rebounding without having to give up one of their top 5 players, they would be primed for a title run. The Knicks will look to get back to their winning ways Wednesday night @ 7:30 P.M. against the Toronto Raptors. This is their final game before the All-Star break.
Dave Talks Sports 