Start, Bench and Cut – Legendary Big Men 9 Dec 2020 6:51 PM (4 years ago)
In my first edition of Start, Bench and Cut, I’ve decided to go big — legendary NBA big men, and there are three that stand out the most, all ranked among the top 10 players of all-time.
Shaquille O’Neal is a four-time NBA champion, considered the most dominant player of all-time because of his size and strength, and is known to clog the paint so effectively on the defensive end, very few were able to drive and score the ball while he was in the game. His best season came in 1999-00, when he won the scoring title, All-Star MVP, Finals MVP and of course, an NBA championship.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a six-time NBA champion, considered arguably the most decorated basketball player in the history of the game (college and NBA), and has THE unstoppable sky hook in his arsenal. Kareem’s length and basketball IQ gave him a massive advantage over nearly every other big man he played against, and his tree trunks, aka his legs, were strong enough to keep anyone and everyone from posting him up near the rim.
While Wilt Chamberlain doesn’t have the rings to prove it (he has two championships), he does have four MVP awards and could be the most athletic big man we’ve ever seen (if you are old enough to have seen it, I suppose). Wilt gave us the highest scoring game in NBA history (100 points), and averaged an untouchable 50.4 points per game and 25.7 rebounds per game in the 1961-62 NBA season.
In my opinion, Kareem is the second-greatest player in NBA history, all things considered — championships, skill level, and individual awards. He may be the greatest in the history of the sport, as his college career is second to none. Therefore, there’s no doubt I’m starting Kareem. I believe that, in today’s game, he would have the IQ and length to contest jump shots and take advantage of the smaller centers down low. In what may be a surprise, I’m taking Shaq as my bench player. I’m picking him because I’ve seen him bully players with my own two eyes, in an era of big men and with more than just a handful of teams (Wilt dominated the NBA at a time where there were fewer teams in the league, and had smaller players — especially coming off the bench — defending him while he played over 48 minutes per game in his greatest season). Putting Shaq in the game means I’m going to give up shots, but there are still very good slashers that have no chance of getting to the rim (at least safely) with O’Neal in the paint.
Short answer: start Kareem, bench Shaq, cut Wilt.
Thank You, Kobe Bryant 24 Apr 2020 1:13 PM (5 years ago)
When Kobe Bean Bryant was drafted in June of 1996, I was approaching 13 years old. Becoming a teenager was a big deal, but to say that I was nearly as old as my new favorite player was even bigger, because quite frankly, I wanted to be like him. With Charles Barkley nearing the end of his career, and Michael Jordan just two seasons from leaving the Chicago Bulls, I turned my attention to the 17-year old phenom that would pattern his game after Jordan. He was all over television, featured on ESPN, and coming straight out of high school with a similar issue that Kevin Garnett had just a year earlier: he had an extreme amount of talent that created immense pressure to perform well. One difference between the two? The bright lights of Los Angeles. The LA Lakers did not draft Bryant; instead, they traded away a very talented center, Vlade Divac, to acquire him from the Charlotte Hornets on draft day. The organization was excited to bring him aboard and sign Shaquille O’Neal soon after, and while Kobe didn’t see much of the floor in his first NBA season, he would begin to make an impact in his second. I was instantly hooked, and after rooting only for the teams that Barkley would play for (Sixers, Suns, Rockets), I gravitated to the purple and gold of the Lakers, who eventually became the franchise I pull for today.
Thank you, Kobe Bryant.
Being a fan of the Lakers has had its ups and downs, and that’s being generous. From the Hollywood-driven drama between Kobe and Shaq, the 2004 NBA Finals loss to the Detroit Pistons, Kobe’s Achilles tear, up to our disappointing season last year despite the acquisition of LeBron James, it has been a roller coaster for all of us from Laker Nation. However, those negative roadblocks were met with incredible highlights and five championships led (some co-led!) by Kobe himself. There’s no forgetting his 81-point masterpiece against the Toronto Raptors, or him outscoring the Dallas Mavericks through three quarters, 62-61. How about our three-peat? We can never forget our Kobe, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom trio, and Ron Artest (oops, Metta World Peace) accepting the role of defensive specialist. Beating the Boston Celtics in the 2010 NBA Finals for our 16th championship was nothing short of glorious for our franchise, and Kobe’s 60-point performance in his final game — with an outstanding comeback late in the 4th — capped off a 20-year career that no one could have written any better.
Thank you, Kobe Bryant.
If we ignore the huge games, statistics and championships, and we look at his work ethic and competitiveness, Bryant is unparalleled. He and Michael Jordan shared the same merciless fire, but Kobe separated himself from everyone else with his training. In fact, it wasn’t until later in his career that fans began to understand just how mental he was when it came to workouts and watching game footage. If there was one player in the gym at 5:30 a.m., putting up 1,000 jumpers before practice, it was Kobe. Who learns how to tap dance just to work on their footwork? Kobe. Who finished a three-hour workout just as every member of Team USA was getting up for early morning practice? What player runs through the triangle offense for hours, at night in a pitch black gymnasium, but without a basketball in his hands? Calling a younger Dwyane Wade and asking for tips, or utilizing a veteran and legend in Hakeem Olajuwon to improve his footwork, there wasn’t anything that was out of bounds in his quest to become the best player in the world. His fans seemed to follow suit, eventually coining the phrase “Mamba Mentality.” On the court, it was this mindset that fueled his killer instinct, a hunger to not only win games, but to feast on the opposing defense and force his opponents to remember who he was. There’s no doubt that Kobe, through his work ethic, was able to provide many athletes of all shapes and sizes with a shot in the arm to accomplish any goals they set their mind to in their respective sport(s).
Thank you, Kobe Bryant.
Having the Mamba Mentality in the gym helped many players tap into their potential and provide them with opportunities they may not have had without working diligently to uncover them, but off the court, it meant something different. After his retirement, that mentality opened a new chapter for Bryant, as he won an Oscar in 2018 for his animated short documentary, “Dear Basketball,” and became heavily involved in the WNBA and girls basketball. Practicing the Mamba Mentality outside of the sports scene means that, much like Kobe, your actions are put into place to help others more than anything; to do everything you possibly can to produce a smile, touch a soul, or be a role model to others in need of guidance. Not only does it promote happiness to those around you, it can also change your life for the better by improving, and sometimes reconstructing, your relationships with family and friends, as well as meeting new people. For me, it meant seeking motivation while in the face of adversity; not giving up, but getting up. With Type 1 Diabetes, being blind in one eye, kidney failure and a debilitating disease (CIDP) that may keep me from playing the sport I love, it was my wife and daughter that provided me with the incentives to put in the hard work to get my health back on track (yes, I’m a #girldad).
Thank you, Kobe Bryant.
It’s been three months since I plummeted onto my couch, watching ESPN and scanning my Twitter feed, blown away by the news. It wasn’t real at first…and then, suddenly, it was. How could this happen to someone who a lot of us felt was invincible? If that wasn’t enough, along with the others who tragically passed away in the crash, Gianna Bryant (Kobe’s daughter) was with him, and just the thought of that hit home, tremendously; there was absolutely no way daddy was losing his Gigi. The challenge to succeed off the court is what propelled him into being this larger-than-life role model for more than just his fans, and partially due to his most recent efforts to be productive and successful outside of the sport, his death affected millions. At his best, Kobe was not only a basketball legend, but an inspiration to me and to others who are dedicated to chasing greatness — a high school kid looking to go pro, a father trying to keep up with his daughters, a professional athlete wanting to be the best, a retired athlete finishing one story and starting another — anyone and anything, for that matter.
“To be an event, every single night. Something witnessed. Not just watched. I had a different drive. The kind that made people uneasy. Some people wanted me to come back down to earth. To come down to their level. To relax. But I couldn’t. It wasn’t in my DNA. Because to go where others have never gone, you have to do what others have never done.”
– Kobe Bryant, on leaving his mark on the game
That drive, Kobe, is what produced two different jerseys hanging in the rafters at Staples Center. Your DNA is what caused young athletes from around the globe buying your merchandise and wanting to be you. Your quest to be the greatest of all-time is the reason why you will always be remembered as a legendary basketball player. Finally, Kobe, it’s you that changed our lives, and because of that, you will never be forgotten. Thank you, Kobe Bryant.
What can I say? Mamba out.
Jimmy, Paul and Chris: How the West Might Be Won 4 Jul 2017 11:05 PM (8 years ago)
Technically, the NBA’s offseason started the day after the NBA Finals were concluded. And officially, the next NBA season won’t start until late October…which means, as basketball fans, we should be taking it easy.
Yeah, right.
Within a couple of weeks, the whole NBA landscape was tossed and turned over. With three trades, our expectations of a Cavaliers-Warriors 4-peat might have been thwarted. LeBron James is cheering as he gets ready to waltz through the Eastern Conference yet again (how many times have we said that?).
But out west? Something is brewing.
During draft night, the Chicago Bulls sent over multi-time All-Star Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves for electric (but injured) Zach Lavine, Kris Dunn, and the draft rights to Lauri Markennan. That’s it. No future picks (the Bulls actually gave the T-Wolves the 16th pick in the 2017 draft, which was used on athletic center Justin Patton), just a few young players and a plan to rebuild. The trade was blasted at the time. No future picks? No dynamic young talent? Jury is still out on Lavine. Just three players for Jimmy Butler, one of the best wings in the league? What gives?
The Wolves, for the first time in 13 seasons, might be playoff participants. Even better, they might make some noise. Get ready to howl, Wolf fans.
That trade carried us up through the eve of free agency. Then Chris Paul opted into the final year of his contract, thereby sending him from Los Angeles to Houston for Patrick Beverley, Sam Dekker, Louis Williams, and some used car parts. The Point God is teaming up with the Beard, and it’s going to be wonderful. They might average 120 points a game next year. One basketball might not be enough for them. Who knows? But we do know that the Rockets, the 3-seed in last year’s playoffs, have improved (they also signed defensive stalwart PJ Tucker, and tenured center Nene). With San Antonio in flux (for them at least), the Rockets are on the rise. They’ll have a shot at the champs, and in today’s NBA, that’s all you need.
Perhaps the most surprising trade, in terms of destination, if not player involved, was Paul George heading to OKC. George, who for the past season has been in trade discussions with every team but the Harlem Globetrotters, finally got to move from Indiana. Perhaps the best player traded so far, PG13 will become 1B to Russell Westbrook’s 1A.
In a turn of events, Sam Presti basically traded Serge Ibaka for George (Ibaka was traded last year for Victor Oladipo and the pick that became Damatas Sabonis, and both of those players were traded for George). That’s an amazing trade. With Andre Robertson and Steven Adams, the Thunder have a phenomenal defensive core that can go toe-to-toe with anyone, even the Warriors.
Who will be their fifth guy? Who will come off the bench? Eh, that doesn’t matter. The Thunder have Paul George! The Wolves have Jimmy Butler! And the Rockets have State Farm Salesman Cliff Paul!
Which is to say, I feel very comfortable expressing the idea that the Warriors will not sweep their way through the Western Conference playoffs this year. Yes, they still have Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Yes, they brought back Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston. Patrick McCaw will improve. They’ve got a few other young players that might give them solid minutes. They are the defending champs, and they will be the heavy favorites going into next year.
But next year will be so much fun. If Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony-Towns make the leap, the Wolves have as good of three stars as anyone. If Paul and James Harden mix, they’ll be as dynamic of a backcourt as anyone has ever seen. The Thunder will be fun again, and not just because of Westbrook’s triple doubles.
Then again, does any of this really matter? LeBron will walk into the Finals like he’s buying eggs at a grocery store. Durant might win MVP next year. The East has lost two of its limited stars. We are look at as of imbalanced of conferences as there has ever been.
These trades were made to make the league more competitive. The West is reshuffling, and we are destined to get two consecutive bloodbath-filled rounds in the Western Conference. Can you imagine? T-Wolves and Thunder in the first round to see who gets to fight the Warriors. That’s what the NBA is all about: stars competing against stars.
Sure, George and Westbrook might bounce to the Lakers in 2018. Maybe Wiggins doesn’t make the leap, making the Wolves the next Clippers instead of a real contender. And maybe Chris Paul, at age 32, doesn’t have enough in the tank to help the Rockets make a run.
Maybe the Warriors ascend even higher. Durant is knocking on the Hall of Fame elite club. He knows it, and I think he’s good enough to get there. If that’s the case, then good luck stopping him. He’s 28, and still improving. Unless the NBA makes the Knicks and Bulls buy out Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade so they can sign with the Cavs, I don’t see anyone stopping the Warriors.
But the Rockets, Wolves and Thunder are sure gonna try.
The Golden State Warriors have been NBA champions for three weeks, as of this article. They’ve had their parade, their parties, and celebrations. But now, that’s all over.
Just because you’re king, doesn’t mean you can’t lose your crown. The NBA is morphing into a game of chess. There are moves, counter moves, and mind games galore.
The greatest thing about chess? Even a pawn can dethrone a king.
Why Celtics, Why: Trading Down and Looking Up 19 Jun 2017 12:13 PM (8 years ago)
“Knowledge: once it’s obtained, it’s obtained.” – Kevin Garnett
In the NBA, obtaining a couple of superstars is a prerequisite to competing for a title. Having three, with a solid squad of role players and X-factors, is required for building a dynasty.
No franchise knows what a dynasty can mean more than the Boston Celtics: 17 titles, countless legends and moments that cover the entirety of the NBA’s lifespan…and now, a traded #1 overall pick.
Monday afternoon, 35 days after the Celtics won the draft lottery (thanks to the infamous Brooklyn Nets trade), Boston dealt the top pick in the draft to the Philadelphia 76ers for the 3rd pick in this year’s draft, as well as a future 1st round pick. The trade has sent exciting (and alarming, for Celtics fans) waves across the league. It boils down to one thing: #1 overall picks just don’t get traded very often.
(Ironically, the only other time the Celtics had the 1st pick, they traded it, for Robert Parish and Kevin McHale. That worked out pretty well for the Celts, so cheer up Boston fans!)
Boston has a star in Isaiah Thomas, a 5’9 jitterbug of scoring magic and a toughness that Celtics fans have grown to recognize from years of players earning their love. You would think that holding onto the top pick in a loaded draft would net you a second star. Boston also has enough cap room to sign a possible third star this summer (in either Gordon Hayward or Blake Griffin).
That would have been the traditional route. That would also have been boring. If we have learned anything about both the NBA and Danny Ainge (Boston’s GM), it’s that boring doesn’t play anymore. It’s Lights, Camera, Drama.
Markelle Fultz looks like a legitimate star. He just turned 19, averaged 23/7/6 in college (for a struggling team) and shows only more and more promise each week. At 6’4 with a 6’10 wingspan and a very good athlete, it would seem like he could play well with a ball-dominant guard like Thomas. Now, Philly gets to see if he can mesh with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons for the Process, as the 76ers try to climb into respectability.
So why did Boston do this trade? Why give up the chance to take a seemingly surefire future All-Star, when that’s clearly what they would be missing?
It comes back to the idea that two stars get you a legitimate chance at a Finals berth. But unless you run with three, and a decent bench, you don’t have a chance to beat the Warriors.
The 2017 NBA draft is as deep in terms of star potential as we’ve seen in over a decade. The 8th pick might turn out to better than the 1st, and yet we also might not have anyone be labeled a “bust” in the top five or so picks. These guys can play, they’re young, and have all displayed flashes of stardom. Fit, and opportunity for personal growth within a team, might decide who “wins” this draft.
What the Celtics did was simple math. The 3rd overall pick might not be much worse than the 1st, might even be better, and they get to pick up another future 1st rounder. The risk is Fultz becoming the next great point guard, and that whoever they choose doesn’t quite measure up. Supposedly, they’re in love with KU’s Josh Jackson, a freak athlete and competitor on the wing whose jump shot leaves a lot to be desired. Or they may take his small forward counterpart Jason Tatum, a smooth shooter and scorer who rarely passes and plays defense like he has a cold. Tatum might be the next Paul Pierce or Carmelo Anthony. Jackson may be the next Scottie Pippen. If they are, then Boston wins this trade. They add a good chance at a star, while picking up another asset, which they can either keep or use for a trade.
And that’s the final stroke to this situation. There are currently two All-Star wings on the market, both in their prime, and ready to get their shot at taking LeBron James down. The Chicago Bulls’ Jimmy Butler went through a year of pretending to be co-leaders with Dwyane Wade, and meanwhile, had to put up with Rajon Rondo’s eccentricities. The Bulls barely made the playoffs, and were bounced in six games by these Celtics. Paul George once again met up with LeBron in the playoffs, only to get swept in the first round while his team sputtered and he was asked to do everything.
Rumor has it that George wants to go to the Lakers after this upcoming season. The Cleveland Cavaliers are supposedly sniffing around a trade for George that involves Kevin Love. Neither of those points will slow down the Celtics from making a move his way. If that doesn’t’ work, they’ll go after Butler. The Celtics need that second (and third) star to have a chance at a title. They were the number one overall seed this year, and looked like they might have shot to upend the King. They lost in five games, and Isaiah Thomas went down with a scary hip injury that has sidelined careers in the past.
This brings us to the present, and possibly the future. What do the Celtics do now? They’ll probably take Tatum (they’ve reportedly fallen in love with his small ball power forward potential) and try to swing a trade using their last Brooklyn pick, the other pick they received from this trade, and other assets for George or Butler. Then, they’ll woo Hayward to Boston and hope that that’s enough to take down the King.
I’m fine with that, if that’s their plan. It makes them the third or fourth best team in the league, and one injury to the Cavs might have Boston in the Finals.
But does that win the title? No, probably not.
Isaiah Thomas will be 29 this year, with the aforementioned hip injury. He’s awesome; a deadly scorer, and the lifeblood of this team. If healthy, no lead is safe in the 4th quarter. He fights for his team, and both the locker room and fans love him.
That’s why this is so hard to type: I think the Celtics should trade Isaiah Thomas.
Ainge has already proven he doesn’t care if he’s popular. He traded Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, and now the #1 overall pick…almost as if he doesn’t care the Boston fans shoot him dirty looks in the grocery store. He’s been doing this for more than a decade.
This Boston team, even if they nab Butler and sign Hayward, isn’t winning the title next year. They probably wouldn’t win the following year, either. With that in mind, what do you have? An aging 5’9 point guard, two wings who aren’t quite good enough to match up with Kevin Durant, and limited assets to get you help to compete. Back to square one, and there’s no way Brooklyn will trade the farm for aged Celtics again.
In the NBA, once you’ve obtained the crown, you’ve got it. LeBron could lose to the Warriors for the next five years, and it wouldn’t matter. He’s the King. He won a title for The Land, and making it to the Finals over and over again is a feat in of itself. The trick is to obtain that immortality. Even one title gets you there. Chauncey Billups and the 2004 Detroit Pistons will be remembered for far longer than they would have as individuals because they beat Shaq and Kobe once. Very few people remember that Shawn Kemp was awesome, the “Blake Griffin before Blake Griffin”, because he never won a title. Kevin Durant was staring that problem in the face last summer, and bounced to California to get that monkey off his back. If you want to matter in the NBA, competing isn’t good enough. You have to win the crown.
If I’m Danny Ainge, I’m looking at what I’ve got. Jaylen Brown showed some promise last year as a tough defender, very good athlete, and someone who cares enough to be in the gym the next morning after being knocked out of the playoffs. He might not be a star, but he’s definitely a difference-maker. Ditto for Marcus Smart who, if he locks himself in the gym with a shooting coach this summer, might make a jump past the X-factor label. Avery Bradley is an A-plus defender, Al Horford will age nicely as a veteran big man capable of doing all the little things, and Jae Crowder is a hit-or-miss valuable role player who could shoot you in or out of a big game.
They have pieces that, coupled with Thomas and this 3rd pick, will get them back to the Eastern Conference Finals. But is that enough? Ainge knows what it’s like to win championships. He also knows disappointment. Falling short isn’t good enough for Bean Town. That’s why, in lieu of this trade, I’m striking while the iron is hot and trading Thomas.
I’m looking at the New York Knicks, and that #8 overall pick (Dennis Smith could be available and might be the best player in the draft). I’m looking at the New Orleans Pelicans, who might lose Anthony Davis sometime soon anyways, possibly for future unprotected picks. I’m looking anywhere in hopes that I can get something back, and let my young guys go wild. As a KU homer, I’m taking Josh Jackson and locking him in the same gym as Marcus Smart this summer. No prospect has as high of ceiling as Jackson if he gets that jumper fixed (no easy guarantee). I’m looking at a pair of wings in Brown and Jackson who, if you still can sign Hayward, would be a terror to defend, and would be good defensively as they grow up together. It’s a team that’s probably no worse than a four seed in the East, who might make Cleveland sweat a little next year, and you still have a bright future after Durant, Curry and company grow older.
The NBA is in a strange place. The Warriors are like one of those dragons in Skyrim, hovering over everything, sending lesser beings into hiding. A few will stand up to the challenge. We saw how well that went.
I’d wait it out. Maybe I’m just a coward. Maybe I’m a wuss. Or…maybe, I’m smart (probably not). I’d wait for the Warriors to lose some of their valuable role players. I’d wait for the primed stars to age into declining stars. I’d build a young team that fans can enjoy, a team that can get playoff reps while also building towards the future. I’d hope Jackson and Brown develop jump shots and turn into All-Stars. I’d bank on either next year’s Brooklyn pick (and possibly the Lakers’ pick Philly sent over) to turn into a couple more chances at a star. I would do all of this knowing that I need to obtain a legitimate chance to take the crown to Boston, and to build what might become a dynasty.
And most of all, I’d hope that Markelle Fultz doesn’t turn into a Hall of Famer. Because if he does, Ainge is going to be obtaining more than dirty looks at that grocery store.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Their Problem 17 Jun 2017 1:13 AM (8 years ago)
Cleveland doesn’t have a Kevin Durant problem, it has a Cleveland problem: a problem that started back on June 24, 2013.
After being left at the altar by LeBron James in the infamous 2010 blockbuster, The Decision, Cleveland was left with very little talent, mismanaged leadership, and no hope in sight. Then, because the Clippers are the Clippers, they lucked into the 1st and 4th picks in the 2011 draft (due to a salary dump by the Clippers, who traded an unprotected pick and Baron Davis to the Cavaliers for peanuts). That trade netted the jilted Cavs Kyrie Irving (you might have heard of him) and Tristan Thompson (who was brought back to life for games four and five of this year’s Finals).
The Cavs took 2012 off, drafting the immortal Dion Waiters (over Kyrie’s best friend, Harrison Barnes), which begs the question: have we finally learned our lesson about drafting ACC sixth men with top five picks?
Unclear.
Had the Cavs just taken Barnes, this might not be so bad. The Warriors definitely wouldn’t be the Warriors, as Barnes helped propel the “Lineup of Death” to impressive levels before Durant showed up. Either way, they didn’t, and Waiters now resides in Miami, getting buckets and forever terrorizing fans and head coaches alike.
Which brings me to June 24th, 2013, also known as “the year the Cavs gave away at least one championship, if not more”. It’s the day they began their trek towards 3 straight Finals (pretty good!) and perhaps losing LeBron for a second time (not so good). Come with me, and see what might have been.
After winning the draft lottery for the second time in three years, Cavs fans were actually thinking basketball might be bearable in Ohio. Kyrie, already a renown bucket-getter, had shown marketed improvement, and Tristan Thompson was about to switch shooting hands to change his career.
Normally, a number one overall pick is worth getting excited for. Around 60 percent of the time, number one picks make at least two All-Star games. That’s pretty good! This could have been a draft that gave Cleveland a second star, one that would get them out of the gutter and possibly compete with LeBron down in Miami.
Only, this was the worst draft since 2001. No one was excited for this. No expert had a clue who the Cavs would take, only that no team was excited to actually make a pick. Victor “Future Westbrook Disciple” Oladipo was hyped to have Dwyane Wade potential (lol). Alex Len was a sleeper. Possible number one overall pick Nerlens Noel had gotten hurt in his only season at Kentucky, a season in which the Wildcats had lost in the first round to powerhouse Robert Morris (remember that, UK fans?) It was, without a doubt, ugly, and no one was feeling the vibes of potential titles on the table.
(Although, thanks to Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steven Adams and CJ McCollum, this draft has been saved a little bit. The Greek Freak is the only star, but at least there’s a couple of players who matter).
The Cavs had their choice among the mediocre. For whatever reason, they chose to be exciting: instead of taking Oladipo (solid player) or Otto Porter (talented wing from Georgetown when being a player from Georgetown still kind of mattered), the Cavs took…Anthony Bennett.
Wow.
Look, with hindsight, everyone knows that the pick sucked. Everyone knows that Bennett sucks. That much is obvious. He was a wildcard, a potential Draymond Green before Draymond was Draymond. Instead, he was shorter than expected (6’6 and ¾) and out of shape with no game or work ethic. Fun times.
And look, I was there. I remember this draft. There wasn’t a legitimate number one overall pick. No one had a clue who to take. Nerlens Noel had a lot of buzz before he got hurt, then everyone found out he was a less talented version of Anthony Davis who couldn’t shoot, dribble, or pass.
Still, in this alternate world, Noel should have still been the number overall pick. After getting processed out to Dallas, Nerlens has shown decent potential as a strong rim protector, devastating switcher on the perimeter, and competent roll man in the pick and roll. He’s got game (finally).
The Cavs weren’t contending that year, anyway. They should have bit the bullet and taken the seven footer from Kentucky. If only they had known what was waiting for them.
After a year of D-League demotion, hundreds of websites mocking the Bennett pick, and countless Cavs fans shaking their heads, the 2013-2014 Cavaliers finished just about as worse as they had the year before. Bennett had given them nothing, and they were looking like the continued laughingstock of the NBA.
Then, luck intervened. The Spurs blasted the Heat in the Finals, LeBron started to look back to his home in Ohio, and the Cavs were graced with the top pick in the loaded 2014 draft.
Joel Embiid had just gotten hurt. Jabari Parker wasn’t a great fit. Andrew Wiggins, freak athlete, stellar defender and owner of outstanding potential, was waiting for them.
Of course, they drafted Wiggins. Three weeks later, Lebron came home and shipped Wiggs (and Bennett) off to Minnesota for Kevin Love.
Three years and three Finals appearances later, it’s hard to fault the logic. Still, a few things stand out.
2015 Finals (Wiggins’ rookie year), Kevin Love gets hurt when Kelly “The Dirty Doofus” Olynk accidentally tries to pull Love’s arm out of his socket like a wookie who’d lost a board game. Love goes out, and a game into the Finals, Kyrie sprains his knee. Cavs go up 2-1 behind LeBron going supernova and Matthew Dellavedova stealing some of Stephen Curry’s game like he was a Monstar. The Cavs eventually fall before getting their revenge the next season behind a healthy Kyrie, Love and superhuman LeBron performance.
How does any, or all, of this change? Again, let’s head back to 2013…
Let’s say the Cavs take Nerlens. They’re going to suck, but outside of the Freak, Nerlens offers up the highest upside of anyone taken in that draft. They wait on him to get healthy, knowing that seven footers who can run, jump, and slide their feet like a circus-trained gazelle don’t come along every year. Their record still sucks the exact same, given that Bennett gave them about as much on-court production as Nerlens would have. That still nets them the Wiggins pick, and here’s where we change the course of the NBA.
With a healthy Nerlens, Thompson, Kyrie and Wiggins, LeBron steps in and they unleash utter destruction. They outrun, out-defend everyone, and with Wiggins in tow, LeBron takes a few nights off to sit back, relax, and watch his protege learn the finer points of being an NBA superstar from the best player since Jordan.
Would Wiggins average 23 a game his third year in the league? Probably not. But would he be an improved defender, someone who can pick up everyone from Steph to Durant for stretches of a game? Of course.
And all this happens as LeBron continues doing LeBron stuff.
With Wiggins, the Cavs are younger, longer, more athletic, deeper, and with a reduced payroll. They can barter for skilled role players, since they wouldn’t be neck deep in the luxury tax. They can build for both the future and the present. With Noel and Thompson, they’ve got enough depth up front to contend with any kind of team. Maybe they feel the need to trade one of them. Fine. They get back more pieces for a team that can match up with anyone, new-look Warriors included. A crunch time lineup of Nerlens, LeBron, Wiggins, JR Smith and Kyrie would be enough to worry even the 2017 Warriors.
The Kevin Love trade was defended by many when it happened. Love averaged 26 and 12 his last year in Minnesota. He’d been to multiple All-Star games, had legendary passing skills, and was hungry to compete in the playoffs. The trade made sense.
Unfortunately, it also cost LeBron and the Cavs multiple championships.
I obviously can’t prove that Wiggins, as a rookie, would have swung the 2015 Finals. But I know that JR, Iman Shumpert and James Jones all received heavy playing time and shot a combined 41 for 139 (29%) from the field for the Finals. I know that the Cavs had no one to give LeBron a breather (sound familiar?) or who could switch onto Curry in crunch time. I know that, other than Kyrie, the Cavs have no one on their roster who earns minutes younger than 29. I know that LeBron has yet to win a title without a player from the university of Kansas on his roster (Mario Chalmers in 2012 and 2013, Sasha Kaun in 2016..and yes, I know, that doesn’t really count for anything).
The point is, having uber athletic, skilled, and flexible wings is where the NBA is going. You need someone who can dribble, pass and shoot while also guarding others who can do those things as well. They had one, in Andrew Wiggins. They also had a chance at a player in Nerlens Noel who, while not a star, is a piece that could win you multiple championships on the right team. They passed on both, and now, they might have passed on their championship window.
The Finals Rookie Project 15 Jun 2017 1:05 PM (8 years ago)
In the NBA, more so it seems than the other major sports, making it to and finding success in the Finals is more important than anything else. Westbrook averaged a triple double for a whole season? Kawhi was the best two way player since Young Lebron? Anthony Davis is a cross between Durant and Garnett?
Doesn’t matter.
Russ isn’t as good as Kyrie, simply for the fact that the Cavs guard is performing at the top of his game on the biggest stage and Russ is at home, eating Cheez-Its. Kawhi can mediate silently (or whatever he does for fun) while Draymond wins a title and Defensive Player of the Year. As for the Brow? Stay healthy and get back to the playoffs young fella.
For whatever reason, NBA scouts have a tough time figuring out which players make it easiest to earn a Finals bid. Year after year we hear about a project who is can’t miss, a special talent, once in a generation.
And then Dante Exum happens.
Which got me thinking.
If making, and winning the Finals is all that matters for the NBA, then what if we looked at which prospects would do well on its biggest stage? I’m not talking about All-Star appearances, All-NBA teams, or shoe contracts. Just who could play their best when the best teams collide.
For this exercise, I’m ranking my top seven draft prospects by how I think they would play in the current NBA Finals. Could Josh Jackson hang with Durant for 20 minutes? Could Fultz guard Kyrie? Would Lonzo see the floor enough for his dad not to explode?
These rankings aren’t about star potential or even filling the stat sheet. It just comes down to one question: could “Player” play and and impact the Finals more so than any of the players currently lacing them up? It’s not an exact science, just one hoops fan and an excuse to rank a handful of teenagers (and one senior). Let’s do this.
1. Markelle Fultz
Fultz would probably start for the Cavs by Game 3, and be the biggest minute earner of any rookie in this class. For the Warriors, he’d eat into Livingston’s minutes and they’d probably throw out a Durant, Draymond, Fultz, Klay and Steph lineup for seven minutes just to see if they could blow up the scoreboard. It would be awesome.
It turns out that when a prospect has no holes in their game, they’re awfully hard to pass on. Fultz is 6’4, with long arms, smooth game, and elite athleticism. Sure, sometimes it looks like he’s playing half asleep, and his college team sucked. Doesn’t matter. (Except for the fact that he chose his college team. He knew going in they would suck, and said “I’m fine with that”.That worries me a little.). Fultz can shoot, handle, and with proper coaching, could defend any guard in the league. He’s not selfish and won’t be blown out of the water by even future Hall of Famers. He can play on the ball, or off it, and not miss a beat. He’s scary good, and as he just turned 19, he’s only going to get better.
2. Josh Jackson
Disclaimer: I’m a huge KU fan. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s look at perhaps the only prospect who could top Fultz in All-Star game appearances someday, and would definitely give him a run for his money in the Finals.
Jackson’s shot is not a natural shooting motion. That much we know, and it’s unclear if it will ever improve beyond passable. Free Throw percentage is a great barometer for shooting potential, and Jackson shot a measly 56% from the line in college. Does that worry me? Yes. Is there anything else to worry about? No, not really.
For a 6’8 wing, he moves extremely fluid and his feet are very balanced (a reason he’s as good of a shooter as he is. Very square on his feet even on stepbacks and fades.) He can guard 4 positions, and is a good creator with the ball in his hands. Cuts, screens, flares and iso match ups are something he’s very comfortable with. When it comes to squaring up with the league’s best, he’s going to have less of a problem than most.
The issue some teams are having projecting Jackson’s potential, is will he ever be a star? If that jumper never gets fixed and if he can’t put on weight to a thin frame, the answer is probably no. However, given his work ethic, athletic gifts, and feel for the game, we also know that he won’t ever be worse than a serviceable 3 and D wing who might randomly score 20 in a big play off game. Which, I’m pretty sure, every team could use.
He also rocked a sweet fro for his only freshman campaign. In the Finals, style matters.
How would he help these two Finals teams? He wouldn’t start for either, but for the Cavs he would allow Lebron to play more small ball four with Thompson at the 5, letting Jackson go at the 3 and pressure Durant all over the court. He wouldn’t be able to shut the Slim Reaper down (no one can) but at least it would give Lebron a break on D. Given his quickness, the Cavs could still switch every screen and not have an issue putting Jackson out on an island against Curry either.
As for the Warriors, having him and Iguodala on the same team is a bit redundant. The team from the Bay doesn’t need what Josh can give them as much as the Cavs, but throwing him out there for twelve to fifteen minutes a game just to wear Lebron and Kyrie out a little more would just be straight mean.
He’s going to be a difference maker on defense immediately. If he is able to create for himself and others, and make a few 3s a game? That’s when it gets scary.
3. Malik Monk
If you’re not going to be good at everything, be great at something. When it comes to Monk, putting the ball in the basket is his saving grace. He’s a six foot 3 pogo stick of a scorer who won’t win any rebounding or assist awards. He doesn’t make his teammates better, he’ll give up nearly as many as he scores, and a stiff breeze could carry him away like Mary Poppins.
In this situation though, it doesn’t matter. Much like how Kyrie’s game took off when Lebron showed up and guaranteed him a spot in the Finals, Monk’s game would increase as well. With better teammates, no team would be able to double him, and he’d most likely be left with the least least serviceable defender. Kyle Korver on Monk? Forget about it. Would Steph like chasing him around screens for twenty minutes a game? I bet not.
Monk’s destiny in the NBA is going to be about what team gets him. If he’s allowed to become the best version of Ben Gordon ever, then he could be the best player in this draft. If some team thinks they can turn him into Chris Paul, it won’t be pretty. Monk lives for taking shots that make his coach’s wince, right up until the ball goes in. He thrives for SportsCenter highlight dunks and running the shoes off his defender.
On either of these teams, he’d go nuts. Imagine, with Lebron as his creator and the Warriors worried about Kyrie? Come on. He’s the rare player whose role doesn’t change with the team.
He’s just there to grin and get buckets.
4. De’Aaron Fox
In somewhat the opposite case of his former Kentucky teammate, Fox finds himself with a skill set of many things he does well.
It’s just that he can’t shoot.
Can his jumper be fixed? Sure. Fox has a decent touch, and given his blazing speed he’s always going to be able to step into a jumper with as much room as his defender will give him.
Still, a point guard who can’t shoot is death in today’s NBA. Just ask Orlando. Or the Timberwolves. Or the Knicks.
(Actually, don’t talk to Knicks fans. You’d get a more coherent answer from a zombie in the Walking Dead. If my team were still trying to run the triangle in 2017 while the rest of the league got faster and more athletic while my GM said that you can’t win while shooting 3s and did everything he could to run Porzingis out of town, my head would fall apart like a bad special effect in a straight-to-Netflix movie. Stay classy Phil.)
So why rank Fox fourth? Easy. It’s what he does when he’s not shooting.
Put him on the Cavs and give him one job: wear Curry out. Fox, at 6’3 and with a 6’6 wingspan can guard anyone on the perimeter. With a gas tank that never empties and a hunger to get better (see: his tears after losing to the eventual champs in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament) Fox is somewhat like Josh Jackson. He might not score much early in his career, but he brings it at every other facet of the game.
He’s going to be good simply because in a game of tag, no one other than perhaps John Wall could catch him. If he wants to be more than another Elfrid Payton, he needs to be able to knock down a 3 once in awhile. Playing with Lebron or Durant, it wouldn’t matter all that much.
5. Lonzo Ball
Five spots too short for Lavar’s oldest son (yes, I said five. The fact that Lonzo has to be on this stupid list probably ticks Lavar off more than the fact Lonzo is fifth. Did you know that they named the Finals MVP award after Lavar? That’s obviously not true, but there’s a 50/50 chance he thinks it is).
Lonzo brings a 6’6 frame, unreal feel for the game, decent athleticism and a wonky but effective jump shot to a Finals built around the idea that positions no longer matter. It only counts if you got game, and Lonzo is full of it.
Why 6th? I think he’s going to struggle to guard any of the top flight guards. He also struggled against Fox (twice). Fox made Lonzo give it up the ball almost immediately, which isn’t a good thing for a point guard.
Lonzo will be useful to any NBA because he gets unskilled players easy points. Tristan Thompson, Shumpert, Draymond and Livingston are definitely skilled, but when it comes to get buckets, they’ve struggled in this series. Lonzo gets them easy looks with flashy passing that no other rookie this last decade can touch. With a decent first step and good touch from 3, Lonzo would be a fun addition to either of these Final teams. The question is, does what he brings with highlights and scoring make up for the fact that his thin frame won’t help him much on defense, and that every NBA team is being built to take away 3s and layups? I say yes, but out of everyone mentioned so far, Lonzo has the furthest to go in terms of making a huge difference.
6. Donovan Mitchell
A 6’3 burst of athleticism and hit or miss skill, Mitchell gets the 6th spot on this list because even as a role player he projects to be a valuable member of any NBA team. While on the short side for a lead guard, a near 6’10 wingspan ensures that he can guard anyone short of Durant or Lebron. When it comes to pure freakiness, he might be the best athlete in the draft. There’s just a few question marks about how quickly it’ll take him to learn the NBA game and settle into the pace of it, but when it comes to running jumping and dunking he’s already ahead of the curve. If all you need is someone to check Klay for five minutes a half, to hit a couple of jump shots, and to maybe someday have a chance to develop into a legit player, Mitchell has as much potential as anyone. His floor is rather high, and if he gets comfortable shooting the ball and creating, he could be a better version of Eric Bledsoe.
7. Justin Jackson
The best player on the best team in college, (for maybe two years. Don’t hate, Nova fans. It was an incredible shot.) the other Jackson isn’t projected to be a star. Instead he looks to be a valuable member to any team, to get paid fairly well over his career, and to hopefully become a better version of Danny Green.
Jackson needs to fill out, but at 6’8 and with good feet it looks like he should be able to step in and at least pester most wings in the league. A capable shooter, the Tar Heel can stand in a corner, hit a couple of 3s, and make an impact. He’s a senior, which means AARP will mailing him packets every week, but these Finals aren’t about being young. They’re about winning, and Jackson has done as much of that as anyone these last two years in college. I like that he returned to school. I like that he went out a champion, and I like that he got better every year. He won’t move the dial much wherever he gets drafted, but seven or eight years down the road he might be the third best player on a championship level team.
For this goofy exercise? He’s good enough to steal minutes from Korver or spot minutes from Ian Clark. And that gets him on the list.
As for the rest of the upcoming rookies, I think they’ll do just fine. Jayson Tatum is the Next Carmelo, with all the faults of the Old Carmelo. That’s fine on the Kings, just not in the Finals. Jonathan Isaac is going to be really good someday. He just needs to do whatever it was that Durant did to be able to bench press 185 pounds more than once.
There’s a ton of talent in this draft. The NBA hasn’t been in as good of shape since the mid 80s. Expansion isn’t out of the realm of possibilities. Most of these guys are going to be headed to bad teams, and yet, they won’t even be the best player on those squads. That speaks more for the talent in the Association than it does for these teenagers.
The NBA is in a great place. These Finals have set records in regards to viewers, and with the new talent coming in the league will only continue to grow. This class of rookies might give us five or six different All-Stars, not to mention valuable secondary stars who make their name in the playoffs year in and year out.
With the league getting younger, but the teams in the Finals getting older (no player for the Cavs getting regular minutes other than Kyrie is younger than 28.) it comes down to how quickly a player can make a difference. The Warriors drafted 3 of their top 5 players. The Cavs built through free agency, then Lebron realized that his team sucked, left for a few years, the Cavs rebuilt, and he came back. It’s just that easy.
For these rookies, making the Finals won’t be so easy. Fultz (most likely as a Celtic) will find out just how great Lebron is for the next couple of years. If Lonzo is a Laker, well, he won’t have to worry about playoffs anytime soon. But you see my point.
This year has been fun. The Finals have been exhilarating, if somewhat depressing as the Warriors run away with it. Adding a handful of these rookies to the mix might not change much, but someday, hopefully, we’ll get to find out how good they can be at the highest level.
As Malik probably says, live life and get buckets.
Predicting the Western Conference, Round 2 5 May 2013 6:08 AM (12 years ago)
How things have changed!
The Western Conference seems to be wide open, just one round in, with new and significant injuries to Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, Clippers forward Blake Griffin, and Warriors forward David Lee. Two of those three teams did find a way to advance, despite the misfortunes, while Griffin and the Clippers lost four consecutive games to a Grizzlies squad that had no problems playing tough, physical defense and pounding the ball inside.
We may not have seen any Game 7s in the Western Conference, but we were spoiled with three of four match-ups going six games. The Grizzlies and Clippers series was, without a doubt, the most physically-demanding, while the Rockets had a lot of Thunder fans concerned about going to Houston for Game 6. Warriors coach Mark Jackson wasn’t too happy with the opposition’s treatment of guard Stephen Curry, and in four games, the Spurs didn’t seem to be playing with injured starters after all.
The 1st round of games were possibly more entertaining than you and I could have predicted. However, the NBA Playoffs are only getting started, and the 2nd round starts Sunday.
#1 Oklahoma City Thunder (60-22) vs. #5 Memphis Grizzlies (56-26)
Offense versus defense. Fast-paced, uptempo scoring with a superstar player will match up against a slower halfcourt team that likes to capitalize off of their defensive stops and their inside-out game.
Against the Rockets, the Thunder struggled to put points on the board when forward Kevin Durant went cold from the floor, or while he was being denied the ball multiple possessions. Westbrook’s absence put pressure on forward Serge Ibaka and guard Kevin Martin to carry larger scoring roles, and both had trouble delivering at that magnitude, especially Martin, for most of the series.
With Memphis on deck, Oklahoma City will need to excel in two key areas: defending the Grizzlies’ big men, and knocking down perimeter shots. Durant’s biggest challenge of his career may not have been in the 2012 NBA Finals, but in a series against a Memphis team that can throw two exceptional defensive players at him, one being arguably the best perimeter defender in the league (guard Tony Allen) and the other an experienced, longer defender that still has the ability to make life tough for perimeter scorers (forward Tayshaun Prince).
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies will look to wear down the Thunder on the offensive end, as stated above, while forcing them to become a more physical team back on defense. Only one other team locks up the three-point line better than the Grizzlies, and they are the top team in opponent rebounding. Feeding the post will create open shots and easier opportunities at the rim, and in the regular season, it was guard Jerryd Bayless who led the team in scoring against the Thunder, not among the players you would expect.
With a healthy Westbrook, the Thunder would win this series in seven games. Unfortunately for the Thunder, guards Derek Fisher and Reggie Jackson won’t be able to duplicate the all-star play they desperately need at the guard position, and the Grizzlies should be able to advance to the Western Conference Finals in no more than six games.
#2 San Antonio Spurs (58-24) vs. #6 Golden State Warriors (47-35)
Are the Warriors the most exciting team in the league right now? Even in Oklahoma City, you may not be able to find a louder, rowdier crowd than what you see in Oracle Arena during the playoffs. In addition, I can only assume it doesn’t help when a player, like guard Jarrett Jack, is playing like an all-star out of nowhere. How would that be significant to the Warriors in this upcoming series against the Spurs? Let’s take a look at Jack’s playoff numbers in the 1st round series against the Nuggets.
18.8 PPG on 52.6% FG, 5.2 RPG, 7.0 APG
What if Jack produces those all-star numbers in the 2nd round? All things come with an explanation, though, because Jack’s two “bad” games of the series were the first and last: the only two games he did not start.
Let’s not forget guard Stephen Curry, who is out to prove he’s a legitimate all-star that should have been voted as such back in February. His 24-point, nine-assist average is combined with nearly 47 percent shooting, 43 percent from downtown, and a perfect 100 from the foul line (21-21).
As much as we know about the Warriors, we know even more about the Spurs, simply based on their history. Forward Tim Duncan and guards Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker have been winning games for so long, it makes all non-Spurs fans want to roll their eyes. Coach Gregg Popovich is one of the greatest to stand the sidelines in NBA history. San Antonio can dump the ball inside and give opposing smaller teams headaches, or they can frustrate the bigger teams with Parker pick and roll, and when all else fails, they call on forward Matt Bonner and their three-point marksmen to go on scoring runs from 25-feet out.
San Antonio is super-efficient, 2nd in the league in shooting percentage, and they pass the ball better than the other 29 teams in the NBA. They are a top three defense, and 7th-ranked offense, and even though the Warriors can run up the score when controlling the tempo, the Spurs may hold the keys to the Corvette most of the series. Expect them to defeat Golden State in five games. There’s no reason not to hand at least one game over to the Warriors, as they did steal one in overtime against a healthy Spurs team back in February, but needed a combined 55 points from Jack and forward David Lee (who will be playing injured) to get the job done.
Predicting the Eastern Conference, Round 2 5 May 2013 6:06 AM (12 years ago)
Quick question: what is the best playoff record for a team winning an NBA championship?
Is it too early to talk about the Miami Heat claiming that spot this season? If you have no idea, and you’re guessing a team went undefeated, then no, you’re incorrect. The 2001 Los Angeles Lakers barreled their way into a 15-1 record on their way to their second of three consecutive championships. You’re probably saying, “Come on! That was Kobe and Shaq!” You’re right, two top 10 players in NBA history did team up and dominate for quite some time, but now we’re talking a season where dream scenarios aren’t exactly working out for any team in this conference other than Miami, and that’s an understatement, given the injury bug’s willingness to feast on some of the most important players in the postseason.
Still, the conference does have two stellar defensive teams remaining, in the Pacers and Bulls, and a Knicks team that can always make a series interesting if they catch fire from beyond the arc. As a wise man once said: “Nothing is impossible.” Yes, that wise man was Tracy McGrady, and as of last week, he is no longer a 1st round virgin (thanks to Kobe Bryant’s Achilles tendon).
Without further ado, your Eastern Conference 2nd round.
#1 Miami Heat (66-16) vs. #5 Chicago Bulls (45-37)
Enduring a list of injuries to a handful of their best players, the Chicago Bulls closed out the Brooklyn Nets in Game 7 on Saturday night. Quite frankly, I’m not sure how they came out of Brooklyn with a victory. The dismantled Bulls team was on the road, seventh and final game of the series, missing both forward Luol Deng and guard Kirk Hinrich, led by an injured center Joakim Noah, and their only true superstar — former MVP guard Derrick Rose — has been almost as valuable as their cheerleaders. The interesting factor, though, is that Chicago now has to fly to Miami and play a dominant team that has not only been at rest for over a week, but is also walking into a series with a jaw-dropping 41-2 record in their last 43 games.
I’ll let that soak in for a moment.
Last season, Chicago strolled into the playoffs with the top seed, for the second year in a row, but Rose’s ACL tear in his left knee ended all hopes of a deep playoff run. Fast forward to one year later, to a Bulls team that ended Miami’s outstanding 27-game winning streak without Rose on the court, meeting that same team in a best-of-four series. Fully healthy, it’s still unlikely that Chicago makes it happen, but things get very interesting with Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau game-planning for Heat forward LeBron James.
Chicago is a tough defensive team that just cannot find easy ways to score, aside from guard Nate Robinson having his way off Noah’s screens. They are 23rd in the NBA in Offensive Rating, not a great team shooting the ball, and their indecisiveness slows the game down so much, they only average a hair over 93 points per night, nearly dead last in the NBA.
On the other hand, Miami is a get-up-and-go team that can give you a little bit of everything on the offensive end. The Heat can ignite the break and beat you in transition, they can slow the game down and get to the foul line, and they have the ability to cook your defense from three-point land. Whether you stop them or not doesn’t have much value to it, though, if you can’t score, because the Heat will be sure to make life extra difficult trying to put points on the board.
As it stands, nobody knows how effective Deng and Hinrich will be when both are inserted back into the lineup (well, Bulls fans are crossing their fingers for Hinrich to heal up as soon as possible). We have no idea if Rose plans on making an elaborate return or not. It’s safe to say the Heat will run through the Bulls in five games, and the Chicago victory will depend heavily on the health of the team for one of the games in the United Center, nothing more.
#2 New York Knicks (54-28) vs. #3 Indiana Pacers (49-32)
We’re in for a great match-up between forwards Carmelo Anthony and Paul George. There are only a few guys who have defended Anthony better than George throughout his career, and this season, Carmelo is shooting just 37.9 percent against this Pacers team.
Consequently, the workload on the defensive end limits the offensive energy output we see from George, who already struggles to score the ball as a primary scoring option for the Pacers, thanks to forward Danny Granger’s injury. Indiana’s top-ranked defense does quite a number on teams, but back down the court, the Pacers run on simple, basic basketball to, undesirably, lower their offense into the bottom 10 of the league.
New York doesn’t stand out on the defensive end, ranked 18th in Defensive Rating and similar numbers when it comes to defending the three and all shots inside of the arc, but nobody fires more three-balls than these Knicks, and surprisingly, no team takes care of the ball better (ranked 1st in turnovers). Will they continue to connect the dots against this Pacers team, the one they defeated by double-digits in April, behind an up-and-coming Chris Copeland’s 20 points?
So far, Anthony has not impressed. In six games against Boston, he averaged almost 27 shots per game, at 38.1 percent from the floor, 26.5 percent from downtown. There is a major difference between forwards Paul Pierce and Jeff Green checking you, and George doing his best impersonation of Scottie Pippen to keep this series tight, which the Pacers should be able to accomplish if both George and center Roy Hibbert can knock down more shots without sacrificing too much effort and intensity on the defensive end.
These Knicks cannot lose their identity. They are a three-point shooting team that plays off of Anthony’s ability to attract extra defensive attention, using specialty defenders to solidify them as a team that has the potential to slow down your offense. The Pacers will need to grind out victories at home, and try to find a way to beat the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, something they haven’t done since March 2011. Indiana didn’t look pretty on the road against the Hawks, up until the Game 6 choke-job by Atlanta, and with their best defenders having to play heavy roles as offensive players, the Pacers will fight to discover productive pieces that will score the ball on the road.
However, it’s an interesting situation to see Carmelo responsible for those two big losses to the old Boston Celtics team that should have been swept, and if he continues to shoot his team out of games (and he will likely play that way for years to come), with George on him, this could be one of Anthony’s worst nightmares. In conclusion, I simply do not trust Carmelo, and I’m taking the Pacers, 4-2.
Brandon’s 2013 NBA Season Awards 2 May 2013 3:45 PM (12 years ago)
In any sport, on any level, nothing boosts confidence more than recognition, and this could be accepted in many different ways: in written articles through the media, championship banners, and landing a spot on ESPN SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays, to name a few. For individuals, aside from championship rings, nothing spawns more respect than season-ending awards.
It’s no secret that most of these will be easy to predict, so instead of sharing who I feel will win, I’ve decided to point out who should take home each award.
There’s no better individual trophy than the one that reads, “Most Valuable Player,” so it’s only fitting that I begin with it.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: LEBRON JAMES, MIAMI HEAT
I feel I need to take time to define this award. The way I view it, votes should go to the best player in the league that leads a team winning 50 or more games. Is that how the league feels? Absolutely not, because as we know, players like Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, and Derrick Rose were not the overall best in the league when their names were etched into history.
If it is handed to the most valuable player to his team, you have to consider Kobe Bryant. Add a restriction of just 50-win teams, and Carmelo Anthony is your top candidate. All of this can be compared to the “Kobe and Shaq” effect, who possess a combined two MVP awards because, simply put, their dominance as a duo eliminated their votes as individual MVP candidates.
However, the MVP trophy should, and will, go to LeBron James, for many reasons. The Miami Heat did come away with the best record in the NBA, by six games, and also won the East over the New York Knicks by 12 games. The 27-game win streak, the efficiency, and the overall game can’t be ignored here, and while players like Kevin Durant and Chris Paul made things interesting, most will claim it’s not even a race.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: PAUL GEORGE, INDIANA PACERS
Generally, big man defensive anchors will get the nod here, so if I’m asked who I expected to win, I would have said Roy Hibbert.
Let’s pretend we’re done picking from the list of big men, though. The league’s elite perimeter defenders include Tony Allen, Avery Bradley, Luol Deng, Andre Iguodala, and a standout named Paul George. The easiest way I can explain this pick is by stating that the current Indiana Pacers squad is ranked in the top 10, of all time (eliminating lockout teams, because offensive and defensive numbers were haywire), among all defensive teams according to opponent field goal percentage. Not only did they hold opponents to an average of just 42 percent shooting, but they also limited them to a league-best 32.7 percent from beyond the arc. Those statistics compare to the 2008 Boston Celtics, who ended up winning the NBA championship that season.
The combination of George’s elite defense on perimeter players, and Hibbert’s presence in the paint, has propelled Indiana from 9th on the defensive end (last season) to 1st in many major defensive categories. Hibbert protects the paint, but George takes the toughest assignments night in and night out, and finds success against most.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: DAMIAN LILLARD, PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
There are only three other rookies in NBA history that have averaged 19+ points per game, 6.5+ assists per game, and 3+ rebounds per game: Oscar Robertson, Allen Iverson and Damon Stoudamire. Of course, those three all had better numbers than Lillard, in regards to points, rebounds and/or assists, but without a doubt, that’s good company for the Trail Blazers point guard to be in.
Portland’s final regular season record didn’t help his case at all, but the truth is, no other rookie came close to matching Lillard’s production, and aside from Harrison Barnes, all of the impressive rookies were on non-playoff teams. Lillard may have had this in the bag since that big 37-point performance against the Warriors in January.
SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: J.R. SMITH, NEW YORK KNICKS
Smith’s contributions off the bench kept the Knicks contending in the Eastern Conference, and while he does show signs of reverting to his old, selfish ways from his time in Denver, Smith has played smarter basketball this season. He has had seven 30-plus point games this year (compared to Jamal Crawford’s one), including a 36-point performance against the Thunder, and a 35-point outing against Tony Allen and the Grizzlies.
Some will argue for Crawford and his jumpshot, but Smith does more on the floor, and he provides the level of play that could significantly help carry the Knicks through a playoff series when Carmelo Anthony is struggling. He may not be an all-star just yet, but Smith still has room for improvement, and this season is the best of his career.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR: NIKOLA VUCEVIC, ORLANDO MAGIC
Officially, Paul George has claimed this award, but Nikola Vucevic may have improved far more than anyone else in the NBA this season. Sure, increased minutes and roles will show improved statistics, but this goes for every player, including George. However, Vucevic found his way into the starting five, permanently, with a seven percent increase in shooting percentage and nearly doubling all of his stats across the board.
The difference between their teams, the Pacers and the Magic, are night and day in the standings, but based strictly on player improvement, it’s quite the task to find another player in this league that has improved more than Vucevic, in raw statistics or using the eye test.
COACH OF THE YEAR: GEORGE KARL, DENVER NUGGETS
This award was as easy to hand out as the MVP and ROY. George Karl’s superstar-less Denver Nuggets ran off a 24-4 record after All-Star Weekend, and were 38-3 overall at home. The Nuggets won their season series against the Thunder, Clippers, Lakers, Grizzlies, Bulls, Warriors, Rockets, and Pacers, while tying 2-2 with the Spurs. They also played their way into a 15-game winning streak starting late February.
Denver ended the regular season as the 5th best offensive team and the 11th best defensive team, with 57 total wins. Can you name another great team who flew under the radar as much as Karl’s Nuggets? Of course, the media should shed light on the players as well, but Karl’s ability to define established roles for Andre Iguodala, JaVale McGee, and still use Andre Miller effectively cannot go unnoticed.
EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR: DARYL MOREY, HOUSTON ROCKETS
There are many executives who should be considered here, but regarding this season’s transactions, Daryl Morey may have paved the clearer road for his franchise as they threaten to topple the top-seed Oklahoma City Thunder this week. Houston has five team options this offseason, one being a very cheap option for Chandler Parsons (which they will pick up, without a doubt), and both Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik (who were prizes for outbidding other teams) are going to make just a little more than $5 million each. Why is this significant? After ripping James Harden away from the Thunder, and locking him into a five-year deal, Morey has a $38 million payroll this summer to work with, which could result in the signing of, say, Dwight Howard or Chris Paul.
Mitch Kupchak would have been a great pick here, but only if the Lakers had won their division and were one of the top seeds in the conference. Injuries to the team were contributed to both old age and offensive systems that likely overworked players on the court, and the lack of depth and young, legitimate NBA players on the roster did not help Kupchak’s case.
If Houston upsets the Thunder, it changes everything for the franchise. Free agents will feel they are the missing piece for the Rockets to contend, and Morey comes out smelling like roses for turning what seemed to be an abysmal, rookie-driven season into a 2-3 year plan that, suddenly, makes perfect sense.
Predicting the Western Conference, Round 1 20 Apr 2013 12:17 AM (12 years ago)
Since the great Michael Jordan’s retirement, the Western Conference has won 10 of the last 14 NBA championships. Funny enough, nine of those 10 rings were won by two teams that will be pitted against each other in the 1st round: the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs, two former dynasties. While the Spurs still covet their winning trio of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, the Lakers are looking far different than what you saw during the Kobe and Shaq days.
In fact, a lot of our West playoff teams have made at least one change that significantly alters their offensive or defensive strategies of the past. You can even look at that Spurs team and notice that the players around the trio call for a quicker, uptempo game that revolves around Parker’s ability to get to the rim, and not as much on Duncan’s post play.
With changes come excitement, and excitement can generate the element of surprise. There’s nothing better than upsets in the NBA Playoffs, and this conference may deliver just that. Below are your four 1st round match-ups.
#1 Oklahoma City Thunder (60-22) vs. #8 Houston Rockets (45-37)
Game 1 @Oklahoma City: Sunday, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 2 @Oklahoma City: Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 3 @Houston: April 27, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 4 @Houston: April 29
Game 5 @Oklahoma City: May 1
Game 6 @Houston: May 3
Game 7 @Oklahoma City: May 5
Truthfully, the Rockets may have wanted to avoid the Thunder. It took a massive 46-point game from James Harden to top them back in February, but in their other two meetings, Oklahoma City defeated the Rockets by 30 points (in Houston) and 22 points (in OKC) as if they were playing games of NBA 2K13 with default sliders.
Speaking of video games, does Russell Westbrook’s athleticism remind you of players in NBA Jam: Tournament Edition?
Over the last few months, I’ve been shrugging my shoulders at Westbrook, wondering why he’s attempting more shots than Kevin Durant, who is obviously the more effective, efficient scorer. This won’t be a devastating issue against a Rockets team that has nobody to stick on Russ, but down the line, things may change. Aside from the star power, these Thunder boast offensive and defensive ratings of 1st and 4th, respectively, and while they would probably love to reverse the James Harden trade they made before the start of the season, they know he’s not capable of beating Oklahoma City all by himself in a playoff series, and I can’t see Chandler Parsons and Jeremy Lin providing him with enough help to get the job done. The Thunder will hand out a sweep, 4-0, unless Harden dishes out another 45+ point game to steal a win.
#2 San Antonio Spurs (58-24) vs. #7 Los Angeles Lakers (45-37)
Game 1 @San Antonio: Sunday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 2 @San Antonio: Wednesday, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 3 @Los Angeles: April 26, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 4 @Los Angeles: April 28, 7 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 5 @San Antonio: April 30,
Game 6 @Los Angeles: May 2
Game 7 @San Antonio: May 4
This will be an interesting series between two teams overcoming injuries throughout the season. The star-studded lineup of Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, Steve Nash and Ron Artest played a combined seven games together. For Laker fans, that’s a hard pill to swallow, but Spurs fans are seeing their team suffer at the wrong time. Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are both nursing injuries that have clearly changed the way they play, and Boris Diaw just had back surgery. Stephen Jackson, who stretches the floor and defends well, was waived from the team days ago.
The big question is, can a Howard-led Lakers team defeat a Duncan-led Spurs team? While Parker will still be on the court, Bryant is done until at least October, so it will be up to the two big men to pound the ball inside and anchor their squad’s defense. In their last 10 games, the Spurs are just 3-7, including a loss to the Kobe-less, Nash-less Lakers on Sunday. Meanwhile, LA has won eight of their last 10 games, with a 17-2 home record since January 25th.
A fully-healthy Spurs team sweeps, especially without Bryant saving the day. The Parker and Ginobili injuries, and missing Diaw and Jackson, could be the combination of punches that end the Spurs’ season. The Lakers wanted this series, badly, and they’ll win it in a hard-fought six games, 4-2.
#3 Denver Nuggets (57-25) vs. #6 Golden State Warriors (47-35)
Game 1 @Denver: Saturday, 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 2 @Denver: Tuesday, 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 3 @Golden State: April 26, 10:30 p.m. ESPN2
Game 4 @Golden State: April 28, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 5 @Denver: April 30
Game 6 @Golden State: May 2
Game 7 @Denver: May 4
Could this be another upset? Nobody plays faster basketball than the Nuggets, but the Warriors won’t have any issues testing it. With a rejuvenated Stephen Curry, who has been on a tear in the month of April, Golden State has the firepower to stick around in a seven-game series, while Denver has lost a nice chunk of their offense in Danilo Gallinari, while crossing their fingers and hoping that injured Kenneth Faried and Timofey Mozgov will be able to give them productive minutes in the 1st round.
One thing to watch for will be how Denver defends the three-point line. All season long, the Nuggets have struggled closing out on perimeter shooters, giving up a 36.3 percent opponent shooting percentage from downtown. That’s music to Curry’s ears, who broke Ray Allen’s three-point record (most makes in a season), and the entire Warriors roster, the best three-point shooting team in the NBA (at a combined 40.3 percent). How will these Nuggets cool off the Warriors, once they start viewing the basket as a circle the size of a swimming pool?
Denver is a powerful home team, and arguably the best Western Conference team since the All-Star break, but losing Gallinari will sting, and a bad match-up doesn’t make things any easier. Curry, and a pair of sturdy ankles, will get the job done against the Nuggets up until a Game 7 in Denver, where George Karl’s men are a mind-blowing 38-3. The Nuggets will advance in seven games.
#4 Los Angeles Clippers (56-26) vs. #5 Memphis Grizzlies (56-26)
Game 1 @Los Angeles: Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 2 @Los Angeles: Monday, 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 3 @Memphis: April 25, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 4 @Memphis: April 27, 4:30 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 5 @Los Angeles: April 30
Game 6 @Memphis: May 3
Game 7 @Los Angeles: May 5
How many fans realize the Memphis Grizzlies are the second-best defensive team in the NBA? How many remember the Clippers beating them in the playoffs last season, 4-3? The Grizzlies have changed a bit after dealing Rudy Gay to Toronto, looking towards building a team based heavily on their defensive play. Marc Gasol, Tony Allen, Mike Conley, Tayshaun Prince and Ed Davis are outstanding on the court together, the big reason why offensively-injected teams feel intimidated when they have a date with Memphis on the NBA calendar.
The Clippers won’t slouch, though. A top-five offense, these birds operate in the air, running an uptempo offense that relies on pick-and-roll and getting out on the break. No point guard in the NBA does it better than Chris Paul, and support from Blake Griffin, Caron Butler, DeAndre Jordan and Sixth Man of the Year candidate Jamal Crawford only adds to the fun he has bringing the ball up the court.
The game changer could be Memphis’ ability to crash the offensive glass. though, and like a lot of great defensive teams, they have the specialty defensive players who target superstar-caliber play. Without Gay playing selfishly and being a liability back on the defensive end, the Grizzlies will look to slow the game down drastically (30th in Pace), lock down the perimeter, and force the Clippers to beat them with Griffin shooting jumpers and Paul hurling contested shots at the rim off drives that, surprisingly, leave few players open, and Memphis will take the series, 4-3.