Watch AP's miraculous buzzer beater in Washington last week, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQXaULLaQSE , keeping in mind this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw_Y85Mi7Tg .
Impossible is nothing.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
First Tri-Mester Report
It's time to look at the first third of the NBA season and look at how my pre-season predictions are holding up.
--Runners-up in brackets
NBA MVP:
Pre-season pick: LeBron James (Steve Nash)
First tri-mester: Kevin Garnett (Chris Paul)
While LeBron got off to a torrid start, his team is faltering and his production has cooled recently. And although Nash continues to marvel with his passing and leadership, 2007-08 has begun the changing of the (point) guard in the NBA. Deron Williams has been flat out balling, improving all his career numbers and Tony Parker, when healthy, has once again been great. However, the story of this season for point guards had been Chris Paul, as he threatens to be the first player in NBA history to average 20 points, 10 assists, and 3 steals in a season. Further, he's 4th in the NBA in player efficiency, a stat usually dominated by big men. Paul has elevated a Hornets team which would struggle to beat the Knicks without him into a Western conference power -- a team no one wants to see in the playoffs.
Enough has been said about the Celts and KG everywhere else that I don't need to say anything but this: KG is the motor of that team; his intensity and defence set the tone every night. When you're the unquestioned leader of a 27-3 team, you're also the unquestioned NBA MVP. Here's hoping the Celts start sucking and CP3 can take this award from him.
Rookie of the Year:
Pre-season: Kevin Durant (Al Horford)
Current: Durant (Horford)
This was a pretty obvious pre-season pick for anyone who followed college basketball last year. There are some nice surprises in the rookie class this year, including the emergence of Super Jamario starting for the Raps and Sean Williams of the Nets who has proved you need no offensive talent to be a staple in the NBA TV daily top 10. I see no change in the top 2 rookies for the rest of the year, unless Horford decides to physically assault another NBA player with a spinal condition and gets suspended indefinitely.
Coach of the Year:
Pre-season:Marc Iavaroni (Stan Van Gundy)
Current: Nate McMillan (Van Gundy)
The voters will likely choose Doc Rivers as the winner, and I'm here to tell you that's a huge mistake, just like choosing Sam Mitchell last year was too. The NBA should institute a rule preventing Executive and Coach of the Year awards going to the same team. The Raps improved drastically last year not because Mitchell finally figured out how to draw Xs and Os, but because Bryan Colangelo spun his Midas Touch on the team, trading for TJ Ford, drafting Andrea Bargnani, bringing in AP !8, etc. So too, Danny Ainge should get the credit for bringing in KG and Ray Allen and all those crappy role players who are made so much better cuz of KG. Doc Rivers has been a horrible coach his whole career; getting good players doesnt make him a good coach.
McMillan, on the other hand, has been at the helms at the most shocking turnaround in the NBA this year. The Blazers lost their big addition when Greg Oden was sidelined for the year and yet the Blazers have won 14 of their last 15 games somehow. This award is McMillan's to lose.
PS -- Although the Iavaroni pick and my prediction the Grizzlies would make the playoffs look ridiculous now, I do believe this team is turning a corner and will be a second-half spoiler that no team jockeying for playoff position wants to see.
6th Man:
Preseason: Leandro Barbosa (Manu Ginobili)
Current: Ginobili (Barbosa)
Again, not a difficult category to predict; Ginobili has been better, though, and deserves the award, at this point of the season, over Barbosa who has also been good but not at the level of Ginobili who has been the Spurs most consistent performer this year.
Most Improved:
Preseason: LaMarcus Aldridge (Daniel Gibson)
Current: Aldridge (Rudy Gay)
Gibson kinda sucks, but Aldridge has looked impressive from the get-go, dominating the Spurs in the Blazers opener this year and never looking back. Between Gay and Aldridge it's a tough call, but due to the Balzers being a better team and Aldridge improving his rebounding numbers more, I'm giving him the egde.
Defensive Player:
Preseason: Shawn Marion (Tim Duncan)
Current:Kevin Garnett (Chris Paul)
A redux of the race to the MVP, Garnett once again beats out Paul as his Celts are dominating the NBA through the stingy defence which is first in Points Allowed and the more worthwhile stat, Points Per 100 possessions. Paul, averging 2.97 steals a game is a one man trap, a lock-down defender and a game changing presence on defence.
The Rest:
--Runners-up in brackets
NBA MVP:
Pre-season pick: LeBron James (Steve Nash)
First tri-mester: Kevin Garnett (Chris Paul)
While LeBron got off to a torrid start, his team is faltering and his production has cooled recently. And although Nash continues to marvel with his passing and leadership, 2007-08 has begun the changing of the (point) guard in the NBA. Deron Williams has been flat out balling, improving all his career numbers and Tony Parker, when healthy, has once again been great. However, the story of this season for point guards had been Chris Paul, as he threatens to be the first player in NBA history to average 20 points, 10 assists, and 3 steals in a season. Further, he's 4th in the NBA in player efficiency, a stat usually dominated by big men. Paul has elevated a Hornets team which would struggle to beat the Knicks without him into a Western conference power -- a team no one wants to see in the playoffs.
Enough has been said about the Celts and KG everywhere else that I don't need to say anything but this: KG is the motor of that team; his intensity and defence set the tone every night. When you're the unquestioned leader of a 27-3 team, you're also the unquestioned NBA MVP. Here's hoping the Celts start sucking and CP3 can take this award from him.
Rookie of the Year:
Pre-season: Kevin Durant (Al Horford)
Current: Durant (Horford)
This was a pretty obvious pre-season pick for anyone who followed college basketball last year. There are some nice surprises in the rookie class this year, including the emergence of Super Jamario starting for the Raps and Sean Williams of the Nets who has proved you need no offensive talent to be a staple in the NBA TV daily top 10. I see no change in the top 2 rookies for the rest of the year, unless Horford decides to physically assault another NBA player with a spinal condition and gets suspended indefinitely.
Coach of the Year:
Pre-season:Marc Iavaroni (Stan Van Gundy)
Current: Nate McMillan (Van Gundy)
The voters will likely choose Doc Rivers as the winner, and I'm here to tell you that's a huge mistake, just like choosing Sam Mitchell last year was too. The NBA should institute a rule preventing Executive and Coach of the Year awards going to the same team. The Raps improved drastically last year not because Mitchell finally figured out how to draw Xs and Os, but because Bryan Colangelo spun his Midas Touch on the team, trading for TJ Ford, drafting Andrea Bargnani, bringing in AP !8, etc. So too, Danny Ainge should get the credit for bringing in KG and Ray Allen and all those crappy role players who are made so much better cuz of KG. Doc Rivers has been a horrible coach his whole career; getting good players doesnt make him a good coach.
McMillan, on the other hand, has been at the helms at the most shocking turnaround in the NBA this year. The Blazers lost their big addition when Greg Oden was sidelined for the year and yet the Blazers have won 14 of their last 15 games somehow. This award is McMillan's to lose.
PS -- Although the Iavaroni pick and my prediction the Grizzlies would make the playoffs look ridiculous now, I do believe this team is turning a corner and will be a second-half spoiler that no team jockeying for playoff position wants to see.
6th Man:
Preseason: Leandro Barbosa (Manu Ginobili)
Current: Ginobili (Barbosa)
Again, not a difficult category to predict; Ginobili has been better, though, and deserves the award, at this point of the season, over Barbosa who has also been good but not at the level of Ginobili who has been the Spurs most consistent performer this year.
Most Improved:
Preseason: LaMarcus Aldridge (Daniel Gibson)
Current: Aldridge (Rudy Gay)
Gibson kinda sucks, but Aldridge has looked impressive from the get-go, dominating the Spurs in the Blazers opener this year and never looking back. Between Gay and Aldridge it's a tough call, but due to the Balzers being a better team and Aldridge improving his rebounding numbers more, I'm giving him the egde.
Defensive Player:
Preseason: Shawn Marion (Tim Duncan)
Current:Kevin Garnett (Chris Paul)
A redux of the race to the MVP, Garnett once again beats out Paul as his Celts are dominating the NBA through the stingy defence which is first in Points Allowed and the more worthwhile stat, Points Per 100 possessions. Paul, averging 2.97 steals a game is a one man trap, a lock-down defender and a game changing presence on defence.
The Rest:
- Look for the Raptors, Bulls, Cavs, and Nets to get rolling a bit a move towards 4-7 spots in the east, with the Raps making a push to knock Orlando out of the 3 seed.
- The Celts will not win 70 games, but will come awful close. I'm sensing 68 wins. However, they will not be the team to represent the East in the Finals, either because of injuries or because Flip Saunders will finally figure out how to coach in the playoffs.
- I'm as shocked as anyone, but the Rockets will not make the playoffs. The Warriors and Lakers will, but the Blazers will not.
- I'm still picking Phoenix to win the championship, even though they make every center they play against look like Wilt Chamberlin. I like the Suns not because I think they're the best team, but because I really really like Steve Nash. Amare Stoudemire, though, is a horrible on the ball post defender and will likely be the reason the Suns lose in the playoffs.
- Nonetheless, it's Suns over Pistons in June in a classic battle of offense vs. defence with the Suns prevailing in 6.
- Last prediction: Jamario Moon will win the Slam Dunk Competition with an array of dunks thought not to be humanly possible.
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