Wednesday night saw the Eastern heavyweights Indiana and Miami face off in an epic encounter. One that saw Roy Hibbert in foul trouble most of the night and a comeback win for Miami. Without going into detail, Pacers will be in the NBA Finals. During this match there was a controversial call as Paul George rose up for the three to tie the game in the dying seconds and we can see Lebron clearly holding him on the hips. If you see the video the legs also clash and Paul George's momentum is definitely affected and his shot is well out to the left. Many analysts agree with me that it was a clear foul. Coach Nick from BBALLBREAKDOWN went as far as to say it was "One of the worst no calls I've seen in some time." The play was later reviewed on a segment on his show where former NBA umpire Ronnie Nunn also came to the conclusion it was a foul. However do we really expect a foul to be called against Lebron James at home? No, nevertheless the Pacers will beat the Heat in the playoffs
Tonight when surely it couldn't get anymore dramatic than last night... IT DID. The Spurs were without Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan against the Warriors in Golden State. The Spurs got a tip in from Tiago Splitter with 2 seconds left for a two point lead. A tip in that clearly should not have been allowed as it was still on the cylinder. The NBA rules do not allow a review of goaltending unless goaltending was the original call made on court, in this case it wasn't so no review was allowed. Golden State were robbed in this sense. There should definitely have been an overtime in this game. Good thing is this season we are seeing a game winner basically every night, but seriously these referees have to get better with their calls.
Kobe Bryant will be out about six weeks with a fracture of the lateral tibial plateau in his left knee, the same side as his torn achilles.
He was injured in the third quarter v Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday yet finished the game out and won with the fracture. He is the complete definition of a true warrior. This is a huge blow and will no doubt put question marks over retirement once again. He only played 6 games averaging 13.8 PPG and 6.3 APG going 2-4 in this time.
Kobe Bryant timeline:
•4/12: Ruptures Achilles
•11/25: Signs 2-yr, $48.5M extension
•12/8: Returns to lineup
•12/19: Knee injury (Out 6 wks) This adds to already injured Steve Nash, Jordan Farmar and Steve Blake Lakers backcourt with news that Nash will be out at least another month and raises certainty that over these two years we will never see a truly healthy Pau, Kobe and Nash play alongside each other.
Xavier Henry will start at Point Guard now, a position that coming into the season the Lakers expected to be very deep at. It may be a good idea to keep Kobe out for the season make sure he comes back 100% healthy and tank for a good draft pick now so the Lakers could compete next season. Either way we just hope Kobe can come back to his mamba best. Sad day in basketball
The last Lakers point guard, Steve Blake, will be missing the next 6 weeks with a torn UCL in his shoulder. The injury came November 26th against the Wizards. With Nash and Farmar still out this puts the Lakers in a dire position to sign a point guard. Possilbly Leandro Barbosa otherwise they can just tough it out
Blake said today that he will not have surgery but will instead get Platalet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy on his elbow.
In the meantime Kobe will run the point guard in only his third game back from a major injury and with the Lakers playing OKC tomorrow except Westbrook to have a huge game! Injury problems have been huge for the Lakers over the past 2 seasons and with the West being so strong this could destroy the Lakers hopes of making the playoffs.
Rudy Gay has been traded to the Kings today. In return the Raptors will receive John Salmons, Vasquez, Patterson and Hayes. Along with Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray will be traded to the Kings too. The deal was reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
Rudy Gay was sent to the Raptors from the Grizzlies last season in a three team deal with the Pistons for Ed Davis, Jose Calderon and Tayshaun Prince. Gay is averaging 19.4 PPG and 7.4 RPG so far this season off an atrocious 18.6 FG attempts per game. He has been a consistent 19-20ppg guy throughout his career and a high volume shooter.
Kings plan on using Rudy Gay as a stretch power forward & see Gay & Derrick Williams as interchangeable guarding either forward. Kings Potential Starters: PG Thomas, SG McLemore, SF Gay, PF Thompson, C Cousins with Derrick Williams and Carl Landry to come off the bench. They look like a solid team now however they will need to play perfect to make the Playoffs in the West as they have a 2nd worst 5-13 record.
The Raptors look like they will be tanking for Wiggins now and yes this means Rudy will not be playing in Kobe's return tonight. Vasquez is a nice pick up averaging 9.8 PPG and 5.3 APG, Patrick Patterson a 6.9 PPG and 5.8 RPG player and in his 6th NBA season. Salmons and Hayes are veterans, one has to wonder why the Raptors didn't attempt to get a pick in this trade.
Kobe Bryant is set to return in tomorrow's game against the Raptors. You know he loves to play the Raptors, he scored 81 on them in 2006 and last time against Toronto was an epic comeback game with three ridiculous threes to send it to OT and then win with the dunk. Now we can't expect any heroics like that so early in his return especially as D'antoni has said he only wants to play Kobe 20 minutes at the moment.
The Lakers are 10-9 now and are 10th in the Western Conference. I always said that if they could be at 500 or better without Kobe they would make the playoffs. Without Kobe the team has been flowing, the ball movement has been outstanding and the chemistry perfect. Kobe's return adds even more depth to the already deepest roster in the league. Now Meeks who has been a top 3 scorer for the Lakers and having a breakout season will come off the bench adding another weapon to the league's highest scoring bench. Some doubters believe the ball movement and chemistry will be ruined once Kobe comes back and he will take too many shots. However look at last season where the Mamba had a few games with 14 assists and ended with 6 assists per game the highest from any shooting guard.
Kobe coming up Clutch v Raptors
In fact I believe the ball movement will be improved and other players will find themselves with better looks than they have gotten this season. This will be instrumental for Shawne Williams who has yet to find his mark from 3 and should help Meeks, Young, Blake and Wes Johnson who are already having incredible seasons!
This team is still missing Nash and Farmar will be out until early January however I think they may be able to compete come playoff time. This team is eerily similar to the 08-09 team that beat Orlando in the Finals. Wes Johnson can hit the three ball and has proven early in the season to be an athletic defender just like Trevor Ariza was, Nash or Blake is an upgrade on Derek Fisher who only averaged 10 PPG and 3 APG. Steve Blake is orchestrating the offense better than D-Fish did however the Lakers did play the Triangle back then. Off the bench you have Meeks who is similar to Vujacic except Meeks can put the ball on the ground. Farmar and Nash as the two back up point guards are better than a younger Farmar in 09 and Shannon Brown who only averaged 3 PPG in season and 5 PPG in playoffs. Now they don't have a Lamar Odom coming off the bench however they have Nick Young, Shawne Williams and Chris Kaman. Jordan Hill and Sacre (Who is suprisingly playing well) are taking the spot of Bynum. Bynum only averaged 6 points and 3 rebounds in the playoffs of 09 so Hill/Sacre are actually an upgrade in terms of the stat sheet, and obviously there are two of them as opposed to one Bynum. Kobe and Pau would need to play at their respective levels and I believe both can. Pau will play better with Kobe and Kobe will continue being Kobe. D'antoni is a great coach he is receiving incredible amounts from his players, no one expected this team to be above 500. It is a long stretch to say the Lakers can win the championship this season but hey it's not impossible. And you can't deny this squad is eerily similar to the 09 squad but now they are deeper and more versatile.
The 08-09 Lakers and the 13-14 Lakers are very similar
Will Lakers make the playoffs and if so what seed? Do they have a shot at the ring if healthy?
Kobe Bryant signed a two-year extension on his contract worth 48.5 million dollars, 23.5 in the first year and 25 in the second year making him still the highest paid player in the NBA
“This is a very happy day for Lakers fans and for the Lakers organization,” Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak said in a statement released by the team. “We’ve said all along that our priority and hope was to have Kobe finish his career as a Laker, and this should ensure that happens. To play 20 years in the NBA, and to do so with the same team, is unprecedented, and quite an accomplishment. Most importantly however, it assures us that one of the best players in the world will remain a Laker, bringing us excellent play and excitement for years to come.”
The salary cap has been a big talking point of the Lakers as they don't have many other contracts for next season and were primed to make a big splash in Free Agency namely Carmelo Anthony and Lebron James. The Lakers still have enough money to offer a max contract next season but that would make it virtually impossible to keep Pau Gasol as he has stated he wont take a pay cut, also it would be hard to see how they keep Jordan Hill, Farmar, Steve Blake, Meeks, Kaman and Wes Johnson should they spend their remaining 22 million on a max contract.
This extension adds more questions about the Lakers' future now with many fans hoping Kobe would take a Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett style pay cut and accept a 10-15 mill contract.
Kobe is all about winning but we have to wonder was this the best option for a ring? He will most likely be a Laker for life now unless he is traded down the road.
The Lakers got some good news over the weekend: Kobe Bryant has been fully medically cleared to resume all basketball activities.
As reported by Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding, Bryant has no restrictions on his continued progress in his rehabilitation from the torn left Achilles tendon suffered seven months ago.
Bryant made his much-anticipated return to practice on Saturday, where he went through 5-on-0 drills and did some half court drills with his teammates.
"He looked real good," said Jordan Hill of Bryant at practice after his own career-high game against Detroit. "He was going real hard. I thought he wasn't going to be able to go that hard but he was really pushing it. And, I know he's not ready yet but he's coming along and he should be ready pretty soon."
The Lakers do not play again until Friday against the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center, no word on whether he will play in that game but he will be back very soon. The Lakers are 5-7 currently and could definitely use his 25+ points per game and coming up big down the stretch in the 4th quarter as they have struggled so far in the final quarters of games. His return also further bolsters the bench which is already averaging the most PPG, as Jodie Meeks would most likely come off the bench and he is averaging a team best 13.7 PPG so far!
Up by 4 points with 3.6 seconds left, the Miami Heat managed to choke away their lead.
Miami shot 66.7% from the field in the fourth quarter and still found a way to lose the game to the Boston Celtics still without Rajon Rondo
Down the stretch it was Avery Bradley making a tough 3 and a floater to keep the Celtics within striking distance. Dwayne Wade lost the game with bad plays on offense and defense!
With 3.6 seconds left Gerald Wallace hit a quick contested layup and immediately fouled Dwayne Wade with 0.6 on the clock. Wade missed the first and intentionally missed the second so that time would decrease however he failed to hit the rim which gave the ball straight back to Boston with 0.6. It was then an incredible inbounds play which say Jeff Green catch the ball in the opposite end of the court and make an impossible three with Lebron's hand outstretched.
Green ended with 24 points, Bradley 17 and Crawford 15
Lebron had 25 points 10 assists and 8 rebounds, Bosh 20 & 7, Wade 18 & 7 assists
The Los Angeles Lakers finally got their chance to play against Dwight Howard's Houston Rockets and it was an incredible game winning 99-98.
Some roster changes were made for the Lakers, Kaman started in place of Sean Williams which worked very well early in the game also Nick Young started in place of Xavier Henry. Henry was quiet for only 3 points, Young had 11 but didn't have as much court time because of Jodie Meeks' incredible shooting performance.
At one stage the Lakers held a 19 point lead and were up by 14 at the half. However the Rockets, led by James Harden came storming back and had a 6 point lead with around 2 minutes remaining. The Lakers went Hack-A-Howard in which he was 5-12 from the line.
Jodie Meeks had a great game going 5 from 7 from deep and was the high man for the Lakers with 18 points. Wesley Johnson has really found his groove and has showed his talent this season he had another great game today with 16 points, 2 blocks, 4 rebounds including three threes!
The Lakers bench had 54 points again today! Jordan Farmar another solid all around game 11 points 7 assists and 4 rebounds. The Laker bench is averaging an NBA-high 57.8 PPG, (current league avg = 32.9). Bench accounting for 57.5% of team's points!
Dwight's face LOL
Pau Gasol was underwhelming with only 2 points and 12 rebounds
For the Rockets James Harden was outstanding and got them back into the game. He finished with 35 points 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals
Dwight Howard had 15 points and 14 rebounds and you can bet Laker fans are happy beating him!
Houston had 52 attempts at the line compared to Lakers just 15
It was Steve Blake's three that was the story of the night. 1.3 seconds remaining and he made the shot over Dwight Howard!
Lakers are now 3-3 and have to be happy with their first win on the road and all of this without Kobe and will play in New Orleans tomorrow night.
Rockets now 4-2
After speculation the mamba may return around Christmas time, his last tweet has led us to believe he will return on the 15th of November against the Memphis Grizzlies. His latest tweet was: #blackout#bearhunt Black out= Hollywood Night Bear Hunt= Memphis Grizzlies
After tearing his achilles in April Kobe Bryant was expected to be out 6-9 months however he has indicated he is slightly ahead of schedule. His twitter avatar was 1225 in regards to ESPN's outlandish projections of the Lakers finishing 12th in the West and Kobe being the 25th best player in the league, however some believe this was his return date for Christmas day.
So far the Lakers are 2-2 and would play only another 6 games without Kobe before his return. They have received impressive performances by Xavier Henry, Nick Young, Jodie Meeks and Jordan Farmar. The bench has definitely been a surprise, beating the Clippers in the last quarter and scoring 50+ points in most of the games thus far.
Boston scored 13 points in a row to take a 65-63 lead in the fourth but the Pistons then answered with a 10-0 run.
Brandon Jennings made his Detroit Pistons debut tonight! Finished with 14 points, 4 steals and 4 assists Andre Drummond had 15 points12 rebounds, Greg Monroe 15 & 10, Josh Smith 15 & 7 as Detroit beat the Celtics 87-77
Rookie Kelly Olynyk had 15 points and 8 rebounds for the Celtics Avery Bradley and Jordan Crawford had 13 a piece
NOTE: Greg Monroe recorded his 69th double double since the 2011-12 season which is an Eastern Conference high
Boston is now 0-3, Detroit 2-1
Miami Heat vs Washington Wizards
Miami led by as many as 23 points and won 103-93. There record improves to 2-2, Wizards remain winless 0-3
Lebron James had 25 points and 5 assists, Chris Bosh 24 points and 7 rebounds, Dwayne Wade 20 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds
Marcin Gortat had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Wizards, Bradley Beal led the way with 19 points, John Wall with 11 points and 9 assists.
Orlando Magic vs Brooklyn Nets
Orlando continue their surprisingly good form with a 107-86 win over the Nets and move to 2-2, Nets now are 1-2
Nikola Vucevic 19 points 12 rebounds, Victor Oladipo had 19 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and an incredible 360 dunk. Aaron Afflalo had 16 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds, Nicholson had 17 points and 11 rebounds
For Brooklyn, Brook Lopez was the standout with 21 points and 6 rebounds, Paul Pierce was also good with 16 points and 7 rebounds
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Phoenix Suns
25 turnovers have killed the Suns today, but they look much better than expected! OKC come out with the win 103-96
Derek Fisher with key plays on both ends down the stretch Russell Westbrook with 21 points 5-16 FG 7 assists and 4 rebounds Kevin Durant with 33 points and 10 rebounds
ERIC BLEDSOE IS THE REAL DEAL 26 points 14 assists 7 rebounds and 3 steals!!! Gerald Green 21 points and 8 rebounds, Channing Frye 19 points
Suns take their first loss and move to 2-1, OKC are now 2-1 as well.
New York Knicks vs Minnesota Timberwolves
Wolves survive a late scare to beat the Knicks 109-100. The Knicks came back from a 20 point deficit in the third to with two points 100-98 with 4:49 remaining
Kevin Love 34 points 15 rebounds 5 assists having a great start to the season probably leading MVP in early stages Kevin Martin has been a great addition he scored 30 points today
Carmelo Anthony had a great game too 22 points 17 rebounds Metta World Peace had 17 points
Timberwolves remain undefeated and move to 3-0! Knicks are 1-2.
NOTE: Timberwolves are averaging 37.3 PPG in the first quarter so far this season it was 40-19 at quarter time.
Los Angeles Lakers vs Atlanta Hawks
Xavier Henry started in place of Nick Young who came off the bench and it helped Nick Young who ended with 13 points 4 assists and 4 rebounds.
LAKERS WIN 105-103!! Pau GASOL hit 2 FREETHROWS AND BLOCKS THE POTENTIAL GAME WINNER!! WOW He finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds
Lakers coughed up an early 21 point lead, it was tied 103-103 with 36 seconds left. Lakers missed a shot and the big Jordan Hill came up with the offensive rebound to reset the clock. With 5 seconds left Pau attacked the basket and the call ended up needing a review to decide it was a blocking foul. Incredible moments down the stretch.
Wesley Johnson was great in the second half he ended on 9 points 7 rebounds and 3 blocks! Xavier Henry 18 points Steve Nash 13 points and 6 assists 48 bench points for the Lakers, Jordan Hill MASSIVE Down the stretch!
Kyle Korver was incredible for the Hawks six three pointers and ended with the game high 22 points Al Horford had 12 points and 16 rebounds, Paul Millsap 14 and 7 Jeff Teague with 14 points 6 rebounds 4 assists
Russell Westbrook has surprisingly been
cleared to play tonight after he tore his meniscus in Game 2 of the playoffs
against Houston. He was forced to have 2 surgeries which delayed his recovery
and was not expected to play for at least another 2 weeks however he was
cleared by doctors this morning:
"Russell Westbrook has gone through a methodical rehab
process jointly created by our medical and performance teams and treating
physicians," Thunder general manager Sam Presti said in the release.
"The process has been instrumental in getting Russell to this point and has
included various physical and medical benchmarks. The final benchmark being
unrestricted basketball activity. After hitting the necessary marks, all
parties, including the team, consulting physicians, Russell's representatives,
and most importantly Russell, jointly determined that returning to play was the
correct next step."
This is a timely return for the Thunder who desperately need his
presence. OKC are 1-1 currently they needed 42 points from superstar Kevin
Durant to only just beat the lowly rated Jazz 101-98 and then got destroyed
against the Timberwolves 100-81. Last season Westbrook averaged 23.2 PG 5.2 RPG
7.4 APG and 1.8 SPG and is one of the premier point guards in the league.
The biggest surprise of the year so far is
no doubt the Philadelphia 76ers. They have started 3-0 against the Heat,
Wizards and now the Bulls. Vegas had them projected to only win 16 games for
the entire season and had them at 9,999 to 1 odds at winning the championship!
Most expected them to tank for Wiggins, so far they are not doing a good job at
that!
Carter-Williams impressive debut! Artwork:Beyond The Buzzer
VS the Heat
They played their season opener at home
against Miami the reigning champions. Before the game Allen Iverson had his
retirement speech and the 76ers were noticeably fired up and raced out to a
19-0 lead and ultimately won 114-110. The rookie Michael Carter-Williams almost
had a quadruple double in his first game with 22 points 12 assists 7 rebounds
and 9 steals (the most steals in a debut game), Evan Turner had 26 points
including a dunk on Lebron, Spencer Hawes had 24 as the Sixers outscored the
Head 29-16 in the final quarter!
VS the Wizards
They faced a 12 point deficit in the 3rd
quarter. John Wall tore apart the first half with 23 points but the Sixers
managed to comeback. Carter-Williams hit a three with 6.28 remaining to give
the Sixers their first lead and they didn’t look back. He only finished with 14
but Thaddeus Young scored 29, Evan Turner 23 and Spencer Hawes added 16 points
with 14 rebounds!
VS the Bulls
Today the Sixers managed what may have been
their biggest upset yet. Down 20 points at one stage they again found a way to
snatch a victory. Led again by their rookie Carter-Williams with 26 points, 10
assists and 3 steals who was key down the clutch and had 13 in the 3rd
quarter comeback. Spencer Hawes was again impressive with 18 points and 11
rebounds.
Incredible win against the Bulls Artwork: Beyond the Buzzer
Overall
Key performers:
Michael Carter-Williams 20.7 PPG, 9.0 APG,
4.3 SPG, 4.7 RPG in 35 MPG
Evan Turner: 23 PPG 4.0 APG 4.3 RPG in 37
MPG
Spencer Hawes: 19.3 PPG 11.3 RPG in 31 MPG
Thaddeus Young: 17.3 PPG 7 RPG in 32 MPG
Tony Wroten off the bench: 11.7 PPG 4.7 RPG
in 21 MPG
New Head Coach: Brett Brown formerly Head
Coach of the Australian Boomers at the 2012 London Olympics
Coached NBL teams North Melbourne Giants
and won Coach of the Year and the Championship in 1994.
He was an assistant coach for the Spurs in
2007
Remember they are doing this with their
starting center Nerlens Noel the 6th pick in this years draft who
may miss the entire season due to his ACL injury.
Can the 76ers continue to shock and make
the playoffs, or will they eventually come back to Earth?
1. Trey
Burke UPDATE: Trey has an injury and is out indefinitely
Burke will be the starting Point Guard for
a rebuilding Jazz team. They really don’t have any other possible candidates
for this position which will mean Trey will have a lot of time to show how good
he is. At NCAA level he won 5 national player of the year awards, led the Big
10 in APG, minutes played and came second in PPG. Four out of the last 5 ROY
winners were in a similar situation: Point guard on a rebuilding team (Lillard,
Irving, Evans, Rose.)
2. Kelly
Olynyk/ Michael Carter Williams
Olynyk had the best summer league out of all the rookies. He averaged 18 PPG on
57.8% shooting 7.8 RPG and 2.4 APG. He is playing for Boston so he will get
ample playing time, he has a great skill set including a large range for a big
man. Could possibly be a poor man’s Dirk Nowitzki. Finished on top of the
Rookie Ladder post Summer League. Michael Carter Williams looks like a beast almost got a quadruple double in his first game!
3. Victor
Oladipo
Oladipo is an incredible athlete and
NBA-ready. He will see a lot of playing time in Orlando which will help. He is
a lock down defender and ranks second in steals per 40 minutes. Orlando will
love him because of his high intensity on defense and has been likened to Tony
Allen. However his offense needs work he shot only 24% from 3-point range in
his first two seasons for Indiana. He averaged 19 PPG 5.0 APG and 4.3 RPG for
Indiana and is the favorite to win the award by most analysts.
4. CJ
McCollum
Portland have drafted another gun in
McCollum. He has a lethal jump shot and can score from anywhere, hitting on 52%
from three last season. He is pretty good on the boards too and averaged 2.1
steals a game. May be affected by playing time if Portland decide to make him a
backup to Lillard. Averaged 21 PPG in summer league.
5. Cody
Zeller He averaged 9.3 RPG and 16.3 PPG during summer
league and sits second on the Rookie Ladder. He is NBA-ready and offensively
versatile and has a habit of getting to the line. Will he play backup to
Jefferson or start alongside him? This will determine whether he has a real
chance at ROY.
Coach of the Year
1. Mike
Brown (Cleveland Cavaliers)
This may seem a surprising pick however the Cavaliers have a real chance to
make 6th seed in the East. To do that they would need around 45-48
wins, which would be more than a 20 game, increase over last season. If this
happens Mike Brown has a great chance at COY, especially if the Cavs can
challenger the top tier teams.
2. Frank Vogel (Indiana Pacers)
The Pacers only had 49 wins last season and
were the 23rd best offensive team. Now with Granger returning, Cj
Watson, Scola and Copeland being added the Pacers should aim to drastically
increase their offensive production while enhancing their defense as well (They
were 2nd last year in fewest points allowed per game). They have a
60+ win roster which would make Vogel a candidate for COY.
3. Rick
Adelman (Minnesota Timberwolves)
The Minnesota Timberwolves are primed to
make a run for the playoffs this season. They need their core of Love, Rubio
and Pekovic to stay healthy for once. Early last season it looked like they
could be a real hard team to beat until Love was injured and they fell apart.
The signing of Kevin Martin adds great scoring off the bench but the loss of
Kirilenko will affect them. Minnesota only ended up with 31 wins last season,
don’t be surprised if they achieve 50 this season. If they end up in the top 6
seeds Rick Adelman could be a lock for COY. 4. Doc Rivers (Los Angeles Clippers)
A lot of early love for Rivers to win the
Coach of the Year but I’m not sold. The Clippers would have to finish top 2 in
the West and have about 60 wins to be considered a dramatically changed team.
Yes Doc does add a championship caliber to a team that has struggled to pass
the first round of the playoffs but I still don’t know if he can produce the
results expected by everyone.
5. Mike
D’antoni (Los Angeles Lakers)
I haven’t seen any Lakers personnel in any
predictions whatsoever. Which is strange because when the expectations are low
the upside is high. Mike D’antoni can coach yet because of last season’s
failure with the Lakers he has been made out to seem like some sort of fool. He
has not had a preseason with the Lakers yet, he arrived mid-season and was
taking the place of what was believed to be Phil Jackson’s job. This season the
Lakers have been doomed to fail dramatically according to ESPN and finish as
low as 12th with less than 40 wins. The Lakers chemistry will
increase and so will their offense. Mike D’antoni is about to prove once again
that is a coaching genius. Don’t be surprised if he wins Coach Of the Year
Brian Shaw coached under PJ while at the Lakers
Special Mentions: Brian Shaw (Denver
Nuggets)/Mark Jackson (Golden State Warriors) Brian Shaw is a great coach and will
do wonders for the Nuggets however I don’t think he can win this award because
the Nuggets improved dramatically last season and will probably struggle
without Igoudala and Gallinari for half a season. Mark Jackson could justifiably win
it. But to do so would require a top 2 finish in the West and a real
possibility of winning the championship. It is definitely possible but the
expectations are high.
Most Improved Player
Jeff Green had a breakout season last year... Could he win MIP this season?
1. Eric
Bledsoe
Is moving from being a backup at the
Clippers to being the star at Phoenix. Averaged 8.5 PPG and 3.1 APG in 20
minutes per game last season. We are about to see a new star emerge. 1.5: Greg Monroe
Greg Monroe is on the verge of a breakout year. He averaged 16 PPG and 9.6 RPG last season and now with Detroit’s growing expectations he will need to continue at this production and maybe increase it.
Andre Drummond He is killing it in preseason and like his teammate Monroe is set for a breakout year after averaging 7.9 PPG and 7.6 RPG last season as a rookie. Anthony Davis Not entirely sure if he is in real contention but he is killing it in the preseason with 21, 26 and 29 points in 3 of his games. Is the in form player of the preseason. 2. Enes Kanter Utah offloaded Millsap and Jefferson, which will allow Kanter and Favors to
be the starters and have drastically more playing time. Kanter averaged 7.2 PPG
and 4.3 RPG in only 15 minutes per game. He will have a much more important
role next season.
3. Tobias
Harris
An extremely promising athletic SF for the
Orlando Magic, Harris averaged 4.9 PPG and 2.0 RPG in Milwaukee before the
trade to Orlando where he averaged 17.3 PPG and 8.5 RPG. Expect more of the
same this season as he will be a big part of Orlando’s growth.
4. Jonas
Valanciunas
Averaged 8.9 PPG and 6.0 APG in 23 minutes
per game last season, his first in the NBA. He was named summer league MVP
averaging 18.8 and 10. Now with the departure of Bargnani he will see more
playing time and a larger role.
5. Jimmy
Butler/Kahwi Leonard
Both had stellar post seasons mostly on the
defensive side. Butler played the whole season and averaged 8.6 PPG (13 PPG in
the postseason) and 4 RPG he will be the starting SG for the Bulls again this
season. Kahwi is the future of the Spurs and showed it against Miami.
6. Jeff
Green Last year he averaged 12.8 PPG 3.9 RPG in only 27.8
Minutes per game. He was Pierce’s backup for most of the season and now with
him gone, Green will be a starter. His best performances last year came with
Avery Bradley playing the Point, so his looks and production should increase
even more with Rajon Rondo returning.
Defensive Player of the Year
1. Roy
Hibbert Hibbert was incredible against the Heat in the ECF and throughout the whole playoffs.
Defensively he altered so many shots around the basket and was a big reason why
the Pacers had a chance to take the series. If he plays like this in the
regular season instead of waiting for the postseason to make his mark he will
have a good chance at winning the award. When asked why he wasn’t near the top
of voting last year he said: “You know what, because y’all m----f---‘s don’t
watch us play throughout the year to tell you the truth”
2. Dwight
Howard
Already a three time defensive winner and
could make it four now he is with Houston. Was overlooked last season because
of the Lakers overall poor defense however individually he did pretty well
averaging 2.4 BPG and 12.4 RPG (and altering many more shots). 3. Joakim Noah Noah is one of the most intense big men and throws his body at loose balls
on either end. He averaged 2.1 BPG and 11.1 RPG last season and is an outside
chance to win the award. 4. Serge Ibaka Serge is one of the most athletic big men and probably the best shot
blocker in the league. He averaged 3.0 BPG this season and 3.7 BPG the year
before leading the league both times. However he only averaged 7.7 RPG which he
will want to increase this season.
Sixth Man of the Year
1. Jarrett Jack
He finished 3rd last year in this award when playing for Golden State.
Now he is at Cleveland backing up Kyrie and Dion. He is the veteran out of
these three and will be expected to bring some experience and influence over
the young core of the Cavaliers. He averaged 12.9 PPG 3.1 RPG and 5.6 APG on
45% shooting last season and should small improvements as he may get a little
extra time on court.
2. Harrison
Barnes
With Iguodala coming to the Warriors,
Barnes likely will move to the bench. While he showed a really good performance
in the playoffs (16.1 PPG and 6.4 RPG) he was below average in the regular
season only averaging 9.2 PPG and 4.1 RPG. What helps his case though is that
he is a good lockdown defender as well, which could give him an advantage over
the other candidates.
3. Tyreke
Evans
He averaged 15.2 PPG 4.4 RPG and 3.5 APG
last season as a starter for the Kings. He has come out and said he would be
happy to come off the bench for the Pelicans and if that is true he could
easily win the award. He is extremely athletic and used to carrying a team’s
offense. He will have a very important role for the Pelicans and is essential
to their success.
4. JR
Smith
The reigning sixth man of the year has to
get some mention. He had a great regular season averaging 18.1 PPG and 5.3 RPG
however he was terrible in the playoffs. Furthermore he is out for four months
with a lateral meniscus tear, he should be back for the start of the season but
he may have restricted minutes early and struggle to find his rhythm.
5. Jamal
Crawford
Averaged 16.5 PPG last season but doesn’t
do much else apart from play offense. Now with the additions of Reddick and
Dudley his minutes will probably be reduced and so will his role. He came
second last year but I don’t think he has a great chance at it this season.
Most Valuable Player
1. Kevin Durant
The Thunder have no bench anymore so it’s
starters will have to take on a lot more responsibility. Namely Kevin Durant,
it is time to step up. He turns 25 this season still only entering his prime,
which is scary. He averaged 28.1 PPG 7.6 RPG and 4.1 APG last season; this will
increase with the loss of Kevin Martin. If OKC have any chance of competing
Durant and Westbrook will have to have big years. A prime chance for MVP
2. Kobe Bryant
Kobe isn’t even in ESPN’s top 10 for MVP.
Incredible. In fact Kobe isn’t on anyone’s MVP list. However the Lakers will
surprise this year, most people have written them off for dead. For them to
surprise Kobe needs to have an MVP like year. This is largely dependent on
whether the Lakers are going to compete this year or tank for a good draft pick
so Kobe could get his 6th next year. Assuming that they try to win
this year Kobe will need to do a lot of the work. If he weren’t coming off an
injury I’d have him in number one spot to win the MVP and like Chris Palmer
number 1 to lead the league in scoring.
Credit: Source24Designs
3. Lebron James Lebron may be the best player in the world but not necessarily the most
important for his team. You take him off the Heat they still make playoffs, you
take Kobe off the Lakers they will be lucky to surpass 20 wins, take Durant off
OKC they miss playoffs. That is what the most valuable player means, which is
why some people are confused to as why he won it last year. He has already won 4 MVPs and he will most
likely win another one. Remember the media are the ones who decide the MVP.
4. Chris
Paul
Chris Paul was incredible last year for the
Clippers, probably deserving of the MVP award if we go by the strict
interpretation. When he was out injured the Clippers backtracked immensely and
fell into a slump losing a lot of games during this period. He is the focal
point of their offense and without him they are lost. However with a coaching
change, Doc Rivers may not rely on him as heavily as Vinny Del Negro did. He
will have to make them less dependent on Paul for the Clippers to be
championship material.
Lebron with his 4 MVP Awards
Rounding out the Top 10
5. Carmelo Anthony
6. Derrick Rose
7. Paul George
8. Stephen Curry
9. Russell Westbrook
When looking at which players are the best in
the clutch we have to consider more than just hitting the game winner. As you
will see in this list the players higher up don’t only hit a single shot to win
the game they make about 3 or 4 shots leading up to the game winner as well.
These guys are the best at making huge shots in big moments to ensure they come
out with the W.
Honourable Mentions:
Gilbert
Arenas Known as Mr Video Game or Agent Zero for a good
reason he was one of the best shooters in the league. He made long range threes
look easy. His best game winners include a long range three he hit against Utah
on the buzzer and against Chicago with two defenders draped on him.
Tracy McGrady
Unfortunately T-Mac’s career was forced short, who knows how good he may have
been. However we saw how good he could be when he scored 13 points in 35
seconds in a playoff game against the Spurs. He has a total of 6 game winners
in his career including one in Game 2 vs Dallas over Dirk Nowitzki.
Derek
Fisher
Derek Fisher does not get enough credit for
his part in the Lakers dynasty that won 5 championships. He wasn’t the most
athletic or the most skilled but over his time as a player he is one of the
best in the crunch time.
His best performances include:
The lay up against Boston in Game 3 of the Finals
Those two three pointers against Orlando in game 4 of the Finals giving the
Lakers an insurmountable lead.
And of course the 0.4 shot VS the Spurs
5.
Ray Allen
Ray has had some incredible game winners most of them coming from behind the 3
point line. He has a total of 16 game winners in his career
Some of his best include the 2009 playoffs
vs Chicago where he hit the game winning 3 in double OT
Against Philly he made a game tying 3 then
the game winning 3 only seconds later
While in Seattle he hit the game winner
after the score was tied 149-149
But his best shot and probably the biggest shot ever hit in the last 20 years
was the game tying 3 that saved Miami’s season and sent game 6 to overtime.
4.
Robert Horry Robert Horry is known for his ability to hit game
winners. He has been one of the most clutch players to ever play the game
In 2002 Game 3 vs Blazers he hit a game
winning 3 with 2 seconds left
In the 2005 NBA Finals with the Spurs Game 5 he scored a 3 with 5.8 seconds
left to go up by one and seal the win
And his most recognizable shot was in 2002
WCF Game 4 where he made the 3 with seconds to spare against the Kings.
3. Reggie
Miller
There is not much to say about Reggie. One
of the fiercest competitors and best 4th quarter players to ever
play the game. In game 5 of the 199 ECF he made 25 points in the fourth quarter
against the Knicks. In the following year he scored 8 points in the final 9
seconds to win the game from what seemed an impossible position.
In game 4 in 1998 against the Bulls Reggie
made the game winner over Michael Jordan to tie the series at 2-2 after being
down 2-0.
2. Michael
Jordan
Michael Jordan has a total of 25 game
winners the second most in NBA history.
He has ‘The Shot’ in Game 5 against
Cleveland where he sealed the series for Chicago. In 1997 he made the game
winner against Utah to win game 1. His most famous shot is in his final game as
a Bull where he stole the ball from Karl Malone and on the other end hit the
game winner to win the Championship in Game 6.
1. Kobe
Bryant
Kobe has the most game winners ever in the
history of the game with 36. But what makes Kobe so good is that he will hit
the last 3 shots of the game and all of them can seem impossible. When it comes
down to making impossible shots there is no one that has ever played the game
better than Kobe Bryant. We saw an example this year against Toronto where Kobe
made three, three pointers in the clutch after the Lakers looked like they were
about to lose. In 2004 he made an impossible shot against the Trailblazers to
force OT then another one to win the game. His most memorable clutch
performance was against the Suns in game 4. Kobe made a ridiculous floater lay
up to send the game into Overtime and then he hit the game winner over Raja
Bell to seal the victory.
