Thursday, February 16, 2012

Mid-Season Review Part 3: Rookie of the Year- What will become of this year's class?



For those who thought Derrick Williams may have been a better pick than Kyrie Irving...you were wrong.




Note: With teams now approaching the 33-game, we will be taking this week to do a mid-season review. Stay tuned for analysis of the standings, MVP, ROY, DPOY, MIP, 6th Man and more.



            What is the true value of a rookie? As we approach the mid-point of the season this question becomes more and more relevant.  There are some players who will be stars, future number one options and leaders of their respective teams. There are others who will become second or third scoring options. Some players will wind up as career role players and a majority of each rookie class has a short stint of three or four years in the league.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Mid-Season Review Part 2: MVP Race


No headaches for LeBron and the Heat this season. 



Note: With teams now approaching the 33-game, we will be taking this week to do a mid-season review. Stay tuned for analysis of the standings, MVP, ROY, DPOY, MIP, 6th Man and more.



            The lockout has caused the MVP race to be somewhat of a rollercoaster ride. We’ve seen a handful of consistent candidates including LeBron, Durant, Kobe and Rose, but also a few wild cards, such as Kevin Love and Chris Paul. Where they rank as MVPs has largely depended on what week you look at them. More recently there have been a few players playing themselves into shape and thus, playing themselves back into the MVP discussion.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Mid-Season Review Part 1: Where We Stand- A look at the current NBA Standings



Somehow Paul Millsap has the Jazz in the playoff picture.




Note: With teams now approaching the 33-game mark, we will be taking this week to do a mid-season review. Stay tuned for analysis of the standings, MVP, ROY, DPOY, MIP, 6th Man and more.


Mid-Season Review Part 2: MVP Race
Mid-Season Review Part 3: Rookie of the Year-What will become of this year's class?

            At the start of the season I debated whether youth or experience would prevail at the end of the season. As we approach the mid-way point, it seems that a little bit of both is resulting in success.
In the East we’ve seen the younger teams in the league, such as the Bobcats, Wizards and Pistons, struggle to a degree that at times has been unwatchable. But a few other young teams, including the 76ers and the Pacers, have gelled and are off to their best starts in a decade. Boston, one of the oldest teams in the East, struggled to find their legs early and were on pace to finish at the bottom of their division until Paul Pierce played his way back into shape and Rondo returned from an injury. The Heat and the Bulls were once again expected to rise to the top of the conference and thus far they have not disappointed. But the Knicks, who many predicted to grab a top seed, looked as though they’d wind up being the leagues biggest disappointment until Jeremy Lin came to their rescue.
Out West 13 of the 15 teams in the conference are separated by 9-1/2 games. And yes, there are still only eight playoff spots in each conference. The Thunder have been using their talent and youth to run away with the Conference. Meanwhile, the Clippers have been battling with the Lakers for the rights to the Staples Center. The crafty Spurs are still hanging on to a top seed and the defending Champion Mavs have played their way into shape and currently sit in the middle of the playoff picture. Then we have Rockets, Nuggets, Jazz, Blazers, Grizzlies, Wolves, Suns and Warriors fighting for the last three spots. Most people expected the Nuggets, Blazers and Grizzlies to be in position to make the playoffs, but the rest of the bunch, especially the Jazz, were assumed to be lottery bound.
If the season were to end today, here is how the playoff picture would look along with my predicitons:

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Doc Finds The Truth: The Turnaround of the Aging Boston Celtics


The aging Celtics are no longer fading, how does Doc Rivers do it?


            Early this season I was having a conversation with a friend of mine who follows the NBA on a regular basis. We began by discussing our season predictions and MVP picks, but eventually stumbled upon the perennial topic of the aging Boston Celtics. And after four years of waiting, we both concluded, the Celtics were (finally) done. At the time they were sitting near the bottom of the Atlantic Division with a five-win, eight-loss record.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Rookie Rankings Update (2/6)- The Role of Role Players



The Spurs knew what they were doing when they traded with the Pacers to get Kawhi Leonard.


            We’re not even halfway through the season and we know the Rookie of the Year award is going to Kyrie Irving or Ricky Rubio. I don’t say that to make the ROY race sound bland. Up to this point it hasn’t been and I expect Irving and Rubio to continue to entertain fans with their elite talents and the prospect of leading their teams to a playoff spot in their respective conferences. But this week I am more intrigued by a different grouping of players. These aren’t players who have a shot at winning the ROY. They most likely will not win an MVP down the road. At best they might wind up with a couple of All-Star selections, a Most-Improved Player or 6th-man award. Injuries aside, they will be guaranteed a lengthy NBA career. These are the players that help teams win championships; these are role players.

Friday, February 3, 2012

MVP Update (2/3): Chris Paul Enters the Discussion



Chris Paul doesn't take head taps lightly. 


In previous weeks it has been noted that this year’s MVP award is a four-man race between LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose. LeBron has been putting on an efficiency showdown and is having one of the best statistical seasons in NBA history. Kevin Durant is leading the Thunder to the best record in the league while grabbing more rebounds. Kobe has gotten back to being Kobe by leading the league in scoring and fighting for ownership of the Staples Center with the Clippers. And then there is Derrick Rose, who is doing whatever it takes to keep the Bulls atop the Eastern Conference[1]. But this week a fifth man enters the discussion. I bring to your attention, Mr. Chris Paul.