NBA
Will anybody win on the road? I watched the Hornets/Spurs game last night until it got out of hand, frustrated that the Hornets (my new favorite team as CP3 has supplanted Steve Nash as my favorite player) couldn't close the deal. However, watching that game, I realized two things that have kept many teams from winning on the road this playoffs.
1. Teams just shoot better at home. Paying close attention to that series in particular, both teams have shot significantly better on their home courts. Guys like Bruce Bowen and Ime Udoka get the same amount of open looks in N.O. and S.A. In the Big Easy, they usually play like garbage, while they shoot like B.J. Armstrong and Craig Hodges in the "Insert Phone Company Name" Arena/Dome/Edifice. Also, just peep D. West's stats this series:
At Home: 26 pts, 11 reb, 4 ast, 53% FG
On Road: 14 pts, 8 reb, 1 ast, 38% FG
It will be interesting to see if the Lakers and Celtics, who are also David Stern's favorites to make the NBA Finals, can close the deal. Speaking of which, you have to wonder if Stern would prefer 3 seven game series or for the Lakers and Celtics to wrap things up tonight.
MLB
I still haven't really paid much attention to the diamond this year. That said, here are a few things that have surprised me, or stand out this season so far.
The Rays on fire, the Baby Backs in Arizona solidifying themselves as beasts while the Young Brewers still struggle, that Fukodome being the real thing, Chipper Jones hitting .400 + this far in the season, Lance Berkman is the man, Brandon Webb is also the man, Andruw Jones might be done, Dontrelle Willis as well, Barry Zito's definitely done, what the hell is up with the Tigers and Justin Verlander? And of course, the Upton brothers are holding down the 757 tremendously.
NFL
I might be the only person not tired of "Spygate," but we do need to get down to the bottom of it. The Patriots and NFL are pulling out all the stops to keep things from going further. But, as we often do in America, the public (fueled by the media) is tired of relevant, bad news and wants to pay attention to other things. (The Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina are recent issues that come to mind.)
Showing posts with label Chris Paul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chris Paul. Show all posts
Friday, May 16, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Chirs Paul Blog Day
I've decided to participate in Chris Paul blog day today. At the Hive, a Hornets blog, is inviting other blogs to wax poetically about the game's best point guard.
Instead of winning his first MVP award, CP3 will have to settle for celebrating his 23rd birthday, and preparing for whatever tricks Popovich will have up his sleeves after he destroyed them once again last night.
Since the CP3 for MVP campaign will have to fold up shot until next year, I'll probably change the picture soon. However, I'll leave it up for today.
Anyway, in conjunction with the other CP3 bloggers, I'm going to repost the copy for my original Chris Paul for MVP post. For those of you scoring at home he finished with 21.1 ppg, 11.6 apg, 4.0 reb, and 2.7 spg and led the league in steals and assists per game (in addition to destroying the Mavs and Spurs [so far] in the playoffs).
He'll definitely be a 1st Team All-NBAer, and should also be the starting point guard for Team USA and Beijing. Without further ado, the case for CP3 as this year's MVP. (Kobe better have a hell of a game tonight)
Originally posted 3/16/08
This season’s NBA MVP race has come down to three people. Each one of these players has put their team on their back. Yet, it shouldn’t even be a race. When you analyze the situation, there’s only one answer to the question “Who is the MVP of the NBA this season?”
The answer to the question, believe it or not, is not Kobe Bryant. Yes, he’s putting up 28.3 pts, 6.1 reb, 5.3 ast and 2 steals per game. As of this morning, his Lakers are tied for first place in the Western Conference. All of that is cool, but Kobe isn’t the MVP for two reasons.
The first reason was mentioned by Bill Simmons not too long ago; Kobe spent most of the first month of the season pouting and waiting to be traded to Chicago. The MVP of the league can’t be somebody who didn’t even give a damn for the first part of the season. As soon as the Lakers started winning and Kobe realized they could be a good team, he started playing hard.
The second reason is the Lakers are one of the deepest teams in the league. It sucks to lose points because of this, but that’s the nature of the MVP award. If Kobe was injured or not on the Lakers, they would still be a playoff team. Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic, and Derek Fisher wouldn’t be the best team in the West, but they’d be far from the worst.
Right now the Lakers go ten deep and two of their best players are injured. The other two contenders have to play with far less talent. Kobe is the straw that stirs this drink and he should get lots of credit for getting this team to the top of the Western Conference. However, this year isn’t his year.
It almost makes you wonder when his year will be. The last few years he didn’t win MVP because his team sucked; now he shouldn’t get it because his team is really good. No wonder he wanted to get traded to the Bulls. In Chicago, he would’ve had them in the top three at worst and would’ve been a lock for MVP.
Moving on, in a very close second place is LeBron James. This year 30.9 pts, 8.1 reb, 7.4 ast and almost two steals a game isn’t enough. King James is playing on a team plagued by injuries and talent deficiencies. The Ben Wallace trade didn’t make the Cavs better as much as it shifted the talent to different places.
LeBron is the sole reason the Cavs are a playoff team, and he has them sitting in fourth place. There isn’t much else to say about LeBron, he’s transformed himself into the best player in the NBA and is finally living up to the hype. Yet, this year just isn’t his year. At least it shouldn’t be.
The guy who deserves the award this year is Chris Paul. He’s putting up 21.4 pts, 3.9 rebs, 11.2 ast, and 2.7 steals a game. Those numbers are crazy, especially for a 6’0 point guard. He leads the league in steals and could very easily pass Steve Nash (11.4 apg) for the league’s lead in assists per contest.
His Hornets are a half game out of first place in a year when many didn’t expect them to make the playoffs. Out of the three MVP candidates he probably has the thinnest supporting cast. Yes, their starting five is good with Tyson Chandler, David West, Peja Stojakovic, and Morris Peterson, but look at the bench.
Their first five off the bench is currently Janero Pargo, Bonzi Wells, Rasaul Butler, Ryan Bowen and Hilton Armstrong. Mike James, Julian Wright and Melvin Ely get playing time as well, depending on who’s healthy or not.
Watching them play, Paul makes everybody around him better. He made David West into an all-star, he has Tyson Chandler playing like a young Marcus Camby/Ben Wallace, and he’s resurrected the career of Peja Stojakovic.
This year is better than any year Steve Nash has ever had, coming from a huge Steve Nash fan. Let’s go to the numbers. Steve Nash won the MVP in 2004-2005 and 2005-2006. Here are his stats from those years:
04-05 – 15.5 pts, 11.5 ast, 3.3 reb, 1.0 stl, 50% FG, 43% 3PT, 89% FT
05-06 – 18.9 pts, 10.5 ast, 4.2 reb, 0.8 stl, 51% FG, 44% 3PT, 92% FT
Here’s Paul’s full stats from this year:
07-08 – 21.4 pts, 11.2 ast, 3.9 reb, 2.7 stl, 49% FG, 36% 3PT, 87% FT
His scoring numbers are better, his assist and rebound numbers are on par, his shooting percentages aren’t that far off (three-pointers withstanding) and his steal numbers are far greater.
When you look at the reasons why Nash won those MVP awards and should’ve won MVP last year, it’s the same situation. Chris Paul is the team. They just wouldn’t be able to function without him.
With him, they’re one of the best teams in the NBA. While the Hornets don’t fast break like Phoenix, their half court game with Paul is very similar to the Suns half court game with Steve Nash.
They run pick and rolls with Paul and Tyson Chandler/David West and when that doesn’t work CP3 just takes it to the cup. In addition to running the show completely, he’s also leading the league in steals.
Yet, he’ll probably finish third in this race. The media seems to have narrowed it down to a two man race already between Kobe and LeBron. Once again, they are looking at the names and not paying attention to the games.
Just look at Chris Paul’s last five games, when the Hornets went 4-1, with the only loss coming to the Rockets:
27 pts, 17 ast, 4 reb, 4 stl
26 pts, 17 ast, 1 reb, 3 stl
37 pts, 11 ast, 3 reb, 2 stl
25 pts, 16 ast, 3 reb, 3 stl
23 pts, 18 ast, 2 reb, 2 stl
Is that not ridiculous? Who does that? It’s a shame he’s going to get robbed on this award this season. Not to take anything away from Kobe (probably the player who will win the award) or LeBron, who are having phenomenal seasons, but this year at least, the award should go to CP3.
Instead of winning his first MVP award, CP3 will have to settle for celebrating his 23rd birthday, and preparing for whatever tricks Popovich will have up his sleeves after he destroyed them once again last night.
Since the CP3 for MVP campaign will have to fold up shot until next year, I'll probably change the picture soon. However, I'll leave it up for today.
Anyway, in conjunction with the other CP3 bloggers, I'm going to repost the copy for my original Chris Paul for MVP post. For those of you scoring at home he finished with 21.1 ppg, 11.6 apg, 4.0 reb, and 2.7 spg and led the league in steals and assists per game (in addition to destroying the Mavs and Spurs [so far] in the playoffs).
He'll definitely be a 1st Team All-NBAer, and should also be the starting point guard for Team USA and Beijing. Without further ado, the case for CP3 as this year's MVP. (Kobe better have a hell of a game tonight)
Originally posted 3/16/08
This season’s NBA MVP race has come down to three people. Each one of these players has put their team on their back. Yet, it shouldn’t even be a race. When you analyze the situation, there’s only one answer to the question “Who is the MVP of the NBA this season?”
The answer to the question, believe it or not, is not Kobe Bryant. Yes, he’s putting up 28.3 pts, 6.1 reb, 5.3 ast and 2 steals per game. As of this morning, his Lakers are tied for first place in the Western Conference. All of that is cool, but Kobe isn’t the MVP for two reasons.
The first reason was mentioned by Bill Simmons not too long ago; Kobe spent most of the first month of the season pouting and waiting to be traded to Chicago. The MVP of the league can’t be somebody who didn’t even give a damn for the first part of the season. As soon as the Lakers started winning and Kobe realized they could be a good team, he started playing hard.
The second reason is the Lakers are one of the deepest teams in the league. It sucks to lose points because of this, but that’s the nature of the MVP award. If Kobe was injured or not on the Lakers, they would still be a playoff team. Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic, and Derek Fisher wouldn’t be the best team in the West, but they’d be far from the worst.
Right now the Lakers go ten deep and two of their best players are injured. The other two contenders have to play with far less talent. Kobe is the straw that stirs this drink and he should get lots of credit for getting this team to the top of the Western Conference. However, this year isn’t his year.
It almost makes you wonder when his year will be. The last few years he didn’t win MVP because his team sucked; now he shouldn’t get it because his team is really good. No wonder he wanted to get traded to the Bulls. In Chicago, he would’ve had them in the top three at worst and would’ve been a lock for MVP.
Moving on, in a very close second place is LeBron James. This year 30.9 pts, 8.1 reb, 7.4 ast and almost two steals a game isn’t enough. King James is playing on a team plagued by injuries and talent deficiencies. The Ben Wallace trade didn’t make the Cavs better as much as it shifted the talent to different places.
LeBron is the sole reason the Cavs are a playoff team, and he has them sitting in fourth place. There isn’t much else to say about LeBron, he’s transformed himself into the best player in the NBA and is finally living up to the hype. Yet, this year just isn’t his year. At least it shouldn’t be.
The guy who deserves the award this year is Chris Paul. He’s putting up 21.4 pts, 3.9 rebs, 11.2 ast, and 2.7 steals a game. Those numbers are crazy, especially for a 6’0 point guard. He leads the league in steals and could very easily pass Steve Nash (11.4 apg) for the league’s lead in assists per contest.
His Hornets are a half game out of first place in a year when many didn’t expect them to make the playoffs. Out of the three MVP candidates he probably has the thinnest supporting cast. Yes, their starting five is good with Tyson Chandler, David West, Peja Stojakovic, and Morris Peterson, but look at the bench.
Their first five off the bench is currently Janero Pargo, Bonzi Wells, Rasaul Butler, Ryan Bowen and Hilton Armstrong. Mike James, Julian Wright and Melvin Ely get playing time as well, depending on who’s healthy or not.
Watching them play, Paul makes everybody around him better. He made David West into an all-star, he has Tyson Chandler playing like a young Marcus Camby/Ben Wallace, and he’s resurrected the career of Peja Stojakovic.
This year is better than any year Steve Nash has ever had, coming from a huge Steve Nash fan. Let’s go to the numbers. Steve Nash won the MVP in 2004-2005 and 2005-2006. Here are his stats from those years:
04-05 – 15.5 pts, 11.5 ast, 3.3 reb, 1.0 stl, 50% FG, 43% 3PT, 89% FT
05-06 – 18.9 pts, 10.5 ast, 4.2 reb, 0.8 stl, 51% FG, 44% 3PT, 92% FT
Here’s Paul’s full stats from this year:
07-08 – 21.4 pts, 11.2 ast, 3.9 reb, 2.7 stl, 49% FG, 36% 3PT, 87% FT
His scoring numbers are better, his assist and rebound numbers are on par, his shooting percentages aren’t that far off (three-pointers withstanding) and his steal numbers are far greater.
When you look at the reasons why Nash won those MVP awards and should’ve won MVP last year, it’s the same situation. Chris Paul is the team. They just wouldn’t be able to function without him.
With him, they’re one of the best teams in the NBA. While the Hornets don’t fast break like Phoenix, their half court game with Paul is very similar to the Suns half court game with Steve Nash.
They run pick and rolls with Paul and Tyson Chandler/David West and when that doesn’t work CP3 just takes it to the cup. In addition to running the show completely, he’s also leading the league in steals.
Yet, he’ll probably finish third in this race. The media seems to have narrowed it down to a two man race already between Kobe and LeBron. Once again, they are looking at the names and not paying attention to the games.
Just look at Chris Paul’s last five games, when the Hornets went 4-1, with the only loss coming to the Rockets:
27 pts, 17 ast, 4 reb, 4 stl
26 pts, 17 ast, 1 reb, 3 stl
37 pts, 11 ast, 3 reb, 2 stl
25 pts, 16 ast, 3 reb, 3 stl
23 pts, 18 ast, 2 reb, 2 stl
Is that not ridiculous? Who does that? It’s a shame he’s going to get robbed on this award this season. Not to take anything away from Kobe (probably the player who will win the award) or LeBron, who are having phenomenal seasons, but this year at least, the award should go to CP3.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Senior Year Blues
Being a senior sucks right about now for a lot of Drexel University students. For starters, most of the seniors at damn near every other school in the nation are pretty much done with school. This is intensified for me, as I am in a city-wide chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, and many of my frat brothers will be getting it popped off for the entire month of May Pac Man Jones style.
Meanwhile, I’ll be trying to drink enough to have fun and still make it to class. In a few of my classes, I’ve already missed the allowed number of absences per term. In another class, I’m sure the professor truly gets enjoyment out of making our lives miserable.
That said, I still haven’t had time to really get into the playoffs of the major league baseball season. Apparently the Rays (I’m still used to calling them Devil Rays) are in or near 1st place in the AL East. WTF is going on?
Meanwhile, I did catch the end of the Hawks/Celtics game, which was especially great when Joe Johnson went nuts in the 4th quarter. His crossover on Leon Powe was disgusting.
What is the purpose of this post? Simply to vent. I WANT TO WATCH SPORTS!!!! For the first time in God knows when, I haven’t had sufficient time to watch sports, play sports, play sports themed video games (I do have to review GTA IV for my feature writing class … woe is me), and even write about sports.
This blog is the most anybody’s gotten from me in terms of content since March. Hopefully, I’ll be able write a column next week, watch the playoffs, and even catch a baseball game or two.
Until then, its box scores and the 2 AM Sportscenter to satisfy my daily sports fix. I need a drink.
(As I was getting ready to post this rant, I noticed that CP3 tallied a triple-double [24pts, 15ast, 11reb] in the Hornets series closing game against Dallas. Please, please, please give this man the MVP. Thanks. Also, kudos to the NBA for attempting to end the 1st round in a timely fashion this year, opposed to the past few years where game 2 in some series would be Sunday and game three would be Wednesday.)
Meanwhile, I’ll be trying to drink enough to have fun and still make it to class. In a few of my classes, I’ve already missed the allowed number of absences per term. In another class, I’m sure the professor truly gets enjoyment out of making our lives miserable.
That said, I still haven’t had time to really get into the playoffs of the major league baseball season. Apparently the Rays (I’m still used to calling them Devil Rays) are in or near 1st place in the AL East. WTF is going on?
Meanwhile, I did catch the end of the Hawks/Celtics game, which was especially great when Joe Johnson went nuts in the 4th quarter. His crossover on Leon Powe was disgusting.
What is the purpose of this post? Simply to vent. I WANT TO WATCH SPORTS!!!! For the first time in God knows when, I haven’t had sufficient time to watch sports, play sports, play sports themed video games (I do have to review GTA IV for my feature writing class … woe is me), and even write about sports.
This blog is the most anybody’s gotten from me in terms of content since March. Hopefully, I’ll be able write a column next week, watch the playoffs, and even catch a baseball game or two.
Until then, its box scores and the 2 AM Sportscenter to satisfy my daily sports fix. I need a drink.
(As I was getting ready to post this rant, I noticed that CP3 tallied a triple-double [24pts, 15ast, 11reb] in the Hornets series closing game against Dallas. Please, please, please give this man the MVP. Thanks. Also, kudos to the NBA for attempting to end the 1st round in a timely fashion this year, opposed to the past few years where game 2 in some series would be Sunday and game three would be Wednesday.)
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
NBA Regular Season Wrap-Up
Tonight is the final night of perhaps the best NBA season of this decade. The season has been so good that I literally have no idea what's going on in Major League Baseball right now. I haven't even bothered to look at stats or standings. (Additionally, I spent most of last weekend drinking myself into a stupor in celebration of my 23rd birthday).
Here are some interesting facts from the season.
The Golden State Warriors could finish the season 49-33 and not make the playoffs. However, if the 76ers lose tonight, two of the Eastern Conferences teams will be under .500 heading into the postseason. However, the 76ers have shown tremendous grit in making it this far in their first full season without Allen Iverson.
The Hawks, the 8th place team in the East, have snapped the longest postseason drought in the NBA.
One of the biggest stories of the season was the resurgence of the Boston Celtics, who could finish with 66 wins this season. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to the number one seed in the West, which has many fans salivating over a possible Celtics-Lakers finals. In fact, that much would help bring the NBA back to prominence.
As stated by Bill Simmons, the MVP race has been one of the greatest ever. The league's future is in great shape as almost every superstar in the league is under 30 right now.
Perhaps there were only three lowlights of this season. The biggest one is how sleazy the situation has been regarding Seattle's ownership trying to move the team to Oklahoma City, and David Stern's backing of those sleazeballs.
The Knicks are tied with the Miami Heat for second place in this column. Their situation is deplorable, and it’s heightened by the fact that they are the New York Knicks.
Meanwhile, the Miami Heat made a mockery of the NBA during their last month and a half of play. Pat Riley leaving his team to watch March Madness has to be unprecedented. Nothing says taking more than having a team full of guys who aren’t even D-League all-stars, let alone NBA players finish your season. I hope like hell they don’t get the first or second pick this year.
Moving on, this year’s playoffs should be fun to watch. Hopefully there won’t be a ridiculous amount of time between games this year, which has become a staple of the playoffs recently.
Anyway, here are my awards for this season.
MVP
Clearly I’m all for CP3 for MVP. However, I think this one might go to Kobe. This has been far from his greatest season, and he did try to get traded at the beginning of the year. He plays on perhaps the deepest team in the league, a team that would still be good without him. But since he hasn’t won the award yet people will feel inclined to vote for him. Kobe is the best overall player in basketball, but Chris Paul has compiled a season that’s arguably better than those from Nash’s two MVP campaigns.
Rookie of the Year
This award has been Kevin Durant’s from the start. He had an up and down rookie year, finishing on the upside. He’s a great talent. Hopefully he’ll put on some weight this offseason and come back more physically prepared for the NBA game.
6th Man of the Year
Manu Ginobli’s award by default. He comes off the bench as a formality, superstition, or both.
Most Improved Player
Hedu Turkoglu made the Magic a threat in the East this year. He also made their signing of Rashard Lewis look very foolish, as he’s the third best player on the team at best.
Defensive Player of the Year
I’ve seen Kevin Garnett up for this award on many sites, but I don’t see it. He’s changed the attitude of the Celtics and has energized their fan base. However, their true MVP and should be MVP candidate has been Paul Pierce.
If we have to give a Celtic an award, give this award to Paul Pierce. However, I don’t feel inclined to, so my would-be vote goes to Marcus Camby. He leads the league in blocks, is second in defensive rebounding, and is doing everything that Ben Wallace used to make all-star teams for (and is a far greater force on the offensive end).
Coach of the Year
This is a very difficult decision. Usually, it goes to the coach of the team that was the biggest surprise. Guys like Stan Van Gundy, Byron Scott, and Doc Rivers will probably get a lot of votes. However, I think Jerry Sloan should get the award. If we’re giving Kobe the MVP because he had a good season and hasn’t won it yet, why not do the same for Sloan.
While some of his players may loathe him, he’s been able to adapt to his roster and the play of the league and opened up the team’s offense. By doing that, he’s now the head coach of the Northwest Division Champs.
All NBA-Team
1st Team
C Dwight Howard
F LeBron James
F Paul Pierce
G Kobe Bryant
G Chris Paul
2nd Team
C Amare Stoudamire
F Kevin Garnett
F Tim Duncan
G Tracy McGrady
G Steve Nash
3rd Team
C Marcus Camby
F Carlos Boozer
F Carmelo Anthony
G Allen Iverson
G Deron Williams
Here are some interesting facts from the season.
The Golden State Warriors could finish the season 49-33 and not make the playoffs. However, if the 76ers lose tonight, two of the Eastern Conferences teams will be under .500 heading into the postseason. However, the 76ers have shown tremendous grit in making it this far in their first full season without Allen Iverson.
The Hawks, the 8th place team in the East, have snapped the longest postseason drought in the NBA.
One of the biggest stories of the season was the resurgence of the Boston Celtics, who could finish with 66 wins this season. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to the number one seed in the West, which has many fans salivating over a possible Celtics-Lakers finals. In fact, that much would help bring the NBA back to prominence.
As stated by Bill Simmons, the MVP race has been one of the greatest ever. The league's future is in great shape as almost every superstar in the league is under 30 right now.
Perhaps there were only three lowlights of this season. The biggest one is how sleazy the situation has been regarding Seattle's ownership trying to move the team to Oklahoma City, and David Stern's backing of those sleazeballs.
The Knicks are tied with the Miami Heat for second place in this column. Their situation is deplorable, and it’s heightened by the fact that they are the New York Knicks.
Meanwhile, the Miami Heat made a mockery of the NBA during their last month and a half of play. Pat Riley leaving his team to watch March Madness has to be unprecedented. Nothing says taking more than having a team full of guys who aren’t even D-League all-stars, let alone NBA players finish your season. I hope like hell they don’t get the first or second pick this year.
Moving on, this year’s playoffs should be fun to watch. Hopefully there won’t be a ridiculous amount of time between games this year, which has become a staple of the playoffs recently.
Anyway, here are my awards for this season.
MVP
Clearly I’m all for CP3 for MVP. However, I think this one might go to Kobe. This has been far from his greatest season, and he did try to get traded at the beginning of the year. He plays on perhaps the deepest team in the league, a team that would still be good without him. But since he hasn’t won the award yet people will feel inclined to vote for him. Kobe is the best overall player in basketball, but Chris Paul has compiled a season that’s arguably better than those from Nash’s two MVP campaigns.
Rookie of the Year
This award has been Kevin Durant’s from the start. He had an up and down rookie year, finishing on the upside. He’s a great talent. Hopefully he’ll put on some weight this offseason and come back more physically prepared for the NBA game.
6th Man of the Year
Manu Ginobli’s award by default. He comes off the bench as a formality, superstition, or both.
Most Improved Player
Hedu Turkoglu made the Magic a threat in the East this year. He also made their signing of Rashard Lewis look very foolish, as he’s the third best player on the team at best.
Defensive Player of the Year
I’ve seen Kevin Garnett up for this award on many sites, but I don’t see it. He’s changed the attitude of the Celtics and has energized their fan base. However, their true MVP and should be MVP candidate has been Paul Pierce.
If we have to give a Celtic an award, give this award to Paul Pierce. However, I don’t feel inclined to, so my would-be vote goes to Marcus Camby. He leads the league in blocks, is second in defensive rebounding, and is doing everything that Ben Wallace used to make all-star teams for (and is a far greater force on the offensive end).
Coach of the Year
This is a very difficult decision. Usually, it goes to the coach of the team that was the biggest surprise. Guys like Stan Van Gundy, Byron Scott, and Doc Rivers will probably get a lot of votes. However, I think Jerry Sloan should get the award. If we’re giving Kobe the MVP because he had a good season and hasn’t won it yet, why not do the same for Sloan.
While some of his players may loathe him, he’s been able to adapt to his roster and the play of the league and opened up the team’s offense. By doing that, he’s now the head coach of the Northwest Division Champs.
All NBA-Team
1st Team
C Dwight Howard
F LeBron James
F Paul Pierce
G Kobe Bryant
G Chris Paul
2nd Team
C Amare Stoudamire
F Kevin Garnett
F Tim Duncan
G Tracy McGrady
G Steve Nash
3rd Team
C Marcus Camby
F Carlos Boozer
F Carmelo Anthony
G Allen Iverson
G Deron Williams
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Sigh of Relief
NBA
Did I jinx Chris Paul? He had a horrible game last night as his team lost to the Utah Jazz. A day before, I was pumping him up for MVP.
His line from last night - 4 pts, 9 ast, 2, reb, 3 stl.
However, before last night Paul had at least a double-double in 15 of his last 16 games. Last night was also only the second game this season where Paul failed to get double digits in assists or points. Coincidentally, the other game came against Utah as well.
That said, don't fret CP3 fans, he's still the MVP
NCAA
The sigh of relief, of course, is that Kansas won the national title on Monday night, sparing me from making one of the worst predictions of all time (although, I picked the NY Giants to go like 5-11 this year and they won the Super Bowl).
When it came down to it, Memphis was taken down by the things I figured would take them down all season; free throw shooting and lack of coaching. I don't think they ran one play the entire game.
What got Memphis that far was the fact that Derrick Rose and CDR had been unstoppable all tournament. What propelled Kansas was their combination of athleticism, poise, and coaching.
Random thought: What does Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk mean?
Did I jinx Chris Paul? He had a horrible game last night as his team lost to the Utah Jazz. A day before, I was pumping him up for MVP.
His line from last night - 4 pts, 9 ast, 2, reb, 3 stl.
However, before last night Paul had at least a double-double in 15 of his last 16 games. Last night was also only the second game this season where Paul failed to get double digits in assists or points. Coincidentally, the other game came against Utah as well.
That said, don't fret CP3 fans, he's still the MVP
NCAA
The sigh of relief, of course, is that Kansas won the national title on Monday night, sparing me from making one of the worst predictions of all time (although, I picked the NY Giants to go like 5-11 this year and they won the Super Bowl).
When it came down to it, Memphis was taken down by the things I figured would take them down all season; free throw shooting and lack of coaching. I don't think they ran one play the entire game.
What got Memphis that far was the fact that Derrick Rose and CDR had been unstoppable all tournament. What propelled Kansas was their combination of athleticism, poise, and coaching.
Random thought: What does Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk mean?
Monday, April 7, 2008
Eating Crow 60% of the time ...
NCAA
One of the main reasons I started this blog was to give me an outlet to make bold predictions. When you’re in the business of making such predictions, you teeter between being a genius and an asshole.
With the Memphis Tigers, I’m probably the latter. I don’t think I slept on Memphis. I knew how talented they were, I just didn’t think they could hold it together for five to six games.
I expected them to shoot poorly from the line (which they only did against Mississippi St.), to play undisciplined on offense and to have defensive lapses. I though John Calipari’s lax method of coaching, at least offensively, would come back to haunt them. I was definitely wrong.
Perhaps what was most foolish was I didn’t even give them a chance to win. I now find myself wondering if that was just an omission or was I really dumb enough to think that Memphis didn’t have a chance to win the championship.
They have clamped down on defense, and while they still don’t run many plays on offense, they are far more superior from an athletic standpoint then probably 60 of the teams in the tournament.
They made UCLA look like one of the Cal St. teams, in terms of athletic ability. Their performance was very overwhelming.
Now, the only team standing in their way is Kansas. Kansas, as I did write earlier, probably has the best combination of depth, coaching, and athleticism of any team in the tournament. Normally, I’d rant and rave about how Memphis didn’t have a chance, but I’m too embarrassed to do that.
Out of all the foolish predictions I’ve made, not giving Memphis a chance to get to even the Elite Eight has to be the worst, hands down. Therefore, there will not be a tale of the tape from me today. I really don’t have a clue who will win. From an analytical standpoint, I think Kansas should be able to take them down.
However, after watching them dismantle Texas and UCLA in their last two games, I’m not comfortable picking against Memphis. Regardless of who wins, this game should be a high scoring game and very fun to watch.
MLB
I haven’t written anything about baseball yet. The reason why is because I’m just not into it right now. This year’s tournament and the NBA have been so good, I just don’t care to turn on a game or look at stats and rosters and try to predict who is going to do what.
I’ll probably start following baseball more after tonight, when the only other game in town is the NBA.
NBA
Speaking of the NBA, the Western Conference playoff race between Dallas, Denver, and Golden State for the last two playoff spots is going to come down to the wire. From a viewing standpoint, I’d rather see Denver and G-State make it than Dallas. However, with Dirk coming back early, it seems as if Dallas is going to make it in fairly easily.
What’s most important is that Chris Paul wins the MVP. He’s going nuts right now, and recorded his fourth career triple-double last night.
On March 16, I first used this space to campaign for Paul to win the MVP. Here were his stats then:
21.4 pts, 11.2 ast, 3.9 reb, 2.7 stl, 49% FG, 36% 3PT, 87% FT
Here are his stats now:
21.5 pts, 11.5 ast, 4.0 reb, 2.7 stl, 49% FG, 37% 3PT, 85% FT
In just three weeks he’s been able to improve his scoring, rebounding, and assist average. He now leads the league in assists and steals and has his team in the playoffs and headed for the #1 overall seed in the Western Conference. Please, give this man the MVP.
One of the main reasons I started this blog was to give me an outlet to make bold predictions. When you’re in the business of making such predictions, you teeter between being a genius and an asshole.
With the Memphis Tigers, I’m probably the latter. I don’t think I slept on Memphis. I knew how talented they were, I just didn’t think they could hold it together for five to six games.
I expected them to shoot poorly from the line (which they only did against Mississippi St.), to play undisciplined on offense and to have defensive lapses. I though John Calipari’s lax method of coaching, at least offensively, would come back to haunt them. I was definitely wrong.
Perhaps what was most foolish was I didn’t even give them a chance to win. I now find myself wondering if that was just an omission or was I really dumb enough to think that Memphis didn’t have a chance to win the championship.
They have clamped down on defense, and while they still don’t run many plays on offense, they are far more superior from an athletic standpoint then probably 60 of the teams in the tournament.
They made UCLA look like one of the Cal St. teams, in terms of athletic ability. Their performance was very overwhelming.
Now, the only team standing in their way is Kansas. Kansas, as I did write earlier, probably has the best combination of depth, coaching, and athleticism of any team in the tournament. Normally, I’d rant and rave about how Memphis didn’t have a chance, but I’m too embarrassed to do that.
Out of all the foolish predictions I’ve made, not giving Memphis a chance to get to even the Elite Eight has to be the worst, hands down. Therefore, there will not be a tale of the tape from me today. I really don’t have a clue who will win. From an analytical standpoint, I think Kansas should be able to take them down.
However, after watching them dismantle Texas and UCLA in their last two games, I’m not comfortable picking against Memphis. Regardless of who wins, this game should be a high scoring game and very fun to watch.
MLB
I haven’t written anything about baseball yet. The reason why is because I’m just not into it right now. This year’s tournament and the NBA have been so good, I just don’t care to turn on a game or look at stats and rosters and try to predict who is going to do what.
I’ll probably start following baseball more after tonight, when the only other game in town is the NBA.
NBA
Speaking of the NBA, the Western Conference playoff race between Dallas, Denver, and Golden State for the last two playoff spots is going to come down to the wire. From a viewing standpoint, I’d rather see Denver and G-State make it than Dallas. However, with Dirk coming back early, it seems as if Dallas is going to make it in fairly easily.
What’s most important is that Chris Paul wins the MVP. He’s going nuts right now, and recorded his fourth career triple-double last night.
On March 16, I first used this space to campaign for Paul to win the MVP. Here were his stats then:
21.4 pts, 11.2 ast, 3.9 reb, 2.7 stl, 49% FG, 36% 3PT, 87% FT
Here are his stats now:
21.5 pts, 11.5 ast, 4.0 reb, 2.7 stl, 49% FG, 37% 3PT, 85% FT
In just three weeks he’s been able to improve his scoring, rebounding, and assist average. He now leads the league in assists and steals and has his team in the playoffs and headed for the #1 overall seed in the Western Conference. Please, give this man the MVP.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
And the NBA's MVP is ....
This season’s NBA MVP race has come down to three people. Each one of these players has put their team on their back. Yet, it shouldn’t even be a race. When you analyze the situation, there’s only one answer to the question “Who is the MVP of the NBA this season?”
The answer to the question, believe it or not, is not Kobe Bryant. Yes, he’s putting up 28.3 pts, 6.1 reb, 5.3 ast and 2 steals per game. As of this morning, his Lakers are tied for first place in the Western Conference. All of that is cool, but Kobe isn’t the MVP for two reasons.
The first reason was mentioned by Bill Simmons not too long ago; Kobe spent most of the first month of the season pouting and waiting to be traded to Chicago. The MVP of the league can’t be somebody who didn’t even give a damn for the first part of the season. As soon as the Lakers started winning and Kobe realized they could be a good team, he started playing hard.
The second reason is the Lakers are one of the deepest teams in the league. It sucks to lose points because of this, but that’s the nature of the MVP award. If Kobe was injured or not on the Lakers, they would still be a playoff team. Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic, and Derek Fisher wouldn’t be the best team in the West, but they’d be far from the worst.
Right now the Lakers go ten deep and two of their best players are injured. The other two contenders have to play with far less talent. Kobe is the straw that stirs this drink and he should get lots of credit for getting this team to the top of the Western Conference. However, this year isn’t his year.
It almost makes you wonder when his year will be. The last few years he didn’t win MVP because his team sucked; now he shouldn’t get it because his team is really good. No wonder he wanted to get traded to the Bulls. In Chicago, he would’ve had them in the top three at worst and would’ve been a lock for MVP.
Moving on, in a very close second place is LeBron James. This year 30.9 pts, 8.1 reb, 7.4 ast and almost two steals a game isn’t enough. King James is playing on a team plagued by injuries and talent deficiencies. The Ben Wallace trade didn’t make the Cavs better as much as it shifted the talent to different places.
LeBron is the sole reason the Cavs are a playoff team, and he has them sitting in fourth place. There isn’t much else to say about LeBron, he’s transformed himself into the best player in the NBA and is finally living up to the hype. Yet, this year just isn’t his year. At least it shouldn’t be.
The guy who deserves the award this year is Chris Paul. He’s putting up 21.4 pts, 3.9 rebs, 11.2 ast, and 2.7 steals a game. Those numbers are crazy, especially for a 6’0 point guard. He leads the league in steals and could very easily pass Steve Nash (11.4 apg) for the league’s lead in assists per contest.
His Hornets are a half game out of first place in a year when many didn’t expect them to make the playoffs. Out of the three MVP candidates he probably has the thinnest supporting cast. Yes, their starting five is good with Tyson Chandler, David West, Peja Stojakovic, and Morris Peterson, but look at the bench.
Their first five off the bench is currently Janero Pargo, Bonzi Wells, Rasaul Butler, Ryan Bowen and Hilton Armstrong. Mike James, Julian Wright and Melvin Ely get playing time as well, depending on who’s healthy or not.
Watching them play, Paul makes everybody around him better. He made David West into an all-star, he has Tyson Chandler playing like a young Marcus Camby/Ben Wallace, and he’s resurrected the career of Peja Stojakovic.
This year is better than any year Steve Nash has ever had, coming from a huge Steve Nash fan. Let’s go to the numbers. Steve Nash won the MVP in 2004-2005 and 2005-2006. Here are his stats from those years:
04-05 – 15.5 pts, 11.5 ast, 3.3 reb, 1.0 stl, 50% FG, 43% 3PT, 89% FT
05-06 – 18.9 pts, 10.5 ast, 4.2 reb, 0.8 stl, 51% FG, 44% 3PT, 92% FT
Here’s Paul’s full stats from this year:
07-08 – 21.4 pts, 11.2 ast, 3.9 reb, 2.7 stl, 49% FG, 36% 3PT, 87% FT
His scoring numbers are better, his assist and rebound numbers are on par, his shooting percentages aren’t that far off (three-pointers withstanding) and his steal numbers are far greater.
When you look at the reasons why Nash won those MVP awards and should’ve won MVP last year, it’s the same situation. Chris Paul is the team. They just wouldn’t be able to function without him.
With him, they’re one of the best teams in the NBA. While the Hornets don’t fast break like Phoenix, their half court game with Paul is very similar to the Suns half court game with Steve Nash.
They run pick and rolls with Paul and Tyson Chandler/David West and when that doesn’t work CP3 just takes it to the cup. In addition to running the show completely, he’s also leading the league in steals.
Yet, he’ll probably finish third in this race. The media seems to have narrowed it down to a two man race already between Kobe and LeBron. Once again, they are looking at the names and not paying attention to the games.
Just look at Chris Paul’s last five games, when the Hornets went 4-1, with the only loss coming to the Rockets:
27 pts, 17 ast, 4 reb, 4 stl
26 pts, 17 ast, 1 reb, 3 stl
37 pts, 11 ast, 3 reb, 2 stl
25 pts, 16 ast, 3 reb, 3 stl
23 pts, 18 ast, 2 reb, 2 stl
Is that not ridiculous? Who does that? It’s a shame he’s going to get robbed on this award this season. Not to take anything away from Kobe (probably the player who will win the award) or LeBron, who are having phenomenal seasons, but this year at least, the award should go to CP3.
The answer to the question, believe it or not, is not Kobe Bryant. Yes, he’s putting up 28.3 pts, 6.1 reb, 5.3 ast and 2 steals per game. As of this morning, his Lakers are tied for first place in the Western Conference. All of that is cool, but Kobe isn’t the MVP for two reasons.
The first reason was mentioned by Bill Simmons not too long ago; Kobe spent most of the first month of the season pouting and waiting to be traded to Chicago. The MVP of the league can’t be somebody who didn’t even give a damn for the first part of the season. As soon as the Lakers started winning and Kobe realized they could be a good team, he started playing hard.
The second reason is the Lakers are one of the deepest teams in the league. It sucks to lose points because of this, but that’s the nature of the MVP award. If Kobe was injured or not on the Lakers, they would still be a playoff team. Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic, and Derek Fisher wouldn’t be the best team in the West, but they’d be far from the worst.
Right now the Lakers go ten deep and two of their best players are injured. The other two contenders have to play with far less talent. Kobe is the straw that stirs this drink and he should get lots of credit for getting this team to the top of the Western Conference. However, this year isn’t his year.
It almost makes you wonder when his year will be. The last few years he didn’t win MVP because his team sucked; now he shouldn’t get it because his team is really good. No wonder he wanted to get traded to the Bulls. In Chicago, he would’ve had them in the top three at worst and would’ve been a lock for MVP.
Moving on, in a very close second place is LeBron James. This year 30.9 pts, 8.1 reb, 7.4 ast and almost two steals a game isn’t enough. King James is playing on a team plagued by injuries and talent deficiencies. The Ben Wallace trade didn’t make the Cavs better as much as it shifted the talent to different places.
LeBron is the sole reason the Cavs are a playoff team, and he has them sitting in fourth place. There isn’t much else to say about LeBron, he’s transformed himself into the best player in the NBA and is finally living up to the hype. Yet, this year just isn’t his year. At least it shouldn’t be.
The guy who deserves the award this year is Chris Paul. He’s putting up 21.4 pts, 3.9 rebs, 11.2 ast, and 2.7 steals a game. Those numbers are crazy, especially for a 6’0 point guard. He leads the league in steals and could very easily pass Steve Nash (11.4 apg) for the league’s lead in assists per contest.
His Hornets are a half game out of first place in a year when many didn’t expect them to make the playoffs. Out of the three MVP candidates he probably has the thinnest supporting cast. Yes, their starting five is good with Tyson Chandler, David West, Peja Stojakovic, and Morris Peterson, but look at the bench.
Their first five off the bench is currently Janero Pargo, Bonzi Wells, Rasaul Butler, Ryan Bowen and Hilton Armstrong. Mike James, Julian Wright and Melvin Ely get playing time as well, depending on who’s healthy or not.
Watching them play, Paul makes everybody around him better. He made David West into an all-star, he has Tyson Chandler playing like a young Marcus Camby/Ben Wallace, and he’s resurrected the career of Peja Stojakovic.
This year is better than any year Steve Nash has ever had, coming from a huge Steve Nash fan. Let’s go to the numbers. Steve Nash won the MVP in 2004-2005 and 2005-2006. Here are his stats from those years:
04-05 – 15.5 pts, 11.5 ast, 3.3 reb, 1.0 stl, 50% FG, 43% 3PT, 89% FT
05-06 – 18.9 pts, 10.5 ast, 4.2 reb, 0.8 stl, 51% FG, 44% 3PT, 92% FT
Here’s Paul’s full stats from this year:
07-08 – 21.4 pts, 11.2 ast, 3.9 reb, 2.7 stl, 49% FG, 36% 3PT, 87% FT
His scoring numbers are better, his assist and rebound numbers are on par, his shooting percentages aren’t that far off (three-pointers withstanding) and his steal numbers are far greater.
When you look at the reasons why Nash won those MVP awards and should’ve won MVP last year, it’s the same situation. Chris Paul is the team. They just wouldn’t be able to function without him.
With him, they’re one of the best teams in the NBA. While the Hornets don’t fast break like Phoenix, their half court game with Paul is very similar to the Suns half court game with Steve Nash.
They run pick and rolls with Paul and Tyson Chandler/David West and when that doesn’t work CP3 just takes it to the cup. In addition to running the show completely, he’s also leading the league in steals.
Yet, he’ll probably finish third in this race. The media seems to have narrowed it down to a two man race already between Kobe and LeBron. Once again, they are looking at the names and not paying attention to the games.
Just look at Chris Paul’s last five games, when the Hornets went 4-1, with the only loss coming to the Rockets:
27 pts, 17 ast, 4 reb, 4 stl
26 pts, 17 ast, 1 reb, 3 stl
37 pts, 11 ast, 3 reb, 2 stl
25 pts, 16 ast, 3 reb, 3 stl
23 pts, 18 ast, 2 reb, 2 stl
Is that not ridiculous? Who does that? It’s a shame he’s going to get robbed on this award this season. Not to take anything away from Kobe (probably the player who will win the award) or LeBron, who are having phenomenal seasons, but this year at least, the award should go to CP3.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Return of the Quick Hitters
NBA
I’m appalled by the blasphemy spewed by Suns coach Mike D’Antoni. Recently, he said that the Suns are better off with Shaq than with a whole bunch of little guys running around.
I strongly disagree. In fact, don’t be surprised if the Suns don’t even make the playoffs. I still think they’ll make the playoffs, but if Denver can get it together the Suns are finished. They will probably be under .500 for the remainder of the season and eliminated in the 1st Round.
Since the Suns first came to prominence in the 2004-05 season, watching them play was a symphony. Steve Nash directed the orchestra, running around seemingly recklessly, hanging in the air until the last second possible before making an unbelievable pass.
You have to understand that what made the Suns great wasn’t necessarily their transition game, it was their half court game. Nash had the ball at almost all times, and he was surrounded by 2 physical freaks and a bunch of three point shooters. He can beat anyone one-one-one, and when Nash drew double teams, someone was either getting a wide open three or an open lane for a slam.
Slowly but surely, the Suns management has gotten rid of the three point shooting aspect of the team. Additionally, adding Shaq clogs up the middle and keeps the ball out of Nash’s hand. The Suns went from an exciting, unconventional team to a regular basketball team consisting of old players.
The Suns can’t play ‘regular’ basketball. It defeats the purpose of having Steve Nash. In Dallas, Nash played on a regular team and was a decent player. In Phoenix, with a system built around his strengths and giving him freedom, he was able to show his true talent.
Farewell, Phoenix Suns. You were once the most exciting team in basketball. Have fun being boring with Shaq, Grant Hill, and the rest of the gang.
NBA MVP
My ballot is 1. CP3 2. LeBron 3. Kobe 4. T-Mac. More on this later.
NFL
The Dolphins will be stupid not to pick Jake Long. He would stabilize their offensive line for years to come.
MLB
I’m not really excited about this upcoming season. All the steroids and Clemens talks has been a big downer. I guess this is what they wanted.
NCAA Bball
VCU dropped the ball. Hopefully they won’t be screwed, but I doubt it. The CAA regular season champs lost in the conference semi-finals to William & Mary on a last second jumper. They should definitely go to the Big Dance over a big conference also-ran, like Oregon or Arizona.
Those teams consistently prove to be one-and-doners. However, I’m pumped about this year’s tournament. I’m not sure who I’m going to go with this year, so stay tuned to that as well.
I’m appalled by the blasphemy spewed by Suns coach Mike D’Antoni. Recently, he said that the Suns are better off with Shaq than with a whole bunch of little guys running around.
I strongly disagree. In fact, don’t be surprised if the Suns don’t even make the playoffs. I still think they’ll make the playoffs, but if Denver can get it together the Suns are finished. They will probably be under .500 for the remainder of the season and eliminated in the 1st Round.
Since the Suns first came to prominence in the 2004-05 season, watching them play was a symphony. Steve Nash directed the orchestra, running around seemingly recklessly, hanging in the air until the last second possible before making an unbelievable pass.
You have to understand that what made the Suns great wasn’t necessarily their transition game, it was their half court game. Nash had the ball at almost all times, and he was surrounded by 2 physical freaks and a bunch of three point shooters. He can beat anyone one-one-one, and when Nash drew double teams, someone was either getting a wide open three or an open lane for a slam.
Slowly but surely, the Suns management has gotten rid of the three point shooting aspect of the team. Additionally, adding Shaq clogs up the middle and keeps the ball out of Nash’s hand. The Suns went from an exciting, unconventional team to a regular basketball team consisting of old players.
The Suns can’t play ‘regular’ basketball. It defeats the purpose of having Steve Nash. In Dallas, Nash played on a regular team and was a decent player. In Phoenix, with a system built around his strengths and giving him freedom, he was able to show his true talent.
Farewell, Phoenix Suns. You were once the most exciting team in basketball. Have fun being boring with Shaq, Grant Hill, and the rest of the gang.
NBA MVP
My ballot is 1. CP3 2. LeBron 3. Kobe 4. T-Mac. More on this later.
NFL
The Dolphins will be stupid not to pick Jake Long. He would stabilize their offensive line for years to come.
MLB
I’m not really excited about this upcoming season. All the steroids and Clemens talks has been a big downer. I guess this is what they wanted.
NCAA Bball
VCU dropped the ball. Hopefully they won’t be screwed, but I doubt it. The CAA regular season champs lost in the conference semi-finals to William & Mary on a last second jumper. They should definitely go to the Big Dance over a big conference also-ran, like Oregon or Arizona.
Those teams consistently prove to be one-and-doners. However, I’m pumped about this year’s tournament. I’m not sure who I’m going to go with this year, so stay tuned to that as well.
Monday, January 28, 2008
My All-Star Reserves
Western Conference (Starters – A.I., Kobe, Carmelo, Tim Duncan, Yao)
PG – Chris Paul – 20.6 PPG, 10.5 APG, 3.9 RPG, 2.6 SPG. Chris Paul is having an MVP season for the NBA’s best team. He’s the only player in the NBA averaging over 20 points and 10 assists per game and he also leads the league in steals. Plus the game is in New Orleans, where his Hornets play (for now).
SG/PG – Baron Davis – 22.3 PPG, 8.1 APG, 4.8 RPG, 2.5 SPG. Baron Davis is one of the most exciting players in the league. Golden State is in playoff contention once again, thanks to B-Diddy, S Jax, and Nellie’s nutty offense.
SF/PF – David West – 19.7 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.4 APG. David West should get the hometown nod over players like Amare and T-Mac. He players hard every night and is on the team with the best record in the West.
PF/C – Carlos Boozer – 22.5 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 2.8 APG. Boozer has been a beast for Utah, although the Jazz has underachieved as a team.
C – Marcus Camby – 9.4 PPG, 14.4 RPG, 3.0 APG, 3.9 BPG, 1.1 SPG. The Defensive Player of the Year definitely deserves another all-star nod as he’s putting up sick numbers again this season.
PG – Steve Nash – 17.6 PPG, 11.9 APG, 3.5 RPG. You could make a case for Steve Nash to win MVP almost every season, this year not withstanding. His shooting numbers are ridiculous (52% FG, 48% 3PT, 91% FT) and the Suns are right behind the Hornets for the best record in the West, even though it seems like they’ve been struggling all season.
SG – Brandon Roy – 19.4 PPG, 5.6 APG, 4.4 RPG. His numbers aren’t that spectacular, but he is the engine behind Portland’s surprise run towards the top of the Western Conference.
David West and Brandon Roy could lose their spots to the two Mavericks left off the list this year, but I think it would be a disservice to both of those players. However, Dirk and Josh would make the team a little more balanced, as its point guard and post player heavy. Deron Williams and Tony Parker miss out because of the stellar guard play this year and Amare and T-Mac have had better seasons. Al Jefferson is having a hell of a season, but his team sucks too bad for him to make it.
Left Off
C - Al Jefferson
PF – Dirk Nowitzki
SF – Josh Howard
PG – Deron Williams
PG – Tony Parker
C – Amare Stoudamire
SF – Tracy McGrady
Eastern Conference (Starters – J. Kidd, D. Wade, LeBron, KG, D12)
PG – Chauncey Billiups – 18.0 PPG, 7.1 APG, 3.0 RPG. Billups seems to be in much better rhythm this season. After last year I thought Detroit should’ve started over, but luckily for Pistons fans nobody reads my blog.
SG – Joe Johnson – 21.6 PPG, 5.4 APG, 4.3 RPG. He might lose this spot to Michael Redd or Ray Allen, but he means more to the Hawks and their playoff push than these numbers show. Plus I think he should’ve made it last year.
SF – Richard Jefferson – 24.1 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.8 APG. He’s balling this year, period. He might not make it, however, because the Nets have been pretty terrible. Turkoglu is making a late push and the Magic have a better record.
PF/SF – Josh Smith – 18.2 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 3.5 APG, 3.3 BPG, 1.9 AST. He’s finally become more than just a dunker. He also should finish 2nd behind Marcus Camby for Defensive Player of the Year. This young man has made himself a lot of money this season.
C – Chris Bosh – 22.5 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 2.2 APG. In addition to making a fool out of himself on Youtube, he’s actually having a great year.
SF – Caron Butler – 21.9 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 4.3 APG. He’s making that Kwame Brown trade look more lopsided by the day. He’s been holding it down in Washington with Arenas on the shelf and might have even made him expendable.
SF/SF – Paul Pierce – 20.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.1 APG. He’s been Boston’s go-to-guy this year, while KG has gotten most of the props. You can even say his effort has been under the radar.
For once, the fans have the right starting five, which makes picking the reserves much easier. Some of the fringe players might be replaced with guys on better teams, but Joe Johnson or Richard Jefferson getting left off won’t be too big of a snub, especially since their teams will likely be represented anyway.
Left Off
SF – Antawn Jamison
SG – Michael Redd
SF – Gerald Wallace
SG – Ray Allen
SF – Hedo Turkoglu
PG – Chris Paul – 20.6 PPG, 10.5 APG, 3.9 RPG, 2.6 SPG. Chris Paul is having an MVP season for the NBA’s best team. He’s the only player in the NBA averaging over 20 points and 10 assists per game and he also leads the league in steals. Plus the game is in New Orleans, where his Hornets play (for now).
SG/PG – Baron Davis – 22.3 PPG, 8.1 APG, 4.8 RPG, 2.5 SPG. Baron Davis is one of the most exciting players in the league. Golden State is in playoff contention once again, thanks to B-Diddy, S Jax, and Nellie’s nutty offense.
SF/PF – David West – 19.7 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.4 APG. David West should get the hometown nod over players like Amare and T-Mac. He players hard every night and is on the team with the best record in the West.
PF/C – Carlos Boozer – 22.5 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 2.8 APG. Boozer has been a beast for Utah, although the Jazz has underachieved as a team.
C – Marcus Camby – 9.4 PPG, 14.4 RPG, 3.0 APG, 3.9 BPG, 1.1 SPG. The Defensive Player of the Year definitely deserves another all-star nod as he’s putting up sick numbers again this season.
PG – Steve Nash – 17.6 PPG, 11.9 APG, 3.5 RPG. You could make a case for Steve Nash to win MVP almost every season, this year not withstanding. His shooting numbers are ridiculous (52% FG, 48% 3PT, 91% FT) and the Suns are right behind the Hornets for the best record in the West, even though it seems like they’ve been struggling all season.
SG – Brandon Roy – 19.4 PPG, 5.6 APG, 4.4 RPG. His numbers aren’t that spectacular, but he is the engine behind Portland’s surprise run towards the top of the Western Conference.
David West and Brandon Roy could lose their spots to the two Mavericks left off the list this year, but I think it would be a disservice to both of those players. However, Dirk and Josh would make the team a little more balanced, as its point guard and post player heavy. Deron Williams and Tony Parker miss out because of the stellar guard play this year and Amare and T-Mac have had better seasons. Al Jefferson is having a hell of a season, but his team sucks too bad for him to make it.
Left Off
C - Al Jefferson
PF – Dirk Nowitzki
SF – Josh Howard
PG – Deron Williams
PG – Tony Parker
C – Amare Stoudamire
SF – Tracy McGrady
Eastern Conference (Starters – J. Kidd, D. Wade, LeBron, KG, D12)
PG – Chauncey Billiups – 18.0 PPG, 7.1 APG, 3.0 RPG. Billups seems to be in much better rhythm this season. After last year I thought Detroit should’ve started over, but luckily for Pistons fans nobody reads my blog.
SG – Joe Johnson – 21.6 PPG, 5.4 APG, 4.3 RPG. He might lose this spot to Michael Redd or Ray Allen, but he means more to the Hawks and their playoff push than these numbers show. Plus I think he should’ve made it last year.
SF – Richard Jefferson – 24.1 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.8 APG. He’s balling this year, period. He might not make it, however, because the Nets have been pretty terrible. Turkoglu is making a late push and the Magic have a better record.
PF/SF – Josh Smith – 18.2 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 3.5 APG, 3.3 BPG, 1.9 AST. He’s finally become more than just a dunker. He also should finish 2nd behind Marcus Camby for Defensive Player of the Year. This young man has made himself a lot of money this season.
C – Chris Bosh – 22.5 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 2.2 APG. In addition to making a fool out of himself on Youtube, he’s actually having a great year.
SF – Caron Butler – 21.9 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 4.3 APG. He’s making that Kwame Brown trade look more lopsided by the day. He’s been holding it down in Washington with Arenas on the shelf and might have even made him expendable.
SF/SF – Paul Pierce – 20.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.1 APG. He’s been Boston’s go-to-guy this year, while KG has gotten most of the props. You can even say his effort has been under the radar.
For once, the fans have the right starting five, which makes picking the reserves much easier. Some of the fringe players might be replaced with guys on better teams, but Joe Johnson or Richard Jefferson getting left off won’t be too big of a snub, especially since their teams will likely be represented anyway.
Left Off
SF – Antawn Jamison
SG – Michael Redd
SF – Gerald Wallace
SG – Ray Allen
SF – Hedo Turkoglu
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Winter is my favorite time for sports. Double doses of football with a dash of wacky baseball trades, free agent signings, etc. While I don't have anything to say about baseball, there's definately a lot to discuss elsewhere ... like my bad predictions.
NCAA Bball
I didn’t do a NCAA preview because it’s pointless. 1. The real season starts in March. 2. With the new(ish) NBA rules, each college season is essentially unpredictable.
There’s an influx of freshman stars who may come and go, struggle early then flourish later on in their careers, or just flame out all together. Regardless, from about 96 until the rule was implemented, most of the Derrick Rose, O.J. Mayo, Eric Gordon types would’ve been on some NBA team’s bench right now.
That said, I think the media has it right with the early favorites of UCLA, UNC, and Memphis.
NBA
LOL at my NBA predictions. I definitely underestimated the surges Dwight Howard and Chris Paul would have this season. They are now in the top 10, as far as players in the league go.
I also underestimated the smarts of Bulls GM John Paxson, and the effects a non-Kobe trade would have on the Bulls.
I overestimated the Hawks young nucleus coming together.
Enough about me. This season has been very exciting so far, the NBA is in great shape. There really isn’t a team in the league without a star, except maybe Charlotte, but they have a good nucleus of young players.
If you’re sleeping on the NBA, wake up. This year has the potential to be one of the best years in recent memory.
NCAA Fball
It’s been hard for me to write about NCAA football since Dennis Dixon is done for the season. I talked him up for the Heisman early in the game, and he was poised to be the best prediction in the almost 1 year history of Sportsology. DAMMIT!
Now it should go to Tim Tebow. I was watching ESPN today and they were hyping up the QB’s from Kansas and Missouri, who are admittedly decent. However, if you were to give it to one of them over Tebow then you might as well give it to Dennis. The biggest benefactor of Kansas and Missouri’s “surprising” runs has been weak scheduling.
Speaking of which, one of those two teams making the national championship game would be a disaster. In the original BCS formula, I’d be surprised if West VA wouldn’t be ahead of them anyway, or maybe even Ohio State. The Big 12 is so suspect, as always, and it would be a shame if LSU didn’t square off with West Virginia or Ohio State at this point.
(Although I still say Michigan would’ve knocked them off with a healthy Hart and Henne. Another one of my predictions bites the dust)
NFL
All of the talk has been about the historic runs of New England and Miami. That’s understandable. However, I think three things are getting lost in the mix.
1. There isn’t really a dominant running back in the league besides Adrian Peterson. By that I mean a traditional power running back. LaDainian is perhaps a victim of poor coaching, a little bit of age, or maybe a combination of the two. Willie Parker is good, but they can’t trust him around the endzone. Brian Westbrook is having a crazy season, but that’s because he’s a combo back. The leader in rushing yards this season may not even crack 1,400 yards.
2. Tom Brady is having one of the greatest seasons in NFL history. This isn’t talked about enough, I don’t think. However, number 2 is only possible because of number 3.
3. Randy Moss is the MVP of the league, and is having one of the greatest seasons any athlete has ever had in any sport. He’s literally unstoppable. He’s making Brady look like a God and making his opponents look second class. When you look at many of his touchdown catches, a lot of them were either bad passes or very questionable decisions that he cashed in on anyway. You can say Brady wouldn’t have thrown those passes to anybody but Moss, but you can also say Brady wouldn’t be this good, this year, if it wasn’t Randy and company at wide out.
NCAA Bball
I didn’t do a NCAA preview because it’s pointless. 1. The real season starts in March. 2. With the new(ish) NBA rules, each college season is essentially unpredictable.
There’s an influx of freshman stars who may come and go, struggle early then flourish later on in their careers, or just flame out all together. Regardless, from about 96 until the rule was implemented, most of the Derrick Rose, O.J. Mayo, Eric Gordon types would’ve been on some NBA team’s bench right now.
That said, I think the media has it right with the early favorites of UCLA, UNC, and Memphis.
NBA
LOL at my NBA predictions. I definitely underestimated the surges Dwight Howard and Chris Paul would have this season. They are now in the top 10, as far as players in the league go.
I also underestimated the smarts of Bulls GM John Paxson, and the effects a non-Kobe trade would have on the Bulls.
I overestimated the Hawks young nucleus coming together.
Enough about me. This season has been very exciting so far, the NBA is in great shape. There really isn’t a team in the league without a star, except maybe Charlotte, but they have a good nucleus of young players.
If you’re sleeping on the NBA, wake up. This year has the potential to be one of the best years in recent memory.
NCAA Fball
It’s been hard for me to write about NCAA football since Dennis Dixon is done for the season. I talked him up for the Heisman early in the game, and he was poised to be the best prediction in the almost 1 year history of Sportsology. DAMMIT!
Now it should go to Tim Tebow. I was watching ESPN today and they were hyping up the QB’s from Kansas and Missouri, who are admittedly decent. However, if you were to give it to one of them over Tebow then you might as well give it to Dennis. The biggest benefactor of Kansas and Missouri’s “surprising” runs has been weak scheduling.
Speaking of which, one of those two teams making the national championship game would be a disaster. In the original BCS formula, I’d be surprised if West VA wouldn’t be ahead of them anyway, or maybe even Ohio State. The Big 12 is so suspect, as always, and it would be a shame if LSU didn’t square off with West Virginia or Ohio State at this point.
(Although I still say Michigan would’ve knocked them off with a healthy Hart and Henne. Another one of my predictions bites the dust)
NFL
All of the talk has been about the historic runs of New England and Miami. That’s understandable. However, I think three things are getting lost in the mix.
1. There isn’t really a dominant running back in the league besides Adrian Peterson. By that I mean a traditional power running back. LaDainian is perhaps a victim of poor coaching, a little bit of age, or maybe a combination of the two. Willie Parker is good, but they can’t trust him around the endzone. Brian Westbrook is having a crazy season, but that’s because he’s a combo back. The leader in rushing yards this season may not even crack 1,400 yards.
2. Tom Brady is having one of the greatest seasons in NFL history. This isn’t talked about enough, I don’t think. However, number 2 is only possible because of number 3.
3. Randy Moss is the MVP of the league, and is having one of the greatest seasons any athlete has ever had in any sport. He’s literally unstoppable. He’s making Brady look like a God and making his opponents look second class. When you look at many of his touchdown catches, a lot of them were either bad passes or very questionable decisions that he cashed in on anyway. You can say Brady wouldn’t have thrown those passes to anybody but Moss, but you can also say Brady wouldn’t be this good, this year, if it wasn’t Randy and company at wide out.
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