Championship Weekend Quick Hit

Sorry for the lack of a preview, but I've been tied up the past few days. Take Arizona and Pittsburgh if your gambling, and expect to see them in Super Bowl XL whatever it is.

Et Tu Jodie Meeks?

And just like that, Jodie Meeks has put himself in the middle of the Player of the Year race in college hoops. I missed last night's game, unfortunately, and the only time I saw Kentucky this year they looked like crap against North Carolina.

Little did I know, Kentucky was on a bit of a roll and has only lost four games this season, all to decent opponents, and have a better record (so far) than Tennessee. I had a chance to watch this game, but opted to catch the Lakers and Rockets instead, because I assumed Kentucky was a crappy team. I definitely should've done my research.

Fortunately for Kentucky and Meeks, they're both back on the scene. Well Meeks is on the scene for the first time this year. He's averaging 25.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg, and 1.9 apg thank you, and is definitely in the Top 5 for POY now. Here's my list to date:

1. Blake Griffin - 22.4 ppg, 13.8 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.5 spg, 1.5 bpg, 65% FG, 60% FT.
2. Stephen Curry - 28.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 6.7 apg, 3.1 spg, 45% FG, 36% 3PT, 85% FT.
3. James Harden - 23.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 4.7 apg, 2.1 spg, 56% FG, 42% 3PT, 76% FT.
4. Luke Harangody - 24.8 ppg, 12.7 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.4 spg, 1 bpg, 50% FG, 81% FT.
5. Jodie Meeks - 25.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.5 spg, 48% FG, 44% 3PT, 91% FT.

Quick Hits 1/13

MLB

I haven’t spent much time on baseball this off-season, as the Yankees have made a big splash with their signings, while no one else has really stirred up the pot. I feel like more teams are going to go the Rockies/Tampa Bay route or even the Phillies route in the coming years than try to emulate the Yankees/Mets/Red Sox route which has only really worked for the Red Sox.

Of course the Yanks have abandoned building from the ground up by signing C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Texiera, three of the four biggest names on the market. The other free agent of mega-value is Manny Ramirez, who seems have little options besides the Dodgers right now.

Being in the D.C. area, I don’t understand why they aren’t throwing him $100 for four years. As of now, they have no one on the team that’s going to put butts in the seats and their farm system isn’t as stocked as small market teams like the Rays/Rockies who’ve made recent runs, perennial small-market contenders the Twins and A’s or even their pseudo-rival 30 minutes to the north, Baltimore, who have the best prospect in the game besides Tampa’s David Price; phenom catcher Matt Wieters.

Honestly, if they don’t do something this off-season, the future of baseball in our nation’s capital could become shaky.

NCAA B

With Stephen having another shaky big-stage performance and Blake Griffin seemingly running away with the national player of the year race, I’m suspending the Curry Watches until he really blows up again. In between updates, you can assume he’s going to score 25-35, get 6-8 dimes, 3 or 4 boards and a few steals per game.

As for my loyal readers, I’ve been watching more college basketball than I have in a long time, so my post-season predictions should be head on.

NBA

I still want to go in depth in my player rankings, which might need some tinkering now that Kevin Martin is back and Boozer is out for a long time. I also want to do a bench and coach ranking first, then compare where teams rank in my opinion to where they actually are.

I apologize for taking up so much of your time with an “experiment” that may only be of interest to me.

NFL
Hopefully I’ll have enough time to crank out a conference championship preview later on this week, although I’ll say now I’m leaning towards Philly and Pittsburgh.

However, Philly’s not a lock as Arizona’s defense is making big plays and putting their offense in great positions. Arizona’s resurgent running game has been greatly overstated I think (86 yards, 3.1 ypc in their win over Atlanta, 145 yards, 3.4 ypc versus Carolina) as it’s the defense that has been behind Arizona’s playoff run. That, and stupid defense on Larry Fitzgerald.

Meanwhile, the Ravens are playing bonecrushing defense, as Ed Reed and the boys are dragging their offense along another title run like they did in 2000. The difference in the two runs maybe in QB experience, as an experienced Trent Dilfer is better than a decent, potential-filled-but-definitely-overrated-at-this-stage-in-his-career, Joe Flacco.

Really Quick Thought

Sorry guys, but I've been slacking this week. I owe you all a Curry watch, and explanation of my NBA lists, a college football recap, an NFL playoff thought or two and a college hoops update.

But alas, I have no time. I did want to say that tonight's Celtics/Cavs game is the game of the year so far. In the previous NBA Game of the Year so far, the Lakers topped the Celts in LA on Christmas, and started the Celtics free fall.

Meanwhile, the Cavs are still rolling, have the best record in the East and are 18-0 at home.

This game is important because with a win, the Cavs can assert their dominance in the East and stake a claim that they are indeed ready for primetime. A Celtics loss would really accentuate the team's free fall and put more pressure on Danny Ainge to sure up the bench.

However, a Celtics win would show that they aren't ready to cede their dominant Eastern Conference role to the Cavs, and probably help them regain their momentum. A Cavs loss would place them back behind Boston, and put them down 0-2 in the season series.

If this game lives up to its potential, we could be talking about the ramifications of it up into the all-star break.

NBA Center Rankings

Part 5.

30. Robert Swift, OKC – 3.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 0.5 apg, 1 bpg, 51% FG, 60% FT. Thank God for Krstic.
29. Aaron Gray, Chicago Bulls – 4.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.1 apg, 49% FG, 60% FT. At least Pitt is #1 in the nation in college ball.
28. Roy Hibbert, Indiana Pacers – 5.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 0.7 apg, 51% FG, 60% FT. He does play hard.
27. Jared Jeffries, New York Knicks – 5.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.3 apg, 43% FG, 56% FT. The only other team he plays center for in the NBA is Golden State.
26. Joel Anthony, Miami Heat – 3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 0.4 apg, 1.6 bpg, 47% FG, 62% FT. Never heard of him until this year.
25. Matt Bonner, San Antonio Spurs – 7.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.1 apg, 52% FG, 47% 3PT, 86% FT. Gotta love the big man that can hit the three.
24. Erick Dampier, Dallas Mavericks – 5.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1 apg, 1.3 bpg, 66% FG, 56% FT. Love the field goal percentage and the fraternity.
23. Andray Blatche, Washington Wizards – 9.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.7 apg, 47% FG, 78% FT. He’ll hit an occasional three when he’s on, but if he gave a consistent effort he’d be a lot higher on this list.
22. Samuel Dalembert, Philadelphia 76ers – 5.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 0.2 apg, 1.5 bpg, 46% FG, 71% FT. His contract might’ve ultimately led to Billy King’s demise.
21. Greg Oden, Portland Trailblazers – 8 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 0.7 apg, 1.2 bpg, 53% FG, 64% FT. He may not be great, but he’s a great guy to have in your rotation.
20. Tyson Chandler, New Orleans Hornets – 8.8 ppg, 8 rpg, 0.5 apg, 1.5 bpg, 55% FG, 53% FT. For some reason, most of his numbers are way down this year.
19. Jermaine O’Neal, Toronto Raptors – 14 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.9 bpg, 48% FG, 80%FT. Still kind of effective, not even 31 yet.
18. Brad Miller, Sacramento Kings – 12.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 3.4 apg, 47% FG, 39% 3PT, 78% FT. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him playing valuable minutes on a contender in the next few years.
17. Brook Lopez, New Jersey Nets – 10.3 ppg, 8 rpg, 0.8 apg, 1.9 bpg, 47% FG, 79% FT. Already playing better than their former starting center, who was also a twin from Stanford.
16. Kendrick Perkins, Boston Celtics – 8.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.8 bpg, 60% FG, 58% FT. Fits in perfectly with the rest of Boston’s starting 5.
15. Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies – 11.3 ppg, 7 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.1 bpg, 52% FG, 71% FT. That Lakers trade for his brother doesn’t look like the steal we thought it was now that he’s in the NBA too.
14. Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee Bucks – 11.5 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 2 apg, 1 bpg, 56% FG, 58% FT. On pace to have his first double-double season.
13. Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles Lakers – 11.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.8 bpg, 53% FG, 66% FT. I’m interested to see what his ceiling is. The numbers aren’t going to be there now, because of whom he plays with, but what would he do on a team like Minnesota?
12. Nene, Denver Nuggets – 14.7 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.5 bpg, 62% FG, 73% FT. He’s having a career year for a Nuggets team that looks like it might be able to make a run this year (finally).
11. Emeka Okafor, Charlotte Bobcats – 13.8 ppg, 11 rpg, 0.6 apg, 1.8 bpg, 58% FG, 58%FT. A consistent double-double guy for Larry Brown’s team.
10. Mehmet Okur, Utah Jazz – 16.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.8 apg, 48% FG, 37% 3PT, 80% FT. He is another reason why Utah has been able to keep moving along despite Boozer and D-Will’s injury woes.
9. Andris Biedrins, Golden State Warriors – 14.2 ppg, 11.9 rpg, 2 apg, 1.4 spg, 1.5 bpg, 55% FG, 56% FT. Without him, there’s no way Nellie’s style would even be remotely effective with the roster he has in Oaktown.
8. Rasheed Wallace, Detroit Pistons – 12.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1 spg, 1.6 bpg, 42% FG, 38% 3PT, 76% FT. He could be a 20 and 10 guy if he wanted to.
7. Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks – 11 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.6 bpg, 52% FG, 72% FT. He doesn’t get a lot of shots, and maybe this is too high for him, but he’s been outstanding for the Hawks this year.
6. Zydrunas Ilgauskus, Cleveland Cavaliers – 13.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.3 bpg, 52% FG, 84% FT. One of the hardest things about this list is the numbers. His numbers aren’t as good as some of the guys he’s a head of (#7 and 8 are in this boat too), but he does the more with his opportunities.
5. Shaquille O’Neal, Phoenix Suns – 17.2 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.5 bpg, 59% FG, 60% FT. Shhhh. Shaq is having his best season since he helped D-Wade bring the championship to Miami.
4. Marcus Camby, Los Angeles Clippers – 12 ppg, 13.5 rpg, 2.3 apg, 2.8 bpg, 52% FG, 75% FT. It’s pretty hard to beat a double-double with three blocks a game.
3. Al Jefferson, Minnesota Timberwolves – 22.8 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.8 bpg, 50% FG, 77% FT. The best player in the league none of us really get to see.
2. Yao Ming, Houston Rockets – 19.8 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.7 bpg, 52% FG, 88% FT. You already know what you’re going to get from Yao every year; 20, 10 and at least 20 games on the shelf.
1. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic – 20.1 ppg, 13.6 rpg, 1.4 apg, 3.5 bpg, 56% FG, 57% FT. His numbers are every similar to the numbers Shaq put up in his rookie year, which shows how dominant Shaq really was. However, D-Ho is at about 50% of his potential right now, and is far and away the best center in the league, which is scary.

Shaq (92-93) 23.4 ppg, 13.9 rpg, 1.9 apg, 3.5 bpg, 56% FG, 57% FT.

NBA Power Forward Rankings

Part 4

30. Craig Smith, Minnesota Timberwolves - 8.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.5 apg, 51% FG, 68% FT. Keeping the seat warm for K-Love.
29. Yi Jianlian, New Jersey Nets – 9.7 ppg, 6 rpg, 1 apg, 39% FG, 39% 3PT, 79% FT. Maybe he’ll become a decent role player some day.
28. Ben Wallace, Cleveland Cavaliers – 3.2 ppg, 7 rpg, 0.7 apg, 1 spg, 1.8 bpg, 45% FG, 44% FT. At this point in his career, it’s probably better if he’s coming off the bench, but he has found a good niche with the Cavs.
27. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Milwaukee Bucks – 8 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1 apg, 1.1 spg, 45% FG, 76% FT. Charlie Villanueva is the more talented player at this position for the Bucks, but Scott Skiles likes this guy.
26. Tyrus Thomas, Chicago Bulls – 7.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 0.8 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.7 bpg, 41% FG, 80% FT. Wouldn’t it be nice if they had LaMarcus Aldridge?
25. Brandan Wright, Golden State Warriors – 8 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1 bpg, 56% FG, 75% FT. With Nellie’s weird rotations it’s hard to figure out what he is.
24. Hakim Warrick, Memphis Grizzlies – 11.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 0.8 apg, 50% FG, 72% FT. Stromile Swift 2.0.
23. Kenyon Martin, Denver Nuggets – 12.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.6 spg, 1.3 bpg, 51%FG, 59% FT. His athleticism is still decent, but at this point of his career (and his salary) people’s perceptions about Kenyon are more about what he isn’t (an elite player) than what he is (a good rotation guy).
22. Jeff Green, OKC – 16.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.2 spg, 46% FG, 40% 3PT, 75% FT. A bit undersized to play the four, he has steadily improved as this season has progressed.
21. Spencer Hawes, Sacramento Kings – 11.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.7 bpg, 44% FG, 35% 3PT, 75% FT. A future double-double guy with outside touch, his development is definitely intriguing.
20. Udonis Haslem, Miami Heat – 11.1 ppg, 9 rpg, 1.2 apg, 50% FG, 71% FT. Solid player, and worth a lot more bang for buck than they’re getting from The Matrix.
19. Luis Scola, Houston Rockets – 11.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1 spg, 50% FG, 74% FT. One of the best players most people have never heard of.
18. Troy Murphy, Indiana Pacers – 11.5 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 2.5 apg, 43% FG, 38% 3PT, 70% FT. I have an affinity for double-double guys that can hit the three.
17. Boris Diaw, Charlotte Bobcats – (11 games) 15.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 5.2 apg, 50% FG, 56% FT. Give him a starting spot and voila, he’s back to putting up numbers similar to his breakout year in Phoenix (05-06), when he filled him for Amare and put up 13, 7 and 6.
16. David Lee, New York Knicks – 14.8 ppg, 11 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.1 spg, 57% FG, 74% FT. Everybody loves him except for D’Antoni, who believe it or not, wants him to play more D.
15. LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trailblazers – 17.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.1 bpg, 47% FG, 75% FT. His improvement is one of the reasons why the Blazers seem poised to return to the playoffs.
14. Elton Brand, Philadelphia 76ers – 15.9 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.4 bpg, 45% FG, 68% FT. He doesn’t look the same, and in the few games I’ve seen him play he’s been called for the most traveling calls I’ve ever seen.
13. Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks – 15 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.5 spg, 1.8 apg, 47% FG, 23% 3PT, 67% FT. Effective with Atlanta, I’m resigned to the fact that he’s never going to become the dominant two-way player he can become.
12. Rashard Lewis, Orlando Magic – 19.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.3 spg, 44% FG, 41% 3PT, 85% FT. Although he’s not a great defender, Lewis is a good fit for this team.
11. Tayshaun Prince, Detroit Pistons – 14.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 3.1 apg, 45% FG, 37% 3PT, 80% FT. His numbers aren’t as good as some of the other guys in his area, but he was on the “Redeem Team” for a reason; he’s the total package. He can score inside and out, defend littles and bigs, rebound and pass.
10. Zack Randolph, Los Angeles Clippers – (14 games) 23.1 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 2.5 apg, 49% FG, 37% 3PT, 75% FT. He’s better than you want to think he is.
9. David West, New Orleans Hornets – 19.7 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.1 bpg, 49% FG, 89% FT. Head and chemistry issues aside, him and Z-Bo are a virtual tie for the 10th best player in the best position in basketball, at least from a Top 11 perspective.
8. Carlos Boozer, Utah Jazz – 20.5 ppg, 11.7 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1 spg, 56% FG, 73% FT. Before he got hurt, he was doing his thing. I was really torn between putting him or Millsap on this list (who would’ve been 16, btw).
7. Antawn Jamison, Washington Wizards – 20.8 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 2 apg, 1.2 spg, 46% FG, 30% 3PT, 77% FT. He and Caron are one of the best one-two punches surrounded by the worst group of guys.
6. Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers – 17.6 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1 bpg, 56% FG, 80% FT. His numbers would be better on a worse team, like Memphis.
5. Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns – 21.8 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.1 bpg, 56% FG, 83% FT. As good as he is, you have to wonder if this is his peak, or if there’s another level he can get to.
4. Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors – 23.5 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 2.4 apg, 49% FG, 81% FT. Like Amare, this might not be his ceiling.
3. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks – 26 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.6 apg, 47% FG, 37% 3PT, 90% FT. Is Dirk underrated?
2. Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics – 16.2 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.2 spg, 1.4 bpg, 53% FG, 84% FT. He might be at the beginning of the “downside” of his career, but there’s only one guy in the league you’d take over him at the four.
1. Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs – 20.9 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.7 bpg, 52% FG, 69% FT. Still the best.

NBA Small Forward Rankings

Part 3

30. Bobby Simmons – New Jersey Nets – 7.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.4 apg, 39% FG, 40% 3PT, 81%FT. Yikes.
29. Nicolas Batum – Portland Trailblazers – 4.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 0.9 apg, 43% FG, 38% 3PT, 69% FT. Doesn’t play much now, even though he starts, and will play a lot less when Martel Webster comes back from injury. He has a lot of potential though.
28. Jamario Moon – Toronto Raptors – 6.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.3 spg, 1 bpg, 45% FG, 34% 3PT, 82% FT. He can jump and defend, plus you always have to root for the guys that took the road less traveled to the league.
27. C.J. Miles – Utah Jazz – 10 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.7 apg, 49% FG, 41% 3PT, 84% FT. He’s a good glue guy for Utah and apparently fits in with what Jerry Sloan wants to do.
26. Quentin Richardson – New York Knicks – 12 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1 spg, 40% FG, 35% 3PT, 80% FT. We share the same birthdate.
25. Luke Walton – Los Angeles Lakers – 3.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.8 apg, 39% FG, 26% 3PT, 8-8 FT. He didn’t play much in the beginning of the year, as he was in Phil Jackson’s dog house. A good enough rotation player, who knows where he or his minutes will end up as the season moves along.
24. Grant Hill – Phoenix Suns – 9.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.1 spg, 51% FG, 30% 3PT, 78% FT. It was nice to see him get a few healthy years in Phoenix as his star-crossed career winds down.
23. Ryan Gomes – Minnesota Timberwolves – 9.9 ppg, 4 rpg, 1.8 apg, 42% FG, 37% 3PT, 73% FT. A versatile defender and scorer, while the casual NBA fan has probably never even heard of him.
22. Michael Finley – San Antonio Spurs – 10.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.7 apg, 44% FG, 38% 3PT, 77% FT. He spent the best years of his career in obscurity in Phoenix and in the collective shadows of Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash in Dallas. Now he’s a merely a serviceable role player for the Spurs.
21. Peja Stojakovic – New Orleans Hornets – 13.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.3 apg, 41% FG, 43% 3PT, 86% FT. He can still shoot, but he just isn’t healthy enough to be the guy the Hornets need him to be at the three.
20. Thaddeus Young – Philadelphia 76ers – 12.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1 spg, 47% FG, 33% 3PT, 74% FT. Young is turning in to a nice player in Philly. Don’t be surprised if he supplants the other A.I. as the Sixers go-to guy.
19. Shane Battier – Houston Rockets – 7.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.1 apg, 42% FG, 40% 3PT. Perhaps the league’s ultimate glue guy, he still starts and gets 30 minutes a game despite the team’s off-season acquisition of Ron Artest.
18. John Salmons – Sacramento Kings – 19.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.1 spg, 49% FG, 41% 3PT, 81% FT. With Kevin Martin on the shelf for most of the season, Salmons is making the most of a bad situation by putting up career numbers.
17. Al Thornton – Los Angeles Clippers – 16.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1 spg, 1 bpg, 44% FG, 24% 3PT, 77% FT. It’s going to be interesting to see how he develops on those bad Clipper teams.
16. Luol Deng – Chicago Bulls – 13.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1 spg, 44% FG, 33% 3PT, 80% FT. Deng has been steadily regressing since his breakout 2006-07 season, which is a bad sign for Bulls fans.
15. Marvin Williams – Atlanta Hawks – 13.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.6 apg, 47% FG, 38% 3PT, 81% FT. Although he’ll never make fans forget the Hawks picked him over Chris Paul, he’s at least gotten himself out of Sam Bowie territory.
14. Richard Hamilton – Detroit Pistons – 17.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.2 apg, 45% FG, 36% 3PT, 89% FT. The Pistons have been playing a whole lot better since going to a small-ball lineup of Rip, A.I., Stuckey, Tayshaun and Sheed.
13. Shawn Marion – Miami Heat – 11.7 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.2 bpg, 46% FG, 21% 3PT, 73% FT. I’m sure the Suns are way happier that he’s in Miami than he is that he got traded at this point.
12. Hedo Turkoglu – Orlando Magic – 17 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 4.6 apg, 1.1 spg, 40% FG, 34% 3PT, 83% FT. Hedo’s a big part of the ever improving and increasingly gelling Orlando Magic nucleus.
11. Stephen Jackson – Golden State Warriors – 19 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.9 apg, 1.3 spg, 39% FG, 28% 3PT, 81% FT. Getting traded to Oakland not only is one of the best things that happened to Captain Jack’s career, when you include his lack of off-season issues since arriving in the Bay Area, it might have saved his life.
10. Gerald Wallace – Charlotte Bobcats – 16.7 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2.4 rpg, 1.9 spg, 1 bpg, 47% FG, 28% 3PT, 79% FT. Easily the least known and least wanted franchise player in the NBA.
9. Richard Jefferson – Milwaukee Bucks – 17.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1 spg, 43% FG, 40% 3PT, 79% FT. Richard isn’t having the type of season you would think he’d have as the guy with the Bucks.
8. Rudy Gay – Memphis Grizzlies – 19.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.3 spg, 44% FG, 31% 3PT, 81% FT. After a slow start, it seems like he and O.J. Mayo are finally learning how to play well together.
7. Josh Howard – Dallas Mavericks – 18.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.7 apg, 45% FG, 35% 3PT, 76% FT. Unfortunately, he’s becoming known more for off-season gaffes than his play
6. Caron Butler – Washington Wizards – 21 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.5 apg, 1.6 spg, 47% FG, 31% 3PT, 87% FT. Without Caron and Jamison, I’m not sure the Wizards wouldn’t still be winless right now.
5. Kevin Durant – OKC – 23.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.2 spg, 1 bpg, 46% FG, 42% 3PT, 84% FT. Its one thing to be on a bad team in Seattle but its far worse to be on one of the worst teams in NBA history in Oklahoma City. At least he might get the chance to run with Blake Griffin next year.
4. Danny Granger – Indiana Pacers – 24.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1 spg, 1.3 bpg, 46% FG, 38% 3PT, 85% FT. If this guy isn’t an all-star …
3. Paul Pierce – Boston Celtics – 18.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.1 spg, 42% FG, 37% 3PT, 85% FT. The truth, and still number three, although by this time next year he’ll likely be number five.
2. Carmelo Anthony – Denver Nuggets – 20.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1 spg, 42% FG, 43% 3PT, 79% FT. His scoring is down, but Melo is becoming a more complete player and is doing more to help his team win.
1. LeBron James – Cleveland Cavaliers – 27.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 6.4 apg, 2 spg, 1.1 bpg, 51% FG, 28% 3PT, 78% FT. Happy 24th Birthday King James!