There's no doubting or denying that this has been a disappointing season for the Los Angeles Lakers thus far. This summer when the organization added superstar talents Steve Nash and Dwight Howard to their roster, the media, NBA fans, and certainly LakerNation were expecting and anxious to see, for all intensive purposes, an All-Star team dominate in the West similar to the convergence of Miami's Big 3. The Lakers started off 0-8 in the preseason, which was a red flag to some and easily brushed off by others. However, LA went on to struggle throughout this entire season and now stand at the 9th seed in the West with a record of 28-30 and 2 and a half games behind an extremely offensively skilled team in the Houston Rockets for the 8th seed. For my avid NBA fans out there, when is the last time that you can remember the Lakers having a season in which even before the All-Star break every game was a must-win? Allow me to put things into perspective a bit. This is the first time in the Kobe-era (dating back to 1997) that the Lakers have had 30 losses by March. As soon as the struggles for LA became apparent that they were a habit and not a result of the team still being in the process of "gelling", critics and analysts everywhere were boldly striking them out of the playoffs. Had this season been 66 games as was last year's lockout season then I would be inclined to definitively agree. But the Lakers still have 24 more games to play. Are they really done?
On Sunday evening, The Lakers pulled off a 103-99 strongly finished win over the Dallas Mavericks. Kobe finished with 38 points on 13-of-21 shooting, 14 of those points coming in the 4th quarter alone. Once Kobe got that "Mamba" look in his eyes it became clear that the chances of things ending well for the Mavericks were slim. However, the Lakers couldn't hold on to their urgency for long, losing to the Nuggets the next night 108-119. This very fluctuation, among other factors, seems to be a reoccurring issue and huge hindrance for this team. But I believe the Los Angeles Lakers, when all is said and done, will be playing in the postseason at the 8th seed. Why?
Reports surfaced of Kobe Bryant making the guarantee that the Lakers would not only make the playoffs but also be a factor in them on Sunday. Say what you want about the man, he is a 5-time NBA champion, a future Hall of Famer, and one of the best players to play the game since Micheal Jordan (I will let the comparisons rest). I am not willingly to bet against the determination and pride of Kobe Bryant.
Secondly, the Lakers have found strategies that work to get them wins. The consistency of these styles of play however don't last long. Perhaps you recall the formula they tried with Kobe being a facilitator taking a significantly fewer number of shots and an increasing his number of assists. This method did result in an increase in the win column for LA. Will that style of play get them in the playoffs? Yes it will. Will it also get them eliminated in the first round? There is little doubt in my mind. Then we explore the second option that Dwight Howard, one of the best centers this league has, can be more aggressive and consistent. But after coming off of a major back surgery during this past offseason, Howard is not 100% healthy and that accounts for some of his inconsistent play. Howard has been the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year 3 times (2009-2011). Which brings me to my third and final issue with the Lakers: defense. With known offensive-minded coach Mike D'Antoni as the Lakers head coach, the Lakers defensive efforts are very inconsistent. When they take a "defense first" approach it has actually turned into good things for them and gotten them many of their wins.
If LA can stick to a friendly mixture of all of these formulas for success consistently, they can surely grab the 8th seed spot. They must play with the same high energy and urgency night-in and night-out. It would be a complete failure and hard to believe for a team this talented not to at least make to postseason play despite their struggles. With a win tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves, they will only be 2 games behind Houston and 1 game shy of the .500 mark. The odds are actually in LA's favor as they have won the last 20 straight games when facing the T-wolves. That is the longest active winning streak any team has over another in the NBA. Will Minnesota pull off the upset, if you can even call it that, or will the Lakers take one step closer on their road to the playoffs? Find out tonight at 10:30 on TNT.
Sources: LA Times
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Has Te'o's stock market crashed?
This past Friday Te'o met with the media for an optional 15 minute interview at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. His press interview segment was unsurprisingly the most attended of them all and scouts were actually satisfied and impressed with how he conducted himself. What was a let down though was his actual performance in the Combine workouts on Monday. Te'o ran an official time of 4.82 seconds in the 40-yard dash which placed him at 20th of the 26 linebackers at the Combine. According to NFL expert sources, a 4.7 is about the benchmark for 1st round players. In addition, Te'o's judgment and ability to lead in the NFL is now in question as a result of "becoming a victim" to the hoax.
Lucky for Te'o, he has a Pro Day coming at Notre Dame on March 26th where he will be given the opportunity to improve and physically redeem himself. Failing to improve significantly at his Pro Day can take him from a late 1st round pick, where I feel he is at right now, to the early second round. I have no doubt that he will be drafted within the first 2 days at the very least but he surely has a lot of categories to sell to GM's and coaching staffs on that exceed pure physical capabilities.
Although I don't believe Te'o was actually a victim of a real hoax, at least not for as long as he claims, I also don't agree that this incident should terribly impact his draft selection spot. If he doesn't improve on his Pro Day, although I feel he will, then that is a different case entirely. However the intangible leadership skills he displayed during his time at Notre Dame should not just become non-existent and a thing of a distant memory because of one bad judgment call. I believe in reality plenty of great football players, active and retired, have made big mistakes when they were 22 years old as well but it just either did not get to the media or was not as massively covered as Te'o's story. Although Te'o's position is often looked upon to be a leader of the defense, perhaps if he is picked up by a team of veterans that aspect of his package won't be needed from him until a few years from now when he's had the time to learn and mature.
April 25th marks the first day of the NFL draft so despite all the predicting and speculation, we will all see what happens when it's all said and done. Something in football, and sports in general, always happens that no one expects or sees coming. Keep your eyes open.
Sources: LA Times, Dead Spin
Featured Player of The Week: A Real Warrior
If you don't already know much about him, meet the Golden State Warriors starting guard, and arguably the team's most valuable player, Stephen "Steph" Curry, a 1st round (7th overall) 2009 draft pick from Davidson College. Curry is now in his 3rd year in the NBA and currently averaging 21.9 PPG, 4.10 RPG, and 6.5 APG. During his last season playing college basketball, Curry led the nation in scoring averaging 28.6 PPG. With his 6th seeded Warriors gradually becoming a bigger threat in the West each season under head coach Marc Jackson, there was much stir as to how Steph Curry managed to become a snub, and certainly the biggest of them all, of this year's the All-Star game (meaning he did not make the team).
After Curry's performances this week however, I'm sure the league's coaches have realized that they surely made a mistake in glancing him over in All-Star Reserve selections. On Tuesday night, Curry scored 38 points shooting 70% in a 97-108 Warriors loss to the Pacers in Indiana. But what really got the social media sites buzzing last night was his outstanding performance in Madison Square Garden dropping a whopping 54 points, after only scoring 3 points in the 1st quarter! Curry put on a complete offensive clinic and it became apparent at a certain point that there was nothing the Knicks defense could do to stop him. Curry's trip to Studio 54 last night was the most points scored by any NBA player this season as he shot 18/28 from the field and connected on an unbelievable 11 of 13 3-pointers, one shy of an NBA record by a single player in a game. Unfortunately once again Curry's heroics were slightly in vein as the Knicks defeated his team 105-109. After the game, New York Knicks guard JR Smith tweeted Curry this:
"You are an All Star in my book any day! Unbelievable game bro! Damn 54 PTs in 48 mins 11/13 from the 3! That's work kid!"Curry seems to be a young, humble, and personable up and coming star in this league, and hopefully All-Star next year. Surely Curry is favored to be this week's Western Conference Player of the Week as it will be well deserved. Although there were many dramatic storylines Wednesday night around the NBA, Curry definitely gets my vote for the headline!
Check out this video for a recap of Curry's performance last night!
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Women Wednesdays: Basketball Positions Pt. 1
As a woman that loves sports I am all too familiar with the assumption that we just "pretend" to be a fan for males attention. With all the slack I've gotten from that, I decided I wanted to feature something on The Rundown that was especially for my ladies. A lot of you might not know much about sports, and don't profess to, so in this 6-week series I'm going to educate you all on something new about sports. Hopefully the way I break it down can help you to digest and apply what you've read. Don't turn away fellas. I wouldn't dare assume that every one of you knows all of this information as well so feel free to read and participate.
This week I'll explore the 2 of the 5 different positions in basketball. These positions are also known as the Backcourt. An easy way to remember this is to remember that when they properly traditionally set up, are closest to the backcourt which is the point past the line that divides the two sides of the court. See diagram below for further explanation
Point Guard: This position is also known as "The 1". You will find this position at the top of the key (the semicircle in front of the basket)
Main duties and Characteristics:
Shooting guard: This position is also known as "The 2". This player is relied upon to bring in a lot of the points.
Main duties and Characteristics:
Below I have a diagram of how each position would be traditionally set up on the floor so that you can get an idea of what I've described. I also have a little quiz. I will feature a few NBA players of both of the positions that I explained and the first woman to tweet me back the position that the players play will be recognized. Please don't cheat. At the end of the series the woman with the most wins will receive a prize! ( @iDreamofJaylee)
This week I'll explore the 2 of the 5 different positions in basketball. These positions are also known as the Backcourt. An easy way to remember this is to remember that when they properly traditionally set up, are closest to the backcourt which is the point past the line that divides the two sides of the court. See diagram below for further explanation
Point Guard: This position is also known as "The 1". You will find this position at the top of the key (the semicircle in front of the basket)
Main duties and Characteristics:
- Facilitate the ball and as a result "guard" the points.
- Team's best ball handler and passer. They touch the ball very frequently to set up the plays for the team to run.
- Should be able to move fast. Speed is very important when guarding other point guards and efficiently handling the ball.
- Should be able to shoot with range (from any point on the floor).
- Generally “The 1” is the smaller/shorter player.
- In the NBA, point guards height range from about 6 feet to 6 foot 4 inches.
Shooting guard: This position is also known as "The 2". This player is relied upon to bring in a lot of the points.
Main duties and Characteristics:
- Usually the team's best/most consistent shooter and can score from a longer range than other positions
- Usually anywhere from 6 foot 4 inches to 6 foot 7 inches tall.
- Like the point guard, the shooting guard also needs to be able to handle the ball well as they may do a lot of driving to the basket, dribbling while isolating a defender, etc
Below I have a diagram of how each position would be traditionally set up on the floor so that you can get an idea of what I've described. I also have a little quiz. I will feature a few NBA players of both of the positions that I explained and the first woman to tweet me back the position that the players play will be recognized. Please don't cheat. At the end of the series the woman with the most wins will receive a prize! ( @iDreamofJaylee)
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Can Jacoby Jones bring another trophy to Baltimore?
On Sunday night the announcement was made that Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones would be participating in this season of Dancing With The Stars. The rest of the cast members were revealed today and include names like Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, boxer Victor Ortiz, Olympic ice skater Dorothy Hamill, and comedians D.L Hughley and Andy Dick. This should be very entertaining!
If Jones were to win this season, he would be the 4th NFL player to be crowned a Dancing With The Stars champion among a list of names such as former Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, former Cowboys and Cardinals running back Emmitt Smith, and newly retired former Green Bay Packer wide receiver Donald Driver. Athletes in general have been pretty competitive in this series accounting for 6 of the 15 total season winners. Can Jones bring in another accolade in 2013 as a World Champion Baltimore Raven? We will certainly be watching.
Sources: Washington Post
If Jones were to win this season, he would be the 4th NFL player to be crowned a Dancing With The Stars champion among a list of names such as former Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, former Cowboys and Cardinals running back Emmitt Smith, and newly retired former Green Bay Packer wide receiver Donald Driver. Athletes in general have been pretty competitive in this series accounting for 6 of the 15 total season winners. Can Jones bring in another accolade in 2013 as a World Champion Baltimore Raven? We will certainly be watching.
Tom Brady extends contract with Patriots
Yesterday afternoon, Sports Illustrated reported that Tom Brady signed an extension with the New England Patriots for $27 million over 3 years. Brady will receive an immediate $3 million signing bonus, and then he will receive salaries of 7 million, 8 million, and 9 million dollars respectively over the next 3 years. The contract will run through the 2017 season at which Brady will be 40 years old. It is said that Brady always desired to play until he was 40 and he now will be able to do so.
I'm happy for Tom. This deal definitely shows his love and loyalty to the New England organization because he could have very easily asked for more money. According to a league source, this amount of money is less than half of his worth. But the Patriots have stayed competitive over the years and Brady seems to be more focused on another Vince Lombardi, or two, with the talent he will have in New England than the amount of income he receives before he retires. The Patriots caught a major salary cap break from this deal as Tom was ex;ected to count $43.6 million of their cap in 2013 and 2014.
Needless to say Tom Brady has had an amazing career. 3-time SuperBowl Champion, 2-time SuperBowl MVP, 8 ProBowl appearances, 23-time AFC Player of The Week (which is an all-time record), 2009 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, 2005 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, and the list goes on. So good for you Tom. I'm sure by the end of the 2017 season there will be many other accolades to add to his tremendous list of accomplishments.
Source: Sports Illustrated
Monday, February 25, 2013
Why LeBron James will never be in the dunk contest
Even if you aren't a LeBron or Heat fan, if you love the game you have to respect what he does on the floor and brings to the game. From the ability to play 1-5, to the tremendously skilled passes, and his recent remarkable efficiency from downtown. But many fans including myself can agree, that when you are at a game, or even watching from home, witnessing James dunk is an exciting sight. So why does he continue to toy with fans and opt to not participate in the All-Star dunk contest? We all know he has the strength, speed, and athleticism which are all key factors in producing a winner in this contest. He even tweeted from his own personal Twitter account on February 7th "Dunk Contest?", giving fans a bit of hope and anticipation that this may be the year that he satisfies all of us and gives us the show we'd been waiting for. And he didn't.
Many have speculated, especially pre-title, that LeBron is afraid of the contest because he doesn't want to endure the additional scrutiny of losing when the pressure is on. In part, at least before he got the ring, I agreed. I mean the amount of disdain he was feeling from people all across the world was astronomical and something I wouldn't wish on anyone. Just to be in a minor dunk contest I myself wouldn't even have risked increasing that. But now all is back to normal and the fans have replaced the boos everytime he touches the ball with the cheers and screams when he is introduced on their home court. So whats the hold up? It is my belief that LeBron won't participate because he simply doesn't want to. During All-star weekend, superstar players are doing much more than just a few interviews and watching the events hosted throughout the weekend. Many players hosts parties, charity events, attend business meetings, as well as do philanthropic work. This past All-Star weekend LeBron, D.Wade and the rest of the Heat team went out in the Houston community and helped to paint houses and plant trees for those in need. In addition, participating in the Dunk contest requires extra practice time. LeBron seems to be so focused on his game and the improvement of it, his businesses, and his family that it seems to me he may not have the time that he's want to come up with creative dunks that he would feel are worthwhile. Not to mention that at the time of next year's All-Star Weekend he will be 29 years old playing in his 10th season. Thats getting up there to participate in a contest like that.
LeBron reportedly told the media after the All-Star festivities that he is a more creative in-game dunker than he would be in a contest. I think that's an straight up excuse to avoid telling his real reasoning and I have footage to prove it. No doubt the NBA would make a significantly larger amount of money from All-Star weekend if they had LeBron headlining the dunk contest but everything that should happen doesn't always happen. So nevertheless, as hard as it is to say, all you Heat and LeBron fans out there: R.I.P to your hopes and dreams of seeing him raise that All-Star Weekend Slam Dunk contest winner trophy. All he is focused on is another Larry O'Brien.
Here's video footage of LeBron throwing down an amazing dunk during Pre-Game warm ups last night before they took on The Cavs. Creative "in-game dunker" who? Please LeBron! (The dunk starts at about :36)
Many have speculated, especially pre-title, that LeBron is afraid of the contest because he doesn't want to endure the additional scrutiny of losing when the pressure is on. In part, at least before he got the ring, I agreed. I mean the amount of disdain he was feeling from people all across the world was astronomical and something I wouldn't wish on anyone. Just to be in a minor dunk contest I myself wouldn't even have risked increasing that. But now all is back to normal and the fans have replaced the boos everytime he touches the ball with the cheers and screams when he is introduced on their home court. So whats the hold up? It is my belief that LeBron won't participate because he simply doesn't want to. During All-star weekend, superstar players are doing much more than just a few interviews and watching the events hosted throughout the weekend. Many players hosts parties, charity events, attend business meetings, as well as do philanthropic work. This past All-Star weekend LeBron, D.Wade and the rest of the Heat team went out in the Houston community and helped to paint houses and plant trees for those in need. In addition, participating in the Dunk contest requires extra practice time. LeBron seems to be so focused on his game and the improvement of it, his businesses, and his family that it seems to me he may not have the time that he's want to come up with creative dunks that he would feel are worthwhile. Not to mention that at the time of next year's All-Star Weekend he will be 29 years old playing in his 10th season. Thats getting up there to participate in a contest like that.
LeBron reportedly told the media after the All-Star festivities that he is a more creative in-game dunker than he would be in a contest. I think that's an straight up excuse to avoid telling his real reasoning and I have footage to prove it. No doubt the NBA would make a significantly larger amount of money from All-Star weekend if they had LeBron headlining the dunk contest but everything that should happen doesn't always happen. So nevertheless, as hard as it is to say, all you Heat and LeBron fans out there: R.I.P to your hopes and dreams of seeing him raise that All-Star Weekend Slam Dunk contest winner trophy. All he is focused on is another Larry O'Brien.
Here's video footage of LeBron throwing down an amazing dunk during Pre-Game warm ups last night before they took on The Cavs. Creative "in-game dunker" who? Please LeBron! (The dunk starts at about :36)
Future of NASCAR safety regulations
On Saturday as the DRIVE4COPD 300 race entered its final lap, a major crash occurred when Kyle Larson's car collided with Brian Scott's car starting a ripple effect subsequently damaging other driver's cars as well. Parts of Larson's car, which went airborne, managed to fly over the safety fence, that actually was broken in the process. This fence set at the Daytona International Speedway is designed to protect fans from these kinds of incidents. All of the drivers made it out of their vehicles without any major injuries or trips to the hospital as they plan and protect themselves in the event that incidents like this occur each time they get into their cars. The vulnerable fans however, who intend to just spectate at an exhilarating race, are the ones at risk when the safety fence doesn't keep them quite as safe as they would expect.
Although Speedway President Joie Chitwood III assured the media and public that all of the proper safety protocols were followed in a timely manner after the crash, that doesn't change that fact that the incident occurred and as a result some fans will be undoubtedly be traumatized. According to ESPN 16 year old Tyler (who preferred not to include his last name) said that he is a frequent NASCAR spectator and "this is just not supposed to happen", as he was close enough to the crash to get clear video coverage of it from the stands. Another fan told ESPN it looked like "a warzone".
I can only imagine the thoughts and feeling of fear those spectators had to be processing as they watched the accident unfold, especially those injured. 28 fans were injured and of those, 14 were sent to the local hospital. Of those 14, 2 were actually in critical condition but were later stabilized. The question still remains: was this just an unfortunate isolated incident or lack of 100% properly taken precautions by NASCAR and the Daytona International Speedway?
Although it is very unfortunate that innocent fans were harmed and the sport surely brings in enough revenue to ensure that they provide quality protective equipment throughout any track, I don't agree with the speculation that the fans seats should be moved back further unless a fan personally requests it. NASCAR is on the more high risk end but in virtually any sport spectators are at risk of injury and and harm, even golf. But that is a prat of the thrill of the game and the thrill comes with watching it live. I just think that NASCAR and IndyCar needs to carefully find a highly accredited engineering company to innovate a more reliable safety fence. It is not fair to punish all NASCAR and IndyCar fans because of the injuries and accidents that occurred on Saturday. You attend at your own risk, just be prepared and aware of the risk you are taking with seats that close.
Nonetheless, I do expect some new rules of spectating to be implemented whether it be more emergency responders on site and closer to the fans or a certain distance between the stands and track that fans are not allowed to cross. It will be interesting to see how the Racecar industry handles this one. If there are any changes in regulations, I will have to follow-up on this.
Here are some photos to give you an idea of how the crash looked and how bad it was
Sources : CNN
Although Speedway President Joie Chitwood III assured the media and public that all of the proper safety protocols were followed in a timely manner after the crash, that doesn't change that fact that the incident occurred and as a result some fans will be undoubtedly be traumatized. According to ESPN 16 year old Tyler (who preferred not to include his last name) said that he is a frequent NASCAR spectator and "this is just not supposed to happen", as he was close enough to the crash to get clear video coverage of it from the stands. Another fan told ESPN it looked like "a warzone".
I can only imagine the thoughts and feeling of fear those spectators had to be processing as they watched the accident unfold, especially those injured. 28 fans were injured and of those, 14 were sent to the local hospital. Of those 14, 2 were actually in critical condition but were later stabilized. The question still remains: was this just an unfortunate isolated incident or lack of 100% properly taken precautions by NASCAR and the Daytona International Speedway?
Although it is very unfortunate that innocent fans were harmed and the sport surely brings in enough revenue to ensure that they provide quality protective equipment throughout any track, I don't agree with the speculation that the fans seats should be moved back further unless a fan personally requests it. NASCAR is on the more high risk end but in virtually any sport spectators are at risk of injury and and harm, even golf. But that is a prat of the thrill of the game and the thrill comes with watching it live. I just think that NASCAR and IndyCar needs to carefully find a highly accredited engineering company to innovate a more reliable safety fence. It is not fair to punish all NASCAR and IndyCar fans because of the injuries and accidents that occurred on Saturday. You attend at your own risk, just be prepared and aware of the risk you are taking with seats that close.
Nonetheless, I do expect some new rules of spectating to be implemented whether it be more emergency responders on site and closer to the fans or a certain distance between the stands and track that fans are not allowed to cross. It will be interesting to see how the Racecar industry handles this one. If there are any changes in regulations, I will have to follow-up on this.
Here are some photos to give you an idea of how the crash looked and how bad it was
Sources : CNN
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Beast in the East: The Power of Three
It is no secret that the Miami Heat (39-14) are top team in the East and arguably in the league. The reigning NBA World Champions are led by the league's reigning MVP Lebron James who is averaging 27 points, 8.20 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game this season, making a bold case toward earning back to back MVP honors. We are only just past the All-Star break and already Lebron has become the youngest player to reach 20,000 career points at 28 years old, surpassed the 5,000 career assists mark, set an NBA record for becoming the only player in the history of the game to score at least 30 points and shoot at least 60% over the span of 6 consecutive games. So it almost becomes a small feat to mention he is having his most efficient shooting year from the field and beyond the arc of his career. I think LeBron is genuinely happy in every facet of his life and it is wonderfully transcending through into his game. I can hear other arguments but at the end of the day he is hands down the best player in the league and we don't even know for sure if this is his peak yet. But when this powerhouse team came together in the summer of 2011 they had one underlined strength: the triple threat.
Dwyane Wade is now a two-time NBA champion, former NBA finals MVP, 9 time All-Star, as well as a role model on and off the court. This season he is averaging 21.1 points, 4.90 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game this season but what is most important is the way he has been playing specifically over the last month or so. Many people like to use the phrase "he's got that extra step back" to help describe what they are seeing from Wade's improved play. As he was once under much scrutiny for allegedly being in the process of "losing it" at the beginning of the season, it has now become evident that he was working his way back to full strength after undergoing knee surgery in the off season. Over the last 10 games, Wade has averaged 23.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. Those numbers surpass his total average stat line from the 2011-2012 season alone. He's been back to pulling off his notorious late game heroics and last night he put up 33 points and 6 rebounds in a 114-90 Miami win against the 76ers. However no box score can accurately explain how Dwyane Wade single-handedly made the most powerful move to allow this team to reach the level they are at and that is his willingness to play second fiddle. Most players that have ever been at the stature Wade was used to being at before the Big 3 emerged would have rather gone to another team and be their franchise player than hand over the reigns to another player. Without that elimination of the power struggle though, we would almost certainly not be calling Miami the reigning champs.
Frequently overlooked but never taken for granted is the Heat's small forward Chris Bosh who is averaging 17.3 points, 7.20 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. In the initial banding and first year of play of Miami's Big 3, Bosh received a ton of criticism for being too soft, too small, and often completely eliminated from the equation with critics renaming the team to the "Big 2". But now in his third season with Miami, Bosh has long since proven his mental and physical toughness, his value to the team, while still putting on a few extra pounds. Bosh is an extremely reliable offensive threat to this team with his field goal percentage being higher than last year and points per game so far this season less than one percent down from the entire regular season last year.
Over the summer Miami also added pieces to their already highly dangerous roster. They acquired former Boston Celtic guard Ray Allen aka Jesus Shuttlesworth who is the NBA's all-time best 3 point shooter. In addition, the team acquired offensive weapon Rashard Lewis and just a few weeks ago signed power forward Chris "The Birdman" Anderson.
Miami is currently on a 10 game win streak and is looking to be getting better as the season goes on, transitioning into playoff mentality and shape. Dwyane Wade reached 16,000 career points last night and all signs for this squad are once again pointing to another trip to the NBA finals. But it won't be all smooth sailing.
The Indiana Pacers (35-21) are the number 2 team in the East, 5.5 games behind Miami and are said to likely be Miami's biggest threat to win the East. The Pacers, who have beaten their last 4 consecutive opponents by at least 18 points, are a physical team that can't beat the Heat with plain offensive skill so they resort to the "beat them down" mentality, tearing Miami up in the paint. The Pacers have a young and talented big man in Roy Hibbert that gave Miami plenty of problems in last year's second round playoff series. Paul George (17.6 PPG,7.9 RPG, 4.0 APG) and David West (17.2 PPG, 7.60 RPG, 3.0 APG) lead this Indiana team in the absence of their injured franchise player Danny Granger, who made his return last night vs. the Pistons for just 2 points. Miami has lost both times they have met the Pacers this season although they also fell down 2-3 in the series against them in the semifinals of the playoffs last year yet rallied back to convincingly defeat Indiana 4-2.
The Miami of the regular season and the Miami of the playoffs are two different teams with two different mindsets but I have the feeling that Indiana still feels the sting of their overzealous early celebration they partook in with the thought that they'd dethroned the Heat only to lose that series and are seeking the ultimate redemption. April is right around the corner and that my friends is when amazing REALLY happens.
Later this week I'll explore who the real top force in the West is and my prediction on who will I think will be in the Western Conference finals as well as who I believe will be the 2013 Western Conference Champions. Leave a comment, tweet me, or write me on Facebook to give me your predictions and reasons why and maybe I'll feature your opinion in my post!
Sources: NBA
Dwyane Wade is now a two-time NBA champion, former NBA finals MVP, 9 time All-Star, as well as a role model on and off the court. This season he is averaging 21.1 points, 4.90 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game this season but what is most important is the way he has been playing specifically over the last month or so. Many people like to use the phrase "he's got that extra step back" to help describe what they are seeing from Wade's improved play. As he was once under much scrutiny for allegedly being in the process of "losing it" at the beginning of the season, it has now become evident that he was working his way back to full strength after undergoing knee surgery in the off season. Over the last 10 games, Wade has averaged 23.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. Those numbers surpass his total average stat line from the 2011-2012 season alone. He's been back to pulling off his notorious late game heroics and last night he put up 33 points and 6 rebounds in a 114-90 Miami win against the 76ers. However no box score can accurately explain how Dwyane Wade single-handedly made the most powerful move to allow this team to reach the level they are at and that is his willingness to play second fiddle. Most players that have ever been at the stature Wade was used to being at before the Big 3 emerged would have rather gone to another team and be their franchise player than hand over the reigns to another player. Without that elimination of the power struggle though, we would almost certainly not be calling Miami the reigning champs.
Frequently overlooked but never taken for granted is the Heat's small forward Chris Bosh who is averaging 17.3 points, 7.20 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. In the initial banding and first year of play of Miami's Big 3, Bosh received a ton of criticism for being too soft, too small, and often completely eliminated from the equation with critics renaming the team to the "Big 2". But now in his third season with Miami, Bosh has long since proven his mental and physical toughness, his value to the team, while still putting on a few extra pounds. Bosh is an extremely reliable offensive threat to this team with his field goal percentage being higher than last year and points per game so far this season less than one percent down from the entire regular season last year.
Over the summer Miami also added pieces to their already highly dangerous roster. They acquired former Boston Celtic guard Ray Allen aka Jesus Shuttlesworth who is the NBA's all-time best 3 point shooter. In addition, the team acquired offensive weapon Rashard Lewis and just a few weeks ago signed power forward Chris "The Birdman" Anderson.
Miami is currently on a 10 game win streak and is looking to be getting better as the season goes on, transitioning into playoff mentality and shape. Dwyane Wade reached 16,000 career points last night and all signs for this squad are once again pointing to another trip to the NBA finals. But it won't be all smooth sailing.
The Indiana Pacers (35-21) are the number 2 team in the East, 5.5 games behind Miami and are said to likely be Miami's biggest threat to win the East. The Pacers, who have beaten their last 4 consecutive opponents by at least 18 points, are a physical team that can't beat the Heat with plain offensive skill so they resort to the "beat them down" mentality, tearing Miami up in the paint. The Pacers have a young and talented big man in Roy Hibbert that gave Miami plenty of problems in last year's second round playoff series. Paul George (17.6 PPG,7.9 RPG, 4.0 APG) and David West (17.2 PPG, 7.60 RPG, 3.0 APG) lead this Indiana team in the absence of their injured franchise player Danny Granger, who made his return last night vs. the Pistons for just 2 points. Miami has lost both times they have met the Pacers this season although they also fell down 2-3 in the series against them in the semifinals of the playoffs last year yet rallied back to convincingly defeat Indiana 4-2.
The Miami of the regular season and the Miami of the playoffs are two different teams with two different mindsets but I have the feeling that Indiana still feels the sting of their overzealous early celebration they partook in with the thought that they'd dethroned the Heat only to lose that series and are seeking the ultimate redemption. April is right around the corner and that my friends is when amazing REALLY happens.
Later this week I'll explore who the real top force in the West is and my prediction on who will I think will be in the Western Conference finals as well as who I believe will be the 2013 Western Conference Champions. Leave a comment, tweet me, or write me on Facebook to give me your predictions and reasons why and maybe I'll feature your opinion in my post!
Sources: NBA
Mid-season Trades: What Stood out?
With the NBA’s mid-season trades
finally over as of Thursday at 3pm, many teams around the league have been
spending their weekends getting acquainted with a few newer faces.
Some new acquisitions will go practically unnoticed and may pan out to not make
a significant difference long term but there are a few deals that were made
throughout this exchange period that cannot go without mentioning.
Trade
#1: Orlando Magic trade JJ Redick to the Milwaukee Bucks
As if the season couldn't get any worse for the now 15-41(.268) Orlando Magic follwing the loss of former franchise player Dwight Howard this past off season, on Thursday the Magic lost shooting guard JJ Redick, a fan favorite who has spent all 6 of his years in the league with Orlando. Redick was the teams second leading scorer averaging 15.1 PPG, 2.40 RPG, and 4.4 APG this season as well as 91% from the charity stripe. The deal from Orlando included forward/center Gustavo Ayon and guard Ish Smith. The Milwaukee Bucks, who are currently 26-28 and holding the 8th seed in the East, traded forward Tobias Harris, guard Beno Udrih, and rookie guard Doron Lamb.
Don't be so quick to revisit the World of Hate though Magic fans. The Bucks chances of actually making a run at the title are pretty slim and with the prolific talent from Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis that they already have, JJ Redick will likely become the regular sixth man getting much fewer touches. If Orlando fans are upset with anyone, I would hope it is solely their organizations front office. Hopefully this off-season will bring some kind of life back to the city's NBA fans.
Trade #2: New York Knicks trade Ronnie Brewer to OKC and acquire Kenyon Martin
This deal was rather interesting to me. The Oklahoma City Thunder (40-15) are favored by many to win the West for the second year in a row. The defense that forward Ronnie Brewer, also formerly an asset to the Chicago Bulls, can provide for them may be just another threat to build upon that case. The Thunder acquired Brewer in exchange for a 2014 second round draft pick from the 6'7" range to the Knicks.
New York, on the other hand, signs forward Kenyon Martin, who hasn't played in the league this season at all, as a free agent on a 10-day contract. Martin can definitely replace the size sacrificed in the trading of Brewer, sustaining their defense and possibly improving their rebounding. Last season with the Clippers, Martin averaged 5.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 1 block over the course of the 42 games he played with the team. The question with Martin will be if he is in good enough shape to be more of an asset and less of a liability to the Knicks. We all know that the Knicks have had a bit of a lingering and impacting chemistry problem to begin it.
Trade #3: Memphis Grizzlies trade Rudy Gay to the Toronto Raptors
I would be remiss not to mention the acquisition of former Memphis marquee player Rudy Gay to the Toronto Raptors. The three team trade deal was finalized on January 30th in which The Grizzlies traded small forward Rudy Gay for Raptors point guard Jose Calderon who was then sent to the Detriot Pistons in exchange for veteran forward Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye. Gay was averaging 17.2 PPG and 5.9 RPG in Memphis this season. In Toronto he joins a young talented guard in DeMar Derozan.
The shock of this trade came in large part from the fact that most people felt Memphis had a good chance at making a deep playoff run with Rudy Gay playing alongside veteran player and premiere defender Tony Allen, dominant and skilled big men in Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, and a reliable point guard in Mike Conley. Meanwhile, Toronto was fighting to clinch one of the lower seed spots. In addition, the trade seemed to sneak up on us as there weren't many rumors indicating this deal coming to fruition. Toronto and Memphis are both still in the process of adjusting to the roster changes and although it seemed that Memphis struggled to do so more initially, they are currently 36-18 while the Raptors 23-33, making them the 10th seed in the East.
There is still plenty of time left for the Raptors to make it to the 7th or 8th seed but I'm more interested in seeing not only how Gay with the Raptors will play out for them in the long run but also how the Grizzlies without Gay will play out for them in the short term, namely this year's playoffs. In my opinion, this was the most intriguing and most valuable deal of all of the mid-season exchanges.
The Lakers, Clippers, Hawks, Pacers and Jazz not making any trades is noteworthy. All of these teams are either focusing on a playoff push or holding off to make bigger and/or better deals in the summer. The Miami Heat did trade center Dexter Pittman, who spent about as much time "developing" in the D-league as he did with the team, for rights from the Memphis Grizzlies to power forward Ricky Sanchez who is currently playing in Argentina.
For more extensive information and opinions on the trades that transpired, here's a brief video
For more extensive information and opinions on the trades that transpired, here's a brief video
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