40 Best NBA Free Agents

Quick list of the best free agents in the league by position.

POINT GUARD:

1. Chris Paul - (agreed Clippers, 5 years $107 million)
2. Brandon Jennings (restricted)
3. Jarrett Jack
4. Jeff Teague
5. Mo Williams
6. Jose Calderon
7. Darren Collison
8. Devin Harris
9. C.J. Watson

SHOOTING GUARD:

1. Monta Ellis
2. O.J. Mayo
3. Tyreke Evans (restricted)
4. J.R. Smith
5. Kevin Martin
6. Tony Allen
7. Nate Robinson
8. Manu Ginobili
9. J.J. Redick
10. Kyle Korver
11. Gary Neal (restricted)

SMALL FORWARD:

1. Andre Iguodala
2. Andrei Kirilenko
3. Martell Webster
4. Matt Barnes
5. Al-Farouq Aminu
6. Chase Budinger

POWER FORWARD:

1. Josh Smith
2. David West
3. Paul Millsap
4. Elton Brand
5. Carl Landry
6. J.J. Hickson

CENTER:

1. Dwight Howard
2. Al Jefferson
3. Nikola Pekovic (restricted)
4. Andrew Bynum
5. Tiago Splitter
6. Chris Kamen
7. Chris "Birdman" Andersen
8. Samuel Dalembert

Podcast: Celtics Trade Talk

I talked Celtics and NBA Trade rumors with Brian Robb on Monday night.  And here it is.

Click Here to go to CelticsHub.com

The Future of the Miami Heat

Ok, first off, it is entirely too early to write off the Heat as they trail the Celtics 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals.  They started the series with 2 wins in a row and there is a chance they can finish with 2 straight.  However, I think the C's close it out tomorrow night in Game 6 and advance to the NBA Finals for the 3rd time in 5 seasons. 

I'll spend time on podcasts, shows, and articles discussing the future of the Celtics.  Does KG come back? What happens to Ray Allen?  What will the bench look like?  Will Brandon Bass want to return? Etc.  But right now let's take a quick look at the NBA's Super Villian: Miami Heat.

Did you know that LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Mike Miller, Mario Chalmers, Udonis Haslem, Joel Anthony, Shane Battier, James Jones, Norris Cole, and Ronny Turiaf (player option) are all under contract NEXT SEASON.  So if there is going to be turnover on the roster it will have to come via trades and buyouts.  That's 11 players, which would make it much easier said than done to "blow it up."

In my opinion, LeBron is still the best player in the game.  Wade is Top 10 but on the decline.  Bosh is the worst multiple time All-Star in the business (he doesn't suck, but let's not confuse him with the elite power forwards.)  Chalmers isn't bad, however there are so many talented point guards he's still in the middle of the pack, at best.  The rest of the supporting cast is trash; 3-point hopefuls (Miller, Jones, Battier) and big man du jour: (Anthony, Haslem, Turiaf, Howard, Pittman).  But perhaps the worst of the non Big 2.5 is Erik Spoelstra. 

Good news for Spo?  There are some great "Resume Builder" software out there on the web and it's free. 

The easy move for the Heat is to can the coach.  That will happen, but should they simply stop there?  In a word, no.

You're not trading LeBron James.  That would be insane.  Call him not clutch, afraid of the moment, not a leader, whatever you want, but you do NOT deal him.  In order to to really shake things up you then look to Wade and Bosh.  The fact is the Heat would be a better team centered on a nucleus of LeBron and Bosh instead of LeBron and Wade, but would Miami dare trade the best player in their franchise history?

A Chris Bosh + stuff for Dwight Howard + stuff might make sense.  The Heat get a dominant rebounder, some post presence, and an anchor on their defense.  But would Orlando give up 1-year of Howard for 2-years (plus some player options) of Chris Bosh?  Depending on the packages being offered to the Magic, they might have to at least consider it.  Miami would have a legit Big 3 (and another guy who's afraid of the moment.) 

If Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were Batman & Robin then LeBron-Wade-Howard would be the Joker-Two Face-Mr. Freeze (or substitute anyone you like, maybe Riddler, Penguin, Bane, Scarecrow, etc.  Batman really did have the best villains... and these three are the Top 3 villiains in the NBA.)

The ineffectiveness of LeBron and Wade playing together (overall) can not be overlooked.  Do these two really complement each other?  For every 90 foot alley-oop pass or Sportscenter Top 10 play, there is a 100 times where one will watch the other dribble for 10 seconds and force an off balance jumper.  Maybe having two of the best wing players on the same team isn't the best formula.  (The fact that they made the Finals last year and still have a chance this year, without having any sense of an offense and a crap coach speaks to just how talented these guys are.)

As crazy as LeBron-Wade-Howard would truly be, I think Miami is better off dealing the face of their franchise in Wade, and seeing what they can get to pair with LeBron-Bosh (and a coach with a clue.) 

Their season is not over.  But when it is (unless it ends in a title) it will be an unbelievably fascinating off season in Miami.  Dare I say, even more intriguing than the summer of 2010?

-Keefe

5 Questions With DeAndre Liggins

Testing your Basketball IQ here with this one. I talked to Orlando rookie DeAndre Liggins prior to the Celtics 102-98 win over the Magic last night at the TD Garden. Here is what the 1st year man, and 2nd round pick, out of Kentucky had to say.

1. How has the whole Dwight Howard-Stan Van Gundy situation affected you guys, especially down the stretch of the season?

Liggins: What you talkin about?

1b. You know, that Dwight could pick Stan's fate, and the front office?

Liggins: Pick what? I don't know nothing about that.

1c. You think those two have a good relationship?

Liggins: Yeah they do. From my perspective I would say they do. That other stuff you are talking about I don't know what you are talking about, like Dwight picking. Especially me being a rookie, I definitely don't know.

2. How has Glen Davis been like as a teammate this year?

Liggins: He'd been great man. He's our emotional leader. He's been playing well, he just needs to continue to play well for us.

3. How did Coach Calipari help you get ready for the NBA?

Liggins: Yeah he... I mean he defined my game. That't what got me here, and I'm going to continue to do that.

4. Any regrets at all skipping your senior season after watching them [Kentucky] win it all?

Liggins: No. I mean I knew we had a chance if I came back to win it all. I knew they were going to win it all, so I just made my decision. I don't regret it or anything like that.

5. How would you assess your rookie year?

Liggins: I mean I'm happy even though I ain't playing, but I'm learning. Summer league is coming up so I'm excited about that. Just continue to work hard, that's all I can do.

-Keefe

Top 20 NBA Players By Position

All-Star weekend is in the books and now all eyes turn to the March 15th Trade Deadline. Why not put together a list of the Top 20 Players By Position? All “Rankings” are always very debatable, and this is certainly no different. What makes one player better than another? A lot of it comes down to individual opinion. Also these rankings are based on what I expect for the rest of THIS season. Age, contracts, etc. have no value here. Simply I would want the guy ranked #1 over the guy slotted #2 and so on for the rest of the year. And for the “tweeners” I made the executive decision and placed the player in just one position.

Point Guards:

1. Derrick Rose, Bulls
2. Chris Paul, Clippers
3. Deron Williams, Nets
4. Russell Westbrook, Thunder
5. Rajon Rondo, Celtics
6, Tony Parker, Spurs
7. Steve Nash, Suns
8. Stephen Curry, Warriors
9. Kyle Lowry, Rockets
10. Brandon Jennings, Bucks
11. Ricky Rubio, Timberwolves
12. Tyreke Evans, Kings
13. John Wall, Wizards
14. Kyrie Irving, Cavaliers
15. Jeremy Lin, Knicks
16. Ty Lawson, Nuggets
17. Lou Williams, 76ers
18. Jeff Teague, Hawks
19. Mike Conley, Grizzlies
20. Raymond Felton, Trail Blazers

Right out of the gate you can see how difficult this task really is. The Top 3 is pretty much a lock, but after that? I’m not even that confident in Westbrook, although he has played extremely well as of late. I don’t like his shot selection or when he takes the game over and forgets he has Durant on his team. I have John Wall real low on my list knowing he could storm up the rankings at any time. He needs to not turn the ball over, plus he’s leading a terrible team. Lin? I think he is ranked just fine at 15… for now.

Shooting Guards:

1. Kobe Bryant, Lakers
2. Dwyane Wade, Heat
3. Joe Johnson, Hawks
4. Manu Ginobili, Spurs (injured)
5. Monta Ellis, Warriors
6. James Harden, Thunder
7. Eric Gordon, Hornets
8. Wesley Matthews, Trail Blazers
9. Kevin Martin, Rockets
10. Jason Terry, Mavericks
11. Jamal Crawford, Trail Blazers
12. Ray Allen, Celtics
13. Rodney Stuckey, Pistons
14. Paul George, Pacers
15. Arron Afflalo, Nuggets
16. DeMar DeRozan, Raptors
17. O.J. Mayo, Grizzlies
18. Tony Allen, Grizzlies
19. Nick Young, Wizards
20. Anthony Morrow, Nets

Not a power house group right here. After the dominate Top 2 we see quite a drop off. Don’t love Joe Johnson at 3. Stuckey may be a point guard, but with Brandon Knight starting alongside him he’s been playing a lot of SG, and he actually lit up the C’s a couple weeks back.

Small Forward:

1. LeBron James, Heat
2. Kevin Durant, Thunder
3. Carmelo Anthony, Knicks
4. Paul Pierce, Celtics
5. Rudy Gay, Grizzlies
6. Gerald Wallace, Trail Blazers
7. Andre Iguodala, 76ers
8. Luol Deng, Bulls
9. Shawn Marion, Mavericks
10. Danny Granger, Pacers
11. Caron Butler, Clippers
12. Danilo Gallinari, Nuggets
13. Tayshaun Prince, Pistons
14. Nicolas Batum, Trail Blazers
15. Michael Beasley, Timberwolves
16. Jared Dudley, Suns
17. Carlos Delfino, Bucks
18. Hedo Turkoglu, Magic
19. Dorell Wright, Warriors
20. Kawhi Leonard, Spurs

I know that our own Brian Robb is going to be disappointed with my ranking of Luol Deng (8th). I understand his value, but I’ve just never been impressed by him. He certainly helps the Bulls a great deal, and does a lot of different things well. But he’s not elite.

Power Forward:

1. Kevin Love, Timberwolves
2. Blake Griffin, Clippers
3. LaMarcus Aldridge, Trail Blazers
4. Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
5. Zach Randolph, Grizzlies (injured)
6. Pau Gasol, Lakers
7. Amare Stoudemire, Knicks
8. Chris Bosh, Heat
9. DeMarcus Cousins, Kings
10. Paul Millsap, Jazz
11. Kevin Garnett, Celtics
12. David Lee, Warriors
13. Josh Smith, Hawks
14. Luis Scola, Rockets
15. Serge Ibaka, Thunder
16. Greg Monroe, Pistons
17. Ryan Anderson, Magic
18. Carlos Boozer, Bulls
19. Kris Humphries, Nets
20. Antawn Jamison, Cavaliers

Real tough Top 20 right here. Perhaps the deepest position in the league, PG has a lot of elite talent, but check out 1-20 here, plus I’m sure I forget/left out a few solid guys. Most nights I believe Aldridge is better than Griffin, but then when it came time to fill out the list, I just couldn’t do it. Randolph hasn’t played all season. When he comes back, I expect him to be a Top 5 talent. You may think Cousins is ranked a little generously. I love this guy. He may be an immature head case, but he can play!

Center:

1. Dwight Howard, Magic
2. Marc Gasol, Grizzlies
3. Andrew Bynum, Lakers
4. Tim Duncan, Spurs
5. Tyson Chandler, Knicks
6. Al Horford, Hawks (injured)
7. Andrew Bogut, Bucks (injured)
8. Joakim Noah, Bulls
9. Al Hibbert, Pacers
10. Al Jefferson, Jazz
11. DeAndre Jordan, Clippers
12. Nene, Nuggets (injured)
13. Anderson Varajao, Cavaliers
14. Kendrick Perkins, Thunder
15. Marcin Gortat, Suns
16. Marcus Camby, Trail Blazers
17. JaVale McGee, Wizards
18. Samuel Dalembert, Rockets
19. Brendan Haywood, Mavericks
20. Tiago Splitter, Spurs

Definitely the league’s weakest position as these are the 20 best. Not too many crunch time players on this list. How many command a double team? The days of Olajuwon, Shaq, Robinson, Ewing, Mourning, and Mutombo are long gone. I know what you’re thinking, No Jermaine? He was 21.

-Keefe

2011-12 NBA Preview

The 2011-12 season tips off on Sunday, so now is the time to go on record with all my picks for the upcoming year. I'll take a shot at everything from MVP to All-Rookie 2nd Team to of course what team will be hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy this summer. Feel free to leave some of your winners in the comments section below. We'll start with team accomplishments followed by individuals awards.

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder
2. Memphis Grizzlies
3. Los Angeles Clippers
4. Los Angeles Lakers
5. Dallas Mavericks
6. Portland Trail Blazers
7. San Antonio Spurs
8. Denver Nuggets

Western Finals: Thunder over Clippers

EASTERN CONFERECE:

1. Miami Heat
2. Chicago Bulls
3. Boston Celtics
4. New York Knicks
5. Indiana Pacers
6. Atlanta Hawks
7. Orlando Magic/ New Jersey Nets (whoever Howard plays more for)
8. Milwaukee Bucks

Eastern Finals: Heat over Celtics

NBA Finals: Heat over Thunder

Eastern Conference All-Stars

F - LeBron James, Heat

F - Carmelo Anthony, Knicks

C - Dwight Howard, Magic/Nets?

G - Dwyane Wade, Heat

G - Derrick Rose, Bulls

Reserves:

Deron Williams, Nets
Amare Stoudemire, Knicks
Rajon Rondo, Celtics
Paul Pierce, Celtics
Chris Bosh, Heat
Danny Granger, Pacers
Al Horford, Hawks

Western Conference All-Stars:

F - Kevin Durant, Thunder

F - Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks

C - Marc Gasol, Grizzlies

G - Kobe Bryant, Lakers

G - Chris Paul, Clippers

Reserves:

Russell Westbrook, Thunder
Rudy Gay, Grizzlies
Blake Griffin, Clippers
Pau Gasol, Lakers
Steve Nash, Suns
Kevin Love, Timberwolves
Eric Gordon, Hornets

Rookie of the Year: Kemba Walker, Bobcats

All-Rookie 1st Team:

Kemba Walker, Bobcats
Ricky Rubio, Timberwolves
Jimmer Fredette, Kings
Enes Kanter, Jazz
Kyrie Irving, Cavaliers

All-Rookie 2nd Team:

Derrick Williams, Timberwolves
Brandon Knight, Pistons
Iman Shumpert, Knicks
Kawhi Leonard, Spurs
JaJuan Johnson, Celtics

Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard, Magic/ Lakers?

All-Defensive 1st Team:

Dwight Howard, Magic
LeBron James, Heat
Rajon Rondo, Celtics
Serge Ibaka, Thunder
Dwyane Wade, Heat

All-Defensive 2nd Team:

Chris Paul, Clippers
Shawn Marion, Mavericks
Tyson Chandler, Knicks
Andre Iguodala, 76ers
Darren Collison, Pacers

6th Man of the Year: James Harden, Thunder

Most Improved Player: DeMarcus Cousins, Kings

Coach of the Year: Lionel Hollins, Grizzlies

MVP: Kevin Durant, Thunder

All-NBA 1st Team:

Kevin Durant, Thunder
LeBron James, Heat
Dwight Howard, Magic/ Mavs?
Chris Paul, Clippers
Dwyane Wade, Heat

All-NBA 2nd Team:

Blake Griffin, Clippers
Carmelo Anthony, Knicks
Marc Gasol, Grizzlies
Derrick Rose, Bulls
Russell Westbrook, Thunder

All-NBA 3rd Team:

Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
Amare Stoudemire, Knicks
Al Horford, Hawks
Deron Williams, Nets
Kobe Bryant, Lakers

-Keefe

NBA Awards

It’s time to hand out the regular season awards here on The Sports Brief. Everything from All-Rookie 2nd Team to the MVP is listed below. If you agree, disagree, or just want to interact, hit up the comments section below.

2nd Team All-Rookie:

Greg Monroe, Pistons
Wesley Johnson, Timberwolves
Eric Bledsoe, Clippers
Evan Turner, 76ers
Paul George, Pacers

1st Team All-Rookie:

Blake Griffin, Clippers
John Wall, Wizards
DeMarcus Cousins, Kings
Landry Fields, Knicks
Gary Neal, Spurs

Rookie of the Year:

Blake Griffin, Clippers (22.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 62 double-doubles with 1 game left to play)
Among rookies, Griffin ranks 1st in points, 1st in rebounds, 2nd in assists, and 9th in steals.

Most Improved Player:

Kevin Love, Timberwolves
14 points/ 11 rebounds in ’09-10 – 20.2/ 15.2 in ’10-11

Coach of the Year:

Tom Thibodeau, Bulls (#1 in Eastern Conference)

6th Man of the Year:

Lamar Odom, Lakers (14.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3 assists)
Yes Odom did start 34 games because of Bynum’s injury, but he is truly a 6th man this season.

2nd Team All-Defense:

Andre Iguodala, 76ers
Serge Ibaka, Thunder
Tyson Chandler, Mavericks
Chris Paul, Hornets
Rajon Rondo, Celtics

1st Team All-Defense:

Kevin Garnett, Celtics
Dwyane Wade, Heat
Dwight Howard, Magic
Kobe Bryant, Lakers
Josh Smith, Hawks

Defensive Player of the Year:

Dwight Howard, Magic (14.1 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, 1.3 steals)

3rd Team All-NBA:

Rajon Rondo, Celtics
Russell Westbrook, Thunder
Pau Gasol, Lakers
Paul Pierce, Celtics
Blake Griffin, Clippers

2nd Team All-NBA:

Kobe Bryant, Lakers
Chris Paul, Hornets
Amare Stoudemire, Knicks
Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
Carmelo Anthony, Knicks

1st Team All-NBA:

Derrick Rose, Bulls
Dwyane Wade, Heat
Dwight Howard, Magic
LeBron James, Heat
Kevin Durant, Thunder

MVP:

Derrick Rose, Bulls (24.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.9 assists)


Can't wait for the playoffs!

-Keefe

NBA Awards Finalists

Before I unveil my NBA Awards for the 2010-11 season here are the finalists.

Coach of the Year:

-Doug Collins, 76ers

Did you think Philly would be the 6 seed in the East, let alone above .500? Of course you did.

-George Karl, Nuggets

Think about what George Karl has had to go through this season. Putting up with the whole will he, won’t he with his best player, only to get 80 cents on the dollar (at best), and turn it into an intriguing playoff team.

-Tom Thibodeau, Bulls

The defense-first former C’s assistant has his Bulls a top the East and fighting for the #1 overall seed heading into the playoffs. Any other year he would be a slam dunk, but Collins and Karl are stiff competition.

Defensive Player of the Year:

-Tyson Chandler, Mavericks

Much like Kevin Garnett did for the Celtics back in ’07-’08, Chandler has completely changed the defensive attitude for the Mavs this season. There’s a “D” in Dallas joke in there somewhere.

-Dwight Howard, Magic

If he wins it, he would become the 1^st player ever to be named D-Player of the Year in 3 consecutive seasons. His chances are strong, to very strong.

-Dwyane Wade, Heat

Miami was playing near .500 basketball for a good part of the beginning of the year. Their triumvirate started to get it together, having nights where they would score 90+ combined points, but perhaps the biggest change was D-Wade turning into the Glove on defense.

6^th Man of the Year:

-Jamal Crawford, Hawks

Crawford won this award last season and if he were to win it again, he would join Detlef Schrempf and Kevin McHale as the only back-to-back winners, and toss in Rickey Pierce as the only other 2-time recipient of the award.

-Lamar Odom, Lakers

Odom has basically split his time between coming off the bench and starting this season for LA. (34 starts, 42 games off the bench and counting). He probably has the biggest impact of any sub in the league.

-Jason Terry, Mavericks

JET won this award to years ago; so much the same historical significance applies from Crawford here. Terry has carved out a nice niche for himself in the NBA, great scorer off the bench. In fact he’s 2^nd on the team in scoring behind Dirk, and has allowed them to still be successful minus Caron Butler.

Rookie of the Year:

-DeMarcus Cousins, Kings

He has literally been everything the scouts thought he would be, for better or worse. 3^rd in points, 2^nd in rebounding, and 4^th in blocks among rookies, and got thrown off the team plane for fighting Donta Green and tossed out of practices for arguing with coaches. But did I mention the talent?

-Blake Griffin, Clippers

You can argue that he was technically in the league last year, but I still believe he should be eligible. He had a medical red shirt, get over it if you don’t think he’s a rookie.

-John Wall, Wizards

Terrible team, but Wall definitely showed flashes this year of why he was the #1 pick in the draft. 16.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists is nothing to sneeze at. I understand he does it in meaningless games, but those are solid numbers for anyone.

Most Improved Player Award:

-LaMarcus Aldridge, Trail Blazers

He is averaging 4 points and .6 rebounds more a game this year than last, but it’s more than just the numbers. If you watch Aldridge this year, he’s just better, no way around it. Of course I’ve always hated “Most Improved,” sounds like the guy sucked the year before. We would always make fun of the “Most Improved,” “winner” in high school and college.

-Kevin Love, Timberwolves

We all know about K-Love this year with his double-doubles and selection to the All-Star team despite being on one of the league’s worst clubs. In his 3^rd year (which would have been his senior season at UCLA), Love improved his ppg from 14 to 20.2 and his rpg from 11 to a league best 15.2. His shooting %’s are up across the board as well, making him pretty tough to beat for this “award.”

-DeMar DeRozan, Raptors

He’s also on a bad team, but DeMar improved his scoring from 8.6 points per game as a rookie to 16.8 this season. Let’s not forget he got jobbed at the dunk contest too, so maybe he deserves this as an I-O-U.

MVP:

-Kevin Durant, Thunder

The league’s leading scorer is not going to average 30 points per game like he did last season, but he deserves to be in this conversation. The Thunder are primed to host a 1^st round playoff series for the first time in franchise history.

-Dwight Howard, Magic

If there was any year for Howard to win the MVP, it’s this year. He will finish with a career high in points per game, he’s currently matching his best rebounding effort, career high in steals, all while shooting 60% from the field. Throw in adjusting to two separate supporting casts and likely another D-Player of the Year Award, and he could just do it.

-Derrick Rose, Bulls

He is about to set career highs in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, 3pt %, FT%, and minutes while doing it on the best team in the Eastern Conference. With all the talk about the Heat and Celtics, Derrick Rose has led his team (through injuries, see Noah, Joakim and Boozer, Carlos) to the best record, potentially in all of basketball.

Check back next week when I unveil all of the winners for these awards and many others.

-Keefe

NBA All-Star Predictions

The starters for next month’s NBA All-Star game from Los Angeles will be announced this Thursday night. The starting lineups, as we know, are voted on by fans all over the world especially China. We got a sneak peak of the results with two weeks left to vote, and if those results hold true the fans deserve some credit. Not a ton of credit, but 9 out of 10 deserving All-Star starters is pretty good. Let’s take a look at the expected starting lineups with my picks for the reserve spots.

Western Conference:

Chris Paul, Hornets (16.2 points, 9.6 assists (3^rd in NBA)) Paul’s numbers are below his career averages across the board, FG% is slightly up and 3pt% is way up. But he’s quietly having one of his best seasons. New Orleans is right in the thick of the playoffs in the Western Conference, currently tied for 3^rd place. Paul is adjusting to some new teammates while still clicking with the one guy he has played with his entire career, David West. Don’t let the low ppg fool you; Paul should be the starting point guard in the loaded West.

Kobe Bryant, Lakers (25 points (6^th in NBA), 5.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists) Kobe’s Hall of Fame career continues as LA tries to capture their 2^nd 3-Peat in Bryant’s tenure. With all the talk that the Lakers are struggling, don’t look now but they are in 2^nd place in the conference and winners of 9 of their last 11. I know I’m looking forward to Sunday when the Celtics take the floor at Staples.

Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets (23.5 points (9^th in NBA), 8 rebounds) Melo is still on the Nuggets and thus likely to start on the West Squad. If he is shipped to the Nets prior to the February 20^th game, than he would suit up for the East. Anthony has played well, maybe surprisingly well, with such a public possible trade going on. The fans in Denver have booed him, but the way things are progressing he’ll be representing them in the All-Star game.

Kevin Durant, Thunder (28.3 points (1^st in NBA), 6.3 rebounds) My preseason pick for league MVP may not be that right now but he certainly deserves to be starting for the West. He is on pace to win his second consecutive scoring title and OKC could have home court advantage in the 1^st round of the playoffs.

Yao Ming, Rockets (18.2 minutes per game in 5 GAMES) Did I mention that votes are tabulated all over the world particularly China. I get that Yao is popular in America too, but come on. This is one of the worst examples of fan voting ever. (Allen Iverson from last year was bad as well, but at least he was playing.)

Injury Replacement: Pau Gasol, Lakers (18.6 points, 8.6 rebounds (6^th in NBA)) Gasol should be the replacement for Yao and start for the West. Yes, Pau is technically a power forward and not a center, but with Andrew Bynum missing so many games this year, more than half, he qualifies as a center and deserves to start alongside his LA teammate Bryant.

Here is where it gets fun… and extremely difficult. Picking the reserves is always a bit tricky, but this year’s Western Conference is as tough as ever. The West is loaded with talent at every position (besides center obviously). These are the 7 I’m taking…

West Reserves:

Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks (23.4 points (10^th in NBA), 7.1 rebounds) Dirk looked like the league’s MVP (again) earlier this season, but injuries to him and Caron Butler have knocked him down that list. However he is still a lock for the All-Star game, for what will be the 10^th time in his great career.

Deron Williams, Jazz (21.7 points (15^th in NBA), 9.5 assists (4^th in NBA)) D. Williams is still my pick for the best point guard in the NBA. I know Derrick Rose is playing out of his mind, but I like Williams. Paul is having a better season, thus deserves to start, however there won’t be a drop off when they go to the bench. He is one of the guys that will make the All-Star game that much more entertaining.

Russell Westbrook, Thunder (22.7 points (13^th in NBA), 5 rebounds, 8.3 assists (9^th in NBA) It was difficult to leave Steve Nash off the roster, but I doubt they would take more than three point guards. Westbrook has been a monster, as seen by the numbers. He and Durant are the highest scoring duo in the NBA and should both be in LA next month. I do question his shot selection late in games, although that shouldn’t prevent him from making his 1^st All-Star game.

Blake Griffin, Clippers (22.8 points (12^th in NBA), 12.9 rebounds (4^th in NBA), 238746289 Highlights (1^st in NBA)) The eventual Rookie of the Year has more than taken the league by storm. The staunchest Clippers fan… Penny Marshall, Malcolm in the Middle…? Whoever, could not have guessed Blake would be this good, this soon. Clipper games are now must watch. Fact.

Kevin Love, Timberwolves (21.3 points (19^th in NBA), 15.6 rebounds (1^st in NBA)) All-Stars are usually on successful teams. Well certain exceptions can be made, and this is one of them. Mr. Double-Double has been outstanding, 38 in 43 games. Also we can now rest on the “Greatest Current White American Born Player” debate that for years featured the likes of Wally Szczerbiak (who was actually born in Spain), Luke Ridnour, Kirk Hinrich, Mike Miller, Brad Miller, before it appeared as though it would settle on David Lee… now, it should be Love for the next 10-12 years. Whew.

Manu Ginobili, Spurs (18.5 points, 4.8 assists) I keep waiting for Manu to run out of gas. Guess it won’t be this year either. His basic numbers don’t “wow” you, but 37-7 does. The 2^nd best current international player deserves to be on there. Bill Simmons had a fantastic article last week about All-Star picks and he mentioned the fact that the 3 best international players (Dirk, Manu, and Pau) will all be on the same team. And they would have had Yao if he was healthy.

Tim Duncan, Spurs (13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds (9^th in NBA)) Under 14 points per game, but it’s still Tim Duncan, the Big Fundamental. He, along with Manu, Parker, and Pop have San Antonio on top in the West. I’m not one for lifetime achievement awards; this is more deserving than just name recognition. Duncan is still putting up a near double-double every night and is anchoring a defense for a team with the best record in basketball. Also in my scenario for All-Stars I need Duncan to be considered my second center. Please don’t shoe horn Okafor, Nene, or some other “center” in this spot.

Just Missed Out:

This group is far more extensive than its Eastern Conference counterparts. You can field a pretty good 3^rd All-Star Team just from this selection of stars…

Monta Ellis, Warriors (25.8 points, 4^th in NBA)

Eric Gordon, Clippers (24.1 points, 9^th in NBA)

Steve Nash, Suns (10.9 assists, 2^nd in NBA)

Luis Scola, Rockets (19.1 points, 8.3 rebounds)

Michael Beasley, Timberwolves (20.6 points, 20^th in NBA)

LaMarcus Aldridge, Trail Blazers (21.4 points, 18^th in NBA)

Zach Randolph, Grizzlies (20.1 points, 13.1 rebounds)

Rudy Gay, Grizzlies (20.5 points)

Tony Parker, Spurs (17.4 points, 6.9 assists)

Lamar Odom, Lakers (19 double-doubles)

David West, Hornets (18.9 points)

Kevin Martin, Rockets (23.3 points, 11^th in NBA)

If the Clippers (who have won 12 of their last 17) had been playing like this all season, Eric Gordon would have been a lock. Monta Ellis is one of the easiest scorers in the NBA and perhaps the 2^nd or 3^rd most entertaining player in the league, however he won’t crack this list. Two-time MVP Steve Nash will likely watch this game from home, which seems crazy.

Career years from Aldridge, Beasley, and Scola also will net them on the outside looking in. But for an All-Star game to be truly great/ memorable, you need extremely talents players having career seasons to not make the cut, and that’s what you have this year… in the West. The East is a little easier to narrow down to 12.

Eastern Conference:

Derrick Rose, Bulls (24.7 points (7^th in NBA), 8 assists (10^th in NBA)) Perhaps the league’s MVP at the midway point of the season, Rose recently surpassed Rajon Rondo in the fan vote and will likely keep his advantage and start at point for the East. He certainly deserves it, Charles Barkley recently crowned him the Best PG in the NBA.

Dwyane Wade, Heat (25.1 points (5^th in NBA), 6.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists) The Heat had been rolling until an injury bug came out of no where and bit them, including D-Wade. The additions of LeBron and Bosh did not hurt Wade’s scoring as he is barely under his career average.

LeBron James, Heat (25.9 points (3^rd in NBA), 7.2 rebounds, 7.2 assists) LeBron is not going to average a triple-double like some thought he would at the beginning of the year, but he will still be in the running to win his 3^rd straight MVP award. Love him or hate him, who is better than LeBron in the East? In the NBA?

Amare Stoudemire, Knicks (26 points (2^nd in NBA), 9 rebounds (13^th in NBA)) Amare has taken New York by storm. He’s got the Knicks in the Top 8 in the East and turned a basement dwelling team to an attractive location to fellow stars (See: Anthony, Carmelo).

Dwight Howard, Magic (22.1 points (14^th in NBA), 13.3 rebounds (2^nd in NBA)) The league’s best center will take his familiar spot as the starting big for the Eastern Conference. Dwight has withstood a major shake up to his team’s roster and he’s only gotten better. To go along with his monster points and rebounding numbers he is also 5^th in blocks and on pace to be the league’s top defender once again.

East Reserves:

Paul Pierce, Celtics (19 points, 5.2 rebounds) Another All-Star season for Pierce, who leads the best team in the East in scoring. Similar to the players on the Spurs, the Celtics star players can’t compete based strictly on stats with many other stars, but their winning and overall play on both ends of the floor make it easy to pick them for the All-Star game.

Kevin Garnett, Celtics (15.2 points, 9 rebounds) KG is playing his best basketball in a Celtics uniform since the 2007-2008 season when he won Defensive Player of the Year and popularized the phrase “Anything is Possible!!!” Amare deserves to start ahead of KG, but in a historical perspective, Garnett in the starting 5 would give you 5 potential Hall of Famers (LeBron and Wade are locks, Howard is on his way, same with Rose, just don’t see Amare making the cut.)

Rajon Rondo, Celtics (10.5 points, 13 assists (1^st in NBA)) Rondo has solidified himself as a regular for the All-Star game with an impressive first half of the season. He’s dishing out assists at a record clip. Insert him into this starting lineup, and something tells me Wade, LeBron, Amare, and Howard would enjoy themselves a lot more.

Al Horford, Hawks (16.2 points, 9.7 rebounds (8^th in NBA)) The Hawks continue to be the same team from the past three seasons. They will finish at best in 3^rd place in the conference and at worst 5^th. Horford is a double-double big guy. If he was battling the likes of Aldridge, Nowitzki, Duncan, etc. he’d have a tougher time.

Chris Bosh, Heat (18.6 points, 8.3 rebounds) Those are the worst numbers Bosh has put up since the ’04-’05 season, but he’s doing it for a winner now. Bosh also had a very slow start to the season and has come on strong. We’ll see how this latest injury (ankle) affects him when he returns. A month and a half ago the “New Big 3” looked like it would send just 2 to the All-Star game, but it looks at though Bosh will get the invite after all.

Danny Granger, Pacers (21.5 points (16^th in NBA), 5.7 rebounds)) A solid scorer on a very average team, Granger also benefits from playing in the East. Indiana is a fringe playoff team, but out of that group of Philly, Charlotte, Milwaukee, I think Granger is the best any of those teams have to offer, this season.

Ray Allen, Celtics (17.3 points, 50.7% FG) I think Allen returns to the All-Star game this year. He’s made 9 in his career, including his first two seasons with the Celtics. He did not go to the game last year, but has responded this season by shooting over 50% and knocking down countless crunch time shots. Doc is the head coach, Pierce, KG, and Rondo will be there, so why not Ray?

Just Missed Out:

Not nearly as many tough omissions in the East as in the West, but these guys could have a gripe.

Joe Johnson, Hawks (19.7 points, 5.5 assists)

Andrew Bogut, Bucks (Averaging a double-double, 1^st in blocks)

Raymond Felton, Knicks (17.5 points, 8.7 assists)

Joe Johnson has made 4 consecutive All-Star games. A slow start to the season will likely snap his streak. He has come on, raising his averages to just below 20 points a night and 5.5 assists on a winning team. Bogut is shooting a miserable percentage for a 7 footer (49%), he should stay at home.

Felton deserves consideration as the metamorphosis in New York is not solely due to Amare. Felton could definitely make it. Look back at 2009 as Devin Harris and Jameer Nelson both made the team and Mo Williams was later added as a replacement. (Ray Allen replaced Nelson, and then Williams took Chris Bosh’s spot) How does Felton’s year compare to those guys from ’09?

It should be a very exciting All-Star game this year. There is a lot of intrigue for who will make the West squad. In the East, could 7 of the 12 players really be from the Celtics and Heat. We will find out soon enough. The starters will be unveiled Thursday night. Make sure to let me know who you think will be named to the 2010-2011 NBA All-Star teams.

-Keefe

Who's the NBA MVP Right Now?

We are not even at the halfway point of the season, but let’s talk MVP anyway. Two of the league’s stars made recent comments about the award so why can’t we? LeBron James basically said as soon as he and Dwyane Wade joined company they could kiss any MVP consideration goodbye. Meanwhile Bulls PG Derrick Rose said it’s his goal to win the award this season and he thinks he can as long as the team continues to win. (Chicago is currently 3^rd in the East).

So, who is your MVP? Here is a look at some of the top candidates thru 30+ games.

Amare Stoudemire, Knicks: 26.4 points, 9 rebounds, 2.3 blocks.

In his first season in the Big Apple, Stoudemire has New York in 6^th place in the Eastern Conference while ranking 2^nd in the NBA in points-per-game. The Knicks are looking like a playoff team early thanks to stellar combination of Stoudemire and Felton. It will be tough for him to win the award if New York finishes around .500, which I expect.

Kevin Durant, Thunder: 27.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3 assists.

The NBA’s leading scorer has his team in 5^th place in the West but only a half game out of 3^rd and 3 games back of 2^nd. He was clearly the MVP of the Gold Medal winning World Championship team, and he has sort of carried that over into the NBA season. I thought he would be a little more dominating; after all he did crack the 30 points per game mark last year.

Derrick Rose, Bulls: 24 points, 8.6 assists, 4.7 rebounds.

The guy thinks he’s the MVP, wants to be the MVP, and could very well win the MVP. He’s 8^th in scoring, 7^th in assists, and his team sits in 3^rd place in a conference that is more top heavy than Dolly Parton. Rose has been a complete player leadings a team that has never been a full strength with the injuries to Boozer (early) and Noah (present/future).

Dwight Howard, Magic: 21.1 points, 13 rebounds, 2.5 blocks.

He’s the best center in the game (Duncan is a PF, naturally so is Amare, and Yao is in 7’6 suits the rest of the way), and because of this he will always get some consideration. His team made a major shake up but he remains the vocal point. The Magic will only go as far as Dwight takes them. If he is really going to win the MVP he might have to catch Love for the rebounding title and Bogut for blocks and win another Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Kobe Bryant, Lakers: 25.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists.

MVP talk must involve Kobe Bryant even though he has taken home the award just once in his Hall of Fame career. Kobe has not been torching teams with the same regularity yet he still ranks 3^rd in the league in scoring, but the Lakers find themselves tied for 3^rd place in the West. As long as Bryant is healthy his name will be mentioned on the MVP ballet at the end of the year.

Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks: 24.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 54.5% FG.

The 2007 MVP is once again putting up impressive numbers and doing it for a team that is piling up wins. The recent injury to Caron Butler will likely hurt the team, however with inspired performance it could help Dirk’s MVP case.

Deron Williams, Jazz: 22.2 points, 9.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds.

In my opinion he is the best point guard in a very deep group in the NBA. The Jazz are tied for 3^rd place while adjusting too many new faces. Boozer, Mathews, Korver, Miles are all gone and Okur has been out, yet Williams and the Jazz are still one of the best teams in the league. It also helps that he ranks 12^th in points and 4^th in assists. He won’t win it this year but an All-NBA 1^st team should be in the cards.

LeBron James, Heat: 24.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists.

The back-to-back reigning winner of the MVP trophy says he won’t win it this year. Is this a random moment of self deprecation? It doesn’t matter what he says, he will be considered. The Heat have a great chance to pass the Celtics (only .5 game back right now) for 1^st place in the East because of Boston’s injuries coupled with Miami’s recent performance. Also I am pretty sure Michael Jordan still won the award a few times with Scottie Pippen on the team. Monster numbers on a winning team = MVP.

Dwyane Wade, Heat: 24.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists.

Same rules apply for LeBron. Perhaps these guys would split votes if they has similar numbers (like they do now) and were the #1 seed in the playoffs. Even still I think each one has a chance at the award. Wade has caught fire as of late and now leads LeBron by .1 in points; they rank 5^th and 6^th in the league respectively. Another trip to the All-Defensive team for both will also help their consideration.

Rajon Rondo, Celtics: 10.8 points, 13.5 assists, 2.3 steals.

Given he’s missed 11 of the team’s 32 games, which would make winning the award a huge uphill climb, you have to wonder. What if Rondo put up these kinds of numbers for a full season and the C’s had the best record? Steve Nash won 2 (should have been 3) MVP awards and never averaged 13.5 assists in a season. Yes, Nash did score more points and we really shouldn’t even compare their shooting skills. But I wonder, in a year where LeBron and Wade are playing together, and Kobe isn’t dominating (as much), would Rondo have received many votes? Maybe he still can. The last time a player missed 11 games (so we would be assuming Rondo played in every game the rest of the way) and won the MVP award was Allen Iverson back in the 2000-01 season. AI played in 71 games but dropped a ridiculous 31.1 ppg.

It is really difficult to pick just one player as the MVP at this point in the year. If I had to choose I think I might take Kevin Durant, (he was my preseason pick). The Thunder will need to be a Top 4 seed in the West; Durant must defend his scoring title, and improve his rebounding to win it. LeBron and Wade will make a run for this thing too whether they think so or not. Who would you vote for?

-Keefe

Shaq and the NBA All-Star Festivities - Random thoughts

Not sure if you all watched the NBA All-Star game last night, but the Shaq intro was one of a kind. It's becoming more evident that 2009 will be the final season for the future HOFer, and he went out with a bang bringin Jabbawockeez into the fold. The routine was priceless and I gotta say, Shaqtus looked like he was a member of the group. Perhaps they'll rename the group "Shaqawockeez". Here's the video...and if you're wondering, the routine was done to the instrumental of the new Nas track "Hero". The video for that is below, as well. Solid track.

Shaqawockeez:



Nas - "Hero":



By the way, I had my brother DVR the slam dunk contest from Saturday night and I had a chance to watch it before the game tonight. Rudy Fernandez got jobbed. The contest is becoming similar to voting for Gold Gloves in baseball...if you won the year before, or if you're name is synonymous with it, you get a pass. That's essentially what Dwight Howard and Nate Robinson got. It was evident in the judging and in the commentary by TNT. The line that bothered me the most was when one of the color guys said, "No one in this building knows who Fernandez is except for the Fernandez family..." Moments later, they mentioned that it was supposed to be Rudy Gay but he got injured and THE FANS voted in Fernandez. So hold on, the fans vote him in, but no one knows who he is? How does that make sense? Then he tosses it behind his back off the backboard and throws it down hard and gets a luke warm reception from the commentators. The fans loved, they went nuts, and then he got a 42. Check out the video below that shows both his dunks and listen to the commentary. They absolutely hated on Fernandez and it was b.s. and unprofessional.

(Note: I had not seen this part of the dunk contest until Besse posted it. That is incredible. I normally like those guys, Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, and Kenny Smith, but come on. Did they do any homework? Harlan says Fernandez was only in the contest because he was voted on after the Gay injury... well that's half right. Rudy was voted on (beating out rookies Russell Westbrook and Joe Alexander), but well before Rudy Gay got hurt. Why was J.R. Smith invited then? Oh right, to replace Gay.

And then how about a round of applause for Miller and the Jet for not knowing who Fernando Martin was, who Fernandez wore a jersey of his in his tribute, then proceeding to make fun of the guy until Harlan told them he was not only the 1st Spanish player in the NBA, but died in a car accident. Tough effort TNT.)



-Bess

Keefe's Top 5 NBA Players by Position

Here are the Top 5 players at each position in the NBA. Let the debate begin.

Point Guard:

1. Chris Paul
2. Deron Williams
3. Steve Nash
4. Tony Parker
5. Baron Davis

Shooting Guard:

1. Kobe Bryant
2. Dwyane Wade
3. Joe Johnson
4. Brandon Roy
5. Vince Carter

Small Forward:

1. LeBron James
2. Paul Pierce
3. Carmelo Anthony
4. Caron Butler
5. Danny Granger

Power Forward:

1. Tim Duncan
2. Kevin Garnett
3. Chris Bosh
4. Amare Stoudemire
5. Dirk Nowitzki

Center:

1. Dwight Howard
2. Shaquille O'Neal
3. Yao Ming
4. Al Jefferson
5. Marcus Camby

What do you think?

2009 NBA All-Stars

The starters for next month's NBA All-Star game were announced last night and look like this.

East:

Dwyane Wade, Heat
Allen Iverson, Pistons
LeBron James, Cavs
Kevin Garnett, Celtics
Dwight Howard, Magic

West:

Chris Paul, Hornets
Kobe Bryant, Lakers
Tim Duncan, Spurs
Amare Stoudemire, Suns
Yao Ming, Rockets

Fun fact: Only 4 of the 10 All-Star starters played college basketball with two of them going to Wake Forest (Paul and Duncan).

The reserves will be named on Thursday, so before that happens, I'll will give you my picks on who should fill out these rosters.

In the East?

Paul Pierce, Celtics
Devin Harris, Nets
Danny Granger, Pacers
Chris Bosh, Raptors
Joe Johnson, Hawks
Jameer Nelson, Magic
Vince Carter, Nets

In the West?

Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
Brandon Roy, Blazers
Pau Gasol, Lakers,
Tony Parker, Spurs
Chauncey Billups, Nuggets
Shaquille O'Neal, Suns
Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets

On the fense in both conferences:

Deron Williams, Jazz
Mehmet Okur, Jazz
Kevin Durant, Thunder
Al Jefferson, Timberwolves
Caron Butler, Wizards
Antawn Jamison, Wizards
Marcus Camby, Clippers
Rajon Rondo, Celtics
Ray Allen, Celtics
Steve Nash, Suns

Remember where you heard it first. Also there is a great MMA ppv on Saturday, Affliction's 2nd show featuring Fedor vs. Arlovski. I'll try to get the results up as soon as possible.

-Keefe