Kevin Durant Signs with Warriors

If LeBron James to the Miami Heat was Hulk Hogan joining the nWo, then Kevin Durant teaming up with the Golden State Warriors is Seth Rollins siding with The Authority. (More or less, don't think to hard, it's funny.)

Kevin Durant be like #Warriors pic.twitter.com/6YlMqOaRty

— CLOUD N9NE SYRUP™ (@CloudN9neSyrup) July 4, 2016

Tom Brady Recruiting Kevin Durant for the Celtics is the Best

If Durant signs with the Celtics we can officially put to rest the Brady-Montana debate.

— Rich Keefe (@Keefe21) July 2, 2016

The Sports Brief's 2013-14 NBA Awards

MVP:
Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

Defensive Player of the Year:
Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls

6th Man of the Year:
Jamal Crawford, Los Angeles Clippers

Rookie of the Year:
Michael Carter-Williams, Philadelphia 76ers

Coach of the Year:
Jeff Hornacek, Phoenix Suns

Most Improved Player:
Lance Stephenson, Indiana Pacers


1st Team All-NBA:
Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
LeBron James, Miami Heat
Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
James Harden, Houston Rockets

2nd Team All-NBA:
Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers
LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers
Dwight Howard, Houston Rockets
Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers
Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers

3rd Team All-NBA:
Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks
Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
Al Jefferson, Charlotte Bobcats
Goran Dragic, Phoenix Suns
DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors


1st Team All-Defense:
Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls
LeBron James, Miami Heat
Andre Iguodala, Golden State Warriors
Patrick Beverley, Houston Rockets
Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers

2nd Team All-Defense:
Roy Hibbert, Indiana Pacers
Paul George, Indiana Pacers
Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City Thunder
Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls
Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies


1st Team All-Rookie:
Michael Carter-Williams, Philadelphia 76ers
Victor Oladipo, Orlando Magic
Trey Burke, Utah Jazz
Tim Hardaway, Jr, New York Knicks
Mason Plumlee, Brooklyn Nets

2nd Team All-Rookie:
Kelly Olynyk, Boston Celtics
Ben McLemore, Sacramento Kings
Giannis Antetokoumpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Nate Wolters, Milwaukee Bucks
Hollis Thompson, Philadelphia 76ers

NBA Awards 2011-2012 Season

I’ve been sitting on this for a little while and realized I better get this out before they give away all the awards. Gregg Popovich already won Coach of the Year and Tyson Chandler will be named Defensive Player of the Year, two that I was going to pick anyway. You don’t have to believe me, that’s fine. But here are the rest of my picks.


MVP

LeBron James, Miami Heat

Defensive Player of the Year

Tyson Chandler, New York Knicks

6th Man of the Year

James Harden, Oklahoma City Thunder

Coach of the Year

Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs

Rookie of the Year

Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers

All-Rookie 1st Team

Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers

Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves

Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets

MarShon Brooks, New Jersey Nets

Iman Shumpert, New York Knicks

All-Rookie 2nd Team

Brandon Knight, Detroit Pistons

Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors

Derrick Williams, Minnesota Timberwolves

Isaiah Thomas, Sacramento Kings

Kemba Walker, Charlotte Bobcats

Honorable Mention:

Chandler Parsons, Houston Rockets

Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs



All-Defensive 1st Team

Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers

Tony Allen, Memphis Grizzlies

LeBron James, Miami Heat

Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City Thunder

Tyson Chandler, New York Knicks

All-Defensive 2nd Team

Avery Bradley, Boston Celtics

Iman Shumpert, New York Knicks

Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia 76ers

Luol Deng, Chicago Bulls

Kevin Garnett, Celtics


All-NBA 1st Team

Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

LeBron James, Miami Heat

Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

All-NBA 2nd Team

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics

Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves

Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers

Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles Lakers

All-NBA 3rd Team

Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs

Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks

Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics


-Keefe

Team USA 2012 Finalists

The 20 finalists for the USA Men's Basketball Team for the 2012 London Olympics were announced today. Check out this ridiculous list. (The 12 man roster and alternates will be picked in June.)

Kobe Bryant, Lakers
LeBron James, Heat
Dwyane Wade, Heat
Chris Bosh, Heat
Carmelo Anthony, Knicks
Dwight Howard, Magic
Chris Paul, Clippers
Deron Williams, Nets
Kevin Durant, Thunder
Derrick Rose, Bulls
Tyson Chandler, Knicks
Eric Gordon, Hornets
Rudy Gay, Grizzlies
Kevin Love, Timberwolves
Lamar Odom, Mavericks
Chauncey Billups, Clippers
Russell Westbrook, Thunder
Andre Iguodala, 76ers
Blake Griffin, Clippers
LaMarcus Aldridge, Trail Blazers

Not sure how Odom snuck past security there but whatever. Billups is probably an easy cut too. I like their chances this summer.

-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 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

3-Point Shootout Participants

Paul Pierce will defend his 3-point shootout title this upcoming All-Star weekend in LA, and his toughest competition will likely be from his teammate Ray Allen. Here are the "sharp shooters" invited to take part.

Paul Pierce, Celtics
Ray Allen, Celtics
Kevin Durant, Thunder
Boobie Gibson, Cavs
James Jones, Heat
Dorrell Wright, Warriors

Well you got 3 All-Stars and 3... others. What about Kevin Martin or Mike Bibby? I'd rather see Reggie Miller dust himself off and get in there over the Gibson-Jones-Wright 3-headed monster.

Some history on the 3-point shootout. It began back in the glorious 85-86 season where, surprise surprise, Larry Bird won. In fact Bird took home 1st place in the first 3 (why not) competitions. Dale Ellis got a win in the 4th year, then sharp shooting, never playing Craig Hodges of the Bulls ripped off 3-straight.

Mark Price captured back-to-back titles, Glen Rice, the obnoxious Tim Legler was in there, Steve Kerr, Jeff Hornacek (2), Ray Allen in 00-01, Peja (2), Voshon Leonard (remember him?), Q-Rich, Dirk, Jason Kapono (2), Daequan Cook (the Gerald Green Dunk contest winning parallel), and then Pierce last year.

I'll tell you what, the dunk contest with Griffin, McGee, DeRozan, and Ibaka will definitely be the highlight of the night, and maybe the weekend, but I'm down to watch Pierce and Ray go head-to-head in a 3-point shootout, throw the league's leading scorer in there as well and I don't even care about the 3 also rans.

I'll find a way to enjoy the shootout, probably not as much as the picture above though.

-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

2010-11 NBA Predictions

Yes, 3 games are in the books, but I still am going to release my 2010-2011 NBA Predictions. Proof that I came up with this list prior to last night, I have the Heat winning the East. Here are the playoff teams and winner of each conference, a finals winner, MVP, 6th Man, Rookie of the Year, D-Player, Most Improved, All-NBA 1st-3rd teams, and All-Rookie 1st and 2nd teams.

Eastern Conference Finish:

1. Miami Heat
2. Orlando Magic
3. Boston Celtics
4. Chicago Bulls
5. Atlanta Hawks
6. Milwaukee Bucks
7. Charlotte Bobcats
8. Indiana Pacers

Heat over Celtics

Western Conference Finish:

1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
3. Utah Jazz
4. Dallas Mavericks
5. Portland Trail Blazers
6. San Antonio Spurs
7. Houston Rockets
8. Los Angeles Clippers

Thunder over Lakers

Finals: Thunder over Heat

Individual Awards:

MVP: Kevin Durant, Thunder

6th Man: Jason Terry, Mavericks

D-Player: Dwight Howard, Magic

Most Improved: Jrue Holiday, 76ers

Rookie: Blake Griffin, Clippers

All-Rookie 1st Team:
Blake Griffin, Clippers
John Wall, Wizards
DeMarcus Cousins, Kings
Landry Fields, Knicks
Jordan Crawford, Hawks

All-Rookie 2nd Team:
Evan Turner, 76ers
Wes Johnson, T-Wolves
Derrick Caracter, Lakers
Xavier Henry, Grizzlies
Greg Monroe, Pistons

All-NBA 1st Team:
Kobe Bryant, Lakers
Deron Williams, Jazz
Kevin Durant, Thunder
LeBron James, Heat
Dwight Howard, Magic

All-NBA 2nd Team:
Rajon Rondo, Celtics
Dwyane Wade, Heat
Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
Paul Pierce, Celtics
Pau Gasol, Lakers

All-NBA 3rd Team:
Derrick Rose, Bulls
Russell Westbrook, Thunder
Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets
Tim Duncan, Spurs
Al Jefferson, Jazz

Enjoy what should be a great NBA season.

-Keefe

Picking Team USA

The World Championships are this month out in Turkey. Team USA has narrowed down their roster to 15 players, but only 12 can make the trip. Who are the odd men out?

Guards:

Chauncey Billups, Nuggets

Eric Gordon, Clippers

Derrick Rose, Bulls

Rajon Rondo, Celtics

Russell Westbrook, Thunder

Stephen Curry, Warriors

Forwards:

Kevin Durant, Thunder
Rudy Gay, Grizzlies

Jeff Green, Thunder

Danny Granger, Pacers

Andre Iguodala, 76ers

Lamar Odom, Lakers

Kevin Love, Timberwolves

Centers:

Tyson Chandler, Mavericks

Brook Lopez, Nets

What do you think? Very guard/wing heavy for sure. Kevin Durant is the only lock to make this team, and certainly the only lock to start. I got Derrick Rose running the show for this team, but you could make an argument for any of the guards to start.

Brian Robb (from CelticsHub.com) and I debated who should make this team, the podcast will be posted soon. I'll wait til that comes out to reveal my team, but I'll let you know right now that we only agreed on 1 of the cuts.

Should be interesting and for basketball fans the Olympics and World Championships always provide a fun and unique atmosphere. None of the Gold medalists from 2008 are going to be playing this time around, giving another group of stars a change to shine on the international stage.

-Rich Keefe

Who is the best College Basketball player of the last 20 years?

The AP announced their All-American teams yesterday. A pair of freshmen made the 1st team, John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins from Kentucky as well as Ohio State's do-everything man Evan Turner. Wall or Turner will take home player of the year, and both had good seasons. I believe they will both make good pros, likely going 1-2 in June's Draft. But did either guy make you say, wow he might be the best college basketball player I have ever seen? No.

So who is the best college basketball player of the last, say, 20 years? Let's look at all the Naismith Award Winners since 1991.

91- Larry Johnson, UNLV
92- Christian Laettner, Duke

93- Calbert Cheaney, Indiana

94- Glenn Robinson, Purdue

95- Joe Smith, Maryland
96- Marcus Camby, UMass

97- Tim Duncan, Wake Forest

98- Antawn Jamison, North Carolina

99- Elton Brand, Duke

00- Kenyon Martin, Cincinnati

01- Shane Battier, Duke

02- Jason Williams, Duke

03- T.J. Ford, Texas

04- Jameer Nelson, St. Joe's

05- Andrew Bogut, Utah

06- J.J. Redick, Duke

07- Kevin Durant, Texas

08- Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina

09- Blake Griffin, Oklahoma

10- ? (Wall or Turner likely)

Quick observations from the list; from 99-02 Duke had 3 different players win the Naismith, still can't believe Carmelo Anthony (2003) and Emeka Okafor (2004) did not win this award, and hey remember Blake Griffin?

I mention Melo and Okafor, neither guy won this award, but both probably should have and both took home National Titles. What is the most important thing to you when determining the "best" college player.

Is it best season, (Larry Johnson, Chris Webber, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant), is it best 2-3 year run (which eliminates Melo, Durant, even a Michael Beasley), and obviously how do you take into account career numbers. Guys like Laettner, Redick, and Hansbrough are going to have much better career numbers (individuals stats as well as Final 4s, etc.) than the 1 and done or 2 and out players.

That is why it's such a great argument. Laettner won 2 titles and played in a ridiculous 4 Final 4's while at Duke. Is that more impressive than what Carmelo did in his 1 year at Syracuse? Laettner averaged 16.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game for his career; Melo meanwhile slapped up a 22.1-10 in his only season which was capped off by Most Outstanding Player award. And in the semi-finals he torched Texas (and Naismith winner T.J. Ford) for a freshmen tourny record 33 points.

Coach Jim Boeheim, obviously biased, but still, referred to Anthony as "by far" the best player in college basketball and it "wasn't even close." I, unlike the Naismith voters, agreed. That may have been the most impressive college basketball season I have ever seen.

However, Duke PG Jason Williams, later known as "Jay" or motorcycle man, had an incredible 3 year run. He was freshmen of the year, then led his team to consecutive championship game appearances, cutting the nets down as a sophomore. He was better than Shane Battier, his teammate who won the Naismith. I remember watching Williams play, and saying the words, "that is not fair."

To me the answer(s) to the question are Larry Johnson, Carmelo Anthony, and Jason Williams. Combining incredible individual seasons with the ultimate team goal of capturing a championship. Webber, Camby, Duncan, Jamison, and Durant were all amazing players, but when so many great seasons have happened in the past 20 years, I believe the title is the tie breaker. If that is the case, then I think you narrow the list down to L. Johnson, Laettner, Jason Williams, and Carmelo Anthony; I eliminate Laettner, because a side from my hatred for him, he may have been the best winner (minus Alcindor and Walton), but on a team with Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill and others, he was great, don't get me wrong, but not the best player in the last 20 years.

I know Larry Johnson and Jason Williams also played with great teammates, but their numbers were superior to Laettners. Johnson played only 2 years at UNLV (after starting at Odessa College), he made 2 Final 4's, won a national title, and went 69-6, while putting up 21.6 points and 11.2 rebounds. Jay Williams was 19.3 points 6 assists in 3 years, including 21+ his final 2 seasons.

So you do you think is the best college basketball player of the last 20 years?

-Keefe