The Sports Brief with Besse and Keefe: Kobe Bryant

Showing posts with label Kobe Bryant. Show all posts

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

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

Thursday, January 27, 2011

NBA All-Star Starters Announced

The starters for the upcoming NBA All-Star game were released tonight with no changes from the last voting update. Here they are...

Eastern Conference:

Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
LeBron James, Miami Heat
Amar'e Stoudemire, New York Knicks
Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

Western Conference:

Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets
Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
Yao Ming, Houston Rockets

Each player is making a return trip to the All-Star game, led by Kobe Bryant in his 13th. Kobe also received more than 2.3 million votes making him the most popular. Does that surprise anyone else? He may or may not have raped a chick a few years ago. He's won back-to-back titles, which I guess means there are a ton of front runners out there, because I don't think Jack is logging on to vote for his favorite Lakers.

I am not surprised in the sense that he doesn't deserve it. Of course he does, Kobe is one of the Top 10 greatest players of all-time and is still playing at a high level. But that many people voted for him? Come on America. On second thought, perhaps China can be blamed for this. As you see Yao Ming gets the starting nod after a solid 5 games played this season. Maybe it's Kobe's Worldwide popularity that pushed him to this level. Yes, I am going to go with this.

The All-Star reserves will be announced next Thursday night. Just scroll down to see my picks. I do have 4 Celtics making it as well as Kevin Love in the West.

-Keefe

Sunday, January 23, 2011

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

Monday, January 3, 2011

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

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Celtics vs. Lakers

Tonight is Game 1 of the NBA Finals, and for the second time in three years it will be Celtics vs. Lakers. It is the 12th time in league history that the championship game is between these two franchises.

Match ups: BOS vs. LAL

PG: Rajon Rondo vs. Derek Fisher
SG: Ray Allen vs. Kobe Bryant
SF: Paul Pierce vs. Ron Artest
PF: Kevin Garnett vs. Pau Gasol
C: Kendrick Perkins vs. Andrew Bynum

Bench: Rasheed Wallace, Glen Davis, Tony Allen, Nate Robinson vs. Lamar Odom, Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic

Head Coach: Doc Rivers (1 title) vs. Phil Jackson (10 titles)

Total Titles: Celtics 17 - Lakers 15

Head to Head in Finals: Celtics 9 - Lakers 2

Keefe's Pick: Celtics in 6; Rajon Rondo MVP

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Who Should Start the 2010 NBA All-Star Game

The starters for the 2010 NBA All-Star game will be announced tonight during the TNT double-header. If you've been paying attention at all to how the fans have been voting, you'll be thrilled to know that Allen Iverson (16 games, 14.8 points, 4.5 assists, 2.3 turnovers) and Tracy McGrady (6 games, 3.2 points, 0.8 rebounds, 1 assist) were at last check in the top 2 for guards in their respective conferences, thus would be starting in the All-Star game next month in Dallas.

I think by now, all level headed sports fans realize it is an absolute joke to allow the fans to have so much pull in an All-Star game. (And if you don't, look at those AI and T-Mac numbers again). Imagine if fans voted for MVP, All-NBA, All-Pro, Hall of Fame?!? But the purpose of this blog post is not to trash the thousands of idiot fans out there, instead I want a chance to say who should start the All-Star game this year.

Eastern Conference:

Guards:

Dwyane Wade, Heat (26.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3+ stocks (if you read Bill Simmons Book of Basketball you'd know stocks are steals + blocks)).

Joe Johnson, Hawks (21.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists)

Neither guy is a true point guard, but both deserve to be starters in the All-Star Game.

Toughest omission- Rajon Rondo, Celtics

Forwards:

LeBron James, Cavs (29.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 7.8 assists)

Gerald Wallace, Bobcats (18.6 points, 11.3 rebounds, nearly 3 stocks)

Not only is Wallace putting up sick numbers, but his team is currently in 5th place in the East. Yes the Charlotte Bobcats are in 5th place in the Eastern Conference. Let that sit in.

Toughest omission = turn him into my starting Center

Center:

Chris Bosh, Raptors (24.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, leads league with 31 double-doubles)

I guess he's technically a power forward, but it's the All-Star game, another reason the ballots for the fans shouldn't exist.

Toughest omission- David Lee, Knicks, that's right and not Dwight Howard

East Starters- Wade, Johnson, James, Wallace, Bosh

Western Conference:

Guards:

Kobe Bryant, Lakers (28.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists)

Chris Paul, Hornets (19.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 11.3 assists, 2.21 steals)

Toughest omission- Deron Williams, Jazz

Forwards:

Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets (29.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists)

Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks (25.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, %FG-3-FT = 48-39-88)

Toughest omission- let's make him a Center like in the East

Center:

Zach Randolph, Grizzlies (20.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2 assists, 50% FG)

Toughest omission- Tim Duncan, Spurs

West Starters- Bryant, Paul, Anthony, Nowitzki, Randolph

-Keefe

Coming soon: "Keefe's 2010 NBA All-Star Rosters"

Friday, April 17, 2009

NBA Awards '08-'09

The NBA season is over, and the playoffs will begin tomorrow, with or without KG. So it has become a tradition for me to unveil my NBA regular season awards, with or without KG. I'm not going to do an elaborate break down for each award, because 1. you probably wouldn't read it and 2. I'm still bummed out about Garnett. If you have questions or comments leave a... (for lack of a better word) comment at the bottom and I'll get back to you. On with the show...

MVP
1. Dwyane Wade, Heat
2. LeBron James, Cavs
3. Kobe Bryant, Lakers
4. Chris Paul, Hornets
5. Paul Pierce, Celtics

Honorable Mention:
Dwight Howard, Magic
Brandon Roy, Blazers
Chauncey Billups, Nuggets

Yeah I went there, D-Wade is my MVP. I know everyone in the world has LeBron, because he's the best player in the world and on arguably the best team in the world. Well, Wade has a far weaker supporting cast, and is the only player in the league to average 30+ points per game. Not many people thought the Heat would be a playoff team (I did check the archieves), and he got them to a 5 seed. In addition to finishing 1st in points, Wade was 2nd in steals, 8th in assists, and 16th in block shots. That's right 16th in the league in blocked shots.

LeBron led his team in total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Only the 4th time in league history has that happened. Dave Cowens, Scottie Pippen, and Kevin Garnett are the only others to accomplish that ridiculous feat. Yeah fine, he might be the MVP.

Alright no more break down after picks.

Defensive Player of the Year
1. Dwight Howard, Magic
2. Dwyane Wade, Heat
3. Kobe Bryant, Lakers
4. LeBron James, Cavs
5. Gerald Wallace, Bobcats

(that will also be my All-NBA Defensive Team)

6th Man of the Year
1. Jason Terry, Mavericks
2. Nate Robinson, Knicks
3. J.R. Smith, Nuggets
4. Michael Beasley, Heat
5. Travis Outlaw, Blazers

Rookie of the Year/ 1st Team All-NBA Rookie
1. Derrick Rose, Bulls
2. O.J. Mayo, Grizzlies
3. Russell Westbrook, Thunder
4. Brook Lopez, Nets
5. Eric Gordon, Clippers

2nd Team All-NBA Rookie
Michael Beasley, Heat
D.J. Augustin, Bobcats
Kevin Love, Timberwolves
Mario Chalmers, Heat
Rudy Fernandez, Blazers

What a deep rookie class. Those are my top 10, but I'm leaving out Marc Gasol, Jason Thompson, Anthony Morrow, Courtney Lee, and even Greg Oden.

Most Improved is a Joke, I will not even waste my time on it. It is the biggest slap in the face award in the history of awards. If you have ever won a "Most Improved Award" just know that it is a nice way of them saying that you sucked before. Moving on.

Coach of the Year
1. Rick Adelman, Rockets
2. Nate McMillan, Blazers
3. George Karl, Nuggets
4. Erik Spoelstra, Heat
5. Mike Brown, Cavs

All- NBA 1st Team
Dwyane Wade, Heat
Kobe Bryant, Lakers
LeBron James, Cavs
Paul Pierce, Celtics
Dwight Howard, Magic

All-NBA 2nd Team
Chris Paul, Hornets
Brandon Roy, Blazers
Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
Tim Duncan, Spurs
Yao Ming, Rockets

All-NBA 3rd Team
Tony Parker, Spurs
Chauncey Billups, Nuggets
Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets
Kevin Durant, Thunder
Pau Gasol, Lakers

-Keefe

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

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?

Monday, April 14, 2008

And the NBA MVP is...

-Besse

The Lebron James NBA MVP award:

Lebron James – James should never be a candidate for MVP because he’s such an easy choice. The rest of the Cleveland squad sucks – aside from Zydrunas Ilguaskas, maybe. During the 2008 season, James has missed six games. In those six games, the Cavaliers went a sterling 0-6, losing by an average of 17 points including a 109-74 laugher at Detroit.

James is like Tommy Rodrigues to me: the larger-than-life, better than everyone else 12-year old that we all knew in Little League. The kid whose team won the league championship only because he threw a shutout every game and hit a homerun everytime he got up. He was so big, so intimidating and so good that you cringed everytime he threw a ball or swung a bat. You couldn’t beat him – at the plate or on the mound – so you’re only chance was to contain him. That’s more or less what NBA teams do when they face the Cavs. You hope and pray that Lebron doesn’t go off on one of his 40 point spectacles. In games where he dropped 40 or more, the Cavs were 6-1. The only loss was a 104-99 defeat to the Nets in which New Jersey scored 38 in the first quarter and had to hold off 14 fourth-quarter points from the King.

But that’s what this guy does. Bill Simmons alluded to it in referencing “The LeBron James ‘Don't Help Me Up, I Don't Even Want To Look At You Because You Suck So Much, I Can't Believe We're On The Same Team’ Face” that he must give to teammates during every game. The guy is not just the only great NBA player on his team, but the only good player. If Lebron wasn’t on the Cavs, they’d be so bad they wouldn’t just miss the playoffs, but they might miss the lottery.

The Boston Park League used to have a rule where every year the worst team in the league got kicked out and they pulled the best team from the Yawkey League; a big-league call-up, of sorts. But needless to say, it was pretty embarrassing if you finished with the worst record and got the boot. That’s what the NBA would have to do if Lebron ever went down for the season or left Cleveland. And yet in five NBA season with Lebron, the Cavs have finished below .500 once (his rookie year), notched 50 wins twice, are on the verge of a 3rd straight post-season appearance and have lost in the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals the last two seasons. Oh and the two years they didn’t make the playoffs? They missed out by one game in ’03-’04 and lost a tiebreaker in ’04-’05.

So for James, who is averaging nearly 27/7/7 per game over his career, let’s just give him his own MVP award and let the rest of the guys battle it out for one available to the rest of the league.

As far as 2008, he’s averaging 30 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists per game while carrying a team of nobodies to the playoffs for the 3rd straight year. The Cavs will most likely be the 4th seed and host Washington, which would be even more intriguing if Gilbert Arenas hadn’t missed most of the season. There’s nothing better than watching two guys go back and forth scoring as if forgetting there are eight other guys on the floor. The Cavaliers will be a tough match-up for anyone in the playoffs solely because of James. And god forbid, if anyone else happens to resemble a legitimate NBA player they could seemingly go pretty deep into the playoffs.

The actual 2008 NBA MVP award

The serious candidates:

These guys garner the most attention, having truly played MVP-type seasons in their own way.

Kobe Bryant – While an MVP award is based on what a player has done over the course of the season, one can argue that most winners or worthy candidates make their case in the final slew of regular season games as his/her team makes a final push towards the playoffs. That’s what Kobe and the Lakers have done this April. This is a team that was written off by everyone at the beginning of the season amid talks that Kobe would undoubtedly be traded to Chicago or anyone else that would get him out of L.A. Instead, Kobe has averaged 28.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. In April, the Lakers are 6-1 and have won 7 of their last 8 games dating back to March 30. The late push has them one win away from clinching the top spot in the ever-close Western Conference.

While Bryant hasn’t had to do it with a cast of losers like Lebron, the addition of Pau Gasol was more an answer to the loss of Andrew Bynum. You can argue that the Lakers have gotten great play from a supporting cast of Gasol, Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher, but the bottom line is Kobe has stepped up and taken a true leadership role. This is a guy who asked to be shipped out of there, and yet he’s put that behind him and embraced this team while leading it to the top of the uber-talented Western Conference.

Kevin Garnett – “The Big Ticket” has been outstanding, averaging 19 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. His biggest contribution isn’t an individual statistic but rather a team one, helping the C’s hold opponents to only 90.2 ppg. And his presence has opened up opportunities for Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe and Rajon Rondo. They’ve all stepped up to the challenge and the Celtics have accomplished the greatest season turnaround in NBA history.

The knock on Garnett’s candidacy is that Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are the other members of the “Big Three.” Pierce has led the Celtics in scoring in 9 of the last 10 years and Allen is averaging almost 18 ppg. It’s the same type of issue a guy like David Ortiz might have when Manny Ramirez is batting right behind you in the lineup. How can you give an MVP to one guy when a couple teammates, especially Pierce, is just as invaluable as he is? It’s a fair argument and while Pierce hasn’t had a season that will garner him any MVP attention, thus stealing votes from Garnett, it certainly won’t help his cause.

Chris Paul – Paul is undoubtedly the heir apparent to the likes of Steve Nash and Jason Kidd, and he’s putting up numbers much like Isiah Thomas and Kevin Johnson did throughout their NBA careers. He’s averaging 21.1 points, 11.6 assists and 2.7 steals per game. He’s the type of players that makes everyone else on the court better. Tyson Chandler and David West are perfect examples of this, having seen their season averages dramatically improve since playing alongside Paul the last three seasons. West, in particular, has made the jump from “Who is David West?” to “Yo, I picked up David West for my fantasy team!”

The Hornets, much like the Pistons, have one of the deeper pools of talent in its starting lineup and rotation, but this offense could not function without Paul in it. While it’s a small sample, Paul missed two games this season and the Hornets scored an average of 85 ppg in his absence. They’re averaging over 100 ppg in ’08. Again, it’s a small sample, but it shows the kind of effect Paul has on how well the offense runs. And while his 2.7 steals per game aren’t slowing down opponents’ 95 ppg, it shows just how well-rounded a player he is. This guy should get serious consideration.

The perennial candidates:

It’s almost a free pass for these guys, having reached a point where every year you could more or less make a compelling case to some extent.

Tim Duncan – A model of consistency, Duncan has averaged almost 22 points and 12 rebounds over his 11-year career. This year, he’s scored over 19 points and grabbed more than 11 boards per game. His numbers are down slightly if you even want to call it that, but that’s because Manu Ginobli is scoring 5 more ppg than his career average and taken some of the pressure off the big guy. That being said, you may ask why Ginobli wouldn’t get consideration since he’s also averaging a full assist more per game this season. But let’s face it: Duncan is the reason the Spurs will contend for a title every year and there are too many guards who are more worthy of the award than Ginobli.

Steve Nash – For me, personally, he re-established the importance of the point guard position and gave reason to follow it closely. This guy has made the position a spectacle to watch. Closed passing lanes become open; bad passes become good ones; and lock-down defenses become sieves when Nash takes the floor. He’s biblical in a way. The Moses of the NBA. When you breakdown point guards of the new generation, you compare them to the likes of Nash and Kidd. It’s the ability to make everyone else on the court better, not just with mediocre talent but with a roster full of egos, as well. Nash doesn’t just do it, he teaches it. Others emulate it, or at least try to, and he personifies the true meaning of a point guard. He’s the owner of six all-star game appearances and two MVP’s and Nash has flourished in Phoenix under the run-and-gun system. This season has been no different and with the offense beginning to mesh with Stoudemaire and Shaq, the Suns could finally jump that hurdle.

Also receiving recognition

These players also had terrific years, but there’s too much going against them to warrant any serious, legitimate campaigns for MVP.

Amare Stoudemaire – He’s averaging 25 ppg which is five points higher than his career average. I don’t think Shaq was too far off when mentioning him in the same breath as other MVP candidates like Paul, Kobe and Lebron. But in my opinion, anyone on a team with Steve Nash should never win an MVP, plain and simple. While Stoudemaire could have impressive, All-Star seasons on other teams with other point guards, he’ll only have numbers like this when he’s with Nash. And if another guy is the reason you’re better than good, you don’t any awards, he does.

Dwight Howard – Sorry, Dwight, but Hedo Turkoglu’s breakout season ruins any chance of you winning this award. That and you finished 3rd in the Eastern Conference, which is like placing in the JV wrestling tournament in high school, which I did. While it was a nice accomplishment, I was almost ashamed. Who the hell wants to wrestle in the JV tournament anyway? That’s what teams like the Celtics and Pistons must feel like right now - almost embarrassed that they have to play in the East. So you dominate everyone else and then get ready for the Varsity games. But give credit to Howard, whose Superman dunk was a microcosm of the type of season he’s had just dunking on anyone and everyone. His 21 points and 14 boards a game are legit and he’s doing it with Jameer Nelson as the point guard. It’s like a high school team relying on a JV point guard to run the show. The coach basically tells him to pass the ball to the good players and don’t dribble, shoot or pass any more than you need to.

Tracy McGrady – Sure, the 22-game winning streak was a nice story, especially since it was done without the services of key big man Yao Ming. But what bothers me is how mediocre the team was before both the streak and Ming’s injury. Case in point, the Rockets will finish in 5th or 6th despite the 22 consecutive wins. As competitive as the West is, that should have separated them from the pack, not helped them catch up to it. But McGrady has had another solid season, scoring 22 ppg and dishing out over 5 dimes per night. The scoring is down a bit, but the Rockets have shown considerable depth and several guys, such as Alston, Scola, Landry and Battier have all played well in filling the gap left by Ming.

Dirk Nowitski – Nowitski is averaging 23.8 points and almost 4 assists and 9 rebounds per game, but the Mavericks have been a bit of a disappointment. Dirk’s numbers aren’t much different than those of his MVP season last year, but he’s not shooting as well especially from beyond the arc and Dallas has such a deep crop of scorers that while Dirk is still the most valuable member of his team, he’s not the most valuable of the league.

And the winner is…

Lebron James would be my MVP choice. The Cavaliers supporting cast is D-league material and that city should count its blessing every night. But the choice of Lebron seems so easy that I expect the voters to completely overlook him and focus on Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant. And since I’ve chosen to honor King James with the MVP award that also happens to be his namesake, I’ll narrow my choice down to Paul and Bryant, as well. I’m going with Bryant here.

This will be the closest MVP race ever because you can make a solid case for four guys: James, Bryant, Paul and Garnett. And while Chris Paul falls into the Steve Nash category of making everyone better, Kobe has taken a tumultuous situation and made it work. The Lakers were counted out before the season and surprised everyone with a hot start. But after Bynum went down, it was seen as the beginning of the end for this sudden renaissance. Then the Lakers went out and literally stole Pau Gasol from Memphis. And while you can argue that Kobe has had a solid supporting cast all season, you also need to recognize that he has never wavered. Despite the off-season trade rumors, his desire to leave L.A., the Bynum injury and everything else over the course of the season, Bryant has kept this team steady and ready. His numbers are what they always are, and he’s second in scoring only to King James. But more importantly, the wins are there and the Lakers are on the verge of the top seed in the West. Paul and Co. have had a tremendous season and will likely finish 2nd by a game, but the bottom line is the Lakers have done so much more than expected. And they have Kobe and his newfound leadership ability to thank for it.

-Besse