Fifth Quarter: Lakers vs Heat (1/19/12)

To start off, I just want to say that I'll do my best to be unbiased even though it might means I have to trash my Lakers.

The two leading scorers in the league met Thursday when Kobe Bryant's Lakers traveled to South Beach to take on LeBron James' Heat. Widely anticipated, the game was being blown up as a one-on-one contest. LeBron vs Kobe. The final score: Heat 98, Lakers 87. The final score was a far cry from what it should have been. The Heat just absolutely dominated this game. It started off pretty close until Bynum picked up 2 early fouls and had to go out. After that the Heat took over and just never looked back. LeBron was absolutely dominant. A complete stat stuffer. He outplayed Kobe, and, unless Kobe gets out of this recent slump he's been in (15/43 in the last 2), the Lakers are in trouble. LeBron had 31 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals, 3 blocks. Wow. Kobe ended up with 24 but did not deserve it. The Heat deserved this win, and the Heat went on to get this win.

Starting with the Lakers:

Positives: 

• Played the Heat close until Bynum went out
• Metta World Peace seemed to get his stroke back, hitting two threes, equaling his total for the year...Still shooting good from the line as a team
• Troy Murphy scored 8 points on 4 for 4 shooting
• Kobe started getting everybody involved when he was doubled (especially Murph)
• Gasol had 26 to lead them (great shooting night too 11-19)
• Never gave up, and Kobe finally broke out of his shooting slump in the last 2 minutes (single handedly cut the lead from 15 to 10 in about ten seconds) hopefully that translates to the Magic game

Negatives: The whole game (not really, but it was bad). For real though, negatives: 

• Bynum took 2 early fouls because he wanted the blocks too much
• There were still times when you could still see the confusion from a coaching change
• There were times when they were totally out of sync
• They shot 6-20 from 3
• Got out rebounded
• Mike Brown needed to figure out how to run the offense when they played such good D on Kobe
• Kobe started off cold again
• They lost

Now the Heat:

Positives:

• Outrebounded the Lakers
• Shot 50% from the 3-point line
• Eddy Curry got in and actually played well
• Improved to 5-0 without DWade
• 4 players scored in double figures
• Overall just outplayed the Lakers, in almost every aspect of the game

Negatives: 

• Let the Lakers make a run at the end, and started to get into foul trouble. That's really it.

-Gunner

The Most Underrated Players in the NBA

                                     The Most Underrated

In the NBA there are a number of players who get the short end of the stick. They contribute so much to their team, and have the stats to back it up but get overshadowed by bigger, and more advertised players. So, for every position, I will give you the most underrated players in the NBA today. 

PG: Jamal Crawford POR PG/SG

Okay, I know he's not a point guard, but he can play the positon, and is really good as a bench player. Former Sixth Man of the Year and to put it simply, Crawford can score. Scoring 50 points for 3 different teams, he could easily be a starter in the league. 

SG: Monta Ellis GS SG/PG

Monta Ellis has been the force that has been leading the run and gun Golden State Warriors. Ellis, straight out of high school, has averaged at least 22 ppg in the last 3 years. He has a plethora of moves to get to the rim, and is one of the most unguardable players in the NBA when on a fastbreak. Why is he underrated? Well, Monta Ellis has never been an all-star, why? Every year he is overshadowed by another shooting guard, one more prominent and more successful. Kobe Bryant has been the canopy on the forest that is Monta's career. Every year when All-Star voting is started, who do all the fans vote for? Not Monta Ellis. They vote for Kobe, because he has been an All-Star starter since I can remember. He has been in that position so much that, it has become the norm. What if Bryant wasn't the starter? What if one year the fans vote for Ellis instead? Imagine the media, the angry LA fans. But is he deserving of it? Yes. In past years yes. He has played like an All-Star, but he never gets voted in. So, as consolation, Ellis gets my vote as the most underrated player in the NBA. 

SF: Luol Deng SF/PF/SG

Pre-Rose era, so mid '00's, Luol Deng was going to be the man in Chicago. But due to injuries he never fulfilled his potential. This year, and in recent years, Deng has played extremely well. On a very good Chicago team, he has been the glue guy for them. Providing big buckets, solid defense, and hard work, he is, in the mind of many, an All-Star. But, just like Ellis, Deng's career has been overshadowed by another advertised name in the NBA. LeBron James is a perennial All-Star for the forward position in the East, so people dont really look at Deng. Considering he made the All-Defensive Second Team and has had 3 solid years with the Bulls, he deserves a little more credit than he is given.

PF: LaMarcus Aldridge POR PF/SF

Here is another story of a good player being blanketed by another player. LaMarcus Aldridge, for years has been underappreciated in Portland, because of Brandon Roy. Now that Roy is gone, the star is still not the best in the West. Once again a more advertised name has put Mr. Aldridge under the bus. Who? Nowitzki. Another player who has snowed on another players roof. Aldridge now, is playing like an All-Star and at an almost MVP form. To put things simply, he deserves a little more love. 

C: Marc Gasol MEM C

Finally Marc Gasol. Another glue guy for another good team. He is very fundamentally sound, and is not afraid to battle down low in the block. Being constantly compared to his All-Star brother Pa, has lit a fire inside this man that cannot be extinguished easily. On a team that has been known to be a surprise to some, he has been a solid and stable presence.

So, there you have them. By position, the most underrated players in the league, please feel free to leave comments, and if we like them we will put them in our best comments tab.

-Cantrell

Who deserves the NBA MVP?

Well, here we are. After a crazy lockout and a real chance that there would be no basketball there's not much else to say other than....here we are. Three or so weeks into an shortened, crazy, 66-game season. As crazy as the schedule seems, it's far from the craziest surprises of the young season. Kobe Bryant is playing the best basketball he's played in four years. The Heat have lost 3 out of 4. The Portland TrailBlazers are doing big things out West, while the 76ers are taking the East by storm. It just goes to show, nothing is a given in the NBA. Especially not the MVP. Who deserves the three-weeks-in-but-still-exciting MVP? There are some pretty obvious guys. Kobe Bryant. LeBron. Blake Griffin. Kevin Love. Derrick Rose. Chris Paul. Dwight Howard. Durant.

Bryant is easily one of the front runners. He leads the league in scoring. He had four straight 40 point games. He has the single-game high for points in a game this year with 48 against the Suns. Of course, LeBron James is always in MVP conversations. King James is averaging 29 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists. He's getting to the free throw line 10 times a game, albeit shooting only 71 percent. A wave of new stars is contending for MVP recently. The likes of Blake Griffin, Kevin Love, last year's MVP Derrick Rose. Griffin is averaging 21.3 points and 11.8 rebounds while constantly igniting the spark for the Clippers. In his second season, he's among the league's elite. Kevin Love has started this year much like he played last year, with 14 straight double doubles. Fourth in the league in scoring and second in rebounds, he's an obvious candidate from Minnesota. Derrick Rose is having a sub-par year when compared to his year last year. A repeat as the league MVP is looking unlikely for Rose (sorry Cantrell). A player who requested a trade this summer, and the only player to average more rebounds than The Love Machine, Dwight Howard is off to a monster start. He already has two 20-20 games, and one 45-23 game, Superman is looking good this year. Kevin Durant has the Thunder off to an amazing start out West (despite a loss to the last place Wizards last night). He already hit a game winning three to beat the Mavericks this year and is third in the league in scoring.

How do you pick? How do you determine the league MVP? Easy.

MVP stands for Most Valuable Player. Which means you're looking for whichever player is the Most Valuable to his team. Which team would fall apart without their superstar? Which team is considerably worse without him?

That crosses off LeBron James. The Heat have Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. They could easily be a strong team without King James. Blake Griffin's Clippers definitely wouldn't fall apart without him. Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups are perfectly capable of leading the Clippers. The Bulls are off to a great start. They have the best record in the league, and it would be easy to say that they would fall apart without D Rose. But would they? Luol Deng has the most minutes in the league. And in the games that Rose hasn't played this year, their backup is playing great. Then there's Kobe Bryant. The scoring is ridiculous. Under new coach Mike Brown, he's shooting more and hitting more. The Lakers offense runs through Bryant. However, they also have two great 7 footers there. So while their record suffers without Bryant, they don't fall apart.

Which leaves two. Dwight Howard and Kevin Love. Stats are easy to compare. Love scores more. Howard rebounds more (just barely, they're 1st and second in the league). They're all tied up after the two most important stats for a big man. So we go to value to his team. Timberwolves without Love? They're best player becomes Michael Beasley, a largely largely largely inconsistent player. Ricky Rubio is doing big things out there as a rookie as well. Then there's Superman. Down in the Magic kingdom, he's making Magic fans dreams come true with the monster performances. Without him, they have new breakout star Ryan Anderson. A washed-up Hedo Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson. It would be easy to say they are no where near the record they're at now without Dwight Howard.
It's impossible to decide. So we leave it to you. Tell us in the comments, and we'll post the best responses on the Best Comments Page. Who is the MVP right now? Whose team falls apart into the bottom of the league without him? The Love Machine or Superman? Or possibly one of the other guys? Vote via comment and we'll see what you guys think.


-Gunner

2012 Playoff Picks (Cantrell)

The NBA Playoffs are always one of the most anticipated events in the world every year. To some fans, it is when they say that professional basketball is at its best. Everyone gets into the hype and, and before every season, every sports analyst is asked their playoff picks for that year, so like my friend, I will give you mine.


First, The East.


First Round:

1 vs 8
Chicago vs Boston (Bulls win 4-1)


Boston will limp their way into the playoffs after a gruesome season. Let's face it, Gang Green is on their decline. They had their time, they produced a championship out of that time. But Father Time has caught up with them, and the Big 3 has turned into the Big 30's. All 3 superstars in their terrific trio are over 30 and are approaching the end of their careers. They're good, but not good enough to face off against the MVP (Rose), and the team with the best record in the NBA. Let me give you a a fact, the last time the Bulls were off to a start this good, they won it all, and history has a way of repeating itself.


2 vs. 7
Miami vs Atlanta (Heat win 4-0)

Atlanta will get into the playoffs, but they wont stay long because they are up against the new big 3. Bosh, Wade, and James will be the second seed in the playoffs, but will end the season right on the Bulls' trail. Anyway they will dominate the Hawks in this series because King James and Prince Wade are determined to not fall short this year.


3 vs 6
Orlando vs New York (Knicks win 4-3)


Orlando will continue to have a good year, and end the season on a high note with a deserving 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference. But due to injuries the Knicks will descend to the 6th seed in the East. However, matchup problems and arguably the best scorer in the NBA in Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks will prevail in this matchup, and will edge the Magic.


4 vs 5
Indiana vs Philadelphia (Pacers win 4-3)


In the most surprising matchup of the year, two of the biggest surprises will faceoff in a close series. The Indiana Pacers will finish second in the Central Division, and 4th in the Conference. The Philadelphia Sixers will win the Atlantic Division, and will make the playoffs at the five spot. Indiana will find a way to win the series after going toe-to-toe with the Bulls last season, they will have an easier opponent and will finally get to smell the second round again.


Eastern Conference Semifinals:


Chicago vs Indiana (Bulls win 4-2)


Chicago will revisit Naptown to face a hungry Pacers team, who are not going to go down easy, much like they did last season. However, matchup problems with the Bulls will ultimately be the one thing that brings the Pacers down, and put an end to what will be a great season.


New York vs Miami (Heat win 4-2)


In a star-studded event every time the two will play, The Knicks and the Heat will be the most talked about playoff series this year. The interesting thing will be to watch how Miami will matchup against the Knicks frontcourt, and vice versa. With no solid 2 guard postion in New York, the Knicks have no answer for Dwayne Wade, and the Heat take this one in 6 games.


Eastern Conference Finals:


Chicago vs Miami (Bulls win 4-2)

In the rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Finals, Chicago and Miami have been brought together by fate. And in what should be the most exciting playoff matchup this year, revenge will be served cold for the Heat, as Chicago will exorcise their final demon and will not be haunted by their last year defeat to the Heat. LeBron's inability to close the fourth quarter and his drive to be the best will ultimately be Miami's downfall this year.

Now, before I give my Finals pick lets do the West:


Western Conference First Round:


1 vs 8
Oklahoma City vs. Memphis (Thunder win 4-1)


Memphis makes the playoffs this year, by having a season like last year. But they will not have a mirror season, playoff wise, because they will not upset the Thunder. The tandem of Westbrook and Durant will be too much for Memphis' defense to handle. Sorry Cinderella, no glass slipper this year.


2 vs 7
Los Angeles vs Denver (Lakers win 4-1)


Denver is having a decent season and will make the playoffs because of it. But will be a seventh seed and will have to face the best team in the last decade. The Los Angeles Lakers have played elite basketball for the past 10 years. The show is back on the road, and has a rejuvenated actor in Kobe Bryant, The Lake Show will be in the playoffs yet again and in the first round will handle the Nuggets in 5 games.


3 vs 6 
Los Angeles vs San Antonio (Clippers win 4-2)


The Spurs are playing really well right now, but with a long season ahead of them, the aging Spurs' record will deteriorate to the record of a solid 6th seed. But the Lob City Clippers will be facing them, and with their point guard play in Chris Paul, two guard play in Chauncey Billups, and their second year superstar forward in Blake Griffin, will be too much to combat as the Clippers will alley-oop their way to the second round.


4 vs. 5
Dallas vs. Portland (Mavs win 4-3)


Well Dallas seems to have found their settling point in the league right now and are finally off to a decent start. They will be a 4th seed and face off against Portland, who is off to a hot start. With the retirement of Brandon Roy, the T-Blazers have turned to their secondary option in LaMarcus Aldridge. And they are off to a good start. Come playoff time they will have their hands full against the defending champs. Which will handle the Blazers but in a close series.


Second Round: 
Los Angeles Clippers vs Los Angeles Lakers (Lakers win 4-2)


In recent years, the west has brought a more faster style of play. Bigs run the floor, and guards get the outlet and go, thats the style the fans enjoy and come playoff time, the two most opposite teams in the NBA faceoff against eachother. But the Clips' facing a team who are more classic in their style of play, the Lakers like to run their offense until they get a good shot out of it. Experience will be everything in this one, as the Lakers have won, and continue to win, Im going with them.


Oklahoma City vs. Dallas (Thunder win 4-0)


Dallas, Dallas, Dallas, you had a great run last year, defying all odds and proving that last year was your year. But it was only for that one year, and the salty attitude of the Thunder will prove to be more than enough to handle anything that Dirk is going to bring. Sorry Dallas, this isnt your year.


Western Conference Finals:


Oklahoma City vs Los Angeles Lakers (Thunder win 4-3) 


It's the matchup everyone wants to see, two of the best scorers in the NBA today. Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant. But its not all about them, whose team is better? Matchup wise, OKC has LA beat point guard wise, LA two guard wise, OKC small forward wise, LA power forward wise, and LA center wise. Now based on that, LA should win, but there is one X-factor that you're forgetting about: arenas. Oklahoma City is a city that loves their basketball team, and they have fans that aren't afraid to cheer. LA is too.....cool. They have a lot of celebrities that come to the games who are too cool to cheer. Both teams are good, but the surroundings they are in are going to affect the Lakers in a big way. OKC in 7.


And at last the Finals:


Oklahoma City vs Chicago (Bulls win 4-2)


It is a new day in the world of professional basketball. We are now seeing younger stars, faster play, and substance and style that all the fans love. These two teams display these endearing qualities the best and their records show it. What team do I choose? Whatever the team lacks, they make up for it in another place. What the Thunder lack in the point guard position, they make up for it in having the slight advantage in the small forward postion. So who do I choose? The Bulls, they play more as a team, other than two people doing most of the work in Oklahoma City. Two people dont win championships Oklahoma City, teams do, teams like Chicago.


NBA Champion: Chicago Bulls


So there you have it, My picks for this season. Feel free to leave comments or responses, agreeing or disagreeing, and we'll post the best ones in the Best Reader Comments page. Check back to see if your comment is posted!


-Cantrell

2012 NBA Playoff Predictions (Gunner)

Controversial? Maybe. But unlikely? Not really. Here's my predictions for the 2012 Playoffs.

Western Conference First Round:

Thunder vs Warriors (Thunder win 4-1)

The Warriors are going to surprise some teams this year, and are going to run and gun their way to the 8th seed, especially once Steph Curry returns. However, they will be no match for the Thunder who should finish with the best record in the NBA.

Spurs vs Clippers (Clippers win 4-2)

The Spurs are going to get the 4th seed because of their coaching staff knowing how to use players strengths in all the right ways. The Clips will still have some chemistry improvements to make, but ultimately will come out on top.

Grizzlies vs Lakers (Lakers win 4-3)

This should be an incredibly exciting series. Kobe will power the Lakers to the 6th seed, but once the playoffs come around will go into 2004 Kobe mode. The super improved Grizzlies will get the 3 seed, but Pau > Marc, Kobe > Gay/Mayo, and Bynum > any center the Grizz have.

Blazers vs Nuggets (Blazers win 4-2)

The Blazers are probably going to be the surprise team of the year, but shouldn't be. They are a good team that plays solid on both ends. The Nuggets' 7 seed is not reflective of what their year will be but the West is just too competitive this year for them to get anything better. In the end, the Blazers come out on top.

Western Coneference Semis:

Thunder vs Clippers (Thunder win 4-2)

This will feature two of the games top point guards, and two of the best young stars. The chemistry of a team that's growing up together like the Thunder will end up being better than the chemistry of a team that's top 5 players just got together and are all at different points in their career. The Thunder take this one in 6.

Lakers vs Blazers (Lakers win 4-2)

Same as in the Grizzlies series, the Lakers will win because they're strong players are better than the Blazers strong players. The experience of the Lakers in the playoffs will make them more accustomed to playing two long playoff series and ultimately, the better team.

Western Conference Finals:

Thunder vs Lakers (Thunder win 4-3)

It takes every ounce of my objectivity to pick against my Lakers, but the Thunder have younger legs in their superstars, and a better bench with James Harden. Westbrook is better than Fisher at the point, and whoever the Lakers put at SF can't match up with Durant. Kobe will have a good series and the Lakers won't go down without a fight in an exciting and high scoring series.

Eastern Conference First Round:

Bulls vs Cavaliers (Bulls win 4-0)

Nobody is expecting the Cavaliers to do anything in their second season following the Decision. But Kyrie Irving is impressive and the Cavs are easily the best bad team in the East. The Bulls are scary good and have their best team since MJ left. They will win this one with ease.

Pacers vs Knicks (Pacers win 4-1)

The Pacers do not get enough credit. The offseason acquisition of David West is panning out better than anyone expected. The team is like the Thunder and growing up together (other than West). The Knicks are in their first full season with Melo and aren't ready to go deep yet. Pacers in 5.

Sixers vs Magic (Sixers win 4-2)

The Magic will gradually decline a tiny bit each game as D. Howard becomes more and more disgruntled. They will ride an impressive 3-point barrage to the 6th seed. The Sixers are a huge surprise, playing their best ball since the 2001 Finals run. The Sixers win this one in Howard's last six games for the Magic.

Heat vs Hawks (Heat win 4-2)

The Hawks will give the Heat all they can handle in this series, but ultimately the Heat come out on top. LeBron will play a stellar series and nearly average a triple double and the Hawks will feel the effects of not having Al Horford or having a newly off-injury Al. The Heat win some close games and, the series.

Eastern Conference Semis: 

Pacers vs Bulls (Bulls win 4-3)

A rematch of last year's 1st round, this series will be extremely close. Last year's was very physical, and much much closer than it should have been. With more playoff experience, the addition of David West, and revenge on their mind, the Pacers will make this a crazy-close series that the Bulls get in 7.

Heat vs Sixers (Sixers win 4-3)

The Heat are going to end up being severely disappointed again this year. The Sixers suffocating defense will easily rise to the occasion and find a way to absolutely frustrate LBJ. They will hold James to only 2 big games, and their offense will smack the Heat in the face. D Wade keeps the Heat in it, but Sixers in 7.

Eastern Conference Finals:

Bulls vs Sixers (Sixers win 4-2)

The defense of the Sixers is going to win them the Eastern Conference this year. Teams will have a tough time figuring out the Bulls scoring approach where anybody can step up, and the Sixers will be the first team to figure it out (much like the Pistons were the first team to figure out how to stop Jordan). Rose will be smothered and Luol Deng will no longer be under the radar as such a good player.

NBA Finals:

Philadelphia 76ers vs Oklahoma City Thunder (Thunder win 4-2)

Well, the Sixers defense can only do so much. Durant is a freak of an athlete and they won't be able to stop him all the time. When they do stop him, then Westbrook steps up. When Westbrook is stopped, Harden steps up. Ibaka will grow into his role as starting center in the league, and will see a dramatic increase in his own production. The Sixers will put up a fight but Durant has a monster series that solidifies him as one of the top 3 players in the league and the Thunder take their first championship.

NBA Champion: Oklahoma City Thunder


-Gunner