Clippers Cruise Over Resting Cavs

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Clippers were gift-wrapped a 108-78 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night. Shortly before the start of the game, the Cavaliers announced their star players would not be playing in this game due to rest.

Blake Griffin led the way for the Clippers with a game-high 23 points and seven boards. DeAndre Jordan scored 13 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. J.J. Reddick chipped in 16 points.

“It’s a different game without Lebron, Kyrie, and Kevin playing, obviously,” said Griffin. “We’re not going to pretend like it’s not. But at the end of the day, you still have to go out and execute.”

It took the Clippers a quarter and a half to finally separate themselves from the short-handed Cavaliers and ease the stress of the home crowd. As they took control of the game by scoring 13 unanswered points, Cav’s coach Tyronn Lue resorted to intentionally fouling Jordan for on possession; Jordan split the pair of free throws and Lue didn’t go back to the well. That was the turning point of the game, as Cleveland didn’t have enough its arsenal to challenge the Clippers on the scoreboard.

“Guys started making shots,” said Chris Paul, who didn’t make a field goal in the game for the seventh time in his career. “I still didn’t, but I think our defense got a little better, we started getting out in transition defense.”

Griffin put an exclamation on the Clippers’ second quarter dominance with two seconds left in the first half when he caught the Cavs sleeping and came unimpeded down the lane to rebound a DeAndre Jordan missed free throw with an emphatic put-back dunk. The Clippers led 47-31 at the half and never looked back.

“The ball just kind of took several bounces, a couple of more bounces than any of us thought and I just happened to be there… I just got lucky,” said Griffin. “Our trust was high tonight, that is what I like the most.”

Even with Cleveland’s big three sitting out this game for rest, the Clippers’ recent defensive woes surfaced when Iman Shumpert sank an open 19-foot jumper then drove for an uncontested layup for the games first two baskets. 

However, the home team quickly got their affairs in order as they forced and took advantage of seven empty possessions to go on a 12-0 run.  The Cavs responded with a 14-2 run of their own, holding the Clippers scoreless for the final 3:28 of the period, to lead 16-14 after the first quarter.

The Clippers entered the game as losers of three straight and in sixth place in the Western Conference standings. Oklahoma City tied them with the same record but was in fifth place due to a tiebreaker. It was a much-needed win for Los Angeles, who play three beatable opponents in the Knicks, Lakers, and the Mavericks next on the schedule before playing the fourth-place Utah Jazz next Saturday, March 25.

Chris Paul didn’t make a field goal on eight attempts.

Clippers Inches Short Against Bucks

LOS ANGELES — It was a game of inches as Blake Griffin’s shot bounced off the rim and fell short at the buzzer and the Los Angeles Clippers lost to the Milwaukee Bucks 97-96 Wednesday at the STAPLES Center.

The Clippers (40-28) began the day two and a half games behind the Utah Jazz in the battle for the fourth seed in the Western Conference. However, Wednesday’s loss to Milwaukee puts them much closer to the Memphis Grizzlies, who trail the Clippers by two games in seventh place.

The Clippers looked lethargic in the fourth quarter, showing no real fire on the court until the closing minutes.

“We couldn’t get the string of stops you need to be a great team,” said a disappointed Doc Rivers. “Either we didn’t rotate, or they made a good shot, or we fouled, we just couldn’t get multiple stops. We got a couple of good stops that cut the lead but I just thought we failed to get the big stops tonight.”

From Milwaukee’s perspective, they got the stop they needed at the right time.

“We anticipated the switch because they had been switching the whole game,” said Rivers. “We got [Griffin] the ball right in the middle of the floor with a point guard on him. Matthew Dellavedova got into his legs and the next guy challenged his shot.”

Dellavedova, who came off the bench, played a key role on the offensive end as well in the deciding fourth quarter. Dellavedova scored eight points in the closing quarter, including two big threes that threw cooled off Clipper rallies.

“I think [Dellavedova] is setting good screens, so when I see Chris Paul in front of me, I know Delly is wide open,” said Giannis Antetokounmpo. “I think he did a great job of separating, and he was able to get his feet set and knock them down.”

Dellavedova, who scored 12 points, was one of three Bucks reserve bench players that scored in double figures.  If you compare the plus/minus in the box scores, there is a huge difference between the two squads in this game.

Clippers need to find a way to be productive when their starters aren’t on the floor. Aside from the 14 points Jamal Crawford scored, the bench wasn’t effective at all. The reserve players gave back the good equity the starters built every time the unit was on the court.

Milwaukee, on the other hand, benefit from a balanced scoring attack. They featured eight players with 20 or more minutes of playing time and had six players who scored in double figures.

“When we’re unselfish and we make the extra pass, good things happen,” said Jason Kidd after the game. “We didn’t put a lot of minutes on Khris [Middleton] tonight, which is a bonus… Again, everybody who pitched in, who played, it was a big team win on the road.”

Antetokounmpo had 16 points, five rebounds and five assists in only 28 minutes. Bucks rookie point guard Malcom Brogdon is making a run at Rookie of the Year; he scored 11 points and dished out five assists.

Milwaukee (33-34) began the day with slim half game lead over Miami for the eight and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the win puts them in the seventh spot as they try to avoid a first round matchup against Cleveland.

After the game Clippers coach Doc Rivers announced that Deandre Jordan and Griffin would not be traveling with the team to Denver to play in Thursday night’s game.

Clippers Escape Sting of Hornets in Overtime

Courtesy of Zyaire Porter/T.G.Sportstv1

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Clippers get their first win after the all-star break with a 124-121 overtime defeat of the Charlotte Hornets on Oscar night in La La Land.

In Hollywood, as the 89^th Academy Awards ceremony was taking place and the trophy for best picture was incorrectly given to “La La Land” then swiftly taken away as they began celebrating, the same result almost befit the Clippers a few miles away when they blew a 17-point lead.

“I thought we played a really good offensive first half, a really good offensive third quarter to start,” said Clippers guard J.J. “But they have shot makers on their team, and [Nicholas] Batum and [Kemba] Walker were awesome tonight.”

After the game, Hornets head coach Steve Clifford was visibly upset at a controversial non-foul call with his team in possession, down by one with six seconds left. Trapped on the sideline, Walker appeared to be bumped by Chris Paul and was forced to throw an errant pass as he was falling out of bounds. No whistle was blown on the play and the turnover resulted in Blake Griffin layup to put the Clippers up by three with under four seconds.

“Kemba had the ball at half court and he thought he got fouled,” said Clippers assistant Mike Woodson. “I think he was falling behind the line and he had to get rid of it and we came up with it. It was a big defensive effort coming down the stretch.”

With the Hornets facing a five-point deficit with under a minute remaining in regulation, Walker drained a three then followed up with two free throws to tie with 11.9 seconds on the clock after his team made a defensive stop.

“We just wanted to continue to fight hard, which we did,” said Walker, who led the Hornets with 34 points. “We wanted to make plays and try to make the plays necessary to win the basketball game. Once we got down, we came together and we made a push.”

 The game would go into overtime after Paul missed a jumper at the buzzer.  That’s when Blake Griffin decided enough was enough and scored seven of his game and season-high 43 points.

“Blake and I talked before the game about being aggressive and he could have had more [points],” said Paul. “He could have had 50 points, he is a guy that is capable of that every night, but he is so unselfish, which is why he is the player he is.”

Griffin was on a mission to get buckets any way he could. He dazzled with his usual array of powerful dunks, pull-ups and drives from midrange, and he put on a couple of dribbling exhibitions. Griffin also hit his mark from behind the arc, where he made three of his four attempts.

“He is a monster,” said Clifford. “He’s so skilled and smart and he’s the perfect player.”

CP3 was also impressive for the Clippers in the win as he recorded 17 assists without committing a single turnover. Redick scored 22 for Los Angles and all-star DeAndre Jordan added 20 points plus 19 rebounds.

The Clippers next opponent will be the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.

This was Charlotte’s fifth overtime loss of the season. Batum scored 31 points while making eight from downtown. Jeremy Lamb scored 19 off the bench.

The Hornets will play the Lakers on Tuesday night.

2017 NBA All-Star Reserves

The 2017 NBA All-Star Reserves will be announced tonight, January 26, on TNT. The coaches choice trump what anyone else thinks in this regard but let me get these predictions off real quick, anyway. The criteria is two guards and three front court players are required, plus two regardless of the position. 

West Reserves

• Guard 1: Russell Westbrook - He should have been a starter. Nuff said.
• Guard 2: Dame Lillard - This should be CP3 but since can't play makes no sense to choose him. Dame barely gets the nod over his own teammate CJ  McCollum on the strength that he's the man on that team. CJ will get his soon enough.
• Front court 1: Draymond Green - Make no mistake about it, he's the one who makes it pop for the Dubs.
• Front court 2: Gordon Hayward - If you don't know why he's here, then you haven't been following the association much this year.
• Front court 3: Demarcus Cousins - Arguably the best center in the association.
• Wildcard 1: Marc Gasol - He continues to do above average things between the lines in Memphis.
• Wildcard 2: Klay Thompson - To the victors go the spoils. It's always been this way although guys like CJ and Karl Anthony Towns are more deserving and will get snubbed.

East Reserves

• Guard 1: John Wall - In my opinion, he's the most complete point guard there is right now.
• Guard 2: Isaiah Thomas - He's getting buckets at will right now.
• Front court 1: Paul George - You don't really hear much about him but he's still one of the best two-way players around.
• Front court 2: Kevin Love - Funny how winning a championship can make a player relax and be himself.
• Front court 3: Joel Embiid - He's really feeling himself, as he should because he's balling. The only thing holding him back from greatness is a minutes restriction.
• Wildcard 1: Kyle Lowry - He gets buckets when they matter most. One of the most underrated players, today.
• Wildcard 2: Kemba Walker - His team is in playoff position at the moment because of his scoring. I flip flopped between placing Carmelo Anthony here. Paul Millsap might be chosen but he doesn't fit the bill to me.

NBA Diary October 27, 2016

These are just my free flowing thoughts of things that occurred, related to the league, on the date of which the article is titled. Some may be my reactions of different news articles, tweets, but mainly non-statistical, organic, lukewarm takes of game play. All games won’t be discussed. If you have anything you want my take on. Email me bigmellz@spitsgame.com or drop a comment below.

Not much game action on my birthday. What do you think about the rumors of Lebron wanting to ban the Kardashians from being near the team?

Here's my quick take on the mini slate: 

There have been grumblings about my dude Johnny Wall and Bradley Beal not liking each other even though both try to dispel the narrative. However, their play on the court last night said different as they fell to the Hawks. You can’t scream you’re the best back court in the league if Dennis Schroder, some guy named Malcom Delaney and Kyle Korver outplays you. I may have ranked Atlanta too low, Dwight Howard is going to have his way in the East. Tim Easy Way dropped 21 off the bench.

In Chicago, all the talk was about having a team of ball dominant guards who couldn’t shoot. Although that may be true. Wade, Butler, Rondo, and MCW were a combined 10 of 15 from downtown as they beat Boston.

Sacramento hosted the first regular season game in its new home and gave The Machine a run for their money until Kawhi shut everything down with four steals in the third quarter. Kawhi is the MVP after two games. Boogie dropped 36 points and 17 boards in a losing effort.

The Clippers second unit looked impressive against Portland, that’s how they got the win, it’s probably the best in the league with the addition of Felton and Mo Buckets to J-Crossover. Dame did all he could for the Blazers. Coach Stotts need to start running out better lineup combinations.

NBA Diary October 26, 2016

These are just my free flowing thoughts of things that occurred, related to the league, on the date of which the article is titled. Some may be my reactions of different news articles, tweets, but mainly non-statistical, organic, lukewarm takes of game play. All games won’t be discussed. If you have anything you want my take on. Email me bigmellz@spitsgame.com or drop a comment below.

It was my son’s second birthday. Therefore I didn’t know how much hoops I would be taking in but I bore witness to some pretty fascinating stuff. Like the photo above, for example. That's an example of Trump's America folks. What bothers me most are the two clowns laughing at that idiot. Don't condone disrespectful behavior.

Westbrook looked like we all expected him to. I did not watch the entire game but from the little I did see, I noticed something I had not before. On a few occasions, Westy operated from the post against smaller guards, featuring this part of his game more will make him a more efficient scorer. Before I started writing this piece, I ran across the photo below and it all made sense. 

The Lakers vs Rockets games was interesting for many reasons:

First, I love that Mike D'Antoni continues to throw conventional wisdom to the wayside. MDA has Harden playing full-time point guard. You remember when people were saying Oklahoma City should move Westy to the two and let Harden run point? The Beard had 14 dimes at halftime. I love it. Next, NASA eventually caught the L and it was because Luke Walton pressed the right buttons. He transformed my favorite Laker, Julius Randle, into Draymond Green. I'll make it clear and state he's not on Green's level but he is a better low post scorer. Julius brought the ball up many times and initiated the offense with great success, he finished with an 18 points, seven boards, and six dimes stat line. Finally, Luke showed us why he kept Metta World Peace on the roster, to be a goon. Metta was inserted into the game and immediately paid dividends. He played two minutes and got called for three fouls but those fouls changed the game, he showed the kids they can't just let the Beard punk them. LAKERS WIN! LAKERS WIN!

Anthony Davis acted a fool with his 50 points, 16 boards, seven rips, five dimes, and four swats. A completely unheard-of stat sheet. I think he might have been disrespected by the GM survey. But that boy needs some help. Fa real fa real.

I hope you enjoyed the read.

NBA Diary October 25, 2016

These are just my free flowing thoughts of things that occurred, related to the league, on the date of which the article is titled. Some may be my reactions of different news articles, tweets, but mainly non-statistical, organic, lukewarm takes of game play. All games won’t be discussed. If you have anything you want my take on. Email me bigmellz@spitsgame.com or drop a comment below.

Opening night! Everybody is excited and happy that hoops is back and I don’t have to watch trash baseball games that don’t include the Dodgers. I’m still salty AF.

I just dropped my Western Conference Outlook article. But I didn’t have time to write one for the Leastern Conference, so here’s my order of finish predictions:

1. Cavs 
2. Raptors 
3. Pacers 
4. CelTricks 
5. Pistons
6. Wizards 
7. Bulls
8. Bucks

Others - Hornets, Hawks, Knicks, Magic, Heat, Sixers, Nets

I will eventually have takes on each of those teams, like I did for the West.

On to opening night.

As expected, the Knicks got smashed by the Cavs, who will definitely be in the NBA Finals again, barring an injury to either Lebron or Kyrie that would cause them to miss the post season. D. Rose looks good but you can’t help but to feel like an injury is inevitable. Melo is Melo. And Kristaps P-Funk looks like he’s going to be around for a while, maybe he can get some All-Star votes if Knicks are in early playoff contention.

Speaking of all-star, if Dame Dolla is not in the February exhibition, I will lose all faith in the selection process.

Last but not least, about that matter of the Warriors getting blown da phaq out by the Spurs. “It's only one game. It’s only one game.” Like please, STFU. Go have a seat and allow us Warriors haters to enjoy ourselves. I railed against Steph Curry being the unanimous MVP last season because I thought Kawhi deserved a few first-place votes. It is going to be fun watching an improved-on-offense Kawhi play as aggressively on that side of the ball as he does on defense.

My favorite take away from that game is the emergence of Jonathon Simmons, he was 5-5 for 18 points in the first half, so I literally asked myself, “Who da phaq is this guy?” I googled him and learned about his amazing plight. Then to close the game out, he embarrahked Javale McGee.

I hope you enjoyed this read.

2016/17 NBA Western Conference Outlook

Basketball season is here and we have some excitement to take our minds off of Trump, Clinton, and the presidential election. Thus it is necessary for me to get some of these thoughts off before the association gets into full swing. So, here is my snapshot version of the Western Conference outlook.

1. The Dubs  Fitting nickname for a team that racked up Ws at a record clip last season. As a matter of fact, they added 15 more in the playoffs, including the 3-1 series lead in the Finals before they added Pookie to the roster and smoked off the championship to Cleveland.

Over the summer, they were able to replace the uber athletic Harrison Barnes with some guy named Kevin, who most people think will make them unstoppable. This team will undoubtedly win a lot of games in blowout fashion.

Don't forget they were supposed to win it all last season but didn't. One thing swept under the rug was the fact Andrew Bogut was injured in game five of the finals; they were not the same without his physical presence. Guess who the Dubs shipped off to make room for Kevin... yup, Bogut.

2. The Machine  It is all about execution with this team. Working the system is why they have contended for championships year in and year out in the Popovich era. Tim Duncan retired and officially handed the on-court keys to OG Bobby Johnson, better known as Kawhi who still drives his '97 Chevy Tahoe from high school. There is nothing exciting to see here except a nightly clinic on getting open buckets and making your opponent work for everything.

Pau Gasol will try to fill in for Timmy, which he won't have a problem with on the offensive end but the team will truly miss Duncan on defense; he always made sure his guys were in the right place.

3. Clippers  Do not expect me to waste too many keystrokes on these perennial under achievers. They have a championship coach, passionate owner, the best pure point guard of the modern era, an athletic freak of nature at power forward, the best defensive center in the L, annual favorite to win sixth man of the year, and three-point assassin in JJ Reddick.

They might even be good enough to finish second in the conference when it is all said and done but will ultimately be judged by if they can exorcise their second round demons.

4. Kush Blazers  I am a hip-hop head first and foremost, so I love that Dame Dolla has an album coming out. I remember dudes like AI and Kobe were going to drop records but never did, but then again, they did not have bars like Dame. I would love nothing more than for him to drop a diss record about every point guard he lights up this year.

Dame has come out and said he wants to be the MVP, which nobody ever does. Dame knows that MVPs are only given to players on the best teams in the league, and knowing he has this on his brain means he has confidence in his teammates. And that is good enough for me to place them here.

5. The Westbrooks  I’m going out on a limb here because I don’t think the drop off due to Kevin leaving is that great, neither is the Serge exodus. I’ve always thought this was Westbrook’s team and since the former MVP wanted to bounce, it gives the rest of the gang more chances to play a larger role.

Most of the returning players aren’t saying they feel betrayed by Kevin, but they have to be feeling some type of way and it’s going to fun to see them leave their souls on the floor to try and show him they didn’t need him any fucking way. Acquiring Oladipo to be Westy’s running mate is bad news for opposing teams who want to hide their guards on defense.

6. NASA  Mike D’Antoni reintroduced pace back into the league when he took over the Suns job in 2003 and ran his 7 seconds or less offense. Daryl Morey is the statistics guru who’s had an imprint on the nerd revolution that has taken over the sports world, especially the NBA. Morey basically took the finer parts of what D’Antoni did with Phoenix and ran it through super data machines and churned out the blue print for winning basketball.

We now have a match made in offensive basketball heaven with the aforementioned gentleman. We also have the scoreboard operator’s nightmare. If they can figure out a way to stop people, they might win a championship, but since all they have is Ariza and Capela on defense, I’ll settle for The Beard, Eric Gordon, and Ryan Anderson getting buckets.

7. Stockton’s Old Team  They added some old heads in Iso Joe and Boris Diaw, aside from them, this is a young team. What’s old are the glory days of Stockton and Malone and when Deron Williams used to be elite. What’s also getting old is the rhetoric that this team is up and coming. I don’t get why everyone wants them to be NEXT.

I mean, I like Favors, Hood, Gobert, and Exum as individual players but think Hayward is a tad bit overrated, can’t figure out why Alec Burks got paid and brass traded for Dru Hill, I mean George Hill.

Anyway, they’re here strictly because I MUST be missing something. So to save myself from looking like an ass…

8. The Pups  In my neighborhood, I can’t look outside without seeing people walk their little creatures and look so happy to pick up poop, but that’s only for annoying cute ones that are kept in the house. For the most part there is a disdain for all others, particularly the ones that sleep outside; people mistreat them, euthanize them, and basically, aren’t welcomed in society.

Wolves are the largest member of the dog family, and just like all dogs, are usually cautious around humans but they aren’t domesticated. In the NBA, all the other teams have abused them for the past 12 years without repercussion. But this pack is going to start biting now that they have a trainer, err coach, who specializes in making his subjects defend and reach the playoffs.

Wolves mate in the winter time, look for these kids to start screwing everyone over after Christmas then wear down in April. I think they can finish higher than the 8 seed but I purposely placed them here because I want them to matchup against the Dubs. The Dubs weakness is the big man, the leader of pack is the best young big man in the L and ironically, a KAT.

9. Mavericks  Teams out of the playoffs and number three up top do not get nicknames from me, but if I were to name them, they will be the Geezers. Full Disclosure, I think they will make the playoffs but because of number 7, you know.

I liken this team to the old man in the park that’s looking for a good run but everybody takes him lightly until he starts roughing you up, faking you out your sneaks, and raining threes on you until you’re like, “WTF!” This is definitely a team full of that old man in the park spread out across all positions on the floor except for Harrison Barnes, who just got the boot from Silicon Valley and got major cake to not be the go-to-guy.

10. Grizzlies  The transition from ground and pound to pace and space is going to be a hard one. A bunch of square pegs trying to squeeze into a round hole. I see a lot of rectangular bricks failing to fall into a circular rim.

11. Nuggets  There is a lot to like about this squad, including Coach Malone and... Well I guess there is not much to like. Most of these guys play the same position. We can't even call Faried by his once-cool nickname any more.

12. Suns  Now there is a lot to like about this team, at least for the University of Kentucky fan in me. With the trio of former UK guards flying up and down the floor, this team will be fun to watch.

13. Lakers  The marquee team in the league is actually building from scratch, something that has not happened since before color TV.

14. Kings  They have a nice new arena, at least. #FreeBoogie

15. Pelicans  I wonder if Antonio Davis regrets taking the money so soon.

Mike D'Antoni Resigns From Lakers

I can't even be objective about this post to tell you the truth, as a Lakers' fan, I am so happy right now. After coaching the Los Angeles Lakers through their worst season in franchise history, coach Mike D'Antoni resigned from his post.

Not many other coaches would have survived the season under the immense slander he received from the Lakers' fan base. He didn't have much ammunition from the armory, as Kobe Bryant missed most of the season with injury to highlight the MASH unit that masqueraded as a professional basketball team. He was constantly at odds with the best player, Pau Gasol, and his defensive schemes were comical at best.

I tip my hat to coach Mike D'Antoni for doing the right thing by stepping down. Now, the coaching search begins. Who is next? Byron Scott? John Calipari? The NBA will be waiting for the announcement.

Donald Sterling: Just a Reminder, So What Should Be Done?

To the informed fans of the NBA, Donald Sterling's character had been well known for many years, so his latest display, thanks to TMZ, shouldn't come as a shock and elicit outrage. It should have been a simple reminder.

I ask those that are calling for his head:

• Where were you and your outrage when Sterling was agreeing to pay a $2.725 million settlement to resolve a housing discrimination lawsuit? 
• Where was your outrage the time Sterling brought women into the locker room, telling them to "look at those beautiful black bodies" as he conducted them on a tour while the players were taking showers?  
• How come you didn't stand behind Elgin Baylor when he accused Sterling of unwilling to fairly compensate African-American players, then subsequently firing him based on race?

Those are just a few of the reasons why very few free agents or coaches wanted to be employed by this organization in the past, and part of the reason that they were trash. It wasn't until David Stern vetoed the Lakers' trade for Chris Paul - he wanted to play in Los Angeles badly - adding him to the Clippers mix to help rising star Blake Griffin decide to be the first top shelf player to ACTUALLY WANT to sign a long term deal with the team. The rest is history. The team's performance on the court ushered the Sterling disdain into the background and made people forget about all of the bad he had done.

My Proposed Solution

Unfortunately forcing Donald Sterling to sell the Clippers while their value is at an all-time high will only benefit him.  What I propose is for the NBA to issue a death penalty on the Clippers. Take away the Clippers draft picks for the next five years and allowing any of their current players that are under contract to leave the team and make the Clippers pay their wages. Then remove the Clippers from any nationally-broadcasted games. This way, it will hurt Donald Sterling's pockets.

What do you think should be done about this?

Out Of The Shadows - Bledsoe Shining As A Sun

Eric  Bledsoe's early season play has been a revelation for many basketball fans. He's lead the Phoenix Suns to a surprising 5-2 record to start the season.  It was conceded that the Suns would be one of the organizations that would want to tank this season; especially since they traded Marcin Gortat, who most pundits believed to be the team's best player, prior to the start of the season.  Apparently you can't really grade a player's competitive nature when evaluating him; not when he's ready to seize his shining moment.

Kyrie's (lack of) Progress

I want to start this off by saying that Kyrie Irving is such a phenomenal basketball player. Prior to this season, I wrote some nice things about what he needs to do to take his game to the next level. So, let me take a look at the sample size that is the six game start to this season and examine where his game is at.

He's one of the best young guards this league has; just not one of the best young POINT guards. I've always dismissed the notion that he is currently an elite point guard based on my analysis that his skill set is better suited to play shooting guard. He has, however, slightly elevated his game as far as setting his teammates up this season; he eclipsed his career 5.7 assists average in  five of the six games played. Forget about what I think about what defines a point guard and his shortcomings in those areas though.

2013/14 NBA Season Western Conference Outlook

The new basketball season has finally arrived and I'm excited to see how it plays out.  I'm even more excited to write about it.  I don't like to use the word preview in my writing because you can't see the weird things that run through my mind as I'm putting thoughts to paper.  I see everybody else giving predictions and such, so figure I'll just throw some things out there for your reading pleasure and come back later to revisit them.

The first four are legitimate title contenders:

BBN Report - Nazr Mohammed profile

6'10" 220 lbs
Chicago, Illinois
15 seasons
career: 6.3 ppg 5.0 rpg 16.9 mpg
2012/13: 2.6 ppg 3.1 rpg 11.0 mpg
'96 & '98 NCAA Champion
2005 NBA Champion

Nazr is the last of Rick Pitino's high flying Kentucky Wildcats that is still playing in the NBA.  While in Lexington he rode the bench as a 300 pound freshman, playing sparingly as team cut the nets down in 1996. After he got in shape, he became a key player on the '97 team that lost to Arizona in the National Championship final game; it was also the last game of the Pitino era.  The 1997/98 season ushered in the Tubby Smith era of UK hoops with a National title.  Nazr entered the NBA draft after his junior season.

The NBA's Crucial Year Three part 3: "A Rose on the Hardwood"

Derrick Rose has set the bar high for all first round draft picks because of the accolades he achieved during his third NBA season.  In the 2010/11 season, Rose's third year, he was a starter on the East All-Star team, named to the All-NBA first team, and selected as the league's Most Valuable Player.  His brand of basketball was so exceptional that season that when the most recent collective bargaining agreement was finalized, there was a provision written in to reward players that out-play their rookie contract. Part 1 of this series looked at players from the 2011/12 rookie class who have shown star potential but need to raise their level of play to be considered for the 25% max.  Part 2 featured the young stars of this class who are likely to receive the max. 

In this final installment of "Year Number Three" series, we'll look at this draft's cream of the crop and his chances of earning "The Derrick Rose Provision"

See, What Had Happened Was... brain dump 9/24/13

Leakage is what this post is all about.  I need to unload some things that I have on my mind regarding the NFL, plug a few websites, and for fantasy football stuff scroll down to the bottom.

The NBA's Crucial Year Three part 2: "Max-nificent"

 In the first part of this series, I discussed some players that will surely earn a nice ransom but need to impress in this upcoming season to raise their value.  In this edition, we'll look at some potential franchise guys who are almost assured of receiving "The Max" if they continue their progression in year number three.  The third season of an NBA player's career is the most important.  It is essential to their financial well-being that they perform well or display the potential to be a coveted member of an organization's future.  Rookie deals are for a guaranteed two years; this only applies to first round draft picks. We'll also take a glance at a couple of second round picks that deserved to be mentioned with the previous group.

The NBA's Crucial Year Three part 1: "Money Earning"

The third season of an NBA player's career is the most important because it is integral to their financial well-being that they perform well or display the potential to be a coveted member of an organization's future.  When a player is drafted, there is no need to negotiate their contract because the amount they make depends on where they were chosen in the draft; this is often referred to as their "rookie deal".  Rookie deals are for a guaranteed two years; this only applies to first round draft picks.  However, a team may exercise an option for a third year, most will do this unless a player is a complete bust.  There's also an option for a fourth year.  If a player can have a breakout type of season in year three, the organization will most likely offer them a contract extension starting at the maximum amount allowed 25% of the salary cap which would kick in at the start of the fifth season.  In part one of this series, I take a look at some first rounders going into their third season that need to ball so hard  for their agents to be taken seriously when the word "max" is spoken.

Which State Births The Best NBA Players?

When starting lineups are introduced before an NBA game, the arena announcer usually include a player's height, jersey number, position, experience, and college.  If a player didn't attend college, then their high school is declared, if they didn't attend high school in the United States, then their country of birth is given.  As I was browsing Twitter the other night, I ran across a question that piqued my interest.  Someone said "I wondered, if you made NBA teams with players all from the same state, who would have the best team?"  Being that I was raised and live in California, I answered quickly, "Easily California."  Is the answer really that simple though?  To be sure, I did further research and for fun, assembled rosters based on the birth state of players.

2012-13 All NBA Team

The All NBA Team isn't about who the most entertaining players in the league are.  It isn't about who meant more to their team, so there's no factoring "what the team did when so and so wasn't on the floor."  It's really about the guys who got the work done better than anybody else at their position this season.  So position by position, I took the guys who produced and put them in an imaginary starting lineup to make up the first team.  Certain players clearly stand out, others can be debated.  If their play didn't contribute to a winning record, they were excluded from receiving recognition.  Here are my thoughts on the 2012-2013 All NBA Team.