Roundball Wrap-Up: Wednesday February 26th

Your favorite inconsistent NBA post is back from last year!  I never really had a full grasp on how to do this blog, but I think I have figured it out. There will be similar elements from Bucks Buzz, but in reality, it will be its own post on Wednesday (Or Thursday). I do not really have a time for when it will be up but there will be all sorts of random shit I happen to come across on the Internet plus some thoughts about the week that was.

Players of the Week 
James Harden - We had Houston take the Team of the Week before the All-Star game, but Harden is right now playing like a top five player in the NBA. Sure, he cannot play defense, but it is the perfect recipe for him as he can let guys go in the lane and see Dwight Howard whom has reverted back to 'Good Dwight.' Harden been impressive in the last couple games including his 43 point performance last night where 40 of his points came before the five minute mark in the third quarter. Since the All-Star Break, Harden is averaging 33.5 points per game and shooting 50.6 from the field. If Houston finds themselves to be the one seed in the Western Conference, Harden deserves some consideration for MVP. I do not think he deserves it, but man, he had quite the year with the Rockets. This is a dangerous team.

Carmelo Anthony - If you listen to The Solid Verbal, they had a thing going with Nick Foles when he played in college called 'Nick Foles in a losing effort.' I think it is time we need to create 'Carmelo Anthony in a losing effort.' The Knicks are putrid, but Melo is anything, but. In the last four games, Carmelo is averaging 41.5 points a game. FORTY POINTS A GAME. The man is out of his mind right now and also 53.1 percent from the field. In two of those games, Carmelo made six or more threes as well along with grabbing multiple rebounds. People are forgetting how good Melo has been this season because the Knicks are so goddamn bad. If New York was a three seed and Carmelo put up these numbers, I think there is a discussion for MVP.

This week in Kevin Durant
Not really much to report about KD as he only played two games since the All-Star Break and Oklahoma City lost both games. Durant had gaudy numbers against Los Angeles Clippers in a shootout going for 42 points and 10 assists, but that's about it. KD's assist numbers are definitely something to keep an eye on.

'I am not mad, I am disappointed' Player of the Week
Raymond Felton - New York is a complete mess as noted in the Melo graph, but Ray Felton made it worse with getting arrested for waving his gun around at his probable ex-wife. I guess despite New York City's tough gun laws, Felton will not be seriously charged like Plaxico Burress or Lil Wayne, but still this is yet another stain for New York. To make matters worse, Felton will start tonight for New York. I do not really think I am putting Felton in the lineup after catching a gun charge, might want to wait a couple days, see how things play out.

Team of the Week
Charlotte Bobcats - HERE COMES THE CATS. Charlotte has won five of their last six games and found themselves in the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference with four games under .500. They are only a half game out of the sixth seed. Bobcats beat Memphis in an impressive victory last night being led by Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has become one of the better defenders in the league, and this team could at least frustrate a team in the first round. Although poor Charlotte as their next four games is a three-game road trip against San Antonio, Oklahoma City and Miami with coming home to face Indiana.

Team of the Weak
Atlanta Hawks - I do not think people are realizing how bad Atlanta has been for the month of February. They began the month with a win and a 25-21 record. Since then, they have won a single game and now four games under .500 being the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference right now. They are giving a ton of points right now. In five of their losses, Atlanta gave up 105 points or more which is not good whatsoever. In Atlanta's defense, they have played Indiana twice, Chicago twice and Toronto once which they lost all those games. It could be Atlanta just is not very good.

Sportandfashion-news Medical Injury Report  
Iman Shumpert - There was some talk that Shump would have been on the move to Oklahoma City but New York did not want to give him up for a first-round pick which is bizarre, but okay. Shumpert turned around and hurt his knee putting him out until early March. Somehow the Knicks found a way to dominate a Roundball Wrap-up with being 10 games under .500. I am sorry folks, not a ton of injuries, Felton being a dumbass and Melo playing well. I do not make the rules here.

NBA's week in Images, GIFS, Instagram, Vine, Links, anything else. 

Honestly, I do not like to encourage Heat fans, but I found this kid hilarious.



Thomas Robinson had the block of the year.



Brad Stevens get the most calm ejection of all-time. Honestly, I have no idea what he did wrong there.



DIRKUS CIRCUS STRIKES AGAIN.  

RT @HoustonRockets: @JHarden13 addresses media wearing the latest in a recent series of amazing shirts. #FlowerPower pic.twitter.com/BnAQJTTYdG
— Chris Herring (@HerringWSJ) February 24, 2014

It appears James Harden has stole my Grandma's couch.

Charlie. 

Bucks Buzz: Monday January 27th

Even though it has been a bad year for Milwaukee thus far, Mitch Pratt and Charlie Tritschler will provide you with a bi-weekly update on the Bucks ranging from recaps, links and other neat stuff.  

Hot Recap Takes
Friday: Cavaliers 93 Bucks 78 - The hope was going into this one Milwaukee could win a second straight game for the first time all season.  That dream died in the second and third quarter when the Bucks put up a collective 32 points in both quarters while Cleveland pulled away from them. Five different Cavs players were in double figures including double-doubles by Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson. All five Cleveland starters were in positive double-digit PER numbers as well.  As for Milwaukee, they hurt themselves with getting outrebounded 52-34 and allowing Cleveland to get a stunning 21 offensive rebounds.  Probably the only encouraging thing was how well Giannis Anetokounmpo played filling up the stat sheet before re-injuring his back in the final quarter.

Saturday: Hawks 112 Bucks 87 - Even though Milwaukee fell the night before, it appeared they may be catching Atlanta at a good time with the Hawks not having Jeff Teague who sprained his ankle on Friday night against San Antonio. That did not happen as Milwaukee delivered one of its worst performances of the season. Bucks looked completely out of it and without a care in the world. Milwaukee had 19 turnovers and missed seven free-throws in the game as well as having a piss-poor effort on the defensive end.  Six Hawks were in double-digits including a big night from Paul Millsap as he had 20 points and eight rebounds. Lou Williams delivered a big game off the bench with 18 points and five assists. This is now three Saturday night games where I can remember the Bucks getting completely outclassed at home with Minnesota and Charlotte also coming to mind. Want to drive away fans? This is exactly how to do it by laying complete eggs on Saturday night.

Officially I feel bad for Larry Drew
I truly believe Larry Drew is the right coach for Milwaukee and anyone questioning that should have a long chat with themselves. Success does not come overnight, but this is a terrible way to start your coaching tenure with a team. It does not help things when your team does not get up to play against your old squad for the first time all season. LD is taking some massive lumps this year as a coach, and I really do not think he deserves any sort of vitriol.

Links
I am going to link this article, but at the same time, I have an issue with it. Bob McGinn is one of the best because Green Bay is one of the best teams to work/write for while the Bucks... is not at this point. But to criticize Charles F. Gardner's technique and rewriting his questions feels awkward to me as someone who has done interviews with higher ups (More so in Education, but still). Here's the thing I feel like this article lacks... 1.) You don't know how many questions Gardner got ask of John Hammond. 2.) Hammond could have controlled the interview saying 'I will not talk about x, y and z.'  For whatever it's worth, Ted Thompson rarely talks to McGinn nor anyone else in the Green Bay media so there should be a little more gratefulness towards the fact Gardner even landed an interview with Hammond. (Save Our Bucks) 

What to watch
Bucks play four games in six days. I am curious as to the stamina of the team. Larry Sanders is coming back from being sick. Giannis has a bad back. Drew will definitely has his hands full this week.

Upcoming schedule
They bring Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns to Bradley Center this week. Hopefully, the cold outside will translate to two of the better Western Conference teams going cold from the field. Also let's not have this happen to Brandon Knight again... Thanks.

Sportandfashion-news NBA Future Power Rankings: 14.) - 10.)

by Adam Hatlak, edited by Charlie Tritschler.  

Late December/early January is generally when the NBA starts to heat up. For this NBA season, this is especially true. With all of the injuries to major stars and one of the most anticipated draft classes in recent memory coming up, the landscape of the NBA is in store for a major shakeup. Due to all the changes, now is a good time to look at what the NBA will look like for the next 3-5 years. These Power Rankings were made from a fan’s perspective including many different variables: probability of future success, likeability of organization, trust in front office, and ability to acquire/retain quality players. All of the criteria are applied for the next 3-5 years, as anything further into the future is increasingly more difficult to predict.

Teams ranked from 30.) - 25.) 
Teams ranked from 24) - 20.)
Teams ranked from 19.) -15.) 

14.) New Orleans Pelicans
Key Assets: Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans, Eric Gordon.

Reason for Hope: This team is going to go as far as Davis can take them. The second-year player was able to get off to a hot start this season, and it seems like he has MVP potential. If this is the case, Pelicans will be a force to be reckoned with, as they have what could be an above average wing rotation to be Davis’ sidekick. Gordon, Holiday and Evans can all potentially be solid rotation contributors in the right situation, but also could be shopped to another team desperate for a young wing, a resolution that might benefit the Pelicans more than having all of them on the court. Ryan Anderson served as a solid fit for the Pelicans system as well adding spacing to the team that will allow Davis to work inside.

Reason for Concern: The biggest issue around this team’s future is that they will likely be in the lottery this season, but do not own their own pick, as it was traded to Philadelphia 76ers in the Holiday deal. That pick could have been used to acquire one last young asset to help build around Davis, losing it hurts. Although they have a solid, young, wing rotation, there are too many question marks surrounding the players to truly see them developing into a dominant franchise with these players. Evans comes with a large price tag, and is likely best served as a sixth man, plus has not been associated with a winning franchise. Gordon likely has the highest ceiling of the three, but since his breakout, has been unable to stay healthy, or live up to his contract. Losing a high draft pick on Austin Rivers also affects the ceiling of this franchise.

Key Decision Looming: How does the Gordon experiment end? Although he was the centerpiece of the Chris Paul trade, the acquisitions of Holiday and Evans made it seem like Gordon became expendable in the long-term Pelicans’ plans. The issue with that is that Gordon does not have a lot of trade value; so ideally, the Pelicans would like him to get healthy to be the number two option behind Davis. If he can do that, this team can contend. The likely conclusion is Gordon is moved when he is close to an expiring contract, whether he brings back a valuable player or not will be the question.

13.) Chicago Bulls
Key Assets: Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson, Tom Thibodeau.

Reason for Hope: The road map to success for this team is very easy to see; Rose gets healthy and returns to form next year, Boozer comes back, Noah works out his minor injury issues, Butler develops to fully takeover Luol Deng’s role and Thibodeau has this team playing its usual style of defense. Now that Rose is hurt, Bulls can move on from some of their older assets and hopefully add to the future. Boozer can either be amnestied, or moved for a minor piece for the future, as Deng has already been moved for Andrew Bynum’s expiring deal and heavily protected draft picks. Both were always likely to move on from the Bulls in the near future, but losing a season of Rose facilitates these types of moves.

Reason for Concern: This team has probably dropped the furthest over the course of this season. Rose’s second injury officially casts doubt on him as a long-term MVP candidate. He may be able to return to 100% of the player he was, but he also may be riddled with injuries for the rest of his career. Rose’s injuries also wasted some high-priced years of Deng and Boozer, as neither is capable of being a number one option, but both are exceptional role players. Butler and Gibson will be able to replace Deng and Boozer, but their promotions will weaken the depth of the team. Noah battled injuries of his own, and may not be able to put together a dominant season at the same time as Rose again. Bulls’ ownership has shown an unwillingness to spend unnecessary money despite being in a huge market. The biggest issue may lie within a potential rift between Thibodeau and management. If he leaves, the team’s defense will suffer and potentially fall to a league average level, something their average offense will not be able to compensate for whatsoever.

Key Decision Looming: Do they amnesty Boozer? Since the amnesty clause has been an option, there have been rumors that the Bulls will use it on Boozer. Chicago is notorious for wanting to avoid the luxury tax, and Boozer does not deliver the type of value in Chicago that his contract suggests. The Deng trade makes it seem like Boozer is destined to be amnestied, but there is still a slight chance he gets traded instead, either way, don’t expect to see Boozer in Chicago at the end of the season.

12.) Dallas Mavericks
Key Assets: Dirk Nowitzki, Monta Ellis, Mark Cuban, Rick Carlisle.

Reason for Hope: Carlisle is easily one of the best coaches in the NBA, although he does not get the credit he deserves among the casual fans. He’s been able to make Ellis an efficient player this year in Dallas and has also kept aging veterans Shawn Marion and Vince Carter as effective role players. Nowitzki is an example of what every General Manager hopes for in an aging superstar; someone who wants to stay with the organization, continue trying to win a championship, but take a reduced salary in order to bring in additional talent around them. If Dallas can bring in more studs, Nowitzki’s team first attitude will pay off. Although Cuban was a pain during his first few seasons as the Mavericks’ owner, he’s transformed into a very solid owner with him hoping to spend his money wisely to get the best product on the floor. This desire to get top level talent has not been the most successful lately, but will potentially pay off in the near future as expiring contracts come off the books.

Reason for Concern: Nowitzki is unfortunately on the downside of a prolific career. He will not be able to carry the team anymore like he used to, and it does not appear Dallas has anyone in place to take over for him. Surprisingly enough, they have struck out on numerous free agents the past few seasons, despite having the cap room to sign someone. Along with Nowitzki, much of this team is aging as Carter, Marion and Jose Calderon all get tons of minutes. The biggest problem with the age on this team comes from having no star in waiting to take control of this team. Ellis has been playing well, but should not be the number one option on Dallas or any team in the league.

Key Decision Looming: Who is the next face of the franchise? Of all the aging stars, Nowitzki seems most willing to pass the torch to another player, but he also seems to have the least deserving candidates for that throne. Dallas is a team gets pegged as a good free agency destination, but they have not found another superstar to confirm that assumption. It seems like Nowizki will take a smaller deal, and hope to find one more star in the way of free agency, or a trade. If Nowitzki cannot pass the torch to someone before he retires, Dallas could be for a tough stretch.

11.) Atlanta Hawks
Key Assets: Al Horford, Jeff Teague, Paul Millsap, Louis Williams, Danny Ferry.

Reason for Hope: The Hawks seem to be one of the more stable franchises in the league. Despite not really lowering their status in the Eastern Conference, Hawks have retooled what they look like on the court. Any team that can get assets for Joe Johnson’s contract and be confident enough to let Josh Smith walk in free agency, but yet stay in the same spot in the standings deserves an optimistic future. The team has a lot of players that would be quality starters on a good team. Hopefully they can add one more star, and with the ability to swap picks with Brooklyn Nets, they may be able to do so in the upcoming draft.

Reason for Concern: This team is a model of consistency even if the consistency might prove incredibly frustrating for their fan base. Every season, it feels like the Hawks will finish somewhere between the three and six seeds in the East, and either lose in the first or second round, depending on their opponent. This can be great in years where it feels like the Hawks will have a down year, but when the team seems to be at its peak, it just cannot break the ceiling. Horford would likely need to be a second or third option on a dominant team, but his current injury, and injury history makes it tough to trust him as a number one option. The Hawks seem to have missed their best chance to bring in a star free agent after missing out on Chris Paul and Dwight Howard this past offseason.

Key Decision Looming: Who do they draft in the 2014 NBA Draft? This team is the biggest wildcard in this year’s draft due to their ability to switch picks with the Nets. They could potentially have a very high pick and have the most flexible roster. They do not have any holes they absolutely must fill, and have no players that would block any young guys from developing. If they are able to land one of the best players in the draft, this team could become a threat quickly.

10. Phoenix Suns
Key Assets: Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic, Marcus Morris, Markieff Morris, two first round picks in 2014 and 2015.

Reason for Hope: This team is far ahead of where everyone expected them to be in the rebuilding process, something that is always beneficial to an organization. Bledsoe seems to be the real deal and is a definite building block moving forward. Many of their young players have stepped up this year, and shown they can hang around as role players once the team improves. Acquiring one or two star players will allow everyone else on this team to take on a reduced role, ideally increasing everyone’s efficiency. Dragic is a surprisingly decent backcourt mate for Bledsoe, and will be an attractive trade chip in the next year and a half for teams that might want a relatively inexpensive point guard.

Reason for Concern: Despite the Suns’ surprising start this season, the reason for their high potential lies within what they are able to do with young players and future draft picks, two things that are at times difficult to predict. Bledsoe has been great, but will be a restricted free agent in the coming offseason, which will remove the benefit of having a young player on a cheap contract. There are some legitimate questions if Bledsoe will be able to live up to contract he is sure to get, but Suns have little choice but to pay Bledsoe. Phoenix will have to surround Bledsoe and Dragic with quality young players with numerous draft picks in the next few years, something the organization has struggled with in recent years.

Key Decision Looming: Does Dragic fit in long term? The Suns are on record saying that they want to resign Bledsoe long term regardless of the cost. When Bledsoe was acquired, there were concerns if he and Dragic would play well together. So far this season, they have fit decently in the backcourt, but perhaps they are slightly redundant long-term. If there is a playoff contender who is looking for a veteran point guard to lead their team, or fill in for an injured player, the Suns should think about moving him. If not, he will provide good value to their team.

NBA Roundball Wrap-Up: December 18th

Your favorite inconsistent NBA post is back from last year!  I never really had a full grasp on how to do this blog, but I think I have figured it out. There will be similar elements from Bucks Buzz, but in reality, it will be its own post on Wednesday (Or Thursday). I do not really have a time for when it will be up but there will be all sorts of random shit I happen to come across on the Internet plus some thoughts about the week that was.

Players of the Week 
Kevin Love -  I am fairly confident this is the second POW award for Love this season on the Roundball wrap-up. He had some big games last weekend and this week deserving the honor as he is averaging 30.3 points per game and 13.6 rebounds per game plus making 47 percent of the 3-point shots. Love is on straight fire. He had a great game in a losing effort against San Antonio where he had 42 points, 14 rebounds and made seven threes. For the month of December in the games he played in, only once has Love pulled in less than 10 rebounds per game, and that number was nine. He is a deserving All-Star without question and probably should be starting for the Western Conference this year if he stays healthy. What's awesome is he's been at full strength almost the whole year which is different than years past.

Damien Lillard - What a week for this guy? He had not one but two buzzer-beaters on the road as Portland is out east for a four-game road trip where they could sweep it if they beat Minnesota tonight. Lillard beat both Detroit and Cleveland. In last night's game, Lillard had 36 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds which was the pinnacle of his games this week and honestly, he did not have the best week yet still gets the honors for his buzzer-beaters. Lillard is showing no signs whatsoever of a sophomore slump. None. Zero Zlitch. He is here to stay for a long time. On to the buzzer-beaters....

'I am not mad, I am disappointed' Player of the Week
Dion Waiters - For the second time, Dion Waters had to deny trade rumors. Dude, just say you want to be dealt and be done with it. They should just give Waiters to Houston for Omer Asik and call it a day. I mean there would be other people who need to be involved yet Waiters coming off the bench for Houston would be awesome. Or deal him to Chicago for Luol Deng. I find it hard to believe Waiters and Kyrie Irving have these many issues so early is shocking. Back to Houston for a second, Waiters was a great 6th man for Syracuse in college. I do not know if he will figure out off the bench, but it could be an encouraging thing.

Team of the Week
Phoenix Suns -  I never saw this coming at all. Phoenix is 14-9 with a five-game winning streak currently including a win against Golden State on Sunday. They play San Antonio tonight meaning the streak could come to an end tonight, but without Tony Parker, their guards will be able to do some things. Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic's chemistry is much better than anyone expected. People thought Dragic was gone by the end of the year, and now, it looks like this team could contend for a low playoff spot. Another big thing for Phoenix is how they have six double-digit scorers on their team right now. Jeff Hornacek is doing some big things for them.  

Team of the Weak
Philadelphia 76ers - AND WE ARE COMING TO YOUR TANKING!! Philadelphia finally has come down to earth in the last week as they have lost their last seven and also 11 of their last 12 games. Michael Carter-Williams is banged up right now meaning this team is completely awful. Sixers are slowly but surely joining Orlando and Milwaukee for the tank. We all expected it but their bad play took awhile to get here.

Sportandfashion-news Medical Injury Report  
Amar'e Stoudemire - Now there is discussion on Amar'e's knee and the health of it. New York says he is going to be out until the end of December but Amar'e says he is fine and everything is all good to go. Actually Stoudemire was looking better than expected in the last couple of days. Given what we have heard from the New York media is it seems like it has been an overreaction by the coaches meaning STAT could be back on Saturday. Gotta love New York.

This Week in GIFs, Vines, Tweets, Instagrams, Videos, Links, Pictures and anything else 
Roy Hibbert put icy hot on his balls which is an unfortunate thing to do.

I looked angry during the game its cause I used flexall/Bengay on my knees under my black tights. Somehow it got on my balls. Burned so bad
— Roy Hibbert (@Hoya2aPacer) December 14, 2013

Nikola Pekovic tried to run a fast break and it went about how well as it did when I played point guard in garbage time. (H/T @cjzero) 

After Tony Romo choked again on Sunday, Atlanta Hawks had a great troll tweet

If Tony Romo needs advice in late-game situations, we know a guy he can call... pic.twitter.com/VrfP2NovAm
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) December 16, 2013

Charlie.

Hawknado! Destined to Win Oscars

I have to give Atlanta Hawks' marketing and social media department. They do a great job even if the content is the most bizarre stuff. Atlanta did a 'Blurred Lines' video earlier this year to ensure fans stayed safe at the Phillips Center. It went rather viral with people wondering what the hell just happened after watching it. This is not bizarre, but I love them going after ESPN's Darren Rovell after he attempted to shit on Kyle Korver breaking the record for most consecutive 3-pointers. They have done it again with Hawknado. It is truly bad, but that is their intent with this one.  It involves the Hawks cheerleading squad, Korver and a lot of evil Hawks. The final part is what I do not understand Miss Lippy. Why are Hawks bad? Shouldn't they be good?  We all know birds are completely terrifying so I am not going to even discuss a bird outbreak. (H/T SB Nation)