Roundball Wrap-Up: Thursday March 13th

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 
Al Jefferson - It is really nice to see Jefferson is getting credit for the season he has having this season for Charlotte. Remember when he took this contract, people expected him to just cash a check on a biweekly basis and move on. That did not happen. Jefferson had another big week for Charlotte as the Bobcats have won four of their last five games. In the last five games, Big Al is averaging five points above his average with 26 points a game. He also pulled down two double-doubles this week maintaining with his average of 10 per game. Jefferson is probably a second or third team All-Pro this season. Maybe second is a little rash, but third seems like a given.


Blake Griffin - Pretty good week for Blake. He pissed a couple people off with P.J. Tucker throwing a chicken wing at him on Monday night and Jermaine O'Neal wanting to fight him after the game. Griffin had some gaudy stat lines in the past week. He dropped 37 points against Phoenix, and then he scored 30 last night against Golden State with 15 rebounds. Are people ready to give Blake's credit? He is a top ten player in the NBA. No question about it and he may be pushing towards the top five. Doc Rivers did wonders with Griffin along with him maturing into a better player.

This week in Kevin Durant and LeBron James 
Despite two losses, KD had another big week with a 42 point performance against Houston where they needed a victory and got one. Durant also had a triple-double against Los Angeles with 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. For LeBron, Miami lost four of their last five with not many great games from LBJ in the process and the best one came in the only win against Washington with James having 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

'I am not mad, I am disappointed' Rapper of the Week 
Lil' B - I have no idea what Kevin Durant to get himself into a diss song, but it happened as Lil B created     '---- KD' and actually it is extremely catchy as they use "Brown Paper Bag"'s beat and hook. But why do you want these problems Lil B? I hope Durant gets him at Rucker Park or Drew League and just torches him.

Team of the Week
Los Angeles Clippers - This team is truly rounding into form with a month left in the season. They are only two games back in third place in the Western Conference chasing the Thunder and Spurs but they are red hot right now winning nine of their last 10 games. In this winning streak, Los Angeles dumped Phoenix twice, Golden State, Oklahoma City and Houston. That's a pretty impressive list for a nine-game winning streak. Western Conference has four or five teams I think can truly find themselves in the NBA Finals.

Team of the Weak
Miami and Indiana - Both are still on top of Eastern Conference mountain, but what I found interesting is how both teams have lost four of their last fives. If Miami were to get hot during that point, they are back on the one seed and if Indiana had been winning games, this team is farther away from Miami than just a two game lead. They will be obviously find, but the question is will they both get hot after this or will one flounder?

Sportandfashion-news Medical Injury Report  
Anthony Bennett - He has been a little better in the last couple months, but he is now bothered by a knee injury that could put him out until April. Once again, this is another bad mark on Bennett's rookie season. If he is truly hurt and Cleveland is not set up to make a push to the playoffs, just shut down Bennett for the season.

NBA's week in Images, GIFS, Instagram, Vine, Links, anything else.
Joakim Noah as a high school girl is excellent



James Harden is a cowboy.

oh wow. RT @jennydialcreech James Harden showed up in a hat and boots after his trip to rodeo yesterday. pic.twitter.com/n4zLJ4F51z
— Holly MacKenzie (@stackmack) March 8, 2014

In other Noah news, Yannick Noah waving a finger in Chicago's win was fantastic.

Blake Griffin being a complete boss with post moves, not dunks.

Chipotle should be 24 hours
— Maurice Harkless (@moe_harkless) March 11, 2014

Truuuuu Moe Harkless.

Charlie.

The Last Leg: Eastern Conference

Before the arrival of the always phenomenal NCAA Tournament, and everyone goes to sleep on the NBA for a month, I wanted to alert everyone that we did it; we have reached the fourth quarter of the NBA season. It’s been long, treacherous, and hilarious as always, but now the final chapter is taking shape. And we are all ready for the stretch run.

We need the stretch run.

Mental or physical despair has touched nearly every NBA team, and in some cases (Think New York Knicks), it has proven to be both mentally and physically despairing. Whatever the problem, it is good knowing the end is near. The playoffs are looming and due to the fourth quarter being upon us, and I want to stick with the “quarters” theme[1], I’m going to share four different things trending in my NBA head.

(Of course because there is soooo much going on in my head, I’m narrowing this post down to just Eastern Conference things, and hopefully, probably, maybe, I will do a Western Conference one tomorrow.)

Without further adieu I give you my “4 Things About the  Eastern Conference” or something…

1.THE DC BOOGIE DOWN
I’m so proud of the Washington Wizards. While I am a Bucks fan regionally, a large scale LeBron backer and mainly just an all-around basketball fan, I did peg the Wizards as a team that I could potentially fall in love with three years ago, and what they have going right now is pretty fun.

Last year, when sharpshooter Bradley Beal was healthy, they were a budding NBA offense. The problem happened to be Beal made the injury report often, and by seasons end, they ranked near the bottom in a number of offensive statistical categories:

•  Field Goal percentage: 27th (43% as a team)
•  Team Assists: 19th 
•  Turnovers: 25th
•  Points Per Game: 28th (93.2 ppg)

Wizards' fans were forced to watch sloppy basketball translating into a lot of “L’s” a season ago. The massive turnover numbers also forced down the number of shots they were able to take, and make (ranking 28th in shots made). This year however, has been a difference dance.

And Nae-Naein’ at the forefront is John Wall.

Wall, feeling slighted for a laundry list of reasons[2], has been a monster this season leading the Wizards to a record of 31-28 (the Wiz haven’t finished above .500 since 2007-2008). Beal, stayed healthy. With that combo, they have much different offensive rankings:

• Field Goals Taken: 9th
• Field Goals Made: 9th
• Field Goal Percentage: 13th (45%)
• Assists: 7th
• Turnovers: 14th
• Points Per Game: 16th (100.3 points per game)

As you can see, they have drastically improved. And it is all about Wall and Beal.

Wall: 20.0ppg 4.2rpg 8.7apg 43% FG 33% 3FG 2.0 spg
Beal: 16.7ppg 3.8rpg 3.5apg 41% FG 41% 3FG

Wall and Beal, both understand their roles, take over when necessary and it seamlessly resulted in offensive continuity. The two have benefited off each other, as well as, the steady shooting of Trevor Ariza and Martell Webster and the low post presence of Nene and Marcin Gortat. They have been sound on all parts of the floor.

There are loose ends however as a team three games over .500 are not perfect. For example, they don’t shoot free throws well ranking 26th in the league. Another major concern that I had a few months ago, as this team started to show its true colors, would they succumb to pressures in the playoffs? When you think of the Wizards, because they haven’t been that good in awhile, and the stars on this team are young up-and-comers (SEE: Wall and Beal), and not proven cornerstones, it is easy to write this team off as inexperienced. But that is far from the truth. When you look at the players, they will be relying on in the playoffs, many of their guys have major postseason chops. Marcin Gortat played major minutes in the Finals behind Dwight Howard in 2009. Nene was apart of the fun Lakers vs. Nuggets Western Conference Finals, Trevor Ariza played a key bench role on the Lakers team that beat both of Nene and Gortat’s teams and PHD. Andre Miller has obviously been around the block more times than Christy Mack.

They also have Kevin Seraphin, a young and learning power forward who will not help this team at all basketball wise, but did recently follow me on Twitter. And you can bet your ass I was pumped when he followed me. I bragged to follow Sportandfashion-news writer Murph, and he told me, “Welcome to the big leagues”.
Unfortunately, Seraphin unfollowed me a couple days later, and I have been regulated back down to the minors. I still love Twitter.

Back to the Wizards Basketball team though, and even though I have a tendency to be biased, and I might be slightly over valuing them, this is a squad to take note of in the coming months. There is a lot to be excited about, and I got a lot of faith in these guys.

And I will have even more if Seraphin re-follows me.

2. Toronto Drakes: Playoff Bound.
Two claps for Drake. Two claps for Rob Ford doing coke. Two claps for pussy eating. Two claps for eating pussy while coked out listening to Drake[3].

Now, that we got that out of the way, this is another team that has really turned things around. And most of it has to do with getting rid of Rudy Gay. It has been really funny the way this has transpired, but whenever Gay leaves town, the team he left gets a little better. In Toronto’s case, Gay’s departure improved the team's defensive efforts and helped open the door for Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan to take over the offense. 

Toronto's guard tandem has been marvelous. Lowry, whom has averaged nearly 17 points a game and a little over seven and a half assists a game to go with a team high PER of 19.9, has been Toronto’s most reliable player. He shot well from downtown at a 37 percent clip and been the leader Toronto needed him to be at the point guard position. Meanwhile, DeRozan took Gay’s departure as means to take more shots and he delivered in a major way. For the season, he averaged 22.7 points per game, and thrived at getting to the free throw line. He takes seven and a half per game and makes a little over six. He has made the fifth most free throws in the league.

A lot of credit for the turn around needs to go to Dwane Casey and his ability to get his squad to “D Up”. The Raptors currently rank fifth in team defense yielding 97.1 ppg, and are seventh in Defensive Rating (104.1). They protect the hoop with a variety of frontcourt combinations that include, Amir Johnson, Jonas Valanciunas, Patrick Patterson and of course, the ultimate pot-stirrer, Tyler Hansbrough.

(Before I say anything more, I have to admit that I think the NBA playoffs are always a better place with Tyler Hansbrough in them. I don’t like him at all, but that is also exactly why I want him in there. I’m not alone in not liking him, and it even seems like players within the league don’t like him, and because bad blood = fun series, Hansbrough should be a must have in the playoffs every year, anyway…)

Raptors have a roster that features three gunners (Lowry, DeRozan, and combination of Terrance Ross and John Salmons) surrounded by a bunch of hard working defend and rebound guys. And they have been successful in this personnel strategy. They rank near the top in defense and free throw shooting. In high school and college basketball you win with defense and free throw shooting. We are not talking high school or college though, and in the NBA, there is no way around playoff growing pains. No matter what however, it is fun the Raptors are here. 

I can already smell a budding Raptors vs. Wizards rivalry for years to come.

3. Shame on you Philadelphia.
As an NBA advocate, one thing I have learned casual fans hate a lot is tanking. The NBA tried to move away from it, but with the way the lottery system is set up, combined with the trifles of being a small market team, it seems sometimes tanking is the only way to get to the top. However, what Philadelphia has chosen to do is flat out despicable. Milwaukee Bucks blew these slum dogs out the other night.

Let me say that again, the Bucks blew these guys out.

After dumping Spencer Hawes and Evan Turner, an already bad Sixers team became unwatchable, and unfortunately the NBA is forced to stand behind them with a blind eye. Philly has lost their last 14 games, and they are 0-5 since the trade deadline with an average margin of loss of 20.1 points.

Their “team” includes the following: Thaddeus Young, Michael Carter-Williams, Hollis Thompson, Lorenzo Brown, Tony Wroten, Henry Sims, Arnett Moultire, Jarvis Varnardo, Eric Maynor, James Anderson, and Bryon 'Don't call me BJ' Mullens.

I mean, gag me. Exorcism puke all over the floor, walls, ceiling, vents and anywhere else in the Wells Fargo Arena.

Aside from MCW and Thad Young, I would not expect any of these guys to be on the team come start of next season, and to expect to get fans to come out and support a group mailing it in and not caring is flat out absurd. It is offensive, and I hope the league figures out a way to stop this type of stuff from happening. But the sad reality is that will be hard to change. So I’m sorry to anyone that enjoys watching Sixer games because nothing is changing, and you have a full month and half of crapsketball.

4. Miami vs. Indiana.
The Money Makers. The heavyweights. The title fight. This is the series we all want to see come playoff time. All season the two have battled for the top spot in the East, and it has been a great fight. It is pretty obvious that I am a LeBron fan, and I will admit, Pacers are a real threat to his throne, but I also think that the throne is safer then what people are saying. And it is because a couple of factors.

The first is that I think Indiana fudged up and made two too many moves in the last few months. The first move was signing Andrew Bynum. I don’t know what good bringing him in did for Indiana. While, it never hurts to have depth, this is also a guy who does not seem to care at all, was disruptive in practice in Cleveland, and just seems to be more of a headache than a pain reliever.

Aside from the addition of Bynum, I thought the trading of Danny Granger (not the addition of Evan Turner) is a problem. While Evan Turner is a far superior player at this point in his career, I think ripping Granger from the locker room was a bad move.Four years ago, when the Pacers were a struggling team, Granger sold the tickets and started the turn around in Indiana. As Paul George skyrocketed to stardom and Granger’s knee’s failed him, he became a mentor and brought a positive attitude for Indiana’s locker room, and an integral piece to their puzzle.

When they traded him, the team seemed upset. And while the addition of Turner should help them on paper, I’m not positive his game will gel so seamlessly with the rest of the Pacers. Turner, has a high usage rate (24.1 percent) when on the floor, and does not shoot at a great percentage (40% FG, 20% 3FG). I think he might be more of a kink in the offense than an asset.

(It should also be noted that Miami has been rumored to have turned down a trade offer that involved Evan Turner for Udonis Haslem because they wanted to stay loyal to Haslem, a story that seems completely and utterly orchestrated by the media and Heat fans.)

The second reason that I feel Miami is still strongly asserted in the drivers seat, has to do with the following:

Player A: 28.0 ppg 8.5 rpg 3.0 apg  45% FG 42% 3FG PER: 24.1

Player B: 22.9 ppg 4.5 rpg 3.9 apg  43% FG 33% 3FG PER: 18.9

Player C: 22.6 ppg 6.4 rpg 3.5 apg  43% FG 36% 3FG PER: 21.1

Carmelo Anthony, DeMar DeRozan and Paul George own those three stat lines. Melo is player A, and far and away the best in this grouping, while DeRozan (B) and George (C) and actually quite similar to each other, although no one is screaming that DeRozan is as good as George. And while I do think George is an excellent player, I think the media blew him up to something that he is not. Or something he is not yet.

We do know George is an excellent two-way player, but he is by no means the best one. He totally benefited from having Roy Hibbert and David West behind him. The tandem gave him the freedom to gamble for steals and blocks, knowing that he will not get burned to the bucket. This is not saying George is not a top tier basketball player, but I think all the wins the Pacers compiled as a team, jaded our views of George as an individual player. He is a good offensive player, and plays with a tough as nails defense on a very good basketball team, that made it past the second round of the playoffs once. George is a ball player, but he is not anywhere close to being the player that he will become in the coming years.

And then of course, if any of that does not convince you the throne is safe, you can consider LeBron James scored 61 points last night and reminded everyone himself that the league is in fact his little brother, and he is in fact the King.

Happy March Folks,

~Andrew

---

[1]Turns out I just love quarters. Old quarters, new quarters, the game of quarters, quarters found under the couch, quarter bags of kush, quarter-pounders with cheese after quarter bags of kush etc…

[2]Did not win rookie of the year, did not get invited to the Olympic tryouts, Kyrie Irving (who has won like 34 games in the NBA) was voted a starter over him in the All-Star game, and probably other things.

[3]For the record my Mom just got real upset with me for that joke, but I’m not posting my weed piece about her so it’s a fair trade for now. 

Bucks Buzz: Monday March 3rd

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

Thursday: Pacers 101 Bucks 96 -  Remember how in the last game between these two teams I said it was encouraging how Roy Hibbert did not go off for a bevy points? Yeaaah that did not happen with this one as Hibbert had 24 points, 12 rebounds and a couple blocks being the difference for Indiana in this one. Paul George had another good night at the office with 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists with a +17 PER. But what was encouraging is the Bucks fought again in this one playing competitive once again. Brandon Knight had a nice night at the office with 23 points on 10/20 shooting with five assists. Khris Middleton was also strong in this game with 22 points on 9/15 shooting. One of the first real ugly nights from Zaza Pachuila as he got dominated by Hibbert defensively as well missed seven shots. You don't want that from Mr. Zaza.

Saturday: Nets 107 Bucks 98 - Another competitive loss for Milwaukee where they got beat by Brooklyn's bench more so than anything else. Marcus Thornton is a Bucks killer. I swear he always go off when playing the Bucks. Thornton had 25 points making four threes on only 13 shots. The inexcusable stat line of the night is Andray Blatche having a 19 points and 13 rebounds off the bench. I mean I know Dre been good for Brooklyn but I would never expect that from him. Ramon Sessions continues his good start in his Milwaukee revival as he had 16 points with most of them coming from the free throw line. Giannis Antetokounmpo had a nice night with 12 points, three rebounds, assists and steals. Gianni just knows how to fill up the box score. Jeff Adrien deserves some dap for pulling down 10 rebounds, but honestly, someone needs to stop the interior scoring, please someone.

Why exactly did Colin Cowherd delete his Bucks tweet?   
This is not one of the more popular ESPN personalities, and he likes to do things to piss people off. He had this tweet about the Bucks.. "Ever watched a Bucks regular season game for a few minutes and wondered..am I the only person in America currently doing this?" Honestly, I find it kind of funny and in no way disrespectful. But obviously some people were mad, and then Colin deleted the tweet. Then he went full heel towards Bucks fans and sent out this one with a classic Bucks reply.

@ESPN_Colin yeah, that accidental delete button gets us every time.
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) March 3, 2014

Look to be mad about Cowherd's tweet is stupid. We know there are Bucks fans, and there is a loyal base just not a casual base. It was a simple attempt to rile up people and so many simpletons took the bait with complete ease. National media outside of the NBA diehards do not pay attention to the Bucks. Simple as that.

Links


Another week of #ALLGIANNISEVERYTHING where he kicked a soccer ball and won a fan a scooter which is awesome. Like that the city is moving him around to different places. I have to assume he will be at at a Brewers game or two. .

This is about how Giannis will not be the only Antetokounmpo in the league as Kostos is considered to be one of the best for 2016 and Thanasis Antetokounmpo will be drafted likely nice year.

What to watch
Sessions and Adrien are playing great for Milwaukee so far. I would have expected them to mail it in and they have done the complete opposite. I look forward to seeing how they do against two weaker teams in the NBA.

Upcoming schedule
Major week for the tank as Bucks host both Utah and Sacramento this week in two very winnable games. Could this be the chance for the first winning streak of the season?

Charlie.

Bucks Buzz: Monday February 24th

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

Thursday: Nuggets 101 Bucks 90 -   Pretty much from start to finish, Milwaukee received a beatdown again from Denver. They were outscored in the first quarter and the ball kept rolling downwards from there. Kenneth Faried had his way with Milwaukee defenders going 11/15 from the field and had 26 points taking Ersan Ilyasova's lunch money for the whole game. J.J. Hickson had a double-double with 14 points and 10 assists. Randy Foye had one as well with 12 points and 10 assists. Seven of eight Denver players had a positive PER while Milwaukee had only one player reach a zero PER with John Henson, the rest were in the negatives. Giannis Antetokounmpo filled up the box score nicely with eleven points, four rebounds and assists, three blocks and two steals. A nice game from Henson as well with 12 points and seven rebounds. But overall, a pretty putrid performance from Milwaukee.

Saturday: Pacers 110 Bucks 100 - This is one of those 'atta boy' games for the Bucks. They hung with Indiana for the whole game with an admirable comeback in the end of the game. Basically, their best players beat Milwaukee with Paul George and David West both having 30 plus points with Lance Stephenson adding 24 points. Given their struggles against big men, it was interesting to see Roy Hibbert have a marginal game with only four points going 1/9 from the field. Indiana was just too good for Milwaukee on Y2K night. As for Milwaukee, a game where you get really excited about Brandon Knight. He had 30 points and eight assists with no turnovers. He played great throughout the game and make people wonder just how high his ceiling is with Milwaukee and for his career. Jeff Adrien had a strong debut pulling down eleven rebounds off the bench. Good start to what might be his short career with Milwaukee.

Three Bucks land on Bill Simmons' Worst Contracts List 
This is a yearly column from Simmons and it was not very kind to Milwaukee. O.J. Mayo and Ersan Ilyasova definitely deserves to be there. Mayo is proving to just be a guy that wanted to cash a check and thinks it is a good excuse to be fat. Ersan knows he can mail it in and the owner will not take umbrage with his game. Milwaukee will be better place when he is off the team. Larry Sanders' addition to this is a little harsh. This has just been a bad season for Larry, but he is still worth that contract. Almost every team in the NBA would want Sanders if he was healthy because he is not as much of a problem as people like Simmons and others are making him out to be. Sanders had just started to come on with his season before breaking eye bone. He will be just fine next season. Biggest encouraging thing for Sanders which Simmons missed out on, he became a veteran leader for Giannis. If you want an example on why Mayo belongs on this list, see this Vine from K.L. Chouinard.



Links
Here the stuff on Ersan I referred to the previous paragraph. If this is true, it would be yet another red mark against Herb Kohl as an owner.

If David Kahn becomes involved with the Bucks, they should end the Save Our Bucks movement and start pleading with investors to take this team to Seattle.

For the Y2K night, the Bucks found the 'Light Em Up' video. Tim Thomas lit more up than baskets if you know what I am saying. Also where is the one with Mark Pope. We need that version.

What to watch
Milwaukee plays Philadelphia on Monday night and I feel like that could be social media's finest hour. Will people watch this game just to see how bad the effort will be from both teams? Will one team actually get blown out? Will I become legitimately concerned if the Bucks win?

Upcoming schedule
As I said, they play Philadelphia on Monday and then they play Indiana again on Thursday. Thanks NBA schedulers for two Indiana games in the span of a week, appreciate it.

Charlie.

Tapping The Keg Podcast Episode 76

Mitch Pratt and Charlie Tritschler get together for yet another edition of Tapping The Keg podcast. Most of the podcast involves us talking about the trade deadline for the NBA. Even though there were not many big deals, there were enough of them to talk about for 15-20 minutes. Milwaukee Bucks made a move dealing Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour to Charlotte for expiring contracts with Ramon Sessions and Jeff Adrien. Even Turner deal to Indiana is discussed at great length as well as a couple of the minor deals. Also in this podcast, how Tinder is changing the date game, getting you ready for the Olympics and Hank the Brewers mascot dog!

Charlie.

10 Things to Watch for NBA's Final Two Months

With the NBA season turning the final corner, we need to look at some of the storylines that might be heavily involved in the final two months. There are a lot of them plus since I am sucker, I make my predictions on what might happen this season.  

Could Philadelphia out-tank Milwaukee? - Everyone will find this weird, but I keep having flashbacks of the Milwaukee Brewers closing out the season with a strong final month and ensuring they would not get a top five draft pick. I do not think it will happen with Milwaukee, but Philly is bad right now plus they will get worse when the trade deadline rolls along.  Personally, it is down to these two teams for the worst record in the league, and it is not even close.

Andrew Bynum with the Pacers - The much-maligned center will likely make his debut with the team in the coming weeks, and from all that being said by their players, Indiana does not feel it will be a problem. Given what we found out about Cleveland, Bynum got off the hook a little bit for his antics with how dysfunctional everything was there to begin with even though Bynum is not completely there. With the team and the coaches around him, I have a feeling Bynum will flourish with this squad.

Russell Westbrook with the new KD - Let's face it, Kevin Durant is a different player than he was when the season started. Durant became the definite leader of this team. With Russell Westbrook back on Thursday, are we sure he will be okay with all of this?  Remember Russ can be a type of player that tries to do too much costing his team and freezing out Durant late in the game. I feel like these two have such a good working relationship that this will not be an issue, but one little dispute and the media will be all over their asses.

Trade deadline deals - I do not believe Pau Gasol, Carmelo Anthony or Rajon Rondo will get moved this week. Those are the big three that people are going into ESPN's Trade Machine and trying to figure out how they fit on their squad.  I do think Philadelphia will deal one or two of their players whether it be Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes or others. Milwaukee should move a piece or two with all their available veterans. Brandon Bass from Boston is probably elsewhere by Thursday.

Will Giannis make a case for Rookie of the Year? - Looking at the rookie crop and there are not many great players with the ability to snag Rookie of the Year. You would probably say Victor Oladipo and Michael Carter-Williams are the favorites at this point. If Giannis Antetokounmpo comes through with a big March and April, will he garner some votes?  Probably because he would need to be special almost every time he went  on the court.

How the Eastern Conference will play out  - In a weird way, I find the Eastern Conference more fascinating than the Western Conference because truly anything can happen.  There are four possibly five teams vying for the three seed right now along with others whom are multiple games under .500 slotted into playoff spots. It is a great heaping bag of mediocrity after Indiana and Miami. Although those two teams will be battling out to see what team gets the top spot to see who will take homecourt advantage for the entire playoffs.

Kyrie Irving and Cleveland  - This does not always happen but after a guy comes up big in an All-Star, it translates into a strong stretch of games for him. Cavs need to make a push at some point. They need to get their shit together and throw their name in the hat for one of the bottom seeds in the Eastern Conference. Despite how poorly the Cavs have played this season, they are only three games back of the eighth seed. It is possible they could sneak in there. Even though, I have someone else at the eight seed, I could see Cavs getting hot for a couple weeks.

Kevin Durant and LeBron James going boxscore for boxscore - These players are in separate conferences, but at the same time, everybody is putting both of these guys on a pedestal. Durant's comments on LeBron over the weekend tells me he wants this MVP to escape from LeBron's shadow. KD is sick and tired of it and wants to make a difference. But then there are reminders like last Wednesday night where James reminds the world he is the best player in the world and will be making a run at the MVP crown. It should be great when these two square off on Thursday night.

Playoff Predictions - Eastern Conference - 1. Indiana,  2. Miami,  3. Toronto  4. Washington  5. Chicago  6. Brooklyn  7. Atlanta  8. New York

Playoff Predictions - Western Conference  - 1. Oklahoma City, 2. Houston  3. LA Clippers  4. San Antonio 5. Portland  6. Golden State  7. Dallas  8. Phoenix.

Charlie.

NBA Future Power Rankings: 4.) - 1.)

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.) 
Teams ranked from 14.) - 10.) 

Teams ranked from   9.) - 5.)  

4.) Houston Rockets
Key Assets: James Harden, Dwight Howard, Chandler Parsons, Omer Asik, Jeremy Lin, Daryl Morey.

Reason for Hope: Daryl Morey built this team through acquiring quality assets and turning them into superstars, only Houston only acquired Parsons through the draft. Harden and Howard both have top-10 potential as individuals and capable of being one of the most deadly pick’n’roll combinations in the league. Parsons fits in very well with this team, as he is not asked to do more than he is capable of due to the abilities of his teammates. The Rockets are guaranteed to get extra value on the court before or at the trade deadline, whether they are finally able to turn Asik into a new player, or if they convince him to man the second unit inside like he did in Chicago. If this team figures it out, they could be extremely dominant in the West.

Reason for Concern: Despite Houston’s ability to build this team without very little homegrown talent, there are significant concerns about their top stars. Harden has admittedly not given his all on defense at times and may lack the ability to shut down opponents top scorers. There will always be concerns about Howard’s maturity, and his main advantage over his peers is his athleticism, something that will fade as he ages. Asik and Lin are very nice role players, but their salary skyrockets in the future, making them difficult pieces to trade. A move with Lin or Asik that may be necessary in the future, as Parsons will not always be available for a dirt cheap deal. This team still has a few more roster moves to make before being a legitimate title contender.

Key Decision Looming: What do they get back for Asik? There have been multiple times where it seems like Houston had a plan in place to deal Asik, and both parties certainly need to move on from each other. As time passes, his trade value decreases greatly, due to not being on the court and his contract next year. The Rockets stated they wanted two first round picks for Asik, but when this is all said and done, it seems likely they’ll move him for a heavily protected first rounder.

3.) Indiana Pacers
Key Assets: Paul George, Roy Hibbert, Lance Stephenson, David West, Danny Granger, Frank Vogel.

Reason for Hope: A year after winning the Most Improved Player award, George made another leap, becoming one of the top five players in the game. Hibbert maintained his high level of play from the playoffs last year, and as a whole, Pacers are getting more respect from the rest of the league, refs included. Stephenson is improving as a player as well, and has become the type of player the Pacers need to lock up to a long-term deal this offseason. Perhaps most importantly, no team in the NBA looks hungrier this year than the Pacers, and it seems like nothing but defeating Miami Heat in the playoffs will satisfy that hunger. This team seems stable enough to go to battle with the same core for the next few seasons.

Reason for Concern: It has not been an issue yet this season, but decisions regarding Granger are looming. Granger was the leader and soul of this team prior to George’s rise to stardom, and dealing with his return or departure could prove problematic to team chemistry, a true strength for the Pacers. George and Stephenson both came into the season with very small contracts that were very team friendly. George has already been extended, but Stephenson is next and will require a significant raise. West has been great for the team, but is old and has an injury history; will he be able to stay healthy when the Pacers need him most? It also feels like the team gets overrated slightly due to their ability to match up well against the Heat. They are still an elite team, but look better to casual fans, as they can dominate Miami inside.

Key Decision Looming: Is Danny Granger move valuable on the court or in a trade? Granger's deal is expiring and is likely to move on next season so the Pacers can extend Stephenson, this is leading to multiple trade rumors surrounding Granger. The truth is he is most valuable on the court for Indiana. It is clear they are gunning for the title this year, and Granger coming off the bench, assuming he is willing to accept that role giving the best chance to do win a championship. Allowing Granger to rack up points with the second unit lets the Pacers play the hot hand between him and Stephenson in crunch time. Even though Granger once had star status, he would be a great veteran leader while they make a run at the Heat. The team should allow Granger to contribute to a potential title team in Indiana and let him walk after the season if they cannot afford him.

2.) Miami Heat
Key Assets: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Pat Riley, Erik Spoelstra.

Reason for Hope: Any time you have James, the outlook is good. Unless something changes, he will be the best player in the NBA for at least the next three years, potentially more. The best part about James is that he works to make other players better therefore the ability to attract mid-level free agents is increased, and Riley showed a great ability to do so. With Wade’s new schedule keeping him fresher, it seems like he will be more of a force in the playoffs, when Miami will need him most. Spoelstra is one of the more underrated coaches in the league, as he does have great talent, but also does a good job of putting them in position to succeed. Bosh’s demeanor and lack of physicality at times makes him an easy scapegoat for this team when things are going wrong, but he is the second most valuable player behind James, as he is Miami’s one quality big, and his playing style works well for what the Heat are trying to do.

Reason for Concern: Age is starting to catch up to this team with Wade being affected the most. While it seems like this team came together relatively recently, they all have the ability to opt out of their contracts soon, something that James and Bosh seem likely to do. Their veteran role players are also getting older and closer to retirement and Miami might have some issues replacing them. They consistently do not have enough quality depth inside with no true resolution in sight. Bosh is more likely to leave than James, although it seems likely both will stay, but either way the team will run out of ways to make constant improvements due to age and salaries, while their chief rivals will be able to catch up.

Key Decision Looming: When is the right time to end the Big Three era? Heat created their identity based on Bosh, James, and Wade, but a day will come when those three cannot lead their team to a NBA Title anymore. Wade seems to be the first one to potentially decline out of the situation, but he would also likely be the most difficult for the Heat franchise to move on from. James and Bosh also seem likely to opt out of their deals this offseason, in hopes of getting more long term money, or potentially leaving for greener pastures. Both should stay in Miami to see how many titles they can win together, but the salary associated with Wade will make it difficult to bring in more help as time goes. The new CBA will make it difficult on the Heat to continue to add to the team, but they should stick with the Big Three and allow veterans to take small deals to chase a championship.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder
Key Assets: Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, Reggie Jackson, Steven Adams, Jeremy Lamb.

Reason for Hope: They have the best young core in the NBA as Durant, Westbrook, and Ibaka are all still 25 and under. Durant is the likely heir to the best player in the NBA throne, for when LeBron begins to fade. Westbrook, when healthy, is also a top 10 player. Each of these players is still showing signs of improvement.. Thunder have also done a great job continuing to add young talent to their rotation. While Jackson, Adams, and Lamb are no James Harden, they are providing solid bench production. If they are able to bring it when it matters most, this team will continue to contend. Perry Jones III still has enough raw potential to possibly develop into a scary player off the bench, but he is a player nobody discusses.

Reason for Concern: Westbrook’s knee has been operated on three times in the last eight months. For a player that has overwhelming athletic ability, it will be interesting to see if this causes him to dramatically alter his game, and if it will affect his ability to dominate. The team is still oddly committed to Kendrick Perkins, and due to the handling of James Harden, the upcoming contract for Jackson has people wondering how the Thunder will handle it. The Thunder benefited by dominating the draft for three straight years, but now they will have to retain their stars for their full careers while having an ownership that seems unwilling to pay the luxury tax, something that could eventually cause key players to move on willingly or not be retained.

Key Decision Looming: Can they afford Jackson? Until they win a title, the Thunder will always be haunted by the handling of the Harden trade. It is not as bad as most have made it seem, as they were able to acquire Lamb and Adams, whom are not likely to ever equal Harden’s superstardom, but will be able to contribute on this team. They do have a similar situation coming up with Jackson’s contract. He proved to be a great bench player behind Westbrook, and even held his own when called upon to start with Westbrook down with injury. Luckily Perkins will eventually see his contract expire and Thunder will have to decide between paying Jackson or trading him for a pile of assets. With Westbrook’s injury concerns, having Jackson lead the bench or the starters is a must, even though it may cost the team.