Roundball Wrap-up: Wednesday January 29th

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 
Carmelo Anthony - We gave him this award a couple weeks ago, and I almost disagreed with myself doing it yet now this is a deserving award for Melo. He dropped 62 points on Friday against Charlotte, which is more impressive than you think because Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is a much better defender than a causal fan might believe him to be. To see Melo in a zone like that is something special, and something only a few guys can do in the NBA. People love to give Carmelo a hard time, but it is hard to say he does not fill up the stat sheet. Anthony gets criticized a bunch, but this is yet another example that he is a top ten basketball player without question. Melo followed it up this week with 35 points against Los Angeles Lakers and 24 points with nine rebounds in a win against Boston. Melo might get some MVP votes if he wills this New York team to a five or sixth seed as this is not a good team besides Carmelo.

LaMarcus Aldridge - Honestly, many contenders for this one as Terrence Ross' 51 point effort deserves some love, Anthony Davis playing strong and Stephen Curry doing the damn thing yet I went with LAM. I do not think it is a coincidence Aldridge had a career-high 44 points with 13 rebounds against Denver after he did not get selected as an All-Star starter. Aldridge pulled down another big game against Memphis' big men having 27 points and 16 rebounds. On Friday, he only had six rebounds which is his lowest total since January 7th. Aldridge is averaging 13 rebounds a game this month which is a whole rebound above his yearlong average. LAM is playing like the man.

This week in Kevin Durant
A new segment I am introducing because we need it at this point. I could have gave Kevin Durant another player of the week honor. I mean the man is a MONSTER right now comparable to Buster Bluth and his hook hand. Durant had a triple-double on Saturday to lead Oklahoma City in a victory over Boston and then he dropped 41 points against Atlanta on Monday night including a game-winner over THREE Hawks defender. Durant has 30 points or more in this last eleven games, the last player to do that was Shaquille O'Neal and oh yeah, he plays Miami tonight. EVERYTHING IS COMING UP DURANT. Here's the GIF of the game-winner. (H/T @SBNation GIF)

'I am not mad, I am disappointed' Player of the Week
NBA Fans - Goddammit. It never fails that the All-Star game voting has one insanely dumb player selected to be a starter. This year it is Kobe Bryant. I understand Kobe has a great deal of fans, but... THIS GUY TOLD YOU NOT TO VOTE FOR HIM. Kobe stated 'Let one of the young guys in' a la Damian Lillard. It sounds like no matter what, Kobe is missing the All-Star Game. Reports were he was out four more weeks with a knee injury meaning Bryant will likely not be ready for the All-Star Game. I am happy fans will not have the satisfaction of seeing Bryant out there with guys who have played their asses off this season.

Team of the Week
Oklahoma City Thunder - We already talked about Durant, and yes, he has a great deal to do with it. Yet the Thunder are red hot. They have pulled away from the pack in the Western Conference as they won nine of their last ten games. Oklahoma City is beating good teams during the streak as they took down Houston, San Antonio, Golden State and Portland. It is one thing to win nine of ten against the inferior Eastern Conference, and it is another thing to beat four Western Conference playoff teams. Oklahoma City is easily the best team in the Western Conference right now, and they are doing it without Russell Westbrook.

Team of the Weak
Detroit Pistons - I honestly have no idea how they did not make it last week. I mean we needed to point out New Orleans struggles, but Detroit have lost five of their last six games with two of those losses being to Utah and Milwaukee, the league's two worst teams. How Maurice Cheeks still has a job is amazing. I mean I want that job security life. Same goes for Joe Dumars, maybe more so with Dumars. This man gave an asinine amount of money to Charlie Villaneuva and Ben Gordon along with not controlling Josh Smith whose on pace to shoot 300 three-pointers. Last part is more on Cheeks than it is Dumars, but both these guys should be gone.

Sportandfashion-news Medical Injury Report  
San Antonio Spurs - What's really weird about San Antonio is with how good this team has been through the last decade, it seems recently they go through a stretch where everyone is injured leading to everybody giving up on San Antonio. Kawhi Leonard is out with a broken finger for a month. Tiago Splitter has a bum shoulder, but might be back soon. Danny Green is not coming back for a month. Manu Ginobili's hamstring is giving him problems right now. This team is banged up to the highest degree.

This Week in GIFs, Vines, Tweets, Instagrams, Videos, Links, Pictures and anything else


This should have been a DOY. We all make mistakes. Sick dunk from Damian Lillard.

LaLa Anthony says her husband, Carmelo Anthony, will stay in New York and explains why he does not get pregame sex which leads me to a question... What's the percentage of NBA guys having sex before a game? (Larry Brown Sports) 

Charlie. 

Roundball Wrap-up: Wednesday January 22nd

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 Durant - I honestly could give it to KD every week, but he is out of his gorge right now. The world is Durant's right now and we are just living in it. In his last five games, he is averaging 40 points a game with shooting 50 percent from three and making 59 percent of his shots in total. In the last three games, Durant is 67 percent from three and 68 percent from inside the circle. Durant's 383 points in the last 10 games is the highest number of points since Kobe Bryant's 396 in 2006-2007 according to Elias Sports Bureau. This is an astronomical run. This is a 'Gather around the television kids, Durant is on' type stuff going on right now. He wants the belt from LeBron James. I mean he really wants to make a statement saying I am the best in the world right now while he is not, but right now, no one can stop Durant. The fact he had 56 and 48 points against Golden State and Portland is a massive statement. Sometimes you wonder whether one player can take his team all the way to the finals, and right now, Durant is looking that way. Oh yeah, he gets Russell Westbrook back at some point. Couple good tweets from Friday's game...

57 is the number. Ive always said whenever @KDTrey5 and I combine for 57 we have a great shot to win.
— Nick Collison (@nickcollison4) January 18, 2014

54 piece nugget with a side large fries .with extra salt ..lol .. STAY HOTT @KDTrey5 #MVP.... And I want a shake too lol
— Russell Westbrook (@russwest44) January 18, 2014

Rudy Gay - Last week, I dogged Rudy and this week, I call him a player of the week, that's how shit works, deal with it.  Yes I know he had a six point performance against Oklahoma City this week, but this is the Susan Lucci award. Gay deserves a ton of credit for how he responded getting traded to Sacramento. Gay had 41 points last night which has been his pinnacle for Sacramento this season. He is also becoming an efficient scorer. In November, Gay shot 37.5 percent from the field, and in January, Gay is shooting 55 percent. That's a massive difference. I have no idea what changed for Gay. But we can officially say the future is bright for Sacramento even though they are 10 games under .500?  Boogie Cousins is playing great, same with Gay and Isiaiah Thomas. Kings are one or two players away from being a playoff team next season.

'I am not mad, I am disappointed' Player of the Week
Beno Udrih - What the hell happened in New York? I guess I fail to understand how Udrih can be so frustrated with New York when he played for Milwaukee for the last couple of years. I mean maybe the big city lifestyle is not for him as he played in Sacramento and Milwaukee for his first two stints of professional basketball, but still, I would not see him being one of the more hated players on the New York Knicks. Udrih will probably get his trade because there are teams who need a backup point guard with the ability to make a mean mid-range jumper is probably very high.

Team of the Week
Chicago Bulls - Remember when this team was supposed to tank? They trade away Luol Deng, and it appeared they were heading to tank city. But Joakim Noah (He missed POW by just a little bit) and Tom Thibodeau will not allow it. Chicago has won their last eight of 10 games. Thibs might be the greatest coach for the talent he consistently has around him being limited at best. Chicago is probably going to end up being the fourth seed since they cannot seem to beat Washington (Only team they have lost to in the last 10 games). And I know we as Wisconsinites are not supposed to like Chicago-based teams, but dammit it is hard not to like Chicago with the determination and gutty nature of how they play basketball. Although Thibs, do not play Jimmy Butler 60 minutes, okay, thanks.

Team of the Weak
New Orleans Pelicans - This is a team absolutely bitten by injuries. They were .500 on December 11th. Pelicans weathered Anthony Davis' hand injury, but this team started to lose Jrue Holiday whose bothering a knee injury, Jason Smith is out for awhile and Ryan Anderson will be out until March. Pelicans are nowhere near at full strength and they have now dropped 14 of their last 19 games. Although this could work out for New Orleans. They were not figuring to be this bad as some slotted them as a low playoff team. If they get worse than this, the pick they are supposed to give to Philadelphia might not move if New Orleans can pick in the top five. Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis would block 100 shots together. Davis and Julius Randle would be unstoppable too. Pelicans need to keep losing.

Sportandfashion-news Medical Injury Report  
Nikola Vucevic - Orlando is not having a good year, and currently, their young man missed six straight games with a concussion. Orlando does not really know when they will have him back. Concussions in any sport deserve time away. I realize with Magic's not really looking to win here, they will tell Vucevic to take it easy.

This Week in GIFs, Vines, Tweets, Instagrams, Videos, Links, Pictures and anything else 
Stop it Kenneth Faried (H/T @Lashy) 


Great stuff from Kobe and Rajon Rondo

Rondo, on being called an asshole by Kobe: "That's a great compliment, coming from Kobe. I feel the same way about him."
— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) January 18, 2014

John Wall joined the circus. (H/T @AdamMcGinnis) 


Paul George, just stop it.

The Battle of Minnesota's Two Kevin's.

I am going to start out off my first post of the year with a huge cliché: life is full of choices. You know it (Ron Burgundy voice). Soak that little ditty in another time (Burgundy again). You probably just thought about all the choices you make on a daily basis (my voice or Ron’s if you want I guess)….”Should I eat cereal or eggs this morning?”, “Is this 3^rdcup of coffee the one that is going to make me shit?”, “Should I masturbate a 2^ndtime today?”, “Should I wear my Jordan’s or my sweet loafers?”, “Hard shell tacos or soft shell?”, and of course “Should I rock my ponytail or let my beautiful hair flow?”.  All of these decisions prove crucial, as they will dictate how the day will ultimately unfold, and of course, there are an array of other decisions that do not get addressed.

I would like to think that I am a forward thinker. Recently, I had a day dream that I am sure will become a reality. I figure soon enough[1]holograms will be able to look so real, that we will be able to go to any event, from any situation, simulated live in front of us, with unexpected results. Let me explain more…

Youremember when “Tupac” showed up at Coachella?

Yeah, it was awesome, but it still looked a little sketchy. I like to think these holograms are going to improve in time, and probably looks even better indoors. I do not think it is out of the question to think that this technology will transfer over to sports seamlessly. Which, of course, it could end some age-old arguments.

If things progress in that field like I figure, and these things end up being REALLY REAL LOOKING, then I think that we will have the opportunity to watch a 24-year-old springy MJ against a post-accusations pissed off Kobe Bryant. It would come with a cost of course; royalties would need to be figured out. You would have to pay the original (actual) players because their talents would be being re-sold, and of course arenas and such to hold these events. But how sweet would it be to watch a game that featured MJ, Scottie, Oscar, Bill Walton, and Steve Nash against Kobe, LeBron, Bill Russell, Karl Malone and Allen Iverson? Or whatever match-up it ends up being. The possibilities are seriously endless. How can you tell me you would not pay for this in 40 years?  

Not to mention how cool this would be from a historical teaching standpoint. The “old greats” that are forgotten as generations past would be brought back to life for people to enjoy. I seriously think this could happen. Plus, everyone want to know how LeBron James stacks up against every good player in the last 60 years. 

I’m from western Wisconsin. I stay true to my state in my sports fandom. But a lot of Twin Cities’ influence infiltrated my home city. In football debates, the Cites influence can sometimes become shout-worthy. This is mainly because Green Bay Packers fans are stubborn as hell, and mostly correct, and furthermore because Minnesota Vikings fans generally lack ammo. But when it comes to Minnesota Timberwolves/Milwaukee Bucks arguments, differences are minimal, if even present at all. This is because we both generally suck. So with the Timberwolves becoming a somewhat exciting team in recent years, the NBA fans around the area have collectively cheered.

As a questioner and sports fan, I find it my duty to create some mild confrontation from time to time, even if it is in a friendly manner, seeing as that I definitely cheer for the Wolves in most games they play in. A trend that I have recently noticed is that Timberwolves fans really really go to bat for Kevin Love. Which is honorable for a number of reasons. One reason being he can grow a lumberjacks beard, and another is that he is wet from downtown. Super soaker wetness[2].

I found out this dedication by simply voicing my opinion that I think it would be smart for the team to trade Love straight up for Blake Griffin. The die-hards fly off the handle with this one. And I can understand why I guess… But why wouldn't they rather lock into at least five years of Ricky lobbing to Blake and finishing .500 or better, instead of only 2 more years of K. Love stroking lonely 3-pointers, as they struggle to go .500[3]?  Then Kevin Love would happily re-sign with the Clippers, and everyone is locked in for awhile, and we have a structure in the league. Kevin is happy back in his college town of LA, while Blake is considerably colder then he ever imagined he would be while playing in the League, but he is going to suck it up and dunk, and maybe (and hopefully) it pisses him off so much that he got traded that he becomes a high-flying Karl Malone. Then with Ricky Rubio, you could be potentially be talking about the next Stockton and Malone!!!

For some reason, potentially becoming the next Utah Jazz does not appeal to Wolves fans around here, and it kind of confuses me. That, however, was not the intention of this jargon, because what I take away from their short-sighted opinion with Kevin Love is actually the admiration they really have for him. They love the guy.

He breathed some positive air in that franchise and the fan base greatly appreciated it. They never want to see him, his beard, and his 3-ball leave town...ever. But when I noticed their dedication to him, I had to start asking the tough one.....

“Would you take Kevin Love or Kevin Garnett?”

To me the answer is easy; it’s KG all day, everyday, even though I might be scared of him. I will get to KG momentarily, but here's why it is at least honorable to want Kevin Love…Love, or as some call him, “Mr. Buttersworth[4]”, has big brass nuts. They are heavy. He has a skill set that is elite. Presently, he is scoring 26.3 points per game, which ranks second in the league. That is paired with 13.5 rebounds per game, which is tied for first with DeAndre Jordan. Only three other players boast per game averages that rank in the top ten of two of the three “big stat” categories;those being Steph Curry (23.3ppg (7^th)/9.6apg (2^nd)), LaMarcus Aldridge (23.2 points (8^th)/11.0rpg (6^th)), and DeMarcus Cousins (23.1ppg  (9^th)/ 11.4rpg (5^th)), and none of them are as substantial as ranking second in both category.  Love does certain things most guys just do not/cannot do. He stretches the floor while simultaneously rebounding everything. For his career, he averages 3.9 OFFENSIVE rebounds per game. That number, my friends, is absurd.

This season he has also started sharing better (A formidable act), averaging 4.1 assists per game. His offensive game is blossoming into uncharted territories. If he had one other consistent scorer on his team, or if Rubio would just start figuring how he is going to score in this league himself, then Love has the opportunity to end this playoff drought that Minnesotans thirst for. Not to mention, he is fantastic for the Midwestern demographic he resides in (Again he looks like a lumberjack, people around here get down with the thought of a burly lumberjack tearing up the NBA.).

But to take him before Kevin Garnett is tomfoolery.

Before I go much further, I will say that many of the people I was asking to make this decision are under the age of 22, and by and large do not remember a lot of the Big Ticket’s best years. But some of the trusted Wolves fans I talked to thankfully backed my opinion of KG’s superiority.

The really obvious first reason the choice is KG starts with the defensive end. Success in basketball almost always starts with defense. You get a lot farther, especially postseason-wise, with good defense. KG plays defense. Kevin Love does not. While no T-Wolves team in history has ever been defensively historic, it should be noted that KG’s MVP season doubled as the team’s most efficient defensive season of their short history, posting an efficiency rating below 100 for the only time, and it resulted in them going all the way to the Western Conference Finals.

While Garnett's offensive numbers neared career bests that season (averaging 24.5ppg/13.9rpg/5.0apg), his contributions on the defensive side of the ball that proved just as devastating to his opponents. He swiped the ball 1.5 times per contest, while also accumulating 2.2 blocks per game.  He was everywhere.

The snowballing of hustle stats like these are what ultimately trump Love. Love has never averaged more than one block or steal per game in any season, while KG to contrast has only came up short of averaging at least a steal and block in three of his 19 seasons. He also has been a better passer (KG:3.9apg/KL:2.2apg) for his career, and his defensive rebounding is tied with Love at eight per game. What numbers do not capture however, is voice.

Garnett's personality seems to be on par with exactly the kind of person it takes to be a great winner. An asshole. KG is a fiery asshole. One of my buddies told me they were at an open gym in the cities once at Hastings High School, and occasionally Timberwolves players would drop by and run games with them.  He relayed to me KG once berated some scrubby string bean of a 16-year-old for not securing rebounds. An NBA MVP is going to going to yell at a 16-year-old who will not even being playing competitively in two years for not securing rebounds in a June scrimmage? If you did not already guess it, I’m pretty sure KG would hate me. And I’m almost positive I would not agree with him on most things (Mainly because I don’t deal with assholes), but I am also pretty sure KG will say anything to anybody, and that is a major reason why he was the leader he was.  

I’m taking Kevin Garnett over Kevin Love because I know that when he steps on the court, he morphs into something that is so intense, I reckon his own mother does not enjoy seeing it. But it sets the tone for the team, and no one wants to be on KG’s bad side. Kevin Love just does not posses that same intense pressure to compete. He lacks the will to sacrifice for the team the way KG did.

If you need a final reason to really sway you to Kevin Garnett, it can be that his teams were much more successful. While Love is young, and will surely get his due in the league, KG dragged Minnesota to the playoffs eight times. Love is threatening to never bring them to the playoffs in his time spent there, which is now rolling through its sixth year.

When it comes to prospecting sports, there is never a right answer.  I have faith these debates will someday be put to rest with futuristic life-like holograms, but only time will tell that fantasy. And so in the meantime, sports bars and dorm rooms everywhere will have to banter on swapping opinions and defending their choices between swigs of beer, and chomps of ground beef.

But just know that if someone asks you if you would rather have Love or Garnett that you want Garnett. Everyday, and all day.

~Andrew

---

[1]Anywhere between I would say 40 and 90 years.

[2]This link is specifically for the white girls that are reading!!  I don’t listen to this shit at all!!!

[3]Both versions of the team would significantly increase winning percentage if Rubio could score at all, and they had a viable second option.

[4]Okay, only I call him that.

Marvin Williams is Utah Jazz's Kobe Bryant

If you remember correctly, Los Angeles Lakers may have went a bit too far when they were discussing the return of Kobe Bryant. They made it seem like the King Slayer had returned or something to the affect. Utah Jazz, the league-worst team did something similar for.... Marvin Williams?  Yes, a Jazz fan decided to needle Los Angeles just a bit with this over-dramatic video of Williams returning for last night's game against Sacramento Kings. I laughed my ass through the whole thing because there was probably a time when people might have thought Williams would be a star but now he is just a contributor on a team in Tanksville. For the record, Williams had eight points in a Jazz blowout win. (H/T @SportsGrid, @AndyGlockner) 

Charlie.