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.

Condensed Thoughts From All-Star Weekend

Instead of doing a big wordy column about the All-Star Weekend, I just wanted to give some thoughts about different people involved with the weekend. I guess it would look like #HOTALLSTARTAKES, but whatever, enjoy.  

All-Star Game - The game was fantastic. I realize defense did not get played much at all, but that's exactly what you want in this game. TNT's Reggie Miller described it as 'The world's greatest pick-up game' and I think that's the best way to describe. I also think this is the ultimate 'Give the people what they want' game where all that is needed is big dunks, points and fun combinations.

Kyrie Irving - Big game for Kyrie as he continues to be one of the young stars of the game in terms of a marketability standpoint, but now is the time Kyrie needs to start getting some victories under his belt. All of his Pepsi ads and now an All-Star Game MVP trophy are good, but it does not mean shit in the grand scheme of things. Cavs need to do something to ensure their star player does not get away in the coming years like LeBron James.

Skill Competition Duos - Saturday had a ton of faults which we will get to some of them in this blog post, but the skill competition adding the teams was awesome. I almost think they could add one more team to the mix or make it a complete relay with teams of three. There are a lot of things the NBA can do moving forward with this aspect of All-Star Weekend.

John Wall - Since he is sort of a quiet dude, does not do many commercials, casual fans are not really on board with Wall. After Saturday night, I think people are on his bandwagon more so than ever before. We talked on the podcast a couple weeks ago whether you want Wall or Irving and this seems especially given what happened at All-Star that this could be the next great rivalry. Maybe Cleveland can make some noise and be the sixth seed this year... Naaaah.

Blake Griffin - Sure he had a ton of dunks so everybody will act like Griffin did what he normally does, and while that's true, this continues Blake's big run in Feburary. We talked about it in the Roundball Wrap-up, but Griffin continues his hot month even if all he did was throw it down. I keep telling people how he is making a push at being one of the better all-around players in basketball yet people just keep throwing shade at him. Okay.

Giannis' Baby Bro - Thanasis is the Johnny Drama to Giannis' Vincent Chase.



Money Ball Rack - This is pretty much won Marco Belinelli the 3-point contest and it is complete BS. If it were not for the 3-point racks, he does not get to his dominant tie-breaker round. Marco might be the most obscure 3-point contest winner. Somewhere Jason Kapano gleams when you say it wasn't him.

Damian Lillard - I would say this was a sub-par weekend for Lillard. He won the Skills competition which is good, but he did nothing in the other events. No one came away from All-Star talking about Damian Lillard which is a shame because he is a good player but also a reason why people might stay away from doing everything events.

Dunk Contest - Kazz already covered it this morning. He is completely right.

Charles Barkley's hangover - No one has looked more hungover on television than Sir Charles. I am not mad at him, I get it but good God man, get some better cures for the hangover.

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 Future NBA Power Rankings: 19.) - 15.)

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.)
  

19.) Cleveland Cavaliers
Key Assets: Kyrie Irving, Luol Deng, Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters, Anderson Varejao.

Reason for Hope: Irving is one of the best young players in the NBA and now with Paul George fully developed; Kyrie seems most likely to take the jump to true superstar status. Thompson has developed above what his early ceiling seemed to be, which also gives some hope for Anthony Bennett (Ed. note: Incredible the first overall pick of last year's draft is not a key asset nor does he deserve to be, what a world -CT). There’s a role for Waiters in the NBA, it’s just not as a starting guard, if the Cavs can find a way to make him a sixth man, his contributions will likely skyrocket. Varejao is a valuable trade chip for a desperate playoff bound team needing help on the front-line; he can be used to bring back some future value. Turning Andrew Bynum into Deng was a good move for the Cavs given that they can sign him long term.

Reason for Concern: The Cavs have been a mess this season, a season in which they hoped to turn the corner to playoff contender and set themselves up for a run at the future. Instead, they have taken a step backwards. Irving faced injury concerns throughout his career and possesses questions marks on the defensive end. Bringing in Bynum turned into a complete fiasco. There have been locker room problems, personality clashes, and a lot more losses. There was hope for a long time that LeBron James would come back, and pair with a new sidekick in Irving, but it is looking more and more likely that they will stay in the lottery for the near future.

Key Decision Looming: How do they keep Irving? There were long shot dreams of luring James back in free agency, now that those are gone, the team must focus on convincing Irving not to follow James’ path. Acquiring Deng was a step in the right direction, but needs additional follow-up. If Waiters and Irving continue to clash, the team will have to move Waiters, and keeping Thompson will likely need to stay as well. Regardless of what happens to Thompson and Waiters, Irving will need a quality running mate, either acquired in the lottery this season, or free agency. Cavs fans should be concerned about losing Irving for nothing.

18.) Philadelphia 76ers
Key Assets: Nerlens Noel, Michael Carter-Williams, Thaddeus Young, Evan Turner, 2 first round picks in 2014, Sam Hinkie.

Reason for Hope: This team has so many assets for the future. Carter-Williams and Noel are a good haul from a weak 2013 draft, and they also possess two first round picks this year. Adding two potential lottery players to this team could make a solid rotation of four, with Noel potentially being the weakest link. If they hit on all of these picks, they could be a legit title contender in a few years. Although it seems unlikely, if Turner and Young were willing to stay on past the rebuilding point, they could be great off the bench players for a developing Philadelphia team. Hinkie seems like the type of basketball mind that will make the correct decisions in this year’s loaded draft. It is entirely possible that they walk away the winners of the 2014 draft.

Reason for Concern: There is a lot of young talent on this team, and future talent coming in as well, but they need to find some guys who can shoot. Noel, Carter-Williams, Young and Turner all seem to be players who struggle at shooting a high percentage. A team can handle having a few of those types of players on their team, but to have the core of the team with that issue will result in difficulties in half-court sets. Noel has high upside as he was the assumed number one pick for a long time, but definite concerns regarding his injury issues and a raw offensive game. There are questions if he will be able to develop above this ceiling. Turner and Young do not look like they will be part of the rebuilding in Philadelphia, which is a shame, as both could be useful players if their roles and salaries were limited. 

Key Decision Looming: Who do they select in the 2014 NBA Draft? The 76ers seem to be trying to follow the Oklahoma City model to building a title contender, as they have absolutely bottomed out in a hope to acquire multiple high lottery picks. Noel and Carter-Williams can be good building blocks, but it is merely just a start for this team. If Philadelphia is going to be a dominant franchise, they need to acquire their franchise star in this draft, along with a good second or third option. Allowing Carter-Williams and Noel to focus on defense and being role players on offense will be great for Philadelphia’s future.

17.) Detroit Pistons
Key Assets: Josh Smith, Andre Drummond, Brandon Jennings, Greg Monroe.

Reason for Hope: The Pistons were able to bring a big name free agent to a team without a superstar already in place, something that seems to be difficult to do in today’s NBA. Smith has long faced questions regarding his decision-making ability, but he can still play defense, rebound, and get his own shot. Detroit has so much depth up front that Greg Monroe seems likely to be the odd man out, a problem many franchises would love to have. Detroit might be able to acquire some wing players for Monroe,and would be wise to do so making him one of the best assets on the trade market. The biggest win for this team was getting Drummond where they did in the draft, teams that can get solid building blocks in picks 7-15 have an advantage to getting out of the lottery, since those picking around them are usually just acquiring rotation players.

Reason for Concern: Both Jennings and Smith take too many bad shots to see this team really jumping in the standings. Both would be seen differently five years ago when high volume shot takers were more appreciated. Having both on the court results in too many wasted possessions on bad shots. While Drummond’s ascension is great on the court, the Pistons would like to have the front court strength balanced out with the backcourt weakness. This just does not have the feel of a team that can take the next step into winning a few playoff series, so unfortunately for them, they may be at their ceiling now.

Key Decision Looming: What is Monroe’s future? Monroe has been a solid player on a struggling Pistons team for his whole career and now they have some better players to put around him. The tough part is, he style does not fully mesh with Drummond, who is a better future player, and Smith, who is a better current player with a high salary. Monroe seems to be the odd man out if he cannot adapt or take a lower salary. The Pistons should consider trading him before the deadline, otherwise they risk losing with no return. Teams like Washington, Boston, Philadelphia, Denver and Memphis could be interested.

16.) Minnesota Timberwolves
Key Assets: Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio, Nikola Pekovic, Kevin Martin.

Reason for Hope: Love is a top-10 player in the league, and whenever a team has that type of star, they will be able to compete. If Love can continue at a high level of play, and get some help from other players on the team, the Timberwolves could make a leap. Rubio was acquired to run an offense in Minnesota with his passing ability and develop a solid pick’n’roll game with Love. If Rubio can start to develop out of where he currently is, this team could dominate. Having Pekovic as an additional inside threat is a problem many teams would love to have, and Martin has proven to be a quality addition for the team.

Reason for Concern: The optimism that comes from this team seems to mostly stem from the fact that they are out from under the old front office, but many of the problems that started a few years ago, are still largely issues. Love is not locked up for as many years as possible, and seems like a candidate for the superstar most willing to leave his team. Rubio has been going through well-documented struggles with his shot. If Rubio is unable to get his shot in order, teams will sag off on defense and take away passing lanes thus taking away his biggest asset. Love is the type of player who would attract a high quality running mate, but the Midwest seems like an unlikely place for that to happen, meaning Love would have to leave. 

Key Decision Looming: How do they convince Love to stay? For much of Love’s time in Minnesota, it  seems like a partnership doomed for a messy end. The development of Rubio and Pekovic made it seem like there was a chance that the Timberwolves would be able to keep the core long term, but Rubio got the contract Love wanted and took a step back, while Pekovic struggled playing at the same time as Love. In the end, the Timberwolves do not seem to have the inside track to retaining Love, perhaps increased development from Rubio could convince him to stay, but Love seems destined to end up in a large market in a few years.

15.) Denver Nuggets
Key Assets: Ty Lawson, Kenneth Faried, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari.

Reason for Hope: Lawson is one of the most entertaining point guards in the league due to his lightning quickness and constant improvement since entering the league. Faried is able to match Lawson’s intensity and energy, and helps the Nuggets do what they do best, run the court. The altitude has always been something that helps the Nuggets, especially given the high-paced brand of basketball they play. They were able to get one of the most impressive hauls of any team trading away a star player. Even though trading away Carmelo Anthony was a few seasons ago, the Nuggets never had to tank in order to get back into the playoffs, that type of rebound is impressive for an organization.

Reason for Concern: There was a lot of optimism around this team a few years ago after they were able to appear victorious after the Carmelo Anthony deal. Since then, they have made some decisions that have chipped away at that optimism. It seems like they overreacted to losing in the playoffs last year, firing George Karl in the process. While Brian Shaw has long been an upcoming star in the coaching ranks, Karl was able to overachieve with the roster he had. The team is now led by Lawson and Faried, whom are two quality players, but do not seem ready to advance far in the playoffs as the top two options. This team definitely needs a go-to option on offense, especially in the half-court set. Last year, they were a team with no superstar that was able to win playing ultimate team basketball, this year they are a team with no superstar that needs one.

Key Decision Looming: How do they acquire a star? The Nuggets are headed for the dreaded middle ground of the NBA, not good enough to contend, but not bad enough to get a high draft pick. Additionally, Denver has not traditionally been the type of team that attracts star free agents. The best chance this team has is going back to where they were a few years ago, where they were a team that had 10 guys who could play at a high level. They are still a deep team, but the strength in their depth has decreased slightly. If they are able to become deep again, they might be able to get by without a star.