NBA Basketball Sports Fan Blog

In 2007 both Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined forces with Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics, and what seemed to be a simple move to make their team stronger, the Celtics dramatically changed the NBA.  The Boston Celtics had arguably created the best starting line-up in the NBA, since the 1998 Bulls (remember this includes Rondo and Perkins) and the way they did it was like never before.

Most teams before had one or two strong players, and one of these was generally because one was drafted into the mix, like that of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Lebron James in Cleveland, but now a team was able to create its own all-star team, and they made it look easy.  The Boston Celtics went on to win the NBA title that year, and while they didn’t create any sort of legendary dynasty, like the Bulls in the 1990’s, they helped change the way teams went about creating their rosters.

Today we see teams like the Heat with Dwayne wade, Lebron James, and Chris Bosh, a line-up that is 3/5 the way to an eastern Conference All-Star game, and one that if I mentioned seven years ago, people would of laughed.  As the 2012 NBA Draft nears we see more an more teams then ever before making moves and trades in hope to build their very own “super-team”, whether it be the Nets trying to lure Dwight Howard along side Deron Williams, or the Knicks trying to get Steve Nash to an already failed attempt as a super team.

There is suddenly this perspective that the only way to win an NBA Championship is to create their very own All-Star team, which I feel in a lot of ways kind of ruins the NBA, its now like the ideas of role players is a  distant memory from the past, and realistically there are only a select few teams with that kind of money to create these teams.  Its no longer about a players skill and a teams chemistry like the past, its about what great players you can hopefully throw together and hope for the best.  I don’t even know what the need for a coach is for teams like the Heat, because their isn’t much strategy in “give Lebron the ball”, and if he isn’t open, “give it to Wade”.

When Chris Bosh went down in Game 1 of the Heat’s second round series vs. Indiana, most people thought the Heat would still roll through the Pacers. After losing Game 3 by 19 points and falling down 2-1 in the best of seven series, it looked like one team may roll, only it wouldn’t be the Heat. With only two other players scoring in double digits the entire series (Mario Chalmers and Joel Anthony in Game 3), there was no question that both Lebron James and Dwayne Wade would have to each have a monster game for Miami to win Game 4 in Indiana.

And that’s exactly what happened. James had one of the great NBA playoff performances of all time with 40 points, 18 rebounds and 9 assists, numbers that have only been matched one time in playoff history by Elgin Baylor. Wade dropped 30 points to go along with 9 rebounds and 6 assists. They combined to outscore Indiana in the second half by themselves, 43-39. They became only the 5th set of playoff teammates to have 40 and 30 points in a road playoff game in the last 20 years.

Despite losing Game 4, the Pacers should still feel very confident about the position they’re in. The Heat again got little help from their supporting cast with only Udonis Haslem scoring more then 8 points. Both of Indiana’s big men, Roy Hibbert and David West, were in foul trouble the entire game and were never able to get their offensive games going, scoring just 8 points each. Unless James and Wade are capable of super human performances two more times in this series, the Heat will likely fizzle out early.

The Heat are beginning to unravel at the seems and may be out of the NBA Playoffs soon. In the midst of last nights shellacking, Dwayne Wade began to take his frustration out on head coach Eric Spoelstra. Spoelstra’s been in a no win situation since this whole thing started: if his team wins he’ll get no credit and if they lose he’ll receive plenty of blame. If the Heat duck out to the Pacers in round two, Spoelstra will most likely be fired and Pat Riley will have to think about breaking this team up. And maybe it’s for the best.

We all know Dwight Howard is looking for a new home and the Magic are desperate to get something back for him. If the Heat were to offer Wade and Bosh, it would be impossible for the Magic to turn that down.

Combining Lebron and Howard would be putting together the two most athletically gifted players in the game (and possibly the two most athletically gifted human beings of all time). While this seems like a lot to give up for Howard, it would free up plenty of cap space for free agents such as Steve Nash and Jason Terry who have already expressed interest in joining the Heat.

The Heat are learning a hard lesson: that you can’t just combine talent and expect it to work. You must build a team to win. It’s why the Spurs are now the favorites and it’s why we may be looking at an entirely new Heat team next year.

The 2011-2012 NBA playoffs are only in their second round. Yet injuries have already put a large asterisk on whoever will be named champion this year. What’s been surprising about the injuries is not necessarily that they’re happening, but who they’re happening to. Old teams like the Celtics and Spurs have stayed relatively healthy, while younger teams like the Bulls and Heat have lost key players.

This injury saga started before the playoffs when Dwight Howard attempted to give Stan Van Gundy a piggy back (just kidding) and herniated a disk in his back. He would elect to have surgery that would cause him to miss the rest of the season.

Then came Derrick Rose whose injury was reminiscent to that of Boobie Miles from the movie Friday Night Lights. In Game 1 of their series vs. the 76ers, the Bulls led by twelve with 1:20 to go. It’s not over until it’s over. But this game was over. Rose drove to the basket to attempt to extend the lead to fourteen and fell awkwardly on his knee tearing his ACL. The Bulls were the only team that could challenge the mighty Heat so the Eastern Conference had an asterisk on it from Game 1. As if that wasn’t enough, the Bulls would go on to lose Joakim Noah to an ankle injury and then become the 5th number one seed to lose in the first round.

Then came the Knicks slew of injuries which included Iman Shumpert doing his best Rose imitation by tearing his ACL and Amar’e Stoudemire showing he is in fact capable of crashing the glass. While the Knicks posed no real threat to the Heat, they at least could have momentarily slowed them down.

Finally, two days ago Chris Bosh went down with an abdominal strain that will sideline him indefinitely. Bosh has often been referred to as the half man in Miami’s “Two and a Half Men” but his absence was clearly noticed as the Pacers beat the Heat in Bosh’s first game out.

Many fans are glad to see something bad happen to the Heat, but at least they made things exciting. Just wait until we’re watching Indiana play San Antonio in the NBA Finals.

We are now three weeks into the NBA season. Already there have been some players and teams that are stepping up their game and outperforming expectations. So let’s take a look.

Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets
I picked Nawlins to squeak into the playoffs in the preseason. Who would’ve thought they would come out firing like this? Chris Paul is once again at the top of his game after missing extended time last year. Everyone pegged Deron Williams as the best point guard in the game, but they seemed to have forgotten just how good Paul is. The Hornets started out winning their first eight games with quality wins over the Bucks twice, Spurs, Nuggets, Heat, and Blazers. At 8-1, the Hornets are rolling along. The question is, can they keep it up? They’ve answered the dinner bell so far.

Richard Jefferson and the San Antonio Spurs
The silver and black stumbled out of the gate last year with a 4-6 start. At 8-1, this year is a completely different story. The Spurs offense is explosive, currently ranked second in the league behind the Lakers at 108.9 points per game. Richard Jefferson has looked markedly better and more comfortable than last year. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have been one of the best backcourt tandems in the league once again, all while Tim Duncan rests and has scored in single digits in each of the last three games. All that’s left to do is show what they’ve got against the elites. The only quality wins so far were against the Suns and Thunder.

Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat
So I guess that 72-10 mark isn’t going to be contested this year? First it was the Heat who had the chance to do this, then it was the Lakers once they started 8-0. Kids these days… We are so eager to demolish records before teams even play the games. But I digress. I included Chris Bosh because he has been unbelievably mediocre. He is averaging just 14.5 points per game at this point with only 6 rebounds. That’s no good with the label of the Big Three and the remarkably high expectations. This team is still figuring out the kinks. They might not figure it all out until the playoffs arrive. Could it be possible this team isn’t as good as advertised?

Cleveland Cavaliers
A lot of people said the Cavs would be dead in the water this season. One analyst said they would only win 12 games this year. Through 10 games they sit at 5-5 and are playing tremendous team basketball. The highest scoring guy is J.J. Hickson with 15.2. Granted, the only team they’ve beaten with a winning record are the Celtics, but let’s not take anything away from them. They’ve endured so much already. Cleveland should be ecstatic and optimistic for the future. Maybe this team wasn’t just LeBron James and a bunch of bums…

Monta Ellis and the Golden State Warriors
A 7-4 record to start the season with a new coach and a hobbling Stephen Curry ain’t too shabby. Their only marquee win was against the Jazz, but with their style of play, they can beat anybody on any given night. The trio of Curry, Ellis, and David Lee looks stellar. Ellis has been lights out since game one when he dropped 46 on the Rockets, averaging 26.5 points per game. Their play style and lack of defense probably won’t take them far in the long run, but one thing’s for sure, when these guys take the court, you better get your popcorn ready (in the famous words of Terrell Owens).

Michael Beasley
B-Easy, as some call him, has reemerged as the player everyone thought he would be as the number two pick. He is averaging 21.2 points per game, including 42 and 35 point performances against the Kings and Knicks respectively. Problem is, the Timberwolves still suck. They sit at 3-9 and have played a rough schedule to start out. Losses include games against the Hawks twice, Magic, Heat, and Lakers. The good news is there is renewed optimism with this franchise starting with Kevin Love and Michael Beasley.

By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network

The NBA’s season opening night has come and gone. The Celtics, Blazers, and Lakers all picked up wins. Yesterday I predicted the winners of these three games and was right on each account. I even suggested the Lakers would win by one to three points in a close one, which they did (112-110 was the final). This makes me wonder how good I would do if I took up sports betting. That’s a slippery slope, so I’ll pass. But I digress. Let’s get to the matter at hand.

So, what did we learn about the most highly anticipated debut in NBA history? Well, quite honestly, nothing new.

The Celtics started their defense of the Eastern Conference crown with a 88-80 win over the super duper teammates and the Heat. Boston came out running from the start. Their defense was suffocating most of the night except when LeBron James declared the third quarter his own. The nine points by the Heat in the first quarter was painful to watch. I’m amazed they scored that little with players like James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh on the court. I know Boston’s defense is stellar, but come on man. Last night’s game serves as a testament to the Celtic defense which is the best in the league.

Last night’s game also serves as a realization that this team still needs to play with each other to maximize their effectiveness. Wade missed all but three minutes of the preseason and it clearly showed. He wasn’t on the same page as the rest of the team as evidenced by the six turnovers.

How about James’ eight turnovers? With all of the good things he did, his eight turnovers and Wade’s six are clear signs that these guys don’t have it figured out yet. He did almost will the Heat in a comeback bid in the third quarter after being down by as many as 19. But we all knew he could do that, didn’t we?

Bosh looked uncomfortable and indecisive throughout the game, scoring only eight points on three of 11 shooting. The one play that was impressive was the face up blow by move on Kevin Garnett which he finished at the rim.

If one thing is for sure, the Miami Heat are a shooting team. Wade and James serve as the slashers, the rest of the guys spot up for jumpers. That’s about it. Bosh can create his own shot as well. He is the closest thing to a post presence they have. Last night’s Heat looked a lot like the Cavaliers and Heat of last year, where everybody stood around waiting for something to happen.

We know whoever plays the Heat will have difficulties matching up with the Big Three, but what about the matchup problems for the Heat on defense? Rajon Rondo had his way last night as he dished out 17 assists. What do the Heat do on defense to matchup with the Rondo’s, Chris Paul’s, and Deron Williams’ of the league? Eddie House and Carlos Arroyo were often seen chasing Ray Allen around, leaving Wade to guard Rondo. That’s a tough defensive assignment if you ask me.

At the end of the day, the results were what I expected. Shaq got dunks and layups at the rim (two of which he missed) due to the lack of size and mobility down low, the Celtics defense lived up to their billing, and the Heat were rusty and discombobulated. I did, however, expect the Heat to score more than 80.

It’s clear the Heat need more work and exposure with each other. It’s also clear this team will not beat the Bulls’ 72 win record. Now is definitely not the time to overreact with preposterous claims that this team is a failure. It’s Game 1. There’s 82 more to go. Your hat has to go off to the Celtics though. They proved why they are the reigning champions of the East and why they will remain so until they are beaten.

By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network

This year’s MVP race is said to be narrowly focused than in years past. With James and Wade teaming up in Miami, it seems last year’s runner-ups in Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant can nab it this year.

At this point in his career you would think Kobe would start to show some signs of slowing down. Well if he is, I don’t see it. 27 points per game with a bum finger and ailing legs beg to differ. Like most years, Kobe will be in the discussion, but I don’t think he’ll walk away with it.

Have expectations ever been higher for one team, let alone one player? Kevin Durant is coming off of a huge year in which he was the youngest player to capture the NBA scoring title, averaging 30.1 points per game. Many experts are picking him as the runaway favorite to win the MVP this year due to the expected spike in the Thunder’s success. I think this infatuation with the Thunder seems a bit premature. After all, you never know what will happen in the wild west. Keep that in mind. KD is definitely in the runnings for this award, but in the end I believe he’ll fall short.

Carmelo Anthony is another mainstay in this discussion. Distant, but he’s right up there. He may be jumping Denver’s ship before the start of the season. Depending on the impact he has on his potentially new squad, he could have a legitimate shot to win it. If he elevated the Nets to 50-55 wins, his presence in the debate is very real.

When all is said and done, I believe Dwyane Wade wins his first regular season MVP award. There’s no denying the impact of playing with two-time MVP Lebron James. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lebron won it for the third straight year. I just think with all of the hype and expectations for this team, Wade gets one. His assist total will surely increase with Chris Bosh and James as teammates. It came down to Wade or Durant, and in the end I’m picking the guy on the team that will be the most explosive and is a sure thing to compete for the NBA title in the immediate future.

By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network

I read a satirically written article on Bleacher Report the other day about Kobe Bryant that pointed to all of the reasons people hated on Kobe Bryant. One of the many insults the author runs through includes the fact that if Kobe didn’t have Pau Gasol or Shaquille O’Neal, he would not have had five rings right now. His inability to coexist with Shaq led to the team’s separation and the end of something that could have been much bigger.

Kobe Bryant is the poster boy for the “alpha dog” moniker in the NBA. At least, he was. With time, he has learned that success in basketball cannot be had by an individual player. It takes a TEAM effort to win, a theory some people don’t seem to subscribe to with all of this “who’s the best player” talk.

Kobe’s worst years in the league came after Shaq left the Lakers. Kobe was a mess. Yes, he was the proverbial alpha dog during that period. But what happened? He had no supporting cast. A guy as proud and talented as Kobe wasn’t very accepting of the team because they weren’t clicking and they weren’t winning. He didn’t think his team could win. Those are the ingredients of an 81-point game. Those are also the ingredients of ill-advised and hasty trade demands. He almost became a Bull for those of you who forgot.

Once the Lakers were gift-wrapped Paul Gasol from the Grizzlies, they were considered instant championship contenders. Why? One, because they have Kobe, and two because they received a second top-tier talent to HELP the TEAM win. And the rest is history. Kobe will be the first one to point to the reason why he has had recent success.

As everyone is well aware, Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh are all on the same team now after being the number one option on their previous teams. One of the many questions that they have received is “who will get the ball in crunch time” or “how will your egos coexist with each other?” Look, these guys are buddies. They will have no problem stepping aside and letting the other have the limelight. In the end, who cares if James, Wade, Bosh, or even Mike Miller gets the ball in crunch time? As Coach Herm Edwards uttered the infamous phrase: “You play to win the game.” It’s as simple as that. If you don’t go into it with that kind of mindset, then you won’t get much accomplished. These guys joined forces to win. That’s what they care about most. I’m pretty sure they aren’t that torn apart about leaving their teams for greener pastures. Did James and Bosh give up and bail on their teams? Yes. Do they have a greater opportunity to win now as opposed to where they were? Absolutely. And it’s all because they want to win and they went after the greatest chance to do so. James had a great team in Cleveland. By all accounts, he could have won there had he stuck around in my opinion. Bosh had a mediocre team in Toronto. He couldn’t have won there, so he left.

Amare Stoudemire was in a great situation with a Hall of Fame point guard in Steve Nash, but he fled to the Knicks, partly because he wanted to be the alpha dog. There’s that pesky phrase again. When three guys forfeit their position as the featured guy on a team and join together (i.e. James, Wade, and Bosh), they form a force to be reckoned with. When one guy leaves a successful team to join another not so successful one to get more money and to be a go-to guy (i.e. Stoudemire), then you get a team in flux that won’t win many games. I applaud James and Bosh’s decision to play with one another. They will be sacrificing point production, but they will be gaining so much more. It’s a no-brainer.

I struggle to understand the people who criticize Bosh and especially James for not staying loyal to their teams and trying to win a title by themselves. I’m all for the loyalty part, but these guys aren’t trying to “win one by themselves.” It’s a team game!

How many elite talents in the NBA have won a title without another elite talent? None! Not one! Let’s look at the past champions: the Lakers (Bryant and Gasol; Bryant and Shaq), Celtics (Garnett, Pierce, and Allen), Heat (Wade and Shaq), Spurs (Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker), Pistons (…their whole starting lineup!), Bulls (Jordan and Pippen), Rockets (Olajuwon, Smith, and Drexler). Do you see what I’m getting at? Not only do you need more than one elite athlete, but you need a cohesive unit that complements each other’s game. That’s one of the main reasons why “Miami Thrice” came to fruition. Shortly after Lebron made is ill-conceived “Decision,” people were already asking if the Heat were now favorites to win it all. Well, at that point there were only four guys committed and under contract for the team (James, Wade, Bosh, and Mario Chalmers)! I don’t think they had much of a shot with players on the roster, but that’s just me.

Next time you question Lebron’s or Kobe’s motives, understand what they are striving towards. Understand their competitive drive. Understand their hunger for success. Understand, ultimately, their desire to put to death the “alpha dog.”

By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network

Where’s the love for Dwayne Wade? One vote? Really? Wade, with the right supporting cast, is just as effective as Lebron is. I am absolutely baffled at everyone groveling at the feet of this media and self-pronounced King when he hasn’t won anything. Wade showed that he could get it done in crunch time, hence the championship jewelry to show for it. I mean, sure, Lebron is talented. No one can take that away from him. He just doesn’t have that killer instinct that other players like Kobe and Wade have. He just doesn’t.

When Wade gets hot, you could see it. Take for example his game against the Celtics in the playoffs last spring where he was torching the net. He looked at his hand and proclaimed that it was hot! When Kobe gets hot, you can just see the reckless abandoned look in his eyes. He knows that he is going to score and no one can stop him.

People will think I am spouting blasphemy here, but Dwyane Wade is every bit as good as Lebron James. Both of these guys are born bread scorers and distributors. I think they will play well off of each other this coming year. Chris Bosh will probably be averaging 25+ points a game because of the open and easy buckets he will get from the defense scrambling trying to contain James and Wade. All I’m saying is stop proclaiming James to be the godsend of modern basketball and take a closer look at the teammate he has who has already been to the mountaintop of basketball glory.

By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network