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”.

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.

Late in the season Steve Nash finally decided Marcin Gortat being the second best player on his team was unacceptable.

“Hopefully the opportunity falls upon me to play with a team that contends,” Nash told USA Today Sports as the 2011-2012 NBA regular season neared its end.

The Suns certainly won’t be contenders next year so Nash will almost certainly be leaving to play somewhere else. But where?

The most likely destination could be Orlando where the Magic have desperately looked for a partner to pair with Dwight Howard. If they’re smart they’ll do anything they can to avoid the circus of last season and that most likely means landing a big name player this summer.

There have been rumors that Nash would consider the Heat, but that would involve a large pay cut and make people hate the Heat more then they’re already hated. This scenario seems unlikely.

The best situation for Nash that I haven’t heard mentioned yet is (drumroll please…) the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks crave a leader like a fat kid craves cake. Again, this would involve Nash taking a large pay cut, but he’d be surrounded with loads of talent. The Hawks could finally make amends for passing on Chris Paul and Deron Williams for Marvin Williams in the 2005 draft and Nash to Josh Smith would become the second best alley-oop combo in the league (behind CP3 and Blake). A starting line up of Nash, Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith and Al Horford would be among the best in the East.

Kevin Durant is the NBA’s next big thing. Russell Westbrook is an up and coming point guard. The Oklahoma City Thunder are the greatest threat to dethrone the Lakers out west. These were the headlines and assumptions during the 2010 offseason.

With all of that being said, what is the reality?

Well, in reality, Durant can still score at will. He is currently the scoring leader with 28.4 points per game in this young season. But that’s nothing new. The MVP-favorite status is certainly justifiable so far.

In reality, Westbrook has stepped up his game from a year ago. He is currently ninth in the league in scoring at 23.5 points per game all the while maintaining a steady 7.7 assists per game. It is a considerable spike from a year ago in which he averaged 16 points and 8 assists per game. The Thunder do not have to rely solely on Durant to close games anymore. Westbrook, and now even Jeff Green, can provide timely buckets in the clutch when the game is on the line.

Also in reality, the Thunder are an ordinary 6-4 through the first ten games of the season. Their losses include puzzling blowouts to the Jazz and Clippers as well as tough defeats to the Celtics and Spurs. They are surely not playing like the west’s best bet to challenge the Lakers.

In order for this young, still learning Thunder team to compete with the Lakers this year and to live up to their unrealistic expectations, they will need to play some better defense. In eight of their first ten games, the Thunder have allowed their opponents to score over 100 points. In Sunday’s loss to the Spurs, their inability to guard the perimeter ultimately doomed them as Matt Bonner and Co. ripped off an 11-for-20 clip from behind the arc.

But it’s not just their perimeter defense that’s reeling. Their interior and fastbreak defense has been poor as well. With no real low post threat on either side of the ball, it will be hard for the Thunder to keep up with the bigs other elite teams are peddling. Nenad Krstic at seven feet is their tallest and most effective player in the post, but he gets most of his points 10 feet away from the basket on jumpers.

So what can the Thunder do to remedy this? Bring in Dwight Howard of course!

While the idea of Howard playing with Durant and Westbrook would cause any Thunder or basketball fan to drool, it obviously cannot happen this year. Howard would be the perfect fit on this team, atoning for their defensive shortcomings and providing a legitimate post game. However, this idea is not so farfetched within the next two years.

Howard’s contract with the Magic ends after the 2011-2012 season, lockout or no lockout. Magic GM Otis Smith plans to offer him a contract extension during the summer of 2011, a year before the contract expires.
Howard has said in the past he wants to stay in Orlando forever. Back when he signed a five-year deal in 2007, he expressed his desire to retire in a Magic uniform. But, as we all have “witnessed” this summer, there may be an extenuating circumstance.

As we all know, superstars are everything but candid with fans and media. LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony are some recent examples of guys waxing poetic about their current state with a franchise without ever divulging too much information pertaining to their true feelings. When asked if he planned on signing the proposed extension next summer, Howard said, “I can’t answer that. I mean, I love Orlando. I don’t want to leave.”

The Magic have been title contenders for a couple of years now, but have always been a win or a superstar too little. The Celtics and Lakers have bullied them into submission the last two years. It begs the question: if the Magic fall short again this year, will Howard’s feelings toward Orlando change given no major moves are made? Rashard Lewis seems to be declining, Jameer Nelson is a good, but not great, point guard, and Vince Carter is nearing the end of his career as a productive contributor.

Will Howard be any different than James was in his decision making process (minus the theatrics of course)? It will be interesting to see if the Magic do not move any closer to a championship.

Howard on the Thunder is a possibility in the near future, whether it is through a trade scenario or a free agent signing in 2012. If somehow this ridiculous pipedream were to come to fruition, the Thunder would have a perennial title contending team for sure. They could seriously win multiple titles with the young, talented, and growing pieces around them, unlike what the Heat have in three stars and everyone else.

For now, let it soak in: Dwight Howard on the Oklahoma City Thunder with Durant and Co. Talk about an opponent’s nightmare…

By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network

Defense is the epitome of a successful team. Without it, a team does not win, simply put. Usually there is an anchor on any great defensive team, and usually it is a big man. The Magic have the ball devouring Dwight Howard. The Spurs have the lane-clogging, shot-altering Tim Duncan.

However, there has been a new trend of shifty little men disrupting passing lanes and playing great defense using their lateral quickness. Players that have shaped the mold for their teams include Chris Paul of the Hornets and Rajon Rondo of the Celtics. These guys disrupt an offense to the point of the play bankruptcy.

Dwight Howard has won the defensive player of the year award in back-to-back seasons. He is the first player in league history to lead the league in rebounds and blocked shots in the same season twice. Better yet, he has done it in back-to-back seasons. The question is, can he do it again? There is no slowing down for this guy. I think he will win it again this year unless Andrew Bogut of the Bucks can duplicate what Howard has done. He had a solid year last year until his horrific elbow injury sidelined him for the season. Josh Smith will always be a contender to win the award, but until proven otherwise, this is Howard’s to lose right now. He is a defensive juggernaut.

Up next is my pick for the most improved player. Stay tuned.

By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network

Dwight Howard won his second straight NBA defensive player of the year award Tuesday after becoming the only player to lead the league in blocks and rebounds in the same season twice — let alone in consecutive years.

The Orlando Magic’s All-Star center received 576 total points, including 110 first-place votes from a panel of 122 writers and broadcasters. Atlanta’s Josh Smith was second with 136 points, and Charlotte’s Gerald Wallace finished third with 113 points.

Already the youngest player ever with two NBA defensive player of the year awards, just how many could he eventually win?

During a news conference to announce the honor, Magic general manager Otis Smith raised his hands, all 10 fingers dangling. Howard laughed, smiled and nodded his head.

Click here to read the full article – By ESPN.com news services of ESPN.com