hoop update: Worth noting several statement games yesterday. Toronto, wins their 6th straight...all without DeRozan their leading scorer. The raps offense is sick.Casey for sure a COY candidate. They beat up on the hapless knicks. Then NOLO leads, gives up lead, but comes back to beat OKC. (sans Durant....dinged up AGAIN). This was a big game for the pelicans. AD scores 38. Hes my MVP right now. So....memphis loses...to cavs, but Griz dont have Zbo or Tony Allen right now. This was my fear for memphis.............its an old team and old teams start to have injuries at the half way mark of the season. My prediction was that Houston falls......out of playoffs maybe. Who sneaks in that wasnt there last year? Suns or NOLO. Suns statement game was beating the Wizards. In washington. Now this was supposed to be a bad match up for Phoenix. A smallish team vs a giant team. But nice game from Alex Len and a good one from miles plumlee too. But most of all, another big game from Dragic who seems to have his mojo back. So...........in the West.......golden state and portland at the top. Spurs are decimated by injury right now. Again...old teams. OKC...well, OKC has games where they look unbeatable, and then games where their problems are badly exposed. Then Dallas.....with Rondo. That backcourt of Monta Ellis and Rondo is pretty nasty now. Those are the power teams i think. Memphis we shall see. Then.....the battle for the last seeds...NOLO, Suns, Houston, Clippers....and you have to figure clips wont fall that much. But they arent contenders right now. The west is so brutal. In the east.....its Raps and Wizards and Hawks. How good is atlanta? This is the question. Then Chicago and Cleveland. The problem for chicago is that Rose just isnt the same guy. And im not sure he wants to play honestly. Thibs rotations are weird. But boy, Mirotic is a stud. I love Mirotic.....could end up rookie of year. So who is better, washington or atlanta? I dont know. Honestly. Wizards are flawed....but john wall is in the MVP race, honestly. They lack a third option. Its beal and wall.......and then who? Atlanta has Horford, milsap, and the Teague, Schroder, Mack backcourt. But theyhave great role players. Antic, and Mike Scott and Korver. So tonight...the best offense in the league...dallas, vs the best defense over the last three weeks...atlanta. Toronto on a back to back has to play chicago IN chicago. Thats an interesting game. But back to backs...........death. Poor spurs played back to back TRIPLE overtimes.......hasnt happened since 1960 im told. They lost. Rookie updates...INJURY. Look at this..julius randle, jabari parker, doug mcdermott, and for a while marcus smart....and aaron gordon. Never seen rooks hit so hard by season ending injuries. Philly beat orlando. Props again to KJ McDaniels...but i have to admit, nerlans noel had a big game. The problem in orlando? Point guard. I said before, why dont they get a vet back up?? Payton is a kid i was never totally on board with. Good defender....big.....decent handle...but only decent.........but an ugly shot. he simply cannot shoot. But hes young...played in small conference in college. But right now, its hurting orlando. Magic and utah are talented teams but both lack point guards./ who are best point guards in the league? Id say....John Wall, Damion Lillard....then parker..then Curry....then Rondo and Dragic and Lowry. Then CP3, still...barely......but yeah........the thing that shown his age is his defense. His offense is still killer. And then Bledsoe and mike conley. Now, that leaves out Westbrook.........but im not sure Russ is really a point guard. But even if we say he is, hes #11. Id get arguments about that I know. Centers? There are three....Gasol, Cousins, and Noah. Far and away. Then i dont know..Howard,,,maybe....young guys...Adams, Dieng, Valanciunus......len and plumlee maybe...Vucevic.....and then robin lopez is up there, and Jordan. Hibbert then, and Gortat. Its hard to evalute guys like Gortat. They know their role. They are effective. Same with Vucevic and Lopez. Will be interesting to see what orlando has to pay Vucevic. His contract is up next year. Kobe 8 for 30 and 9 turnovers. and to be fair to danny ainge...he has a huge number of first round picks in the next three drafts. His draft record, as i said before, SUCKS........but still. He has managed to collect those picks. (hey, lakers and knicks and nets.....). and a good piece on injuries.............si/edge/2014/12/18/why-so-many-injuries-be-surprised-there-arent-more?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=NBA%20National%20Newsletter&utm_campaign=GMIB%2012%2F22%2F2014
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 13:15:23 +0000
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