Kevin Durant: 31.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists. Kevin Durant has been getting better and better throughout the month of January, averaging 37.8 points over the last ten games. Durant hasn’t been playing against just below .500 teams either stepping up against top teams such as the Heat, Spurs, Warriors and Trail Blazers. Durant has truly stated his claim for MVP and if he keeps this up he will be a sure pick to win it.
This game is the unstoppable force against the immovable object. The best offence vs the best defence. And usually in these tussles, it’s the other side of the ball that decides the outcome. Who wins out of Denver’s D and Seattle’s O? San Diego, Indianapolis, New England and almost Dallas have shown the way to beat Denver – you gotta draw them into a shootout and get them...
It’s reached that point of the NBA calendar where the All-Star starters are announced, and over the years this has proven to be a controversial topic. Is Tim Duncan a center or a power forward? Should MJ really be starting over Vince? Should we eliminate fan voting? And to really go back, is it even safe for Magic Johnson to be playing? (For the record, the answers are power forward, yes, no, and yes).
The very nature of the fan-driven voting process means that inevitably people get flustered when their favourite players are overlooked despite having an MVP-worthy season (Steph Curry) in favour of cult players on the decline (Duncan, Garnett) or players from huge markets (Yao Ming, Jeremy Lin). Every year without doubt fan forums and friend circles are divided along the lines of promoting who they believe deserves the nod, and players themselves have been known to try and rustle up a few votes via campaigns such as “Show Kevin some Love” and Chris Bosh’s memorable 2008 video dressed as a used-car salesman.
The campaigning and champagning is over now though so I’m going to give my rundown on the 2014 starters for both conferences – who snuck in by reverse psychology, who is the biggest surprise and who is the least deserving? Let’s find out...
Unfortunately fans can’t vote on the uniforms. These are terrible.
PG: Steph Curry. Steph has been balling out of his mind recently, averaging a league-leading 3.2 threes a game and a second-best 9.2 assists, leading Kevin Durant to call him the greatest shooter in NBA history. With stats like these and his stroke as wet as it is, it’s hard to disagree with him. After being robbed last year of a reserve slot this starting spot is well deserved, especially after Chris Paul’s unfortunate injury. Prediction: Could set new record for most 3’s in the game.
SG: Kobe Bryant. This is perhaps the most inevitable selection despite the fact he’s only played in a handful of games all year, due to the overwhelming support he has worldwide. Fans will vote for him based on name and legend alone until he retires, despite him going on record as saying that they should vote for younger, more deserving players like Damien Lillard. He’s announced that he’ll sit out the game in order to avoid injury, so don’t get your hopes up for a repeat performance of his two late game blocks on LeBron from last year. Prediction: James Harden will replace him in the starting lineup and set a record for most wild head flails.
SF: Kevin Durant. KD. Durantula. The Slim Reaper. Whichever nickname you want to use for him (Slim Reaper is by far the best) this guy simply gets it done on a night to night basis. Leading the league in scoring, nearly 7 feet tall and one of the most clutch performers in the game, Durant is the favourite for MVP and arguably the 2nd best player in basketball. I don’t think he’s the most exciting player in the world, probably due to how easy he makes it all look and lack of true highlight reel dunks, but his matchup against either Paul George or LeBron will be the most anticipated of the night. Prediction: Tweets about his disdain for the Slim Reaper moniker will overshadow his game.
PF: Blake Griffin. For purely personal reasons, this is the first selection I’m not thrilled with. Maybe it’s because I’m a Lakers fan, maybe it’s because I hate his stupid blank face after every dunk he does, and maybe it’s his stumpy little arms. Whatever the reason, I think Blake is somewhat overrated. Whilst undeniably a great dunker, I think people overestimate his true offensive capabilities due to how easy it must be to play next to Chris Paul, and his defence is average at best. Having said that, he’s tailor-made for the all-flash no substance nature of All-Star games, so perhaps he deserves this spot after all. Prediction: blank face mean mugging after a barrage of alley-oops.
C: Kevin Love. This is my biggest surprise of the night and the selection that I’m most pleased about, although again this may have something to do with the fact that I’m a Lakers fan so I’m bound to hope that Dwight Howard fails at everything he does. Kevin Love is perhaps my second favourite player in the league, because watching a short unathletic white guy outrebound and outscore hyper-athletes like Dwight and Blake never gets old. An absolute terror on the glass and a bomber from deep, K-Love is probably the most well-rounded PF in the game (sorry Lamarcus) and is also the only white guy in either starting line-up. Prediction/Hope: gets traded to the Lakers.
PG: Kyrie Irving. Kyrie largely claims this spot by default as the East is so devoid of talent that the only other real challengers were Kyle Lowry in Toronto and John Wall in Washington, both of whom aren’t as well-known as the guy who was meant to fill LeBrons shoes in Cleveland. He slipped off the radar a bit early in the season and people were questioning whether he’d ever really be a truly great player, but he’s putting up nice enough numbers now to warrant the start. Prediction: Will break someone’s ankles like he did to Brandon Knight in the Rookie Challenge
SG: Dwayne Wade. It really shows the state of the Eastern conference and the SG spot in general when a guy who will rest for multiple games at a time can still comfortably be an All-Star starter. Sure, he’s averaging nearly 20 ppg, but I can’t help but feel that someone like Aaron Afflalo is at risk of being criminally overlooked for even being a reserve when he could arguably be a starter. Either way, I can’t see D-Wade playing very long with his knees in the state they are, so don’t expect fireworks. Prediction: Will barely play unless it’s a close game in the 4th.
SF1: LeBron James. It’s LeBron. Definitely the best player to come out of a stacked 2003 draft, and almost definitely the best player in the NBA (and the world) right now – what else is there to say? Prediction: If the East win (which they won’t), he’ll be the MVP.
SF2: Paul George. PG24 has always flown under the radar somewhat, putting up good enough stat lines and being a crucial part of an Indiana team that has always threatened to break out, but wasn’t really a household name until he absolutely took it to LeBron and the Heat in the playoffs last year. This year he’s continued along the same lines, racking up monster game after monster game and being both an offence and defensive lynchpin for the team I think is the best in the league. Plus, did you see his 360 windmill jam recently? Woowee... Prediction: Will throw down at least one ridiculous dunk.
SF3: Carmelo Anthony. On a Knicks team that is carrying on their tradition of mediocrity, Melo is the only bright point. If you watch any NY games, he’ll be the only guy who’s diving on balls, getting putbacks, and generally doing all the small things that you need to do in order to actually win some games. This shows with the fact that despite playing alongside two 7 footers and being moved from the PF spot he played last year, he’s averaging around 9 rebounds a game which is pretty incredible. Three SFs in the starting lineup means he’ll probably be asked to guard K-Love, which could be an interesting matchup, but could also mean the East gets killed on the boards. Prediction: Will thoroughly enjoy playing with team mates that actually have some talent.
So there we have it, your 2014 NBA All-Star starters. On paper it seems that the West will destroy the East, particularly when the reserves come on, but being an All-Star game it really comes down to who can actually be bothered putting in any effort during the first 3 quarters. Look for hometown hero Anthony Davis to get voted in by the coaches and receive huge playing time, and for Boogie Cousins to be the biggest snub. Prediction: West take it easily, with The Brow being the early favourite for MVP.
Supposing Carmelo Anthony doesn’t re-sign with the Knicks, and that this stage we’re not expecting him to (though his wife is…), where does he end up? Melo is undoubtedly a top 20 player in the league, potentially a top 10 guy even, yet a lot of people are really cold on him joining their teams. The thing is that Melo sits on the low end of the franchise player radar, so to get him means, for most teams, he’d have to be, for salary reasons and ego reasons, the best player on the team, and who honestly thinks you can win a title with Melo as your best player? This is why the Bulls are such an enticing option for the neutrals. They have Derrick Rose, who’s the go to guy when fit, but still have the cap room and motivation for Melo, who they’d presumably convert back to a catch and shoot type player. Imagine an opening day line-up of Rose, Anthony, Noah, Boozer and Butler. That’s your best shot, Melo.
Kerron Johnson (Photosport)
Points K. Tiggs 24 (WOL), R. Clarke 23 (WOL), K. Johnson 21 (NZB), D. Gruber 21 (WOL)
Rebounds M. Vukona 6 (NZB), T. Abercrombie 6 (NZB), several with 5
Assists T. Coenraad 7 (WOL), C. Webster 5 (NZB), L. Davidson 4 (WOL), G. Wilkinson 4 (NZB)
Steals C. Webster 3 (NZB), several with 2
Blocks D. Gruber 3 (WOL), several with 1
A beautifully executed offensive possession (after a missed field goal) culminates in a wide open 3 pointer for Kerron Johnson, who sinks the dagger blow late on:
Gary Wilkinson 3
Tom Abercrombie 2
Kerron Johnson 1
Corey Webster 1
Mika Vukona 1
Mika Vukona 27
Kerron Johnson 23
Gary Wilkinson 22
Tom Abercrombie 19
Alex Pledger 10
Thursday, 7.30pm: NZ Breakers vs Sydney Kings, Vector Arena (NZT)
Fresh Prince
Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder31.0ppg, 7.7rpg, 5.1apg)
LeBron James (Miami Heat, 26.2ppg, 6.7rpg, 6.5apg)
LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland Trailblazers, 24.2ppg, 11.2rpg),g
Paul George (Indiana Pacers, 23.3ppg, 6.2rpg)
Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs 18.4ppg, 6.3apg)
Chris Paul (LA Clippers, 19.6ppg, 11.2apg)
Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors, 23.5ppg, 9.2apg, 4.6rpg)
Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves, 25.0ppg, 13.0rpg, 4.1apg)
Beautiful
It’s been a while since my last entry but not much has changed atop the MVP watch. Kevin Durant has been sublime averaging 31.0 points per game and nearly averaging 50-40-90 (percentages for field goals, 3 pointers and free throws). It would also be rude not to mention his ridiculous form, scoring 30+ in his past nine games including a NBA season high 54 point game against the Warriors. The best player in the world continues to get better however I think we are still yet too see the best out of LeBron this year. LaMarcus Aldridge has led the Trailblazers to a 31-11 record, sitting 3rd in the Western Conference. There is no doubt the all star has been imperative to their success and rightfully a MVP contender. Paul George is a strong candidate for MVP and his continued improvement on offense and stout defense has led the Pacers to a league leading 33-8 record.
His Airness
Kevin Durant: 31 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists. Durant has to be the leading candidate for MVP this season; his recent outburst over the month of January has been simply remarkable. From his pull-up three pointers to his impressive finishes in traffic he is showing us why he is the best offensive player in the game at the moment. He’s been averaging an unbelievable 37 points over the last ten games.
LeBron James: 26.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.5 assists. After revealing his jealously over Durant’s amount of shot attempts LeBron has increased his averaging shot attempts to 19 over the last five games. This however, has had almost no impact on his average points per game and makes you wonder if he really can shoot the ball more while still making over 50% of his shots.
Stephen Curry: 23.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 9.2 assists. Curry continues to be impressive this season nearly averaging a double-double. Curry places third on the MVP ladder because he is such a vital part of his team. Curry has one of the biggest on-off court differentials meaning that without him on the court the Warriors turn the ball over more, score less points and simply are not a team that looks like it could challenge for a title. Miami have the big three, the Thunder have Durant and Westbrook (when healthy) and the Warriors have Curry.
Not so beautiful
FP -Oklahoma City Thunder + Kevin Durant
The Oklahoma City Thunder have won five games straight, one would assume Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook must both be playing well. However the Thunder are without their standout point guard and the ‘Durantula’ has been in ominous form. Nine straight 30+ point performances includingthree 40 point games and one 54 point performance. Durant has been playing at an MVP level and leading the Thunder who are now atop the western conference.
Brooklyn Nets
Finally Brooklyn are starting to play some good basketball going 8-2 in their past 10 games. Due to the mediocrity of the eastern conference, their 18-22 record is good for 7th in the East. Jason Kidd is finally getting a handle on his role as head coach and with the experience of Joe Johnson, Deron Williams, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce this could be one dangerous team come playoff time.
FP - Brooklyn Nets
Oklahoma City Thunder
Houston Rockets
Chicago Bulls
HA - Oklahoma City Thunder. You can’t go past the Thunder this week, over the last week they have beat four of the top eight teams in the Western Conference putting them back on top of the West. When Westbrook whet down things did not look good for the Thunder but with Durant leading the way they are looking better than ever.
Phoenix Suns. With injuries to Eric Bledsoe and Emeka Okafor you wouldn’t expect much out of the Suns, however, it has been the complete opposite. They dominated the Pacers today and with a current record over .500 (24-17) the Suns could well be a contender to make the post season in the West.
FP - New York Knicks
New Orleans Pelicans
Orlando Magic
Milwaukee Bucks
HA- New York Knicks. The Knicks looked like they were getting back on track a week ago, however, this has all changed with a shocking five loss streak. This was capped off by a dismal performance against one of the worst teams in the NBA, the Philadelphia 76ers.
Durant vs Warriors (54pts, 6ast, 19-28 FG, 5-9 3PT, 11-13FT)
I know I’ve already mentioned this man a few times already this week but his performance against the Golden State Warriors was a memorable one. 54 points while matched up against one of the best perimeter defenders in the game in Andre Igoudala. Durant has been fun to watch and doesn’t look like slowly up anytime soon.
Play of the week this week goes to Paul George for his 360 windmill dunk versus the Clippers. There have been many impressive dunks this year but in my mind this is the best one so far.
FP - DeMarDeRozan
If you asked most basketball pundits who the top five scoring guards are in the NBA very few would mention DeMarDeRozan. The shooting guard from the Raptors is playing well for Toronto averaging 21.3 points per game. The Raptors are often overlooked and although their 21-20 record sounds ordinary it is good enough for 4th in the Eastern Conference. DeRozan is still very young and the highflyer is certainly one to watch!
HA - LaMarcus Aldridge
If you didn’t follow the NBA closely you probably wouldn’t know much about Aldridge. He’s averaging 24.2 points and 11.6 rebounds he has earned his place on many MVP watch lists. Despite this he is still my undercover brother.
There are plenty of things to watch for in the upcoming weeks as we approach All-Star weekend (February 14-16) and also the trade deadline (February 21). Trade rumors are starting to pop up and often become hard to follow but I expect a few big trades as playoff contenders look to fill holes in their roster and non-playoff contenders either look to reload to make a run for the playoffs or cut their losses and unload salaries or acquire draft picks. In terms of All-Star weekend, fringe all-stars will be looking to make their case for selection. In case you hadn’t heard Rajon Rondo is being bled back into action for the Boston Celtics after he tore his ACL nearly a year ago now.
Spurs @ Hawks on Saturday
Clippers @ Raptors on Sunday
Spurs @ Heat on Monday
Trailblazers @ Warriors on Monday
Spurs @ Rockets on Wednesday
Thunder @ Heat on Thursday
A number of games to watch in this upcoming week, but there are three in particular to add to your schedule.
The San Antonio Spurs travel to Miami on Monday to take on LeBron James and the Heat. This will be a good indicator of how good each squad as, being after mid-season both teams will want too get a win over the other before all-star break.
LaMarcus Aldridge and the Portland Trailblazers meet their Western Conference rival the Golden State Warriors on Monday. I’m looking forward to the point guard matchup in this one with both Damian Lillard and Steph Curry capable of lighting it up as well as pushing for an All-Star spot.
The final game to watch is on Thursday and one that many would have marked in their calendar when the schedule first came out. The two best players in the world meet in Miami in a rematch of the 2011-12 NBA finals. This rivalry has been fun to watch since LeBron arrived in Miami and is shaping up to be another classic.
The Denver Broncos were too good for the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks outlasted the San Francisco 49ers on the back of a strong second half. Richard Sherman went mental, Tom Brady just looked sad, Peyton Manning’s heart rate never rose above 90 and it was all majestic and enthralling and perfect. Now we have to waste a week with the Pro Bowl, but following that we have an amazing Superbowl 48 on the cards. The best offence vs the best defence. And the two best performing teams of the regular season. When was the last time that happened? Probably not since 2009, the last time that Peyton was there, when his dad’s old team New Orleans beat the Colts in Florida. It’s gonna be special…
You probably stumbled upon this video at some point yesterday, maybe you were even lucky enough to see it live. Richard Sherman, Seattle cornerback, absolutely dumping all of his rage, excitement and rivalry on ESPN’s Erin Andrews, declaring himself the ‘BEST CORNER IN THE GAME!’ and ridiculing San Francisco wide receiver Michael Crabtree in...
Only three games remain in the NFL season, ladies and gentlemen (obviously excluding the overhyped farce that is the pro-bowl), and I’m not sure it’s possible to even comprehend a better pair of games than what we’ll be served up on Monday (NZT). It begins here with what may well prove be the last truly meaningful meeting between the two greatest quarterbacks of the generation, perhaps ever...
Kevin Durant (NBA.com)
Nighthawk
Kevin Durant . 29.8pts, 8.1reb, 4.9ast
KD has been on a tear as of late, after losing Russell Westbrook for six weeks (expected back after the All Star break) he is not going to let his team down by dropping games. Instead he’s putting the team on his back and is averaging an amazing 34.5pts 8.3reb and 5.3ast over the last 10 games proving that he can do everything LeBron does and doing arguably even better.
Paul George , 22.8pts, 6.2reb, 3.6ast
Paul George is proving he’s a superstar in this league, he’s now a great 2 way player and can be labelled as an elite small forward in the league. He has been leading his team well all year and has not slowed down and showing that he does whatever it takes to win, he is the leading the league in second half scoring and is still a lockdown defender every night.
LeBron James , 26.0pts, 6.5ast, 6.6reb
LeBron has been playing well of late but his Heat team are slowing down currently on a 3 game losing streak and posting a 5-5 record over there last 10 games and to make matters worse those 3 games were against teams with a losing record.
Carmelo Anthony 26.0pts, 8.8reb, 3.1ast
Carmelo has been putting the Knicks on his back. 2014 has come and the ice cold Knicks went on a 5 game streak until their loss to the Bobcats but over those games he was carrying his team and was the reason the Knicks still has a fighting chance at making the playoffs this season. They are currently sitting 10th in the extremely weak Eastern Conference but recent signs from Carmelo have them on the rise.
His Airness
Things have changed a lot over the past few weeks, with key injuries such as Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook as well as the top teams starting to slump. Teams will no doubt look forward to go into the All Star break to refresh and hopefully get some momentum back. With that said, the MVP watch stays much the same. However there are a few changes. Stephen Curry, arguably the number one point guard in the game while Chris Paul recovers from a shoulder injury moves his way into the MVP watch. Averaging 23 points and 9.3 assists a game, Curry moves into a very exclusive category of players averaging in the top ten of two categories. Obviously LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kevin Love remain in the MVP watch. Durant who has had to step up recently with the injury of Westbrook is averaging 33 points over the last five games. Lastly Carmelo Anthony makes his first appearance in my MVP watch currently averaging 26 points per game, 8 boards and 3 assists and leading the Knicks to a much needed five game winning streak.
NH - Toronto Raptors
The Raptors are on the rise and have been playing very well since the trade of Rudy Gay, They have gone 7-3 over their last 10 and their 19-18 record has them slotted in at 4th in the East and with the Hawks slowing down they might be able to leap frog into 3rd if they keep playing the way have been. DeMar DeRozan has been the leading the scoring for them at 21.3 per game and although his scoring hasn’t changed since Gay’s departure his increased ball handling duties has served him well. He is showing a more complete all around game and is proving that he is one of the best shooting guards in the league. Kyle Lowry has been playing really well also this season, especially over the past 10 games he’s averaging 17.8pts 8.2ast and 4.5reb contributing to make this team that was once thought to be in the running for a high lottery pick into being one of best teams in the East.
HA - Toronto Raptors are my team on the rise with a record of 7-3 over the last 10 games. When they traded Rudy Gay to the Kings things didn’t look so great for the Raptors but with Gay gone they are looking like a much better team.
San Antonio Spurs are back on top of the Western Conference, losing only one game in their last 10. The Spurs are looking like title contender again. The consistency and depth they are showing is a credited to their coach Greg Popovich who has put in place a system that wins no matter who the players on the court are.
NH - New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans have been a team that hasn’t had anything go their way this season after being the most active team in the offseason. They were thought to be a team with a lot of young talent and a team that would have a lot of improvement in them, but they can’t get their players healthy after losing emerging star Anthony Davis early in the season. After his return, they have now lost their star point guard Jrue Holiday for at least month and their shooting power forward Ryan Anderson for an extended period of time. Having Tyreke Evans being in and out of the line up with a nagging ankle injury is also not helping the cause. The Pelicans are a young team with lots of promise and some say one piece away from being a playoff team but can’t seem to be a team that stays healthy. They are on a 7 game losing streak and seem like they are pointing downward at the moment.
HA - Many teams are facing a slide in their performances over the January period most notably the current champions the Miami Heat. LeBron James said that chasing the three peat has been mentally and physically exhausting for Miami which may explain the slump in performance. Although having only a three game-losing streak is not that bad, it is the quality of teams they have played with all three opponents currently being below .500.
Milwaukee, New Orleans, Orlando and Los Angeles are all teams on the slide, Milwaukee being the worst of them winning only 7 games this season.
NH - DeMarcus Cousins
DeMarcus Cousins has been a beast lately proving he should definitely get a spot in the All Star team as he is playing like he’s the best center in the game right now. Cousins averages 23.4pts, 11.6reb, 3.1ast over the season but as of late he’s been averaging 25.8pts, 13.4reb and 2.6ast per game over the last 10 games and also has his Kings team trending upward lately over that 10 game stretch his Kings are 6-4. While the playoffs are a bit of stretch for them he is proving that their current 14-23 record has not been because he isn’t playing well. Cousins is a player that has been touted to have all the talent but his attitude issues have been the main thing slowing him down, this season he has shown positive signs of him growing up and his current play is a good way to indicate that. He has made it very clear he wants to be an All Star and his play recently and all season shows that despite his team’s struggles he’s definitely a player that deserves to be in it. I think he should make it and would definitely be the one of the biggest All Star snubs if he doesn’t make it.
HA - DeMarcus Cousins is also my undercover brother, playing in the struggling but improving Kings team he currently averages 23 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block per game. With a new mentor Shaquile O’Neal, look for Cousins to develop into one of the most feared centres in the game
DeMarcus "Boogie" Cousins
Mystery Doctor
There have been a few interesting storylines in recent weeks that have kept respective fans on their toes. We’ll start with Rajon Rondo who is moving ever closer to a return. The Celtics have understandably not been very good this season and the return of Rondo will be a big moment for all Celtic fans. With many talented players in the upcoming draft, the Celtics must be attracted to a bottom spot but how will Rondo’s return help or hinder their future prospects? They were involved in a big trade that saw them part ways with Jordan Crawford and Marshon Brooks and welcome Joel Anthony. This sees the Celtics making space for Rondo, saving some cash and also receiving draft picks. I can’t wait to see how the Celtics rebuild goes and whether Danny Ainge is super smart or just dumb.
A few other stories to follow are the Brooklyn Nets who look to have a few things sorted out as they string a few wins together. The ongoing drama between the Knicks and JR Smith. This saw Smith lash out verbally after he was kept on the bench, could the Knicks part ways with Smith? The reigning 6th man of the year is a bit of a dick really. Lastly, the Golden State Warriors continue to impress. Can they march on and contend for a title? The arrival of Jordan Crawford must help a bit and it will be exciting to see how this group handles the challenge.
And to finish, some visual stimulation for the NBA faithful. Courtesy of NBA.com, here are the top 10 clutch shots of December:
And the top 10 dunks of December too:
