Who Wants To Play In Memphis?

Memphis - Where Nothing Happens...

With the NBA Draft upon us, the question on everyone’s lips is who will go after Blake Griffin at the number two pick to the Grizzlies?  And more importantly who wants to?

The consensus view is that the first debatable pick of the draft will be a toss-up between Hasheem Thabeet and Ricky Rubio.  But neither seems too keen to ply their trade in Tennessee with 7-foot-3 Thabeet canceling his workout with the team and the Spaniard choosing to show his skills for just the Sacramento Kings.  So why the disdain for the Grizzlies franchise?

One of the issues that anybody is going to have with going to Memphis is the perception of the team and perhaps more importantly the undeniable facts about the organisation.  They’ve not been hugely successful since their inception as the Vancouver Grizzlies back in 1995, they aren’t the most marketable team and they ranked 29th in attendances for the past season (just 12,745 fans showed up on average for their home games).  Facts and perceptions that are hard to argue with.  But when you look beyond those factors, both of those guys fighting to go second in the draft would slot perfectly into the Grizzlies organisation, with the team lacking a presence at both of their positions.

Thabeet would go straight in at center, shifting Marc Gasol to the power forward position, creating a tandem of the Spaniard’s balanced abilities and the incoming rookie’s defensive presence.  The Conneticut junior comes into the draft fully aware that he is not sought after for his ability to put the ball into the basket, but instead his 4.2blocks per game have made him an attractive prospect to block the paint.  For some Thabeet will be seen as a target for poster (or more modern desktop background) dunks, but he dealt with this in college and should adjust to a similar ‘trophy’ attitude in the pros – turning the area just under the basket into a fortress.

His touch on offense will improve with time and effort – something which will be aided by his work ethic – but for now he will be a stopper for whoever selects him and why shouldn’t that be Memphis?  Players develop their games and adapt their playing styles by actually getting minutes, not sitting on the bench watching their veteran teammates play.  And minutes are something that the Grizzlies have plenty to share around, especially at the big-men positions, meaning that Thabeet can not only attempt to solidify his reputation as an elite defender -but also begin to work on offense against the league’s best.  An opportunity that he would be foolish to throw away, simply because Memphis isn’t the ‘it’ place to be.

For Rubio he’ll cite the unhappiness experienced by fellow international teammates Pau Gasol and Juan Carlos Navarro for his desire to play anywhere but in Memphis- an easy way to get around the problem.  But if you look a little closer the Grizzlies may be the perfect fit for the flashy guard and perhaps he should think more about his playing options rather than the marketability of the team that may select him.

It’s been a year since Memphis traded for scorer O.J Mayo fresh from the draft and he has already made the shooting-guard position his own, scoring at a rate of 18.5points per game last season.  Mayo’s ‘help’ in the backcourt comes in the form of Mike Conley Jr. a point-guard who averaged a poor 4.3assists through 82 games last year.  Is this not a team crying out for a ball handler who can create opportunities for his teammates?  Is that not something that Rubio prides himself on doing?

If the 18-year-old puts everything else to one side and looks at his options, he can either join Mayo in the backcourt for the Grizzlies, or face the task of passing to Thabo Sefolosha in OKC or Kevin Martin in Sacramento – both equally unmarketable cities within the league.  While Martin can stake a valid claim of being a better option than Mayo, it is undoubtedly the Grizzlies that have the greater upside in terms of Rubio developing not only his own abilites, but those of his teammates in the future.  Rubio would join Mayo, Rudy Gay, Darrell Arthur and Gasol in rounding out the team’s starting five with Mayo, a lineup with an average age of just 21.4.  One that can only get better.

So whether it is the big-man from UConn or the nifty guard from Spain that goes at the number two spot, chances are neither will be too content with their destination.  But that disappointment won’t be for basketball reasons.

A Good Regular Season For…

The Cavs Were The League's Best

With the playoffs upon us, it’s time to look back at the 82 game regular season and find out who will look back on the 2008/2009 season with pride.

This season was one of records for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They had the league’s best record with 66 wins, along with the best home record of 39 wins from 41 games and set a new franchise landmark for most wins in a season. The Cavs have home court advantage throughout the playoffs thanks to their regular season play and few teams will hold high hopes of coming away from the Quicken Loans Arena with anything other than a defeat. Up until the final night of the season only the Lakers had taken a precious victory home with them, but Cleveland fielded a weakened squad against Philadelphia which meant they suffered a second defeat on their own court. The team are ranked first in the league for the least number of points allowed by their opponents, holding them to just 91.4ppg. Their first round matchup sees them face off against the Detroit Pistons, a team who averaged 94.2ppg, meaning that the Cavaliers should have plenty of rest before the second round.

At the top of the Western Conference the Los Angeles Lakers treated us to a dominance of the division that has not been seen in recent years. They simply breezed their way to an 11-game lead atop of the standings at the season’s end and had it not been for Cleveland’s greatly improved play this year, they would surely have been the holders of the league’s best record. As it happens they’re second to LeBron and Co. in both season and home court records, but that by no means lessens their achievements this year. Having seen center Andrew Bynum impress during the first part of the season, the Lakers were faced with the task of dealing with his injury absence that saw him miss 32 games. But they met the obstacle head on and continued their drive towards the championship as if nothing had ever happened. With Bynum now back the Lakers are at full strength for the playoffs and a Kobe vs. LeBron final is one that everybody is looking forward to.

When the Denver Nuggets acquired Chauncey Billups early in the season in a trade for Allen Iverson, most fans raised their eyebrows and wondered just what effect it would have on the team’s style of play. That move broke up the all-scoring duo of Iverson and Carmelo Anthony and few would have expected the addition of the veteran point-guard to have such a positive effect as to hand the Nuggets second seed for the playoffs. Although Billups’ numbers for his 77 games for Denver do not differ greatly to the three Iverson featured in for the team, his role as floor general for the franchise has meant a much steadier approach on both ends of the floor. If Anthony can ever get his head firmly screwed on, the Nuggets, with an improved roster following the emergence of J.R. Smith and Nene Hilario, could prove to be greater than also rans next season.

Although the season standings say otherwise, this year has been a phenomenal one for the Oklahoma City Thunder. They won just 23 games, but one fact emerged from their play this season – no longer are they simply a one-man team. Kevin Durant may well be the franchise’s best player, but he now has the help of two guys who are showing their worth in the early stages of their NBA careers. Second-year Jeff Green and rookie Russell Westbrook now form an impressive trio with Durant. A trio that has just five years of NBA experience between them and one that the OKC franchise can look forward to building upon.

Great players just make those around them look better and that has been the case once again for LeBron James. Mo Williams provided vital additional help this year, but it was King James who was largely responsible for Cleveland’s improved record this season – winning 22 more games than last year. When ESPN asked 18 of their writers to vote for their MVP, 17 picked James and the one who didn’t (Jon Barry) put him in second place. His highs this season were:

· 55 points against Milwaukee

· 15 rebounds against Sacramento

· 14 assists against Portland

· 4 blocks against Indiana.

But without doubt his best statline of the season came at Madison Square Garden where he went for 52 points, 9 rebounds and 11 assists against the Knicks – missing out on an historic triple-double due to a contested rebound award. For the improvement of his team’s record and his overall statistics, it would be very difficult not to give him the trophy this season. Season averages – 28.4ppg, 7.6rpg, 7.2apg, 1.7spg, 1.1bpg.

For Dwyane Wade this season was one to prove to everybody that he could still compete at the highest level – and he didn’t let anyone down. Having had to deal with disappointing performances from Michael Beasley and a want-away Shawn Marion, Wade has not had much in the way of help from teammates this season. With that going against him, his Heat team are in the playoffs as the fifth seed in the East. Wade’s highs this season were:

· 55 points against New York

· 10 rebounds against San Antonio

· 16 assists on two occasions against Phoenix and Detroit

· 7 steals against Cleveland

· 5 blocks against Toronto

His best statline of the season came against Utah when he put up 50 points to go along with 10 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 steals. Wade’s only other problem this season was the play of Kobe and LeBron, which means that he will miss out on the MVP award. Season averages – 30.2ppg, 5rpg, 7.5apg, 2.2spg, 1.3bpg.

Fresh off the back of his playground embarrassment, Devin Harris had a career season forming a partnership with Vince Carter that is based on speed and athleticism. In New Jersey Harris has been given the opportunity to prove his worth in a lineup where he is arguably the joint biggest star. Having been shunted down the pecking order in Dallas, Harris is now in the spotlight and Mark Cuban must now be ruing the trade that saw Jason Kidd move to the Mavericks. For the season Harris’ highs were:

· 47 points against Phoenix

· 8 rebounds against Chicago

· 14 assists on two occasions against New Orleans and the Lakers

· 4 steals on several occasions including against San Antonio and Utah

It was against Phoenix that he recorded his statline of the season with 47 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists and 1 steal. Season averages – 21.3ppg, 3.3rpg, 6.9apg and 1.7spg.

The play of Chris Paul has never been one about his own numbers. Instead his unselfish play means that his supporting cast look more like All-Stars than their actual mediocrity. Fans simply need to look at the performances of David West who Paul makes look like a premier big-man to see why the ex-Wake Forest star is so highly coveted. This season Paul’s highs were:

· 43 points against Golden State

· 10 rebounds on numerous occasions including against Dallas and Philadelphia

· 20 assists against Milwaukee

· 8 steals against Sacramento

CP3 has a great mix of offensive and defensive abilities evident in his statline of the season of 27 points, 10 rebounds, 15 assists and 7 steals against the 76ers. Season averages – 22.8ppg, 5.5rpg, 11apg and 2.8spg.

Rounding out those who have had a great season is Bulls’ rookie Derrick Rose. As the top pick in last year’s draft Rose came into the league with great expectations and did not fail to deliver. He took over the ball handling duties in Kirk Hinrich’s absence and featured in all bar one of the franchise’s games leading them to the number seven seed. His highs for the season were:

· 27 points against Milwaukee and Atlanta

· 11 rebounds against Indiana

· 13 assists against New Jersey

· 4 steals against Milwaukee

Rose will know that he needs to work on his three-point shooting during the off season, but he scored efficiently in his statline of the season against Indiana with 23 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals. Season averages – 16.8ppg, 3.9rpg, 6.3apg and 0.8spg.

A Good Week For…(March 22 – 29)

Wallace Has Come Back Strong

With the Cleveland Cavaliers streaking, the rest of the league are struggling to stick with LeBron and Co.

This season has been a record breaking one for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Having broken the franchise record for most regular season wins, they are now on a 12 game winning streak and if they can put away the Pistons at home on Tuesday, they will set a new record for most consecutive wins. They had a slow week with just three games to garner three wins from, but finished up in style with a 28-point win at home to the Mavericks – giving them their 60^th win of the season. They now sit five games ahead of the reigning champions Boston, and a further half-game ahead of Orlando. There is no doubt that the Cavs’ home record has been a major factor in their success, as they have dropped just one game all season on their way to a 35-1 record. That translates favourably into their league leading 60-13 record and they are fast establishing themselves as the team nobody wants to face in the playoffs.

The Orlando Magic are doing all they can to keep up with the Cavs, winning all three of their matchups this week including one over the Celtics. Their narrow victory sees them leapfrog the defending champions into second spot in the East. Fans of the champions will argue that Kevin Garnett was limited to just 16 minutes as he continues his return from injury, but the huge double-double from Dwight Howard will be a worry to them. Superman creates matchup problems for every team in the league, not merely on the offensive end where he bullies his way to the basket. Howard averages a league best three blocks per game, but what the box scores don’t register is the sheer number of alterations he forces opponents to make around the ring. He makes the paint his own and few players around the league attack the rim with their usual desire when they come up against the Magic.

The Toronto Raptors round out the week’s winners with another three from three performance for an Eastern Conference team. The season has been finished for the Raptors and their fans for quite some time, with the statistics showing they are ranked 22^nd in the league for both their offensive and defensive performances. However, this week they averaged 113.5 points per game in their first two fixtures, before scoring 134 in an overtime win over Chicago. In that win point guard Jose Calderon had 22 points and 19 assists in 40 minutes and Brit Pops Mensah-Bonsu had 13 points and 4 boards in his 23 minutes. The real shame for Toronto is that whereas in other seasons they would have a high lottery pick, this year they will have to settle for a mid-lotto pick due to the sheer lack of wins collected by the teams below them. Seven teams currently hold a worse record than the Canadian based franchise.

It is the Raptors’ star forward Chris Bosh who opens the players’ stakes this week as he registered three straight double-doubles. Bosh has created a frontcourt tandem with Italian Andrea Bargnani, that gives the team a couple of great scoring options. For the week Bosh averaged 23.3ppg, 14rpg, 4.3apg and 1.7bpg.

Gerald Wallace has picked up where he left off for the Bobcats following his return from injury. The dynamic slasher had two double-doubles this week and came close to adding a triple-double against the Knicks to his haul – as he put up 23 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. His week’s averages were 19.3ppg, 10.3rpg 4.3bpg, 1.7spg and 2bpg.

As his team continues to put together great performances, LeBron James is following suit picking up three very solid double-doubles. LBJ missed out on a triple-double against the Nets by just two rebounds and was three assists shy of one against the Wolves. If the refs can’t stop him, who can? For the week he had 23.7ppg, 8.7rpg and 10apg.

Rounding out the week is the Nuggets’ Carmelo Anthony who had a great scoring week that included a 43 point haul against the Mavericks. Melo has had his troubles this year, most notably with his lack of indiscipline, but showed he can still win games for his team when he needs to. To go along with his scoring display against Dallas, Anthony added 11 rebounds and had a nifty dribble round Dirk Nowitzki to complete his night. For the week he averaged 34.3ppg, 7.3rpg and 3apg.

A Good Week For…(March 16-22)

The Cavs Are On A Tear

With the basketball world’s focus shifting towards the NCAA and March Madness, the Cleveland Cavaliers are doing all they can to maintain their audience as they continue to extend their winning streak.

This year has been one to enjoy for the Ohio franchise’s faithful, as their team actively sought deals that would tip them over the edge in terms of contending and are now reaping the rewards. With their run now standing at nine wins in a row, the Cavs are sitting 4.5 games ahead of their nearest Eastern Conference rivals and the team they are looking to dethrone – the Celtics. The team has made their home court a fortress, evident in their league best 32-1 home record and a major contributing factor in their 57-13 league leading record. This week they had four games, with three at home against potential playoff opposition in the form of Orlando, Portland and Atlanta. They kept up their great home form with wins against the trio before heading to New Jersey Sunday night. They emerged with a 96-88 victory that gave them their 57^th win of the season, equalling the franchise’s record for most wins – one they will surely better with 12 games still to play. Not only did the team equal a record against the Nets, but center Zydrunas Ilgauskas helped himself to four blocks to give him the franchise record for most blocks in a career. Their one blemish for the month of March is a loss in Boston, something they will be looking to correct come the post-season, or better yet when they host them on April 12^th.

In the West the race to secure playoff places continues to heat up as just four games separate the teams currently lying in the second to eighth positions. The Houston Rockets leapfrogged San Antonio into first place in the Southwest Division with a two-point win over their Texas rivals on Sunday night. The team are rallying in the absence of Tracy McGrady and got the week rolling with a stubborn 11-point win over the Hornets in New Orleans. Adding Ron Artest to the squad has definitely helped the Rocket by giving them toughness and hustle that they have longed for in recent seasons. With him in their lineup they have the potential to trouble any team on any given night.

The Denver Nuggets will feel pretty confident that they have a playoff place wrapped up and three wins from three this week won’t harm their cause. The Nuggets had a relatively easy week in terms of fixtures, facing off against the Nets, Grizzlies and Wizards – but they didn’t let up and instead took the game to their opponents as they averaged 116ppg. A blowout 25-point win at home to New Jersey was followed up by a narrow two-point win in Memphis – where a 30-18 fourth quarter rally saw them through as Carmelo Anthony ended with 35 points. Their final game against the Wizards saw a season-high 40 points for J.R Smith and a career-high for the Birdman, Chris Andersen. With Smith’s production on offence at career-highs for both points and assists, the Nuggets now have another go-to guy for crunch time along with Melo and Billups.

The Utah Jazz will have looked at their schedule for the week and smiled – the Wizards and the Thunder. Having played themselves firmly into the playoff picture, the Salt Lake City franchise solidified their position with two welcome wins, snapping a three game losing streak. The return of Carlos Boozer has seen Paul Millsap drop to the bench, but the third-year player continues to produce despite his reduced minutes with 10points and 8rebounds against Washington and 14points and 7rebounds against Oklahoma City. The Jazz will be looking to bring center Mehmet Okur back to the team as quickly as possible, following an early exit from their latest game with a right eye injury, in order to continue improving their record.

The team sat on the outskirts of the top eight places are the Phoenix Suns, who are 3.5 games behind eighth-placed Dallas. They’re doing all they can to stay in the hunt, turning a six game losing streak into a four game winning one – grabbing two more all-important victories this week. The team doesn’t have a problem on offence, demonstrated in putting up 128 and 126 points this week, but they do have a problem stopping their opponents on the defensive end. During their losing streak all of their opponents scored in excess of 102 points. The Suns mentality is a ‘we’ll score more than you’ one, but they went down 135-129 to Miami, 116-112 to Houston, 122-117 to Dallas and 119-111 to Cleveland – showing that when they score big, they do not always get the win. It’ll be their poor defence, ranked 24^th out of 30, that leaves them with a long off-season rest.

We’re starting to take LeBron James and his triple-doubles for granted and when he doesn’t get one we question why. The answer is that he doesn’t normally miss out on one by too much. This week he only ticked the three boxes on one occasion with a 26points, 11rebounds and 10assists performance against the Blazers – but was just a couple of rebounds away from another two in wins over Orlando and New Jersey. His averages for the week were 30.3ppg, 10.3rpg, 7.8apg and 2.3spg. Be thankful you’re not judging between him, Kobe and Wade for MVP honours this year.

Andre Iguodala got his week off to a good start with a buzzer-beating three-point winner over the Lakers, that saw him put up 25 points against the West’s best team. Having suffered a mediocre game in a loss to Phoenix, Iggy came back strong in the final two matches of the week with 19 and 27 points respectively. His averages for the week were 20.5ppg, 4.5rpg and 4.8apg.

The Hornets have rebounded from a disappointing month of February, by going 10-3 thus far in March and much of that improved play is down to Chris Paul. Paul is the point-guard that everybody in the league wishes they played with, as his ability to get his teammates involved is second to none. Some would make the case that that’s showing Deron Williams of the Jazz some disrespect given how well he plays against Paul, but night-in night-out the former Wake Forest player is the choice for the majority of the league. This week he averaged 28.5ppg, 5.8rpg, 9.5apg and 4.5spg as New Orleans won three from four.

A Good Week For…(Feb 23 – March 1)

David West Had A Great Week

Another week in which just a couple of teams managed to go unbeaten – as just two franchises recorded perfect weeks.

The West was home to the week’s two winners, with the Utah Jazz extending their current winning streak to eight – gathering another four victories in the past seven days. The streak means that the team from Salt Lake City last lost on the 8^th of January, when they went down to the Golden State Warriors. It was the Warriors that the Jazz put away last night to complete a week in which they got wins against Atlanta, Minnesota and Sacramento. The next two games of Utah’s schedule see them host Houston and Denver, two teams that they are chasing in the Western Conference standings – and two more teams they will look to extend their streak against.

The New Orleans Hornets hold the league’s second best winning streak at four, with all of their victories coming in the past week. The Hornets defeated the Kings, Pistons and Bucks in the final week of February and followed it up with victory in their first game in March against the Nets. With the trading and then non-trading of Tyson Chandler to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Hornets players appear to have put any concerns behind them and found their rhythm once again.

With regards to the players this week, there is one who stands out amongst his peers. As has been widely reported Dwyane Wade performed brilliantly in the past seven days having been assigned the job of handling the ball for his Miami team. Off the back of a 50 point night last Sunday, Wade finished this week with three consecutive double-doubles – including a 46 point and 10 assist game in a win over the Knicks. He set a new career-high for assists with 16 against the Pistons and averaged 12 assists per game for the three matchups. While he worked hard to get his teammates involved, Flash didn’t skimp in terms of putting up points – averaging 32.7 points per game as the Heat won two games.

Nets point-guard Devin Harris got the week rolling with a last-second half-court heave that saw his squad overcome the 76ers . While the miracle shot has received much attention, his play in the game’s previous 47 minutes and 58 seconds has not garnered the accolades that it should. Harris finished the night with 39 points and 8 assists – meaning that he had already played his team into a position to win in the first place, regardless of the outcome of the last shot. He followed up the night’s heroics with 42 points and 6 assists against the Bulls and managed 26 points and 14 assists in a loss to the Hornets that handed New Jersey their only loss for the week. Through the three games the former-Maverick averaged 35.7ppg and 9.3apg.

As ever Kobe Bryant enjoyed a good seven days – despite seeing his 49 points and 11 rebounds performance go to waste in a loss to the Suns on Sunday night. The Lakers split the week with just two wins from four games and where Bryant had a great game against Phoenix, his play in the loss to Denver was of a less expected standard from the veteran superstar. Kobe ‘struggled’ to 29 points on 10-for-31 shooting, but will take some solace from his 8 rebounds. For the week the Lakers franchise player averaged 34ppg, 6.8rpg and 4.3apg.

It’s taken a while this season, but David West has finally completed a week in which his performances have been of a consistently high-level. The New Orleans’ player undoubtedly has the talent to join the league’s premier big-men, but his problem has been putting together great performances in a row. However, this week the man from Xavier University narrowly missed out on four double-doubles – gathering ‘just’ nine rebounds against the Kings. For the week West averaged 28.5ppg, 10.5rpg and 3 apg, helping the Hornets to four wins.

A Good Week For…(9 Feb – 15 Feb)

Kryponate Had A Great Week Even Before The Dunk Contest

As the regular season made way for the highlight of the mid-season calendar, some unexpected teams were afforded the opportunity to have a better week than normal.

With the interruption of the All-Star Weekend proceedings, this week in the NBA was cut down to a half-week – with just 28 games being played in total. What this means is that some of the league’s poorer teams got the chance to go undefeated and receive a mention. For that reason the performances of those teams in the playoff seeds will be disregarded this week, in favour of a look at those who have struggled this season.

For the large part this season has been one to forget for the Toronto Raptors. Having acquired Jermaine O’Neal in the off-season, they believed that they were building a front-court tandem with him and their star Chris Bosh. Unfortunately for the Canadian based franchise, the move simply reinforced the notion that O’Neal’s best days are long behind him. With that they traded him on Wednesday to the Miami Heat for Shawn Marion amongst other things, receiving another player who appears to have gone past his peak – although this could be due more to desire than anything else. Despite their struggles the Raptors managed two wins from their two games this week, with an eight-point victory over the Al Jefferson-less Timberwolves and an impressive two-point win at home to the Spurs. To accompany this mini-streak, the change in personnel will allow for greater court time for Italian Andrea Bargnani who has progressed greatly in recent months, with him starting at center in O’Neal’s absence. Whether Marion will aid the team will be down to him, but if he comes ready to play then the trade could be an absolute steal for the Raptors and not just in a cap space sense.

The start that the Golden State Warriors have had to the season was to be expected – although it could be argued that they may have racked up more wins than their 19-35 record shows. Having had their star guard Monta Ellis suspended for the season’s first 30 games for a violation of contract terms, rookie free-agent signing Anthony Morrow stepped in to provide the Warriors with some high-scoring games, but his overall play has lacked the consistency the team needs. This week they beat Portland by seven and in their win over the Knicks racked up 144 points. They gave up 127 in the process, but a 41 point first quarter shows that they are beginning to change the way they start games. If they continue to feed off the play of Stephen Jackson, complimented by Ellis’ return, the second half of the season should be a much more enjoyable one for their fans.

Rounding out this section are the Charlotte Bobcats, who were the last of the non-playoff teams to post a 2-0 record for the week. The Bobcats have struggled for consistency and continuity this season with frequent changes in personnel and injuries suffered by key players. However, the All-Star break has given an opportunity for rest and come the first game back they hope to have Gerald Wallace and Raja Bell in their lineup. This week they managed victories against some of their fellow strugglers as they beat the Clippers and Wizards in two home games. With fourth-year center Emeka Okafor as solid as ever, the Bobcats will be looking to improve their fortunes through the season’s later stages.

In keeping with the theme of this week’s article, the players’ section will look at those who do not regularly receive notice around the league. Newly crowned Slam Dunk Contest winner Nate Robinson had a great couple of games for the Knicks averaging 31.5ppg, 7.5rpg, 9apg and 3spg. As ever Nate’s problem is consistency and for him to have back-to-back games with such high numbers should have been an indicator that he would provide something special at the weekend.

The Lakers’ Lamar Odom was pivotal in their recent wins over the Cavaliers and Celtics and has continued to go about his business quietly this past week. The talented swingman averaged 15.5ppg, 18.5rpg, 1apg, 1.5spg and 1.5bpg in two games against the Thunder and Jazz.

Milwaukee’s second-year point-guard Ramon Sessions managed 15 points, 7 rebounds and 17 assists in the game against the Pacers – a follow up to his 26 points performance in a win over the Rockets. The former Nevada player’s stats this year have seen a shift towards a greater number of points at the expense of assists and with the absence of star Michael Redd, this trend looks set to continue.

The final name to be mentioned in the section is that of Tim Duncan who goes somewhat against the article’s purpose, but again this week he showed his all-round talents and these should not go unnoticed. The Big Fundamental averaged 23.5ppg, 11rpg, 7.5apg and 2.5bpg in a week that saw the Spurs win one and lose one. Duncan is often overlooked in favour of those players in the league who provide flashy highlight reels (see his absence from the All-Star Game), so he’s right at home in this underappreciated piece.

A Good Week For…(2 Feb – 8 Feb)

Kobe Put Up 61 Against The Knicks

The Lakers were the only team to avoid a loss this week as they put down a marker against their Eastern Conference rivals.

This week the Los Angeles Lakers again showed how far they’ve come since last year’s playoff finals loss to the Celtics. Having lost center Andrew Bynum to injury just prior to the start of the month, the Lakers could have been excused for having a feeling of déjà vu and slipping in their next games. Quotes from Kobe would have you know that this would be the case for the old Lakers, but this team has grown together since the end of last season. Instead of faltering the Lakers won all four of their matchups, the only team in the league to do so, including important ones over the reigning champions and another of the East’s top teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Off the back of Kobe’s record-breaking 61 points game at Madison Square Garden and a relatively routine victory in Canada against the Raptors; the next stop of their road-trip took them to Boston. Having recovered from a slump in form, the Celtics had since put together a streak of 12 wins and were once again the team to beat in the league. The last time the purple-and-gold of L.A. rolled into the Celtics’ Garden, they suffered a humiliating 39-point-loss; something Bryant would simply not allow to happen again. With the two teams level at the end of regulation, it was the road team that took the initiative in overtime to prevail 110-109. Double-doubles from Bryant and Pau Gasol, who moved to center in Bynum’s absence, were complimented by the play of Lamar Odom that saw him close out the game with two free-throws in the extra period.

Having dispatched of the Celtics, the Lakers got a two-day break before moving on to face the Cavaliers in Ohio. Sunday night’s game came with all the hype that one which pits the top Eastern and Western teams together should, but this time the LeBron vs. Kobe element had been notched up a few levels. Where Bryant led in dominating MSG, James followed; at least for a short period. Having seen his veteran counterpart break the arena’s scoring record, James took a different approach when his team faced the Knicks and achieved what most thought was a triple-double which included a 50-point haul. However, when the league reviewed the game tape they found that the Cavaliers’ superstar had been wrongly credited with a rebound and instead gave it to Ben Wallace. The decision meant that James was denied the accolade of being the first player in 34 years, since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, to record a triple-double with 50 points. As ever when LeBron feels disrespected, this would mean that his next opponents would be in for even more than they bargained for.

The main worry for the Lakers coming into the matchup was the fact that Bryant was suffering from the flu and this worry contributed to them facing a ten-point-deficit at half-time. In the second half the Lakers showed the resolve they displayed in Boston and outscored the Cavs by 20 in the second-half to record another victory and perhaps more importantly, ruin Cleveland’s perfect home record. Despite a poor-shooting night, James averaged close to a triple-double once again, but his team were overpowered by another balanced Lakers performance, topped off with another great outing for Lamar Odom. As the Lakers improved their record further to 41-9, with a current winning streak of six, the Cavaliers continue to lead the Eastern Conference, but now do so with a loss in their home record column.

Where the Lakers fill the entire team’s section this week, their players take pride of place in the individual part too. Kobe Bryant broke the record for the most points at MSG, outdoing Michael Jordan’s 55 and Bernard King’s 60 with 61 of his own, to kick-start a great week for both him and his team. While Bryant did little more than pour in points in the victory over the Knicks, he scored on such good percentages that the feat could not be tainted with accusations of him forcing shots. Kobe knocked down 19-of-31 from the field, with 3-for-6 from beyond-the-arc and a remarkable 20-for-20 from the line. He followed up the performance at MSG with a near double-double against Toronto, 26 points and 10 rebounds against the Celtics and a flu-plagued 19 points against the Cavaliers. His averages through the four games were 35.5ppg, 5.5rpg, 3.8apg and 1spg.

In the absence of Bynum, Pau Gasol’s return to the center position saw the veteran Spaniard continue his fine run of play. In his first full-season in Los Angeles, Gasol is enjoying a great rebounding year grabbing 9.4rpg, up on his career average of 8.6rpg. Four double-doubles this week meant that the Lakers have not missed their younger big-man as the ‘stand-in’ averaged 26ppg, 13.8rpg, 4.5apg and 1.5bpg.

But for an eagle-eyed review of the game tape, this week would have been an historic one for LeBron James as has already been eluded too. The decision to credit his teammate with the rebound was a correct one, but the MSG crowd believed they had been privileged to witness two new records this week, albeit coming for opposition players. The statistical adjustment of James’ performance from a triple-double, to a double-double that included 52 points, 9 rebounds and 11 assists, will mean much to the superstar, but the haul will still be looked at with amazement by everybody else. His averages for the week were 33.7ppg, 8rpg and 9apg; another week in which he’s averaged close to a triple-double furthering the calls for him to become the league’s MVP.

While the Warriors have not had much to celebrate this season, the play of Stephen Jackson remains a positive for the Golden State faithful. A triple-double in a win against Phoenix and a near repeat in Sunday night’s victory over the Jazz, coincided with the Warriors’ two wins this week. Jackson’s role is pivotal within the team and this was evidential as two mediocre individual displays were a part of the franchise’s two losses this week. Through four games the 11-year-man averaged 26.8ppg, 7rpg, 8.8apg and 2.5spg.

Rounding out the week’s top individual performers is the Magic’s Dwight Howard. The big-man continues to dominate on both ends of the floor as he and his teammates strive to become the number one seed in the East. Four more double-doubles extends his streak to 16 consecutive games in which he has recorded double-figures for both points and rebounds. Superman’s averages for the week were 24.5ppg, 15.5rpg, 1.8apg and 1bpg.

A Good Week For…(26 Jan – 1 Feb)

David Lee Had A Great Week

The final week of January saw seven teams go unbeaten and for once not all were from the upper echelons of the league

In the East the battle for the number one seed continued as the Boston Celtics regained their position atop of the playoff standings. Having overcome their slump in form, Boston are now on an eleven game winning-streak which coincides with their main rivals dropping games in past weeks. With a record of 40-9 they now hold the league’s best winning percentage of .816%. A hard-fought victory against the Pistons on Friday night showed that not only is their swagger back, but their hustle is too.

Boston’s resurgence has meant that the Orlando Magic now lie in third position in the conference, despite a perfect 3-0 week. They got the best possible start with a victory over the Pacers, putting up 135 points on the back of the play of returning guard Mickael Pietrus. The performance preceded a vital eleven-point win over rival Eastern powerhouse the Cleveland Cavaliers. As ever with the Magic, the victory was characterised by the show of strength they possess in their starting lineup, with each of their big-four contributing 18+ points. With three of the four named to the All-Star Game, Orlando are finally getting the recognition they deserve.

The East’s other two unbeaten franchises do not regularly feature in this segment. The New York Knicks have endured a miserable past few seasons, but the acquisition of a new coach and some new players has the Knicks finally playing a mix of basketball that is beginning to please their fans. Three wins this week will do no harm to their building of an acceptable reputation. While their record is still not great (now 21-25) progress is being made. The faceoff against the Lakers tonight will show just how far the team has come.

The Chicago Bulls also picked up three wins from the past seven days, including a very respectable one over the Suns. Where they could have been expected to put away the Clippers and Kings, Saturday’s victory at Phoenix shows the potential that this young team possesses, but has so frustratingly not put into practice thus far. With both members of their backcourt putting up 26 points, Great Britain forward Luol Deng chipped in with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Out West the San Antonio Spurs capitalised on a loss for the Lakers that allowed them to edge closer to them at the top of the conference standings. In their pursuit of the purple-and-gold, the Spurs racked up three very important wins this week over the Jazz, Suns and Hornets respectively. Through the three games the team from Texas averaged 109ppg, showing that not only are they imposing on the defensive end, but they are now putting it together on offence against the league’s better teams.

The Portland Trail Blazers moved up to fifth in the playoff standings with three wins this week, putting them level with the Chris Paul led Hornets. Two relatively straight-forward victories against the Clippers and Bobcats was followed up by one over fellow playoff rivals the Jazz. With the play of rookie Greg Oden picking up, the Blazers’ star Brandon Roy is getting easier looks at the basket and ended the week with two 30+ point games.

The final team to finish the week unbeaten were the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs have struggled heavily thus far through the season, despite their leading star Dirk Nowitzki continuing to produce as he has done in years gone by. With the week’s record at 2-0, their record is now 27-19 which is good enough for seventh in the conference, but they hold the position with no great authority or strength. If they are to make the playoffs amidst the scramble by nine teams to fill eight possible places, Dallas are going to need a much better all-round team performance through the second half of the season.

In the individual stakes, there were some familiar faces that enjoyed great weeks. Leading All-Star vote getter Dwight Howard averaged 24.3ppg, 14rpg, 2spg and 1.7bpg as his Magic team went unbeaten. Howard smashed the record for the most votes recorded by 500,000, as he beat the previous high of 2,558,278 set by Yao Ming in 2005, with a horde of 3,150,181 for himself. Superman will be back to prove he is worthy of receiving such unanimous praise.

LeBron James also had a great week despite a loss to Howard and the Magic. Through four games LBJ averaged 23.5ppg, 8.5rpg, 8.3apg, 1.3spg and 1.5bpg to once again show that he’s a threat to every column of the box score. Despite all of this it’s tough to think that his numbers are actually down on those that he produced last year.

Where those two established stars led, it was time for some of the league’s other young players to come through with consistent performances. Sacramento guard Kevin Martin demonstrated his offensive capabilities as he averaged 29.3ppg, due in part to 35-point and 37-point games against the Cavaliers and Thunder respectively. To accompany his scoring average, Martin managed 4rpg, 3.3apg and 1.5spg. For a franchise bereft of hope right now, Martin is the hope for fans to cling onto.

Rounding out the individuals this week is Knicks forward David Lee. The fourth-year man has no shortage of admirers within the league and some were surprised that he was not named as a backup to the East’s All-Star squad. Through the Knicks winning-streak, Lee averaged 19ppg, and 15.3rpg. It’s clear that Lee is benefitting from a change in personnel in New York and is responding by having a career year in return.

A Good Week For…(19 Jan – 25 Jan)

The Young Center Impressed This Week

Last year’s NBA finalists prospered this week, both securing four wins as they look to face off once again in this year’s playoffs.

The Los Angeles Lakers moved to a record of 35-8 and in doing so now have the league’s best winning percentage at .814. Buoyed by the play of young center Andrew Bynum, they achieved notable wins against championship contenders Cleveland and San Antonio by comfortable margins, showing that they remain the team to beat. Sunday night’s win against their Western conference counterparts means that the Lakers now hold a six game lead atop of the standings, where the Spurs sit in second place. With a relatively easy week in front of them, the purple-and-gold will look to further improve their dominance over the rest of the league.

Just weeks ago there were fears that the Boston Celtics were coming apart at the seams. Having suffered four straight defeats, the reigning champions have now steadied their ship and are back on track with an eight game winning streak. This week saw victories against the Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic and Dallas Mavericks. It was in the win over the Mavericks that the Celtics truly showed that their fans’ concerns have been eased, as they poured in 74 points in the first half of Sunday night’s game. Having dropped the intensity for the final two periods, the home team still emerged with a 24 point win in which Eddie House came off the bench to score 23 points in 27 minutes.

Where just two teams went unbeaten over the past seven days, there was a group of teams that finished with records of three wins and one loss. The Hawks, Cavs, Rockets, Timberwolves, Knicks and Spurs all dropped one game; with perhaps the most important one being Cleveland’s loss to the Lakers. With the Celtics back to winning ways, the team from Ohio missed a chance to not only show that they can hang with the Lakers, but also to extend their lead at the top of the Eastern conference standings.

In the individual stakes, this week was one that belonged largely to the league’s big men. Having already alluded to the improved play of Lakers’ center Andrew Bynum, the 21-year-old averaged 23.5ppg, 11.5rpg, and 2.3bpg through the week. The bright spot being a career high 42 points against city-rivals Clippers, which was complimented with 15 rebounds and 3 blocks. Where Bynum led, Portland’s young center Greg Oden followed. Having been hampered so far this season by inconsistency, Oden finished the week with averages of 17.3ppg, 12.3rpg, 1.7spg and 1.7bpg. With this being his official rookie year, the Blazers can take a lot of positives from the strides the player is taking.

Having seen the center position of his Denver franchise left open with the departure of Marcus Camby, Nene Hilario has stepped in and provided the team with an offensive threat that they have lacked in the paint for some time. This week the Brazilian contributed 21.3ppg, 11rpg and 1apg through three games. He now leads the team with a field-goal shooting percentage of 61.3%.

In the backcourt it was a week for high-scorers as Clippers’ rookie guard Eric Gordon enjoyed a career-high 41 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder. This points hoard aided his weekly averages to 25.8ppg, 2.3rpg and 4.5apg. The Thunder’s Kevin Durant rounds out the weekly individual accolades, as he averaged 36.5ppg, 13.5rpg, 4.5apg and 2.5spg in two games. Where Gordon had 41 in their Friday night matchup, it was the second-year man who came out on top with 46 points.

A Good Week For… (12 Jan – 18 Jan)

Brook Lopez Enjoyed A Great Career Week

This week was one that belonged firmly to the Eastern Conference. The frequently dubbed ‘weaker conference’ had four teams go undefeated through the seven days, once again showing that last year’s shift in power may not simply be a one-off.

The Orlando Magic continued their fine run of play with three wins from three, extending their current streak to seven victories in a row. They began the week in record-breaking style converting 23 three-pointers against the Sacramento Kings, on their way to amassing a mammoth 139 points. The Magic shot 62 percent from beyond-the-arc (23-for-37) as they broke the previous record by two, set by the Raptors in 2005. With a record of 33-8, Orlando have the second-best record behind the Cleveland Cavaliers and are the most in-form team in the league with nine wins from their last ten matchups. Having been built with a view to the future, the present is already looking bright for Dwight Howard and his teammates.

The team that are chasing the Magic for the number two spot in the East are the defending champions Boston Celtics. Having stuttered lately, the team from Massachusetts won all three of their games this week to rectify their record in the last tens games to 5-5. Having edged out the nose-diving Toronto Raptors, the Celtics put away the New Jersey Nets in their final two games of the week by margins of 32 and 20 points. Despite the Nets not being amongst the league’s elite, victories by such distances will do well to instil some of the swagger that the champions lost during their run of poor performances. With the Magic and Cavaliers playing so well, Boston will be looking to do all they can to improve their record and give themselves the best route through the East playoffs.

The Philadelphia 76ers were the final team to go a perfect three-for-three this week with victories over Portland, San Antonio and New York. Now with a record of 20-20, a perfect reflection on the mediocre team, they sit in seventh place in the East hot on the heels of the Miami Heat. The three wins put them level with the Magic for the longest current winning streak in the league of seven and it is only Orlando that the Sixers trail in the form table, with seven wins from their last ten games. This improved play has come despite the absence of star forward Elton Brand and with a possible return for the veteran on Monday to face the Dallas Mavericks, it will be interesting to see how his reinsertion will affect the team’s play.

Rounding out the week’s top performing teams is the Charlotte Bobcats who won both of their matchups. The Bobcats are another team winning games without one of their top players, D.J Augustin, who went down at the beginning of the week, meaning that he played no part in the victories against Detroit and Portland. In his place Raymond Felton came up big against the Pistons with seven points in a game-closing 9-0 run, including the game-winning jumper with 0.7seconds left on the clock. Felton has been his usual solid self this season but has been overshadowed by the play of the rookie Augustin. With the new-recruit’s return not set for a specific date, Felton will have more time to show Larry Brown and the Bobcats organisation why they should keep him rather than trade him.

Special mention must go to the Los Angeles Clippers who sit at the wrong end of the league’s pyramid. Prior to Saturday night’s victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Clippers had been on a cold streak of 12 consecutive losses. Already considered the poorer relation to their L.A counterparts, the Clippers now have a 9-30 that shows the disparity between the city’s teams. With wins a rarity for the franchise, this will feel like a brilliant week for the injury-plagued team.

While so many teams struggled to perform this week, it was the opposite for the players who managed to come through the last seven days with their reputations intact. Rookie Brook Lopez continued to show that New Jersey may finally have a banger in the key; as he enjoyed a career-best game in an overtime win against the Thunder. 31 points, 13 rebounds and 2 blocks began the week in fine style for the Stanford man and he rounded it off with 28 points and 10 rebounds against the Celtics.

Where Lopez led, more experienced big-men followed as Mehmet Okur, Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki showed they are not yet ready to pass on the torch. Utah’s center started the week with 43 points and 9 rebounds against the Indiana Pacers and finished up with averages of 26.3ppg, 9.3rpg and 1.7apg. The Big Fundamental helped his Spurs team to two wins on the back of solid averages of 19.3ppg, 12rpg, 4.3apg and 2.7bpg, as they improved to 26-13. Dallas continue to falter this year, two losses from three games to further hurt their record, but they can at least take solace in the play of their veteran superstar. The German forward had 44 points and 14 rebounds against Denver, 20 points and 13 rebounds against the Hornets and 39 points and 8 rebounds against the Jazz. Averaging 34.3ppg and 11.7rpg is one way to deal with your franchise’s misfortunes.

One name that is never far away from featuring in this section is that of LeBron James. Try as one might to find variety of highlighting individuals, this week it is difficult to not include the new number 23. Having begun with a triple-double against the Grizzlies, James came close in his other two games finishing up with averages of 29ppg, 13rpg, 8apg, 2.3spg and 1bpg. A slight slip-up against the Bulls in overtime ruined an otherwise perfect week for LBJ.