Backs Against the Wall

Tonight, the Orlando Magic face elimination as they go into Atlanta for Game 6, down 3-2. In Game 5, Orlando completely destroyed Atlanta 101-76 with Dwight Howard only going for 8 and 8...not a good sign. I do expect the Hawks to completely change their game-plan and return to Game 1's strategy by letting Dwight go crazy while guarding everyone else. With that being a strong possibility, I still do not believe the Magic will lose tonight, or Game 7. Dwight will most certainly have more than 8 points and 8 rebounds tonight and I expect big games from J-Rich and J.J Redick. Atlanta is a wildly inconsistent team and I think that will show for the remainder of this series. The acquisition of Jamal Crawford last season seems to be both a gift and a curse. This is because the Hawks star, Joe Johnson, tends to allow Crawford to take over games instead of him seizing the moment and putting Atlanta on his back. I expect Joe to come up small and to struggle from the field in both Games 6 & 7, propelling Orlando to a berth into the 2nd round of the playoffs.

2nd Round Preview: Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat

Prior to the season beginning, I didn't expect these two teams to be squaring off in the 2nd round as opposed to the conference championship, but this series will be a great one. Miami has come full circle and is playing its best basketball of the year. The new Big 3 have accepted their roles with LeBron being the facilitator and play-maker, Wade being the closer and Bosh crashing the boards and hitting his mid-range jumpers. Boston, who seemed to be completely flustered by the Kendrick Perkins trade, found a major rhythm in its sweep of the New York Knicks. Rondo seems to be back to normal now and that poses a huge problem for Miami. Although I believe Miami, along with OKC, is playing the best basketball in the association right now, I still have to go with Boston in the series, 4-2. With this seeming to be the C's last year to have a chance at a title, I see KG lighting a fire under this veteran squad. I don't believe that Chris Bosh is mentally tough enough to withstand KG's intensity through the course of a playoff series and LeBron has the most trouble against Boston, who bounced his Cavaliers out of the playoffs last season. This will be a heavyweight fight throughout but Boston will prevail.

Comeback?

This past Saturday, Brandon Roy had arguably the most memorable 1st round playoff game in NBA history. After being openly emotional about not getting any playing time in Game 2, Roy exploded for 18 points in the fourth quarter of Game 4. It was truly a privilege to witness his heroic performance. I could feel his emotion after the game as he clearly started to fight back tears of joy. The true question is, can B. Roy maintain this kind of play in the long run? In Game 5, he went back to a subpar performance, scoring 5 points on 2-7 shots made from the field. As a fan, I truly hope Roy can get back to his old self, or somewhere close to it. In my opinion, he was, at full health, the number 3 shooting guard in the league, behind Kobe and D-Wade. I've seen him take over countless games in the fourth quarter and show no fear in the biggest moments. Ron Artest even said B. Roy was the best player he's ever had to guard...harder than KOBE! Strong words coming from the top defender in the league. If Roy can get back to at least 75-80% of what he once was, Portland could contend for titles every year.

Time To Pack?

After the Knicks' disappointing series against the Celtics, in which they were swept, is there really a reason to keep coach, Mike D'Antoni around? There were times during the series when New York seemed to watch Boston score. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce have probably never had jumpers that open in practice. If the ultimate goal is for the Knicks to win a championship, then I believe letting D'Antoni go is the best choice to make. His "outscore the other team" philosophy is a very poor one and obviously not even an effective one. Although NY was short of Chauncey Billups and a healthy Amare in games and 3 and 4, it seems that a move at the coaching position would have to happen eventually anyway. I don't believe D'Antoni will get fired this off-season because his hasn't had a full season with both 'Melo and Amare but I doubt if the team improves much. The Knicks should hire a coach who at least has a defensive strategy because their current style of basketball will not bring the trophy to MSG.

Knight & Jones Leaving UK

Earlier today it was confirmed that super-talented freshmen Terrance Jones and Brandon Knight will both forego their sophomore seasons at Kentucky to go pro. This is no real surprise considering all of Coach Cal's star freshmen have left after one year. What is more interesting to me, is that Jones and Knight, although good, are the least talented of Calipari's freshmen in about 3 or 4 seasons. Last year Cal had John Wall, the year before he had Tyreke Evans and before 'Reke he had D-Rose, this year's probable MVP in the NBA. I think Kentucky had a really good chance to win the title next season if Jones and Knight returned. Ineligible Turkish freshman, Enes Kanter is also going pro. I really believe they both could have used another year of college. Jones, who is extremely talented, seems to get lost in games when he is not the focal point of the offense. He also seems to be very slow compared to small forwards in the NBA. Brandon Knight came up very big in the NCAA tournament but doesn't seem to be ready to be a starting point guard in the league. On the positive side of things, these players are part of a small number of super freshmen that came out for the draft.

Role Player in Disguise

The more that I watch Andre Iguadala and the 76ers play, the more it becomes evident that he is not anywhere near what Philly needs or expects him to be. In 2008, the '6ers signed Iggy to a six-year contract worth 80 million dollars. No offense, but Iguadala is worth half of that money. In the two losses against Miami in this year's playoffs, he is averaging a horrid 4.5 points and has gone a combined 4-for-15 from the floor. It's looking like Philly has been had. One good thing about Iguadala is that he does a lot of other things for his team. He flirts with triple-doubles often and is probably a top 5 athlete in the NBA. What Andre is not, is a star. In my opinion, he isn't even the best player on his team...Thaddeus Young is. With his skill set, Iggy could be a GREAT third option for a good team. Teams like Dallas, Portland before they grabbed Gerald Wallace or maybe even Houston, who already has a defined scorer (Kevin Martin), would be a great fit for him. Philly is expecting to much from Iguadala, and with the money he's pulling in, those expectations are fair. Another huge problem for the 76ers is, even if they wanted to move Andre, there are probably no teams that would step up to take on that contract. If it's possible, I think Philly should move Iguadala, get a talented big man and build their team with Thaddeus Young as the star.

My Top 10 NBA Players

A few days ago on ESPN's 1st & 10, Skip Bayless and Chris Broussard listed their top 5 players in the league. Here is my top 10:

1. Kobe Bryant- The 14 year pro is on the top of my list. When the game is on the line, there is no player in the world that can stop Kobe, but Kobe. With 14 years of wear and tear, The Black Mamba is still playing at a high level and putting fear in defenders' hearts. Not to mention this season he has a chance to match MJ's 6 rings.2. LeBron James- There has never been a player in the history of basketball that is as gifted as LBJ. At 6'8 and at least 250, LeBron moves like a point guard, is unstoppable going to the cup and has arguably the best passing ability in the NBA. His number 2 ranking is a result of what he has not yet done in the post-season. Kobe has 5 rings, LeBron has none.

3. Dwayne Wade- Flash is arguably the most explosive player in the league. His first step is unstoppable and his ability to twist his way to basket are just a couple things that contribute to his greatness. He also gets it done on the defensive end, flirting with 100 blocks and steals almost every year. A precedent for guards.

4. Dwight Howard- There is only one word needed to describe this man...BEAST. There is no reason to believe that Dwight will not be in the top 3 of both rebounds and blocks for the next 10 years. The only knock on D-Howard has been his offensive game but that has changed drastically this season. He has added a left hand hook, an 8-10 foot glass jumper and has improved his footwork. What Dwight can potentially be is scary.

5. Carmelo Anthony- In my opinion, Melo is by far the most offensively gifted player in basketball. There is not one thing on the court that he cannot do. Melo can dribble like a guard, blow past bigger defenders with ease, post up smaller players, probably has the best mid-range game in the league and leads the league in game-winners. He is unstoppable. The only flaw Anthony has is his lack of defensive effort, which he has shown in big games. He needs to commit to D in every game, not just ones against LeBron.

6. Kevin Durant- The smoothest player in basketball also has the best nickname, Durantula! Never has there been a player at 6'10 who can do what KD does with relative ease. He gives Melo a serious run for the best offensive player in the league. I give Melo the slight edge because Durant lacks the power that Anthony has. But where power is lacking, KD makes up with length. His ability to get his shot wherever he wants on the court makes him virtually unstoppable. And he's only 22! The folks in Oklahoma City will enjoy watching KD for a very long time.

7. Pau Gasol- There is not a more skilled big man in all of basketball. At 7', Pau can pass, consistently hit a mid-range jumper and shoots 80% from the line. Sounds like a guard, right? With his length he also can bother anyone's shot that comes into the paint. Playing on a team with Kobe Bryant may overshadow his ability, but Pau is definitely one of the best players in the league.

8. Paul Pierce- There is no player, other than Kobe, that I want with the ball with 5 seconds left on the clock. With the game on the line, The Truth already has it in his mind that he's gonna win it for the C's. His ability to come up big in big games still has the 12 year vet in my top 10. He's a sure-fire hall of famer.

9. Chris Paul- For some reason, a lot of people have been sleeping on CP3 the past two years. Probably because of last season's injury but I think people are forgetting about him altogether. With the exception of Dwight Howard, I don't think there is another player more important to his team. If you take Chris Paul off of New Orleans' roster, the Hornets would probably be as bad as Cleveland. He has made David West into an all-star and Tyson Chandler has not been an offensive factor since parting ways with Paul. He averages around 20 and 10 every season and is the only player in NBA history to average 20 points and 10 assists in their playoff career. Please stop sleeping on CP3.

10. Derrick Rose- I have never seen a player improve so much from one season to the next in NBA history. Derrick Rose went from hard to contain to unstoppable in one year. He has his hometown Bulls as the overall top seed in the playoffs and is almost 100% likely to win the MVP, making him the youngest player in league history to do so. I've always looked at D-Rose as a baby LeBron. Like LeBron, he is probably the strongest player at his position, is unstoppable when attacking the basket and is probably the most athletic point guard in NBA history. What he can do on the court is scary. I'm gonna enjoy watching him grow as a player.

Red Flag

Earlier this week, it was reported that Kansas freshman guard, Josh Selby will enter the NBA Draft. Naturally, I cheer for Selby because he is from Baltimore, but I do not agree with this decision. Entering the college basketball season, Selby was considered, by some, a top 5 guard prospect. His season did not reflect that ranking. In 26 games, Selby averaged only 7 points and 2 assists in 20 minutes of play per night. Josh also only shot 37% from the field, a horrific shooting percentage. It seems that he may have been better suited going to a school that cared more about individuals, rather than a perennial top 3 school that plays as a unit and contends for titles yearly. I just believe that it would have been in Josh's best interest to stay at least one more year at KU. He would have definitely had a much bigger role on the team due to the Morris twins skipping their senior seasons. Another factor that counts against Selby is that the NBA is so guard heavy that he may not even get drafted until the 2nd round. His season stats, grouped with his reputation of not being a team player and not being a true point guard also will not help his case. Once again, with him being from Baltimore, I hope he does well at the next level but the odds are certainly stacked against him.

NBA Playoff Predictions- 1st Round

Tomorrow afternoon marks the start of yet another post-season in the NBA. This year promises to be one of the most exciting playoffs in some time. Here are my predictions:

Eastern Conference:

(1) Bulls vs (8) Pacers- Derrick Rose and Chicago's league-best defense seems to be too much for Danny Granger and Indiana to handle. There is no way Darren Collison will be able to handle Rose, and the Bulls match up tremendously with all of Indiana's key players. I say Bulls win series 4-1.

(2) Heat vs (7) 76ers- Although I love what Doug Collins has done with this young team, Philly stands no chance against Miami. Every matchup on the court, with exception of point guard, goes in the Heat's favor. I do expect Miami to give one up on the road so I say series ends 4-1, Heat.

(3) Celtics vs (6) Knicks- This series will by far be the most compelling of all in the first round. New York is on a good swing coming into the post-season and with Amare fresh and Melo playing his best basketball of the season, the C's have no picnic on their hands. With the Knicks not being known for any notable defense, they probably are in the best situation possible. Since the Kendrick Perkins trade, Boston has clearly been struggling, especially on offense and Rondo has been a shell of his early-season self. Even with all of their flaws, I do not see KG allowing his Eastern Conference champion squad to take an early playoff exit. I say this series will go all the way down to the wire, Celts win in 7, 4-3.

(4) Magic vs (5) Hawks- Last season, in the second round of the playoffs, Orlando DESTROYED Atlanta in a 4 game sweep. I believe this time around will be different. The Magic's frontline besides Dwight Howard is non-existent and their bench is depleted. Also, with the addition of Kirk Hinrich, the Hawks have a scrappy, veteran point guard that actually gives effort on the defensive end, unlike Mike Bibby. With that said, Atlanta still will not be able to hold Dwight and their inconsistency will cripple them in the series. I take Orlando, 4-2.

Western Conference:

(1) Spurs vs (8) Grizzlies- Without their star and leader, Rudy Gay, Memphis has the 5th best record in the Western Conference since the start of 2011. They have a great young nucleus, with vets like Zach Randolph and Shane Battier, who returned to his first NBA team via trade. It has been a big story this week that the Grizz tanked the last few games of the season so they could play San Antonio. This does not sit well with the Spurs and I'm sure this will fuel a fire in the veteran squad. I do believe every game in this series will be tightly contested but without their best player, Memphis won't get past the Spurs. I take San Antonio, 4-2.

(2) Lakers vs (7) Hornets- This is the most lopsided matchup of the entire 1st round. New Orleans is the only team amongst the Western Conference's top 8 that did not get a win against the Lake Show this season. Chris Paul will put up a fight and will be a huge problem for anyone who guards him but that's where it ends for New Orleans. I'm taking L.A. in a sweep, 4-0.

(3) Mavericks vs (6) Trailblazers- Next to the Boston- New York matchup, this is the most intriguing series in the 1st round. Although the Mavs are seeded higher, they seem to be at a disadvantage against Portland. The Blazers are amongst the deepest teams in the entire league and Dallas is short handed offensively. The loss of Caron Butler will hurt the Mavs tremendously in this series. Dirk and Jason Terry are the only two players that Dallas has that score over 15 points consistently. Portland has LeMarcus Aldridge, Gerald Wallace, Wes Matthews, Nic Batum, and Brandon Roy. It looks like Portland has too much fire power for Dallas to match and I'm picking the Blazers in the series upset, 4-2.

(4) Thunder vs (5) Nuggets- Denver is one of the hottest teams in the league since trading Melo to New York and getting 4 quality players in return. I love watching Denver play. Their energy is great and I love teams that can go 9-10 deep. Unfortunately, their lack of a defined star to take over in a crucial playoff game scares me. No one on the Nuggets will be able to defend Kevin Durant, who will probably score at will and Russell Westbrook will get in the lane at ease. I say OKC wins the series pretty easily, 4-1.

Big Disappointment

Never in my time of watching basketball have I been more disappointed in a player than I am in Brandon Jennings. This is not to say that B-Jennings isn't a good player, but I expected a very good season from him this year. Instead, it seems that the super-talented young guard regressed from his rookie year. In the 2009-2010 season, Jennings averaged 15.5 points and 5.7 assists, pretty good numbers for a rookie point guard. This season he upped his scoring average by almost a point, but declined in assists, averaging 4.8. There is no reason for a point guard with his ball handling ability, elusiveness and access to slashers, shooters and a top 5 big-man in the league should be dishing out less than 6-7 assists a night. In addition to his lackluster passing, Jennings once again shot under 40% from the floor. With Andrew Bogut as the center, Milwaukee should be running their offense completely through him. Bogut could easily average 16-17 points a night and Jennings could limit his shots and average well over 7-8 assists. Maybe part of it is coach Scott Skiles' conservative game style but I would like to see B-Jennings turn it up a notch. I know that he is capable of displaying better basketball. There were too many times this season when I checked the box score and Jennings had under 10 points and 5 assists. He is much better than that. Hopefully this off-season he will be a gym rat and come back better than ever next year.

Season Predictions Review

Back in early November, I made my award predictions for this NBA season. Needless to say, I was wrong on each pick. Each pick seemed credible at season's beginning but this was a very surprising year in the league. From D-Rose's extraordinary improvement, Melo's move to NY and Spurs' 60-win season. Here are the predictions:

M.V.P- Kevin Durant. With LeBron in Miami and Kobe more focused on the post season, I say KD wins his first of multiple MVP's. The Thunder are going to be better than the 8th seed and with no other names in contention except for maybe Rondo, KD's almost a lock.

Defensive Player of the Year- Josh Smith. I'm going out on a limb with this one. It's not that much of a risky pick but I think Josh will do more than Dwight this year on D. Mainly because J Smoove can guard multiple positions and will be sure to grab more steals than Howard.

Sixth Man- Udonis Haslem. With this award you can never be too sure. Of course Jason Terry and Jamal Crawford will be fan favorites but I see this year as a great opportunity for Haslem. With the Heat being short on useful big men, the minutes will definitely be there and Haslem is a sure rebounder and a proven mid range shot maker. I say he wins it and averages around 12 points and 8 boards.

R.O.Y- John Wall. This pick is an amazingly hard one to make because of the promise Blake Griffin is showing. I'm leaning towards Wall because his numbers will almost definitely be around 15 and 7 dimes a night, due to him always having the ball. Blake on the other hand will have great games but will also have games when Baron Davis decides not to include any of his teammates. I give the SLIGHT edge to Wall. Also look out for DeMarcus Cousins. Something's telling me a lot of folks are sleeping on him.

Most Improved Player- Mike Beasley/Ramon Sessions. I'm completely torn on this pick. Beasley, an all around scorer is in a perfect situation to have a breakout year. This is especially considering that Minnesota has no defined scorer or shot maker. Beasley can easily flirt with 20 and 8 every night. On the other hand, Ramon Sessions is a player I've loved since seeing his first game with the Bucks a couple seasons back. He is a true point guard and is tremendously underrated. With Cleveland being another team headed in no clear direction, I could see them moving Mo Williams for a young player and letting Sessions run Byron Scott's offense instead. I can't see a score-first point guard being Coach Scott's preference.

Coach of the Year- Mike D'Antoni. With virtually most playoffs teams sure to return from last season, I see the Knicks squeezing into that 8th seed which will give Coach D'Antoni the trophy. Anyone who can get the Knicks back in the post season deserves an award.

New Trend in College Hoops?

For the first time in a number of years, the best college basketball players are returning to school. Jared Sullinger, Perry Jones and likely Harrison Barnes , who were all consensus top 5 picks, are giving college hoops another shot. It seems that the lack of talent, compared to recent history, in this year's NBA Draft would compel top talent to take their chance at easy millions. Because of how bad this year's draft may be, with the exception of Kyrie Irving, Derrick Williams and Kemba Walker, I find myself in favor of players returning to school, and maybe even another age limit rule change. This is due to the evident dip in the quality of play this past college basketball season. More than ever, in my time of watching basketball, has their been such equality throughout the field of teams in the NCAA tournament. Mid-major teams and teams with a veteran core of players seemed to have an upper hand on some of the teams with pro-level young stars. It will be interesting to see if the players who decided to return have better seasons, and will their better seasons influence other All-Americans to stay in school longer.