Thursday 25 July 2013

Derrick Rose = Best Player in the League?

In an interview courtesy of CNN International, Derrick Rose gave us answers to our most frequently asked questions about his injury, his return, and much more.


Apparently, Derrick Rose thinks he's the best player in the league. I don't know if it's just me, but I wouldn't put my money on a player just coming from an ACL tear, to be the best player in the league. Rose hasn't even played an NBA game since, so as far as the "best player in the league" claims go, he still has to prove himself on the court.

Fans around the world are now saying that the Bulls are now possible Eastern Conference contenders now that they have a healthy Rose back. Well, I'm not exactly sure that's correct. The Bulls played great last season without Derrick, posting a 45-37 record for the fifth seed in the East, a few spots behind Brooklyn, Indiana and New York. As we've seen in Denver over the past few seasons, a team doesn't always have to have a superstar in order to be successful. And that's where the problem is. We just don't know how the Bulls are going to adapt to having Rose back. There could be chemistry problems, and the players (notably Luol Deng and Jimmy Butler) who helped fill the gaping hole in the team after Rose's injury, would have the ball in their hands a lot less, with Rose back. Because remember, even before the injury, Derrick Rose was a scoring point guard, without a pass-first mentality.

So comment in the section below and let us know what you think. Is Derrick Rose the best player in the league. Are the Bulls Eastern Conference contenders with him back?

Stay tuned for more.

Friday 19 July 2013

Cavaliers officially sign Andrew Bynum for $24 Million

In the post-Lebron era, the Cavaliers are doing an excellent job rebuilding their team, and recruiting young talent. Thanks to their unprecedented 'luck' (conspiracy theory?) in the past 3 drafts, the Cavs have been able to build a nucleus of Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson. Now, with their recent first overall pick in the 2013 Draft in Anthony Bennett, things are looking exceedingly bright for Cleveland. Now, with the signing off Andrew Bynum, the Cavs are looking to hopefully add some frontcourt action into the mix.

Bynum, who was sidelined this entire past season with the 76ers because of injuries to both of his knees, will now have to prove that he can still play with the elite talent that he competed with before the injuries. The 2 year, $24 million contract was finalized on Friday, at the team's suburban training facility. Bynum is only guaranteed $6 million this year, although he could earn an additional $6 million by achieving performance incentives. Cleveland also has a $12 million team option for Bynum's second season.

By signing Bynum, the Cavs really have nothing to lose. If things go awry, the Cavaliers will still have Tyler Zeller, Anderson Varejao, and Tristan Thompson as fail-safes. Plus, I truly believe Bynum will return determined to play harder and improve his game, after all the criticism he's received over the past year and a half. I also believe that having a true big man in the middle will benefit the Cavaliers offense as a whole, allowing them to play more pick and roll sets, as well as some inside-out action. Lastly, Bynum will give the Cavaliers more depth in the frontcourt, an advantage they could use against teams like the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, and the 76ers, teams the Cavs would need to outplay in order to make the playoffs next year.


Thursday 18 July 2013

Can the New Look Nets Win it All?

"Today, the basketball gods smiled on the Nets," team owner Mikhail Prokhorov said in a statement.

It's official. The Brooklyn Nets have finally made the jump from Eastern Conference stragglers to Eastern Conference contenders. With the blockbuster trade that would send Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry to the Nets in exchange for Gerald Wallace, MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries, and a bunch of future first and second round picks going to the Celtics being approved and finalized, the 2013-2014 Brooklyn Nets roster looks like it could contend for a championship next spring.

A starting line-up of Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Brook Lopez would give the other elite teams around the league a force to reckon with. With Jason Terry coming off the bench, along with Shaun Livingston, Andrei Kirilenko, Reggie Evans and Andray Blatche, the Nets will have considerable depth at almost every position, an advantage they could use against teams like the NY Knicks, the Bulls and the Clippers out West. The increase of veteran talent on this roster will also help Jason Kidd, who will start his first season as the head coach of the Nets, after retiring earlier this year. 

But, these new high profile additions will send the Brooklyn Nets approximately $29,519,400 above the luxury tax threshold, which will result in roughly $82,957,437.25 in estimated luxury taxes for billionaire owner, Mikhail Prohkorov (not that he seems to care).

 As to whether the Nets will be able win it all next season, they would have to go through the Miami Heat in order to get to the Finals, a daunting task that would result in a playoff series that hypothetically, could go either way. And let's say the Nets do somehow make it to the Finals. A match-up against either the Spurs or the Thunder (the two teams mostly likely to make it to the Finals in the West), would provide yet another daunting challenge. As I've said before in other articles, it's very hard to predict what'll happen in the NBA, there's just too much uncertainty. For all we know, the team could start off on the wrong foot, and not make the playoffs altogether. And we've seen with the last year's Lakers that what looks great on paper doesn't necessarily transfer into playoff success. 

Wednesday 17 July 2013

Lakers Dreaming Big for 2014 Free Agency

There have been so many star players that have played for the illustrious Laker organization over the years. Kareem Abdul Jabbar, James Worthy, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'neal, Pau Gasol, and lastly, Dwight Howard. But now that Howard's signed with the Houston Rockets, what happens next? 

The formation of the NBA's next superteam. A dynasty that would rule the league for the next 5 to 6 years. You know what I'm getting to... a Los Angeles Lakers Big 3. Of whom, you ask? Kobe Bryant, Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony. 

This outlandish idea that was first started by a few analysts at ESPNLosAngeles, has continued to garner interest league-wide. Just from watching the Lakers this past season, it's become obvious that Kobe Bryant won't be able to lead them to a title all by himself; he'll need some help. And who else better to recruit than two of the league's best players in James and 'Melo? 

James and 'Melo, the headliners of next year's free agent class, would not have to take significant pay cuts in order to make this a possibility because the Lakers have cleared a large portion of their cap space, although neither James nor 'Melo have commented on this theory of sorts. As much as I'd love to see this actually happen, the possibility of Bryant, James, and Carmelo playing together in Los Angeles in 2014 is extremely slim.

Lebron James has a legacy to protect. Jumping around from team to team to chase championships won't exactly be the way James will want people to remember him. If Miami remains successful and achieves a 3-peat, Lebron won't have any reason to switch teams. Although, it things go awry in Miami, Cleveland and Los Angeles would be the next best logical destinations. Going back to Cleveland and winning a championship for the fan base there would practically be a dream come true for Cavaliers fans. Meanwhile, joining Kobe and Carmelo in LA would somewhat tarnish his legacy, but could produce a few more champions titles. 

On the other hand, Carmelo, who has not yet won an NBA championship, could be easier to recruit, if the Knicks are not successful next season. Carmelo has a good relationship with Kobe, dating back to their Olympic gold medal journeys in 2008 and 2012, in Beijing and London, respectively. And as mentioned before, the Lakes have already cleared significant cap space, perhaps in anticipation of the 2014 free agent frenzy. The Lakers' recent amnesty of Metta World Peace will save roughly $16 million in future tax payments, money they could use to pay player salaries in the upcoming seasons.

The Lakers are getting ready, but whether this "superteam" can be formed, may not necessarily be up to them. For now, we'll just have to wait and see what happens next season. There are many factors to consider, from Kobe coming back from his injury, to Miami's championship success, to Carmelo's satisfaction playing in NYC. There's so much uncertainty as to what will happen in 2014, and whether or not this epic superteam can become a reality. But we do know one thing. The Lakers sure are dreaming big. 

Feel free to comment down below to give your opinion on this potential superteam.  

Tuesday 16 July 2013

Howard signs with Rockets. Dwightmare Over?

The Dwightmare is over. General managers, owners and fans of the NBA can finally wake up.

 Dwight Howard has officially chosen to sign with the Houston Rockets after a tumultuous season with the Los Angeles Lakers, which ended in an early playoff exit. 

Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski provides details on Howard's contract:
"Dwight Howard's four-year, $88 million maximum contract agreement with the Houston Rockets will include an early termination option after the 2015-16 season and a 15 percent trade kicker", league sources told Yahoo! Sports. 

This means that in 2016, Dwight will have the option of opting out and becoming a free agent again, or signing a new five year, maximum contract deal with the Rockets, which would probably be the last of his career. If Howard is traded before his contract expires he will be paid 15 percent of the money left on his deal because of the kicker. 

Now that we have that established, let's get to the main point. Is the Dwightmare over?

At a first glance, Houston would seem the perfect fit for Howard. Pairing up with emerging star, James Harden, along with other up and coming players such as Jeremy Lin and Chandler Parsons, would create a young and talented nucleus that could possibly contend for a title next spring. This would allow Howard to play in a run-and-gun type of offense, something he's wanted to do for a while. Now, there are also reports that the Rockets are trying to hire former Houston Rockets legend, Hakeem Olajuwon, to their coaching staff. Imagine this. Olajuwon, one of the best low post players ever, working with Howard to improve his game everyday, maybe even adding a little "Dream Shake" action into it. Howard would literally be unstoppable. 

So yes, my answer is that the Dwightmare is indeed over, at least for the foreseeable future. And as long as Howard is happy doing what he's doing, I think that's all that matters to him (and of course, a few championship rings). 




Monday 15 July 2013

The Greatest Starting Line-Up. Ever.

Every great basketball analyst has their opinions on the greatest NBA starting line-up of all-time. Whether you ask Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller, David Aldridge or any of the other analysts that you see on TV, their versions of the greatest starting line-up of all time are probably similar, considering their knowledge of the game and the fact that many of these analysts were superstars in the NBA before they retired.

So now, here's my version of the greatest starting line-up of all time. Remember, this isn't a list of the greatest players necessarily, but the greatest starting line-up of all time. That means one player per position, starting with the point guard.

Point Guard (PG): Earvin "Magic" Johnson was simply a freak of nature. Not in a bad way, but in a basketball sense. I mean, when was the last time you saw a 6'8" point guard bringing up the ball? Magic had such a size advantage that it seemed unfair to have to defend him. Consider this. In the NBA today, Chris Paul is supposedly the best point guard in the league. Imagine Magic Johnson going up against Chris Paul. How are you supposed to defend a guy that has excellent court vision, a second to none basketball IQ, and is a full head taller than you?

Shooting Guard (SG): This is a hard decision. It's between Jordan and Kobe (although my mom is adamant that Jordan is better). I've always been a Kobe Bryant fan, but from a basketball standpoint, there's not much that differentiates them. No disrespect to Kobe, but Jordan is as every bit as good as him, except for the fact that Jordan has 6 championship titles, while Kobe has 5. If you look at both of their games, you'll notice that they almost look identical. Even the their championship celebrations are the same. They're both dynamic scorers, they're both team leaders, they're both clutch performers, and they've both become sports icons. I mean, when you think of professional basketball, you always think Jordan or Kobe (and maybe even Lebron, but we'll get to him later). So for this one, I'd say either one.

Small Forward (SF): Now, the choice for the greatest small forward of all time is a no-brainer, unlike the shooting guard. Lebron James. The heralded "King of Hoops" has come to take his throne atop the NBA kingdom. His undeniable talent has resulted in back-to-back NBA championships for the Miami Heat. Of course, this success was inevitable after James decided to join forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to play for the Heat, in a decision that fans and critics labeled "cowardly" and "unjustifiable" as the NBA's newest super-team was formed. With career averages of 27.6 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 6.9 APG, Lebron James will certainly go down in history as one of the best basketball players of all time.

Power Forward (PF): The Big Fundamental, Tim Duncan. Man, it seems like this guy has been in the league forever! And. indeed he has. The 37 year-old big man has led the San Antonio Spurs to 4 championship titles, with their recent championship run to the Finals, ending in a near title. He is also one of a few reasons the aging San Antonio Spurs roster has been able to remain competitive in the Western Conference. The 2-time MVP, 3-time Finals MVP, 14-time NBA All Star, 14-time All-NBA Defensive First Team, and sure-fire future NBA Hall of Famer, has much to be proud of.

Center (C): There have been so many great centers in league history from Wilt Chamberlain, to Bill Russell, to Shaquille O'neal, and to Kareem Abdul Jabbar. But you have to remember that most of these great centers played before rules like the 3-second violation and goaltending were established. For me, this decision comes down to personal preference. If you don't already know, my favorite player in NBA history is Hakeem Olajuwon, so I'll go with him. When I think of an elite center, I want a player that can lead the team in rebounds, score in the low post, and run the floor. Hakeem can do all of those things. With his signature "Dream Shake", and a plethora of other post moves, he became an unstoppable inside force. Not only that, his excellent footwork allows him to get into good positions for both defensive and offensive rebounds (for a career average of 11.1 RPG).  To put the icing on the cake, during both of Houston's championship runs (94' and 95'), Hakeem was matched with two elite centers in back to back years in the NBA Finals. In 1994, Hakeem was matched against Patrick Ewing, while in 1995, Hakeem was matched against the rookie big man, Shaquille O'neal. Hakeem dominated both, leading to back-to-back NBA Championships for the Houston Rockets. Case closed.

And there you have it. Magic-Jordan/Kobe-Lebron-Duncan-Olajuwon. The greatest starting line-up. Ever.