Monday, April 30, 2012

2012 NBA Playoffs - Game 1 Recaps

A very exciting NBA Playoff weekend this was.  So much happened, but I will start with the bad news first,....

Bulls vs. 76ers - For anyone who watched this game, your heart had to go out to Derrick Rose when you saw this injury.  He has been nicked up all year long and probably needed some more time, but it is what it is.  I don't think having him out there put him in anymore danger than him running in the lay up line, but it didn't look good for Thibs.  I felt like the Bulls should have saved Derrick from himself during these injuries.  You know he knows how to play one way and that's full tilt, so you gotta slow him down and sit him a few more games.  If you didn't read, check this out.  Bulls should still beat the 76ers, but we'll see what happens next round.  A possible suspension could still mean ECF for the Bulls. 

Heat vs. Knicks - Well we know that LBJ might have wrapped up that MVP trophy with his performance, even if it was against the Knicks.  The Heat looked awesome in their Game 1 rout, but this Knicks team won't go quietly.  They got hit with the injury bug also with Shump out (ACL), Chandler questionable (flu), and Baron Davis questionable (back).  I would really like to see this Knicks squad at full strength against the Heat, but we'll have to wait till next year for that. 

Pacers vs. Magic - The Pacers let one get away in this series and if they continue to play like this, they are going to look back on this series and want to just throw up.  Everyone on the Pacers has got to step up and forget Game 1, and get back to doing what they do, defense and consistent (although not spectacular) offense.  Note to the Pacers guards, if the clock is running down and you have not gotten the ball to Granger or West, you are doing something wrong.  

Thunder vs. Mavericks - Ok, let me see how this works.  You lose and Dirk didn't get enough calls.  Last year Dirk averaged close to 13 free throws a game in the Finals (someone check me on this), but he probably didn't get enough calls then either.  OKC won a close one, which is something that I think each team will have to do, win close games.  Dirk vs. KD is gonna be good for the rest of this series.

Spurs vs. Jazz - Well, the Spurs looked great and the Jazz looked,....most of them looked pretty good,...but they were lacking in one position on the floor.  I'll let you figure it out, but they have got to change what they are doing or this is going to be a quick series that will give the Spurs some rest.

Lakers vs. Nuggets - All of that Howard for Bynum trade talk is essentially out the window.  The Lakers would be crazy to trade for Howard straight up.  Bynum's triple double with blocks, speaks volumes to what he can bring to the table along with some post moves (something Howard has none of).  Kobe quietly had a bad game and the Lakers win.  Just what people don't need to hear if you're anti-Lakers.  The Nuggets have to pick up the pace or they will be home in 3 more. 

Celtics vs. Hawks - Will he or won't he get suspended?  Hammer has to fall relatively quickly since there's 48 hours between games.  I think Rondo has to be suspended 1 game and the Hawks have got to make the Celtics pay for that.  Josh Smith showed all of the things (good and bad) that make him the player he is, but if he concentrates on shooting 15ft jumpers and working around the rim, this Hawks team will win.  Jeff Teague is slowly showing us that he can be a legitimate starter in this league. 

Grizzlies vs. Clippers - No, I didn't watch the game all the way through.  The wife wanted to turn to see Real Housewives (don't know which one), but I said, let me watch this for a minute.  Paul got a T, and the Grizzlies seemed to be shooting like they were at Dave and Busters (hitting everything).  I go to sleep and while I'm getting ready for work, I see the score flash across the bottom of Sportscenter,....can't be right.  I watch the highlights and I'm still not convinced that the Clippers came back from 27 down to win Game 1.  Someone tell me I'm in a different universe or something because THAT didn't just happen. 

Check out each series and my picks:  Grizzlies vs. Clippers, Celtics vs. Hawks, Lakers vs. Nuggets, Spurs vs. Jazz, Thunder vs. Mavericks, Heat vs. Knicks, Bulls vs. 76ers, Pacers vs. Magic

Who you got?!?!?

Sunday, April 29, 2012

2012 NBA Playoffs - Memphis Grizzlies vs. Los Angeles Clippers

This might be the most highlight worthy series starting this weekend.  Both of these teams have a lot of promise and we'll see who shows up.  


Grizzlies: This was the darling team that made lots of noise last year plowing through the Western Conference playoffs.  The beef up front in Gasol and Randolph cause enough problems of their own, but this team now has Rudy Gay back to go along with the rest of this solid team.  They have a stopper in Tony Allen, a bench guy that can score when needed in OJ Mayo, and we're hoping that we get a chance to see the artist formerly known as Agent 0.  This Grizzlies team is just starting to catch some momentum with the return of Randolph and will be a tough out for the Clippers. 

Who has to step up: Mike Conley.  This is going to be a match up based on tempo.  The Grizzlies can run, but they are best with their bigs dominating the Clippers bigs.  Conley will have to control that tempo and keep the Clippers (Paul) from pushing for all of those highlight finishes by the Clippers.   

Clippers: The Clippers are in the playoffs!!!!  Let's celebrate that for a moment.  The early season trade that brought them Chris Paul is paying dividends and I even like the pick up of Nick Young who gives them some height and scoring in the backcourt.  We all know about Griffin and Jordan and the dunks, but I think the Clippers are going to have to perform in the half court because this is the playoffs.  This should be a very good series.    

Who has to step up: Caron Butler and Kenyon Martin.  Butler has got to show up big time for this Clippers team.  Foye, Paul, and Williams can shoot the 3 ball to provide some space, but I think Butler is going to have to put someone on the block and make them guard him from there.  This is why the Clippers got Kenyon Martin for this playoff run.  He's going to have to rebound and play the enforcer for this team if they hope to win this series.  He can't let people just take Blake Griffin down like they have been doing.  But Martin can't get thrown out either. 


Outcome: This is a tough one, heart says Clippers, head says Grizzlies.  I got the Clippers in 7.

2012 NBA Playoffs - Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks

This is probably the series that most people won't watch outside of Boston and half the population of Atlanta.  There isn't any sizzle in this one, just two so-so teams that have to play each other. 


Celtics: We thought they were dead, and then it happened.  The Celtics moved KG to center and someone woke up Rajon Rondo.  The Celtics have since been on a tear and have rekindled those dreams of them doing damage in the playoffs.  The emergence of Avery Bradley, in the wake of Ray Allen's injury has given this Celtics squad some scoring punch, but the issue is the Celtics' bench is weak.  This will mean heavy minutes for both KG and Paul Pierce if they are going to make some noise.  How long can they hold up is the biggest question. 

Who has to step up: Celtics Bench.  They have to give these starters some rest and give this team a chance.  Ray Allen will help with his move to the bench, but no one knows how that ankle is going to be when he gets back. 

Hawks: Don't know what to say about the Hawks.  They seem to be in a groundhog day cycle over the last few years where they end up being a 4th or 5th seed and not much is expected from them.  Joe Johnson and Josh Smith lead this team (18+ pts a piece) and Jeff Teague took the success of last years playoffs and parlayed that into a good season for him.  Losing Horford has hurt this team but they've played the majority of the season without him.  

Who has to step up: Tracy McGrady (gulp) and Kirk Hinrich.  For some reason I see the artist formerly known as T-Mac having some impact on this series.  I hope he plays and plays well, but he could be 'that' mismatch against the Celtics bench.  Hinrich has to be the solid guy that he has been the majority of his career and hit a few clutch shots and play some defense (without fouling). 


Outcome: I got the Celtics in 6.  I don't have faith in this Hawks team, never have, never will. 

2012 NBA Playoffs - Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets

Lakers and Nuggets for the chance to play the OKC Thunder (yes, I'm projecting). 


Lakers: The Lakers come into the playoffs with the suspension of Metta World Peace and the health of Kobe's shin as the hot topics of discussion.  We all know that 'the elbow' has MWP out for at least the first 6 games of this series, but more importantly we may be an injured shin away from Kobe being out of the playoffs.  The Lakers were already thin on the wings prior to the suspension and that will impact this game, because I'm not sure who's going to guard Gallo.  The Lakers do have the best big man tandem in the league in Bynum and Gasol and will be smart to lean on those two as they play a Nuggets team without a lot of size. 

Who has to step up: Devin Ebanks, Matt Barnes, and Ramon Sessions.  Ebanks has been playing well as of late but he and Matt Barnes are going to not only find a way to play some defense, but they are going to have to find a way to consistently score also.  Ramon Sessions is going to have to play ball and find a way to slow down Ty Lawson. 

Nuggets: These ain't the Carmelo Anthony Nuggets.  This team runs and runs and runs.  They have Danillo (Gallo) Gallinari, Ty Lawson, and Aaron Afflalo.  Gallo, before hurting his foot earlier this year, was on a tear.  He is a 6'11" guy with a perimeter game and with MWP out he should be able to get going.  Afflalo can do it all, including some defense on Kobe.  When you add in an active, yet immature McGee and the rookie fan favorite in Faried, these Nuggets are going to keep coming at you. 

Who has to step up: Danillo Gallinari and Ty Lawson.  Gallo is going to have to revert to his mid-season tear that he was on and he isn't scared to take those big shots.  Ty Lawson is going to have to see if anyone on the Lakers can keep up with him.  The more he pushes the ball and exposes that defense, the easier it'll be for these Nuggets to score.  If the game slows down the Lakers will be able to use their size advantage.


Outcome: I got the Lakers in 7, just in time for the return of MWP and a matchup with the Thunder. 

2012 NBA Playoffs - San Antonio Spurs vs. Utah Jazz

In recent years, this would have been a matchup for the Western Finals but this year it's a #1 vs. #8.  The Spurs are rolling and have people saying don't forget about us, we're still here. 

Spurs: The Spurs usually win with defense but this team is winning with offense.  They are actually scoring over 100 points a game.  If you've watched the Spurs for years, getting to 100 was an amazing feat.  Tim Duncan has found the fountain of youth and Tony Parker has gotten his name back into that best point guard in the game discussion.  Ginobili is still underrated, but this team is going to win because of their bench.  This Spurs team is still dangerous so don't sleep on them. 

Who has to step up: Boris Diaw and Stephen Jackson.  Diaw is the Swiss army knife of players, but his effort has always been questioned.  He has the tools to be a mismatch at the 3 or 4 but he has got to play ball.  Jackson has always been one of those guys that can get on a court and score 20 any night, but he can also, when he wants to, D someone up.  They are going to need him to possibly do both in this series. 

Jazz: The Jazz have been going sideways most of the season but have fallen into the 8th spot.  I actually like the bigs that Utah bring into this game with Milsap, Jefferson, Kanter and Favors.  If they get some wing production, they could scare a few people.  The Jazz are one of those teams that have the pieces, but something is missing.  Maybe they find 'that' in this series. 

Who has to step up: Al Jefferson and Devin Harris. Jefferson just has to do what he do and be a beast on the blocks, but he has to stay out of foul trouble against the Big Fundamental.  That's the only way his team will have a chance to win.  Devin Harris has been that up and coming point guard and he's been that guy that you throw in on a trade.  Which one shows up during this series?  Harris has the talent, but I can't explain why he doesn't play better.  Maybe the 'it' that the Jazz are missing starts with him.  If he plays well,...this will be interesting. 


Outcome: I got the Spurs in 6.  Utah may scare them, but Spurs have the edge. 

Saturday, April 28, 2012

2012 NBA Playoffs - Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Dallas Mavericks

Last years' champ versus the team that everyone outside of San Antonio picked to come out of the West.  This is one that I am going to definitely have to watch. Is this the year for the Thunder? 

Thunder: What's not to like about this Thunder team?  They have possibly the best duo in the league in Westbrook and Durant and once you get past them, they still have the probable 6th Man of the Year in Harden, and let's not even talk about the defense (Ibaka and Perkins).  They are a little thin from a bench standpoint, but Harden, if healthy, makes up for a lot of that.  This team seems poised to take that next step, but they have to get past a defending champ which is always hard. 

Who has to step up: James Harden.  I'm picking on him because he has to show us that he's healthy and that he can take a hit.  If he is free and clear from the concussion and doesn't have any lingering effect on him, then the same James Harden that's showed up all year will have to get back in the groove.  This could possibly be the only thing that derails this team.   

Mavericks: It's been a tough year for the Mavericks.  They thought they pulled a coup in getting Lamar Odom, but that didn't work well and then they were without their floor general in Jason Kidd for a significant time this season.  Add to that, Dirk's knee and people were starting to think that maybe the Mavericks were tanking to make sure that they could get Deron Williams this summer.  As of late this team has gelled and they resemble the team that won it all last year, without a defensive presence (Tyson Chandler).  You can never count a champ out, so I don't think there will be any brooms in this series, but look for a tough one for both teams.

Who has to step up: Delonte West and Rodrigue (Roddy) Beaubois.  Delonte has quietly been the cog that has kept this team moving.  He can score and play defense and has played within himself all year.  He's given the Mavericks another scorer in the starting lineup that should make things easier for Dirk since you can't double off of West.  Roddy Beaubois is probably going to see some time chasing Harden and or the backup point guard combo of Derek Fisher/Royal Ivey.  If Beaubois can cause some problems for the Thunder bench, that's great for the Mavericks. 


Outcome: I got the Thunder in 6.  Looking forward to seeing the Thunder in the West Finals. 

2012 NBA Playoffs - Indiana Pacers vs. Orlando Magic

This matchup between the 3rd seeded Pacers and the 6th seeded Magic is really anti-climatic.  Without Dwight Howard playing, the Pacers would be remiss if they didn't handle this group of Magic quickly.  Part of me wishes Dwight was playing just to see if Indiana is actually ready to take a baby step after scaring the Bulls in last years' playoffs.  

Pacers: I like this balanced Pacers squad led by Danny Granger, but it's not just him.  They have David West resembling the guy before the knee injury, and this team plays defense also.  Call me what you want, but I like that Hibbert has made himself into a usable 5 in the league.  I would have loved to see him play against Dwight even if it would only be a measuring stick game.  The Pacers have enough scorers (George, Barbosa, etc.) and a veteran in George Hill that can help this team in the playoffs. 

Who has to step up: David West.  Yes, he's the veteran on this team, but West has got to lead the way.  Can he get this team past this Orlando squad and ready to play in the 2nd round of the playoffs? 

Magic: It's been a year for the Magic.  I do have to give them this, they could have folded and gone fishing, but they decided to play and make the playoffs and whether Dwight plays or not, these boys are not going to back down.  Ryan Anderson is balling,....literally balling.  Orlando can make this interesting but I don't think that they have the weapons to win this series.  I can see them winning 2 games, but that's about it. 

Who has to step up: Jameer Nelson.  Maybe this is the easy person to pick, but a few years back Nelson was BALLING and he made this team that much more dangerous because Dwight was behind him.  To say that he has regressed would but a bit of an understatement.  If Nelson can find some of that old magic (literally) then the Magic have a chance to take this to 7 games. 


Outcome: I got the Pacers in 5.

2012 NBA Playoffs - Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks

Can I say that I love this matchup?!?!?!  This the best matchup in the 1st round in the East.  We have the expectation heavy Heat taking on a resurgent Knicks squad.  There will be fireworks, more likely on the scoreboard than on the court. 

Heat: There's LBJ, Wade and Bosh and a few extra pieces, but this Heat team is flawed.  They lack a consistent deep threat and they seem to be a team that can't keep it 'on' (their effort) consistently.  The Heat's bench hasn't played well, but they are going to have to step up if they want at least one of those championships that this Big 3 promised.  Will the NBA MVP, LeBron be just that in the playoffs?  This is a dangerous Knicks team that can catch fire on offense so the Heat will have to dial in on defense to wrap this up quickly.   

Who has to step up:  The Heat Bench.  Someone, anyone, step up and give these guys some punch when one of the starters sits.   

Knicks: I like this draw for the Knicks.  They have Carmelo and Amare and can put up points, but the question will be can they get a stop or two?  Tyson Chandler may sit game 1 due to illness, so that will probably put this Knicks team in an 0-1 hole.  If Melo gets some help, this team may be able to pull an upset that many outside of NY probably aren't expecting.  Although Lin isn't playing the one thing that he started was giving some of these guys confidence and that confidence makes them dangerous.    

Who has to step up: JR Smith and Iman Shumpert.  I love JR Smith for what he can do.  He's a playmaker, can hit shots, and can even play some defense when needed.  The problem I have with JR Smith is that sometimes he is out of control.  A bad JR Smith means the Knicks are out of here in possibly 5.  A good JR Smith means this goes 7.  Shump has played ball all year long and he can be a defensive stopper with his length and quickness, so he's gotta cause some problems for either Wade or LBJ on the perimeter. 


Outcome: I got the Heat in 6, but there's a chance for the upset in Round 1. 

2012 NBA Playoffs - Chicago Bulls vs. Philadelphia 76ers

Let's get this thing going since the playoffs start today.  We'll start with the Chicago Bulls (1) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (8).  The one thing that I will say is that the Bulls and the 76ers are both solid teams and this will be a somewhat interesting matchup.

Bulls: Of course, the Bulls are driven by Derrick Rose.  I don't want to hear about all of the games that the Bulls won without him due to injury.  Without Rose, the Bulls will be sitting with me watching the NBA Finals.  There's a fine line in this series, as you want rose healthy but you also need him to get back into his groove.  The Bulls play defense, I mean DEFENSE, so they should be in every game in this series even if they sit half of their starting five.  I think we all know that the Bulls are going to win this series and it's really aabout how many games it'll take. 

Who has to step up:  C.J. Watson.  If I'm Thibs, he gets a lot of run in this game and I rest Rose.  Watson has been solid all year, but has kind of caught fire late in the season for this Bulls team. 

76ers:  This is what the 76ers wanted.  They had a chance to get to the 7th seed and play the Heat, but there was talk that they 'wanted' the easier out by playing the Bulls.  Quick question, do they drug test in the NBA? The Sixers started this season playing well, but soon Doug Collins wore on them and they faltered down the stretch.  They have a lot of pieces in Lou Williams, Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand and an improved Evan Turner.  The odd part is that both the Bulls and the 76ers are deep teams that play as teams.

Who has to step up:  Elton Brand, Lou Williams, and Thaddeus Young.  Brand has got to go back in the phonebooth and emerge as the old Chicago Bull Elton Brand.  The 20 and 10 guy every night he stepped on the court.  He's going to have to be a big difference.  Lou Williams won't match Rose's play, but he's got to get his teammates some easy buckets.  Thaddues Young has got to be a consistent scorer off the bench for this team against that Bulls 2nd unit.

Outcome:  I got the Bulls in 5 in this one.  Too much Chicago.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Miami Heat Just Like Mike (Tyson)?

 
I don't claim to be the driver behind this write up, but after talking with one of my guys this morning (Thanks Senior Pullen) I felt like I needed to expound on our conversation.  First let me take a step back, I have been on the Heat bandwagon since early this season with the way this team and in particular LBJ has played.  I have gotten a little worried during some of these lulls that the Heat have had this year, but I'm still riding with them.

With that said, the Heat are losing the thing that made them scary to me.  They are losing their aura and they have proven to me that they are really the reincarnate of Mike Tyson as a basketball team.  In other words, the Heat go for the knockout early in the game and expect to coast the rest of the time.  If you're able to not succumb to their initial onslaught (i.e. Buster Douglas, Evander Holyfield, etc.) then you can grind on the Heat and win late.

Flash back to 1985 when a young 'Iron' Mike Tyson was introduced to the boxing world.  He was the baddest dude on two feet.  He wore blank trunks to go along with his black boots and he was never in the mood to converse with his foes.  Tyson was not only beating people, he was knocking people TFO (we not trying to curse here, but you know what I'm talking about).  Tyson's victories helped create the aura of Mike Tyson.  Tyson was known for his quick knockouts to the point that some people were just hoping that they could get him to go past 6 or 7 rounds to see what kind of fighter he was.  All of this grew and grew until a fateful night in February of 1990 when James 'Buster' Douglas put a permanent chink in the aura (armor if you must) of Tyson.



We digress back to the purpose of this posting.  The Heat started this season with arguably one of the best defenses, outside of those MJ led Bulls teams or Bad Boys Pistons teams, in the history of the NBA.  They had a way of playing teams and putting up big quarters to impose their will on their foes.  They came out with these (sorry) ugly all black alternate unis and there was talk that they would only lose single digit games in this shortened NBA season.  LBJ was the MVP by a landslide and all was good.  As this season has progressed there have been teams that have put chinks in the aura/armor that is the Heat (Orlando, Milwaukee, LA (Clips and Lakers), Celtics and Bulls).

Most notably last night's Bulls game in Chicago.  The Heat seemed to have everything going their way.  They were up at the half by 5 points, Derrick Rose was having a horriawful night and all of this was without much help for LBJ.  Then IT happened. The Bulls, instead of caving to the pressure or the attempted knock out blows, just kept coming back.  Rose continued his terrible play, but the coach put in C.J. Watson and he played well.  The Bulls bench, led by Watson, Korver, and Gibson, were the difference between a 'W' and a Heat win based purely off of talent.

As you watch the Heat for the rest of the season, look at them with Mike Tyson goggles on and see if what I'm saying is true.  Tyson did win several championships (something this Heat unit hasn't) and continued being viable for years to come, but it seemed to go downhill fast for him and maybe just maybe, the Heat are heading in that downhill direction.  Winning it all is the cure for all of this talk, but even I am a little more concerned about the ability of the Heat to do just that after last night's debacle.  

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Grown Folks Advice: Know Who's in the Room

Lately we have a few people, Dwight Howard and Gregg Williams, who are in need of some Grown Folks Advice.  Each of their situations is a little different, Williams made a career ending move and Howard just made a career limiting (very limited) move.  I do happen to feel that if they had taken this Grown Folks Advice, neither would have been in trouble.  This piece is dedicated to the following advice:  Know Who's in the Room.

Supposedly Dwight Howard had a conversation with someone in upper management and either asked that his head coach Stan Van Gundy be fired or he intimated that his head coach be fired.  In either situation, I imagine that Dwight was in a room with a person or some people and the discussion about his future with the organization came up.  I'm more inclined to believe that he was asked 'what would it take to keep you here long term?'.  Now for those of us with 'good non-gubment jobs', we know this is a setup.  This kind of question gives the person answering the question enough rope to hang one's self without even trying.  Did Dwight ask for his coach's head, who really knows, but if he did he had to know who was in that room or who that person that he was speaking with is connected to.

To break it down, if you ask me a question about someone in our organization and I don't know that the two of you are friends/acquaintances/golfing buddies I should be very wary of how I answer your question because I know that you are going back to that person as soon as we finish speaking.  It's expected, and you can pretty much guarantee that it's going to happen.  So, I imagine that Dwight gave the inclination that he and Van Gundy weren't BFF's and the person repeated this information.  Which in turn caused the most awkward moment in Orlando Magic history.


If Dwight would have taken a moment to understand who was in the room with him, crisis averted.  Or when in doubt just give them the honest truth, ' I don't want to be like LeBron, so I will just say that I have no idea what I'm going to do, but I'd like to think about what I'm going to do and then I'll say something that may sound silly, but you know I joke around, but you also know I don't want to be like Shaq and leave Orlando, but I want to stay, but I also want a chance to win a championship, but I also want to have fun,.......' - guaranteed that they walk out of the room and never ask you another question.

For Gregg Williams, let's forget that the NFL has already told your team that they need to watch what they say to their players, let's forget that the NFL is presently investigating your team for possible violations as they relate to a bounty program, let's forget that Roger Goodell has already made examples out of those that have crossed his lines since becoming the commish, and let's forget the fact that you are openly asking players to intentionally injure players on the opposing team, you have a guy sitting in the corner of your locker room RECORDING THE ENTIRE THING.  Williams can't be this dumb, so I attribute this to arrogance.  But back to the purpose of this musing, if you know who's in the room you can 1) request that the guy be removed from the locker room for a period of time prior to the start of the game 2) confiscate (in a nice way) his recording devices or 3) be careful what you say.

Again, if you know who's in the room, maybe your speech goes from what it was to 'guys go out there and give 'em hell!!!!'.  Sometimes you gotta be politically correct so that you don't mess up that 'good non-gubment job'.

Heed my advice and feel free to pass on to people who may need it.  Remember, we all gotta eat and we can't let our mouths get in the way of that. 
  

Monday, April 02, 2012

NYSTOM NBA 6th Man

Who's your NBA 6th Man?  I think this is a close race, but I am surprised at who's on the leader board for this one.  Maybe the numbers do lie, and right now they seem to be a dayum lie.


1.       Brandan Wright
DAL
6.4 ppg
3.1 rpg
0.3 apg,
62.7 FG%
14.9 minutes per game
2.       Tiago Splitter
SAS
9.2 ppg
5.1 rpg,
1.2 apg
60.2 FG%
19.8 minutes per game
3.       James Harden
OKC
17.1 ppg
4.1 rpg
3.8 apg
49.3 FG%
31.9 minutes per game
4.       Thaddeus Young
PHI
12.7 ppg
5.1 rpg
1.2 apg
49.6 FG%
28.0 minutes per game
5.       Taj Gibson
CHI
7.8 ppg
5.1 rpg
0.7 apg
50.3 FG%
19.8 minutes per game

NYSTOM, James Harden has got to be THE 6th man of the Year because of the work that he has done and the fact that his team is battling for the top spot in the NBA, not only the Western Conference.  He does get a lot of minutes because they are willing to throw him out there, but he's gotta be #1. 

Who you got?!?!?!

NYSTOM Top 50 NBA Players

Who's the best in the game?  Where does your favorite player rank?  Here are ours and I'm almost good with these.  As always, numbers never lie, but people do, so check these numbers and get back at us if you got something to say.



Player
Team
PPG
RPG
APG
FG%

1
James, LeBron
MIA
26.53
8.22
6.59
0.535
199.3194
2
Wade, Dwyane
MIA
22.95
4.88
4.88
0.507
179.2781
3
Durant,Kevin
OKL
27.69
8.12
3.53
0.501
178.8671
4
Westbrook, Russell
OKL
24.43
4.41
5.47
0.476
169.9297
5
Howard, Dwight
ORL
20.87
14.52
1.87
0.580
167.7008
6
Duncan, Tim
SAN
15.19
9.00
2.47
0.471
165.9254
7
Boozer, Carlos
CHI
15.57
8.26
1.81
0.537
165.1759
8
Bynum, Andrew
LAL
18.31
12.13
1.50
0.583
164.3395
9
Parker, Tony
SAN
19.34
2.89
7.96
0.474
162.1538
10
Griffin, Blake
LAC
21.00
10.81
3.08
0.539
161.5350
11
Jefferson, Al
UTA
19.65
9.42
2.17
0.496
159.6497
12
Paul, Chris
LAC
19.57
3.43
8.81
0.490
157.9771
13
Rose, Derrick
CHI
22.82
3.47
7.97
0.450
155.6653
14
Love, Kevin
MIN
26.53
13.86
1.96
0.451
153.5303
15
Gasol, Pau
LAL
16.85
10.48
3.33
0.506
151.7410
16
Garnett, Kevin
BOS
15.73
8.19
2.96
0.519
151.1083
17
Bryant, Kobe
LAL
27.87
5.54
4.63
0.421
150.3861
18
Gortat, Marcin
PHO
16.20
9.96
1.00
0.561
149.4577
19
Aldridge, LaMarcus
POR
21.39
8.10
2.47
0.512
149.2675
20
Smith, Josh
ATL
18.76
9.76
3.91
0.448
148.1005
21
Millsap, Paul
UTA
16.19
8.87
2.31
0.499
147.4876
22
Nowitzki ,Dirk
DAL
21.22
6.57
2.29
0.456
146.3467
23
Bosh, Chris
MIA
18.34
7.74
1.89
0.494
145.4572
24
Nash, Steve
PHO
12.85
3.06
11.21
0.537
143.9758
25
Noah, Joakim
CHI
9.90
9.86
2.67
0.497
143.3172
26
Ibaka, Serge
OKL
8.96
7.96
0.43
0.531
139.9077
27
Faried, Kenneth
DEN
9.63
7.03
0.59
0.587
139.5573
28
Lee, David
GSW
19.65
9.61
2.71
0.510
137.8819
29
Cousins, DeMarcus
SAC
17.66
11.12
1.56
0.441
137.7640
30
Monroe, Greg
DET
15.85
9.83
2.44
0.511
137.6488
31
Irving, Kyrie
CLE
18.93
3.98
5.67
0.471
135.1051
32
Hibbert, Roy
IND
12.90
8.80
1.63
0.496
133.3370
33
Ilyasova, Ersan
MIL
12.65
8.71
1.12
0.490
130.8592
34
Blair, Dejuan
SAN
9.60
5.66
1.18
0.530
130.6446
35
Gasol, Marc
MEM
15.53
9.71
3.04
0.486
129.3797
36
Gooden, Drew
MIL
14.13
6.63
2.52
0.435
129.0305
37
Pekovic, Nikola
MIN
13.51
7.46
0.57
0.565
128.6651
38
Lawson, Ty
DEN
15.60
3.83
6.70
0.474
128.3122
39
Rondo, Rajon
BOS
12.27
4.78
10.98
0.449
128.0445
40
Brand, Elton
PHI
10.90
7.42
1.60
0.494
127.6070
41
Stoudemire, Amare
NYK
17.56
7.98
1.07
0.476
127.3866
42
Scola, Luis
HOU
15.88
6.48
1.96
0.503
127.1135
43
Pierce, Paul
BOS
19.00
5.19
4.75
0.433
127.1093
44
West, David
IND
12.08
6.69
2.18
0.470
127.0389
45
Lin, Jeremy
NYK
14.63
3.06
6.14
0.446
126.7854
46
Chandler, Tyson
NYK
11.14
9.69
0.98
0.677
125.9738
47
Gay, Rudy
MEM
18.84
6.61
2.29
0.450
123.5250
48
Wright, Brandan
DAL
6.39
3.06
0.31
0.627
122.9256
49
Williams, Deron
NJN
21.63
3.35
8.63
0.410
122.9228
50
Splitter, Tiago
SAN
9.21
5.14
1.23
0.602
122.8499



NYSTOM, somehow this Roy Hibbert guy keeps showing up in your numbers and I'm not sure why?  I know I might get ethered for saying this but I think that Russell Westbrook is slowly positioning himself as one of the top 3 PGs in the league.  Rondo throwing up triple doubles has me tempering some of my excitement, but pay attention to this youngster in OKC.  Rose has probably fallen because of injuries, but I hope the Bulls rest him so that they are prepared for the playoffs.  

Who you got?!?!?!?