Monday, December 23, 2013

NBA 2013-2014 Third of the Season Report

LeBron James

MVP- In a shocker, it is LeBron James.  He is still the best player in the game today.  He is also the most valuable in the sense that he means the most to his team.  He will win this award until somebody gives the voters a reason not to select him and this season, nobody has done that, not even close.  Kevin Durant is the second best player in the league but second in the MVP voting should go to Lamarcus Aldridge.  He has vastly improved.  He shoots more efficiently and rebounds a lot more.  He is maxing out his talent right now for the first time in his career.  Chris Paul takes third.  He has been the constant in a year of change for the Los Angeles Clippers. 

Most Improved Player- Jordan Crawford gets the nod here.  He has put up decent numbers scoring the ball in previous years but he is really putting it together this year.  He scores with efficiency and dishes out assists at a surprising rate for somebody once labeled as a senseless gunner.  He has become a complete player.  Aaron Aflalo has an argument due to a serious uptick in his scoring. 

Michael Carter-Williams
Rookie of the Year- If he can stay healthy all season long it will be Michael Carter-Williams by a landslide.  He is stuffing the stat sheet like a seasoned vet with 17 points, seven assists, 5 rebounds, and three steals per game.  His shooting percentage could use a little work, but lets not be too picky, this guy is having a tremendous season.  Alphonso Burke (though you may know him by his nickname, Trey) takes second for how much he has meant to the Jazz.  Before he returned from injury, the Jazz were a mess, with him there is hope and fluidity on offense.  Victor Oladipo is just a smidge behind Burke.  He, like Carter-Williams, has contributed to the game in many different ways.  All three look to be great players in this league for years to come. 

Coach of the Year- Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics.  Did you think the Celtics would be this good?  If you answer yes then you are a liar.  They are just under .500 in the standings in a year where they were expected to be right in range for the number one overall pick.  Oh by the way, Rajon Rondo is not even back yet.  Stevens has inspired this rag-tag group to come together and play good basketball.  He has gotten the best out of his roster.  Refer back to Crawford and the most improved player section for proof.  Terry Stotts of the Blazers will also garner serious consideration and could even win it.

Defensive Player of the Year- Deandre Jordan.  This big, athletic center may not wow you with his on-ball defense but his help-defense has allowed the rest of the roster to spend most of their energy on the offensive end.  He provides a great security blanket for his perimeter defenders with his shot blocking ability.  He uses his athleticism to grab a lot of rebounds.  Dwight Howard looks to be in old form in Houston and could also contend for this award.  As could LeBron James who continues to dominate at both ends of the floor. 

Sixth Man of the Year- Jamal Crawford of the Clippers has provided a great scoring punch for his squad.  They would not have won nearly as many games without his contributions.  Crawford knows his role and executes it well.  Reggie Jackson has been great off the bench for the Thunder and will garner attention here as well.  You can also expect Harrison Barnes of the Warriors to contend here as well. 

Most Surprising Team- The Portland Trailblazers get this award and there should be no arguments here.  Aldridge and Damian Lillard have been fantastic for this team.  Terry Stotts has this team firing all cylinders but the biggest reason for their success is depth.  The Blazers had talent last year but got nothing from the bench.  Mo Williams and Thomas Robinson have provided much-needed depth.  Robin Lopez does not wow you with his ability but is a solid center.  Starters Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum have really stepped up their games and have contributed exactly where they are needed.  This team is for real, there is serious talent there.  The Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics are the next closest.  Both teams were expected to fight for the number one pick and now find themselves firmly in the playoff picture. 

Most Disappointing Team- This one is a tie between the Knicks and Nets.  What has gone wrong for these two teams?  Everything!  Injuries, coaching drama, aging stars, selfish stars, etc.  The Nets have just lost their best player, Brooke Lopez, for what looks like the remainder of the season so there is no fixing their situation.  The Knicks have a roster that just does not mesh together.  I do not see their situation improving either.  The Golden State Warriors have also been a bit of a letdown.  If the playoffs started today, the Warriors would not be participating.  If you are a Warriors fan, keep reading, it gets better. 

Finals Prediction- The Pacers over the Thunder.  Both teams have playoff experience.  You can expect the Pacers to overtake the Heat, they seem to want it more and have to talent to matchup.  The Thunder are more athletic than the Spurs, more experienced than the Blazers, and better than anybody else the West has to offer.  The Thunder are a much deeper team this year.  The Kevin Durant, Paul George matchup is going to be a great one.  A tag-team of George Hill and Lance Stephenson can at least slow down Russell Westbrook.  The difference in the series is Roy Hibbert.  Serge Ibaka can check David West, but both fake tough-guy (insert link) Kendrick Perkins and Steven Adams will be no match for the former Hoya. 

Who will Rise- The Warriors’ struggles will not continue and you can fully expect them to be in the playoffs.  Denver is currently in the eighth seed and there is just no way they will hold on.  There is too much firepower on Golden State’s roster for them to stay home after the regular season.  Once they are there, do not be surprised if they upset a team or two like they did last year.  The Cleveland Cavs and the Minnesota Timberwolves are two teams who are currently outside the playoff picture but have the talent to be one of the top eight teams in their respective conferences. 

Who will Fall- Look for Dallas and Denver to potentially fall out of playoff contention in the Western Conference.  There are a couple of teams below them in Minnesota and Golden State that have more talent.  In the East, it does not really matter if you are not the Heat or Pacers, but there is no reason to believe the Raptors will hold onto the eighth playoff spot. 

Mike Woodson 
First Coach to Get Fired- This is a rather cynical category but it has to be Mike Woodson of the Knicks.  He has made questionable coaching decisions and seems to be a little fed up with the performance of his selfish team, though who could blame him?  The situation in New York is a terrible one and something needs to be done.