Party it up Dirk, cuz your season's over!

It's often hard to express one's emotion through text, so how's this:









BYE DALLAS!!!!! DIRK WILL NEVER WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP!!!! THANKS FOR COMING OUT YOU LOSERS!!! WAY TO TRADE YOUR BEST PERIMETER DEFENDER FOR AN OLD, WASHED UP RELIC WHO IS SCARED TO BE AN OFFENSIVE THREAT!!!!

Now that I got that off my chest, I feel bad for Steve. Last year was their year in my mind, and they got slighted by the Spurs. Now another season is done and he's a year older. So is Shaq and so is Grant. It will certainly be interesting to see how Phoenix copes in the offseason, after failing to reach the NBA finals during the Steve Nash, "top of the league" era.

First round size-up

After a 10 day hiatus, I'm back. The end of my academic year and the start of the NBA combined has proved to be very time consuming. That and my computer is fucked. Never the less, let's have a look at the series as they stand -


Eastern Conference


Boston (1) vs Atlanta (8) - Series @ 2-2

This series has been much more competitive that I would have guessed. Think the Big 3 are sweatin a little bit right now? What was heralded as a likely walk in the park, has turned into ATL finding a way to get easy buckets on the suposedly best defensive team in L. Joe Johnson and Josh Smith are really coming to play. Someone needs to take over this series for the Celts, but who will it be? Boston has to slow the game down and get to the line. Unfortunatley for the Celts, Bibby Longshottings is the truth!!! I'm rootin for the Hawks in "Best of 3" contest and if they can win the next game in Boston, we may have a legendary upset (like the 94 Nuggets over the Sonics, but bigger).


Detroit (2) vs Philadelphia (7) Series @ 2-2

Another highly contested series. Detroit is not looking like the team of old right now. Phili is certainly giving the vets a run for their money led by stellar efforts by the entire team. Detroit needs to get back to their bread and butter- dictate the tempo of the game and don't let their opponents get easy hoops. I would assume the Pistons will take the next game at home and ice the series, but Phili is really just an unpredictable team right now. Is there to be a changing of the guard in the East? Detroit has been a staple in the Conference Finals for years, but they are facing stiff competition in 08'.

Orlando (3) vs Toronto (6) Magic win @ 4-1

Saw this coming a mile away. The Raptors give you flashes of legitimacy all season, but as I mentioned before- they were not playing their best ball come playoff time. The Magic really had no trouble getting it done, and the lack of toughness on the part of Toronto really showed. Dwight had his way on the block, and the supporting cast of Rashard Lewis, Hedo and most notably, Jameer Nelson all played very well. The Raptors have severe difficulty being consistant and there is just something missing from their equation. Whatever it is, it might be worth shipping T.J. and one of their swingmen for. Peace Sam?


Cleveland(4) vs Washington (5) Series @ 3-1

Cleveland is not looking half bad right now, aside from that 30 point loss after their 30 point win. If this team can gel, and get some good supporting effort from Z, Gibson and Delonte, then the winner of the Celts/Hawks may be in trouble. Gilbert doesn't look too natural out their right now, while Lebron is just plain dominating. Washington hasn't played great defense and they haven't been able to get out and run past the relatively slow Cavs. The Wiz are getting taken out of their game, and Caron has been a ghost. Closing this series out in 5 will give the Cavs some momentum which will certainly help them on their quest through the playoffs

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Western Conference


Los Angeles (1) vs Denver (8) Lakers win @ 4-0

In my prediction, I gave the Nuggets the benefit of a single win, but they couldn't even pull that off. The Lakers are playing far superior ball right now and just exploited Denver for everything they were worth. The match-up of Pau vs the interior defense of Marcus Camby, came up all Gasol baby. Kobe is in that zone Mike was in around 1990...winning the big games, with a big game attitude. While the Nuggs sit at home thinking about a new approach to winning for next year, the Lakers are looking unstoppable right now. I trust Bynum will be effective once he returns.


New Orleans (2) vs Dallas (7) Series @ 3-1

I think we're seeing what was to be expected. The Mavs weren't particularly good against the better teams in the NBA since the Jason Kidd deal, and the Hornets are proving to be simply to much. Can anyone stop Chris Paul from; a) exploiting Dallas' poor perimeter defense by penetrating and dishing at will to the increasingly confident Peja and Janero Pargo, b) finding ways to create his own shot -off screens or off the dribble and c) taking over the NBA playoffs? When David West is hitting that mid range jumper on you like he has been, you're in for a long night. How about Jason Kidd just not being an offensive threat in the slightest, he passes on open jumpers and is seemingly scared to initiate contact. The Mavs also deperatley need defense. Hmm I can't remember, was Devin Harris a solid perimeter defender? Ooopssss. The Hornets have been suprising people all year with their play, but how far can they go? Sup Spurs.


San Antonio (3) vs Phoenix (6) Series @ 3-1

Well, Phoenix just can't seem to get past the the Spurs. Game One was pre destined to go the Spurs' way. Timmy, Tony and Manu have all taken over all parts of this series, while the Suns have been apparentley shell-shocked. Game 4 is a good indication of what the Suns can do when they are playing well. Great efforts from Raja Bell and Boris Diaw cerainly don't hurt the Suns chances of coming back in this series. If the Suns can win the next game in San Antonio, we could be in line for an epic comeback. That said, the reality is that San Antonio will likely close out at home. If the Suns lose tonight, Mike D'Antoni could get canned. In such a case, please come to Toronto.

Utah (4) vs Houston (5) Series @ 3-1

Despite a few close games, the Jazz have really been dominating this series. From their inside presence and rebounding, to their outside shooting and defense. Deron Williams is leading this team into the next decade with some swagger. Houston has not been getting consistent efforts from their supporting cast and Rafer has been gettin lit up. I see T-Mac losing another first round series, but I did think it would go 7, so we'll see.

PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

While there’s plenty that can be said about the upcoming playoffs, no one can even try and act as though they know how this is going to play out. There’s potential for upsets in both conferences, and several scores already to be settled in highly contested match-ups. It’s anyone’s guess who moves on, so here its goes with predictions for the postseason; hopefully they’re somewhere within the realm of accurate.

Eastern Conference

Boston (1) vs Atlanta (8)

Christian: I was calling a Boston sweep in the first round whoever got the 8^th seed. Atlanta certainly has talent and there’s a very slim chance that the individual play of Joe Johnson or J Smooth, and perhaps even Bibby Longshottings will be too much for Boston The Celts are really looking great right now. I’m starting to fear losing my $50 I have on them not winning the chip. It seems like the last half of the season, KG, Ray and Paul have been resting pretty well, which is harmful to the rest of the East; more energy for their stars and a far more confident bench than their already outmatched opponent. I see AJ is giving Atlanta a win, but I doubt it. You get the big 3 playing 40+ minutes at this time and I think this will be business as usual. They won by an average of 14 points in their meeting this season and I see that trend continuing, but it should be an mildly exciting.

Boston in 4

AJ: The Hawks are a promising young team, but they’re in way over their heads here. The Celtics are primed for a deep run after cruising to the league’s best record and should quickly dispatch a squad that’s still a few years away from making its mark. Though Joe Johnson will put Ray Allen to the test and Paul Pierce faces a tough defender in Josh Smith, the Hawks don’t have the balanced attack they’ll need to outscore the league’s best defensive team, nor do they have an answer for KG or the depth to contend with Boston’s young supporting cast, who have the privilege of popping their playoff cherry against a sub-.500 squad that just barely ended the league’s longest active playoff drought. Atlanta may steal a game at home if the Celts get tired, but Dominique needs to lay off the ‘caine if he’s serious about an upset.

Boston in 5

Detroit (2) vs Philadelphia (7)

Christian: This series will be a nice mix of styles. Detroit will be looking to slow the game down and wear this team out, while Philidelphia will be playing a big more up-tempo in an uphill battle for easy points. Detroit as a team are wily veterans at this point – it’s all about the playoffs for them. That said, I like the Sixers to give them some competitive games. I feel the Sixers will fall short because of their sometimes inconsistent scoring, meaning Igoudala needs to step his game up. I like Rip Hamilton to have a great series, while Andre Miller will be called on to provide nearly all of the experience, poise and play making for Phili. Should be interesting to see how phili responds.

Detroit in 5

AJ: The resident Eastern playoff czars open up against an upstart squad that, like Atlanta, is still a few years ahead of its time. They’ve beaten quality teams during their late-season run but a seven-game series against a superior team is a whole new story. Philly’s going to be handcuffed by Detroit’s half-court tempo and defensive presences against the Andres. Look for ‘Sheed to play the perimeter and drag Dalembert away from the basket, leaving the rim unguarded and Philly up shit’s creek. The Sixers won’t pull off an upset, but given their preseason outlook, just being here is cause for celebration.

Detroit in 5

Orlando (3) vs Toronto (6)

Christian: Despite having an eleven game deviation in their regular season records, Orlando and Toronto are very close in their abilities. This series will come down to the consistency of the whole team. Best players for both teams operate on the block, so whichever teams can drain the long the ball and play some good defense will win. That said, Orlando has been the better team this season and they are bit more playoff-ready I feel. Look for Dwight to have big totals, . Chris Bosh has to have a better first round than last year when he was choking against a fucking Mikki Moore. As a Canadian, I am pulling for T dot, but they really aren’t playing their best ball right now.

Orlando in 6

AJ: An interesting match-up centering around two big men of opposing styles; this series should produce some exciting, high-scoring games. Neither of these teams is particularly tough defensively, and both love to shoot the 3-ball. While Bosh and Howard are sure to show up, they’ll need consistency from their supporting casts. Hedo will be a test for pogo stick Jamario Moon, and Toronto can’t bank on Andrea Bargnani’s performance after a disappointing regular season. The Raps’ post presence lately has been (!) Rasho Nesterovic, who’s incomprehensibly been playing some of the best ball of his career in recent months. If he can keep Howard away from Bosh on D, Rasho could be the x-factor. This could be one of those series decided by benches and X’s and O’s, but the Magic are playing better ball lately and have three players who can torch the Raps on any given night.

Orlando in 7

Cleveland(4) vs Washington (5)

Christian: I think this series is up for the taking. Lebron can be a beast and the Cavs may still lose this series. At the present moment, Washington is playing better basketball and the recent addition of the black Manu to their bench certainly isn’t working against them. This series will have a lot of close games as the Cavs try to work it inside and get some open shots. The combination of Gilbert, Caron and Antawn might prove to be too much for the Cavaliers, for they have had difficulty finding secondary and tertiary scorers in their season ending stretch. They will have to hope someone like Daniel Gibson or Joe Smith just goes off because the King can’t actually do it all, as in every single thing for this team.

Cleveland in 7

AJ: Lebron & Friends hold the higher seed but have had trouble finding their footing since a midseason blockbuster, playing inconsistent defence, shooting terribly and losing games where James’ heroics used to be good for a W. Washington comes in healthier than they’ve been all season; a quick, high-scoring team with their best player and his swagger coming back to tilt the scales in what was already an even match-up. The Cavs will need to control tempo, playing their best defence while actually hitting jumpers; they can’t allow the Wiz to run off of rebounds. Cleveland are the reigning East champs, but haven’t given any reason to believe they’ll return to the Finals; they haven’t been nearly thorough enough down the stretch. Despite the utter stupidity of Deshawn calling Lebron overrated, the 35-9-9 that he’ll no doubt put up on them might not be enough to carry the Cavs into the second round.

Washington in 7

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Western Conference

Los Angeles (1) vs Denver (8)

Christian: I like the Lakers to really flex their muscles in this series. The squad is ready for the playoffs and they have the (soon to be) MVP running the show. Denver will look to “run” away with this series, but I don’t see it happening. Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony need to get the entire team involved if this is to be a competitive series. I believe the Lakers will be too consistent for the Nuggets. It will also be interesting to see if Marcus Camby can keep Pau Gasol in check on the block. Kobe finding a way for the team to win without his own scoring this season has put the Lakers into a position of power that shouldn’t be overly challenged in the first round.

Los Angeles in 5

AJ: This is one team that’s sure to make Denver pay for its inept defence. LA has shown it can keep pace with Denver, sweeping the season series by generous margins and holding the Nugs well below their 110 ppg average. If the Lakers’ supporting cast can maintain the poise that the top seed’s surely instilled, they’ll run through the passive resistance on D. Most damning to Denver is their lack of an answer for Kobe; Iverson’s too small, JR can’t guard a traffic cone, and Bryant’s going to do everything possible to get out of the first round this year.

Los Angeles in 5

New Orleans (2) vs Dallas (7)

Christian: Both teams are playing very good basketball at the moment. To my chagrin, the Mavericks put together a string of nice wins to end the season and they seem to be clicking. New Orleans is hungry to prove that their record was more than a lucky year and it is all up to Chris Paul. If he can get some open shots for Peja and Slow-Pete, and also control the paint with David West and Tyson, then Dallas in trouble. That said, Dirk is still pissed about his embarrassing first round last year and no doubt wants some redemption. CP3’s top calibre defence will surely make those already unhittable jump shots even harder for Jason Kidd. For Dallas to win this series they will need Dirk, Josh Howard and Jason Terry to play lights out.

New Orleans in 7

AJ: You know how I feel about the Mavs in the playoffs; I’ve got no reason to give them the benefit of the doubt against a team that was the most consistent in the Western hunt all season. Chris Paul exposed Jason Kidd in the All-Star game, beating him like he was Joumana off the dribble. This should create plenty of open looks for Tyson Chandler and David West, both of whom face average defenders. Neither of these teams have any glaring weaknesses, and although the Hornets are lacking in playoff experience, the Mavs seem to have learned very little from theirs. I don’t think Dallas will roll over, but I can’t see them winning either.

New Orleans in 6

San Antonio (3) vs Phoenix (6)

Christian: Simply put, this is the most intriguing series of the first round. Anyone who followed the NBA last year knows how close Phoenix was to winning a championship. A “series” of unfortunate events allowed San Antonio to advance through the Suns in the 2^nd round last year and eventually win it all. This year it seems Phoenix is far more prepared to deal with Timmy on the block – enter, #32. With Steve Nash running the show and Amare playing the best ball of his career, Phoenix will be a tough opponent for the champs. The Spurs went about their business all year, finishing with a great record considering the slew of injuries they’ve had. That said, this series is about this season as it is last season. Phoenix will not be slighted again.

Phoenix in 6

AJ: The title goes through San Antonio, but I’ve got a feeling the Suns will too. The Spurs got way more help than they should’ve last year against a Phoenix team that returns seeking revenge and matches up better against the Spurs, who are a year older and not looking as dominant as they have in the past. Since Shaq’s arrival, Amare’s been bar-none unstoppable and he’s averaged 37 for a series against the Spurs before without the Big Distraction in the middle. The Suns are hungry and maybe even desperate for a title at this point and they know knocking off the defending champs in the first round will serve notice to the rest of the league; they’ll be launching an offensive campaign the likes of which haven’t been seen this side of Baghdad and the Spurs will be challenged to keep up.

Phoenix in 7

Utah (4) vs Houston (5)

Christian: Utah was one of the highest scoring teams in the L this year, at 108 ppg, while Houston was one of the best defensive teams. I think it’s bizarre that the team who won their division isn’t getting home court advantage, regardless of record. This is especially worrisome to Utah because of their impeccable home record this year. Houston, even with their 22 game win streak, has flown under the radar as a top notch western conference team. I think the combination of Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer will over match Houston, who will need career games from Luis Scola and Shane Battier if they are to have a chance. Houston has the ability to lock them down, but I think the Jazz just have a better, more disciplined design to get it done in this series.

Utah in 7

AJ: Despite being the higher seed, the Jazz don’t have homecourt advantage, which for Utah means all the difference in the World. Their NBA-best home record belies their inability to win road games when they’ve needed to, and Houston’s been a much stronger team than they appear on paper. Still though, the Jazz can create mismatches: their perimeter threats (Okur, Williams, Korver) should be able to stretch the D enough for Carlos Boozer to terrorize the paint against Houston’s mostly undersized pivots, while Rick Adelman will need to be relentlessly innovative in finding ways to outscore Utah with only one fearsome threat. Utah isn’t an incredible defensive team, but the Rockets, with their lack of low-post options, likely won’t have the firepower to take advantage of it.

Utah in 6

'2007-2008' Season Awards!

…Without Further Ado…

The NBA’s been pretty sick in 2007-08; this season’s brought us its fair share of surprises, busts, big trades, big injuries, incredible performances and the most exciting playoff race ever. There’s been plenty to celebrate like Kool and clown like Krusty, so let’s get right into it with Christian’s Basketball Rants’ NBA Postseason Awards:

6^th Man of the Year

AJ: Manu Ginobili – San Antonio Spurs

The textbook definition of a “spark off the bench” Ginobili contributed heavy doses of scoring, energy and irritating defense for the Spurs, so much so that some (not myself) would argue he was their best player this year. He graciously accepted coming off the bench for a third-place squad, putting himself behind the team he could easily log 40/game for; the ultimate sixth man.

Regards to: Ben Gordon, Travis Outlaw, Leandro Barbosa

Christian: Manu Ginobili – San Antonio Spurs

Manu started 26 games this year, but I guess he is still a 6^th man (but not at heart). He is without a doubt, the best player to come off the bench and his impact on the court reflects that. Called on to score mid-season while Tony and Mr.Duncan were missing games, the league saw what Manu was capable of - torchin the Cavs for 46. In my mind, this is a no-brainer.

Props to: Leandro and Leandro alone.

Rookie of the Year

AJ: Al Horford – Atlanta Hawks

What was seemingly Kevin Durant’s award to lose should go to Horford, who gave the Hawks the legit presence they badly needed inside, putting up a double-double as an undersized center. Durant may have dropped 20/game, by all means a fine season, but making valuable contributions that help your squad to the playoffs impresses more than being a one-dimensional scorer with atrocious shot selection on a shitty team.

Regards to: Kevin Durant, Luis Scola, Al Thornton

Christian: Kevin Durant – Seattle Supersonics

Owfff this was a hard one. In my mind, Kevin Durant did what he was supposed to do; average 20 points for a rebuilding team. Despite shooting woes and more L’s than Mr.Cheeks, Durant also gave you a little look at the more complete player he might one day be (1bpg, 1spg). Meanwhile Al “The definition of NBA-ready” Horford made major contributions to a “playoff team”. Averaging the double double is nice, but this league is about scoring…isn’t it? It’s funny, Elton was even more impressive in 2000, with averages of 20 and 10, but he still had to settle for half this award.

Props to: Al Horford, Scola, Jamario
Slept on: Nick Young, Sean Williams
Most likely to be picked ahead of his 2008-9 fantasy ranking: Al Thorton

Defensive Player of the Year

AJ: Marcus Camby – Denver Nuggets

It’s understandable why the rest of the Nuggets take such a lax approach to defense knowing they have a guy who pulls down 13 boards and blocks almost four shots a game lurking behind them; Camby was their only serious defensive presence. He stayed healthy this year, giving Denver 78 games of dirty work that allowed guys like AI, Melo and (especially) JR to focus all their efforts on scoring.

Regards to: Dwight Howard, Kevin Garnett, Josh Smith

Christian: Marcus Camby – Denver Nuggets

He had a great year so he’s likely to he should be going back to back. Played more games that normal and gave consistent effort. This award has a serious pedigree, only seven players over the last 15 years have won it. If Marcus cops the hardware, he’ll be leavin the Glove and Ron-Ron behind as the only one-time winners in that span.

Props to: Dwight, KG, Chris Paul, J$mooth
So good we take it for granted: Kobe

Most Improved Player

AJ: Rudy Gay – Memphis Grizzlies

Now the Grizzlies’ go-to guy, Gay blew up in his sophomore year, doubling his scoring average to 20/game while upping his numbers across the board and connecting on 46% from the field. It’ll take a lot more for him to develop into the type of franchise player Memphis needs to dig them out of the hole they’re in, but Gay looks to be on the right track to stardom.

Regards to: Monta Ellis, Rajon Rondo, Hedo Turkoglu

Christian: Hedo Turkoglu – Orlando Magic

Rudy had a great year and was instrumental in winning me my fantasy pool (I'm not the government, but I'm the fuckin man -Belly). That said, I'm giving Hedo this award because he should have been an all-star. Apologies to the Sheed fans out there…if there are any left ;) Career high’s in points, rebounds, assists, FG %, while playing every game this year for a team with 52 wins don’t hurt either. He’s the one the Magic call on for a big shot, not that dude who they shipped $110 million last summer.

Props to: Danny Granger, Rudy Gay (2^nd worst selling jersey in the league…Chris Quinn is first…seriously)

Coach of the Year

AJ: Phil Jackson – Los Angeles Lakers

So many legit candidates; this was a big year for teams overcoming injury and distraction to have successful seasons (despite the state of the Bulls and Knicks). Ultimately, the man gunning for Red’s ring record did the best job of keeping his team on the same page through more than their fair share of both, steering them to a top seed in the West.

Regards to: Maurice Cheeks, Byron Scott, Rick Adelman

Christian: The Zen Master –Los Angeles Lakers

Couldn’t have said it much better myself. I think if the Hornets had nabbed the 1^st seed, I’d have Byron in this spot, but that didn’t happen. The Lakers were in relative turmoil at the end of last season and Phil guided the ship from rocky waters to home court advantage in the West..clutch. Oh and by the way, we didn’t know Kwame had trade value either.

Props to: Byron Scott, Mo Cheeks, Doc Rivers

MVP

AJ: Kobe Bryant – Los Angeles Lakers

Tough call either way. Chris Paul made a huge run down the stretch, but Kobe’s still gotta take it. Coming into the season hewas being dangled by a middle-of-the-pack squad he repeatedly put on blast over the summer, but adjusted his attitude and hisgame, playing incredible two-way basketball, improving his teammates’ games for the first time in his career and staying cold-blooded in the clutch. He continued reigning though a hampering mid-season injury to offset the losses of other key players, and because of him the Lakers are on top of the best conference ever. The magnitude of the turnaround that Bryant’s helped lead in LA cannot be ignored; best non-MVP ever no more.

Props to: Byron Scott, Mo Cheeks, Doc Rivers and reluctantly, Rock

Regards to: Chris Paul, Lebron James, Kevin Garnett

Christian: Kobe Bryant – Los Angeles Lakers

After following the MVP race intently for the last several seasons, I can’t remember one coming down to the finals games like this. I am of the opinion that whosever team finished better should get the award because it’s just that arguable. Kobe was great all year, through all setbacks and a truly remarkable conference of teams. Yes, the Lakers had an improved winning % with Pau, but that doesn’t take away from what Kobe did. He always had the stats, just never the record to be in serious contention for the award. Now he wins the west..so crown em’.

Regards to: Chris Paul, Kevin Garnett, Lebron James, Dwight Howard

All-NBA First Team

G- Chris Paul
G- Kobe Bryant
F- Lebron James
F- Kevin Garnett
C- Amare Stoudemire

All-NBA Second Team

G- Steve Nash
G- Tracy McGrady
F- Carmelo Anthony
F- Carlos Boozer
C- Dwight Howard

All-NBA Third Team

G- Allen Iverson
G- Baron Davis
F- Paul Pierce
F- Tim Duncan
C- Marcus Camby

Defensive First Team

G- Kobe Bryant
G- Raja Bell
F- Josh Smith
F- Kevin Garnett
C- Marcus Camby

Defensive Second Team

G- Chris Paul
G- Bruce Bowen
F- Shane Battier
F- Tim Duncan
C- Dwight Howard

…and now for a few awards the league office doesn’t hand out but should nonetheless go to those who’ve earned them:

Best Acquisition: The player with the greatest positive impact on his new team.

Kevin Garnett – Boston Celtics

Probably not even worth mentioning this award since he turned Boston into the league’s best team, leading the greatest single-season improvement in league history. Since I didn’t give him MVP or DPOY, I figured it was only right to recognize what KG’s accomplished.

Regards to: Pau Gasol, Shaquille O’Neal, Ray Allen

The Magic Johnson Award: The “I’m startin to think dude ain’t that sick” Award

Larry Hughes – Cleveland Cavaliers / Chicago Bulls

In this day and age, the word “cancer” is thrown around so much nowadays that it’s starting to lose its meaning. That said, Larry Hughes was an abnormality in the genetic material of the Cavs. They were paying this guy like a star, and he was a damn plug. Good luck in the Windy City…I hope you never make the playoffs again.

The Canabis Award: The player with talent and opportunity who was primed for a big season and never really blew up.

Andrea Bargnani – Toronto Raptors

Bargs was a bust this year, failing to give the Raps an outside stroke and rebounding presence they were lacking when Jorge Garbajosa went down for the season. He seemed to regress from his promising rookie year; his passive defence and penchant for forcing stupid jumpers left him stuck in neutral in Sam Mitchell’s rotation.

Regards to: Luol Deng, Andrew Bogut, Rashard Lewis

"I play the front court" -A.B.

Ham of the Year: The player who has, through on and off-court incompetence, failed to meet any/all expectations.

Steve Francis – Houston Rockets

When Houston claimed the once-revered point guard off waivers few people made note of how they had, while giving up nothing, retrieved the player they gave up for T-Mac just three years ago. In that short span, Francis has tumbled from All-Star to irrelevant locker-room prop who averaged 5 points and 3 assists in an underwhelming ten games this year, while cashing paycheques from two teams.

Regards to: Kwame Brown, Stephon Marbury, David Harrison

The Simmons BeautyRest Award: The player whose career year was most slept on.

Baron Davis – Golden State Warriors

Brandon Roy had a remarkable season for a team that made more progress than anyone would’ve imagined, but he had no business in the All-Star game at the expense of Davis; a superior defender who put up much stronger numbers on a better team, and should still have been included on principle after what he did to Dallas last spring.

Regards to: Al and Richard Jefferson, Rafer Alston

Offensive P.O.Y.: The opposite of Defensive Player of the Year.

Chris Paul – New Orleans Hornets, Lebron James – Cleveland Cavaliers

This would be the closest race going if this award existed. Paul ranked #2 in PER (player efficiency rating) while assisting or scoring half his team’s field goals to the tune of 21 and 11.6/game. James led the league in fourth quarter and per game scoring, the only guy to beat Paul in PER also dropped over 7 dimes a game, no doubt many more if Sideshow Varejao wasn’t the offensive liability he is.

Apologies to: Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Allen Iverson

The Shawn Kemp Memorial Award: The player who made the most grown men cry this season.

Josh Smith – Atlanta Hawks

The former dunk champ with crazy hops and a raw, erratic game became one of the league’s better all-around players this year, but remained every bit as nasty. He led the league by a wide margin in blocks unnecessarily sent into the seventh row and put more than his fair share of highlight-reel crams on bigger, stronger defenders.

Regards to: Lebron James, Dwight Howard, Jason Maxiell

The Kevin Willis Memorial Award: The ‘Why the fuck don’t you just retire?’ Award

Darrell Armstrong – New Jersey Nets

I tried to give this to Dikembe, but he rejected me ;) In all seriousness, Darrell just call it a career. You’re clearly aching out there, you’ve lost a step and you’re not even on a playoff team! What is more, the whole small guy with nice handles thing is so Earl Boykins. Frankly – I’m not feeling ya anymore. Be gone.

Weekly Rap Line

This week's rap line comes from Triple Seis (from Terror Squad) in the song, Brave in the Heart




"Do him like a fiend, grab his wallet
leave a trail blazin like Rasheed Wallace"

It's Official?

Whether you like it or not, Kobe Bryant is going to be the MVP of the 2007-8 season. For the last couple weeks I had supported the CP3 bandwagon but it was always too close to call. It was debatable for some time, but just look at what Kobe's done. With the relative state of turmoil and panic in the Laker front office last summer, how many people thought we'd be taking about the #1 place LA Lakers. The same can be said about New Orleans, a hell of a surprise in their own right. Even if I thought CP was the MVP, I still think Kobe will get it. The past week, Kobe stepped up and made it official. The Lakers are gettin the top seed and Kobe is gettin that award. For the rest of the L...I'll say #2 CP, #3 KG, #4 Lebron, #5 Dwight.

Ten Reasons Why This Could Be the Best Playoffs Ever

column by AJ

Every April, as the madness of the previous month subsides, basketball junkies everywhere dwell in the relative lull of the regular season’s final weeks before settling in for a whole ‘nother kind of playoff hoops. Over the next month and a half we’re treated to the best basketball on the planet; the sport’s finest players fighting for its ultimate prize. Gruelling battles are fought, rivalries are forged, stars and dynasties are born. It’s always beyond entertaining but this postseason has the potential to be among the best in history. From compelling matchups to personal performances and more, here’s a few of the best reasons why amazing will happen this spring:

10. We (hopefully) Won’t Hear Anything about the Sonics or Knicks

These are two sorry-ass teams whose fans are being completely and unabashedly fucked by their owners, one of whom has been secretly plotting to sell the team, the other who only recently has taken the proper steps towards resolving crippling dysfunction within the organization. Even though they’ve been playing gross basketball all year, we’ve been treated to a Sonics and Knicks media barrage all season; stories that would be more gripping if these teams weren’t so irrelevant. With their seasons finally ending and much more important matters at hand, I hope I’m not jinxing anything by saying we shouldn’t be hearing about them ‘til draft night.

9. Dallas’ Defense of their Dignity

Several weeks ago I called out Dallas; basically said their season was over and hinted at the possibility of blowing them up in the offseason. While I still don’t think they’ll win the title (or easily make it out of the first round, if at all), they’ve been putting up more of a fight lately than I thought they were capable of, recently knocking off the Warriors, Suns and Jazz. Dirk’s been playing with an unusual level of inspiration in leading his squad to a playoff berth, so maybe the Mavs can prove me wrong. It’ll be interesting to see if these postseason pushovers, within the very small window the Kidd trade’s presented them, can pull off a deep run. If they can play like they did in the ’06 West Finals and win a few series, it’ll be fun to watch. If they don’t? We can always resort to making fun of them.

8. We’ll See Chris Paul Play More than During the Entire Regular Season

Everyone’s spent this season waiting for the Hornets to flame out and fall from the top of the Western standings, but with less than a handful of games left, Paul’s nothing-short-of-ridiculous play has kept them above the fiercest regular season battle ever. He plays a pure, complete and dominant game that we should all be thankful to see more of after his scarce regular season TV appearances as his team seems set for at least two rounds.

7. Kevin’s Quest

Kevin Garnett spent the first decade-plus of his career playing harder than just about anyone in the league for an organization that gave him little in return. He spent his prime labouring in Minnesota while Duncan won rings, Webber came close and he hardly got a whiff of life beyond the firstround. Years of frustration took their toll on a man who, despite his faithfulness to the T-Wolves was visibly growing weary of carrying a mediocre team. About two seasons too late, he was dealt to a better team in a weaker conference and after a regular season in which consistency and compatibility were never questions among Boston’s Big 3, KG’s primed for his first playoff run as something more than afringe contender. Playing with two more all-stars also seeking their first title, Garnett’s looking to seize what might be one of his last shots at a ring.

6. Upset Central

This season’s playoffs figures to play out more like an NCAA bracket, especially out West where an average of less than a game separates each seed. Every team is dangerous; no team is safe, every matchup will be compelling and potentially upsetting. Even out East, wild cards like Philadelphia and Toronto are more than capable of stinging a team like Orlando or Cleveland, not to mention the Wiz who will bring Gilbert off the bench as the ultimate playoff x-factor.

5. Witnessing

Despite the consistent inconsistency of Cleveland’s 2^nd-12^th men, it’s virtually guaranteed that Lebron James will do something incredible this spring. He could win one, two, even three series with little help, he’ll drop nice dimes, huge dunks, maybe another 25 straight on the Pistons. The man (he can hardly be looked upon as a kid anymore) has never disappointed in the playoffs; his level of play rising along with the stakes. No guarantees that Wally’s game will be on point, but trust the King will bring it and enjoy the show. Lebron’s been playing the best ball of his career this year, and always manages to outdo himself in the second season, so something big’s about to happen.

4. Western Promises

Although there’s plenty of uncertainty as to how the West is going to play out, there’s no doubt that many storied rivalries will be stirred up and born anew along the way. Phoenix and the Lakers (whom every playoff team from the early 00’s is still waiting to wax) already hated each other before the Shaq trade, which despite his and Kobe’s insistence otherwise, adds another dimension. Phoenix also has it out for San Antonio, who needed to blow up Steve Nash’s nose, get two key players suspended, and the Tim Donaghy factor to eliminate them last year. Dallas and San Antonio are longstanding powerhouses who’ve squared off many times before, one with something to prove, the other something to defend. With so many upstart contenders fiercely competing among the bitter rivals, almost any series could become a physical contest that escalates into an all-out war.

3. The Maybe Somewhat Not-So-Small Chance of a Lakers/Celtics Finals

Every basketball fan has to feel a little nostalgic that this has a decent chance of happening (even one like me who was cuddling a Cabbage Patch the last time it did). It would be a
boost in Finals ratings and revenue that the league badly needs it after last year’s dud, and would make for one hell of a likely seven-game series. The Big Three vs. Kobe, the former seeking their first ring, the latter what might as well be his, which brings me to:

2. Kobe’s Transcendence

Mr. Michael Jeffrey Jordan was 29 the first time he hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy with the Chicago Bulls. A player who despite his two-way brilliance had once been seen as a selfish scorer who was never able to lead a team to its ultimate goal, he was about to begin a reign as the greatest winner in modern team sports. Kobe Bean Bryant (haha no joke, that’s actually his middle name), now 29, is seeking his first ring without the The Big __________, himself having been called a selfish scorer and poor leader, looking rather lonely since Diesel left. Before this season, the league’s most talented player was faced with a serious crossroads in his career, manning a squad that many penned for the lottery who couldn’t trade him for equal value. So he became it’s most valuable and by trusting his fellow players, pushed the Lakers to damn near the top of the best conference ever through early turmoil and late injuries. Bryant now leads young, deep squad into the playoffs, seemingly on the cusp of truly meriting those Jordan comparisons he’s heard for years, and as is always the case with the Mamba, it’ll be worth tuning in for.

1. It’s Anyone’s Trophy

With no fewer than six teams holding legit claims as contenders and innumerable landmines for them to dodge, we’re going to see some unreal competition. No team will ride the shoulders of a star to the finals and be swept this year; that shit won’t fly. Whoever wins the title this year will have triumphed over a wide-open field full of both young and experienced, fast-paced and half-court, high-scoring and defensive-minded teams that collectively represent the most interesting title chase we’ve seen in a long time.

There’s plenty more reasons to tune in to these playoffs; it’ll be fun to watch the Nuggets try to drop 150/game for a series, T-Mac try to get out of the first round, or anyone try to steal homecourt from the Jazz. Add it all up, and even if your squad goes down in the first round (God be with the Cavs), everyone’s going to have something to cheer about this spring.

Christians 5 "storylines to watch":

1. The quest for mo' rings: Shaq goes for 5, Horry goes for 8, Sam Cassel goes for 3..Kapono goes for 2?
2. The Utah Jazz, period.
3. T-Mac's inevitable, heartfelt, first round playoff series LOSS.
4. Injured reserve to serious factor? Bynum, Gibson, Stackhouse, Brian Cook?!
5. The Phoenix Suns getting revenge from last year...hopefully THROUGH the Spurs
   

I also found the need to drop this...and no this isn't their starting lineup (God? Hi it's me Pat Riley..thanks for the chip' a couple years back, but I have another favor. What will it take to get me the #1 pick?)

Miami Heat
Updated	Player	Pos	Injury	Expected Return
04/05/2008	Dwyane Wade	SG	Knee	Out for the season
12/20/07	Alonzo Mourning	C	Knee	Out for the season
04/06/08	Marcus Banks	PG	Hamstring	Out for the season
04/05/08	Alexander Johnson	SF	Head	Questionable for remainder of the season
04/03/08	Shawn Marion	PF	Back	Out for the season
04/12/08	Kasib Powell	SF	Leg	Probable for April 13 at Cleveland
03/19/08	Udonis Haslem	PF	Ankle	Out for the season
03/03/08	Dorell Wright	SF	Knee	Out for the season