This Is It...

Surprise MVP Candidate: Kevin Love

So here we are; the last issue of the Interrobang for this school year. While the NBA season will still go on, it won’t be possible to write more about the league. In that regard, this will be my playoff preview, if I may call it that.

At the time of writing, just two teams have clinched playoff spots: The Chicago Bulls and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Hardly surprising there, I would say; these are the two teams I fancy to top their respective conferences. Miami sits second in their conference and they should qualify next, but one team that has caught my eye is the San Antonio Spurs. They sit second in the West and have played just 50 games (at the time of writing). Remarkable, considering many view them as an ‘aging team.’

On the other side of things, three teams are already out of playoff contention: the New Orleans Hornets, the Washington Wizards and the Charlotte Bobcats. The fourth worst win percentage (at a modest .340) is Toronto. At this moment, they look to be the next team headed out of playoff contention.

Jeremy Lin is out injured; he’s expected to be out for six weeks. That could be six long weeks for the New York Knicks as they sit in eighth place in the East and the Milwaukee Bucks are right on their tail. The NBA playoffs begin on April 28 and if the Knicks do squeeze into the playoffs, they will be up against the Bulls, and honestly, they would be massive underdogs in that matchup.

If the league were to end with the standings as they are, there is one matchup that will be interesting to watch: the L.A. Lakers against the Dallas Mavericks. Remember Dallas swept the Lakers aside last year in their conference semi-final matchup, so Kobe Bryant and company will be out for revenge. By no means has this Dallas team impressed me so far, so I won’t put it beyond the Lakers to take the series this time around should it occur.

All this discussion leads me towards another key question that basketball fans always seem to debate about: who will be this year’s MVP? I’ve come up with a few candidates who could take home top prize, but by no means is this list definitive:

• Kevin Durant: He missed out on this award last year. While Derrick Rose was a worthy winner, remember Durant didn’t get half as much coverage as Rose did. So for him to win the NBA MVP award will be a huge boost indeed.
• Derrick Rose: He’s arguably Chicago’s key player. Rose is one of the reasons why Chicago is running riot in the NBA this season. He scores when called upon and distributes the ball well. He’s another definite MVP candidate, but his injury layoff could hamper his chances.
• Chris Paul: He had his stellar seasons at New Orleans, and now that Paul is in L.A., he’s clicking well with the Clippers. Based on the Clippers’ season, he could end up with this award, and that is something that will drive the Lakers mad.
• LeBron James: James is always going to be on the MVP candidate list, he is that big a player. His offensive efficiency is excellent, while his rebounding and defence has been outstanding. He showed what he can do when Dwayne Wade was out, but the one thing James wants more than anything is the NBA ring that has eluded him all these years.
• Kevin Love: I’m going to take a huge gamble and place Love on this list. While most people expect the MVP to at least make the playoffs, this year Love has improved his game. I credit the Ricky Rubio effect as the key to this transition. While Minnesota’s failure to possibly make the playoffs could ruin Love’s chances for the award, his stats still show what he is capable of.
• Kobe Bryant: Kobe, Kobe, Kobe. He’s played injured and he’s scored key points to help the Lakers win games, so it’s no surprise that he is on this list as well. He’s leading the shortened NBA season in scoring. He’s also broken a couple of records this season, which adds to his credentials. So, I guess, while I might not be his biggest fan, this list would be incomplete without Bryant.

The league is winding down to an end, and Kentucky’s Anthony Davis tipped to be a first overall pick in 2012, which isn’t surprising, given his potential. This shortened NBA season is surely putting up some surprises. It’ll be sad when the season is over, but then you just have to wait a few more months for it to happen all over again. Amazing!

Originally Written for the Interrobang:http://www.fsu.ca/interrobang_article.asp?storyID=8433&sectionID=4&issueID=203
Image Credit: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/news_cut/content_images/love_buzzer.jpg
Video Credit:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHfUQMv6uW0

Squeaky Bum Time

The top two teams in their respective conferences: Oklahoma City Thunder and the Chicago Bulls

It’s been little over four months since the NBA lockout ended, and it’s almost that time when we get a rough idea who’s making the playoffs and who isn’t going to. The league has entered into its fourth quarter and it’s time for the final push that could make or break a season.

One team that has already made the playoffs is the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls have been on fire this season and have crept up to favourites in my book. The Bulls’ key man and reigning MVP Derrick Rose has missed a few games recently due to injury. Having watched the Bulls play Denver, one couldn’t help but notice that Rose was being missed. It seems strange, but it’s true; the Bulls look like they need Rose back as soon as possible. While the playoff spot is secured, the top seed in the East is still a position up for grabs.

The New York Knicks, on the other hand, are still fighting, and with the rise of their go-to man, Jeremy Lin, all eyes are on the Knicks. Milwaukee looks to have pulled a smart trade: Monta Ellis is ensuring that the Knicks have all the pressure on them as the Bucks are closing in on eighth place in the East. New York will have to go without Amar’e Stoudemire, who suffered a back injury that could keep him out of the playoffs, should New York make it. Carmelo Anthony has been awful this season, to put it nicely. I was surprised when he made the All- Star team. It’s clearly his poorest season as a professional.

In my last article, I mentioned that Derek Fisher was traded to Houston, which was true at the time. Since then, he has moved on to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who claimed him off waivers. This is a move that could help the Thunder, as Fisher has a lot of playoff experience. In my reckoning, Fisher would play as the backup point guard, considering that Russell Westbrook is on the roster for OKC. They currently occupy top spot in the West and should clinch their own playoff berth soon.

Let’s be real here, the Toronto Raptors are going nowhere. Canada’s only team lacked the finesse needed to challenge for a playoff spot, constantly relying on Andrea Bargnani to deliver the goods. The Raptors are currently sitting 12th in the East with just 16 wins. They have, however, ‘stunned’ fans by dishing out the odd victory, most notably their win against New York: a 96-79 win that snapped New York’s fivegame winning streak. They also almost upset the Bulls, only to be undone by a somewhat lucky basket for Luol Deng in the dying seconds of overtime. A couple of good performances could maybe see the Raptors sneak into a playoff spot but I wouldn’t count on that happening. In the Raptors’ 117-101 defeat to the Orlando Magic, a loud cheer erupted when Toronto scored 100, not because they were leading with seconds to play, but because free pizza is offered to fans every time the team scores 100.

On a side note, the game that featured Atlanta and Utah was the first game to go to quadruple overtime since 1997 when Phoenix beat Portland. Atlanta beat Utah 139-133 in this game.

With most teams having fewer than 20 games left in the regular season, it’s crunch time. There are still playoff spots, particularly in the West, which could be claimed by a number of teams. If I were to make a prediction, I’d say that Chicago and Oklahoma will top both their conferences while the much-talked-about New York Knicks will only barely scrape into the playoffs this time around.

Originally Written for the Interrobang:http://www.fsu.ca/interrobang_article.asp?storyID=8381&sectionID=4&issueID=202
Image Credit:
Video Credit:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxHy-tkwVEg

NBA Watch: Short Season, Big Men

He's the Dark Horse and you know it.

Last week I looked into the teams that are favourites to run away with the NBA title. This week I thought it best to look at the individual players who are tipped to shine during the current NBA season:

LeBron James: Miami's James is always a favourite to shine year after year. This year he's showing how he plays without Dwyane Wade, who many predict will also have a big year. James is averaging almost 30 points a game this season and with his presence on the court, more and more people are taking notice each day.

Kevin Durant: Let's be honest here, I don't know what to write about Durant. The 23 year old is in his fifth season and he's only getting better each day. Durant played a lot of basketball during the recent NBA lockout and it shows. He looks a lot tougher than ever before and has added a lot of moves to his arsenal. Durant has started every game of his NBA career and he's averaging 26.3 points this year; he's the best all-round player in the league after James.

Derrick Rose: The Chicago Bulls finally have a good team; their last championship winning side featured Michael Jordan. Rose looks to be the focal point of the Bulls' side and on his day, the reigning league MVP can destroy any defence in the league. Chicago will be looking to continue last year's exquisite run and I will not be surprised if Rose is battling it out for another MVP trophy.

Dwyane Wade: It's often been taken for granted that a great NBA team has three big-name players as their focal point. In Miami's case, part two of their 'big three' features Dwyane Wade. James and Wade can put on a show that you won't get to see elsewhere. Wade is averaging 20 points this season and Miami fans will be hoping he keeps this form.

Russell Westbrook: The Oklahoma City point guard is a player you'd love to hate. Westbrook is lighting up the league. He's averaging more points per game than Wade, and along with Durant, these two young athletes are the reason why Oklahoma City could be the team that challenges Miami right to the very end. His teammate Kendrick Perkins sees Westbrook as a scoring point guard and he's not selfish, though many fans deem him to be so.

LaMarcus Aldridge: Brandon Roy has retired. Greg Oden is out injured. It seemed to be a lot of gloom for the Portland Trailblazers. Aldridge was the only one standing from Portland's 'big three,' and he has stepped up to the plate. Aldridge is averaging 22.6 points per game, which is the highest he's managed in his career so far. Portland could be on its way to another playoff campaign, and Aldridge will have a huge part to play.

Kobe Bryant: The Los Angeles Lakers guard is another perennial favourite to have a big season. The one thing I have noticed is that he always seems to have an injured hand and yet he has 40 point nights. Bryant is averaging 30.2 points a night yet the Lakers sit eighth in their conference (at the time of writing). I had this huge discussion with a friend of mine who's a self proclaimed "NBA Guru" and he cites Bryant as "a very lucky player," because of the fact that many of Bryant's bad shots are still converted. Whatever happens, Bryant and his Lakers will be challenging once again.

Blake Griffin: Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers is my dark horse for this NBA season. He's got this mean swagger when he plays and his dunk on Kendrick Perkins, which went viral on YouTube, is an example that proves this statement. Griffin has the promise to be the next big star in the league. The Clippers have added Chris Paul to the roster and the man from Oklahoma is on his way to becoming a top NBA player.

It is hard to compile a definitive list of players to watch out for in the NBA every season. There are top players that I've left out that will have good seasons but personally I feel not as good as the players I've listed above.

Originally Written for the Interrobang: http://www.fsu.ca/interrobang_article.asp?storyID=8040&sectionID=4&issueID=195
Image Credit: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqByFK-wdOBAbW2jUeGtyRJqEcAlax75YrH5yBD4ExFykGdLz5GDyowuRsBg6P2utZ2C6N7r2WyIDjimTmSssGgbLVW9pIZxBGCOuXebSaUQO-zoXWnu7DCrbTYrZdbScju4GPvco9WZd/s1600/blake+griffin+car+dunk3.jpg
Video Credit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l10Bo-X0WNM