MVP Watch

Nighthawk

Kevin Durant . 29.8pts, 8.1reb, 4.9ast

KD has been on a tear as of late, after losing Russell Westbrook for six weeks (expected back after the All Star break) he is not going to let his team down by dropping games. Instead he’s putting the team on his back and is averaging an amazing 34.5pts 8.3reb and 5.3ast over the last 10 games proving that he can do everything LeBron does and doing arguably even better.

Paul George , 22.8pts, 6.2reb, 3.6ast

Paul George is proving he’s a superstar in this league, he’s now a great 2 way player and can be labelled as an elite small forward in the league. He has been leading his team well all year and has not slowed down and showing that he does whatever it takes to win, he is the leading the league in second half scoring and is still a lockdown defender every night.

LeBron James , 26.0pts, 6.5ast, 6.6reb

LeBron has been playing well of late but his Heat team are slowing down currently on a 3 game losing streak and posting a 5-5 record over there last 10 games and to make matters worse those 3 games were against teams with a losing record.

Carmelo Anthony 26.0pts, 8.8reb, 3.1ast

Carmelo has been putting the Knicks on his back. 2014 has come and the ice cold Knicks went on a 5 game streak until their loss to the Bobcats but over those games he was carrying his team and was the reason the Knicks still has a fighting chance at making the playoffs this season. They are currently sitting 10th in the extremely weak Eastern Conference but recent signs from Carmelo have them on the rise.

His Airness

Things have changed a lot over the past few weeks, with key injuries such as Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook as well as the top teams starting to slump. Teams will no doubt look forward to go into the All Star break to refresh and hopefully get some momentum back. With that said, the MVP watch stays much the same. However there are a few changes. Stephen Curry, arguably the number one point guard in the game while Chris Paul recovers from a shoulder injury moves his way into the MVP watch. Averaging 23 points and 9.3 assists a game, Curry moves into a very exclusive category of players averaging in the top ten of two categories. Obviously LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kevin Love remain in the MVP watch. Durant who has had to step up recently with the injury of Westbrook is averaging 33 points over the last five games. Lastly Carmelo Anthony makes his first appearance in my MVP watch currently averaging 26 points per game, 8 boards and 3 assists and leading the Knicks to a much needed five game winning streak.

Teams on the Rise

NH - Toronto Raptors

The Raptors are on the rise and have been playing very well since the trade of Rudy Gay, They have gone 7-3 over their last 10 and their 19-18 record has them slotted in at 4th in the East and with the Hawks slowing down they might be able to leap frog into 3rd if they keep playing the way have been. DeMar DeRozan has been the leading the scoring for them at 21.3 per game and although his scoring hasn’t changed since Gay’s departure his increased ball handling duties has served him well. He is showing a more complete all around game and is proving that he is one of the best shooting guards in the league. Kyle Lowry has been playing really well also this season, especially over the past 10 games he’s averaging 17.8pts 8.2ast and 4.5reb contributing to make this team that was once thought to be in the running for a high lottery pick into being one of best teams in the East.

HA - Toronto Raptors are my team on the rise with a record of 7-3 over the last 10 games. When they traded Rudy Gay to the Kings things didn’t look so great for the Raptors but with Gay gone they are looking like a much better team.

San Antonio Spurs are back on top of the Western Conference, losing only one game in their last 10. The Spurs are looking like title contender again. The consistency and depth they are showing is a credited to their coach Greg Popovich who has put in place a system that wins no matter who the players on the court are.

Team on the Slide

NH - New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans have been a team that hasn’t had anything go their way this season after being the most active team in the offseason. They were thought to be a team with a lot of young talent and a team that would have a lot of improvement in them, but they can’t get their players healthy after losing emerging star Anthony Davis early in the season. After his return, they have now lost their star point guard Jrue Holiday for at least month and their shooting power forward Ryan Anderson for an extended period of time. Having Tyreke Evans being in and out of the line up with a nagging ankle injury is also not helping the cause. The Pelicans are a young team with lots of promise and some say one piece away from being a playoff team but can’t seem to be a team that stays healthy. They are on a 7 game losing streak and seem like they are pointing downward at the moment.

HA - Many teams are facing a slide in their performances over the January period most notably the current champions the Miami Heat. LeBron James said that chasing the three peat has been mentally and physically exhausting for Miami which may explain the slump in performance. Although having only a three game-losing streak is not that bad, it is the quality of teams they have played with all three opponents currently being below .500.

Milwaukee, New Orleans, Orlando and Los Angeles are all teams on the slide, Milwaukee being the worst of them winning only 7 games this season.

Undercover Brother

NH - DeMarcus Cousins

DeMarcus Cousins has been a beast lately proving he should definitely get a spot in the All Star team as he is playing like he’s the best center in the game right now. Cousins averages 23.4pts, 11.6reb, 3.1ast over the season but as of late he’s been averaging 25.8pts, 13.4reb and 2.6ast per game over the last 10 games and also has his Kings team trending upward lately over that 10 game stretch his Kings are 6-4. While the playoffs are a bit of stretch for them he is proving that their current 14-23 record has not been because he isn’t playing well. Cousins is a player that has been touted to have all the talent but his attitude issues have been the main thing slowing him down, this season he has shown positive signs of him growing up and his current play is a good way to indicate that. He has made it very clear he wants to be an All Star and his play recently and all season shows that despite his team’s struggles he’s definitely a player that deserves to be in it. I think he should make it and would definitely be the one of the biggest All Star snubs if he doesn’t make it.

HA - DeMarcus Cousins is also my undercover brother, playing in the struggling but improving Kings team he currently averages 23 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block per game. With a new mentor Shaquile O’Neal, look for Cousins to develop into one of the most feared centres in the game

Storylines

Mystery Doctor

There have been a few interesting storylines in recent weeks that have kept respective fans on their toes. We’ll start with Rajon Rondo who is moving ever closer to a return. The Celtics have understandably not been very good this season and the return of Rondo will be a big moment for all Celtic fans. With many talented players in the upcoming draft, the Celtics must be attracted to a bottom spot but how will Rondo’s return help or hinder their future prospects? They were involved in a big trade that saw them part ways with Jordan Crawford and Marshon Brooks and welcome Joel Anthony. This sees the Celtics making space for Rondo, saving some cash and also receiving draft picks. I can’t wait to see how the Celtics rebuild goes and whether Danny Ainge is super smart or just dumb.

A few other stories to follow are the Brooklyn Nets who look to have a few things sorted out as they string a few wins together. The ongoing drama between the Knicks and JR Smith. This saw Smith lash out verbally after he was kept on the bench, could the Knicks part ways with Smith? The reigning 6th man of the year is a bit of a dick really. Lastly, the Golden State Warriors continue to impress. Can they march on and contend for a title? The arrival of Jordan Crawford must help a bit and it will be exciting to see how this group handles the challenge.

Highlights

And to finish, some visual stimulation for the NBA faithful. Courtesy of NBA.com, here are the top 10 clutch shots of December:

And the top 10 dunks of December too: