10 games into Steven Adams' nascent NBA career, it seems like a good time to make a few reassessments. We’ve seen moments of absolute dominance, and also entire games that could be summed up with a shrugging ‘meh’. But overall it’s been three weeks of fervour and excitement watching a guy from our noble shores compete at the highest level of basketball...
So the Carolina Panthers are pretty good. They topped off a big week in the NFL by edging the Patriots late on to snatch a 24-20 win. Cam Newton and Tom Brady were both very good, but it was Cam whose 3 TDs made the difference. The result puts the Panthers firmly in the playoff hunt, and having beaten New England and San Francisco in consecutive weeks, they’re a threat to go even deeper. Watch out for the Panthers, ladies and gentlemen.
“……...” – Every Breakers fan following Gary Ervin’s last second winning layup.
It was a much improved performance, though one still littered with silly errors, and ultimately a game they should have won, but didn’t. The Breakers blew out early thanks to a couple big buckets from Tom Abercrombie, but Adelaide are a very good team, and they levelled things up quickly, with the lead changing several times in the first half, before the 36ers went on a 14-2 run late in the second and held on for a 50-46 HT lead.
First of all, apologies need be made to the hearty gamblers amongst you who may or may not rely upon my tips for financial gain via sporting wagers. I’ve never had a losing round before. Very humbling. Very humiliating. Therefore I’ve spent the past week exclusively indulging myself in statistics, news, rumours and that funny old sports almanac my Uncle Biff gave me.
The Saints sure pummelled the Cowboys on Monday Night Football. The game was as good as over when Cowboys defensive generalissimo Sean Lee went off hurt (he’ll miss at least 2 games), leaving Drew Brees to pick and choose receivers at will over the middle. Breesy finished with 392 pass yards, 4 TDs from 34/41 attempts.
Paul George (Indiana Pacers, 24.9ppg, 7.8rpg)
Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves, 26.4ppg, 15.0rpg)
Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder 30.2ppg, 7.3rpg)
LeBron James (Miami Heat, 25.5ppg, 7.3apg)
Chris Paul (LA Clippers, 21.3ppg, 12.4apg)
Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Paul George and Chris Paul
Anthony Davis is emerging as one of the top big men in the league, averaging 21.7 points, 11.6 rebounds and an impressive 3.8 blocks per game in only his second season, Davis is working his way into the MVP race.
Kevin Love
Kevin Love is another big man on the rise currently averaging 26.4 points per game which is second in the league and leading the league in rebounds per game 15, Love’s very impressive start to the season has helped his team to a 5-3 start to the season
FP - DeMarcus Cousins (23.5ppg, 9.7rpg)
Cousins has had some great performances this week and while they haven’t translated into wins, he has been a standout for the Sacramento Kings.
Houston Rockets (James Harden/Dwight Howard)
The Rockets haven’t had the greatest of weeks but their two superstars are beginning to warrant the exceedingly high expectations for this team. Harden (24.9ppg, 5.1apg) and Howard (17.6ppg, 14.9rpg) are leading the Rockets and will only improve the further we get into the season.
Anthony Davis (21.7ppg, 11.6rpg, 3.9bpg)
Anthony Davis
I didn’t mention Anthony Davis last week and I should have. He is playing some great basketball for the Pelicans and putting up some impressive numbers. He’s looking a lot stronger and more refined on the NBA stage and will continue to be a talented defensive presence for New Orleans.
FP - Indiana Pacers
San Antonio Spurs
Oklahoma City Thunder
Boston Celtics
HA - Phoenix have had a impressive start to the season, lead by Eric Bledsoe this team has surprised many people going 5-2 to start the season. However, I am not sure if they can keep this up.
Atlanta are another surprising team on the rise this week currently leading the Southeast division ahead of Miami and with upcoming games against the struggling Knicks and hosting Philly at home the
Hawks could easily improve to 7-3.
FP - Utah Jazz
Sacramento Kings
Los Angeles Lakers
Detroit Pistons
HA - The Knicks have made a poor start to the season, currently 2-4 they are not looking like the team that made it to the playoffs last year.
Utah Jazz are the only team without a win this season, a team with really no stars you would think they will continue to struggle this season. There losing streak might be extended over the next week as they have tough games coming up against the Pelicans, Spurs and Warriors. Look for them to be a strong candidate for picking up college star Andrew Wiggins in next years draft.
For me there were two performances of the week, the first was by Kevin Love versus Dallas last Thursday, 32 points, 15 rebounds and 8 assists in a 116-108 victory. The second was a performance by another superstar named Kevin, in a game that also featured Steven Adams’ posting his first double-double. Kevin Durant posted 37 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in the 119-110 victory over Detroit. Both Kevin’s are playing at MVP levels and performances like these are not uncommon for either player.
FP - In a week of game winners there was one that stood above all… Against the two-time defending champion, on the road, over the best player on the planet with 0.6 remaining.
HA - Got to love this, Miami at home losing to arguably one of the worst teams in the NBA at the moment.
Kevin Martin
FP - Kevin Martin (Minnesota Timberwolves)
The other Kevin in Minnesota has been on a scoring tear, putting up 32, 27 and 30 point performances over the past week. Having always being a volume scorer Martin is playing well in Minnesota and filling a vital scoring role alongside Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio.
HA - Damien Lillard (Portland Trailblazers)
Damian Lillard has been a significant reason why Portland are currently 5-2, averaging 21 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds. Lillard has been impressive and look for him to continue this throughout the season.
Once again, who can challenge the Indiana Pacers?
The growth of the Harden/Howard combination in Houston
How the New York Knicks perform without Tyson Chandler?
Rockets @ Knicks on Friday
Two of the teams to watch this week are the Rockets and Knicks. The Rockets are starting to find out their identity and are looking stronger each outing. The Knicks are struggling at 2-4 and now are without their defensive specialist Tyson Chandler due to injury. It gets harder before it gets easier for the Knicks as Dwight Howard will be in town.
Thunder @ Warriors on Friday
The Thunder have quietly rattled off a four game win streak last week and head into Golden State second in the west. Kevin Durant is at his best and Russell Westbrook is as explosive as ever as he looks to settle back in. Another thing to look out for is the NBA’s own trans-tasman battle of big men as Steven Adams meets Australia’s Andrew Bogut.
Pacers @ Bulls on Sunday
The Pacers meet the Bulls once again this time in Chicago. Indiana is the best team in basketball right now and the Bulls (3-3) are yet to perform, as we’ve been accustomed to seeing. I expect this too be the Pacers biggest challenge yet and after they handled the Bulls in the 4th quarter last week leading too a 97-80 victory, this is the perfect stage for Chicago to send a message.
Hawks @ Heat on Wednesday
The Atlanta Hawks have been a surprise, currently sitting 3rd in the East at (4-3). They meet LeBron James and the Miami Heat on Wednesday in Miami and will provide them with an opportunity to establish themselves as a contender in the East. Miami currently 5-3 will be looking to put a strong week together after losing to the Celtics at Home and questions about their defence.
A tough loss in Townsville for the Breakers. The Crocs came out strong, while the kiwis took too long to get into the game with early turnovers causing trouble and their opponents looking like they couldn’t miss. Townsville quickly blew out to a 17-6 lead. Their tactics were clear from the start: they looked to trap the Breakers with a high court pressing strategy, double teaming Kerron
Fresh Prince
1 – Paul George (Indiana Pacers, 25.8ppg, 8.2rpg)
2 – Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves, 26.2ppg, 14.6rpg)
3 – Chris Paul (LA Clippers, 24.8ppg, 12.6apg)
4 – Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder 27.8ppg, 5.8rpg)
5 – LeBron James (Miami Heat, 25.6ppg, 8.0apg)
They’re trying to sell this game as RGIII vs Adrian ‘AD’ Peterson, but no one’s buying it. RGIII is so deeply into his sophomore slump that you can’t even hear his knees creaking anymore, and Peterson, well, no one gives him the ball. He had a great day against Dallas, padded by a 50 plus yarder and a superb...
The week in which Rex Ryan won the Ryan Bowl, Tom Brady recaptured the old magic and the school yard bully was exposed. Weekly recap in 3… 2… 1…
The Breakers finally managed win 2 of the season, holding off a tough Wollongong side for an 8 point win. They started well, minimising the early turnovers (only 11 all game) that cost them so badly against Adelaide, and showing off the full range of their offensive options. Alex Pledger was string in the paint, and showed a surprisingly deft touch in finishing baskets, while Mika Vukona was aggressive yet disciplined, and the likes of Corletto, Abercrombie and Wilkinson showed off their jump shooting abilities. Wollongong was able to stick close though, thanks to the...
Ah, bollocks. Dropped another one. It was a game in which the Breakers held close, but barely controlled. Adelaide came out strong in defence and the kiwi team were made to rue a number of early turnovers and general sloppiness in possession. This is a strong 36ers side, with former League MVP Gary Ervin, import Jarrid Frye and a couple of Aussie internationals to boot. They’re not to be taken lightly and they proved it.
Finally, the Jets will fall back to a losing record where they belong. I’m so far in on these Saints it’s ridiculous. All Drew Brees needs is a 25% healthy Jimmy Graham and he’s good for 4TDs. And now that they have an above average defence, this team is at least going...
This week we saw blowouts, we saw tight bore-fests and we saw Detroit come back from the dead against Dallas, just days before Halloween. NFL Week 8 recap, starting now:
Duuummb. As a Dallas fan, there’s only so much I wanna say about Detroit’s heroics. But my professional integrity wins out. Imma need a stiff drink after this…
So all of a sudden, Steven Adams seems to have worked his way not only onto the Oklahoma City Thunder NBA roster but into a contributing role. A few weeks ago, we all assumed he’d be looking forward to a developmental season spent mostly in the D-League. A number of things have gone his way since then:
Last Season: 60-22
Key Player: Russell Westbrook. Kevin Durant is a known commodity and perhaps the best pure scorer in the league, but Westbrook’s role for OKC, as evidenced in last year’s playoffs, is crucial.
What To Watch For: Basketball’s premier Flying Kiwi: Steven Adams.
Key Question: How much has the Harden trade set this franchise back on their championship path?
2013 Prediction: 55-27
Last Season: 41-40
Key Player: Oh man, are there any left? Rajon Rondo will lead this band of misfits, reluctantly, until he’s gifted a free pass outta town.
What To Watch For: Boston fans getting fed up with this unaccustomed level of mediocrity. They’ve had too much to cheer for recently, what with the Red Sox, the Bruins & the Patriots.
Key Question: How long until Rondo gets traded?
2013 Prediction: 34-48
The Breakers lost their third game in a row for the first time since 2010. This one was nothing to be ashamed of however. Perth is definitely the team to beat in 2013, and they proved it with a dominating performance away to the defending champs. The Breakers flew out to a 9 point 1st Quarter lead, but in the 2nd Q Perth’s sharpshooters really stepped up. The talk was all about James Ennis...
Last week was my worst for picking results this season, but for once, Carolina did me right. Thus I’m perfectly happy to pick the Panthers once more. Especially against Tampa Bay, whose running back Doug “Muscle Hamster” Martin (sorry, Dougster) is out injured...
Both teams led their respective leagues in runs scored. Both have shown this postseason that they can handle this stage. But which side holds the edge in hitting?
The Red Sox got here on the back of late, clutch...
