Weekly NBA Wrap with the Mid Range Jumpers

MVP watch

Fresh Prince

Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder 31.2ppg, 7.7rpg, 5.5apg)

LeBron James (Miami Heat, 26.5ppg, 7.0rpg, 6.6apg)

LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland Trailblazers, 23.9ppg, 11.4rpg)

Paul George (Indiana Pacers, 22.2ppg, 6.4rpg)

Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs 17.7ppg, 6.2apg)

Chris Paul (LA Clippers, 19.2ppg, 11.1apg)

Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors, 24.6ppg, 9.0apg, 4.4rpg)

Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves, 25.8ppg, 13.2rpg, 4.0apg)

His Airness

Kevin Durant: 31.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists. The way this guy is playing is crazy, averaging 32 points while shooting 55 percent over the last 10 games. Durant has sustained his high level of performance and is not looking like stopping. With the All Star break coming up and the return of Russell Westbrook in the coming weeks it will be interesting to see if Durant’s numbers drop or continue to impress.

Lebron James: 26.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 7.0 assists. Lebron’s number’s continue to impress, scoring more than 30 points in his last 3 of 5 games. Lebron looks to continue his rise in performance, he has begun to shoot the ball more, now taking nearly 20 shots a game which could be an attempt to save his MVP hopes. Lebron’s game winner against the Warriors has made up for his shocking performance against the Jazz.

Blake Griffin – 24.2 points, 9.8 rebounds. The third spot in the MVP ladder is a tough one, at the moment it is hard to live up to the level of Durant and Lebron but Griffin is doing his best and has put up some impressive performances over the last 5 games. With the return of Chris Paul look for Griffin’s numbers to only improve and maybe make a run at the top two.

Nighthawk

Kevin Durant (OKC) - 31.2 ppg , 5.5 apg , 7.7 rpg

Durant’s Thunder keep racking up the wins and are 8-2 in their last 10 with losses coming against Washington and a surprise last second loss to Orlando. Durant seems like he is coasting at the moment in his last 10 - he's averaging 32.1ppg, 7.4rpg and 7.2 apg while shooting 55% from the field and this is still without their other star Russell Westbrook. The question remains will the Thunder be more dominant with him back or will they take a step backwards?

Lebron James (MIA) - 26.5 ppg , 6.6 apg , 7.0 rpg

Lebron has been on a tear ever since his loss to Durant’s Thunder and it seems Lebron now has some competition and has began to pick his game up. Over the past 10 games, he's averaging 27.9 ppg 8.4 rpg and 6.6 apg. He is finally beginning to take more shots and the Heat are benefitting from it as they have gone 8-2 in the last 10. LeBron is also fresh off a clutch performance after he hit a game winning fade-away 3 to beat the Warriors the other night. It seems that Durant hasn't won the MVP race yet and this is going to be fun to keep an eye on after the All Star Weekend.

Blake Griffin (LAC) - 24.2 ppg , 9.8 rpg , 3.5 apg

Blake Griffin has been great over the month of January and has continued that form and then some in February. He is averaging close to 35 a game and 8 rebounds. Griffin is proving he’s more than just a player who scores on huge dunks but a player who's capable of beating you in a variety a ways. That’s not say he doesn't still throw it down as he had back windmill dunks in their huge blowout win against the Sixers. With Blake’s great play and now a returning Chris Paul the Clippers now become a legitimate title contender as we go into the All Star weekend.

Standouts

FP - Blake Griffin/LA Clippers

Blake Griffin has bought life to the Clippers franchise that has had little to celebrate before they drafted him in 2009. Now they are one of the NBA’s premier teams and the All-Star power forward is excelling under Doc Rivers tutelage. Over the past 10 games he is averaging 35.4 ppg and 8.8 rebounds per game. That includes three games of 36 points and one with 43 points. The Clippers have gone 7-3 over those past ten games and have only had all-star Chris Paul back for two of those past ten. The Clippers are a team on the rise and with their All-Stars leading the way, the depth to make a good playoff run and one of the NBA’s top coaches I expect the Clippers to continue their winning ways after the All Star break.

Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets are another Western Conference team that is looking stronger every outing. With All-Stars James Harden and Dwight Howard playing well, the Rockets have won seven straight games, the last one against the Washington Wizards coming off a James Harden game winning layup with 0.7 seconds remaining. The Rockets are a team that also benefits from having two All-Stars and good depth in their roster and are now sitting third in the Western Conference, a good place to be going into the All-Star break.

Teams on the rise

Oklahoma City Thunder

Miami Heat

LA Clippers

Houston Rockets

Dallas Mavericks

HA - Houston Rockets

The Rockets remain in my ‘team on the rise’. They are currently on a 7 game winning streak and sit third in the West. With Howard and Harden playing well this team is starting to live up to the hype created during the off season.

Cleveland Cavaliers – The Cavs have won their last 4 games and although they haven’t played any decent teams during this run they are looking a bit better. Their next five games look promising as well, with their toughest opponent being the struggling Hawks.

NH - Houston Rockets

The Rockets were my team on the rise last week and are still there this week. They are currently on a 7 game win streak and still aren't getting much attention which may be a good thing for them. Over this winning streak Dwight and Harden are leading the way, they are averaging a combined 50 points per game together and are also getting a good punch from Jeremy Lin off the bench. The Rockets are under the radar and could be a dark horse for the title this year.

Teams on the slide

Philadelphia 76ers

LA Lakers

Atlanta Hawks

Denver Nuggets

HA - Philadelphia Sixers

The Sixers are on a 8 game losing streak, however it gets worst, they recently became only the second team to lose back to back games by 40 points. Are the Sixers tanking? Or are they really that bad.

NH - Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks have been on the slide lately. They are currently on a 5 games losing streak. Al Horford’s injury has hurt them especially on the offensive end and Jeff Teague hasn't been as good without him. The Hawks have surprisingly been better without Teague as they are scoring 10 more points per 100 possessions without him on the floor. The Hawks however are a top 10 defence without Horford but its proving that Horford’s offence is more valuable to the team than his lack of defence.

Performance of the week

Lebron James – 36 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists, 14-26 FG, 4-8 3PT, Game winning 3PT shot

Lebron James earns himself another performance of the week award for his near triple-double vs. the Golden State Warriors. Lebron was aggressive and led the Dwyane Wade-less Miami Heat to an impressive road win. The Heat led by 18 at one point before the Warriors clawed back to lead by two with 14.6 seconds to go following Stephen Curry’s ‘and-1’ bank shot. Lebron got the ball and drilled a step back three-pointer with 0.2 seconds remaining to seal the win for the Heat.

Play of the week

Play of the week this week goes to Blake Griffin for these Chris Paul assisted back to back windmill dunks against the Philadelphia 76ers. Note – these happened within 30 seconds of each other

Undercover Brother

FP - Jared Sullinger

This week’s undercover brother is Boston Celtics forward Jared Sullinger. The second year pro is currently averaging 13.2ppg and 8.2rpg but as of late is performing above his season averages.  Over his past seven games, he has recorded six double-doubles, with his best performance a 31 point 16 rebound effort coming against the Kings. With playmaker Rajon Rondo back dishing out assists, it’s no surprise Sullinger is playing above average and as long as they can stay healthy this could be the new duo to watch in Boston. 

NH - DeMarcus Cousins

You would think this guy would be an All Star, averaging 22 points per game with 11 rebounds. Cousins nearly has better stats than my third place MVP Blake Griffin. What makes Cousins so good is he is not only good offensively like Kevin Love or Blake Griffin but he is also a good defensive player. Cousins is one of the best big men in the league at the moment.

Storyline Watch/Random thoughts

HA - Steph Curry (GS)

Curry has been great over the past 10 but it hasn't translated to any more victories, however he is arguably the player that’s most valuable to his team. If he wasn't playing for the Warriors they would have no shot at making the playoffs and would arguably be a team contending for the number 1 pick. It seems as if Curry needs to score 30 plus and dish 10 assists for Golden State to get a narrow win. For example there last game against the Heat he scored 29 with 7 assists and hit a potential game winner only to be out done by Lebron but it’s an example of how good he needs to be for them to win.

FP - All Star break is finally upon us (starting Saturday NZT) and once again ESPN and Sky has done a great job in getting the broadcasting rights so us kiwi’s can tune in to the All-Star festivities. Here are a few things to look out for during the weekend

Rising Stars Challenge

Steven Adams competing against a number of other talented first or second year players including All Stars Damian Lillard and Anthony Davis as well as rookie of the year candidates Michael Carter Williams and Victor Oladipo.

Prediction: Team Hill

Skills Challenge

This is always an interesting event that happens fairly quickly. It involves a number of different skills normally suiting point guards. It’s a good showcase of the little skills you don’t always see in an actual game, which illustrates just how talented these players are.

Prediction: Damian Lillard

3-point contest

The three-point contest is an interesting competition as it can be really eventful or quite dull depending on how close the scores are. It’s good to see how accurate these guys actually are from three point range with no defenders but the added pressure of a time limit and other scores often makes up for it.

Prediction: Stephen Curry

Dunk contest

As I mentioned last week I expect a rejuvenated dunk contest this year with several stars competing along with a new format. I’m interesting in seeing the freestyle round where each conference’s players have a 90 second time limit featuring an unlimited amount of dunks. I say that because I’m the type of guy who prefers classic dunks rather than the gimmick dunks that feature props. Either way each of the rounds should provide a little for every fan to enjoy.

Prediction: John Wall

All Star Game

All star games can be tedious but the NBA has been doing a good job to make this game more exciting. Fortunately Kevin Durant and LeBron James are on opposing teams and I hope these two go head to head at some stage. I expect the game to stay close up until the 4th quarter where the game will hopefully pick up. Prediction: West to win 

Games to watch (All NZT following all-star break)

Raptors @ Wizards on Wednesday

Heat @ Mavericks on Wednesday

Heat @ Thunder on Friday

Western Conference

PG: Steph Curry. Steph has been balling out of his mind recently, averaging a league-leading 3.2 threes a game and a second-best 9.2 assists, leading Kevin Durant to call him the greatest shooter in NBA history. With stats like these and his stroke as wet as it is, it’s hard to disagree with him. After being robbed last year of a reserve slot this starting spot is well deserved, especially after Chris Paul’s unfortunate injury. Prediction: Could set new record for most 3’s in the game.

SG: Kobe Bryant. This is perhaps the most inevitable selection despite the fact he’s only played in a handful of games all year, due to the overwhelming support he has worldwide. Fans will vote for him based on name and legend alone until he retires, despite him going on record as saying that they should vote for younger, more deserving players like Damien Lillard. He’s announced that he’ll sit out the game in order to avoid injury, so don’t get your hopes up for a repeat performance of his two late game blocks on LeBron from last year. Prediction: James Harden will replace him in the starting lineup and set a record for most wild head flails.

SF: Kevin Durant. KD. Durantula. The Slim Reaper. Whichever nickname you want to use for him (Slim Reaper is by far the best) this guy simply gets it done on a night to night basis. Leading the league in scoring, nearly 7 feet tall and one of the most clutch performers in the game, Durant is the favourite for MVP and arguably the 2nd best player in basketball. I don’t think he’s the most exciting player in the world, probably due to how easy he makes it all look and lack of true highlight reel dunks, but his matchup against either Paul George or LeBron will be the most anticipated of the night. Prediction: Tweets about his disdain for the Slim Reaper moniker will overshadow his game.

PF: Blake Griffin. For purely personal reasons, this is the first selection I’m not thrilled with. Maybe it’s because I’m a Lakers fan, maybe it’s because I hate his stupid blank face after every dunk he does, and maybe it’s his stumpy little arms. Whatever the reason, I think Blake is somewhat overrated. Whilst undeniably a great dunker, I think people overestimate his true offensive capabilities due to how easy it must be to play next to Chris Paul, and his defence is average at best. Having said that, he’s tailor-made for the all-flash no substance nature of All-Star games, so perhaps he deserves this spot after all. Prediction: blank face mean mugging after a barrage of alley-oops.

C: Kevin Love. This is my biggest surprise of the night and the selection that I’m most pleased about, although again this may have something to do with the fact that I’m a Lakers fan so I’m bound to hope that Dwight Howard fails at everything he does. Kevin Love is perhaps my second favourite player in the league, because watching a short unathletic white guy outrebound and outscore hyper-athletes like Dwight and Blake never gets old. An absolute terror on the glass and a bomber from deep, K-Love is probably the most well-rounded PF in the game (sorry Lamarcus) and is also the only white guy in either starting line-up. Prediction/Hope: gets traded to the Lakers.

Eastern Conference

PG: Kyrie Irving. Kyrie largely claims this spot by default as the East is so devoid of talent that the only other real challengers were Kyle Lowry in Toronto and John Wall in Washington, both of whom aren’t as well-known as the guy who was meant to fill LeBrons shoes in Cleveland. He slipped off the radar a bit early in the season and people were questioning whether he’d ever really be a truly great player, but he’s putting up nice enough numbers now to warrant the start. Prediction: Will break someone’s ankles like he did to Brandon Knight in the Rookie Challenge

SG: Dwayne Wade. It really shows the state of the Eastern conference and the SG spot in general when a guy who will rest for multiple games at a time can still comfortably be an All-Star starter. Sure, he’s averaging nearly 20 ppg, but I can’t help but feel that someone like Aaron Afflalo is at risk of being criminally overlooked for even being a reserve when he could arguably be a starter. Either way, I can’t see D-Wade playing very long with his knees in the state they are, so don’t expect fireworks. Prediction: Will barely play unless it’s a close game in the 4th.

SF1: LeBron James. It’s LeBron. Definitely the best player to come out of a stacked 2003 draft, and almost definitely the best player in the NBA (and the world) right now – what else is there to say? Prediction: If the East win (which they won’t), he’ll be the MVP.

SF2: Paul George. PG24 has always flown under the radar somewhat, putting up good enough stat lines and being a crucial part of an Indiana team that has always threatened to break out, but wasn’t really a household name until he absolutely took it to LeBron and the Heat in the playoffs last year. This year he’s continued along the same lines, racking up monster game after monster game and being both an offence and defensive lynchpin for the team I think is the best in the league. Plus, did you see his 360 windmill jam recently? Woowee... Prediction: Will throw down at least one ridiculous dunk.

SF3: Carmelo Anthony. On a Knicks team that is carrying on their tradition of mediocrity, Melo is the only bright point. If you watch any NY games, he’ll be the only guy who’s diving on balls, getting putbacks, and generally doing all the small things that you need to do in order to actually win some games. This shows with the fact that despite playing alongside two 7 footers and being moved from the PF spot he played last year, he’s averaging around 9 rebounds a game which is pretty incredible. Three SFs in the starting lineup means he’ll probably be asked to guard K-Love, which could be an interesting matchup, but could also mean the East gets killed on the boards. Prediction: Will thoroughly enjoy playing with team mates that actually have some talent.

So there we have it, your 2014 NBA All-Star starters. On paper it seems that the West will destroy the East, particularly when the reserves come on, but being an All-Star game it really comes down to who can actually be bothered putting in any effort during the first 3 quarters. Look for hometown hero Anthony Davis to get voted in by the coaches and receive huge playing time, and for Boogie Cousins to be the biggest snub. Prediction: West take it easily, with The Brow being the early favourite for MVP.

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The Dugout - January 29

Supposing Carmelo Anthony doesn’t re-sign with the Knicks, and that this stage we’re not expecting him to (though his wife is…), where does he end up? Melo is undoubtedly a top 20 player in the league, potentially a top 10 guy even, yet a lot of people are really cold on him joining their teams. The thing is that Melo sits on the low end of the franchise player radar, so to get him means, for most teams, he’d have to be, for salary reasons and ego reasons, the best player on the team, and who honestly thinks you can win a title with Melo as your best player? This is why the Bulls are such an enticing option for the neutrals. They have Derrick Rose, who’s the go to guy when fit, but still have the cap room and motivation for Melo, who they’d presumably convert back to a catch and shoot type player. Imagine an opening day line-up of Rose, Anthony, Noah, Boozer and Butler. That’s your best shot, Melo.

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NZ Breakers 106-101 Wollongong Hawks

Fast Break Report

Stat Line

Points K. Tiggs 24 (WOL), R. Clarke 23 (WOL), K. Johnson 21 (NZB), D. Gruber 21 (WOL)

Rebounds M. Vukona 6 (NZB), T. Abercrombie 6 (NZB), several with 5

Assists T. Coenraad 7 (WOL), C. Webster 5 (NZB), L. Davidson 4 (WOL), G. Wilkinson 4 (NZB)

Steals C. Webster 3 (NZB), several with 2

Blocks D. Gruber 3 (WOL), several with 1

What Went Right?

Scoring 106 points. That oughta win it every time in this league.
15/26 3pt shooting. That’s a straight up clinic. KJ, Wilko, Abo, Webster and Te Rangi all hit 3 each.
Finishing the game off. They’ve had trouble this season in this regard, so it was great to see the Breakers finish strong after the Hawks tied the game up with less than 4 mins on the clock.
Gary Wilkinson. Ol’ Bear Claws is sprinting up the FBR MVP rankings, even more surprising because he wasn’t even on the roster until Game 6. But the big fella has nestled right back into a comfortable place where he’s absolutely dominating.
Nobody fouled out.

What Can Be Improved?

Defence. Although you gotta hand it to Rotnei Clarke, who had a great game, and did so with a number of other heavy contributors on the Wollongong side.
Get Alex Pledger back. He was doubtful for this one, and ultimately sat it out. He’s got another week to recover now.
The rebounding and turnovers still have room for improvement, but they’re getting there. Not a lot else to worry about, to be honest, just gotta hope they can keep this level of performance up for the final 10 games and maybe sneak into the playoffs…

Play of the Game

A beautifully executed offensive possession (after a missed field goal) culminates in a wide open 3 pointer for Kerron Johnson, who sinks the dagger blow late on:

Match MVP Points

Gary Wilkinson 3

Tom Abercrombie 2

Kerron Johnson 1

Corey Webster 1

Mika Vukona 1

Season MVP Standings

Mika Vukona 27

Kerron Johnson 23

Gary Wilkinson 22

Tom Abercrombie 19

Alex Pledger 10

Up Next

Thursday, 7.30pm: NZ Breakers vs Sydney Kings, Vector Arena (NZT)

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NBA Wrap up with the Mid Range Jumpers

MVP watch

Fresh Prince

Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder31.0ppg, 7.7rpg, 5.1apg)

LeBron James (Miami Heat, 26.2ppg, 6.7rpg, 6.5apg)

LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland Trailblazers, 24.2ppg, 11.2rpg),g

Paul George (Indiana Pacers, 23.3ppg, 6.2rpg)

Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs 18.4ppg, 6.3apg)

Chris Paul (LA Clippers, 19.6ppg, 11.2apg)

Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors, 23.5ppg, 9.2apg, 4.6rpg)

Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves, 25.0ppg, 13.0rpg, 4.1apg)

It’s been a while since my last entry but not much has changed atop the MVP watch. Kevin Durant has been sublime averaging 31.0 points per game and nearly averaging 50-40-90 (percentages for field goals, 3 pointers and free throws). It would also be rude not to mention his ridiculous form, scoring 30+ in his past nine games including a NBA season high 54 point game against the Warriors. The best player in the world continues to get better however I think we are still yet too see the best out of LeBron this year. LaMarcus Aldridge has led the Trailblazers to a 31-11 record, sitting 3rd in the Western Conference. There is no doubt the all star has been imperative to their success and rightfully a MVP contender. Paul George is a strong candidate for MVP and his continued improvement on offense and stout defense has led the Pacers to a league leading 33-8 record.

His Airness

Kevin Durant: 31 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists. Durant has to be the leading candidate for MVP this season; his recent outburst over the month of January has been simply remarkable. From his pull-up three pointers to his impressive finishes in traffic he is showing us why he is the best offensive player in the game at the moment. He’s been averaging an unbelievable 37 points over the last ten games.

LeBron James: 26.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.5 assists. After revealing his jealously over Durant’s amount of shot attempts LeBron has increased his averaging shot attempts to 19 over the last five games. This however, has had almost no impact on his average points per game and makes you wonder if he really can shoot the ball more while still making over 50% of his shots.

Stephen Curry: 23.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 9.2 assists. Curry continues to be impressive this season nearly averaging a double-double. Curry places third on the MVP ladder because he is such a vital part of his team. Curry has one of the biggest on-off court differentials meaning that without him on the court the Warriors turn the ball over more, score less points and simply are not a team that looks like it could challenge for a title. Miami have the big three, the Thunder have Durant and Westbrook (when healthy) and the Warriors have Curry.