Weekly NBA wrap with the Mid Range Jumpers

 MVP watch

Fresh Prince

Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder 31.5ppg, 7.7rpg, 5.6apg)

LeBron James (Miami Heat, 26.9ppg, 7.1rpg, 6.5apg)

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

Paul George (Indiana Pacers, 22.7ppg, 6.4rpg)

The Spurs continue to hang around in the Western Conference

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

Chris Paul (LA Clippers, 18.8ppg, 11.1apg)

Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors, 23.8ppg, 8.8apg, 4.3rpg)

Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves, 26.6ppg, 13.2rpg, 4.1apg) 

His Airness

Kevin Durant – 31.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists.

KD has not slowed down since the return of Russell Westbrook, averaging 33 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.4 assists in the last 10 games. Despite his bad game against the Heat, KD continues to impress. The only thing KD hasn’t been able to continue to do is win, losing their last 4 of 5 games.

LeBron James – 26.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.5 assists.

James’ impressive performance against Durant and the Thunder definitely put him closer to KD in the MVP race. However, he still remains behind him in my race. After breaking his nose, if LeBron continues to keep up his recent performances then I expect him to pass Durant soon.

Nighthawk

Kevin Durant (OKC) 31.5 ppg , 5.6 apg , 7.7 rpg

The Thunder have returned to their full strength roster in having Russell Westbrook return, however they have lost 3 straight games since his return. The question right now is - is Westbrook’s return harming Durant’s MVP hopes and more importantly the Thunders title hopes? I still feel the Thunder are just getting used to having Westbrook back just like they started a little slow after losing him , they must however sort it out soon before losing their number one seed to Spurs. I think this last stretch of games has hurt Durant’s MVP hopes but still, he is number although LeBron ousted Durant this past week. I still feel Durant’s game hasn’t slowed down and one game doesn’t take what he did in the past 2 months away from him. Durant is still number one but by a very small margin.

LeBron James (MIA) 26.9 ppg , 6.5 apg , 7.1 rpg

LeBron has been on a mission ever since Durant started to turn up his game and he has finally begun to shoot the ball more. The Heat have benefitted from LeBron’s recent success and have been closing the gap on Pacers for the number one seed. LeBron missed the last game with a broken nose suffered in the Thunder game as he threw down a dunk but is expected back against the Knicks. LeBron has closed the gap dramatically on Durant and if he returns and plays at the level he has been while Durant’s Thunder continue to slip, LeBron will take back the number one spot in the rankings.

Blake Griffin (LAC) 24.3 ppg , 9.9 rpg , 3.5 apg

Blake Griffin holds steady in the number 3 spot and has been solid after his great All Star game. He’s averaged 25.6 ppg and 10.4 rpg in the 5 games since the break and although the Clippers lost 2 in row out of the gates they came back strong with a big win against a hot Rockets team and his play was a big part of that. Griffin has elevated his game and is now a player who scores in many ways and is not just a dunker as some describe, watch out for him in this year’s post season.

Standouts

FP - Miami Heat

The defending champions, Miami Heat have won five straight games, three coming after the All Star break including a convincing win over Chicago without LeBron James. The Heat appear to be ready for playoff basketball and any doubts that they were slowing or detached from the regular season are being shut down. The Heat knows what it takes to win a championship and their form is oddly consistent with their past two seasons. Strangely enough at the 53 games played point of the season, Miami were 39-14, the exact same total as the past three seasons in the ‘big 3’ era.

HA - Chicago Bulls

8-2 over the last 10 games is very impressive for a team that really has no stars. Since Rose’s injury the Bulls have been an under the radar team this year. Remarkably they continue to win and are rising in the Eastern Conference.

Joakim Noah has been a beast for the Bulls

Houston Rockets

The Rockets have been finding form over the last month, winning 8 of their last 10 games the Rockets sit 5th in the Western Conference, but with a record of 39-19 they are not far off taking the third spot or even progressing higher before the end of the season. Rockets head coach Keving McHale attributed much of their recent success to an improving team chemistry.

Teams on the rise

FP

·         Miami Heat

·         LA Clippers

·         Portland Trailblazers

·         Dallas Mavericks

·         Washington Wizards

·         Charlotte Bobcats

NH – Charlotte Bobcats

The Bobcats are no longer the laughing stock of the NBA this season, in fact they are a team that are likely to book a spot in the post season. They currently are holding the 6th spot in the Eastern Conference and are climbing, they have won 4 straight and are looking good. They now have a little break but have a serious test ahead as their few next games are against the Spurs, Thunder, Heat and Pacers. This will be a huge test for them but if they can steal a win or two during this stretch, they can prove they’re legit and can ride with the big boys.

Teams on the slide

FP

·         Philadelphia 76ers

·         LA Lakers

·         New Orleans Pelicans

·         Oklahoma City Thunder

HA - LA Lakers

Without Kobe this team has been a disgrace, they haven’t been sliding because they have never been good this season. However, with recent trades they are looking stronger. Pau Gasol is not happy and they have finally reached the bottom of the Western Conference, this makes me wonder how much longer can they keep Mike D’Antoni as their head coach.

Atlanta Hawks

Only winning 1 of their last 10 games the Hawks are sliding. They still currently sit in the playoff picture (8th) however, this may not last long, with the Cav’s finding form and the Pistons within striking distance they need to start improving

NH –Phoenix Suns

The Suns are they team on the slide this week as they have lost their last 3 and are 4-6 over the last 10. They are barely holding on to the 8th seed now in the strong Western Conference and are just a game ahead of the Memphis Grizzles who have been playing well lately. The Suns are arguably over achieving this year with a few key injuries but still have a chance to make the playoffs, they just need to pick up their game now before it’s too late.

Performance of the week

Plenty of love for Kevin as both the Fresh Prince and the Nighthawk appreciate his work…

Kevin Love – 37 points, 12 Rebounds, 10 Assists, 11/20 FG, 6/10 3PT

Kevin Love recorded his first career triple double (had to triple check this as I didn’t believe it myself) against the Jazz this past week. Love was in fine form, putting together a dominant performance led by his monster third quarter. 22 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists in one quarter ! Love has recorded 48 double-doubles this year but his first triple double earns him my performance of the week!

Play of the week

Something a little different this week for the play of the week! Defense into offense after this monster block by Portland Trailblazer Thomas Robinson, leading to an alleyoop at the other end for Will Barton!

Undercover Brother

FP - Damian Lillard

This week’s undercover brother isn’t as ‘undercover’ as our usual suspects. Damian Lillard as most will know, is a first time NBA All-Star, last season’s rookie of the year and increasingly popular after his appearance in all five NBA All-Star events. While Lillard may have not impressed many with his All-Star appearances (I think his dunks were underrated) he has been leading the LaMarcus Aldridge-less Blazers to a 4-1 record post all-star break. Averaging 27.2ppg over that stretch well above his season average of 21.2, Lillard has been instrumental for Portland.

HA - Kevin Love

Averaging 32.9 points, 13.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists in his last 10 games Love is playing like an MVP. Unfortunately his team is still losing. However, with every good performance he puts in his stock goes up and will make more teams want him come this year’s free agency.

Storyline Watch/Random thoughts

The NBA started a new era after all-star break with a new commissioner for the first time in 30 years. Adam Silver became the 5th ever NBA commissioner and many storylines involve his future plans for the NBA. Many rumours have appeared while others are being discussed more as Silver has big plans for the future of the NBA. Ideas such as the sleeved jersey, check out Laker Eight’s risky business entry (http://theniche-cache.com/american-sports/2014/2/24/laker-eight-presents-risky-business) and raising the minimum age for NBA entrants. With a few changes in mind, no doubt others will surface as the new commish settles into chair atop the NBA.

Another story line evolving was the Brooklyn Nets signing Jason Collins, the first openly gay player to play in the NBA or any other of the big four American sports. Interestingly enough Collins signed a 10-day contract and his jersey sales rocketed to the highest in the league the first day his no.98 jersey became available.  Fairly impressive considering the guy will play few minutes but a great statement for sport and the NBA.

Games to watch (All NZT)

Bulls @ Mavericks on Saturday

Warriors @ Raptors on Monday

Warriors @ Pacers on Wednesday

Heat @ Rockets on Wednesday

Clippers @ Suns on Wednesday

Heat @ Spurs on Friday 

Laker Eight Presents - Risky Business

Risky Business

With the Trade Deadline having passed a couple of days ago, I was all prepped to write about all the blockbuster trades that I was sure were going to happen (Gasol to the Suns, a Rondo/Parsons swap, Kevin Love to the Lakers/Mavs) but alas, it was all extremely underwhelming. Other than Danny Granger finally moving on from the franchise he was the face of for a good few years, nothing notable really happened so before anyone questions why I didn’t touch on the subject, that’s why.

The Trade Deadline may have been a complete non-event and nothing of note has happened in the few games to be played since the All-Star break so this week I’m going to discuss something that has nothing to do with the game itself but is nonetheless causing a huge stir amongst the fans. Adam Silver has started his reign as commissioner in somewhat controversial fashion as he confirmed what we had all long suspected and long feared – not only are the sleeved jerseys here to stay, but on-jersey advertisements will soon be joining them. Is this a sign of the apocalypse in American sports as some seem to think, or just a savvy move for a league that at the end of the day is still a business? Well, I feel strongly one way (hint: it sure isn’t in favour of the ads/sleeves) but for the benefit of those of you who remain on the fence about it all I’ll do my best to put forth some kind of counterargument.

Apparently the NBA leaked this. Uh oh

“The league is a business! We need money!”

The above is the basic argument put forward by the top dogs in the league office, and at first glance it may seem to be a case of the rich getting richer as it’s estimated that last season the league had revenue of $5 billion. That’s 20% more than just a couple of years earlier, so it would appear that the league has no problem with money. However, that’s revenue – not profit – and after all expenses have been taken out and the appropriate money has been doled out to all 30 teams, I imagine that the actual figure isn’t quite so glamorous and that stakeholders may be asking a few questions about why the league isn’t doing everything it can to maximise earnings like any other business would. Furthermore, running a team isn’t usually profitable for the owners so when Silver claimed that the ad spots may be worth $100 million to a team, you better believe that their ears perked up. A profitable team makes for a happy owner, which leads to benefits that range from the major (splashing out on a superstar) to the minor (upgrades to the arena or training facilities), all of which ultimately lead to a more successful team - you don’t often hear of cash-strapped small markets achieving much in US sports. With the double whammy of increased profitability for both the league and the owners having undeniable trickle down effects for both the teams and the fans, it definitely makes you think twice about whether having a small ad on the jerseys is really worse than having a mediocre (albeit ad-free) franchise.

Alternatively, this is why Silver wants more money

Of course, sports aren’t all about the financials or even necessarily about winning championships. For many, it’s about feeling connected to the team and the feeling of community and brotherhood that can result from a shared fandom with otherwise complete strangers. This leads me to the other argument being put forward by people in favour of the ads, which is that leagues worldwide have their uniforms plastered with ads and fans not only accept them but also embrace some sponsors as being key parts of their team’s history. Perhaps the most obvious example is the English Premier League – who doesn’t know someone who drinks Carlsberg because they’re a Liverpool fan, or who chose Vodafone or Samsung because of their prominent sponsorship of Manchester United and Chelsea respectively? If anyone watched the Rising Stars game, you would have seen a sneak preview of the proposed ad sizing, which is basically a tiny square which it seems will either be below the number on the back, or on the front above the numbers as seen with Harrison Barnes in the photo above. So from an entirely non-financial standpoint, it does all seem slightly win-win – either fans will embrace whoever sponsors their team ala the Premier League, or the ads will be too small to really care about.

“Yeah but... America! Freedom! Liberty!”

Americans seem to enjoy a very love/hate relationship with ads. As anyone who’s ever watched more than about 30 seconds of the NBA or NFL will know, you can’t escape them – including special league-mandated timeouts to ensure maximum commercial time – but the seemingly logical progression of ads on jerseys has largely drawn the same reaction as I imagine punching a bald eagle in front of the White House would. The main reason for offence seems to be that none of the other major leagues (NFL, MBL, NHL) have ads and are all hugely successful so why does the NBA need them, especially when it seems to have exploded in popularity during the LeBron era? Yeah, the WNBA and Major League Soccer have on-jersey ads, but they are also wildly unpopular for the most part and haemorrhage money so it’s probably more of a desperation move from them than anything else. Perhaps fans are also worried that should this NBA experiment prove successful, it’s only a matter of time before the idea infiltrates the other sports and it won’t be long before you can’t buy a single item of American sports apparel without a McDonalds logo on the front and a Google logo on the back. Although most of us outside the US are perhaps more used to it with our sports teams, the idea of being a walking billboard doesn’t seem to sit pretty with Yank fans so expect many threats of boycotts and bypassing official jerseys in favour of ad-free Chinese knockoffs - because somehow that’s more patriotic than sporting a small logo.

A possibility

Finally, to take the argument down to its most basic point people (including myself) are quite frankly sick of the outrageous amounts of advertising in every single aspect of the league. Things like the Sprite® Slam Dunk Contest presented by Kia ® are now common place (as if an event being sponsored by one company wasn’t enough...) and even seemingly charitable acts like donating $X per 3 point shot made have turned commercial as every time a team hits a shot we’re forced to hear the same snippet about how great that company is and how we should all buy from them. This helps explain why there is such outrage when it’s seemingly a pretty reasonable idea, because by itself defiling the jerseys may not be a problem, but when combined with the bombardment of advertising NBA fans already face it may be the straw the broke the camel’s back. Storied franchises like the Celtics and the Bulls who have had pretty much the same uniforms for 30, 40, even 50 years will all of a sudden have the history of their timeless jerseys cheapened by tacky advertising, and whilst casual fans probably aren’t too fussed about it I’m sure many diehards will consider it a truly dark day for the NBA.

Either way... It’s happening.

At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter what you, me or even Kobe or LeBron think. Ads on jerseys are coming whether we like it or not, the sleeves are most likely here to stay and any sense that the league had at least some standards when it came it whoring itself out has gone out the window. Yeah, I know this has all sounded a bit doom and gloom and I’m sure in time we’ll all get used to it but right now it truly does seem like the NBA will sell itself to anyone for the right price because it knows that casual fans don’t care enough to notice and hardcore fans care too much to stop watching. Hopefully this has brought a couple of points to your attention so what do you think about the whole palava? Is this the start of a new age of profitability and newfound attachment to your McDonalds Lakers brought to you by Toyota, or a sign that Adam Silver may in fact actually be Satan and Hitler rolled into one? Well, that’s up for debate at present - my guess is he’s probably not, but that bald head isn’t entirely trustworthy - but we’ll all find out soon enough.