The League: Reign of The NBA

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1/1/17



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GD's Highlights

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1/10/17


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1/31/17


GD's Highlights

[lakers24]

Warriors takeover NBA Power Rankings
By John Schuhmann NBA.com
@johnschuhmann
Feb 1, 2017

The Golden State Warriors are humming along just as many expected them to by this point of the season. Though expected, it is a bad sign for the rest of the NBA this season as the Warriors have looked great since Draymond Green's return from an early season injury.

This months biggest jumps comes from the Utah Jazz, Milwaukee Bucks, and Washington Wizards. The biggest drops are the Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, and Portland Trailblazers:

1. Golden State Warriors (37-11)

Last Month: 2
The Golden State Warriors, also known as the Justice League in some circles, have gone 23-7 since the end of November and exacted revenge on the Cavaliers in a blowout win Christmas Day. This team is a force to be reckoned with and while they won't win 70 games, the question will be should they rest guys during the season to minimize injury risk heading into the playoffs.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers (34-13)

Last Month: 1

Bron Bron and the crew have coasted thus far through the season outside of a big win in Oracle on MLK Day. While that would have been ok earlier in the season, the Cavaliers now see themselves being chased by the suddenly hot Washington Wizards who are establishing themselves as the clear 2nd best team out East.

3. Houston Rockets (36-16)

Last Month: 7

Russell Westbrook is having an amazing season, but it's clear by now who the MVP should be. No one, I repeat, no one saw this Rockets team being better than they were the last couple of seasons after losing Dwight Howard, yet here we are. Harden is putting up historic numbers and the Rockets are the 2nd seed out West.

4. Washington Wizards (32-16)

Last Month: 11
John Wall and Bradley Beal started extremely slow to start this season, the Wiz played little to no defense, and they looked mediocre at best. Suddenly over the last month Wall and Beal have looked like All-Stars, the Wizards defense improved and they are now the clear 2nd best team out East (3rd seed is Indiana who are 3.5 GB). Look out for them catching Cleveland in the 2nd half of the season as well if they can improve at the deadline.

5. San Antonio Spurs (31-17)

Last Month: 8

Don't look now but San Antonio is the 3rd seed out west after playing around .500 ball for the first month of the season. But did you REALLY expect any different? This team is guaranteed to win 50 games a season. There are only a few certainties in American life these days: Paying taxes, dying, the Patriots playing in the AFC Championship game, & the Spurs winning 50 games.

6. Indiana Pacers (28-19)

Last Month: 19

Paul George is having a subpar season on the surface by his standards (only averaging 21ppg), but Indiana has recovered well in December/January. The team may have peaked in December though going 12-3 with wins over GS and Washington twice.

7. Milwaukee Bucks (28-19)

Last Month: 16

Giannis is well on track to make his 1st ever All-Star game (3rd in total votes) and was the odds on favorite to win the Most Improved Player Award before he received competition from the Lakers' D'Angelo Russell. Still, if I were a betting man I'd pick him to take it to another level in the 2nd half of the season as he continues to try and lead the Bucks back to the playoffs.

8. Los Angeles Clippers (28-20)

Last Month: 3

Chris Paul and Blake Griffin have both had nagging injuries this season and it's shown on the court. The Clippers have been good when healthy and mediocre at other times. Because of this, other teams have surpassed them in the standings in the Spurs and Rockets. If they don't pick it back up soon though they may even be caught by the Grizzlies who are only a game out of the 4th seed.

9. Charlotte Hornets (28-21)

Last Month: 14

Kemba and the Hornets continue to roll on at a surprising pace. Up until recently the Hornets held the 2nd best record out East for a significant stretch and one has to wonder if they can reclaim it. One thing is for certain though, Kemba Walker has definitely put himself in the MVP discussion this season as Charlotte's only legit go-to player.

10. Memphis Grizzlies (28-22)

Last Month: 10

They just keep Grit and Grinding their way to respectability but now they feature 3 pointers and a bit more athleticism and youth. Marc Gasol is playing at an exceptional level and Z-Bo is in the conversation for 6th Man of the Year. Everything seems good in Memphis, question is when will they not be content with just making the playoffs.

11. Boston Celtics (26-22)

Last Month: 9

Boston had turned it around behind Isaiah Thomas taking over games during December but have kind of leveled back off as of late. Don't be surprised to see them make a late run at a top 3 seed though as this team has about as much talent as a Washington, Indiana, Milwaukee, or even healthy Toronto team.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder (26-23)

Last Month: 6

Russell Westbrook's current averages stand at 26.4ppg, 10.7rpg, and 9.5apg so just below a triple double average on the year in his quest for history. Don't let that fool you though, this guy has done everything and beyond for this Thunder team as he has little in the way of elite help beside him. A few double digit assist games and he'll be averaging that triple double we all want from him.

13. Atlanta Hawks (26-22)

Last Month: 20

The Hawks are about where you'd expect all things considered. They can't really beat the elite teams as currently constructed, but they aren't a bad team as they have talent. But, where exactly does that place them in the hierarchy of the east let alone the league? Who knows, but Paul Millsap is having another solid year and Dwight is still having a nice bounce back season after last year's debacle in Houston.

14. Portland Trailblazers (26-24)

Last Month: 4

Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum are both averaging over 24ppg for Portland which is amazing. What's not amazing? Portland's defense and lack of a legit 3rd option beyond those two on offense which is why this team has fell to the back end of the top 8 out west after their hot start.

15. Utah Jazz (24-25)

Last Month: 28

The Jazz are finally healthy again and have re-emerged as a playoff contender with Rudy Gobert back. They are right back around .500 almost 50 games in and have a chance to break away from a clutter of average teams within the next few weeks.

16. New Orleans Pelicans (23-26)

Last Month: 12

Anthony Davis can only do so much for this team and one has to wonder how much of a workload he can continue to handle before he breaks down again. I'd hope that wasn't the case, but New Orleans just doesn't have enough of a supporting cast around him to warrant serious belief in a 2nd playoff birth for The Brow.

17. Chicago Bulls (23-26)

Last Month: 5

Chicago somehow stayed afloat while Jimmy Butler was out for most of the last month and half and now that he's back they hope they can still figure out how to make this weird roster work. Whether they do or not, they are in a legit fight for the 8th seed out east for the 2nd season in a row after years of success atop the conference.

18. New York Knicks (23-27)

Last Month: 25

Kristaps, Melo, and D-Rose hasn't exactly worked like everyone had hoped, and by everyone I mean Phil Jackson. We all knew to temper expectations coming into this year, but it's been downright awful at times. They can beat anyone night to night and then lose to the 76ers the next. Don't expect them to make the Playoffs this season though. It'll be interesting to see if Melo changed his stance on not waving his no trade clause once the trade deadline rolls around. #NewTankCity

19. Toronto Raptors (22-27)

Last Month: 24

Toronto is on the outside looking in for now win it comes to the playoff picture, but given they begun the season without Kyle Lowry and then lost Demar Derozan right before Lowry came back, it's been pretty amazing how they've stayed afloat. Coach Dwayne Casey deserves to be in the Coach of the Year discussion and if there were a Comeback Player of the Year Award, Lance Stephenson would be leading candidate given his resurgence for the Raptors.

20. Denver Nuggets (21-26)

Last Month: 23

The Nuggets have hit somewhat of a stride lately and it's mostly due to the play of 2nd year player Nikola Jokic. Jokic has looked like the 2nd best player from the 2015 rookie class behind Towns and looks like a legitimate impact player for the Nuggets. He's already made Jusuf Nurkic expendable and Emmanuel Mudiay barely plays currently since Jokic handles a lot of the playmaking responsibilities. Can he lead the Nuggets all the way to the playoffs?

21. Detroit Pistons (21-27)

Last Month: 13

Andre Drummond is leading the league in rebounding at 16.3rpg and is the leading candidate to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award. That has not consistently translated to wins though for Detroit and they find themselves looking up at a number of teams for a chance at a 2nd consecutive playoff birth.

22. Phoenix Suns (21-27)

Last Month: 27

Should Phoenix tank again? They have a lot of young talent already but no one has taken a major leap yet and Devin Booker has seemed to regress after his promising rookie season. If the Suns do tank again though, expect to see them be really active at the trade deadline as they try to "give the youth more opportunities."

23. Sacramento Kings (21-28)

Last Month: 22

You can't help but laugh at the Kings situation because they are so inept at times. Rudy Gay made it as clear as possible that he wants to leave Sacramento after the season and started the season putting up career high numbers scoring wise only increasing his value. Instead of capitalizing on that though, Vlade and Vivek kept trying for that coveted 8th seed with Demarcus Cousins and now Rudy Gay is out for the season after tearing his acl. One has to wonder if they think now is the time to finally end the Cousins experiment and start over by truly bottoming out.

24. Los Angeles Lakers (21-30)

Last Month: 21

The Lakers started the season amazingly and gave everyone hopes of a return to the playoffs, and while it's still a possibility, they are currently on a 2-11 skid after starting 19-19. With D'Angelo Russell setting a few records with his scoring earlier in the season and the continued development of Brandon Ingram things aren't all bad in LA. This year was never about the playoffs anyhow. Question is though, how long before the front office decides to shut down the vets to try and get back into the top 3 of the lottery standings so they can keep their draft pick.

25. Miami Heat (20-29)

Last Month: 19

Miami has recovered from their awful start and look like another team in the mix for the 8 seed out east. Their chances took a blow last week though after losing Hassan Whiteside for 4-6 weeks with a broken wrist. It may be in their best interest to land a high draft pick though anyhow, so it isn't all bad.

26. Minnesota Timberwolves (18-30)

Last Month: 18

We all probably thought the Wolves would be better but even with the losing they are fun to watch. Karl Anthony Towns is a force to be reckoned with and it wasn't obvious until he missed the last month. In his place though, Zach LaVine and Andrew Wiggins took the scoring load upon their shoulders and kept Minnesota interesting. Get those guys some help and watch them begin their ascent to the top of the conference.

27. Philadelphia 76ers (17-30)

Last Month: 29

Ben Simmons finally made his NBA debut this month and looked to be all he was chalked up to be. He looks like a walking triple double threat and even in limited minutes to start his impact has already shown with the Sixers. Philadelphia has gone 6-4 since his return and Joel Embiid has averaged 21.4ppg vs the 15.7ppg he's averaged for the entire season.

28. Orlando Magic (17-33)

Last Month: 15

Orlando continues to struggle post Dwight with yet another coach and at some point one has to wonder where this rebuild is headed and are the right people in charge. Aaron Gordon on the other hand has shown he's clearly a PF but we'll continue to be marooned at the 3 thanks to Orlando's glut of big men.

29. Dallas Mavericks (12-36)

Last Month: 30

Dallas is really bad and I can't say I thought they'd only have 12 wins at this point. Harrison Barnes has been a bit of a disappointment with his increased role offensively and Dallas doesn't have much youth to talk about outside of him. Tanking is definitely on the horizon here in Dallas and I wouldn't want them to do anything else at this point if I'm a Mavs fan. It also doesn't help the projected top overall pick plays in Waco and looks like a definite franchise player moving forward, just what Dallas needs as Dirk gets ready to make his exit within the next few years.

30. Brooklyn Nets (11-37)

Last Month: 26

Welp. At least Nets fans got to enjoy a 2nd round exit that one year with KG and Paul Pierce...In what universe did they believe trading picks 5-6 years into the future were a good idea for 2 players who were well into their late 30's? I understand wanting to make a splash arriving in Brooklyn, but that was the worst possible splash they could make and boy oh boy is it biting them in the behind now. #ThanksBilly

[lakers24]

Featuring LeBryan Blackman

The University of Oregon has turned itself into a national powerhouse over the last decade in football, using it's connection to Phil Knight and Nike to its advantage. They have turned a Pac-12 afterthought into a team competing for conference championships year in and year out and are always in the hunt for the BCS Title, yet, their basketball program his slipped through the cracks of their newfound success. They have relatively new athletic facilities, have an attractive campus, and are always in the mix for recruits, yet they haven't really landed any big name guys. That was until this last season when they landed the #10 overall recruit, LeBryan Blackman.

Blackman, a native of Seattle,Washington decided to play further south instead of staying home and playing for the Huskies late in his senior season. "I was torn about it really," Blackman said of decision. "You have all your family here and you think of how cool it'd be to play with people you know and represent for Seattle, but sometimes you have to leave your comfort zone you know?"

In some ways, it may have been the best decision he could make as some would say he's in a better basketball situation at Oregon. The Ducks are competing for the Pac-12 championship this season with Arizona and look to have a legit shot. Blackman's decision to play for Oregon also helps them tremendously moving forward as they try to recruit prospects.

When asked whether he'd help the Ducks try and land prospects moving forward he said, "I'm gonna help in anyway I can to try and get guys to come here because it's a great city, great atmosphere, and it's beautiful man. We (have) great facilities to become world class athletes too and all you gotta do is want to put in the work."

Blackman is projected as a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft thanks to his all around game and athleticism. Whether he stays or goes is up for debate, one thing is for certain though, he has changed the game for Oregon. Maybe one day their basketball program will become what their football program is, a powerhouse.

[lakers24]

NBA All-Star Starters Announced
Marc Stein
ESPN.com
Feb 1, 2017

The starters for the 2017 NBA All-Star game were announced today by the league and there aren't any surprises. There's only one player starting that will be making his 1st all-star game appearance, and that is 'The Greek Freak' Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Though Giannis is making his 1st appearance, he isn't the only one starting for the 1st time. Former Kentucky Wildcats Demarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis will be making their first starts as will leading MVP candidate James Harden. Toronto Raptor DeMar DeRozan will be making his first start as well.

Other notable storylines include Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant playing together for the 1st time since Durant left OKC last summer. The game will also feature another throwback moment as the Thunder's former trio of James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook will all start together for the 1st time.

The rest of the starters are below:
EAST
LeBron James - 13th appearance
Giannis Antetokoumpo - 1st appearance
Paul George - 4th appearance
DeMar DeRozan - 4th appearance
John Wall - 4th appearance

WEST
Russell Westbrook - 6th appearance
James Harden - 5th appearance
Kevin Durant - 8th appearance
Anthony Davis - 4th appearance
Demarcus Cousins- 3rd appearance

[lakers24]

Lou Moore Chooses Duke

The 2nd overall prospect in the country announced today during halftime of a game between Duke and North Carolina that he will be attending Duke University this fall. Duke continues its excellent run of landing top tier freshmen landing the 2nd overall recruiting class for next season (Kentucky-1). Duke also signed Nigerian born bigman Kamil Sene (#18 overall), among others, a few months ago.

Moore, who is likely a one and done player, will follow in the footsteps of recent Duke players such as Brandon Ingram, Jahlil Okafor, Jabari Parker, & Kyrie Irving among others. "It's the perfect place for me man. Coach K...being apart of (Duke/UNC rivalry) is something special and I'm ready" Moore said after announcing his decision.

Duke is expected to be the frontrunner for the ACC title and one of the favorites for the national title next year along with Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina, and Michigan State.

The top overall recruit for 2017 Andre Dawkins is the last remaining player in the top 25 who hasn't yet declared. He is expected to announce his decision prior to the Nike Hoop Summit later this month.

[lakers24]

Hornets send Hibbert, Hawes to Bucks for Plumlee
Marc Stein
ESPN.com
Feb 1, 2017

In an unexpected move, the Charlotte Hornets completed a trade today that will send seldom used big men Spencer Hawes and Roy Hibbert to the Milwaukee Bucks for Miles Plumlee.

The Hornets signed Hibbert just last summer but used him sparingly after the 1st month of the season due to a glut of big men. Plumlee was just re-signed in the off-season, but Plumlee fell out of the rotation as Thon Maker has emerged as the 2nd backup big behind Greg Monroe. Wanting to get out from under the years of salary owed to him, the Bucks made the deal.

This opens the trading season for the year and with only 2 weeks before the deadline, expect a flurry of moves within a short span.

[lakers24]

This Is War
By John Schuhmann NBA.com
@johnschuhmann
Feb 1, 2017

I thought I had seen it all when it came to MVP races, but boy was I wrong. I don't think anyone has seen an MVP race like this before and the most amazing thing about it is how both Harden and Westbrook seem to try and one up each others performances the night after. We've seen a 53 point career high game by Harden to lead his team back from 23 down. We've seen Westbrook with several 40 point triple double games only to be followed by the same from Harden. It's ridiculous what these two are doing. The craziest thing is LeBron is quietly having an amazing season as well almost averaging a triple double and know one's even talking about it. Then there's John Wall who has the Wizards right on the Cavs' tails and Isaiah Thomas who has used his fourth quarter heroics and penchant for scoring to instill belief that Boston can take down Cleveland as well.

If it wasn't obvious already, this month is still headlined by James Harden and Russell Westbrook who both are having historical seasons:

1. James Harden - 29.4ppg, 7.6rpg, 6.6apg, 1.3spg, 52%, 42% 3pt, PER: 30.2

Team Record: (36-16)

The MVP is almost a lock to end up in H-Town if the Rockets stay this far ahead in the standings over the Thunder. With the way the Rockets are rolling right now, it's pretty much a guarantee at this point, still though, James is gonna have to do just a wee bit more to make his case rock solid so look forward to some more monster performances after All-Star weekend.

2. Russell Westbrook - 26.4ppg, 10.7rpg, 9.5apg, 1.7spg, 45.4%, 36% 3pt, PER: 29.5

Team Record: (26-23)

I still maintain that I think there should be Co-MVP's this year, but we all know there can only be one. With that said, get this man some help! Seriously, watching Russell lose his battle for the MVP solely because his teammates are letting him down is really unfortunate because he's having an absolutely remarkable year.

3. LeBron James - 21.4ppg, 9.8rpg, 8apg, 2.5spg, 53%, 34% 3pt, PER: 28.4

Team Record: (34-13)

Yes his scoring is down, and yes Cleveland isn't really steamrolling people like they were in November, but make no mistake that at any moment this guy can flip the switch. THAT is scary given he's averaging nearly a triple double on a team leading the East while coasting. Don't awaken the beast, you might not like what comes for you.

4. John Wall - 16.4ppg, 4.5rg, 9apg, 3spg, 47% fg, 37% 3pt, PER: 26.8

Team Record: (32-16)

Well look what we have here, a surprise in the top 5. Wall is the true definition of point guard in a league where few true ones exist. What he's done with the Wizards this season is nothing short of amazing and we can only expect it to continue. He might even climb this list by seasons end. Why? He's had 20+ point, 10+ assist games in 6 of his last 7 games, so he's trending up as the season is winding down.

5. Isaiah Thomas - 23.2ppg, 3.2rpg, 6.8apg, 45.5% fg, 38% 3pt, PER: 25.6

Team Record: (26-22)

Isaiah has seemingly turned himself into the clutchest player in the league. He's hit 4 gamewinners this season alone and is leading the league in 4th quarter scoring. The man gets buckets low no other and it's quite astonishing given this mans' stature. Let us not forget that it's not all about buckets. He's also helped the Celtics get back into the race for the 2nd seed as of late and if that continues, don't surprised if he's moving up this list as well.