LeBron is Back

Cleveland is back in the NBA Finals. The team, and especially the city, have struggled for so many years, and now here is another shot. The Cavaliers are four wins away from a championship trophy for the city. It is all thanks to LeBron James. He has once again carried a team to the finals. Each of the past three seasons LeBron has been on teams that on paper seem to be elite. However, by the end of the season it ends up being LeBron against the world.
It is true that the eastern conference is weak, and that the run has been not the most difficult, but the two teams the Cavs just beat were no jokes. Both Chicago and Atlanta were very good teams, who I believe under performed. Everyone is saying Cleveland had it easy, but I think Chicago should have beat them. I also believe Atlanta should have won at least two games in this series. That being said Cleveland may not be ready for whats up next. Not the Rockets. The Golden State Warriors will provide a different challenge. Both an offense and a defense that Cleveland has not yet seen, and an individual that no one in the east can compare to: Stephen Curry.
Cleveland has great reason to be excited about the finals, but they should not be too optimistic. The Cavaliers will need an all-time great performance from LeBron James. He will be required to not only put up the same statistics he put up against Atlanta, but also do it more efficiently, and start hitting some jump shots. This next finals will be similar to last years. LeBron will need to be all-worldly for the team to have a shot. He was not last year and the Spurs crushed him. If I'm a Cavs fan I'm worried about the upcoming series.

Is Memphis Already Done?

Golden State did what I thought they would, and won by double digits in game four. The Warriors are now tied up in this series, with a game on their home court tonight. Memphis played so well in their back to back wins in this series, but I have a lot of doubt going forward for them. Like many of these second round series, it seems the Grizzlies blew their chance at the series as the underdog. Both Chicago, Memphis and Washington all hosted game fours on their home court. All were up two games to one, and all lost. Most now believe that Cleveland, Golden State and Atlanta respectively, will go on to win the series'. Cleveland took a big step with a game five win at home last night, and Golden State will look to do the same tonight.
On of the main reasons the Warriors were able to pick up the play on Monday night, was the improved play of Stephen Curry. Everyone knew he was not going to go 2-10 or 2-11 from three again, but he also stepped up his leadership. Curry did not attempt a shot in the first eight minutes of game four. He let the game come to him and then proceeded to tear apart the Grizzlies defense scoring 33 points. Curry did it all. He played his game. In game five he must do exactly the same. Not necessarily score 33 points again, but have that same bounce to his step and confident play that has made him so good all season. The energy he has is infectious for this Warriors team, and with the home crowd there to support tonight, Memphis could be in for a long one.
Now, I don't exactly agree with the notion that Memphis is done for good after game four, but its close. If the Grizzlies want a shot they better show up tonight. The team will need something to take back home with them even if they lose this game. I can see Memphis forcing a game seven, and everyone always says anything can happen in a game seven, but come on. More often than not the home team wins a game seven, even if the game is competitive. Especially with the home crowd the bay area has been able to produce all year, I'm picking them in seven.
The Grizzlies could still win this series, but it will have to start tonight. I'm afraid I just can't see them winning these next two games.

What a Shot

LeBron James has just evened up the second round series with the Chicago Bulls with an amazing shot at the buzzer. James game winner not only ties up the series, but it also gives Cleveland hope for this season. LeBron's chance of getting Cleveland its first championship is still alive this season. To all who "witnessed" the shot could probably have seen it coming. James was given the entire side of the court to step back catch and shoot a fade away shot in the corner. To most a very difficult shot. Not that it was not, but James is one of the few ever to make it look so easy. Game five should be a treat.

LeBron Time

This is a defining moment for LeBron James and his second stint in Cleveland. A game four on the road. Trailing the Chicago Bulls two games to one. This is also a big game for Kyrie Irving. We have seen James come through in these situations so many times before, but will he be able to do it again with an undermanned squad. The Bulls may not have Pau Gasol this afternoon which would be a huge break for the Cavs. Even if he is absent, the pressure will still be on James to put on one of those vintage LeBron performances. Chicago has to be careful for this reason. The mindset has to be the same as it was in game three if they want a chance at winning this game. You know that LeBron will do whatever it takes. I think it's inevitable that the Cavaliers will tie up the series today and it will be because of LeBron James. The Cavs will win today 100-93 with LeBron going for an easy 30 and many rebounds and assists to go with it.

What the Rose Shot Means

Last night many witnessed the greatest playoff moment to date for Derrick Rose. In a tie game after a game-tying three from J.R. Smith, Rose stepped back from way downtown and banked in a shot at the buzzer to give Chicago a two games to one lead in this second round series. 99-96 was the final, and it ended any talk of a statistic being thrown around a lot this week. The Bulls twice in the past four years have won game one against a LeBron James led team in the playoffs, and both times went on to lose the next four and the series. That won't be happening this year, as Chicago has taken control of the series with a game four on tap for Sunday afternoon.
So far in the series Rose has not shot the ball particularly well, but in the teams two wins he has been very aggressive and created a lot of scoring opportunities for both himself and his teammates. If the game last night had gone to an overtime I would've put my money on LeBron James and Kyrie Irving to close it out after forcing an extra period. However, Rose's shot shows both the city of Chicago and the rest of the league that this team is for real. A team that many picked to make it to the Finals at the beginning of the season has caught an undermanned Cleveland Cavaliers squad. They have four games to win two more, let's see what happens. I'm starting to think that Rose may have opened the door to the rest of the eastern conference, not just this year but for years to come.

Monday Night Game Two's

Day three of the NBA playoffs provides a couple of game two match-ups, with the home teams both looking to take commanding 2-0 leads. The first game is in Chicago, where the Bulls host the Bucks, and will look for their point guard to replicate his game one performance. Derrick Rose had 23 points and 7 assists in his first playoff game since 2012, and even more impressively attacked the basket with no fear. Rose was also able to knock down three shots from downtown, and was getting great lift on his jump shot, and good arc. Rose's three point shot has looked flat all year, almost like a line drive, but on Saturday night, Rose's stroke looked great. Jimmy Butler had a great game as well, scoring 25 points and dishing out six assists. It was great to see him have a strong game, because this is his first playoff game since becoming more of a scorer this season. The Bucks will have to shut down Chicago tonight if they want a chacne at stealing a game on the road. Giannis Antetokounmpo will have a stronger night offensively, I wouldn't be surprised if he goes for 20 points tonight after scoring 12 in game 1.
The second game of the night will be a game 2 in Oracle Arena, where the crowd apparently was so loud on Saturday afternoon that Pelicans coach Monty Williams challenged whether or not it was "legal". Sounds like someone is searching for an excuse to help his team out, but I don't think he'll get what he wants. The best crowd in the NBA will be at it again tonight, and I have a feeling they will cheering non-stop in game two. Stephen Curry and the Warriors were in control much of game one, despite Anthony Davis making it interesting down the stretch. I don't think Golden State will allow the Pelicans to score as much in the second half as they did on Saturday, and will win comfortably to take a 2-0 lead to New Orleans.

Don't Forget About Chicago

The Chicago Bulls have been relatively quiet since the injury to Derrick Rose, and then Jimmy Butler. Chicago is still in the three seed in the east, three games back of the Cleveland Cavaliers, but with Jimmy Butler back and the potential for a Rose return (how many times have we said that?), the Bulls could have a shot come playoff time. The team is still great defensively and probably the most talented team coach Tom Thibodeau has had since he took over the team. This team could really give both Atlanta and Cleveland a run for their money in the playoffs, even if Rose is not at the top of his game. Jimmy Butler, Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic are enough offense for the Bulls to be a real threat to win the east this spring.

NBA Predictions Part IV

This years most improved player should be Jimmy Butler. It sure is tough this year with so many great players making such great strides in their respective games. Players like John Wall and Klay Thompson who were already established players have stepped up their games so much that they should too receive consideration. Butler's improvement has been so great, that he gets the nod for me. He went from a 13ppg 5rpg and 2apg guy, to a 20ppg 6rpg and 3apg guy in just one year. Not only are those numbers up but his shooting percentage has improved as well. Butler went from 40% from the field to 46%, and from 28% from three to now 35%. Butler also plays some of the most minutes in the league, and plays tenacious defense every night. His responsibility on offense is another reason he should get the award. Even before Derrick Rose went down with another knee injury, Butler had become a go to guy for Chicago. A player that they can rely on for big time plays in big time moments.

Where are the Best Teams in the NBA?

Here we are, around the mid-way point of the NBA season, and still waiting for some of the premier teams in the league to get going. The list of these teams is relatively short for me. Two teams in the east and two in the west. First are the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team just recently got LeBron James back from injury, and are waiting for Iman Shumpert to come back from an injury. A win last night against the Chicago Bulls could get this team going on a run. The Bulls are the other team in the east that I find myself waiting for. Chicago is doing better than Cleveland, but in the last two weeks has been struggling. Right now sitting in the fourth seed, the team would like to finish with the one or two seed, but being healthy come playoff time is most important. 

In the west the two obvious teams are the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder are still currently out of the playoffs, while the Spurs have just not been as dominant, sitting in the seventh spot. While the Thunder need to simply focus on even making the playoffs, each of these teams need to step their games up. The only team with a free pass is probably the Spurs. Just because of the teams recent history, and the fact that home court advantage does not really matter to the team. Going forward, even if it is just for my personal enjoyment, I hope these teams begin to play as well as they are capable.

Cavs Moves

The Cleveland Cavaliers made a few moves this past week in an attempt to improve their current roster. This resulted in acquiring a couple of shooting guards (Iman Shumpert and JR Smith), as well as center Timofy Mozgov. These moves immediately improve the Cavs roster, but I'm not so sure this makes them anymore of a contender. Hard to tell until LeBron comes back from injury, but I can't see this team making it to the NBA Finals right now. I would like the Cavs chances in a matchup against the Raptors or Hawks, but I could not see them beating the Bulls or the Wizards in the playoffs. Shumpert will help out the perimeter defense and will bring some athleticism to the backcourt. Smith should be exactly what he's always been, and thats a streaky shooter who can win a game here and there because of his great scoring ability. Mozgov is a huge upgrade at center after Varajao went down with injury. So, we will see how these moves end up playing out. I expect the team to improve and start winning more games, but when LeBron comes back.

Should the Lakers/Knicks Trade Kobe/Melo?

Not that any team would like the contract they would be picking up, but it is something to think about. Both teams are headed nowhere fast. The Knicks became the first team to 20 losses this season, and the Lakers have no hope in a loaded western conference (not to mention the team just stinks). Now I don't ever see Kobe going anywhere, and I think he wants to stay so that he can say he stayed in one place his whole career. Carmelo, however, would be very interesting. I think I'm not alone in saying I really wanted to see him go to Chicago this past summer. I do not think that is a possibility in regards to a potential trade, but if the two teams could figure it out it would be great for both Anthony and the Bulls. With Houston having such a good season thus far, maybe they would make a move to get Melo. I guess my point is that Carmelo is too good of an NBA player to spend the prime of his career on such a poor team. Who knows? The way it seems LeBron is losing a step physically, may be happening to Melo as well. The difference is James has Love and Kyrie, while Melo has an aging Stoudemire and Jose Calderon...

Besides San Antonio Who Are the Title Contenders in the NBA?

While it is still just 10 games into the season for most NBA teams, last nights Spurs-Cavs game was an early season signature game. San Antonio, of course, is coming off a season in which they led the league in wins and went on to win the championship. That championship run concluded by dispatching the then LeBron James-led Miami Heat. Cleveland, however, is a team yet to find itself. It of course has a star studded cast led by the return of LeBron, and the all-star play of both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.

These two teams played an exciting game resulting in a close 92-90 Spurs win. The Spurs are still contenders to win the title, and should still be favorites. The rest of the league is sort of up for grabs at this point. Cleveland should definitely be in the discussion in the east, but the lack of a defense is concerning. You would be a fool to pick that defense against any Western conference opponent. Chicago is in a similar position as Cleveland, but for a completely different reason.

The Bulls have a great defense. Since Tom Thibodeau took over as head coach that has been the case. The concern in Chicago is the uncertainty of Derrick Rose's health. While he has played well, he has not been on the court enough. He has not suffered another terrible injury, but has missed plenty of time with nagging injuries. How much will that effect a potential deep playoff run? Will he need to sit a game in the Eastern conference finals?

The rest of the east consists of a couple more very good teams in the Raptors and the Wizards. However, I am not ready to call those two true title contenders.

The West is tricky. Houston has gotten off to such a great start, but I still find it difficult to see a team with only James Harden as a true dynamic offense threat as a contender. Houston's offense is potent when they are hitting the three ball, but at the end of games Harden is the only player they can go to. Memphis is a little higher on my list, because of the elite defense and post play. Mike Conley is still an underrated point guard in the loaded west.

Golden State has replaced Oklahoma City for now as that potentially great contender in the west. The star power of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson in backcourt, along with an elite front line of Bougt and the return of David Lee. The bench play is also elite. Led by players like Barnes, Iguodala, Livingston, Barbosa and Green. Now if Westbrook and Durant are able to return to top 5 form and lead the Thunder to the playoffs, the conference could be in for a huge shakeup.

Dallas, Portland and the Clippers round out the conference contenders, but as far as NBA title goes there is still much room for improvement. Mostly on the defensive end.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that both conferences (especially the west) are wide open. No one should be doubting the Spurs at this point of the season though. This could be the last season for both Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, and what better way to end their careers than with another championship. If I had to put money on it today, it would be on the Spurs.