For the Fans, By the Fans. Period.
16 teams started the quest for the Larry O’Brien trophy…
And there were 4 left standing,
Who will be crowned the 2013 NBA Champions?
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Tonight’s game is an elimination game for the bulls in one of the most physical series I have seen in a while since the Pacers Knicks rivalry back in the 90’s. This series from a betters standpoint has been very hard to judge because on any given night the heat can play lights out and Vegas knows this. Therefore, Vegas is tempting the dog better with a high spread. However, this is the Heat’s chance to bury the Bulls at home and I don’t see them letting off the gas in this one.Play:Miami -14
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Another elimination game on the slot tonight with a series lead of 3-1 in favor of Memphis. Memphis has flat out controlled this series through defense and utilizing on OKC mistakes. If OKC can limit turnovers tonight and utilize there home court advantage as we are accustomed to, I see Durant and co. giving everything they got in this one and covering the -4.Play:
OKC -4
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Two epic matchups in the Western Conference featuring the San Antonio Spurs versus the Golden State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies versus the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
2013 Regular Season Match-up
Memphis Grizzlies’ Locker Room
This Memphis team seemed to have overcome the departure of ex-star Rudy Gay, but with the arrival of Ed Davis and Tayshaun Prince they have improved their defensive mentality. They lost by a mere two points in Oklahoma City where the Thunder have thrived all season. Kevin Martin is a good sixth man but he doesn’t have the takeover mentality that James Harden has and the Thunder are missing it big time. The Grizzlies are first in points allowed at 89.3 points per game during the regular season and having beat the LA Clippers in six has given them great momentum coming into this series. They ran into a bit of emotion in game one against the Thunder. But look for the Grizzlies to lock in their defense and maybe surprise the Thunder.
Oklahoma City Thunder Locker Room
Take one game at a time, this Thunder team just isn’t dominating as they use to be anymore. Losing James Harden to Houston and now losing Russell Westbrook to injury, they miss a potential 50 points and 15 assists per game. The Thunder ESCAPED Sunday by a mere two points against the Grizzlies. Without Westbrook to pressure Mike Conley, Conley is able to distribute the ball equally and create plays off the ball. This Thunder team averages 105.7 points per game this season and are 34-7 at home. To make this series in their favor, they need to win all their home games. If the Grizzlies manage to steal one in OKC, Kevin Durant will have an early exit this season.
Final Predictions
I think this Memphis Grizzlies defense is better than people give them credit for. Defense wins playoff games in the NBA
Memphis Grizzlies in 6
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Golden State Warriors Vs San Antonio Spurs
2013 Regular Season Match-up
Golden State Warriors’ Locker Room
Epic game in the opener as the Warriors blew a huge lead in the final four minutes when the Spurs went on 18-2 run and took the Spurs to double overtime. Manu Ginobili hit a trey to seal the game with 1.4 seconds left. The Warriors rank third in the NBA with 45 rebounds per game during the regular season and without David Lee they still out-rebounded the front court of Matt Bonner, Tim Duncan, Tiago Splitter and Boris Diaw. But during the final moments in game one, experience showed to be the difference when the Spurs locked down on defense and shut down the Warriors, causing them to turn the ball over. If the Warriors want to have a shot in winning, they need to play defense because the Spurs are not going to come out in game two like they did in game one.
San Antonio Spurs’ Locker Room
GINOBILI!!!!!! The former sixth man of the year hit a game winning 3 with 1.4 seconds left allowing the Spurs to take game one at home. Averaging 25.1 assists per game ranking, which topped the NBA during the regular season, the Spurs showed why experience and teamwork plays a great part in winning playoff games. The big three in Ginobili, Duncan and Parker all showed up to play. Don’t expect any more game one come-from-behind wins from the Spurs, they were helped by Warriors inexperience. The Spurs are 35-6 at home this season and so far are undefeated in the playoffs, they are going to have to shut down the dynamic backcourt of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson who combined for 63 points. Defense is the key.
Final Predictions
I see the Warriors stealing a game or two in San Antonio but the Spurs are just as good enough to steal a couple on the road. Look for every game to be exciting, and it’s going to be a great series.
Spurs in 7
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It had been talked about too much amongst NBA announcers and your friends. Whenever people keep bringing something up, things always seemed to get jinxed. But this streak wouldn’t end. With 394 straight regular season games played, 45 playoff games, and inhuman athleticism, Russell Westbrook’s streak seemed it could go on forever. The guy hasn’t missed a game since high school but will sit out indefinitely, 2 games up on the Rockets, in the first round of the 2013 Playoffs. After losing to the Heat in last year’s Finals, Westbrook will not be lining up against them again this season. I’d be willing to bet everything that Westbrook would rather have lost his streak months ago then have it taken away from him now.
The news that Russell Westbrook will undergo surgery to have his meniscus repaired is as bad for the NBA and Thunder as Westbrook’s fashion. Westbrook is a top 10 player in the NBA and arguably the best point guard. Westbrook’s speed, athleticism, and skill set force opposing to teams to focus on him and attempt to contain him. Patrick Beverly hit the superhuman point guard with some kryptonite in Game 2 of the series tearing his lateral meniscus. The injury leaves Thunder fans wishing that Westbrook’s punch on the scorer’s table after the injury had gone into Beverly’s face, and hoping that the Thunder can somehow persevere.
Westbrook averaged 7.4 assists, 23.2 points, 1.8 steals, and 5.2 rebounds per game. The Thunder will miss every single one of those statistics. There’s no James Harden to take over the point anymore, Eric Maynor was traded to save a few dollars, so Reggie Jackson will now be lining up in Westbrook’s slot. And if you’re saying the Thunder are stupid for making those moves months ago- shut up now. Shoulda, woulda, and coulda don’t win championships and the Thunder secured the number 1 seed in the West just fine. Bad luck got them in this situation, not bad management. Let’s not kid ourselves though, the team won’t rely on Reggie Jackson or need him to play at Westbrook’s level. We have no idea how the Thunder will play without Russell Westbrook because it hasn’t happened in 5 seasons. We do know that Kevin Durant will have to raise his game to a new level to keep his team alive. The scariest thing is that he’s entirely capable.
If you doubt that the Thunder can make it back to the NBA Finals, you are seriously underestimating Kevin Durant. While Durant may not be the best player in the NBA, he’s the second best basketball player on the planet. In case you forgot, Durant just became the youngest player to join the 50-40-90 Fraternity. He shot 51% from the field, 41% from three and 90% from the free throw line. I don’t know of a much harder pledge process than needing those numbers. A pregnant Kim Kardashian has a better chance of getting in her old jeans than someone does of getting into the 50-40-90 club. So, if you give Durant 10-12 more shots a game at his scary efficiency, its not unlikely for him to average 40 points a game. Durant’s 4.6 assists per game alongside only 3.5 turnovers per game prove he knows how to handle the ball. The team will miss Westbrook, but Durant and company can still get to the Finals. If the Durant and D-Wade Gatorade commercial is true, Durant’s going to give everything he has to get back into the Finals. It won’t be easy for them, but it’s not impossible. The Thunder may be down right now, but they aren’t out.
While the Thunder took a major hit in the defense of their western conference crown, the rest of the Western teams chances to make it to the Finals greatly improved. The Thunder entered the playoffs as the favorites to come out of the west, but Westbrook’s injury has evened up the race. The San Antonio Spurs are rolling over the Lakers behind a Tim Duncan who’s proving himself as the best power forward of all time. If anyone can be considered the new favorites it has to be them. The Warriors and Nuggets are lighting the scoreboard, despite both teams having suffered massive injuries themselves (Danillo Gallinari and David Lee). The winner of the Clippers-Grizzlies series (who would play the Thunder if they go on to win next round) suddenly seems like a contender to take the west. Everything is up the air and an argument can be made for every team- besides the Lakers and Rockets. At the beginning of the NBA season it seemed destined to end with the Lakers, Thunder, or Heat as champions. The Lakers are all but done, the Thunder have fallen into the pack, and only the Heat remain the favorites. If Westbrook’s injury has shown us anything, don’t count your chips before their cashed. Everything can change on any given play.
Almost a week after the passing of the NBA trade deadline, fans are beginning to get a clear picture of what their teams will look like down the stretch. Although this year’s trade season didn’t feature as many big names changing hands as years past (the biggest trade happened 3 weeks ago), there were several deals done that should impact the race to the playoffs over the final two months.
Memphis Grizzlies
Grizz fans should have been on alert when the team shipped big man Marreese Speights, a key player off their bench, to Cleveland along with guards Wayne Ellington and Josh Selby plus a future first round pick in exchange for Jon Leuer in an obvious salary dump move.
Leuer has been up and down between the NBA and the D-League this season and only appeared in 9 games for Cleveland prior to the trade on January 22. Since the trade, Speights is averaging over 12 points and 6 rebounds per game for the Cavs. Ellington, the primary backup at shooting guard for the Grizzlies who even started 4 games before the trade, is now averaging nearly 10 points per game since the deal to Cleveland.
Eight days later, Memphis dropped the real bombshell and traded leading scorer Rudy Gay and Iranian center Hamed Haddadi to Toronto for forwards Ed Davis, Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye as part of a 3 team deal with the Detroit that sent Jose Calderon to the Pistons.
Once again, money was the clear motivation for this deal. The luxury tax penalties beginning after this season are absolutely brutal even for billionaire owners, so it’s hard to blame Memphis ownership. On the court, Prince is still a solid perimeter defender in his 11th season in the league and on a given night can pitch in double-figures scoring, he’s no Rudy Gay. Gay has been the leader the Raptors needed since his arrival increasing his scoring average (20.1 ppg with Toronto, 17.2 with Memphis), hitting a few game-winning shots and changing the entire vibe around Toronto leading them to a 7-4 record in their first 11 games.
In the short-term, Memphis GM Chris Wallace’s moves appear to be paying off. They are 9-3 since the Gay trade and had an impressive 8 game winning streak. Although they gave up a lot, what the Grizzlies got in return with the acquisition of Prince is much-needed championship experience as well as financial flexibility for the future to keep some of their other core players around. Teams like the Clippers and Thunder may get more attention, but watch out for the Grizzlies as the playoffs draw closer. The combination of Gasol and Randolph will give teams trouble, especially in the playoffs when the game slows down. That’s also when defensive specialists like Prince and Tony Allen will prove to be important if they hope to get past Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics did make a move at the deadline and traded away an injured guard, and it was not Rajon Rondo as some speculated. In a deal that largely went under the radar, the Celtics acquired guard Jordan Crawford from the Wizards for veteran center Jason Collins and guard Leandro Barbosa, who is out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL. Crawford’s minutes declined after the return of John Wall, even though he was averaging around 13 points per game this season primarily as a reserve (though he had also started 12 games). There has never been any doubt about Crawford’s ability as a scorer; it’s his attitude that drove him out of Washington. A change of scenery can be good for players like Crawford, especially when they are put on a contending team with a coach like Doc Rivers and veteran leadership like Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. Although he has been hot and cold since the trade (10 points in his first game, 2 total in the 2 since), look for Crawford to be an important contributor off the Celtics’ bench for the remainder of the season. He has the potential to provide the scoring spark they desperately need in their second unit, scoring over 20 points in a game 12 times this season. If he can keep his head screwed on straight, this may turn out to be one of the best deals of the season.
Milwaukee Bucks
You know it was a boring trade deadline when J.J. Redick was the biggest name traded. The Bucks acquired Redick from the Magic along with center Gustavo Ayon and guard Ish Smith in exchange for veteran backup point guard Beno Udrih, rookie guard Doron Lamb, and forward Tobias Harris. In other words, they were able to get a good shooter while giving up virtually nothing significant.
Before you write this off as ho-hum trade for a spot-up shooter and decent defender, think about how the Bucks are built and it will make a lot more sense. The addition of Redick allows the Bucks more freedom for their best players to do what they do best: attack the basket. Redick scored 16 points in his first game for them, but they won’t need him to do that every night. His presence spreads the floor for Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis to create and get to the rim. When they put in Redick for Luc Mbah a Moute, Milwaukee will have him and stretch-power forward Ersan Ilyasova on the wings, with either Larry Sanders or Samuel Dalembert patrolling the paint and screening for Jennings and Ellis.
This trade gives Milwaukee an additional piece that fits into their system well as they fight for a playoff spot in the East, currently 8th and 4 games ahead of Philadelphia.
Houston Rockets
Give the Rockets credit; they have been one of the most active teams in the trade and free agent markets throughout the last year as they continue to become more relevant in the loaded Western Conference, and have always found a way to add helpful pieces to their roster. On deadline day they traded starting forward Patrick Patterson, center Cole Aldrich, and guard Toney Douglas to the Kings for top-5 pick Thomas Robinson, guard/forward Francisco Garcia, and forward Tyler Honeycutt, then traded Patterson’s backup Marcus Morris to the Suns for a 2nd round pick. Houston currently sits a half game behind Utah for the 7th spot, and holds a 2.5 game lead over the Lakers for the final playoff spot.
If you haven’t seen the Rockets play much this year (or read any headlines recently about their record-setting nights), their offense is built around shooting 3s and driving to the basket/getting to the free throw line. Omer Asik is arguably the best screen-setter in basketball and James Harden gets to the rim and finishes as well as anyone not named LeBron James, with Chandler Parsons almost deadly when left open. Patterson and Morris had both evolved into respectable outside shooters, whereas Robinson is strictly an inside player, so how does this trade help them? Robinson’s role is yet to be determined, and Garcia is another solid perimeter player joining the likes of Parsons and Carlos Delfino in their rotation. Moving Patterson and Morris opens the door for Donatas Motiejunas, another stretch forward who loves to shoot the rock like most European forwards.
Most importantly, the move allows the Rockets continued payroll flexibility in the future. Their management has made no secret about their desire to bring in another superstar or two to team up with Harden, and this deal gives them the cap space to either sign another max-contract player or pull off another blockbuster trade without having to worry about money. Needless to say, the Rockets are in an enviable position to be in a “building” mode while contending for a playoff spot.
Closing Forecast/Bold Predictions
With a little less than two months left in the season, plenty is left to be decided in the Eastern and Western Conference playoff races, with the only sure thing at this point barring an injury or a massive conspiracy being LeBron James taking home another NBA Most Valuable Player award.
Eastern Conference
After a slow start, Miami has proven they are easily the best team in the East and should coast to the number 1 seed come playoff time. If Chicago gets Derrick Rose back in the next month, look for them to slide up as high as the 4 seed (if they don’t get him back, they are no better than the 6 seed), with the Pacers holding strong to the number 2 seed following Danny Granger’s return from injury. Deron Williams will remember how to take over and lead the Nets to the 3 seed, with the Knicks sliding to the 5 spot. Atlanta lacks firepower in the backcourt and will fall to the 6 seed, with Boston holding on to the 7 spot despite their injury plagued season. Milwaukee will squeak in as the 8, and promptly get swept by the Heat in the first round. Even if the Sixers get Andrew Bynum back, he won’t be enough to carry them ahead of the Bucks, and Rudy Gay has the Raptors playing better but still not quite at a playoff level.
Western Conference
Somehow Greg Popovich and the Spurs manage to pull it all together year after year when the world tries to count them out, and there’s no reason for it to stop now. The top 4 seeds in the West appear to be set with the Spurs, Thunder, Clippers and Grizzlies in that order. The question everyone is asking is whether or not the Lakers will make the playoffs. The answer is yes, as the 7 seed, with Utah falling out of the picture by season’s end. The Warriors have been surprising under Mark Jackson, and with the return of a healthy Andrew Bogut they could overtake the Nuggets for the 5 seed. Houston will round out the playoffs as the 8, and don’t be surprised if James Harden carries them to a couple wins in a series against the Spurs.
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David Oleson
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