NBA Superlatives

It's March ladies and gentlemen. I'm not entirely sure where the year went (or the NBA season for that matter) but the NBA Playoffs start in 35 days. It's been a season full of amazing highlights, classic games and of course, being this time of year, heated debates about who deserves what award for their performances this season. Declaring your MVP pick has become as controversial as arguing your religion or explaining why you didn't vote for Obama in the last election. For some reason this season, these conversations are imbued with more passion than I have seen in the last few years. I haven't seen arguments or such different hot takes since people picking between no. 23 and no. 24 in 2009.

And honestly, I feel that speaks volumes about the performances that have been put on this year by several players each trying to build their case for their brand, their team and to compete for an NBA Championship. In the last few weeks I've listened to a few podcasts, read some articles and had some conversations about these awards and it's been intriguing to me just how different the opinions have been. Everyone is so invested in their picks and I love it. So I woke up today and decided to list my choices and also to shed some light on some deserving players whose achievements this season aren't immediately recognizable to the casual NBA fan. 

Most Improved Player

Honorable Mentions: Draymond Green, Rudy Gobert, Hassan Whiteside.

I didn't think this is close but damn injuries. If he doesn't win it it's because of the games he would have missed by the time he comes back from his injury, but Jimmy Butler came in this season and wrecked shop. I'm really sitting here eating a plate full of crow. 

I denounced Jimmy Butler as an offensive player back in October and felt it was disrespectful that Bulls fans affectionately referred to him as "Jimmy Buckets" like we didn't have the pleasure of watching legends like Ricky Davis on the court. Like we hadn't all watched the same guy play the last two seasons. He couldn't shoot. But this season *cough*(excuse me. *spits out feathers*) *cough* he has easily been the best player for the Chicago Bulls. If you'd told me last year that he was going to be an All-Star I'd have asked how many people really got injured that year and how did the Bulls avoid the bug. He became Coach Thibs new workhorse after the other ones broke down (cheap shot. Sorry, not sorry) and handled the role impressively and without any visible complaints. His stats speak for themselves honestly (per Basketball Reference):

He upped his FG% from 39.7% to 46.2%. He was more aggressive going to the basket which increased his free throw attempts. He's a better rebounder. His points per game increased from 13.1 to 20.2. His ball-handling got significantly better.  And he's still playing elite defense. Now I really like the idea of Draymond Green winning it too because he's been spectacular (I'll get to him next) but for Jimmy, in a season that was supposed to be hallmarked with the re-return of Derrick Rose? And the addition of Pau Gasol? And he's still been the best player on the team? Come on man. Get well soon Jimmy Buckets.

6th Man of the Year

Honorable Mentions: Rudy Gobert, Lou Williams.

It almost feels like you have to give this award to Jamal Crawford by default right? His stats have dipped a little but he's still important to the Clippers mainly because the rest of their bench is trash. Nonetheless he's still been fairly impressive and his contribution is still a big boost to his team. However, I'd like to shed some light on a guy named Marreese Speights. 

Mo is averaging a career high 11 points per game with a FG% of 49.7%. He's playing more minutes under Steve Kerr and is a big part of Golden State's success with their second unit. His mid-range game is good. He's a contributor on defense. And he's been asked to step in to save the day during the stretches that the Warriors were without Andrew Bogut. It's a tossup between him and Jamal.

Coach of the Year

Honorable Mentions: Frank Vogel, Jason Kidd

Nothing to see here. It's between Mike Budenholzer (who I wrote about in my preseason rankings) and Steve Kerr. Both their teams are playing at elite levels and their fingerprints are all over it. Kerr has not only been able to bring the absolute best out of the Warriors; they've found that high gear. They look focused. They have the best offense and defense in the NBA. And he's a pretty funny guy.

On the other hand, Coach Bud is a magician. He took that Hawks team that has reveled in mediocrity for so many seasons and has been the laughingstock of both winning and losing teams and turned them into legit contenders. They took the Pacers to 7 games last year with all those injuries and I believe that was all Mike's doing.The play-making opens up their shooters. The team defense eliminates their weaknesses individually. It's between those two coaches. Move along.

Rookie of the Year

Honorable Mentions: Nikola Mirotic, Elfrid Payton

Winner: Andrew Wiggins. Move along.

Defensive Player of the Year

Honorable Mentions: Tim Duncan, Rudy Gobert, Kawhi Leonard, DeAndre Jordan, Marc Gasol etc. 

There are a lot of names that can be thrown in here. I think this category is a lot more convoluted than the MVP race. I will listen to any case. Except the one presented for DeAndre Jordan. I mentioned him because I love the improvement to his game this year but to give him DPOY, especially when his team isn't that good defensively seems like a stretch. Even if he's capable of doing stuff like this.

He plays more minutes than any big in the NBA and they're still not a good defensive team. Yeah he's averaging 2.2 blocks per game this season (very impressive) but I don't think that makes him a good rim protector. Tom Haberstroh of ESPN illustrated it pretty well. Opposing players shoot 49% at the rim when DeAndre Jordan is near the basket. That ranks 31st out of 59 big men. Bottom-half of the league in rim protection. Nah. Not when Rudy is out there and guys are shooting 39% at the rim. DJ isn't even the average. 

I digress. There are actually a lot of DPOY candidates out there. My personal favorite would have been Kawhi Leonard, if he hadn't missed so many games. What he's able to do against opposing ball-handlers is stifling. Just plain suffocating. 

However, I said this name back in December and I'm glad it's starting to catch on finally. Draymond Green is out there and he's been awesome this season.

 My friends think I'm crazy with this pick, but I feel like people aren't really paying attention to what this kid is capable of or his contributions to a Warriors defense that has top two interchangeably even without Andrew Bogut for long stretches. For a team that has been knocked out of the playoffs the last few seasons with the narrative being "they lost too much on defense because Bogut couldn't stay healthy", it hasn't made much of a difference this year and I believe that is all due to Draymond's defensive versatility. This kid guards positions 1-5 at a high level.

 Don't get me wrong though, there is something to be said for team defense and his teammates contribute to his overall effectiveness but regardless he's a weapon. He's a good rim protector, he's got active, strong hands, he can block shots, but most importantly he can switch on to any position which is important in today's game. He's my pick in a strongly contested race.

Most Valuable Player

Honorable Mention: Anthony Davis

I'm copping out of this one. Nope. Not picking anybody. My mind has changed on it several times in the last month and to pick one now would be a disservice to both players in the lead of the race, the best player in the world, AND the freak of nature catching up to them. The MVP race is all about the narrative. It helps build your argument. 

Lebron James is having a phenomenal season. In related news, water is wet. I barely remember a time he didn't force his way into an MVP discussion with his disgusting (I mean that in a good way) stats. I read about "voter's fatigue" concerning Lebron and it's true. I think eventually people just get tired of seeing him around and want something different. He's averaging 26 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds a game. He's still the best player in the world. The Cavaliers have been on a roll since he came back from his "injury" and he's been playing at an amazing level since then. The only thing that pushes him out of the race for me was that time missed. As Jalen Rose says "there's a difference between being hurt and being injured". Lebron could have played those weeks. But he didn't. Yes it's important to have the bigger picture in mind and be ready/healthy for the playoffs (and he needed to organize the two trades that brought them Mozgov, Shumpert and JR Smith) but he missed 11 games during that time. James Harden and Stephen Curry have been there for their teams all season. Westbrook in his own way too. Either way. Lebron is having an amazing year, but I just feel that the other three are currently pushing him out of the conversation. 

The race has been tight from jump. James Harden and Stephen Curry leaving other players in the dust. Both players have been out of their minds this season. Harden is a force of nature that needs to be reckoned with on a basketball court. He's too fast and too strong. Able to finish at the basket at will or draw the foul. His footwork in traffic is amazing. He's a cold-blooded killer with amazing handles leaving opposing defenders on their knees or backsides while he drains jumpers in their face.

And his defense has improved greatly (granted this isn't saying much considering where it was last season but STILL!) However, Harden's strongest case is the help that he has around him, or lack thereof. There's no other star on the team. He's done this in large part without Dwight Howard. He was the NBA's leading scorer up until last week. And his team is in the 3rd seed of the Western Conference. IF YOU HAD TOLD ME THAT THE ROCKETS WOULD BE IN THE 3RD SEED WITHOUT DWIGHT HOWARD, I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU TO STOP SMOKING CRACK! Yes that's how serious Harden's MVP case is. 

Then there's that kid. The Chef. Stephen Curry. One of the best shooters in NBA history. Off the dribble, in traffic, hand in his face and he's still drilling threes over your best defender from 8 feet behind the 3-point line. Curry gives opposing coaches headaches. Nightmares too with moves like this.

He's the best player on the best team in the NBA. That has to mean something right? 24 points and 8 assists doesn't really sound all that but it's the way he achieves it that makes him a problem for other teams. And it all happens in the 33 minutes per game that he's averaging this season. That's a lot for the amount of time he plays. However, he's dropping back a little. He's been fairly quiet in his last few games while Harden dropped a triple double.  But you have to acknowledge a guy that's still capable of things like this:

Speaking of triple doubles. Hello Russell Westbrook. I've been drinking the #LetWestbrookBeWestbrook Kool-Aid for the past 4 years now. I defended his game against the likes of Skip Bayless fans that thought he was terrible or that him and Durant couldn't work well together blah blah blah. Shut up. Russell is one of the most talented players in the world on offense and defense. At times I'm not even sure he's human. He's been called a rocket-ship, a monster, an alien etc. in the last few weeks and by now I'm sure you've heard why. 

A friend of mine, Paul Moses, @ScatterSports on Twitter, wrote about "What a Russell Westbrook MVP Season Would Look Like" (great read) and he did a great job of breaking down what he would need to do in order to win MVP. Then Russ got hurt. And life was sad for the Thunder for a little bit. And then he came back and exploded. See, what people are missing is that they think this Russ stretch started in the last 15 games or so. No. Russ was doing crazy things early on in the season. Then he poured gasoline all over himself and lit a match and went Super-Saiyan and is burning the NBA to the ground one game at a time. THIS DUDE BROKE HIS FACE! THERE WAS A DENT IN HIS FACE! AND HE CAME BACK A WEEK LATER AND OBLITERATED THE 76ERS.

In that game he dropped 49 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists... What? He averaged 31 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds for the month of February. What? He has a  Player Efficiency Rating of 29.91. Tom Haberstroh noted that of the 50 greatest NBA players of all time, only 5 have ever done that. He's in elite company. Also don't forget he's doing it without the current reigning MVP, Kevin Durant.

But like I said. The MVP award is all about the narrative. Which one is strongest as we head into the last 5 weeks of the regular season? Is it the guy who gives us jaw-dropping highlights while being the best player on a historically-elite team? The guy who's carried his team on his back the whole season and pushed them far past expectations into the top-half of the Western Conference and being 2nd in scoring? Or the freak of nature who's just blowing everything up in his wake? I mean seriously. Dude reminds me of the old Godzilla movies. It's a tough race going forward and it's a lot closer than people think in my opinion and that includes Westbrook. 

Focus on the narrative. 

Tetsuo & Youth: Don't Call it a Comeback

Good music just has a way of creating a universe filled with emotions, revelations and experiences that you can always call back to whenever you hear that certain song. When I pushed play on this album, I was reminded of all the places and different stages of my life when I first heard a Lupe song that stuck with me. Being in the car with my dad on the way home from high school graduation and hearing his verse on Touch The Sky for the first time while giving Late Registration its first listen. Or  listening to Steady Mobbin' (Ghetto Story) while walking to an 8am French class as a freshman on Baylor's campus in the dark hours of the morning cause it was right after Daylight Savings. Or hearing Streets on Fire in Tosin's car on the way home from playing basketball one night at the gym. Good music just does that to you and helps you capture every detail from certain moments. I haven't gotten that feeling from a Lupe project since 2007. 

Yeah Lupe... The excitement that Lupe fans had after The Cool for his next album died down over the years. Lasers won him a Grammy, but alienated him from a few fans (myself included). I barely remember Enemy of the State or Friend of the People. Food and Liquor II had some great tracks but overall it wasn't the album fans were expecting. His online persona didn't help with his popularity; while trying to be a conscious voice of the people through social media and interviews, he ended up estranging more fans. The weird thing is if you've ever heard a Lupe track before, his message never changed. His methods of delivering them did, ranging from overt to just plain outlandish. The Cool felt like a slow poison that took its time winding it's way through your nervous system. Food & Liquor II was a bazooka. What fans appreciated in his music was his ability to speak out on social issues in his lyrics so subtly, while telling a story that plays out like a movie in your head. His messages were never quite in your face. They were there. But woven into a tapestry of rhymes, metaphors and punchlines that always had the listener coming back for more because there was always a good chance that you could pick up something new on the 100th listen. On the first few listens of Tetsuo & Youth, it feels like Lupe has reestablished his own voice. And boy can he rap. 

  Mural (Lyrics) - Lupe Fiasco

On first listen of the album, it takes about 2.5 minutes before you first hear him rap. The anticipation builds up. Then he unleashes over 7 minutes straight of word-play on the second track of the album, Mural, in which he literally paints out a story with his lyrics.

          "We're all chemicals, vitamins and minerals/Vicodin with inner tubes, wrapped around the arm/To see the vein like a chicken on the barn/Top Cat chat, let's begin another yarn/That's flying saucer cheese, or is it chicken parm'/But roosters don't fly like boosters don't buy/So what powers cowards to get them to the top/Just to fall asleep listening to Bach?"

Those opening lines set the tone of what to expect for the rest of the album. With features from Ty Dolla $ign, Guy Sebastien and Crystal Torres, Lupe has tracks with great production and hooks that should be the singles off the album. Deliver with Ty Dolla already has a video out and is my personal favorite track so far. Lupe uses pizza delivery to illustrate imbalances in the US economy. The beat rumbles. Ty delivers the album's best hook. It reminds me of Ghetto Story but more subtle. And Lupe is a goddamn beast on the track. 

  Deliver (Music Video) - Lupe Fiasco

        "Can I get delivered from the sin and get a little slice of Heaven I can enter in again/Or maybe just imagine that I'm livin in a mansion or a palace and my pizza gets delivered in a Benz/Make a savior out of savage like they made it out of magic/So it take a nigga havoc and it make it into friends/You don't even need a salad, it don't make a nigga fatter/Actually take a nigga backwards and make a nigga thin/That's a deep dish/Chicago style get the peace stick/Homerunner hitter, I be drillin' on the weak pitch/Pay into the plate then I put it in your face/I'm a man, never bitin' on the hands that I eat with"

For the first time on a Lupe production, I think it's safe to say there's something here for everyone to listen to. But as an overall album, it's surprising and impressive that it all melds together so well. "Chopper" initially sounds like something I'd hear on a Juicy J or Que track. Admittedly I only knew two of the featuring rappers before but everyone knows Trae Tha Truth as the legendary whisperer of the streets. It flows with a trap beat, a catchy hook and ad-libs Migos would be proud of.

I can pick and choose different tracks to support my argument that this album shows the rapper's evolution as an artist; at the very least he's returned to form. After going through the track-list four times, I know it's not enough. Lupe productions work like an RPG video game or Candy Crush. You just listen to them over and over again until you unlock the next meaning behind each line. There are no skip tracks on this album. Everything comes together and fits perfectly like a jigsaw puzzle being solved by a machine. Yet it flows with beautiful ease considering the many different parts he's implemented into it. It makes a strong impact on the avid listener and should have the passive listener pushing the rewind button several times per track. The Judo Master of Juxtaposition is back.

Note: 

• All BS aside, despite the stuff he's released over the last few years, I was excited for this album after he dropped this freestyle on Sway In The Morning.

The Transformation of Rick Grimes

Zombies create a quite a unique setting for a drama. Undead humans, moaning, walking, attacking violently trying to satisfy an eternal hunger by eating anything they can get their decaying hands on. The modern concept created by George Romero in his Night of the Living Dead has seen several waves of popularity over the years; but there's been a resurgence in the past few years. Zombies are everywhere. I don't believe that there's any other genre that allows you to examine what makes up a fictional character on a very basic physical, emotional, mental and spiritual level and that does so so simply and effortlessly. Put a bunch of survivors in the middle of a zombie apocalyptic wasteland and watch how they adapt to their new lives. From a literary aspect, it's great material for following and analyzing character transformation. For the casual watcher, there's plenty of violence and WTF moments to keep them entertained. And I don't feel any other zombie project (except World War Z - seriously get the book on Amazon or from Audible.com. Great story in there) does this as well as AMC's The Walking Dead. 

(SPOILERS AHEAD if you're not caught up to Season 5 episode 4)

We're four episodes into the fifth season and this is honestly the best it has ever been. I'm a big fan of the show and I'll tell you that aside from a few classic episodes, everything since they got to Herschel's farm in season 2 has ranged from mediocre to shite. The show slowed to a snail's pace for long periods during seasons 2-4. Herschel tried to turn our protagonist, Rick, into a farmer, Carl and Lori were nuisances. Andrea was a monumental idiot and The Governor long overstayed his welcome. 

Season 4 (which was divided into two parts) ended up being a long journey even though it moved in the right direction. The first part was largely forgettable, but the second part was where the show finally started to come into its own again. The gang was separated into smaller factions and things were fairly quiet. This gave writers an opportunity to flesh out the lesser-known characters and give the stars stronger backgrounds... I mean we saw Daryl cry. Relationships were fostered between different members of the band like Daryl and Beth or Michonne and Carl and new characters from the graphic novel were introduced to push the story forward. It was slow, but it was needed. This should have been done in Season 2, but better late than never. Then we got the best finale the show had had to date. 

For me, "A" was better than Season 2's finale "Beside The Dying Fire" for one reason. In the Season 2 finale, Rick said he was going to be a leader, and it was his way or the highway, and he was going to do whatever it took blah blah blah. He lied to us.

Season 4's finale and these first few episodes have been all about action as opposed to dialogue. The question "Is Rick a farmer or a warrior" was finally done with when his only living relative was being threatened with rape and murder. The shot that rang next to Rick's ear left a whining noise that symbolized a complete shift across the spectrum that left us with a Rick Grimes character that was ready to do anything to protect his son. Season 2 left us with a long, crazy speech (rant) given by Rick. Season 4 had Rick biting a dude's throat out and stabbing a guy over and over again.

A theme has been found and the writers are clearly going to push it to its limits. "What kind of monster does one have to be in order to survive?". One thing Kirkman got about the zombie genre in his graphic novel, and that the show has finally understood is that it's not about the zombies. Yeah walkers are cool and gross and all but you seen one zombie, you seen em all. It's about the survivors. The characters. Who were they before the zombies came? What was life like? How have they survived so long in this post-apocalyptic world? How have they changed since? How much of one's humanity can really be preserved while trying to protect themselves and the people they love? Herschel and Dale preached peace and humanity during these dark times. They're also both dead, which in itself is a testimony against their proposed ways of thinking in the new world. Taken by the new dangers  in the form of walker and human alike. The sad (really depressing) part about The Walking Dead is that it's only right that the longer the story goes on any new survivors that are met are going to be some f*cked-up-in-the-head people. You don't survive that long without getting dirty. I mean, look at Rick's shirt. And there's no end in sight.

The Walking Dead is a story about Rick's life in this post-zombie world and how he has dealt with the tragedies that has befallen him. Ultimately, the Rick we have now, on a very fundamental level, only cares about his children Carl and Judith. Everyone else (Michonne, Daryl, Glenn) is a close second. He won't admit it yet and maybe he never will, but I'm sure the writers will give us a better glimpse at that in the future. This Rick doesn't have mercy in his veins anymore. There are no niceties about this guy. Look how quickly things changed when him and Abraham had that standoff about taking the bus. That was the tensest 10 seconds of TV I've watched since Walter and Skyler White decided to settle their domestic issues with a kitchen knife. 

You can go back and watch the first few seasons of this show. Follow the way he thinks and reacts to the problems back then. I remember in Season 2 when that kid from a random group got captured, and there was a HUGE, boring debate between the survivors about whether to keep him alive or not. The Rick we have today would shoot him in the head and keep on trucking. Back then he had Lori, Dale and Herschel were relied on as voices of reason. Now all he has are echoes of past mistakes and the voices of the dead ringing in his head. Come back to this season and look at the way he dealt with Gareth and the cannibals. The Rick from Season 1 is gone. So is Carl. Daryl and Michonne have been shown to have softer sides. And who would have thought Beth would be interesting enough to carry a whole episode by herself? This Rick refuses to make mistakes. He acts. Threats must be dealt with immediately, as evidenced by his wanting to go back to Terminus and make sure everyone was killed. Being reunited with Judith calmed him down enough to forget but in this world, we can see how that turned around and almost bit them in the ass (there's a joke in there about walkers or cannibals taking a bite out of Bob but it's 4am and I can't see it). 

The Walking Dead has really come a long way from the formulaic episodes in its early days. Minor plot progression, walker fight, big conversation about morals, Lori gets mad, more walkers, Herschel plants some veggies while dropping wisdom, more walkers, episode ends. It's become really hard to predict. The themes are more resounding and carry more weight. Characters are more relatable than they have ever been. And on a less analytical level; Rick is just an old-fashioned badass. Maybe it's the beard. Either way, I trust him now more as a leader of this group than I ever did (considering that last season I found myself wishing Shane was still alive and that's saying a lot).

Side-note before the other random notes: I wonder when we're going to get our signature "Coooooral" scream from Rick. 

Random Notes:

• TAINTED MEAT!
• "We didn't want to waste the bullets."
• Tyreese's face after Rick, Abraham and Michonne beat/mutilate the cannibals in the church was priceless.
• Gareth the cannibal, was a pretty good villain. He'd have been awesome with more episodes but Rick said no. Farewell Gareth. 
• Dawn, the leader of the hospital in Slabtown, is just as terrible a villain as the governor. I was over her after about 10 minutes. And she needs to stop hitting Beth.
• Still surprised Beth could carry a whole episode by herself... With help from Everybody Hates Chris. 
• On the subject of cameos, I need more actors from The Wire on this show. They just seem to fit in so well. I mean... Baltimore and post-apocalyptic zombie world are pretty close in nature right? Just give me Bubbles, Marlo, Wee-Bey or Snoop. Just keep em coming.
• Wonder who the next major character to die's gonna be... I mean. Season 5 is usually where dramas throw some haymakers. Glenn can't hide forever. The writers know we all love him. 
• In case you liked the opening song to last week's episode "Slabtown".
• "How can you trust a man with a mullet?" as a friend of mine aptly put it. 
• The Walking Dead is nearing Lost quality with the way their reunions hit the audience. Carol and Daryl was especially touching then Rick and Carl saw Judith. 

Western Conference Preaseason Rankings

Water is wet. Texas weather is crazy. And the Western Conference is tough. Year in, year out. Part of the reason I put off this post for so long was cause I didn't even want to think about the order. But here goes. 

15. Utah Jazz

They're young and athletic but also lacking in experience. They remind me of the Celtics from last year in that they're going to be somewhat competitive and semi-fun to watch until they lose all their January games. They're another team that's rebuilding and headed in the right direction but they're not quite there yet. I like Alec Burks, I like Gordon Hayward and I liked their rookie Dante Exum. But they're going to lose a lot of games. That's that. 

14. Los Angeles Lakers

Steve Nash is out. Ronnie Price is out. Xavier Henry is out. Their roster is depleted. Kobe is back and so is a lot of last year's roster. They've got a new head coach Byron Scott, former Laker champion, who seems determined to drag them to newfound depths. Scott came in over the summer preaching about the mid-range game and opening up shots for players. Cool. He also said he wants to move away from the 3-point shot almost entirely. Okay... But you can only maximize efficiency that way if you're really good on defense, say for instance THE MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES WHO WERE TOP 3 DEFENSIVE TEAMS IN THE NBA LAST YEAR. 17.1% of the Grizzlies shots were from deep last year but that team's defensive rating with Marc Gasol on the court was phenomenal.

I look at the Lakers current roster and it's filled with people who have reputations for being atrocious on defense. So is Kobe going to play solid defense 35 minutes a night, 82 games this season? Is he going to play 70 games this season? They're not going to be able to defend anybody. I do not think they're going to win 30 games. I really want Bryant to do well individually cause it sucks to see NBA Legends go out the way Nash and him are.

Julius Randle is the bright spot for me in this team. Him and Ed Davis can be developed in that front-court. And at the end of the day Kobe Bryant is worth the price of admission if you're an NBA fan. Enjoy it while it's there. (Even though you don't have a choice cause they're going to be on national TV 29 ****ing times).

13. Sacramento Kings 

I looked at the odds and the over/unders to help write this preview. That involved me looking at the predictions, agreeing with them or scoffing at them but also having to think and explain why... Then placing heavy bets on the under for the Lakers. The Kings are at 30.5 wins and I'm taking the under. I've always liked DeMarcus Cousins. Boogie is good. I like Ben McLemore and I'm impressed that Rudy Gay was able to find himself on this team again. But it's not going to make a difference. The roster sucks. They're going to be bad. I'd be surprised if they won more than 30 games too. It sucks cause I really do like Boogie's game. I think he's going to have a great, breakout season but it's just not going to matter. 

12. Minnesota Timberwolves

Flip Saunders is literally the man. No like seriously, he runs everything on that team. He's the head coach, President of Basketball Operations and still a part-owner. Now he's had success in the league before. He's also sucked really bad. Him and Byron Scott are relics of NBA past. They're those grandparents you have that are all "things were better in the old days without all this fancy-schmancy technology and iPhones". Flip took the Timberwolves to the WCF and the Pistons to a 64-win season. He also coached the Wizards from 2009-2012 with a record of 51-130. So I'm not too sure how coaching is going to help. 

I think this team is really talented. But they fall into the same category as the Jazz and the Celtics. Young, talented guys. But they need to learn how to win. They also need to learn how to play in the NBA. I like Wiggins. I really like Andrew Wiggins's game. This team is going to be my second guilty pleasure to watch in the NBA this year. He's teamed with Anthony Bennett and Zach LaVine (God that kid can fly) and if they all pan out and Ricky Rubio is actually willing to shoot.... This team will be fun to watch. They'll lose games. But they're going to run fast and jump high and dunk really hard. Fun. 

11. New Orleans Pelicans 

I'm putting my money on Anthony Davis being the next superstar in the NBA. I think he'll finish this year as a top-10 player in the league. But I don't know how I feel about this team. Eric Gordon's going to be back but who knows how long that's going to last. John Salmons is playing the 3-position.... (John Salmons is still in the NBA??? #KeepGettingDemChecks). However, Jimmer Fredette is free from Thibs' dungeon, which I like. And Ryan Anderson (whose game I love) is coming back from the severe injury he had last year. They've also got Jrue Holiday at point-guard and I've always been a fan of his game. I can just imagine him run the pick-and-roll with Anthony Davis (AWESOME). Omer Asik can play as center and take some of the pressure of the Brow at the 4-position. He's already great on defense but he'll get better. They can man the interior together as opposed to last year where he took a pounding by himself. There's a lot to be positive about on this team. They were all injured last year. I think I've written myself into believing in them. Yep. All in for over .500. 

10. Phoenix Suns

These guys shocked everyone last year. I don't know if they have what it takes to do it again, cause a lot of that was Gerald Green playing at a phenomenal, unsustainable level. That dude chucked everything. But the back-court of Dragic and Bledsoe is going to be fun to watch. I don't think they have what it takes to make the playoffs but they'll be fighting to get in just like last year. Shoutout to Jeff Hornacek also. He's a great coach. It may not be their time this year, but if this team can grow together, they'll be a force in the West in a few years. 

9. Denver Nuggets 

This team won 36 games last year and they had injuries to every position. This year they're getting JaVale McGee, Nate Robinson, Danilo Gallinari just to name a few. They're going to be a good team. I don't know if they're a playoff team, I'm not sure if they're going to be great. But they're going to be damn good. They can run the ball up and down the court at home on back-to-backs in that high Denver altitude and just run them ragged. All these players back from injury along with Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried is going to make for some more fun basketball. 

8. Memphis Grizzlies

The thing about writing about the playoff teams in the West is that they're all really good teams. You can make arguments for each of them as to why they could be or should be the NBA champions. But it's the Western conference. The Grizzlies are probably going to finish top 3 in defense this year, if not the best. They're going to physically punish teams night in, night out in the Grindhouse. But can they win in the playoffs where it matters? Are they even locked in for a playoff spot? Cause if Marc Gasol stayed injured for an extra two weeks last year, they miss it completely. The lower seeds in the West are just waiting to take that spot from you. 

I like Mike Conley and the Grindfather, Tony Allen on defense. They're going to abuse and frustrate opposing back-courts. Quincy Pondexter is back to help give them some shooting from beyond the arc. And their inside game is still awesome with Marc Gasol and Z-Bo. They're far from a fun team. They're a beat-you-into-the-ground-and-step-on-your-face-and-not-apologize team, as evidenced from their playoff series against the Thunder last year. You may beat them but you're not going to come out looking pretty. 

7. Portland Trailblazers

I like the Trailblazers because they know how to win games. I think they have a fantastic head coach in Terry Stotts. LaMarcus Aldridge has been one of my favorite players in the league since 2009 as him and Dirk continue to defy analytics against the mid-range game. Honestly he may not be that efficient but you can't guard him. I think Lillard is a good, young talent moving in the right direction. He still needs to get better in reading the floor as a point-guard on offense and also work on his defense but he's a great player and he's not scared of taking the big shots. They gained some experience last year, and I look forward to watching them this year as well. 

6. Houston Rockets

I like their team. I like their take on shooting analytics and corner-3s. What they lost in offense in Chandler Parsons, they gained on defense, experience and leadership in Trevor Ariza (and he can still knock down the 3 ball too). 

Now it's easy to make fun of Dwight and his post-game and all that. But that dude is still a physical specimen. I remember watching Dwight in 2009 and thinking that no one had the right to take DPOY from him for the next 10 years. He's finally healthy and call me crazy, but I think he's going to have the bounce-back of bounce-back years. I have him as a sleeper in the MVP race. What he's going to be able to bring to this Rockets team is going to be crazy this year.  James Harden is still the best shooting guard in the league. These guys will be alright this year. 

5. Golden-State Warriors 

All they need is for Steve Kerr to be just as good as Mark Jackson was last year, and quite frankly I think he'll be better (as far as their offense goes anyway). Warriors were 12th in offense last year, and with all the 3-pointers and Splash Brothers memes you'd think they were higher. The offense stalled too much back then but the sets they have right now with Kerr already have them looking more fluid and dangerous. But it's preseason. I'll wait till December. However, they look good. My main worry is their front-court. Can Andrew Bogut and David Lee stay healthy this season? Cause that will be a deciding factor in whether they can make it out of the first round of the playoffs or not. 

4. Dallas Mavericks

I did this in the Eastern Conference column with the Hornets and I'm going to do it here with this team. I AM ALL IN ON THE DALLAS MAVERICKS THIS YEAR. DAMN THIS TEAM IS GOOD. I think they are an easy 50-win team this year. Monta Ellis, Chandler Parsons, Dirk Nowitzki BOOM 2-3-4 combo-breaker! I really had to restrain myself from dropping LAC or OKC to 4 so I could put them at the 3-seed. I'm driving this bandwagon and no one can stop me. We've come such a long way from last year's mishap. 

To be fair, I pick the Mavs every year as a sleeper in the West just because I love Dirk so much but think about it. This team took the Spurs to seven games in the playoffs last year. Not because they were a good team no.... They were horrible on defense. But because Rick Carlisle is a damn good coach. One of the best in the league. And he was able to maximize that team's strengths to give the champions a rough time. Can you imagine what he's going to do with this roster? And they got Tyson Chandler back to help on defense? AND J.J. Barea doesn't have to play point guard in Minnesota anymore?! Man they're going to be good on offense and defense this year. They;re going to frustrate teams, because how do you even stop that offense? At the very least they're going to be a hell of a lot of fun to watch. Their first game is against the Spurs so we'll find out soon enough. 

3. Oklahoma City Thunder

I dropped them from 2 because I don't know what adjustments Scott Brooks is going to make to his team after the loss of Durant. I don't think Brooks is a bad coach. I just don't think he's a great coach. And his glasses are stupid. Regardless, I still think this is a great team and that they're going to win as many as 56-58 games even without Durant. Ibaka has improved so much as a 4, and Steven Adams could start as a competent big on almost any team in this league. They've been unlucky the past two years with injuries to Westbrook and Ibaka at playoff time but I'm not sure if that's going to be enough anymore. I was worried that they didn't get anyone in free agency cause I feel for this team to make it back to the NBA Finals and win, they need more production coming from just 1 or 2 players. I need Jeremy Lamb, Anthony Morrow, Reggie Jackson or even Perry Jones III to take it to the next level and ball before I'm a 100% confident in this team again. With Durant out for some time, they'll get the minutes they need to prove themselves. Till then this is Westbrook's team. Depending on the night I'm either going to tweet #LetWestbrookBeWestbrook or #RussGonnaRuss cause you never know what you're going to get with him.

2. Los Angeles Clippers

What a turnaround it's been for this team since they drafted Blake Griffin in 2009. From perennial laughing stocks of the NBA to actual championship contenders. If there was any year that they were going to make it to the Western Conference Finals, this is the year. I think this is the best team they've had since. I believe Blake Griffin is going to be even much better this year and the only thing holding him back from being this year's MVP will be if Chris Paul wins it. These guys are that good. The only weakness they have for me is at the 3-spot but honestly Matt Barnes will be fine and that's just cause all the other players are that good. I think DeAndre Jordan will win DPOY. I liked the addition of Ekpe Udoh to help bolster their front-court. (THANK YOU FOR SAVING HIM FROM MILWAUKEE. I really thought he'd lost all value with that team last year). This is a great team. I think they get 60 wins. They'll also be fun. 

1. San Antonio Spurs

First year ever I'm not buying into the "they're old" narrative. Seriously. Popovich is awesome. The system is awesome. Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili are still awesome. Tony Parker is the best point-guard in the league in my opinion. They resigned Patty Mills and Point-Center, Boris Diaw.

And they still have this kid.

NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard.... Yay. 

The Spurs are going to Spur. Rest players. Destroy teams. Crazy win streaks. The major difference this year is that Manu and Tony actually got to rest this summer so they're coming back refreshed and ready for the season. Easy 60-win team. They're my favorites for the Western Conference Champions. And NBA Champions. Go Spurs Go. 

Eastern Conference Preseason Rankings

Preseason's over. Fall is here. Basketball starts today. This post is late as hell. Twitter is already in mid-season form and the projections, predictions and general fan nonsense are all over the place. I've never actually done a preseason rankings before this one and I realize how hard they are to do and I applaud all the people who take their time out every season to do one of these. Kudos.

Eastern Conference

15. Philadelphia 76ers

They were trash last year. They've decided to be worse this year. Sam Hinkie is ecstatic that the vote for draft lottery reform didn't go through. That's all. They might break the Bobcats record for least wins in a season. Sixers fans are already thinking about the lottery in 2015. You don't believe me?

14. Orlando Magic

It sucks that the Magic are here. They're still in the process of rebuilding after Dwight's departure. They've made some good draft picks. I liked Victor Oladipo last year, but he's currently out for a month which is going to put a lot of pressure on Elfrid Payton. They made the right move in giving Nikola Vucecic a contract extension. But this team is still bad for now. They'll get there eventually. But not this season.

13. Milwaukee Bucks

They made some terrible roster moves. Gave a lot of people undeserved money. OJ Mayo showed up looking like the Pillsbury Doughboy. Larry Sanders missed a lot of time after breaking his hand in a bar fight. Like.. The Bucks were a mess. But hey it's a new year. I feel like this team is going to be my guilty pleasure to watch this year. Say what you want about Jason Kidd but I don't think he's a bad coach. They'll be better this year (which isn't saying much). But man Jabari Parker is going to be a lot of fun in the NBA.

12. Boston Celtics

Wyc Grousbeck talked about fireworks for the offseason and they signed Evan Turner. Yeah this team isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Rondo is going to be the big story this season. Personally, I don't think he's going anywhere. He's been in trade talks since 2009 and it still hasn't happened. And at this point, Ainge isn't trading him unless he can get a great package in the deal, otherwise it's pointless. I also say that cause I don't think he's leaving in free agency. I may be wrong. Horribly wrong. But I doubt it. (In case that's familiar).

This team will be competitive night in, night out. They're in the conversation for best defensive back-court in the league with Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart. Kelly Olynyk has shown himself to be a good inside-passer. Maybe Jeff Green will find himself this year. They're going to lose a lot of close games due to inexperience and just having a roster of players that don't know how to win games. I'll be happy if they finish with 30 wins.

11. Indiana Pacers

They lost their two best perimeter defenders in Lance Stephenson and Paul George. Lance was also their leader in assists and rebounds last year. As much as I like David West, him and Roy Hibbert are not going to be enough. They don't have the depth on their bench. They won't be making the playoffs this year based off their own will. On the bright side, Paul George is rehabbing well and talking about playing this season, but there's really no need to rush.

10. Detroit Pistons

Andre Drummond needs a nickname. Bold prediction: Drummond is going to lead the NBA in rebounds this year. They're gonna be a team that kinda fights for the playoffs but I don't think they're going to get there. At the very least, it'll be fun to watch Josh Smith try NOT to shoot 3s this year. Also I think Brandon Jennings will be good this year.

9. New York Knicks

In all seriousness, I like Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher taking the reins here. I like that they added Calderon as a PG. I like that they're learning the triangle offense which is going to open up Carmelo's game greatly. Quincy Acy was a good addition to their front-court. And I feel like Amar'e is going to be really good as long as he's healthy. But they're the Knicks. Google "J.R Smith Triangle Offense". They're going to do Knicks things like not disappoint their fans. It's going to be a long season when you're relying on Samuel Dalembert for inside rim-protection all season long.

8. Brooklyn Nets

How well this team will do this season completely relies on the health of their aging players. I don't think Deron Williams will ever be the Deron Williams we remembered from Utah. I was ready to buy into this team though, regardless of their point-guard. Then Brook Lopez picked up a minor injury in preaseason and I was like "yeah... I'm not doing this." Joe Johnson is going to be the same and if they can get 65+ games of Kirilenko, Lopez, Garnett and Deron then they'll be just fine. 

However, I have them this low because I don't think they can. They're not winning a championship. But they should be a lock for the playoffs. I'm also very interested in what the relationship between Lionel Hollins and Brook Lopez is going to be like, cause that's going to be funny.

7. Atlanta Hawks

I really like Head Coach Budenholzer. I think he's top 5 in the league. Last year before Horford's injury they were 3rd in the East. Now I know that's a small sample size but still, they looked really good last year. Al Horford, Paul Millsap and Jeff Teague are going to be good for this team. Look to Pero Antic to stretch the floor for them. I'm a little low on them. I think they can be better. But I'd prefer to wait and see.

6. Miami Heat

Losing the best player in the NBA is definitely going to hurt your roster, but trust Pat Riley to apply some superglue and scotch-tape to try and hold this team together. Spoelstra is a good coach. They still have Hall-of-Fame players in Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. Mario Chalmers is competent. I liked the addition of McBob. They'll make the playoffs comfortably. Can Wade stay healthy though? Cause a lot of that weight's going to fall on his shoulders this year. So I'm not expecting much from them come playoff time.

5. Toronto Raptors

We all liked the Raptors last year right? They won the Atlantic Division after dragging the rear for so many years. Masai Ujiri's put together a nice young team here. However, there's a lot they're relying on with this roster. It's the same roster from last year, and they're coming in with big expectations for the year. Pretty much all these players have to play at the same or higher levels than they did last year. The naysayer in me asks how sustainable that is. Kyle Lowry is a good, aggressive and angry. Good combination. Cause this team is going to count on him.

4. Washington Wizards

I'd have the Wizards higher if not for the injury to Bradley Beal. He's a young, tough kid with a great shooting stroke and that's going to hurt them, but only a little. The Wizards are good. John Wall has quickly become one of the best PGs in the league. He's grown as a player and is finally able to control his speed and use it to make good point-guard plays.  The addition of Paul Pierce is going to give them even more experience in the locker room. They've got some real NBA vets on there that are going to help them in late game situations where they struggled last year.

I was under the impression that Wittman would lose his job before the end of last season but obviously making it to the second round of the playoffs past the Bulls put a hold on that. I still don't think he's a good coach but we'll see this season.

3. Charlotte Hornets

I AM ALL IN ON CHARLOTTE AND I CAN'T EXPLAIN IT! Yes I think this team is good. I'm excited for Kemba and Big Al offense. I think Lance Stephenson was a good addition for that back-court. I like Cody Zeller as a backup and if Vonleh can get minutes, I think he's going to be good. Yeah I like this team. Maybe I'm just oversold on the Lance addition and I know the loss of McRoberts is going to hurt a little on defense but I'll wait and see. I'm expecting this team to have a great regular season.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers

#TheLand. Lebron James is back and he brought the whole crew with him, fans and all. Every time I remember Kevin Love and Lebron James are on the same thing, all I can think about are the Sportscenter highlights with the outlet passes and the fast breaks. I've been saying that since the summer but this is just the start.

But temper your expectations. Lebron is going to be 30 in December and this year is the first time I've ever heard him complain about physical ailments. There's talk of him pulling a Popovich and sitting quite a few games this season. Also this is this team's first season together. Remember the Heat had a rough start in 2010 too. For this team it's all about the playoffs. The regular season doesn't matter.

1. Chicago Bulls.

The Return Part 2. Derrick Rose is back. They have, arguably, the best front-court in the league with the addition of Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic. They have the depth. They have a top-3 coach in the league. Everything looks good. But I need to see Derrick Rose play 70+ games this year. I just need to. And he needs to look good doing it too. He's been off the court for 2 years, let's be real. I liked the fact that he came off the bench for Team USA cause that was a chance to play some semi-real, competitive basketball and you can tell it helped cause he's looked a lot better this preaseason as opposed to this time last year. If he can hold up, I have this team locked as Eastern Conference Champions.

NBA 2015 - SHOW ME THE MONEY!

Man the year flew by didn't it? It's already October! I feel like I was just watching the NBA Finals a week ago (week ago). The long summer season we as sports fans (especially those who don't watch baseball) has been over for a while. The NFL has been in play for a few weeks now. Soccer for even longer. But it all comes together when the NBA season finally kicks off on October 28th and all these sports are rolling together in full swing. 

Yes I know, not everyone watches as much basketball as I do. Some people think the season starts after the Superbowl. Then there are the fans like me who watch at least 4 games a night, every night. The ones that pay attention to NBA Free Agency all summer and watch the preseason like they have nothing better to do. Which is why I'm sitting here at 4 AM typing this up when I should be looking at Thermodynamics. The NBA is electrifying. Media day was last week and it just felt like the first day back at school when all your friends are back from holiday. You're just happy to see everyone back and want to catch up and hear about their breaks. The NBA is a family unlike any other professional sports league and that permeates through every level; from owners like Mark Cuban, to the GMs, to the coaches, players and most importantly the fans. 

So here we are once again. Last year hardcore and casual fans alike were excited to see the new season start, mainly because there were so many narratives in place. Could the Heat win a third championship in a row... Would the Spurs be able to carry their aging roster back to the NBA finals even though the previous year took so much out of them... We were eager for the returns of Derrick Rose and Kobe Bryant #TheReturn, #SeasonOfLegends (Boy those didn't turn out well). Not to talk of all the other teams that we're out there trying to make themselves heard during the season. Now we're back again and a lot has happened over the summer. Let's start with the Cavaliers free-agency adventures. 

The biggest narrative for the season thus far is going to be the Cleveland's redemption thanks to Lebron James. The best basketball player on the planet is back home and he took some of his old teammates and all his fans back with him. Man don't you just hate the Cavaliers? How do you run a team so incompetently and still have all this goodwill fall in your lap? Either way, the Cavs became automatic contenders with the addition of Lebron and Kevin Love and made some smart moves picking up veteran role players along the way. It's not going to be a cakewalk but I'll get into that in another post later this week. On the surface though, the Eastern Conference is looking a lot more competitive (and yes I know I said that last year too but now I have proof).

• Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol make the Bulls stronger. 
• The Nets get Brook Lopez back. 
• The Wizards have a great, young back-court that took them to the 2nd round of the playoffs last year. They're only going to get better and added some experience in Paul Pierce.
• The Raptors brought their whole team back together and are hoping to win the Atlantic Division again. 
• The Knicks will never prosper (but Phil Jackson made some pretty decent moves in the draft and trade-wise too). 
• And don't forget about the Miami Heat. They went to the finals four years in a row and Pat Riley managed to keep Wade and Bosh around. Don't count them out yet. 

Long story short, the East isn't as wide open as it was last year. 

NBA free agency is always a fun topic to keep fans busy over the summer because we get to overreact to the team-building and the contracts that are signed. "What do you need him for?!" "They're paying him what???" and so on. Jodie Meeks set the playing field for other players who were free agents by signing with the Pistons for 3 years, $19 mil. So all summer long, agents got to raise the value of their players in contract negotiations. A lot of people cashed out this summer and it was definitely going to make next year's contract negotiations even more entertaining to watch. That is, until we were hit with the new TV deal. 

$24 billion. Twenty-four billion dollars over the next nine years. That's $2.67 billion per year. That's the value of the deal the NBA just signed with ESPN and Turner Sports. It's no secret that the NBA has gained so much popularity over the past 7 years, because the product is good and the owners are determined to cash in on it. The NBA is the best sports-internet product. More people talk about the NBA over the Internet than the NFL, MLB or NHL. "No sports league anywhere benefits as much as the NBA in this Age of (Too Much) Information. That cannot be debated." This deal allows the league to make that product better and more accessible to its fans worldwide. Flex scheduling will be available (FINALLY THANK GOD!), more nationally televised games and better streaming options for those without access to cable. This deal means more money for the teams. Which should also mean more money for the players right? Eh... 

"The whole thing that went on with the last negotiation process was the owners are losing money. There's no way they can sit in front of us and tell us that right now. As we continue to see teams selling for billions of dollars, being purchased for $200 million, selling for $550 million, $750 million, and now $2 billion ... so that will not fly with us this time." - Lebron James.

All that money really puts a lot of things in perspective. The $2 billion price tag on the LA Clippers seems reasonable now. $534 million for the Sacramento Kings seems cheap. Contract negotiations over the past summer seem petty. I say all that because it puts players who are going to be free agents next year in a weird position. For example, Klay Thompson. The Warriors passed up on trading Klay for Kevin Love and not signing anyone else. This gave Klay and his agent leverage because now the Warriors can't afford to lose him as a free agent next season and the only way they were going to do that was to sign him to a max contract. The next CBA negotiation is going to be 2017. Whereas before, the Warriors would have been hesitant to make that deal, I can see them now saying "Eh... I think you deserve this max contract. Here take all these monies" because it's not gonna mean much after the new caps have been set in 2017. Or everyone could do what James did and sign one-year contracts and wait for the CBA to be dealt with. Bring on the super-duper max contracts.

There's talks that things will be smoothed out between the NBPA and the owners and that we won't have a lockout but I don't see how that works personally. I also don't know that much about how those negotiations work so who knows, but I see a lockout coming. Just to be clear, a lockout also doesn't mean that games have to be missed either. There have been 4 lockouts in NBA history and only two of them have resulted in missed games. As a hardcore fan, watching October and November come and go without any basketball games is frustrating. You have to occupy yourself with things like chores or going outside, and wait till the weekend before you can get any meaningful sports action. Nobody wants that right? Please owners. Please give these guys the money they deserve. Thanks.

P.S.
Go Celtics!