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Wild Trade Deadline Sends Stars Left and Right

Let’s get one thing out the way first: What the hell were the Boston Celtics thinking?!? If you’ve been sitting under a rock or just haven’t cared to pay much attention to the NBA over the past week, then you missed out on what was single handedly the craziest trade deadline I’ve ever seen.

Several key players from both conferences were being shipped left and right. Here’s a list of the key trades made before the Thursday afternoon trade deadline.

• Nazr Mohammed to the Thunder.
• Marquis Daniels to the Kings.
• Aaron Brooks to the Suns for Goran Dragic.
• Semih Erden and Luke Harangody to the Cavaliers.
• Gerald Wallace to the Blazers.
• Jeff Green to Boston for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson.
• Shane Battier to the Grizzlies for Hasheem Thabeet.
• Kirk Hinrich to the Hawks for Mike Bibby.
• Baron Davis to Cleveland for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon.
• Deron Williams to the Nets.
• Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks.
• Carl Landry to the Hornets.
• Troy Murphy to Golden State for Brandan Wright and Dan Gadzuric.
• James Johnson to the Raptors.


The most obvious trade that everyone knew about came on Tuesday when the Nuggets shipped Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Ranoldo Balkman, and Shelden Williams to the Knicks for four of their five starters in Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Danillo Gallinari, and Timofey Mozgov.

It almost seemed inevitable that Carmelo would eventually be dealt to New York and there wasn’t too much surprise when the deal was finalized.

The big shocking trades came in the days to follow. Almost out of the blue, Deron Williams was traded to the Nets for All-Star point guard Devin Harris and Derrick Favors. This occurred almost immediately after former Utah Jazz head coach and 2009 Hall of Fame inductee Jerry Sloan resigned from the organization.

And if that wasn’t shocking enough, the next morning fans woke up to seeing L.A. native Baron Davis being traded to the deserted wasteland of Cleveland for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon. (On a side note: Out of all the trades that went down over the past few days, I’d have to say this one made me feel so bad for Baron Davis.)

In the heap of all the moves that happened before the trade deadline, the Boston Celtics make one of the most questionable trades in recent years. In a deal that would send Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic to Boston, the Celtics actually agreed to send their defensive anchor in Kendrick Perkins along with their backup point guard in Nate Robinson to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Now that folks, is a head scratcher.

All the other trades that were made had some kind of reasoning and thought behind them. Most of the transactions made before the deadline could be justified. However, this trade makes you think someone has to be pulling your leg when they tell you about it.

At this point in the season, the Celtics are doing great. They’ve got the number one spot in the Eastern Conference and it looks like this might the year they win another title. Now, I’m not so sure about that one. Obviously, someone has a plan but I’m confused at the moment as to what that could possibly be.

With only about a month and a half left in the season, we’ll have to wait and see how these trades play out down the stretch and into the playoffs.

2011 NBA All Star Predictions

The NBA All Star game is just around the corner with only six days left for fan voting. That means there’s less than a week left for the popularity portion of the selection process. At this point, the starters in each conference have pretty much been set and I, much like many other NBA fans, have made my picks for who should participate in the midseason showcase.

After the third ballot update, the leaders at each position in both conferences looked to have a pretty solid lead over the remaining players who received votes. Based on that final ballot update, I’ve made my picks/predictions for who I believe should fill out the remaining 14 slots. Those players are as follows:


WEST

Starters
G Chris Paul
G Kobe Bryant
F Carmelo Anthony
F Kevin Durant
C Yao Ming* (Andrew Bynum**)

Reserves

G - Manu Ginobili
G - Monta Ellis**
F - Dirk Nowitzki
F - Kevin Love**
C - Pau Gasol
WC - Deron Williams
WC - Russell Westbrook**

*Can’t play due to injury
**First appearance


EAST

Starters

G - Derrick Rose
G - Dwayne Wade
F - LeBron James
F - Amar’e Stoudemire
C - Dwight Howard

Reserves

G - Rajon Rondo
G - Raymond Felton**
F - Josh Smith**
F - Kevin Garnett
C - Joakim Noah**
WC - Chris Bosh
WC - Paul Pierce

**First appearance

As with every year, there are always those players listed as “snubs” after not being selected for the All Star game. The biggest snubs from my list in no particular order would probably be Carlos Boozer, Ray Allen, Andrew Bogut, and Joe Johnson from the East; and Tim Duncan, Blake Griffin, Tony Parker, and Steve Nash from the West.

The 2011 All Star game should play host to several new faces as I’ve selected 7 first-time All Stars to represent their respective teams.

Starters will be announced January 27th on TNT and the remaining players will also be announced on TNT on Thursday February 3rd.

The All Star Game is scheduled to take place on Sunday February 20, 2011 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

Everything Not So "Melo" in Denver

With the NBA trade deadline a little over a month away, it’s only natural to see trade rumors circulating throughout the league. In particular, there have been the rumors of Nuggets’ forward Carmelo Anthony’s unknown future. Thanks to the various dedicated NBA reporters and willingness of the Nuggets organization to share their trade talks, fans have been given somewhat of a play-by-play of every move made by all the parties involved in the trade rumors.

The primary teams that have been heard through the trade talks are the Nets, Knicks, ans most recently, the Houston Rockets. Every TNT, ESPN, and NBATV analyst has given their two cents worth in regards to where Anthony would fit best and where he will most likely end up playing this season. For this article in today’s Sideline Critiques blog post, I’m going to throw my two cents in as well.

Personally, I feel like the Nets would be stupid to even attempt to woo Carmelo to their sorry excuse for a team. After barely escaping the 2009-10 season with what was almost an NBA record for losses in a single season, the Nets have nowhere to go but up a this point. Unfortunately, they also happen to be stuck in the basement and have a long ways to go before any hope of reaching the upper echelon of NBA teams.

Aside from their recent downfalls, they also lack any players of equal value to trade in exchange for Carmelo. And if they were to trade away their young talent currently on the team, that would leave very little support for Carmelo and erase any hopes of the Nets ever being a legitimate contender any time soon. That being said, if the Nets were to successfully trade for the services of Carmelo Anthony, I would find it very hard to believe that he would agree to sign an extension with the Nets, knowing their future looks rather bleak at the moment.

All things considered, if the Nuggets were to trade Carmelo Anthony, I feel they would be best served to send him to New York to team up with All Star forward Amar’e Stoudemire. Aside from a handful of players such as Raymond Felton and Stoudemire, the Knicks would most likely be willing to trade away any other players the Nuggets would agree to. Also, with Eddy Curry’s salary coming off the books this offseason, the Knicks would have enough money to sign Carmelo to an extension.

This could be a good basketball move for both sides. Carmelo obviously doesn’t want to remain in Denver due to his refusal to sign an extension with the team. The Nuggets should attempt to get some value for him as opposed to losing him in the offseason in free agency. On the other side, this is obviously a good move for the Knicks as they would be adding a another solid superstar to their roster.

Aside from the basketball aspect of the situation, Carmelo’s wife, LaLa Vasquez, is from New York and I’m sure that is in the back of his mind during these negotiations. Many players choose to do what’s best for their families and that just might be signing with the New York Knicks.

It is currently unknown what will happen next in this trade saga, but I believe in the end, Carmelo Anthony will be lacing ‘em up in the blue and orange playing home games in Madison Square Garden.

(Carmelo interview on ESPN)
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6023501

Who is the Best PG in the NBA Today?

With the NBA season well underway, debates have already started popping up throughout the league. One heated discussion floating about is circled around the question of who is the best point guard in the National Basketball Association today.

The list of talented point guards in today’s NBA is probably one of the longest out of the five positions if not the longest. With new potential like John Wall entering the professional ranks to duke it out against veteran point guards such as Chris Paul and Steve Nash, narrowing it down to just one can be extremely difficult. But that’s what I’m here for; to take on the difficult questions and provide you all out there with my own two cents.

In order to come up with an answer to this burning question, I’ll narrow the list down to five of the more proven point guards playing today: Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, and Deron Williams. (Due to John Wall’s rather short resume, we’ll exclude him from the conversation for now.)

Chris Paul (19.6 ppg 11.0 apg 5.4 rpg 2.4 spg)

CP3 spent a good portion of last season recovering from a meniscus tear in his left knee that caused him to miss a total of 37 games. With the emergence of then-rookie standout Darren Collison, many believed Chris Paul’s days in New Orleans may have been numbered and would soon be replaced. However, after the Hornets traded Collison to Indiana, the message was clear that Paul was here to stay.

Chris Paul opened the 2010-2011 season against the highly-publicized Miami Heat with a double-double, dropping 13 points and 19 assists to go along with five steals and proved to everyone he was back and just as dominant as before. Paul’s assist total tied the Hornet’s franchise record previously set by Mugsy Bogues in 1989. The Hornets haven’t looked back since; putting up a record of 5-0 placing them second in the Western Conference behind the Los Angeles Lakers.

Paul’s stat line places him among the top ten in the NBA in assists and steals per game. In addition to that, for the Hornets, he ranks among the top three in points, assists, rebounds, minutes, and steals per game. If Paul can continue to consistently contribute to the Hornets in this way and continue leading them to more victories down the road, the 2010-2011 season could be yet another strong MVP campaign for the six-year veteran out of Wake Forest.

Rajon Rondo (11.3 ppg 15.5 apg 5.5 rpg 2.83 spg)

Rajon Rondo was handed the key to the Celtic’s offense four years ago and has yet to disappoint. In fact, some might argue that Rondo has well exceeded expectations and it’s only his fifth season in the NBA. Refusing to take a permanent back seat to the superstar trio of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett, Rondo has made a name for himself around the league, causing several sports analysts to label him the newest member of the Celtic’s Big Four.

His most glaring weakness that caused several GMs around the league to pass up on him in the 2006 NBA Draft was his shooting ability—or lack thereof. While this remains his biggest downside, his other abilities on the basketball court more than outweigh his lack of outside shot.

Rondo is arguably the most talented and well-rounded point guard in today’s game with the ability to fill his entire stat line with highly respectable numbers. In the Boston’s fifth game of the season against the New York Knicks, Rondo displayed this ability posting a triple-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and a team-record 24 assists to go along with an additional steal. This season could be a career year for Rondo as he is currently on track to post career highs in assists, steals, and rebounds.

Deron Williams (18.2 ppg 9.4 apg 4.6 rpg 1.0 spg)

Whenever discussing which point guard should be crowned king in the NBA, Deron Williams of the Utah Jazz always finds his way into the debate right there next to Chris Paul. Physically, Williams has all of the attributes any coach would want out off their star point guard. He’s the rare combination of quickness and strength, but most importantly he has a very high basketball IQ. But then again, would you expect any less from Jerry Sloan’s star pupil?

Everyone knows how John Stockton turned out (i.e. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame) so it’s only right that Sloan’s next star guard would posses such crucial abilities. Much like the Jazz of the 90’s, this millennium’s edition has circled around the chemistry of the point guard and his star big man. Up until this offseason, Williams and former Jazz forward Carlos Boozer created the new Stockton-Malone combo under Sloan’s careful guidance. Now with Boozer out of the equation, Williams has a new running mate in Al Jefferson to keep Sloan’s system alive.

Williams’ stat line has him hovering right around his averages from last season which landed him a spot on the Western Conference All Star team. With a 2-3 record, the Jazz are off to a rocky start but with Williams at the reigns, the Jazz should be looking at another playoff appearance this season.

Derrick Rose (25.0 ppg 9.8 apg 4.2 rpg 0.8 spg)

Chicago’s star point guard was named the team’s first all star since the G.O.A.T. himself received the nod back in 1998. Rose’s numbers in points, assists, and rebounds have gone up rather considerably each season. With him as the primary scoring option, the Bulls have made the playoffs each of his three NBA seasons but have never been able to advance past the first round.

Following a productive offseason, with the acquisition of all star caliber forward Carlos Boozer and three-point specialist Kyle Korver, the Bulls are looking to make a legitimate push towards a successful playoff run this season.

Derrick Rose has evolved into a well-rounded offensive threat. He is currently the second leading scorer in the NBA and fourth in the league in assists. With career numbers and a team with plenty of potential, Rose could be a potential candidate for MVP honors this season.

Russell Westbrook (22.2 ppg 6.6 apg 7.0 rpg 2.0 spg)

Like Derrick Rose, Westbrook is only in his third season in the NBA. Even so, the 6’3” point guard out of UCLA has shown his ability to be a primary threat for the up-and-coming Oklahoma City Thunder. While teammate Kevin Durant has received the most praise and credit for the Thunder’s recent turnaround, Westbrook has been just as crucial to the team’s progress.

Westbrook has the ability to fill up the stat sheet from end to end with this hustle and toughness on both ends of the court. He currently leads all guards in rebounds per game and leads the Thunder in free throw percentage, assists, and steals per game.

The star guard’s only glaring weakness is his lack of outside shot as he is currently shooting a mere 10% from beyond the arc. With Westbrook being only three years removed from his UCLA playing days, there is plenty of time to improve as he continues his career in the NBA.

As the Thunder currently sit only 2.5 games behind the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, with a record of 3-2, no one knows for sure what the future holds for this young group of talent. But one thing is for sure: with Westbrook leading the offense, only good things can happen as a result.

Final Thoughts

All things considered, each athlete can make a legitimate case as to who the true star is amongst them. If forced to make a decision on who I believe is the best point guard in the league today, I’d have to go with CP3—with Rajon Rondo hanging on his coattails. Chris Paul leads all guards in efficiency rating (+28.50) and has the least amount of support as anyone else on this list. Paul’s contributions on the court leave the Hornets only a half game behind the Lakers in the West. For Paul to be able to lead such a mediocre team to an undefeated record says a lot about his ability as a point guard who can successfully carry out an offensive game plan.

Don’t agree with my pick? Leave a comment about who you think is the best PG in the NBA today.

Sorry for the delay

I wanted to take the time out to apologize for the lack of updates since the season began. Between everyday studying, homework and midterms, it's been hard trying to find the time to update the blog. But know I haven't forgotten about this website and I plan to continue to deliver key NBA analysis as soon as the time becomes available. Thank you for your patience and be on the look out of an update in the near future.


-JayAr

Heat Not the Clear Favorites to Win NBA Championship

It’s amazing how quickly people will blow-up the positives and simply ignore the negatives in many sports situations.

After ESPN’s hour-long reality program The Decision in which LeBron James announced he would be joining fellow Class of ’03 draftees Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, many fans and analysts were quick to crown the Heat as the favorites to not only come out of the Eastern Conference but to also win an NBA Championship in the 2010-11 season. While the Heat have undoubtedly one of the best core groups in the NBA, they are just that—a core.

The Heat currently, after sending Michael Beasley to Minnesota for draft picks, have little depth coming from their supporting cast. After spending the vast majority of their salary cap to sign these three superstars, the Heat weren’t able to sign very many young developing free agents during the off-season.

However, they were able to add shooting specialists Eddie House and Mike Miller and re-sign seven-year veteran Udonis Haslem. While these additions sound good on paper, I’m still not totally convinced that this will work out on the court come October 26^th.

Taking a look around the rest of the league, the other top teams with multiple All-Star quality players still have other role players on their team who can make strong contributions to their respective teams.

Looking at just the East, I don’t know if I would be so quick to pick Miami to represent the conference in the NBA Finals. The Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics are still my favorites to come out of the East.

The reigning conference champion Boston Celtics still have a very good chance of repeating next season. With one of the best starting lineups in the NBA, they still have been able to surround their Big Three of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce with solid veterans who have been able to thrive in Doc Rivers’ system.

Kevin Garnett still has enough in the tank to hold his own against Bosh and probably even outplay him. Garnett’s physicality and energy could prove too much for Bosh and overwhelm him. In one-on-one matchups, I would definitely pick Garnett to win out.

Paul Pierce proved in the 2008 Conference Finals that he can hold his own against LeBron James after going for 41 points to James’ 45 in Game 7 to close out the series. In last year’s playoffs, Pierce did his best to contain James and was, for the most part, successful.

Rajon Rondo would most likely take on the responsibility of guarding Wade; and as last season’s leader in steals, I don’t think it would be too demanding of a task. While Wade is the better player Rondo is still a quality perimeter defender.

As a team known primarily for its lockdown defense, the Celtics should be able to matchup well against the Heat with its superior team defense.

The Orlando Magic have possibly the most depth out of any team in the league. At some point, the Heat’s trio will have to take a seat on the bench and in those situations, it will come down to whose role players outplay the other’s.

Beyond just that, the more important question would be how the Heat plan to guard Dwight Howard. As one of the best perimeter shooting teams (third best in the league last season), Orlando has shown that if a team doubles on Howard, there are shooters waiting for that pass out of the paint for an open look.

If the Heat are indeed able to make it out of the Eastern conference and into the NBA Finals, I still pick the Los Angeles Lakers as the favorites to win the title. As far as defensive matchups, the Lakers can guard the trio of Miami without the need to resort to double teams.

With great perimeter defenders in Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest to cover Wade and James and three big men in Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom to guard Bosh, the Lakers would be able to handle the Heat defensively.

On the offensive end of the court, the Lakers have the luxury of having arguably the best player in the league in Kobe Bryant and most skilled big man in Gasol. Both players command double teams and if they pass it out, there are other talented players in Artest and Bynum waiting to take advantage offensively.

Outside of the starting lineup, the Lakers have one of the best--although at times, inconsistent--sixth men in Lamar Odom, who is also capable of taking over games on both ends of the floor.

In addition to their ablility to successfully re-sign veteran point guard Derek Fisher and sign free agent Steve Blake, I don’t see any reason not to pick them to win it all.

At this point, it is difficult to predict what will happen this upcoming season but I feel the Heat are somewhat of a mystery and are not my favorite to win the NBA Championship.