What’s up! I am The Rabbi, video editor for “On The Sportslines”, and today we're
doing a little something different as we turn our attention towards the NBA.
I'm going to have a chat with OTSL's resident “Stat King” Jay Kaplan as
we discuss the In’s and Out’s of the NBA as the second half is about to get
underway.
The Rabbi: I
know you haven't seen too much good ball from your Sixers this year, but you
ready to talk REAL hoops?
Jay Kaplan: Yeah,
lets tip this thing off.
The Rabbi: Alright,
we're going to start with the two locals, beginning with the still kings of New
York, the Knicks. They
are 32-17, and have been occupying the #2 seed in the East practically all
season. So, Jay, what's your grade
for the Knicks first half?
Jay Kaplan: In
all honesty, I can't really go above a B+ for the Knicks. They are the best
team in the Atlantic Division, but that's as much an indictment of the division
as it is a testament to the play of the Knicks. The loss to the Clippers was an
example of what happens when the Knicks revert to the Melo show. Yes, he HAD to
put up monster points because no one else was scoring, but how much of that was
lack of ball movement as well as bad shooting? The Knicks had more turnovers
than assists and on a team with Kidd, Felton and Prigioni, that shouldn't
happen. JR Smith was MIA, Novak got no shots and despite a good start, they
didn't go to Amare enough in the post. And don't get me started on the decline
on the defensive end! Here are some numbers on that…In their 8-1
start to the season, New York ranked fourth in Defensive Efficiency (that’s points
allowed per 100 possessions) and sixth in opponents' Field Goal Percentage. In the 39 games
that followed (before last Sunday's game), the Knicks had fallen off
remarkably.
In that span, New York ranked 19th in the NBA in Defensive
Efficiency and 23rd in Opponent’s Field Goal Percentage. Thanks to the ESPN NY Knicks blog for those
numbers.
And you and I both agree that it seems like the Knicks just cannot
beat a good team.
The Rabbi: Yeah,
they have no quality wins seemingly since the turn of the calendar year.
I'm
actually going go with a B on this one.
There was SO much hope when the season started, but they were on a 3
point tear. They couldn't keep up that hot streak, and everyone knew that. The way the Knicks played Mike
Woodson's version of "small ball" worked for a long while this
season, because it was creative and something we hadn't seen from the Knicks
since that brief run last year with some guy named Lin. This team is going to need to come up
with a BIG man, who can play on that 2nd team with Amare. Because once we get to later in the
season, the Knicks have no SHOT at being the Miami Heat in a Best of Seven. Can they beat anyone else in a Best of
Seven? Sure, but I'm not 100% sure
if anyone is worthy right now.
Jay Kaplan: I
think the version of - as you put it - "Woodson Ball" is a very
effective offense, but everyone has to play their part. I think some of the recent issues have
to do with re-integrating Amare, Shumpert and even Felton back into the team
when they came off the DL. As far
as having another Big to play with Amare on the 2nd unit, I disagree. It's not
about that, it's about Amare, Melo and Chandler being able to all be on the
floor at closing time and not get in each other’s way. Figuring floor spacing in that
situation will be key. Can the
Knicks beat any/everyone else on the way to facing the Heat in the Eastern Conference
Final? MAYBE, but not if they play
like they did against the Clippers.
Look, we know that Melo has to be Option #1 on offense, but him being
the NBA's leading scorer is not necessarily the best thing for the Knicks. It means he is taking too many shots
because either he's hogging the ball or nobody else is putting the rock in the
net and he feels like he HAS to take all the shots and score all the points. He needs to trust in his teammates a
bit more, but they have to earn that trust by knocking down shots. Catch 22.
The Rabbi: I
think the difference between Year 1 and 2 Melo to Year 3 Melo is simple. He knows when his team is hot and knows
when they’re not. Carmelo CAN be
the leading scorer in the league, there is no consistent Robin right now to
Melo's batman. Melo hasn't been in
Iso 20-25 times per game like he was a year or two ago. However, if the Knicks can find a
consistent #2 scorer, whether it be big or small, they can beat anyone in the
East, except Miami.
Jay Kaplan: Right, but
here's the thing, the rest of the NBA watched the tape of the 4th Quarter where
the Clippers defense almost completely took Melo out of the offense. Using a combination of ball denial
defense by Grant Hill along with trapping on pick-and-rolls, the Clippers held
Anthony to just two shots and four points in the fourth. The rest of the Knicks combined for 14
points in the fourth as Los Angeles outscored New York 31-18, in the final 12
minutes of their 102-88 win. Woodson
took Amare out with 7:30 left in the 4th and never brought him back in. Why? That move made no sense to me. Amare has REALLY developed a NICE low-post game after
working with Hakeem Olajuwon in the off-season, but we're only seeing glimpses
of it because either Melo is taking all the shots, or because Woodson STILL
hasn't figured out how to incorporate Amare's new skill set into the
offense. And we all know, that in
the playoffs, where everything grinds to a half-court offense stop, you need a
guy who can score down low. Yes,
Melo can do that, but he's better off on the wing, facing up his defender.
The Rabbi: Yeah,
but Grant Hill was amazing on his defense #1 and #2 I have to believe that
Amare is always going to be a work in progress this season, but that's why they
need a big man. If not to work
with Amare, then to be in there late with Chandler and Melo.
Jay Kaplan: We'll
see. Okay, shall we look at the
Player to Watch in the Second Half for the Knicks?
The Rabbi: OK, now I think
we've given Melo enough talk here.
The Rabbi: I have to go
with a guy that at times represents the same erratic guy who shoots 1-for-a
million from the field one night and 999,999-1 million the next. Yup, it's JR
Smith. JR has bought into this
system to a certain extent and has done what I never thought he would be able
to do, win the Knicks crowd over. But
there is a bit of an inconsistency to his play.
Jay Kaplan: Ya
think? He
gives me John Starks flashbacks!
The Rabbi: What do the
numbers 9-0-18-11-17-25-16-13-15-6 mean? That's not the
combination from Lost, that's Smith's scoring line last 10 games!
Jay Kaplan: Very
Starks-ian.
The Rabbi: I think his
Knicks tenure can be summed up by the Celtics game in Boston a few weeks ago. 3-16 from the
field, but hits 2 clutch shots in the last 2 minutes. Sadly, as a
Knicks fan, he's probably the team’s second best option right now at clutch
time. When JR is on he's on, but
when he's off he's JR.
Jay Kaplan: I
liked what I saw from JR earlier in the season, but he has been way too inconsistent
of late. I cringe at the thought
of a guy with a 39.8%FG as the Knicks #2 option. I know it may not be the popular pick, but my
guy to watch in the second half is Steve Novak. If this guy is getting 5+ FGA from beyond the arc and is
knocking them down at his career rate of 44%, that means, to quote Walt
Frazier, the Knicks are dishing and swishing. In Wins: 8.5ppg in 23 minutes per game, 5.3
3PT FGA per game and hitting them at a 45.7% clip. In losses: 3.8ppg in less than 20 minutes per
game, only 2.8 3PT FGA per game and hitting at only a 38.3% clip. Yes, Novak is a one-dimensional player with a
singular skill, but we both know that his ability to knock down 3's is
essential to the success of the Knicks offense. I know that stats can be made to fit any narrative we want,
but I think this even passes the "Eye Test". When Novak gets shots, he knocks those
shots down and the Knicks have a better chance to win. We've seen it time and
again this season.
The Rabbi: Yeah, Novak is
a huge streak shooter though, I almost think if he's getting the threes, everyone
is getting the threes. That
simple. Okay,
so let's move on to the Brooklyn Nets.
They've had their ups, and they've CERTAINLY had their down in 2012-13,
on their way to a 30-22 record. Jay,
what's your grade for the Nets first half?
Jay Kaplan: I
can't give the Nets anything higher than a B. These guys are JR Smith-like in terms of streakiness as a
team. They run hot and cold like
nobody's business. They’re 4-6 in their last 10 games, practically break
even in point differential at +0.3 and are averaging only 86.1ppg in their last
seven games. They can't run their
offense if Deron Williams isn't on the floor and he's been inconsistent
compared to last year, averaging just 13.7 points, 5.7 assists and 4.0
turnovers and shooting 38.7%FG from the field in his last six games prior to
being shelved with his ankle issues.
Brook Lopez has been solid, even All-Star worthy, but I was expecting
more from Joe Johnson than I've seen so far and that bench is reed-thin and
inconsistent. You're not going to
win a title with Bogans and Blatche as the best guys on your second unit. I know, I know, MarShon Brooks, but he
isn't even a below-the-poverty-line facsimile of Jamal Crawford.
The Rabbi: Something is
wrong with D-Will so for me this grade is actually a B-.
Jay Kaplan: Lowest
numbers in major stat categories in his last 5 seasons.
The Rabbi: And the Nets
have had a disappointing season, even by mediocre standards, and yes I know
they are 8 games over .500. Yeah, I think D-Will needs to rehab injuries
that I think he's truthfully playing through. Joe Johnson has
actually kept this team afloat in the last 15 to 20 games shockingly.
Jay Kaplan: Well,
Deron has been shelved, he won't even practice till this week.
The Rabbi: Yeah, I think
he should be out longer. Deron is just
starting to become a tiny bit of a hinderance out there. He may need to run a few less plays
when he comes back. Just look at
the game against an actual good team, Indiana. It was ugly, but they won. And the Nets may need to win "ugly"
a lot more in the second half of the season.
Jay Kaplan: D-Will had been
averaging almost 36 minutes per game this season, that's a lot of wear and tear
on a PG in an Isolation-heavy offense.
It may just be taking it's toll on him. Unfortunately, as I said, this team flat out struggles to
run it's offense without him. I
think you're right about them having to win a lot of ugly games in the second
half in order to stay in the hunt for the #4 seed and home court in the first
round. When healthy, I like their Starting Five, but that bench is a
hindrance. I know GM Billy King
from his time running the Sixers Front Office and he's a deliberate guy, but I
do think he needs to add to this team.
The rumors are already circulating. Interest in Utah's Paul Milsap; could Carlos Boozer be coming
here to reunite with D-Will; and according to ESPN, through their league
sources, the Nets are "aggressively pursuing a trade for Atlanta Hawks
star forward Josh Smith." I
put no stock in trade rumors. They
are a whole lot of sound and fury signifying nothing, until something actually
happens, but the Nets do need to make something happen.
The Rabbi: I
completely agree with you 100%. This
team needs a boost via any trade whatsoever. Smith would be a headache
for this team financially and personality wise, but I think desperate times
call for desperate measures, but I'll get to that in a second. One thing that's amazing about the
Nets, is that they've won almost all the games they were supposed to win
this season.
The Rabbi: They have one
loss, ONE, against a below .500 team at the time they played them this season,
and that was the week leading to the All-Star break against Washington. However, all
that will do for the Nets is expose them in a Best of Seven. It would be ironic if the Knicks and Nets
played each other in Round 1, with each team's inability to win against a good
team in 2013.
Jay Kaplan: Well,
if Williams is out for an extended period and King doesn't make a trade that
improves this team, they could fall to the #6 or #7 seed and could play the Knicks
if they are the #2 or #3. That
said, let's take a look a the key second half player for Jay-Z's team. Rabbi, who are you looking at?
The Rabbi: I was thinking
more of a 4-5 situation actually.
The Rabbi: I don’t know,
Indiana and Chicago have a good shot.
Jay Kaplan: Well,
we can discuss that in our “Around the NBA” segment.
The Rabbi: Now moving on
to the Nets Player to Watch in the second half, I have go all OTSL's Sean Roman
on you and say Kris Humphries!
The Rabbi: This is a double-edged
sword here. Here's edge #1: Kris
Humphries gets traded sometime in the next week and is one of the key pieces
that go to Atlanta in a trade for Josh Smith or bring a decent bench guy back
to Brooklyn like Ben Gordon. Edge #2: He stays and becomes a force again, not
the inconsistent 6ppg mess he's become in 2013.
Jay Kaplan: His
disappearance has hurt this team, he was being counted on to be a physical
presence inside.
The Rabbi: Hell, in the
first half versus Denver last week, he had an early 10 points! And we though JR was Mr.
Inconsistency. We need to see more
of the pre-“I-just-got-jilted-by-Kim Kardashian” Kris Humphries.
Jay Kaplan: Indeed,
the Nets need the guy who averaged 14/11 last year not the 6/6 guy they’ve been
getting so far this season. My Net
to watch in the second half is Joe Johnson. I talked about Johnson on OTSL when we were doing our Knicks/Nets
preview. This is a career 18/4/4
guy who has been the #1 offensive option on a playoff team; been an All-Star;
and I felt he'd be the perfect compliment to D-Will, playing off him on some nights
and taking over on others. But I
haven't seen the guy I saw in Atlanta. All of his numbers are down slightly from his
career averages, by about 1pt, 1 assist and 1 rebound which most people would look
at and say "Well, this is Deron Williams team, it makes sense that
Johnson's numbers would drop a bit being Option #2", but when you look underneath
the numbers - and you know I always do - here's what jumps out: In wins, he
averages 18.2ppg on 44.6%FG. In
losses he averages 14.9pts on 38.6%FG.
That's a pretty big split for a guy who is supposed to be a hallmark of
consistency. He's about on par
with his career PPG Split in wins, but he's down from his career PPG split in
losses. If D-Will is going to miss
games and/or play less minutes, then it's going to be even more incumbent upon
Joe to pick up the slack and be the guy who was a 6-Time All-Star while down
South.
The Rabbi: You know, it's
kind of funny, the last time JJ went over 20 was the MLK day win against the
Knicks. Joe
Johnson is going be a huge part to this team, but maybe D-Will's few games out
will help Joe and the rest of this team. The game
against Indiana was all about seeing how ugly they can win a game.
Jay Kaplan: We'll
see, with D-Will out who’s going to get JJ the ball?
The Rabbi: Well, as I said
before, I think D-Will has had injuries since the season started
If he’s
not 100% D-Will may not be as helpful as you think.
Jay Kaplan: And
when CJ Watson is your backup PG, that's a problem. And yes, that will impact Johnson's effectiveness. Forget all
those Forwards in the trade rumors, get this team a PG!
The Rabbi: I'm
not saying CJ Watson is D-Will II, but for right now D-Will needs to fix what
is wrong with him.
This has been, one crazy first half of the NBA season, but
everything has been closer to status quo, the top 3 teams are pretty much the
same as last year (Spurs, Heat, and Thunder), so let's talk about the
surprises.
Let's
start with a good surprise Jay.
Jay Kaplan: The
team that has surprised me so far this season - and they're making me look good
for picking them as the team to watch on OTSL's NBA Preview - is the Denver
Nuggets.
As much as I hated to see him leave Philly - and I still don't
agree with the trade - I knew that Andre Igoudala would be a great addition to
a pretty good team and he's made them better on both ends of the floor. He's around his
career numbers in points, rebounds and assists, averaging 13/5/5. He's what Dickie V calls a Stat Sheet
Stuffer, but more than that, you get NBA All-Defense level D; great decision
making; and leadership; things that cannot often be quantified - shocking
coming from a stat guy, I know - but that every team with championship
aspirations needs. He was, in my
estimation, the missing piece to a really good, young core of Danilo Galinari,
Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried. He
gives Denver another "Been there, done that, got the t-shirt to prove
it" veteran who, along with Andre Miller, will guide this bunch of kids
deeper into the playoffs than most people may think. They play at a very high
pace - #3 in PPG; they move the ball well - #2 in assists; they shoot a high
percentage; they get a LOT of second chance points - they're #1 in Offensive
rebounding - and they get steals and blocks at a
high rate. Wow, I sounded like
Hubie Brown there for a second.
The Rabbi: I
loved the Nuggets, they are essentially a stat sheet stuffer team and Faried is
as much of a beast as any player in the entire league when it comes to the boards. I think it will be just a couple of
years till Faried wins Defensive Player of the Year. I'm going to go
with the highest scoring team in the NBA.
I'm going with the Houston Rockets.
Jay Kaplan: Nice
choice!
The Rabbi: The
Harden trade that they made days before the season has worked out perfectly for
this franchise, who was looking for a #1 guy for years now. Houston is
29-25, really been a solid team from the moment the word go has been said this
year.
Jay Kaplan: Word
go? Come on, you're better than that Rabbi! At least go with "from the opening tip"!
The Rabbi: Harden
is the reason, with numbers that I don't think we thought he would have this
soon after being put into a starting lineup. Harden is a 27ppg player and has been
carrying this team on certain nights when they've needed it. Omar Asik (thank God I don't have to speak
his name here) has been a pleasent surprise as well as the #2 player on this
team shockingly. And oh yeah, there's
some guy named Lin that's been playing up to acceptable PG status, at least scoring-wise. If he can run the floor more
efficiently, this team is going to be trouble. I don't think a team like the Thunder wants to draw the
Rockets in Round 1.
Jay Kaplan: A
couple of solid choices. Let's
move on to the team that has been the disappointment so far in the first
half. Are we going to unanimously
give that to the Lakers Rabbi?
The Rabbi: There
are two EASY choices here, I think, so I'll go with the Lakers. Yup, I go status quo. The Lakers have
been as entertaining as promised, entertaining train wreck style. There are three
problems at work here. Problem #1
is Mike Antoni. And I think you
know why I call him that Jay.
Jay Kaplan: Because
his teams NEVER play D! (insert rim shot here)
The Rabbi: Yup,
he should be ashamed to have “D” in his name! Mike is also a problem in this aspect: he
thinks this team should run around his system, and not let Kobe, Dwight, Nash,
and Gasol, be, you know, the All stars that they are! Problem #2 is
Dwight Howard. I don’t think he's used
to a media market like LA. You
know how some baseball players can't play in NY where baseball is king? Well, I’m thinking Dwight can't play in
LA where B-Ball is King. At least
the Lakers are.
That PLUS I think Dwight worries too much about his image and his
touches.
Jay Kaplan: Just
about to say that. I agree with
you on both of those last two points.
The Rabbi: Third
and final problem: I need to see ONE version of Kobe Bryant. One day it's
the 30 shot Kobe Bryant, another day it's the motivational leader Kobe Bryant,
another day it's 11 assist Kobe Bryant, and then you have the final version of
Kobe Bryant, one who didn't take A SINGLE SHOT in the first half against the
Suns last week.
Not didn't
make a shot,
didn't
take a shot. I feel like Kobe Bryant needs to be a
scorer again. Let Steve Nash be
the facilitator. Let the rest of
the players play.
Jay Kaplan: I
hear ya Kid. There may be one or
two other teams that are disappointing, but I'm sorry no team has been as
disappointing on so many levels and so many ways as the Lakers, so we are
unanimous on this one. For me this
all started with Mike Brown getting fired five, count ‘em FIVE games into the
season, though you can go back before that and say that Little Jimmy Buss being
given the keys to the car was the first domino. You heard me say this when it all went down, but I'll say it
again, because it bears saying. Jim
Buss has no business having the final word on personnel matters. It is a crime against basketball that a
solid GM like Mitch Kupchak, who built the teams that got Kobe his rings has to
answer to a lugnut like Jim Buss. Jim
Buss is why Mike (no D)'Antoni is coaching instead of Phil Jackson. Phil wanted some say in personnel
decisions - no doubt like he did during his previous tenure - but Dr. Jerry
said "Nope" and Phil wasn't about to come back and deal with Little
Jimmy so back to Montana he went and the rest is the train wreck you see before
you. Now I'll grant
you, the Lakers have resembled a M*A*S*H unit that would make Hawkeye Pierce proud
- Google it youngster - so that has played a major part in this disaster of a
first half. You can't expect Kobe,
Nash, Howard and Gasol to learn how to play together if you can't get them all
on the court at the same time. And
now Gasol is pretty much done for the year. This is a team in search of an identity and if they don't
find it quick, they'll be on the outside looking in come mid-April when the
playoffs start.
The Rabbi: I
know who Hawkeye Pierce is! I know
my M*A*S*H
damnit!
The Rabbi: This is not the
year for the Lakers and it makes me wonder if they want Howard to stay around
or they really want to blow this up.
Jay Kaplan: Oh
I get the feeling Howard is One And Done with the Lakers. But yes, let's
move on.
The Rabbi: This
last half of the season is a big time for teams to make their big move in the
playoff race, so let's pick two teams to watch, one from the East and one from
the West in these last 30-something games.
Jay Kaplan: Okay
for me the teams to watch are the Chicago Bulls in the East and the Golden
State Warriors in the West. I'll
start with the Bulls. Once again,
they have shown they can win despite not having the services of star PG Derrick
Rose. They are 30-21 and currently
the #4 seed in the East which would get them home court. They are doing it with Smoke and Mirrors on
offense - their 93.6ppg is 27th in the Association - and the tough defense that
has become their trademark under Head Coach Tom Thibodeau. They only allow 91.9ppg, good for #3 in
the league.
Luol Deng is having a decent season, leading the team with 16.9ppg
and the Bulls are getting 27.6 points and 20.6 rebounds from Joakim Noah and Carlos
Boozer, but how far can this team go without Rose? According to Bulls GM John Paxson, Rose will start 5-on-5
practices after the All-Star break, but Rose says his recovery is at about 80%,
which means he could be back in two weeks or not till next season. It will be interesting to see what kind
of run the Bulls can make without their Franchise Player.
As for the Golden State Warriors, did anyone
see this coming? I know I didn't. They’re 30-22,
currently sitting at #6 in the West and they are doing it without Monta Ellis,
who they traded last season to the Bucks for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson. Freed from
having to share the ball with the talented but mercurial Ellis, Steph Curry has
taken over the leadership of this team and is putting up solid numbers: 21ppg;
6.6ast; shooting 90% from the stripe and 45% from downtown where he's jacking
up 7 shots a game. David Lee - who I LOVED when he was a Knick - is doing his
usual lunch-pail/hard hat work averaging 19 points and almost 11 boards per
game. Young Klay Thompson has been a nice complimentary scorer (16.4ppg) and
Jarrett Jack has done a solid job running the point off the bench. They have good role players (Harrison
Barnes, Carl Landry) and Mark Jackson has done a decent job as Head Coach. The key for the Warriors in the second
half will be upping things on the defensive end. They are near the bottom of the NBA in steals, blocks and
opponent's PPG. They also commit more
turnovers than they force. And
while they are Top-10 in DEF FG% and 3PT% (#6 in each), they allow too many
offensive rebounds which means that while their opponents may miss their first
shot, too often they get a second.
If they can shore some of these things up, they can be a factor in the
post-season.
The Rabbi: First of all on
Chicago, Rose has said he wont come back til he's 110%, so I'm sorta surprised
at the mixed messages the team and him has sent
Jay Kaplan: Truth
The Rabbi: And
Golden State needs to be careful, they've lost 5 in a row. Okay, for me I
have to go with two rivals: Boston and LA. You know those old rivals the
Celtics and the Clippers.
Jay Kaplan: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
The Rabbi: I'll
start with Boston, who I think we all thought were dead at the beginning of the
year. Now, they're 28-24, and have
won 8 out of their last 10. Can
they truly have a huge run without Rajon Rando, who's done for the year? I remember the
moment when we heard about the injury and the initial reaction was they're
done, there's no freaking way they win the division, they'll be lucky to keep
their playoff spot which was 8th at the time. Since then
they've moved up to 7th, opened the gap to 5 games clear of a playoff spot,
have won games pretty (double OT vs. the Heat) and UGLY (they scored 8 points
vs. the Bulls in the 3rd quarter last week and still won). However, the
big thing for them now is this: they can stay with this team - surprisingly
deep as it is - and maybe, just maybe, win the division for a 6th year in a
row. It's possible.
Now
to the Clippers. I looked at last
year's strike shortened season as a tryout to see if the Clippers can become
elite and if this was the right fit for Chris Paul. Check and check. Right now they are firmly in the #3
spot in the West and despite not having Chris Paul for a good amount of games
this year, they're 37-17! This team is the deepest in LA by far, and
they might be just as deep or deeper then the San Antonio Spurs. Chris Paul is
going to be a Clipper a lot longer than Dwight Howard will be a Laker. And most importantly, if the Clips show
they can make one big push to go over either OKC and/or San Antonio to get one
of those top two spots in the West, LA may see Championship basketball in June
anyway.
So,
Jay, we saw the run LeBron James went on: six games of 30+ points and 60%+FG
from the field. Insane! But is he or Kevin Durant your
midseason MVP?
Jay Kaplan: Before I answer that, let me toss my two
cents in on your picks. The
Celtics still have enough to be dangerous. I wouldn't want to play them in the
post-season. The Clippers will have a strong regular season but the Royalty of
the West just ain't ready to let them crash the party. Just sayin Rabbi.
As
far as who gets Midseason MVP? Come
on, that's a Clown Question Bro! It's
a one-horse race and LeBron James could walk backwards and still win. You've done the math already - thanks for
stealing my numerical thunder Kid - and it is flat out astounding! He's taken his game to such a different
level this season. Everyone should
be very afraid. This is what it's
come to: in Miami’s 117-104 win over Portland last week The King put up what is
becoming a typical game for him: 30pts, 6reb, 9ast, 11-15FG. Now the other members of the Big Three
were pretty damn good too. D-Wade
went for 24pts, 9reb, 7ast and Chris Bosh had himself 32pts/11reb in the game
on 13-16FG. Do you think Wade got
any of the SportsCenter highlights?
Maybe ONE. Bosh got
ZERO! Talk about getting no
respect. ESPN chose to put in two
highlights of shots that LeBron made but didn't count. That’s what it’s come to Rabbi. It's LeBron's league; all the other
players are just squirrels trying to get some nuts.
The Rabbi: I
thought this was the Lakers league considering how much attention they get. Also, we had a
Clown question and a M*A*S*H reference in the same chat! Success!
Jay Kaplan: Nah,
that streak of LeBron's pushed the Lakers WELL off the back page. As for the wide-ranging
Pop Culture references, you're welcome.
(Editor’s Note: The passing of Owner
Dr. Jerry Buss has put the Lakers back on the back pages and both The Rabbi and
Jay – as well as the rest of the OTSL family – extend their condolences to the
Lakers and the Buss family.)
The Rabbi: Alright,
I'm going with Kevin Durant. I
love the stat of those six games with 30ppg and 60% shooting, until I realized
the two guys tied with five games in a row are
Adrian
Dantley and Moses Malone. Really?
Jay Kaplan: Yeah,
not even in the same Zip Code as LeBron, though both are in the Hall.
The Rabbi: The
Thunder have a better record than the Heat; Durant scores more PPG than LeBron;
and sure LeBron averages an assist more per game; but
that's because there's still a BIG Three in Miami. OKC now has Durant and Westbrook and a lot of good guys, but
they are in great shape - almost the exact spot that they were in
last year - and it's all because of one person: KD.
The Rabbi: Nah,
I got more but I don't show all my bullets at once. The media is a rollercoaster ride. Remember the West is a dog fight, the East allows you to get
all these high scoring stats and that's why
LeBron is getting the love right now, and I don't know if he's been playing at this
level all year.
Jay Kaplan: Yup
and as we all know, it's all about who raises the Larry O'Brien trophy in June. So with that in
mind, here are our predictions for the NBA Finals. Rabbi start us off.
The Rabbi: Heat-Spurs. I LOVE the Thunder, but I feel like
they take a step back this year. I
know the Spurs have a good run left in them here and
if they can look back at those four games at the end of that Western Conference
Finals in 2012, they can improve on that, and Harden won't kill them this time! As for the
Heat, I don't see who beats them in the East.
Jay Kaplan: Well,
I agree with you about Miami. I
don't see anyway they don't make it back to the Finals unless Kevin Garnett
goes all Tanya Harding on LeBron with a tire iron. As for who they'll face? Well, as much as I can never count out a Greg Popovich
coached team, I think the Thunder also make it back even without Harden and
make it a rematch. Though if the Western
Conference Finals are Thunder-Spurs again? Well, then all bets are off.
The Rabbi: Well,
this marathon chat has ended, any final words you'd like to say sir?
Jay Kaplan: It's
been an interesting first half of the season in the Association. I enjoyed the Annual Pick-up game (aka “The
NBA All-Star Game”) and the NBA's celebration of His Airness turning 50. And now that all that is out of the way
I’m looking forward to what should be a very interesting second half both here
in The Big Apple and across the NBA.
The Rabbi: Same
here, there has been a lot of interesting twists and turns so far this season and
I can't wait for this stretch drive and the NBA's Second Season. Back for more basketball talk next
post. Till then, we're out.
