Saturday Slam: Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo has solidified himself as an all-time great

 

                                             (Credit: Getty Images) 

Before I shift my focus to the 2021-22 season, free agency, and all that good stuff, I want to stop and smell the flowers a bit by reflecting more on what Giannis Antetokounmpo has accomplished this past season. The young Milwaukee Bucks star brought back an NBA championship to Milwaukee for the first time in 50 years by taking out the Chris Paul/Devin Booker led Phoenix Suns in six games. In those six games, Antetokounmpo averaged a jaw-dropping 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game en route to an NBA Finals MVP trophy. 

Immediately after securing the championship, Antetokounmpo was overcome with emotion. Tears were flowing down his face. You could tell that he was still processing everything that was happening around him. After he was able to compose himself and do an interview, he remarked that even if he never wins another NBA championship in Milwaukee, at least he got one. He accomplished the mission that he set out to accomplish. 

I would like to take Antetokounmpo's comment a step further. By winning this one championship in Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo has solidified himself as an all-time great. I don't know where he ranks among the greatest of the greats and quite honestly, it's too early to say where he ranks given that his career is far from over. But regardless of where he stacks up, it's safe to say that he is now one of the games' greatest all-time players. 

In this NBA Finals, we saw it all come together for "The Greek Freak." He was basically score at will inside, he was making huge defensive plays, he was crashing the boards, and was the most dominant player all series long. The only real weak spot for him was the foul shooting and 3-point shooting, but he was able to overcome those weaknesses by being such a dominant force inside the 3-point line and around the basket. When you got the physical gifts that he has and are able to put it together like he did inside, foul shooting and 3-point shooting don't become a huge concern. 

What makes this all the more impressive is this was his first trip to the NBA Finals. It would have been easy for him to choke and cave under the pressure given this was his first time on this big of a stage. Many of the all-time greats have done it themselves. Instead, he rose to the challenge and delivered a sublime performance that few have rivaled. 

Perhaps the best part of this whole story is how this all began for Antetokounmpo: Far away in Greece, first discovered as an intriguing yet raw talent picked 15th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft. Nobody saw him becoming the all-time great that he is today. I'm not even sure if he saw it coming. Yet with hard work, humility, and a commitment to keep getting better each and every day, Antetokounmpo has seen the fruits of his labors deliver the goods in a big-time way. 

While I have no doubt that this is only the beginning for Antetokounmpo and that he has the potential to win several more championships, I think it's important to reiterate that regardless of what happens from here on out, Antetokounmpo has emerged as one the greatest players to ever play the game. He brought an NBA championship back to a city that was long thirsting for one and he did so with humility, class, and pure greatness. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

2021 NBA Finals Preview: Phoenix Suns vs. Milwaukee Bucks

                                                (Credit: clutchpoints.com) 

The 2021 NBA Finals begins on Tuesday and will feature a matchup that nobody on earth predicted at the start of the season: Phoenix Suns vs. Milwaukee Bucks. It's been a crazy journey for both of these teams to reach this point. Starting with the Suns, they took out the Lakers, Nuggets, and then Clippers to win the Western Conference crown. The Lakers were hobbled due to Anthony Davis not being at full strength, making them a vulnerable opponent. The Nuggets were without their star Jamal Murray, but they did have 2021 NBA MVP Nikola Jokic on their side. Jokic just wasn't able to do it all on his own in the end. As for the Clippers, Paul George and co. put up a real fight, but the absence of Kawhi Leonard also proved to be too much. 

As for the Bucks, they went through the Heat, Nets, and Hawks. The Heat were led by Jimmy Butler like last year, but they weren't able to recapture the magic they had in the bubble a year ago. The Nets had injury issues of their own with Kyrie Irving and James Harden missing some time. Kevin Durant played incredible basketball, but once again, it's a team sport and one man can't do it all on his own. As for the Hawks, they played really well as a team and had Trae Young not gotten injured, they might have reached the NBA Finals. 

The commonality in both the Western Conference and Eastern Conference brackets is that injuries played a big role in how things turned out. However, that isn't to say that the Suns and Bucks didn't have injury issues of their own. The Suns had to deal with Chris Paul missing action due to COVID protocols and Devin Booker had a busted nose. As for the Bucks, they've been without Giannis Antetokounmpo for the last two games due to a hyperextended knee and while there is no structural damage to his knee, it is unclear when he'll be back. Hopefully for Tuesday's Game 1. 

Ultimately, when looking at this upcoming Suns/Bucks series, a lot hinges on the health of Antetokounmpo. If he's healthy, the Bucks have a real shot to knock off the Suns due to their depth, length, and 3-point shooting. Khris Middleton has been a really nice number two option for them, shooting it well from the perimeter and giving Giannis the help that he needs. On top of that, veteran big man Brook Lopez and veteran guard Jrue Holiday have been playing well. The pieces around Antetokounmpo are definitely there. But he has to be present. 

As for the Suns, they appear to be pretty healthy right now. Paul is back from his COVID hiatus and while having a busted nose isn't fun, Booker hasn't been affected much by it. He also seems to pretty much be back from the injury anyways. Big man Deandre Ayton is getting it done inside (E.g. Valley-oop) and is giving the Suns the interior presence that they need. 

At this point, I do have to give the Suns the edge to win this series. They're the healthier team at the moment and they do have home court advantage. The NBA championship goes through Phoenix and not Milwaukee. Plus, it just feels like it's Chris Paul's time. He's paid his dues and he has the entire Suns team playing really good basketball. Everyone is feeding off his energy and I think everyone is extra fueled by the possibility of helping the great CP3 finally get a ring. 

In regard to how many games this series goes, I think if Giannis is able to go for the entire series, Suns win in 7. If he misses multiple games, then we could be looking at Suns in 5 or 6 games. After seeing such an injury ridden NBA playoffs, it would be nice to at least have an NBA Finals that features the best players of both teams. Hopefully the basketball world gets what they want. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

Saturday Slam: 10 things to look for in the 2021 NBA Playoffs

 

                                                (Credit: NBA.com) 

The 2021 NBA Playoffs are now here. After a fun and exciting play-in tournament, the bracket is fully filled in. Out West, the #1 overall seeded Utah Jazz will take on the #8 Memphis Grizzlies, the #2 Phoenix Suns will take on the #7 Los Angeles Lakers, the #3 Denver Nuggets will face the #6 Portland Trail Blazers, and the #4 Los Angeles Clippers will face the #5 Dallas Mavericks. In the East, the #1 Philadelphia 76ers will face the #8 Washington Wizards, the #2 Brooklyn Nets will face the #7 Boston Celtics, the #3 Milwaukee Bucks will face the #6 Miami Heat, and the #4 New York Knicks will face the #5 Atlanta Hawks. Action will start on Saturday. 

I'm starting something new this year by writing 10 things to look for in the NBA playoffs. I've done this over at my tennis blog ATPGuy.com (click here to check that out) to preview grand slams and I think it's been a pretty effective type of blog post. So now I'm going to start doing it for the NBA playoffs as well! Enjoy! 

#1. Can the Utah Jazz silence the haters? Despite having the best record in the NBA, the Utah Jazz still have plenty of doubters and haters. Part of this has to do with the fact that the Jazz have never won an NBA championship and also the fact that relative to other superstars, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert kinda fly under the radar. This is in part because they play in Utah but also because a big reason for the Jazz' success is the fact that they don't overly rely on Mitchell and Gobert. This is why they were able to hang onto the best record in the NBA despite Mitchell being out for approximately one month due to an ankle injury. 

While they lack the star power that most top seeds usually have, the Jazz do make it up with their depth and unselfishness. They know how to play as a team and how to play off each other's strengths to maximize what they have. 

Donovan Mitchell has been averaging 26.4 points, 5.2 assists, and 1.0 steals per game on the season, so by no means can they win the title without him. They absolutely need him healthy. If he's able to go with little issues, the Jazz could shock the world and win the NBA title. They play basketball the right way, have a great home court advantage, and I also think they're motivated by the fact that everyone is counting them out. 

Note: I also shared this on my Utah Jazz blog. Click here to check that out if you are a Jazz fan. 

#2. Can the Philadelphia 76ers back up their #1 seed out East? I feel like the 76ers have more respect than the Jazz because of the presence of Joel Embiid (28.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks), but they too have a lot to prove. They haven't been to the NBA Finals since the 2000-01 season in which Allen Iverson disrespected Tyronn Lue in Game 1 and in general, have found ways to fold in the playoffs over the years. 

Given that Joel Embiid is considered by many to be the best player in the game right now, one can actually argue there's even more pressure on the 76ers than the Jazz. The good news for the 76ers is their draw is pretty friendly. They get the Wizards in round one and then the winner of the Knicks/Hawks series in round two. There's no reason the 76ers shouldn't at least reach the Eastern Conference Finals and in that series, they would have home court advantage. So, count me in as picking the 76ers to win the East. I do think if they faced off against the Brooklyn Nets, they'd find a way to pull it out. Assuming everyone stays healthy of course. 

#3. Can LeBron James will the Los Angeles Lakers to the championship again? The Lakers do not have any easy path to the NBA Finals at all. They are the #7 seed and have to face a very difficult Phoenix Suns team in round one. Even if they win that series, they'd still have to go through the Nuggets and Jazz assuming the brackets hold to get back to the NBA Finals. 

Honestly, I think the Lakers should feel reasonably confident in their abilities to go the distance since they won it all last year and also the fact that the only reason they're seeded so low is because LeBron took a lot of time off to rest his ankle. With everyone now back, they should feel ready to rock and roll. 

As for the part about LeBron willing them specifically, I do think LeBron will need to get a little help from his friends. Namely Anthony Davis, who is the #2 option on this team. LeBron will need to play a big role of course, but he can't do it all by himself. It'll take a team effort like it did last year. 

#4. Can the Brooklyn Nets stay healthy? If they can stay healthy, the Brooklyn Nets should be favored to come out of the East. I mean, they got Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. That's a killer trio to go up against. The issue though is health: Kevin Durant played in just 32 games this year, James Harden played in 44 games (36 with the Nets), and Kyrie Irving surprisingly played the most out of the bunch at 54. The fact that they still found a way to finish #2 in the East is pretty impressive when you consider the lack of cohesiveness they've had all season. If the Nets can stay healthy, one has to like their odds. If not, it'll likely be the 76ers or some other team. 

One other question mark for the Nets is their defense. Durant, Irving, and Harden are known for their offense, but not their defense. While their defense has been good enough in the regular season, they'll have to step it up a notch come playoff time. It'll be interesting to see if that part comes together for them as well. 

#5. Can the Los Angeles Clippers figure it out? On paper, the Los Angeles Clippers are really dangerous. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George form a really good one-two punch and they have plenty of depth with Marcus Morris, Lou Williams, Serge Ibaka, Rajon Rondo, and others. But for whatever reason, these guys finished 4th in the Western Conference and weren't able to have a more productive regular season. It'll be interesting to see if they'll be able to hit the reset button in the playoffs or if they'll once again disappoint. 

#6. Can the Miami Heat recapture the magic from last year? The Miami Heat had a pretty improbable run to the NBA Finals last year and once again, they find the odds stacked against them as they are the #6 seed in the East. It'll be interesting to see if the Heat can find their mojo once again and recapture the Eastern Conference crown as a lower seeded team. So long as Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro stay healthy, they got a shot. 

#7. Can the Phoenix Suns prove that they're for real? The Phoenix Suns find themselves in a similar situation as the Utah Jazz. They have the second best record in the NBA and yet nobody thinks they got much of a shot to go all the way. Chris Paul has had an MVP worthy season (click here for my blog post on that) while Devin Booker (25.6 points per game) is one of the most dangerous scorers in the game. If they weren't in a small market, more people would take them seriously. Just like the Jazz. Hopefully they too will be able to prove their fantastic regular season was no fluke. 

#8. Can Jayson Tatum carry the Boston Celtics past the first round? Without Jaylen Brown, the Boston Celtics are in a lot of trouble right now and yet they still got a pulse, even if it's very faint. We've seen Jayson Tatum have some big nights and carry the Celtics on his back. Doing that in the playoffs is a different animal, but I think Tatum is eager to find out how far he can push himself. While I do see the Nets winning the series, Tatum could give them more trouble than they bargained for. 

#9. Can the Denver Nuggets make a deep run without Jamal Murray? With Jamal Murray done for the season due to a torn ACL, many people have written the Denver Nuggets off, though the team hasn't exactly gotten the memo. They are third in the West and Nikola Jokic is the front runner to win MVP. It'll be interesting to see just how far Jokic can lead this Nuggets team and whether or not they'll be able to sneak into the Western Conference Finals. Or maybe deeper. 

#10. Are the Milwaukee Bucks still contenders? With Giannis Antetokounmpo, one has to think the Milwaukee Bucks are serious contenders once again. The Greek Freak is averaging 28.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game, doing everything for his team as always. And yet, they took a step back this year, finishing third in the East after having the best record in basketball a year ago. It feels like people are sleeping on this Bucks team when perhaps they shouldn't. It'll be fun to see if the Bucks are able to make some noise and finish the job they should have completed a season ago. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

Tomahawk Tuesday: Should Phoenix Suns' Chris Paul win MVP?

                                             (Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports) 

Last season, the Phoenix Suns finished 10th in the Western Conference with a 34-39 record, just good enough to make the cutoff for the NBA bubble, where they went 8-0. One year later, the Suns are now 48-20, 1.5 games back of the Utah Jazz for best record in the NBA. When looking at the Suns' offseason, the one move that clearly stands out is their acquisition of Chris Paul via trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

Paul is having a fabulous season doing what he always does: Making those around him better. Paul is averaging 16.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game on 49.2% shooting from the field, 39.3% shooting from 3-point range, and 93.1% shooting from the foul line. He's having a very efficient season and appears to be just what the doctor ordered for the Suns in terms of elevating them into contender status. 

Truth be told, nobody saw the acquisition of Paul paying off like this for the Suns. I think most were in agreement that he'd certainly make them better, but second-best record in the NBA? Nobody saw that coming. 

As far as his MVP candidacy is concerned, I think a really strong case can be made for Paul. The MVP historically has been a combination of both team and individual achievement. The formula is basically as follows: Team success + perceived impact on that team success= MVP. If you want to make the formula a little fancier, you can subtract pre-season expectations of the team. 

That is to say, if everyone thought your team was going to be really good anyways, that doesn't help your case as much. Whereas if everyone thought your team was going to suck and they don't, that helps your case. The higher the expectations, the more it takes away from your MVP candidacy. I hope that math all makes sense! 

In the case of Paul, when using that formula to calculate his MVP odds, the end results end up looking pretty good for him. The Suns didn't have super high expectations going into the season, they ended up crushing those expectations by flirting with the best record in the NBA, and Paul has clearly played a big hand in their success. That all adds up to a strong MVP case. 

Does that mean he'll win it? Not necessarily. Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic is the consensus front runner for how he's kept his team afloat during the absence of Jamal Murray. When Murray went down, everyone assumed the Nuggets' goose was cooked. Instead, they are 45-24, just 3.5 games back of the Suns. Jokic has been a major reason for why the Nuggets are at where they are at, making his MVP candidacy quite strong as well. 

Ultimately, I would love to see Paul win the award. Just because he has really paid his dues and historically, he doesn't get enough respect. When talking about the best point guards in NBA history, Paul too often gets overlooked. Part of that is his consistency and commitment to his team. He doesn't create any drama and he's always just out there doing his thing. Guys like that are easy to cheer for and deserving of whatever awards come their way. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 
                                           

Tomahawk Tuesday: How concerned should the Los Angeles Lakers be right now?

 

The Los Angeles Lakers are currently 5th in the Western Conference standings, 8 games back of the top seeded Utah Jazz, 7 games back of the Phoenix Suns, 6 games back of their inner city rivals Los Angeles Clippers, and 4 games back of the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers have slipped back in the standings due to LeBron James (ankle) and Anthony Davis (calf) missing extended periods of time. James has played in 41 games this season while Davis has played in 26. Fortunately for the Lakers, Davis is now back, having played three games since his return. But James' return date is still up in the air. 

To the question at hand, the Lakers should be moderately concerned right now, but there's no reason to panic. They're the defending champs and at full strength, they should be favored to come out of the Western Conference. All four of the teams ahead of them are teams that have never won an NBA championship, which means all four of those teams still have a lot to prove. 

On top of that, some of those teams ahead of them are dealing with injury issues of their own. The Jazz have had to play without Donovan Mitchell for the past 10+ days or so due to his ankle injury and the Nuggets have lost Jamal Murray for the season due to a torn ACL. The Suns' Chris Paul has had injury issues in the past and the Clippers' Paul George likewise has found ways to get hurt in the playoffs. So, everyone is dealing with injuries right now or at least has the threat of injuries hurting their seasons. 

That all said, the Lakers still find themselves in a tricky spot. If they stay at the 5 spot, they'll likely have to win the championship without home court advantage in every series they play in. Home court advantage is crucial in the NBA and to not have it puts your team at a real disadvantage. Plus, they have no shot at winning the title without James and Davis healthy. If those guys go down again come playoff time, it's game over. 

I'm confident that James will be fine in the playoffs. He's rarely shut down like this and I suspect part of this is just being overly cautious for the playoffs. But Davis has had real injury issues for his entire career, which is why I was skeptical of their title chances a year ago. So, he's definitely one to watch throughout the duration of the season. 

The bottom line is the Lakers still are the slight favorites to come out of the Western Conference in my book, but they have their work cut out for them and none of the teams ahead of them are going to back down without putting up a real fight. The Jazz, Suns, and Clippers in particular see an opening here and have to be motivated to see a wounded Lakers team currently chasing them. It'll be interesting to see how they finish the season and whether or not the Lakers will be able to gain some ground before the playoffs start. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

Saturday Slam: Where things sit at the 2021 NBA All-Star Break

 

2021 NBA All-Star Weekend is here, which means we are at the unofficial halfway mark of the 2020-21 NBA season. I have never done this particular blog post before, but here's to new beginnings! In case you have been out of the loop up until this point, below is a quick breakdown of where things sit in the NBA at the All-Star break. 

Out East, the Philadelphia 76ers are the top ranked team with an impressive 24-12 record. Joel Embiid is getting MVP consideration for the way he's guiding the Sixers and deservedly so. The Brooklyn Nets led by Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving are in the #2 spot at 24-13, just a half game back. The #3 Milwaukee Bucks led by Giannis Antetokounmpo are at 22-14, just 1.5 games back of the Nets and 2.0 games back of the Sixers. Those three teams are leading the charge out East and honestly, it is anyone's guess of as to which of those three teams will get the top seed in the conference. 

Seeds #4-10 are really close: Boston Celtics (19-17), New York Knicks (19-18), Miami Heat (18-18), Charlotte Hornets (17-18), Toronto Raptors (17-19), Chicago Bulls (16-18), and Indiana Pacers (16-19). This grouping is key because the top six seeds overall in each conference will clinch an automatic berth to the playoffs while seeds 7-10 will play in a wildcard tournament of sorts to determine the final two seeds. 

The rest of the East #11-15 goes as follows: Atlanta Hawks (16-20), Washington Wizards (14-20), Cleveland Cavaliers (14-22), Orlando Magic (13-23), and Detroit Pistons (10-26). Honestly, all of those teams still have a pulse to perhaps get the #10 spot. So, it's going to be interesting to see who out East gets that #10 spot and gives themselves a shot at making the playoffs. 

Out West, it's also looking pretty interesting. The Utah Jazz occupy the top seed and best record in the NBA at 27-9. Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, and Mike Conley are the three All-Stars from that team. Conley being an injury replacement for Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker. There was a bit of a controversy this week with Mitchell and Gobert being the last two picks of the All-Star draft despite being on the best team in the league. Personally, I think this will just give those guys more of a reason to be motivated in the second half of the season. 

The #2 seed belongs to the Phoenix Suns at 24-11. I wrote about the Suns earlier this year on here and felt they could be serious contenders, so I'm not at all surprised about them being this high. In addition to Devin Booker, Chris Paul has been a major part of their success. 

The #3 team is the Los Angeles Lakers at 24-13. Many have them as the favorites to come out of the West because of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. If those two guys stay healthy, it's tough to pick against them. 

Seeds #4-6 aren't far behind: Los Angeles Clippers (24-14), Portland Trail Blazers (21-14), and Denver Nuggets (21-15). Honestly, I feel a little bad putting them in a different group. They're right there and certainly could come out of the West. Once again, as a I said above, seeds 7-10 are battling for those two wild card spots if you will. So being #6 is key as it guarantees a playoff spot. 

Seeds #7-10 seem to be in a pretty comfortable spot in terms of at least securing a spot in that wild card tournament: San Antonio Spurs (18-14), Dallas Mavericks (18-16), Golden State Warriors (19-18), and Memphis Grizzlies (16-16). It's even possible one of them or two of them jumps up to the #5/6 spot and avoids the play-in tournament. 

Seeds #11-15 are a bit removed from the rest: New Orleans Pelicans (15-21), Oklahoma City Thunder (15-21), Sacramento Kings (14-22), Houston Rockets (11-23), and Minnesota Timberwolves (7-29). 

In terms of what to watch for and how to make sense of all of this, I think with the East, it's going to be really interesting to see who gets that top seed in the conference. The 76ers, Nets, and Bucks could all get it and whichever team secures that spot will have the inside track to reaching the NBA Finals. 

Many people are picking the Nets to go the distance, but I have some reservations based on the fact that it's tough to elevate yourself into contender status in one season. Let alone win the whole thing. A team that has been gelling more over the last couple of seasons like the Bucks or 76ers is probably a more safe bet at this point, but hey, maybe the Nets will surprise me and get it done. 

Out West, it's all about the Jazz right now and whether or not they can hang onto that top seed and go the distance. A lot of people see them as a great regular season team but are skeptical of their chances to win it all. For the Jazz, it's paramount that they finish with the best record in the league if they want to win the championship. Just because of how tough of a place Salt Lake City is to play in. 

If the Jazz can lock up that home court advantage, they're going to be a really tough out. On top of that, they wouldn't have to see the Lakers until the conference finals in all likelihood. So that's another benefit. Perhaps the Suns knock out the Lakers and they don't see them at all? A lot of what happens out West hinges on whether or not the Jazz can hang onto that top spot. If they do, look out. If not, they're still dangerous, but I wouldn't call them the favorites. 

The wildcard in all this is the Clippers. We know the Lakers are going to be right there and I think the Suns are showing what they can do and are playing up to their max potential. But the Clippers are kinda flying under the radar and not playing as well as they could. If they get their act together, maybe they're a team that can go the distance. 

One other thing to keep an eye on is where Blake Griffin ends up now that the Pistons have released him and bought out his contract. If he indeed ends up with the Nets, that could shake things up even further. You know I'll do a blog post about that if that indeed comes to fruition. 

On that note, enjoy NBA All-Star Weekend and enjoy the second half of the season. It's shaping up to be a wild ride! Lots to look for and get excited about! 

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

Tomahawk Tuesday: The Chris Paul era in Phoenix is off to a good start

                                           (Credit: AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) 

One of the big offseason moves was Chris Paul going to the Phoenix Suns. By making the move to get CP3, the Suns showed a commitment to their fans and to their franchise player Devin Booker that they are committed to winning now. So far, the move appears to be paying off as the Suns are off to a 7-4 start, tied for 2nd place in the Western Conference with the Los Angeles Clippers and 1 game back of the 8-3 Los Angeles Lakers. 

As is expected, Booker is leading the team in scoring, averaging 23.0 points, 4.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game on 48.6% shooting from the field, 34.8% shooting from 3-point range, and 81.3% shooting from the foul line (we can expect the foul shooting to improve as he is an 86.9% career shooter). Mikal Bridges is doing his thing, averaging 15.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game; Deandre Ayton  is averaging a double-double with 12.5 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 1.0 block per game; Cameron Johnson is getting 12.4 points per game;  Dario Saric is chipping in 10.6 points per game; and Jae Crowder is nearly averaging double figures with his 9.9 points per game. 

As for Chris Paul, the big off-season acquisition, he's averaging 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game, still performing at an elite level. Paul is doing exactly what he was brought to Phoenix to do. He's providing some scoring, a little rebounding, solid defense (0.7 steals per game), and fantastic facilitating.      

Of course, it's not just CP3 that is responsible for the Suns' emergence as a contender in the Western Conference. Devin Booker is an elite shooting guard and they have some other really solid complementary pieces in Bridges, Ayton, and the other players mentioned above. They are a very deep and balanced team with six players scoring in double figures on average and one other player who is 0.1 points per game shy of being the seventh. That's some real depth.  

While we are still early on in the season, the Suns have to be happy with how this season is starting. CP3 is making an immediate impact and making everyone around him better, Booker is continuing to show why he's one of the top shooting guards in the NBA, and the rest of the supporting cast is doing what they need to do. I look forward to seeing how this Suns team continues to gel over the course of the season. They could be poised for an NBA Finals run. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

              
                        

Tomahawk Tuesday: Chris Paul has been a good fit in OKC

                                          (Credit: Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) 

At the moment, the Oklahoma City Thunder are 21-16, comfortably in the 7th spot in the Western Conference standings, a good 5.0 games up on the 8th seeded San Antonio Spurs. A major reason for their success has been the presence of veteran point guard Chris Paul, who everyone initially thought would only temporarily be with the team after getting traded from the Rockets in the deal that sent Russell Westbrook to Houston. Instead of packing his bags before training camp for some other destination, Paul has settled in and done a nice job for this Thunder team, averaging 16.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.

He could have complained and demanded a trade, but instead he went to work and is reaping the benefits. While not a championship contending team, the Thunder are a playoff level team that is not content being the 7th seed. Just 4.5 games back of Paul's former former team Los Angeles Clippers, the Thunder could end up with a top four seed in the playoffs if everything shakes out like they hope.

I haven't written much or perhaps anything about the Thunder this season, so I should make it known to all of you that it isn't just Paul that's playing well for them. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (19.8 points & 5.4 rebounds), Dennis Schröder (18.6 points), Danilo Gallinari (18.0 points & 5.6 rebounds), and Steven Adams (12.0 points, 10.1 rebounds, & 1.2 blocks) have been doing their part as well. With Paul inserted into the mix, the Thunder have five players scoring in double figures on average that are all capable of doing different things. Paul brings the facilitating, Alexander brings versatility at the wing, Schröder brings some depth at point guard, Gallinari brings perimeter shooting, and Adams brings a sound post presence.

This Thunder team is pretty well-rounded and as a result are playing very well. They're exceeding everyone's expectations and looking like a team that will not only make the playoffs, but perhaps win a series as well. What remains to be seen is what this team will do at the trade deadline. Whether they'll stand pat or make a move. Personally, I would expect them to stand pat and certainly not part with any of their top scorers, including Paul. Things are going well for them and they should see where this train ends.

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here.  

Tomahawk Tuesday: How will Russell Westbrook fit with the Houston Rockets?

There has been so much happening in NBA free agency that sometimes you have to catch your breath and try to absorb what has just happened. Probably the biggest news that I haven't yet addressed on here is the Houston Rockets acquiring Russell Westbrook from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Chris Paul and a slew of draft picks. This reunites Westbrook with James Harden, whom he played with in Oklahoma City several seasons back.

                                          (Credit: Ronald Martinez-Getty Images) 

While the Rockets are certainly a different looking team than they were last season, it's fair to question whether or not they're really better. While he isn't a perfect player, Paul brought a lot to the table with his facilitating, toughness, and willingness to allow Harden to be the go-to guy. In a lot of ways, he was the most ideal player to pair with Harden because of this combination. The only real flaw in Paul's game is that he's had a tough time staying healthy, but that isn't really fair to pin on him. Especially when you consider the amount of minutes Mike D'Antoni was asking him to play.

That all said, the Rockets weren't winning a championship and so in that vein it makes sense for them to try something different and they are definitely doing just that by bringing in Westbrook. What I want to quickly address is how I think Westbrook fits with the Rockets and whether or not he'll bring forth the results they are looking for.

When comparing Westbrook to Paul, the first thing that jumps out is that Westbrook should bring more of a scoring punch. Westbrook averaged 22.9 points per game last season in comparison to Paul's 15.6 points per game. At times the Rockets did seem to lack scoring support for Harden, making Westbrook an upgrade over Paul in that regard.

As for rebounds, assists, and steals, Westbrook is better than Paul in two of those three categories averaging 11.1 rebounds per game last season compared to Paul's 4.6 and 10.7 assists per game compared to Paul's 8.2. As for steals, Paul has a slight advantage (2.0 per game) over Westbrook (1.9 per game), but it's pretty close to a toss up.

The bottom line is that when looking at the stats, it's clear that Westbrook on paper is a clear upgrade. He's a better scorer, rebounder, facilitator, and just as good of a defender. In that sense, this trade was a no-brainer move for the Rockets to make.

The only thing the Rockets have to worry about is how things will go in the locker room. Westbrook has been known to be a difficult player to play with and he tends to get on guys' nerves with his pit bull personality. If he isn't able to get along with the rest of his teammates, tensions could escalate and this whole thing could blow up.

What should give Rockets fans' some optimism is the fact that the Rockets wouldn't have made this move without Harden's consent and so in that sense there appear to be at least decent to good odds that they actually like each other and will get along just fine. Westbrook is a guy who wants to win as much as anyone else and should view Houston as a place where he can win that elusive NBA title. The Western Conference is wide open and the Rockets should feel like they're in it as much as anyone else. Especially when you consider the fact that they have one of the top big men in the league in Clint Capela.  

In my opinion, the Rockets have nothing to lose by swapping Chris Paul for Russell Westbrook. They needed some sort of jolt and bringing in an electric talent in Westbrook is as good of a jolt as they could ask for. It may not yield a championship, but considering they weren't heading for a championship with Paul still on board, there's no reason for them to not at least see how things work out with Westbrook. If they didn't do this, they might look back in a couple of years and wonder about what could have been.

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

Saturday Slam: Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are heading to the Los Angeles Clippers

                                          (Credit: Frank Gunn-The Associated Press) 

On Friday night, I wrote a blog post for Saturday all about why Kawhi Leonard should stay in Toronto, why he would be foolish to leave behind a situation where he is the toast of the city and hero to all of Canada and then boom! News broke that Leonard was joining the Los Angeles Clippers! Even more amazingly, news subsequently broke that Paul George will be joining him as a result of being traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, four unprotected first-round picks, one protected first-round pick, and two pick swaps. The Clippers have also waived Tyrone Wallace as a result. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN has the details below.

ESPN story on the Clippers bombshell acquisitions of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George: https://t.co/CYnIGPhipn

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 6, 2019

With Leonard and George, the Clippers have a legitimate one-two punch that has the chance to win a championship. Aside from the photo, the one vestigial remain of my original Saturday Slam post for this weekend is that the Clippers are a better choice for Leonard than the Lakers.

The first reason is because the Clippers were a better team last season. Unlike the Lakers, the Clippers actually made the playoffs, giving the Warriors a bit of a scare in the first round. The Clippers looked like a team that was going places and by adding Leonard and George, they're more than just going places. They're entering themselves into the championship discussion.

The second reason is that the Clippers will be Leonard's team. Had he joined the Lakers, Leonard would have been second fiddle to LeBron James. Or at least that would have been the perception. Instead, Leonard gets to be the the man on this new and improved Clippers team, giving him a chance to go after James and prove himself to be the superior player.

Third, there's less pressure on Leonard. The Clippers have never won a championship before and quite frankly have never come close. By going to the Clippers, Leonard is able to be somewhat in the shadows of the Lakers, something that he doesn't mind.

Fourth, as was said above, Leonard gets to play with Paul George, one of the best wings in the NBA. George should play well alongside Leonard, giving the Clippers a legit second option. Together, Leonard and George have the chance to do a lot of damage and take the Clippers to even higher heights than they achieved during the Chris Paul/Blake Griffin era.

I will later address what this all means for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Toronto Raptors, but for now, I want to focus on the Clippers. For them this is huge. They're in the game now and a real threat to win the NBA championship. On top of that, they're set to form a really fun crosstown rivalry with the Lakers, something that is certain to boost ratings across the league. As exciting as this past NBA season was, I'm already eager to see what next season has in store.


To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

Saturday Slam: What to look for in the 2019 NBA playoffs

The NBA playoffs begin on Saturday and rather than previewing each series, I wanted to provide a quick primer for the playoff as a whole, listing key things to look for. Before I begin my primer though, let me quickly list each series for those that aren't aware:

In the Eastern Conference, the top seeded Milwaukee Bucks face the eight seeded Detroit Pistons; the two seeded Toronto Raptors face the seven seeded Orlando Magic; the three seeded Philadelphia 76ers face the six seeded Brooklyn Nets; and the four seeded Boston Celtics face the five seeded Indiana Pacers. Out West, the top seeded Golden State Warriors face the eight seeded Los Angeles Clippers; the two seeded Denver Nuggets face the seven seeded San Antonio Spurs; the three seeded Portland Trail Blazers face the six seeded Oklahoma City Thunder; and the four seeded Houston Rockets face the five seeded Utah Jazz. One thing that is kinda comical is the Magic won the Southeast Division with a 42-40 record.

Can the Milwaukee Bucks navigate through their injuries? Last week, I went into more detail on this topic, so click here to check it out if you want those details. If you want the condensed version, here is the lowdown: Malcolm Brogdon (foot) remains out without a firm timetable while Nikola Mirotic (thumb) could possibly make his return in Sunday's Game 1 against the Pistons. Others are also out as well, but those are the two main guys to watch for. If they can get healthy, there's no reason to pick against this Bucks team to come out of the East. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best player in the conference and appears ready to make a deep playoff run. 

Unlike the Bucks, the Golden State Warriors are entering the playoffs pretty healthy. Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and DeMarcus Cousins are all in good shape while Draymond Green is day-to-day with a knee injury. This Warriors team is once again the most talented team in the NBA with a plethora of weapons. 

As has been the case for the past few years, it'll be interesting to see who gives the Warriors the most trouble. Teams that come to mind in that department are the Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz, and Milwaukee Bucks. The Rockets because of how close they were last year, the Utah Jazz because of their style, and the Bucks because of Antetokounmpo. Outside of those three teams, I don't see anyone giving the Warriors a serious scare. Fortunately for the Warriors, the Rockets and Jazz face off in the first round, so they'll only have to face one of those two teams assuming they get out of the first round. 

The Toronto Raptors got Kawhi Leonard specifically for this time of year. They wanted someone to get them over the hump and lead them to championship glory. They didn't feel they had the weapons before, so it's really put up or shut up time for them. If the Raptors can't get it done this year or at least reach the conference finals, they should just blow the whole thing up and go full blown tank mode. 

The Denver Nuggets have had a fabulous regular season and are well positioned to make a deep playoff run by securing the number two seed in the West. Paul Millsap is balling out and Nikola Jokic is one of the most versatile bigs in the NBA. The issue is they haven't really been through the fire yet. It'll be interesting to see how much damage this Nuggets team can do and whether or not they can become one of the teams to give the Warriors a serious run.

The Boston Celtics were picked by many to come out of the East after giving the Cavaliers such a scare last year. Instead, they've slipped and regressed. For them, they have to view the playoffs as a chance to hit the reset button. Kyrie Irving, Al Horford, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Gordon Hayward form a really talented core that has the potential to make a deep run and come out of the East. It's just a matter of them putting it all together. One thing to look for is how they manage without Marcus Smart, who is dealing with an oblique injury. He is expected to miss at least a month of action.

Last season, the Houston Rockets were one healthy Chris Paul hamstring away from winning the Western Conference crown. Similar to the Celtics, they've regressed a bit from last year but still find themselves in the playoffs. If they can get past a tough Utah team, they'll get another crack at the Warriors only with a healthier CP3 (hopefully). If James Harden is able to go wild and Paul is healthy, it'll be interesting to see what they can do.

The Philadelphia 76ers have a different look from last year with the addition of Jimmy Butler, but whether or not it's better will be determined by how they do in the playoffs. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are the face of this team, but Butler is the big acquisition that is supposed to help them get over the hump. How much Butler affects them for good or for bad will be something to watch in these playoffs.

Finally, I want to quickly address my favorite team, the Utah Jazz. As a quick side note not related to the playoffs, do read Kyle Korver's piece in The Players' Tribune about white privilege if you have not already done so. I wanted to write a more in-depth piece about it, but I didn't find the time to do so. Let me just say it's excellent and worth the read. Click here to check that out.

As far as the playoffs are concerned, the Jazz are another team that have appeared to regress a bit after having an exciting 2018 season. That all said, they too find themselves in the playoffs with a chance to make some noise. What will be important to look for is if Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert can step up and establish themselves as a legit one-two punch. Mitchell is an explosive scorer that can create for others while Gobert is a fabulous shot blocker, rebounder, and rim-runner. These two guys are the future of the franchise and need to play like it.

One final note is that Ricky Rubio (quad) and Kyle Korver (knee) are both out indefinitely. When they're able to return is something to keep a close eye on if you're a Jazz fan.

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

Saturday Slam: Can the Milwaukee Bucks navigate through their injuries?

The Milwaukee Bucks have clinched the top record in the NBA, giving them home court advantage all the way through the NBA Finals. It's been an historic season in Milwaukee and after years and years of rebuilding, they're finally starting to see the fruits of their labors. If you've been reading NBALord.com over the years, you would know that I've always believed in the trajectory of this Bucks team and that it would only be a matter of time before they seriously contend for a championship. They're young, hungry, and have a legitimate franchise player in Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is putting himself in the MVP discussion with his 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. They have all the pieces.

The only concern right now for this Bucks team is health. Malcolm Brogdon (15.6 points & 4.5 rebounds) is out indefinitely with a foot injury, Nikola Mirotic (15.2 points & 7.4 rebounds) is out for at least a couple more weeks due to a fractured thumb, Tony Snell (6.0 points) is out indefinitely with a sprained ankle, Pau Gasol (3.9 points) is out indefinitely with a left ankle injury, and Donte DiVincenzo (4.9 points) is out for the rest of the season with a heel injury. The losses of Brogdon and Mirotic are the most significant, but when you add three more guys to the injury report as well, that really starts to take its toll.

Fortunately for the Bucks, they have that top seed and Antetokounmpo is healthy, so they should be able to get out of the first round of the playoffs regardless. That said, at this time of year, you want to be as healthy as possible since injuries could still loom ahead in the playoffs. Plus, even if these guys do all come back (aside from DiVincenzo), it's not yet clear how productive they'll be.

The Bucks are sort of in a weird spot. They should be feeling good about clinching the top seed in the NBA and yet at the same time be worried about the accumulation of injuries. With the way the NBA playoffs are structured, it's not only the best teams that come out on top, it's the healthiest. We saw that last year when Chris Paul's hamstring cost the Houston Rockets a trip to the NBA Finals.

At this point, all the Bucks can do is make sure they get through the first round as efficiently as possible. If they're able to get more rest and not have an elongated opening series, chances are they'll be able to have a relatively healthy squad come the second round. If instead they have a series that gets pushed to six or heaven forbid seven games, they could be looking at an early exit, even if they manage to squeak out of the first round. It'll be interesting to see how they handle things in the coming days and weeks.

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

Tomahawk Tuesday: The Houston Rockets are back to being contenders

Winners of 12 of their last 14 games, the Houston Rockets are on a roll, currently 23-16 and 5th in the Western Conference. After coming out of the gates slow, the Rockets are looking close to the championship level form that they displayed last season, putting the rest of the NBA on notice. James Harden has been the catalyst to the Rockets' surge, scoring 40+ points in 7 of their last 14 games, putting himself in the MVP conversation.

If there's one game during this stretch that stands out, it is definitely the Rockets' 135-134 overtime win at Golden State. Harden hit a ridiculous game winning shot that left the fans at Oracle Arena speechless, finishing with 44 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists. It was the Rockets' way of saying "We're back."




While it's safe to say the Rockets are probably going to make the playoffs, I wouldn't put all of your money on them just yet. Chris Paul has been out with a hamstring injury and it's unclear when he'll return. As well as they are playing, they absolutely need him healthy. They weren't able to go the distance without him last year and there's no reason to think they could do so this year.

If Paul is able to get back to full strength and stay healthy in the playoffs, the Rockets are absolutely contenders. The rest of the pieces are there. Clint Capela is a fantastic rim running big that controls the paint, P.J. Tucker plays the enforcer role to a tee, and Harden is the best player in the NBA when he's in the zone. There's not a lot to dislike about this Rockets team, it's just a matter of them staying healthy and surviving the grind of a full NBA season.

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Google Plus, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

Tomahawk Tuesday: Can Carmelo Anthony help the Houston Rockets get over the hump?

                                          (Getty Images) 

Earlier today, Shams Charania of Yahoo! Sports confirmed that Carmelo Anthony has officially agreed to sign with the Houston Rockets. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski added that Anthony's deal is expected to be a one-year, $2.4M deal.

Carmelo Anthony has verbally agreed to sign with the Houston Rockets, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 7, 2018

Carmelo Anthony passes through waivers at 5 PM ET, clearing way for him to inform Houston that he will sign a one-year, $2.4M deal with Rockets.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 1, 2018

Anthony has had a bit of an up and down career. While being known as one of the league's best pure scorers, he has failed to live up to his own expectations of leading an NBA team to a championship. While he himself will never lead a team to a championship, he is presented with the next best thing, which is the chance to help a championship contender get over the hump.

Last season, the Rockets were one healthy Chris Paul hamstring away from winning an NBA championship and with Anthony now on board, the hope is that he'll give them just enough of a boost to get over the hump and supplant the Golden State Warriors as the best team in the league.

A lot of people are understandably skeptical of Anthony's ability to make a difference on this Rockets team. Since he has failed to win a championship everywhere he goes, it stands to reason that his time in Houston will likewise produce no championship jewelry.

What I want to do in this blog post is give you all a few reasons to believe that Anthony might just be the missing piece to a Houston Rockets championship recipe. You are certainly free to disagree with my reasons, but I still want to put this out there given all the negative posts about Anthony and his lack of championship success.

The first reason to think Anthony's addition to the Rockets could result in a championship is the simple fact that the Rockets were really close last year. The Rockets lost to the Warriors in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals and as I said earlier, if it weren't for Chris Paul's hamstring injury, the Rockets probably would have won that series. Given how close the Rockets were last year, it's not like they need a whole lot more help to reach the promised land. If Melo can give them a little bit of help and take some of the scoring pressure off the backs of Paul and James Harden, that should be enough to make the difference.

Secondly, it isn't like Anthony sucked last year. With the Thunder, he averaged 16.2 points per game on 40.4% shooting from the field, 35.7% shooting from 3-point range, and 76.7% shooting from the foul line. He can still get buckets and in Houston, he won't need to be the volume shooter that he was asked to be in seasons past. He can come off the bench and provide sound spot minutes that make a real difference in terms of keeping the offense in a good rhythm.

Third, we've seen Anthony thrive in this type of role before. Anthony has played his best basketball in the Olympics, helping Team USA win multiple gold medals. As much as he likes to be a first option kind of guy, he's actually played his best basketball when he is more like the third or fourth option. If he can play like "Olympic Melo" as opposed to "New York Melo", the Rockets should really like their chances of giving the Warriors a serious run.

Given these reasons above, I actually think the Rockets should be excited about adding Carmelo Anthony. He comes in with plenty of experience, an ability to shoot the basketball, and a winning attitude. Unlike previous stops, Anthony is now in the twilight years of his career and more than anything he just wants to win a championship. While there are concerns about his willingness to play off the bench, I personally think Anthony is the type of player that will do whatever is asked of him in order to win a championship. If he wasn't, he wouldn't be coming to Houston in the first place.

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here.  

To connect with NBA Lord on Google Plus, click here. 

Tomahawk Tuesday: The Houston Rockets have some life

                                          (Getty Images)

On Tuesday night, the Houston Rockets stole a game in Golden State by the final score of 95-92, tying up the Western Conference Finals at 2-2. James Harden finished with 30 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals while Chris Paul finished with 27 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists on 5/9 shooting from 3-point range. As a result, the Rockets have won back home court advantage. If they hold serve at home in games five and seven, they'll win the series.

After getting down 12-0 to start the game, it looked like the Rockets had little chance of winning. Kevin Durant (27 points) and Stephen Curry (28 points) both had the Warriors in a nice rhythm early on while James Harden and Chris Paul had a tough time getting the Rockets going. James Harden really showed signs of nerves when he passed up a wide open 3-pointer, electing instead to dish it off to P.J.Tucker in the corner. As a result of their early struggles, the Rockets found themselves down 28-19 after the first quarter.

To their credit, the Rockets didn't give up.  James Harden woke up in the second quarter along with Chris Paul, outscoring the Warriors 34-18, giving themselves a 53-46 lead at halftime. The highlight of the first half was definitely the facial dunk that James Harden had over Draymond Green. It was almost like passing up that three in the first quarter caused James Harden to wake up. From then on, he was wide awake and in full attack mode.



The second half went similar to the first. The Warriors outscored the Rockets 34-17 in the third quarter, taking an 80-70 lead into the fourth quarter. It once again looked like the Warriors were going to pull away, but the Rockets found the strength and will to battle back for a second time, pulling out a 95-92 win thanks to some clutch baskets from Chris Paul, Trevor Ariza, and James Harden to go along with some stellar defense and rebounding.

P.J. Tucker was the x-factor in this game, finishing with 16 rebounds despite only scoring 4 points. Without his aggression on the glass and tenacity, the Rockets would not have pulled out this win. This game was as much about the Rockets' gritty defense as it was their clutch offense. To hold the Warriors to 92 points on their home floor is really impressive. The Rockets deserve a ton of credit for the way they defended tonight.

While a lot of people are still picking the Warriors to win this series, the Rockets have found new life after stealing this game in Oakland. They have home court advantage back on their side and will come home to a hungry and rabid fan base in game five. They got the game they needed to win and now it's a matter of them protecting their home court. If they bring the same determination and grit at home as they did tonight, I don't see the Warriors winning another game in Houston.

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here.  

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Google Plus, click here. 

Saturday Slam: Can either the Boston Celtics or Houston Rockets reach the NBA Finals?

On Sunday at 3:30 PM EST on ABC, the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers will play Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals in Boston. On Monday at 9:00 PM EST on TNT, the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors will play Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in Houston. Despite not having home court advantage, both the Cavaliers and Warriors are expected to reach the NBA Finals and face off once again for the fourth consecutive season.

While Warriors fans and Cavaliers fans would probably prefer another rematch, the rest of the NBA's fans are dying to see a different NBA Finals match up, preferably Rockets vs. Celtics. While the odds are stacked against them, it is possible that the Celtics and Rockets both reach the NBA Finals. It's just a matter of them playing up to their maximum potential and getting a little bit of luck to go their way.

First, let me address the Celtics and what they need to do. While they don't have LeBron James on their side, they do appear to have the deeper team even without Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving. Terry Rozier has done a fabulous job of stepping in for Irving as the team's floor general, averaging 18.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game in the playoffs while Al Horford has also stepped up his game, averaging 17.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in the playoffs. In addition to the stellar play of Rozier and Horford, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have also stepped up their play, both averaging around 18 points per game.

The key for the Celtics more than anything will be to not get psyched out by the Cavaliers and just play their brand of basketball, which is predicated on crisp ball movement and gritty defense. If they come out with a lot of energy in Game 1 and play the way Brad Stevens has been coaching them to play, they could sneak out with a Game 1 victory and build some momentum from there.

While I do think the Cavaliers will win the series, I do think that the Celtics have the ability to make this series a lot more interesting than people expect. Unlike the Raptors, the Celtics seem to believe in their abilities and do a good job executing the game plan outlined by their head coach. It's just a matter of them continuing to do what they do well and not let LeBron James get in their heads. So long as they are able to contain him and do what they do, they could find themselves playing into June.

In regards to the Rockets and their series with the Warriors, they too need to buy into what they've done all season and not let the Warriors get in their heads. When Chris Paul and James Harden are playing up to their maximum potential, the Rockets are scary good. They move the ball really well, knock down threes, and are a handful in the transition. The brand of basketball that they play is both exciting and effective.

If I could label anyone as an x-factor for the Rockets, it would be Clint Capela, who is averaging 14.4 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game in the playoffs. He's really blossomed into one of the best big men in the NBA due to his combination of size, quickness, athleticism, and skill. He's very difficult to stop when he's down on the block and in turn, he does a great job of protecting the rim and controlling the glass. The Warriors will not have an easy time containing him. He more than any other player on this Rockets team could make the difference in this series.

I think the Warriors will likely win this series, but the Rockets should not be underestimated. They have a fantastic backcourt in Chris Paul and James Harden to go along with one of the league's best big men in Clint Capela. On top of that, the Rockets have some really solid role players in Ryan Anderson, P.J. Tucker, Eric Gordon, and Trevor Ariza. Similar to the Celtics, the Rockets have the pieces to reach the NBA Finals, it's just a matter of them executing their game plan and not panicking when the Warriors go on a run.

To go back to something I touched on earlier, the fact that both the Celtics and Rockets have home court advantage should not be understated. Home court advantage matters more in the NBA than any other league. As long as the Celtics and Rockets can hold serve at home, they'll be just fine. While they want to win every game at home, Game 1 will be especially crucial for both teams. If the Cavaliers and Warriors both steal Game 1 on the road, it's going to be tough sledding for the Celtics and Rockets. If on the other hand, the Celtics and Rockets win Game 1, they'll establish authority early on and give themselves some much needed confidence to win their respective series.

While it is likely that we once again see another Warriors/Cavaliers finals, it would be foolish to instantly write off the Celtics and Rockets. These teams have home court advantage for a reason and need to  be respected as a result. If the Warriors and Cavaliers want to get back to the finals, they're going to have to earn their way back and take out a very quality opponent. It's going to be fun to see how this all unfolds.

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Google Plus, click here. 

Tomahawk Tuesday: Chris Paul finally reaches the conference finals

                                         (Rick Bowmer/Associated Press) 

Amid all of his career achievements, Chris Paul has never played in a conference finals game. That will change next Monday when the Houston Rockets host the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. To get to this point, Chris Paul had to lead the Houston Rockets past a gritty Utah Jazz team, putting up 41 points, 7 rebounds, and 10 assists in Tuesday's 112-102 series clinching win. When watching the game, it was clear that Chris Paul was determined to not let his team down, hitting several clutch shots in a row to put the Jazz away in the fourth quarter.

What's most impressive about Chris Paul is the fire and passion that he plays with every night. Listed at 6'0", 170 pounds, Paul has been undersized his whole career, but that hasn't stopped him from being the best point guard in the NBA since John Stockton. He has a tremendous feel for the game and always looks to make the right play. Like Stockton, Paul excels at setting up his teammates but also knows when to score and take over a game.

Whether or not Paul can guide the Rockets past the Golden State Warriors remains to be seen, but regardless, he deserves a ton of credit for accomplishing what he has this season. For those that have followed his career closely, seeing Paul excel like this in the playoffs is nothing new. He's always been a clutch performer. It's just that he's never had the pieces around him to get over the hump. Now that he has better pieces in Houston, he's proving himself to be a legitimate franchise player and one who can do big things in the playoffs.

While I am from the Bay Area, a part of me is rooting for Chris Paul to lead the Rockets all the way. I not only like the way he plays, I like the way he conducts himself. Throughout the duration of his career, Paul has been a class act and has always conducted himself in a professional manner. He hasn't complained about his short comings, but instead brings his hard hat to work and vows to get better with each season. It's easy to root for guys like that.

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Google Plus, click here. 

Saturday Slam: Can the Houston Rockets take out the Golden State Warriors?

The Houston Rockets had a thrilling 123-120 win over the Boston Celtics on Saturday, keeping them toe to toe with the Golden State Warriors for the best record in the NBA. While home court advantage through the NBA Finals is well within the reach of the Rockets, most people are still picking the Warriors to come out of the Western Conference. While I am of the opinion that the Warriors should be favored regardless of who gets home court advantage, let me outline a case for why the Rockets have a good shot at dethroning the defending champs.

The first reason for why the Rockets have a good shot at dethroning the Warriors is the simple fact that they've won the regular season series 2-1. The Rockets won at Golden State on opening night by a final score of 122-121, lost at home on January 4th 114-124, and won at home on January 20th 116-108. Even more noteworthy is the fact that the Rockets are 2-0 against the Warriors when both Chris Paul and James Harden are playing. In the Warriors' lone win over the Rockets this season, James Harden was inactive due to a hamstring strain. Kevin Durant was also out with strained right calf in that game, but that said, the Warriors have not figured out how to beat the Rockets this season when their top two guards are healthy. This fact has to give the Rockets a lot of confidence.

The second reason for why the Rockets should like their chances against the Warriors in the playoffs is the fact that they actually like to play the same type of style. The Warriors often overwhelm teams with all the 3-point shooters that they have, but the Rockets are one of the few teams, perhaps the only team, who can match their 3-point shooting attack. To combat Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson, the Rockets have James Harden, Chris Paul, Ryan Anderson, and Eric Gordon. When those guys are on fire, the Warriors truly appear to have found their match.

The third reason for why the Rockets should like their chances against the Warriors is that they actually might have the best player on the floor in James Harden, who is averaging 31.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game. Earlier this week, James Harden sent Clippers forward Wesley Johnson to the hospital with an epic ankle breaker and he followed that up with a dagger three. It feels like we are all living in James Harden's world and he's just out there doing whatever he wants. If Harden lives up to his MVP status in a series against the Warriors, the Rockets just might pull off the upset.



While I do think the Warriors would win a series over the Rockets because of their depth and superior defense, the Rockets absolutely have a chance to upset them. They just have to play their best brand of basketball and play with no fear. If they can do that, we could see a new team representing the Western Conference in June.

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Google Plus, click here.