Saturday Slam: Should the Brooklyn Nets blow up?

                                              (Credit: Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports) 

The Brooklyn Nets were a team that had so much hype and promise at the start of the season. They had James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant. They were looking like a team that should come out of the East or at least reach the conference finals. Instead, they finished 7th in the conference and got swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics. While a lot of people are talking about blowing up the Utah Jazz after the way their post-season ended (I'll share my thoughts on that in an upcoming post), I think it's perhaps even more fair to ask the same question about the Nets.

For starters, Harden is gone. He's now with the Philadelphia 76ers and still in the playoffs, advancing to the second round where they'll face the Heat. By trading him before the deadline, that was already a step towards blowing up the team. 

Secondly, Irving refused to get vaccinated, making it so he couldn't play every night while also creating an unnecessary distraction. It's hard to develop a rhythm and team chemistry when one of your key players is in and out of the lineup. While the vaccine mandate was eventually lifted and Irving was able to play in home games towards the end of the season, it's clear that his inability to play really inhibited them. And while Irving's refusal to get vaccinated was about personal freedom, the fact that he was willing to put his team through all that has to make one wonder how committed he really is to building a championship team in Brooklyn. 

Third, Durant is getting up there in age. He'll be turning 34 in September and while he did average 29.9 points per game this season, one can't help but wonder how much more gas he has left in the tank considering the Achilles injury he had and everything. Father time catches up with everyone and he could be soon to catch up with Durant as well. 

Last and most importantly, they got swept in the first round. That's bad. Any time you get swept in the playoffs, that has to lead to some soul searching and introspection. Especially if you are a more veteran team. It's one thing to get swept and be young with a promising future. The future is supposed to be now for the Nets and if now isn't panning out, it's hard to see it ever panning out. 

The bottom line is the Nets have a lot of questions to ask themselves after this season and the first one is whether or not they keep Durant and Irving together or if they begin the process of blowing up the team and starting over. It's not a fun conversation to have, but when you exit the playoffs like they did, it's a conversation that needs to be had. 

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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! 

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Saturday Slam: Will James Harden push the Brooklyn Nets over the top?

                                              (Credit: Nick Friar-USA TODAY Sports) 

The big news from this week is the trade that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets (click here for the details of the trade). As a result, the Nets now have a "Big Three" consisting of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in addition to Harden. Before they got Harden, the Nets were already considered by many to be contenders, but now that they have Harden, it's fair to wonder whether or not they're the favorites to come out of the East. 

In my opinion, the real key to the Nets having success will be how well the egos of Durant, Harden, and Irving are managed. If they can put their egos aside, play unselfish basketball, and put the team first, they'll be dangerous. If not, there could be trouble in paradise.

 All three of them are among the most gifted offensive players in the game. Irving has fantastic ball handling that can create space as well as anyone in the league. He knows how to get to the rim, shoot it from deep, and also create plays for others. Durant, he's a 7'0" freak with shoes that can make it rain from deep, attack the rim, and just get buckets. That's what he does. Harden, he's one of the craftiest scorers the NBA has ever seen. He's got an array of moves, can shoot it from deep, and also get to the rim while creating contact. The bottom line is it's going to be tough for teams to figure out how to defend all three of them when they're together. 

This isn't to say that from a pure basketball standpoint, they're a lock to win the East. The biggest issue that these three guys have is they're not great defenders. Especially Irving and Harden. For as great as they are on offense, their defense is just so-so. One could of course argue that with those three guys, who needs defense, but in truth, you can't win by just playing really good offense. You need to play defense as well. Just ask Don Nelson. If the Nets are going to accomplish their championship goals, they're going to have to figure out how to improve on defense. Having DeAndre Jordan in the middle certainly helps as he knows how to block shots and get rebounds. But I'm not sure he's enough. 

Ultimately, I like this Nets team a lot. There's talk about the three of them not getting along and things blowing up, but Durant and Harden know each other from their days in OKC and as for Irving, he's a smart enough guy to get in line as well. When looking ahead to the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Nets should absolutely be a factor now that they have Harden aboard. 

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Saturday Slam: Assessing the NBA All-Star starters

Earlier this week, the NBA All-Star starters were named. In the East, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (captain), 76ers center Joel Embiid, Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, Celtics guard Kemba Walker, and Hawks guard Trae Young are the starters. In the West, Lakers forward LeBron James (captain), Lakers forward Anthony Davis, Mavericks forward Luka Doncic, Rockets guard James Harden, and Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard are the starters.

Ultimately, I don't have much beef with this list. I feel like with the East, arguments could be made for Zach LaVine on the Bulls (I actually voted for him), Jaylen Brown on the Celtics, Ben Simmons on the 76ers, and Kyle Lowry on the Raptors. I'm sure there's a couple others I'm leaving out in the East, but those guys spring to mind as guys who one could argue a case for. I feel like Antetokounmpo and Embiid are the only two that should be on the starting five for sure. The other three spots I feel are up for debate.

In the West, I feel like it's much more tight. James is a no-brainer as is Davis and Doncic. Harden I don't really have a quibble with and after what he did in the NBA Finals last year,  I'm not going to leave Leonard out, either.

Every year, there's going to be debates about who should have made the All-Star team and who shouldn't have. Who should have been starters and who shouldn't have. It goes with the territory. This time though, I think the voting process delivered.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: The Houston Rockets are on a roll

                                          (Credit: Cato Cataldo/NBAE via Getty Images)

At the beginning of the NBA season, there was a lot of debate about how the James Harden/Russell Westbrook experiment would work out in Houston. So far, it appears to be going well as the Rockets are 11-3, having won eight games in a row. On Monday, they blew out the Portland Trail Blazers 132-108 behind 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists from Westbrook and 36 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists from Harden. In addition to Harden and Westbrook going wild, Clint Capela dominated inside with 22 points, 20 rebounds, and 4 blocks.

What this game showed is just how scary the Rockets can be when they are hitting on all cylinders. They can score, they can move the ball, they can rebound, and they can defend. What's even scarier is they seem to have a chip on their shoulder. Harden has been viewed as too one dimensional to lead a team to a title while Westbrook has been viewed as having too big of an ego, not willing to be a true team player. I've always found that to be an odd criticism of Westbrook given his high assist totals. But anyways, they appear to be playing with a fire and so far, it's pretty frightening.

Of course, what remains to be seen is whether or not the Rockets can keep this up and be the last team standing come June. While time will ultimately tell whether or not they can, at this point, I don't see why not. The Rockets have already been knocking on the door for a while now and Westbrook appears to have injected new life into their team.

Looking at their upcoming schedule, the Rockets will go on a two game road trip this week to face the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers. This road trip should be a nice test for them as the Nuggets and Clippers are both projected to be playoff teams as well. If the Rockets can get the sweep or even pick up a split, that will be very encouraging.

Even though we are early in the season, if you are a Rockets fan, you have to be feeling good about your team. Westbrook and Harden appear to be able to coexist just fine and the Rockets are currently the hottest team in the NBA. While many see the Lakers as the favorites to come out of the West, the Rockets are making a compelling case of their own to be the front runners. It will certainly be fun to see what happens when those two teams meet later on this season.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Saturday Slam: Breaking down all 16 teams in the NBA Playoffs

With the NBA Playoffs beginning on Saturday, it's time for me to do my preview for the first round. I won't lie, it's a real challenge to write a preview for each first round series, so I'm going to mix things up this year and instead address all 16 teams in one post, separating them into four different categories.

One of these teams will likely be your NBA champion 

Houston Rockets (65-17): The Houston Rockets have the best record in the NBA and are coming into the playoffs hot, having won seven of their last 10 games. James Harden is playing like a legitimate NBA MVP, averaging 30.4 points, 8.8 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game on 44.9% shooting from the field, 36.7% shooting from 3-point range, and 85.8% shooting from the foul line. Chris Paul is also having a good season himself, averaging 18.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game. Together, Harden and Paul have the Rockets knocking on the door to win their first NBA title since the mid 1990s.

Golden State Warriors (58-24): Despite their injury woes, most notably Stephen Curry (sprained left MCL), the Golden State Warriors are still the most loaded team in the NBA. Kevin Durant is having another sensational season, averaging 26.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists while Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Stephen Curry are still playing really good basketball when at full strength. The Warriors got a little complacent at the end of the season and weren't able to recapture the top seed in the Western Conference, but don't let that fool you. These guys are very dangerous and should not be counted out.

Cleveland Cavaliers (50-32): The Cleveland Cavaliers have the 4th best record in the Eastern Conference and really appear to have lost their edge. That said, they still have LeBron James and that alone is why they make this first tier. You can never count out a team with LeBron James on it and with the Eastern Conference lacking a true front runner, it's hard to not see the Cavaliers finding a way to get back to the NBA Finals once again.

Toronto Raptors (59-23): Led by Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, the Toronto Raptors have clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference, which means that the road to the NBA Finals in the East goes through them. I know the Raptors have come up short during the past few seasons, but this year looks like it could be different for them. They've been through enough playoffs battles and could be on the verge of having a breakthrough postseason run.

Sleepers 

Boston Celtics (55-27): If it wasn't for the injuries to Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving, the Celtics would have joined the top tier. Without those guys, it's tough to see the Celtics going all the way to win the NBA championship. It just doesn't look like it's their year. That said, Brad Stevens is one hell of a coach and his guys are all buying into system. Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Al Horford are all playing well and they've seen other guys like Jabari Bird and Terry Rozier step up. While I don't see the Celtics winning it all this year, they still qualify as a sleeper team. 

Philadelphia 76ers (52-30): The Philadelphia 76ers have had a remarkable turnaround this year and it largely seems to be due to the tanking job orchestrated by former general manager Sam Hinkie. Ben Simmons is looking like the real deal while Joel Embiid is showing why the 76ers were smart to draft him with the third overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. As an added bonus, rookie point guard Markelle Fultz is starting to come into his own as well. The biggest concern with the 76ers is their lack of playoff experience. These guys could win a title in a couple of years, but I just don't see them doing it this year.

Oklahoma City Thunder (48-34): Things haven't gone the way the Oklahoma City Thunder envisioned when they got Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook, and Paul George, but they still found a way to get home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. On paper, the talent is there to give someone a serious scare, but the lack of depth is why I don't see them going the distance.

Portland Trail Blazers (49-33): Similar to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Portland Trail Blazers don't have a ton of depth. This is pretty much the Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum show. If those guys don't combine for over 50 points, the Trail Blazers have no chance of beating anybody elite. Jusuf Nurkic gives them a solid post presence, but he isn't enough. The Trail Blazers have done an incredible job of getting the most out of their roster, but now that it's playoff time, they'll find out that they just don't have the horses.

Utah Jazz (48-34): Quin Snyder has done a phenomenal job at coaching this team and Donovan Mitchell should be rookie of the year. During the second half of the season, the Utah Jazz were one of the best teams in the NBA and far exceeded their expectations after losing Gordon Hayward.  I wouldn't be surprised to see them give the Rockets a bit of a scare if they are able to get past the Thunder in the first round.

Milwaukee Bucks (44-38): The Milwaukee Bucks are seeded 7th in the Eastern Conference, but I wouldn't be shocked to see them upset the Celtics in the first round considering all the injuries that they've had. Giannis Antetokounmpo is no longer arriving, he's arrived and he's only going to get better. If the Bucks can pull off a first round upset over the Celtics, a run to the Eastern Conference Finals is totally conceivable.

Here to play spoiler 

Indiana Pacers (48-34): As the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference, the Indiana Pacers find themselves up against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round. The Cavaliers will be vulnerable in the first round and if they're not careful, they could fall prey to a first round upset. If Victor Oladipo has a big series and Lance Stephenson has a playoff renaissance against LeBron James, the Pacers could spoil the Cavaliers' quest for a fourth consecutive NBA Finals appearance.

New Orleans Pelicans (48-34): The fact that the New Orleans Pelicans made the playoffs without DeMarcus Cousins is remarkable. I could put them in the next category, but I think these guys have the potential to take out the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. Jrue Holiday is playing really well and Anthony Davis is arguably the best player in the NBA. The Pelicans are dangerous and quite honestly could have made the "sleeper" category had they gotten a higher seed.

Miami Heat (44-38): The Miami Heat would be thrilled to play spoiler and send the 76ers home packing in the first round. I don't see it happening, but with Goran Dragic, Hassan Whiteside, and Dwyane Wade, they have no reason to doubt themselves. This is actually a pretty solid team. The problem is they lack a superstar that they can lean on in a playoff series.

They should just be happy to be in the playoffs 

Minnesota Timberwolves (47-35): The Minnesota Timberwolves are playoff bound for the first time since 2004 and that alone is reason for them to celebrate. This is a cool moment for their fans and you know the Target Center is going to be rocking. They have a nice young core consisting of Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, and Jimmy Butler, but they have work to do if they want to contend for a championship. That all said, reaching the playoffs is the first step towards that goal and for that reason, they should be happy.

Their front office probably wishes they were in the NBA draft lottery instead 

San Antonio Spurs (47-35): The only reason the San Antonio Spurs should be happy to make the playoffs is because it kept their now 21 year streak of making the playoffs alive. Outside of that, their front office probably wishes they were in the NBA draft lottery with the chance to get a top three pick. Kawhi Leonard likely misses the post season and appears to be on his way out. These guys need a new piece to build around more than they need to keep a streak alive.

Washington Wizards (43-39): The Washington Wizards would love a shot at a top three pick in the NBA draft to give themselves another piece to put around John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Otto Porter, Jr. The Wizards have nothing to gain from being in the playoffs other than generating some ticket sales and selling some playoff merchandise. I can guarantee their front office wishes they finished 9th in the standings.

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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.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: The Houston Rockets get a huge win in Golden State

On Tuesday night, the Houston Rockets defeated the Golden State Warriors 122-121 to spoil their home opener and championship ring ceremony. James Harden led the charge for the Rockets with 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists while Kevin Durant finished with 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists, having his game winning bucket waived off upon further review. 

Not so fast 😱 KD's bucket is just late.

Rockets escape Oakland with the W! #KiaTipOff17 pic.twitter.com/Nm6MWcbRev

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) October 18, 2017

The fact that this game took place in mid-October doesn't take away from the significance of this win for the Rockets. They're a team that is trying to prove themselves as a legitimate threat to the Warriors and doing what they did on Tuesday night isn't a bad start. They could have packed it in when they were down 101-88 at the end of the third quarter, but instead they chose to keep fighting and not give up. James Harden stepped up big time as did Eric Gordon, P.J. Tucker, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute off the bench, who combined for 58 points. A gritty win like this took a real team effort.

As far as the Warriors are concerned, I wouldn't worry too much about this loss, but it definitely doesn't feel good to lose on your home floor after receiving your championship rings. These are the kind of games you want to come out and win wire to wire for the purpose of entertaining your fans and sending a firm message to the rest of the league. A lot of what makes the Warriors tough to stop is the mental advantage they have over other teams who believe they have no shot at taking them out. By losing tonight, the Warriors gave their opponents a little bit of hope and sometimes a little bit of hope is all a team needs to pull off an upset.

While the Rockets have 81 games to go before the playoffs begin, tonight's win is still a huge win for them. They came into this game eager to prove that they are the real deal after acquiring Chris Paul and I think they proved that they are, even though Paul himself didn't have as good of a game as he was hoping for. The bottom line is that when it comes to defeating the defending champions on their home floor, you'll take that win and use it as motivation whether it comes in October, December, or March. The timing of the win isn't nearly as important as the win itself.

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Saturday Slam: Did the Houston Rockets give up too much for Chris Paul?

The first major headline in the NBA this week was the news that the Los Angeles Clippers traded Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets. Yahoo! Sports' The Vertical reported that in exchange for Paul, the Clippers receive Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Sam Dekker, Montrezl Harrell, DeAndre Liggins, Darrun Hilliard, Kyle Wiltjer, a 2018 first round pick (protected Nos. 1-3), and $661,000 from the Rockets.

On the surface, this looks like a fantastic move for the Rockets. James Harden needs another superstar by his side to make the Rockets a contender and Chris Paul certainly qualifies as a superstar. But when you look closer at this deal, it's possible that the Rockets gave up too much for Paul. Especially when you consider the fact that depth was a major strength of theirs last season.

Last season with the Clippers, Chris Paul averaged 18.1 points, 9.2 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game. Those are big time numbers. When you add that to the Houston Rockets, he easily becomes their number two player behind James Harden, who averaged 29.1 points, 11.2 assists, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game.

                                          (Credit: Keith Allison. Click here for source)

However, Lou Williams (14.9 points), Patrick Beverley (9.5 points), Montrezl Harrell (9.1 points), and Sam Dekker (6.5 points) were all solid contributors for the Rockets last season. Especially Williams, Beverley, and Harrell. While Williams is the best player the Rockets traded away, Beverley is the most valuable. He was the only player on the team that actually played defense. He's a tough, hard-nosed perimeter defender that plays very hard on both ends of the floor. When healthy, he has the pieces to give guys like Stephen Curry headaches when they have the ball. Considering that he was the only guy who actually cared to defend, giving away Beverley is no small thing.

When looking at this trade, it's no question that the Rockets gave up a lot to get Chris Paul. They gave away their third best scorer and their top defender. But did they give up too much? At the end of the day, I don't think they did. The fact that they were able to hang on to Eric Gordon, their number two scorer from last season, is huge. Had they given him up, I think that would have perhaps tipped the scale.

The biggest challenge for the Rockets will be to figure out how to get Chris Paul, James Harden, and Eric Gordon to all co-exist in the same backcourt. Having their top three scorers play two positions is an issue that will need to be addressed. The good news is that Eric Gordon is comfortable in an off the bench type of role and shouldn't have any issue playing the role of sixth man on this Rockets team.

Assuming they can figure that part out, the Rockets project to be really good next season. They added the best pure point guard in the NBA and did so without giving up their number two scoring option. Considering what they are up against next season, this is a low-risk high-reward type of move for the Rockets. They played their cards right with this one.

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Western Conference Playoffs Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Houston Rockets

The #2 seeded San Antonio Spurs and #3 seeded Houston Rockets will face off in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. Game 1 will be held tonight (Monday) at 9:30 PM EST on TNT. The Spurs took out the Grizzlies in six games while the Rockets took out the Thunder in five games.

When looking at this series, what stands out is the matchup between Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard and Rockets shooting guard James Harden. Leonard averaged 31.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game in the series against the Grizzlies, while Harden averaged 33.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game against the Thunder. Both guys will be expected to deliver the goods for their respective teams and live up to their MVP billing.

If the Spurs are going to win this series, they'll need more than just Kawhi Leonard. LaMarcus Aldridge and Tony Parker will need to come up big as well. Both guys played well against the Grizzlies, but they'll need to continue to provide the type of support that Leonard needs. Pau Gasol will also likely need to produce more than the 6.5 points per game that he was averaging against the Grizzlies. If this turns into the Kawhi Leonard show, the Spurs could be in trouble due to the plethora of weapons that the Rockets have.

In addition to James Harden, the Rockets have other guys who give defenses trouble in Eric Gordon, Nene, Lou Williams, and Ryan Anderson. Even their defensive specialist on the perimeter Patrick Beverley knows how to score when needed. The Rockets' potency on offense will make them a tough opponent for the Spurs and will require the Spurs to play excellent defense both on the perimeter and down on the block.

The big advantage the Spurs have over the Rockets is that the style they play is a more proven formula for success. The Spurs have a nice blend of inside and outside play with Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Tony Parker as their core trio. Leonard is a Swiss army knife that does it all, giving them a lot of versatility on offense and defense.

The Rockets in contrast heavily rely on their three-point shooting and truly adhere to the mantra "Live by the three, die by the three." When the Rockets heat up from beyond the arc, they are very difficult to stop. When they get cold and the shots aren't falling, they suddenly become very vulnerable.

The Rockets' ability to get hot will make this series interesting, but given that Gregg Popovich's system is more proven for playoff success than the run and gun system of Mike D'Antoni, I see the Spurs coming out on top in six games. Kawhi Leonard will win the matchup against James Harden and the Spurs' championship pedigree will shine through.

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Western Conference Playoffs Preview: Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

In the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, the #3 seeded Houston Rockets (55-27) will take on the #6 seeded Oklahoma City Thunder (47-35). The Rockets won the regular season series 3-1. Game 1 will tip off on Sunday at 9:00 PM EST on TNT.

When looking at this series, what stands out most to your average NBA fan is the matchup between Rockets guard James Harden and Thunder guard Russell Westbrook. Both guys are in the MVP conversation and both at one point played on the same team in Oklahoma City along with Kevin Durant and Jeff Green. This reunion of sorts between Harden and Westbrook will be fun to watch as they go about trying to show which one of them is the more deserving MVP candidate.

Statistically speaking, both players have had phenomenal years. James Harden is averaging 29.1 points, 11.2 assists, and 8.1 rebounds per game while shooting 44.0% from the field, 34.7% from three-point range, and 84.7% from the foul line. Russell Westbrook has become the first player to average a triple-double for a season since Oscar Robertson, averaging 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game. Even if they hadn't been teammates before, just from a statistical standpoint it should be fun to watch these guys go at it. This is one of the best backcourt matchups we've seen in a playoff series in quite a while.

When looking at the both the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder as whole, it is clear that the Rockets have more weapons than the Thunder. Eric Gordon, Lou Williams, Ryan Anderson, Clint Capela, and Trevor Ariza all average in double figures for the Rockets, giving James Harden plenty of offensive weapons to turn to. Plus, the Rockets also have a fantastic perimeter defender in Patrick Beverley, who has the capability of frustrating Russell Westbrook and making things harder on him than he'd like.

The Thunder on the other hand have only three additional guys scoring in double figures in Victor Oladipo, Enes Kanter, and Steven Adams. Adams is much more of a banger and enforcer down low, so it really is just Oladipo and Kanter who give Russell Westbrook the scoring relief that he sorely needs. The harsh reality for the Thunder is that they have to rely a lot more on Russell Westbrook than the Rockets need to rely on James Harden, which puts all the more pressure on Westbrook to deliver the goods in this series.

If there is anything I can say that should give Thunder fans some hope, it's that Russell Westbrook might be a super human and the Rockets' jump shooting style could come back to haunt them. Russell Westbrook is having perhaps the greatest regular season in NBA history and has proven himself capable of carrying his team on his back. If there's anyone that can carry a team on his back against a team like the Rockets, it's Russell Westbrook.

 As far as the Rockets' jump shooting style is concerned, these guys shoot a lot of threes. They've made more threes than the 2015-16 Warriors did and have also attempted more threes in the process. In the playoffs, things always get more tight and it gets increasingly tougher to win by hitting jumpers. The old expression "live by the three, die by the three" seems to be the Rockets' motto. So far, it has served them well, but there's always the chance that they start to get cold and the Thunder capitalize in transition. The Rockets' risky style of play always puts things up to chance and should give the Thunder a lot of hope that they can find a way to pull off the upset.

While it is true that the Rockets live by the three and play a risky style of basketball, I still have them coming out on top in this series in seven games. I think this will be a back and forth series, but what will ultimately decide this series is the Rockets having home court advantage and more weapons. If this series goes to a Game 7, I think James Harden has a big game and his supporting cast plays big as well. Don't get me wrong, it would not shock me to see Russell Westbrook go into the Toyota Center and pull off the upset. If there's anyone who can do it it's him. It's just that the odds are not in his favor.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: James Harden has the Houston Rockets knocking on the door

At 27-9, the Houston Rockets are just 3.5 games back of the 30-5 Golden State Warriors. They are currently on a 5 game winning streak, having won 8 of their last 10 games and James Harden is putting up phenomenal numbers in the process. Harden is averaging 28.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 11.9 assists per game, putting him in the MVP conversation along with Russell Westbrook. 

On New Year's Eve against the New York Knicks, James Harden exploded for 53 points, 16 rebounds, and 17 assists, becoming the first player to put up 50+ points, 15+ rebounds, and 15+ assists in a single game. That's Wilt Chamberlain type of production right there, folks. 

       Credit: Darral Chen. Click here for source

While James Harden is viewed as a ball hog and a chucker, it's not like he's not getting his teammates involved. 17 assists is getting your teammates involved. Furthermore, being a ball hog doesn't necessarily mean you hog the ball for the pure purpose of getting yourself points. James Harden hogs the ball because he literally wants to do it all and by "do it all", I mean he wants to get points, rebounds, assists, etc. James Harden is the closest thing we have to a "one man band" in the NBA since he doesn't have the same type of help around him that guys like LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Stephen Curry have. He literally is the Houston Rockets and without him, they would be a lottery bound team for sure. 

The big question about the Houston Rockets is whether or not they can sustain this type of success for the duration of a season. In order for them to do so, James Harden will need to continue to play like a human video game while Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon continue to take some of the pressure off. In addition, they'll need to get healthy as soon as possible with both Patrick Beverley (wrist) and Clint Capela (fractured fibula) out at the moment. 

If the Rockets are able to do all the things needed to be successful, they could prove to be a dark horse to come out of the Western Conference. I don't consider them a serious threat to win the NBA championship, but if you have a guy like James Harden on your team, you always have a shot to win any game in any venue. As cliché as it sounds, it's really the truth. Stars win championships and James Harden is playing like a star capable of leading a team to a championship. He's that good. 

Note: Patrick Beverley should be back any day now. He was almost cleared to play Monday. 

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Western Conference Playoffs Preview: Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets

                           (1) Golden State Warriors (73-9) vs. (8) Houston Rockets (41-41)

     En route to their first NBA championship in 40 years, the Golden State Warriors quickly dispatched of the Houston Rockets in five games in the Western Conference Finals last season. While the Stephen Curry vs. James Harden matchup was highly anticipated, the series itself ended up being firmly in favor of Stephen Curry and the Warriors. With the Warriors having the best regular season record in NBA history and the Rockets right at .500, I have no reason to believe that the Rockets will give the Warriors any sort of a fight.

     To be clear, this is no indictment on James Harden's play. The bearded assassin has averaged 29.0 points per game and once again proven himself to be one of the most potent and explosive scorers in the game. The issue is that he has no help. Dwight Howard, who was supposed to be his right hand man, is averaging just 13.7 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. Unless Dwight Howard magically morphs into Hakeem Olajuwon, the Rockets have no shot at winning this series.

     The Warriors have too many weapons to go along with Stephen Curry, who is averaging 30.1 points per game. Klay Thompson, the other "splash brother", is averaging 22.1 points per game while also shooting north of 40% from 3-point range. In addition to Klay, the Warriors have Draymond Green, Andrew Bogut, Andre Iguodala, Harrison Barnes, Maurice Speights, etc. Those guys are also extremely good at what they do, forming one of the best supporting casts around a superstar in NBA history.

     While it would take too long for me to talk about each of those players, what they do as a collective unit is defend at a high level, control the glass, and help Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson get out in transition where they are more comfortable. All of those guys know their job and they do it with pride. As for the Rockets, it really is just James Harden out there chucking up threes in hopes of catching fire.

     Unless the Golden State Warriors all get terminally ill or get a very bad case of food poisoning, they will sweep the Houston Rockets. This series will be over in the blink of an eye and the Houston Rockets will go into the off-season with a lot of questions to answer. What other pieces do they need to go around James Harden and Dwight Howard? Is J.B. Bickerstaff the head coach for the future? Will Daryl Morey stay on board as general manager? These questions and more will be on the forefront of their minds in approximately two weeks.

Note: Game 1 of this series is Saturday at 3:30 PM EST on ABC.

Wednesday Windmill: The Rockets are more dysfunctional than we thought

     Earlier today, the Houston Rockets (5-7) fired their head coach Kevin McHale and handed the interim-head coaching duties to J.B. Bickerstaff. The decision by the Rockets to fire McHale took me completely off guard as it did a lot of people who religiously follow the NBA. The main takeaway from this firing is that the Houston Rockets are way more dysfunctional than we realized.
   
     What initially appeared to be a rough start to the season turned out to be something so serious that firing Kevin McHale, one of the smartest minds in basketball, was deemed as the only way to save the season. Trust me on this one: When getting rid of Kevin McHale is viewed as a necessary move to save your season, that's much more of a reflection on you than it is on Kevin McHale.
   
     To say "Houston, we have a problem" would be incredibly cliché, but in truth, it's probably the most appropriate thing to say at this point. The Rockets have a problem and it's unclear what its source is or how it will go away.
   
     What's weird is that this was a team that was in the Western Conference Finals last year and appeared capable of competing with the eventual NBA champion Golden State Warriors. James Harden was a legitimate MVP candidate and Dwight Howard played his best basketball since 2009, which was when he led the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals. They added Ty Lawson in the offseason and appeared poised to make another deep playoff run. So, what exactly could have gone wrong?
   
     One possibility is that Rockets GM Daryl Morey overreacted to a slow start. GMs can get quick triggered at times, but usually, it's only the bad GMs that overreact and do something stupid. Perhaps Morey is one of those bad GMs. Or, perhaps there was something really defective in the locker room that Kevin McHale didn't have the ability to fix. But if that's the case, then the solution should be to get rid of what's defective and keep McHale on board.
   
     The weird part about this is that Morey makes it sounds like things between McHale and the Rockets were broken beyond repair just one season after the team was in the Western Conference Finals. I'm really not sure how things could be this badly broken. It truly puzzles me.
   
     Anyways, I could go on and on with speculation about what went wrong or what Morey thinks went wrong, but in truth, none of us know but Daryl Morey and it sounds like not even he knows what's wrong with his team. What I can say for certain is that the Rockets are really dysfunctional and not in a good place. Teams on course to compete for a championship don't fire their head coach midseason. Given that most of us thought the Rockets were a team that was potentially on such a course, we can't help but scratch our heads in befuddlement and admit that we were wrong.

Daily Dunks: 10/5/-10/11/15

                                                  (Credit Andy Melton: Click here for source) 

Here is my Daily Dunks page for October 5, 2015 through October 11, 2015. Throughout the week this page will be updated with news from across the NBA until a new  Daily Dunks page is created for the following week.

Monday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. The 76ers have a lot of injuries (Click here for details).

#2. The Hawks' co-owner made more money by exposing Danny Ferry's comments about Luol Deng (Click here for details).

#3. Thabo Sefolosha's trial regarding his confrontation with the NYPD is underway (Click here for details).

#4. Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will undergo shoulder surgery and be out 6 months (Click here for details).

#5. The Rockets plan to bring Alessandro Gentile over in 2016 (Click here for details).

#6. Nets forward Andrea Bargnani's MRI on his hamstring came back negative (Click here for details).

Monday's NBA preseason scores: 

Warriors 95 Raptors 87. Kings 109 Trail Blazers 105 (OT). Fenerbahçe Ülker 101 Nets 96.

Tuesday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. The Lakers have some injuries (Click here for details).

#2. Click here for an update on Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao

#3. DeMarcus Cousins hopes to enter the MVP race (Click here for details).

#4. Doc Rivers admits the Clippers may blow up their roster after this season (Click here for details).

#5. Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer urged Danny Ferry to resign (Click here for details).

#6. The Pistons are interested in trading for Markieff Morris (Click here for details).

#7. Nets swingman Markel Brown is done for the preseason (Click here for details).

#8. Click here for an injury update on Knicks guard Aaron Afflalo

Tuesday's WNBA Finals results: 

Lynx 77 Fever 71: Final.  Sylvia Fowles led the Lynx with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Best-of-five series is tied 1-1.

Tuesday's NBA preseason scores: 

Celtics 124 Olimpia Milano 91. Wizards 129 76ers 95. Pacers 115 Pistons 112. Bulls 105 Bucks 95.
Grizzlies 92 Rockets 89. Nuggets 96 Mavericks 86.

Wednesday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. The Raptors don't have high expectations for Anthony Bennett (Click here for details).

#2. Kevin Love will practice with the Cavaliers on Saturday (Click here for details).

#3. Mark Cuban suggests the NBA has a supplemental draft for undrafted free agents (Click here for details).

#4. Craig Sager has been cleared from cancer according to his son (Click here for details).

#5. Former Rutgers star Kadeem Jack has joined the Pacers for training camp (Click here for details).

#6. Matt Barnes reportedly attacked Derek Fisher for dating his ex-wife (Click here for details).

#7. Jazz forward Trevor Booker punched Lakers center Roy Hibbert and got ejected (Click here for details).

#8. The Suns waived guard Deonte Burton (Click here for details).

#9. Jimmy Butler doesn't like Derrick Rose's work ethic according to a rumor (Click here for details).

#10. Zach LaVine is the Timberwolves' starting shooting guard (Click here for details).

#11. The Grizzlies signed center Alex Stepehson and waived center Michael Holyfield (Click here for details).

#12. The Bucks waived forward Jon Horford and guard Charlie Westbrook (Click here for details).

#13. The Pistons waived forward Eric Griffin (Click here for details).

#14. Pelicans center Omer Asik is out 3 weeks with a right calf stain (Click here for details).

Wednesday's NBA preseason scores: 

Knicks 100 Paschoalotto Beru 81. Thunder 122 Timberwolves 99. Hawks 98 Cavaliers 96. Magic 100 Heat 97. Rockets 109 Mavericks 82. Suns 102 Kings 98.

Thursday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. LeBron James is investing in a new franchise called "Blaze" (Click here for details).

#2. If you want to here Matt Barnes' version of what happened between him and Derek Fisher, click here.

#3. No criminal charges will be filed against Matt Barnes (Click here for details).

#4. Jimmy Butler says all is well between him and Derrick Rose (Click here for details).

#5. Derrick Rose will rejoin the Bulls on Monday (Click here for details).

#6. 76ers guard Scottie Wilbiken hit the game winning three against the Cavaliers (Click here to watch)

#7. The Cavaliers signed guard Dionte Christmas to their preseason roster (Click here for details).

#8. Rockets center Dwight Howard says he played through a torn MCL and torn meniscus in the playoffs (Click here for details).

#9. Jazz forward Trevor Booker has been suspended 1 game in the regular season for his altercation with Roy Hibbert (Click here for details).

Thursday's NBA preseason scores: 

Celtics 111 Real Madrid 96. Trail Blazers 118 Warriors 101. 76ers 115 Cavaliers 114. Pacers 97 Magic 92. Nets 93 Pistons 83. Nuggets 112 Bulls 94. Raptors 105 Lakers 97. Kings 95 Spurs 92.

Friday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard is day-to-day after re-aggravating a left ankle sprain (Click here for details).

#2. Former NBA and UCLA player Dave Meyers has passed away (Click here for details).

#3. The Pelicans have signed center Jerome Jordan (Click here for details).

#4. Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love is unsure about an opening night return (Click here for details).

#5. Power forward Greg Smith failed his physical with the Pelicans. He will not join the team (Click here for details).

#6. Dwayne Wade is teaching Heat rookie Justise Winslow post moves (Click here for details).

#7. Former NBA All-Star and champion Bill Bridges has passed away (Click here for details).

#8. Hawks forward Thabo Sefolosha has been found not guilty of resisting arrest (Click here for details).

#9. Tony Parker wants to play six more seasons with the Spurs (Click here for details).

#10. 76ers owner Josh Harris says he gives head coach Brett Brown an 'A' for the job he has done (Click here for details).

#11. The NBA and the NBAPA are setting up a cardiac screening for retired players (Click here for details).

#12. The Trail Blazers named C.J. McCollum their backup point guard (Click here for details).

#13. Click here to read Thabo Sefolosha's statement on his vindication.

Friday's WNBA Finals results: 

Lynx 80 Fever 77: Final. Lynx lead series 2-1. Click here to watch Maya Moore's game winner.

Friday's NBA preseason scores: 

Thunder 111 Fenerbahçe Ülker 81. Suns 101 Jazz 85. Hawks 103 Pelicans 93. Knicks 115 Wizards 104.

Saturday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. Doc Rivers corrects himself and says the Warriors weren't "lucky" to win the NBA Finals (Click here for details).

#2. LeBron James says he doesn't ride motorcycles (Click here for details).

#3. Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas wants to be in a Space Jam 2 (Click here for details).

#4. Thabo Sefolosha could make his preseason debut with the Hawks on Wednesday (Click here for details).

#5. The Raptors have unveiled a new court design (Click here for details).

#6. Wizards point guard John Wall says he wants to be the number one point guard in the NBA (Click here for details).

#7. The Cavaliers won't waive guard Joe Harris (Click here for details).

#8. The Cavaliers expect Kevin Love to play on October 15 (Click here for details).

Saturday's NBA Preseason Scores: 

76ers 97 Nets 95. Bulls 114 Timberwolves 105. Pistons 117 Bucks 88. Kings 94 Trail Blazers 90.

Sunday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. Rockets guard James Harden is day-to-day with a right knee contusion (Click here for details).

#2. The Hawks waived power forward Arsalan Kazemi and point guard Edgar Sosa (Click here for details).

#3. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is out indefinitely following a rare spinal fluid leak occurrence during his firs back operation (Click here for details).

#4. An assault lawsuit  against Scottie Pippen has been dropped (Click here for details).

#5. Clippers point guard suffered a fractured left index finger. He shouldn't be out long (Click here for details).

#6. Nets forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is out  for the remainder of the preseason due to a sprained right ankle (Click here for details).

#7. The Nuggets exercised their 2016-17 options for Jusuf Nurkic and Gary Harris (Click here for details).

#8. Hip-hop artist Rich Homie Quan will perform on opening night in Atlanta (Click here for details).

Sunday's NBA preseason final scores: 

Hornets 106 Clippers 94. Magic 123 Rockets 119. Lakers 126 Maccabi Haifa 83. Wizards 134 Bauru Pashoalotto 100.

WNBA Finals update: 

The Fever forced a Game 5, defeating the Lynx 75-69.


---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA news