Who Can Challenge The Thunder Out West?

The Oklahoma City Thunder currently possess the best record in the Western Conference right now with a record of 42-16. They are picked by many to win the Western Conference this year due to their youth, explosiveness, and their deadly one-two punch of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The Thunder are currently second in the NBA in scoring averaging 102.72 points per game, first in field goal percentage shooting 47.4% from the field, first in free throw percentage shooting 80.2% from the charity stripe, and 11th in 3-point percentage shooting 36.0% from beyond the arc. In short, the Thunder are a very good offensive team. They have 2 guys in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook who can go off at any moment and take over a game.
         Having two guys who can do that gives them a huge advantage over most of their opponents. But the Thunder aren't winning 42 games because they have two great scorers. The Golden State Warriors had to part ways with a back-court consisting of Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry, two players who know how to score the basketball. The Thunder are a more complete team than people realize, and have more going on than just Westbrook and Durant. First off, they have a third guy who can score the rock off the bench, and that would be James Harden. While Kevin Durant averages 27.5 points per game and Russell Westbrook averages 24.2, James Harden averages a solid 16.7 points per game. Harden's scoring off the bench is critical for the Thunder because it helps take pressure off Westbrook and Durant in the scoring department, as well as ensuring that the ball flows better. Harden takes a fair amount of shots himself, and makes it a lot harder for teams to double Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook.
           Averaging 31.7 minutes per game, Harden is third in minutes played behind Westbrook and Durant. He is essentially playing starters minutes, but comes off the bench to help give the team a little bit of a spark mid way through the first quarter. Him coming off the bench is also able to more easily ensure that the Thunder always have a good scorer on the court.I.e. when they want to rest Durant or Westbrook, they can have Harden out there playing, since he will be more refreshed.
           In addition to Harden, Westbrook and Durant also have the luxury of having some guys in the paint who can really plug it up and play good interior defense. If there is any weakness in the Thunder's game, it is defense and their bench. They rank 15th in points allowed, giving up 96.35 points per game, which makes them a mid pack team in scoring defense. But their interior defense is pretty solid with Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka in the middle. Ibaka is averaging 3.55 blocks per game, which puts Ibaka up there with the greatest of shot blockers. Mark Eaton who played 11 seasons for the Utah Jazz from 1982-1993 averaged 3.5 blocks per game for his career, which is #1 all time in NBA history. Ibaka is blocking shots at rates that few people have. Perkins is averaging 1.18 blocks per game, nothing near Ibaka's level, but he still helps plug up the middle. As a team in full, the Thunder rank number one in blocks per game, averaging 8.07 blocks per game. That is largely due to Ibaka and Perkins.
         The Thunder are also a solid rebounding team, ranking 8th in rebounds per game (43.19). So rebounding doesn't account for their poor scoring defense. The reason their scoring defense isn't so good is due to their uptempo style of play. They rank 17th in steals per game (7.52) but then they also ranked 3rd in field goal percentage allowed. Their opponents shoot a field goal percentage of 42.6%, which means they defend shots pretty well. Somehow, the Thunder still give up a decent amount of points, but they rebound, shot block, and defend shots well. So it means that they give up more points mainly because of their uptempo style of play. As far as their bench goes, it isn't too impressive once you go beyond Harden. The highest ranked scorer off the bench beyond Harden is Daequan Cook, who is averaging only 5.4 points per game. To be truly honest, outside of Harden, Durant, and Westbrook, nobody on the Thunder really is asked to score. Ibaka averages a shad under 9 points per game, but most of those are off put-backs, dunks, and foul shots.
       The offense is and outside-in offense. Most of their scoring comes on the perimeter. Perimeter jump shooting teams like the Thunder rarely win titles because their shots are lower percentage. But the Thunder are so far defying logic in that department, since they have the best record in the Western Conference, and the second best record in the NBA. But the season is not over yet, and the playoffs are yet to start. The Thunder still have a ways to go before they win the Western Conference. There are a couple teams out there who can beat them in a 7 game series. What I will do in this article is list all possible teams out West who may face the Thunder in the playoffs, and tell you whether or not they have a legitimate shot of dethroning the Thunder come playoff time.
         The first team I'll discuss is the Utah Jazz. The Jazz are currently seeded 9th out West with a record of 31-28. They rank 5th in scoring averaging 99.09 points per game, and 22nd in scoring defense, giving up 98.92 points per game. They also rank 4th in rebounding averaging 43.83 rebounds per game. The Jazz are a team with a lot of youth. That is why there is a lot of hope in Utah. Players like Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, Alec Burks, and Gordon Hayward are all in their 1st or 2nd years in the NBA, and all promise to be future stars in the NBA.
            But can the Jazz realistically beat the Thunder in a 7 game series? The answer is probably not, but lets keep something in mind about the Jazz. They are young, athletic, and play in a very tough arena. The Jazz are tough to beat at home. Especially in the playoffs. Plus, unlike the Thunder, the Jazz play that pick 'n roll offense, and are a very inside and out team. Their top two scorers are Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson, both who are power forwards. Together, Jefferson and Millsap make for a tough front court. A young athletic team like Utah that plays opposite of OKC could give the Thunder some problems. Plus, the Jazz also have a deeper bench than the Thunder do. With CJ Miles, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, and Alec Burks coming off the bench. The Jazz youth, interior offense, and rebounding are why the Thunder should be afraid of facing the Jazz. Not only that, but the Jazz score at pace not far off from where the Thunder are at. If they met in a series I think Utah would take them at least 6 games, maybe 7 before losing in game 7 in Oklahoma City. Being a division team helps Utah as well, since they are familiar with the Thunder. As of right now, the Jazz are 1-2 against the Thunder.
             The next team I'll discuss is the 10th seeded Phoenix Suns. The Suns have recently surged into the playoff mix with a 30-28 record, maybe getting the #8 seed out West. They are 11th in scoring at 97.81 points per game, and 20th in scoring defense at 97.66 points given up per game. They also rank 22nd in rebounding at 41.53 rebounds per game. The Suns are honestly lucky as hell to even be in the playoff mix, and they don't have much scoring beyond Steve Nash and Marcin Gortat. Gortat is a nice player and everything, but if he's your leading scorer, you are in trouble. He's averaging 15.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, which are solid numbers, but as of right now he is the #2 player on this team behind Steve Nash. Once you go beyond Nash and Gortat, you have Jared Dudly and Channing Frye, two guys who can both shoot and stretch the floor. But neither really scores well inside. Grant Hill is also done for the season, so they've lost his double digit scoring as well. They aren't very young either, something that the Thunder are. The truth is, the Thunder would love to face the Suns in the first round because they are an older team, they don't defend or rebound well, and they don't have a great #1 scoring option. They're offensive punch is gone. They also are 0-2 against the Thunder. Expect the Thunder to defeat the Suns in 5 games.
           The next team is the Houston Rockets ranked 8th in the west with a record of 32-26, who rank 16th in rebounding (42.09 rpg), 8th in scoring with 98.29 points per game, and 19th in scoring defense 97.40 points allowed. Here is the problem with Houston, they don't have any elite scoring options. Kevin Martin and Luis Skola and score the ball pretty well, but neither is especially explosive. Kyle Lowry is a good point guard, who would give Westbrook some problems but the truth is, he is no Westbrook. They are 1-2 against the Thunder this season, so they have beaten the Thunder, but they lack the overall explosive power to defeat the Thunder. The only real edge the Rockets have is Kevin McHale. He's a very good coach and has championship experience. That could serve them well in the playoffs, but not well enough to knock out the Thunder.
           The next team is the Denver Nuggets, who rank 7th out west with a record of 32-26. The Nuggets rank #1 in scoring averaging 103.71 points per game, and #29 in scoring defense, giving up 101.78 points per game. As for rebounding, they rank 7th averaging 43.22 rebounds per game. Currently 0-2 against the Thunder, the Nuggets don't pose much of a threat. They play utterly no defense, which means the Thunder would score a bucket of points against them in a 7 game series. While they themeslves do score very well, they don't have the offensive power to compete with OKC over a 7 game series. Their best player is Ty Lawson, who is having a solid season averaging 15.8 points and 6.7 assists per game. But he is nothing compared to what the Thunder have. If Ty Lawson is your best player, you aren't beating the Thunder in a 7 game series. Last season, they lost to the Thunder in 5 games in the first round of the playoffs, and I don't see why the results would be any different. Plus, they are banged up with Danilo Gallinari having injury problems, which makes them even less deep. Wilson Chandler is banged up as well. They are a fairly deep team going 12 guys deep, which would give the Thunder some problems, but the truth is, Denver lacks the fire power to give the Thunder any real problems.
              Ranked 6th is the Dallas Mavericks who are 32-26. They are ranked 20th in scoring at 94.67 points per game, 7th in scoring defense 93.52 points allowed, and 12th in rebounding 42.62 boards per game. The only reason to think the Mavericks can beat the Thunder in a 7 game series is because they did last season. They are a solid defensive team, and if Dirk Nowitzki gets hot, then the Mavs are in trouble. But a lot of the key pieces from last year's team (Tyson Chandler, JJ Barea, and DeShawn Stevenson) are gone. Also, Lamar Odom is no longer gonna play for them due to his attitude problems. That really is rough for the Mavs, who thought he could be the missing ingredient in their repeat for a title. With their team having changed so much from last season, along with Odom's fall from grace, I think it's easy to say the Mavs will not knock out the Thunder unless Dirk Nowitzki goes nuts, and other players really step it up. This year, they are 1-3 against the Thunder, which is not at all an encouraging sign.
             Ranked 5th is the 34-23 Memphis Grizzlies who took the Thunder 7 games last season. If there is a team that the Thunder don't wanna face in the playoffs, it's the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies are 19th in offensive scoring 95.18 points per game, but they are 6th in scoring defense 93.37 points allowed per game. Rebounding is also a strength of the Grizzlies, who average 42.22 per game ranked 15th in the NBA. The Grizzlies are a threat because they have an inside out style of game with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph in the paint. Also they have Rudy Gay, who is an all-star caliber small forward. They took the Thunder 7 games with Gay hurt. If he's healthy come post season, look out for the Grizzlies with Conley, Mayo, Randolph, and Gasol to make a run. The big reason why I think the Grizzlies will oust the Thunder if they get the chance is due to their depth. They have 6 guys who score in double figures to the Thunder's 3. They have a much more balanced scoring attack, a deeper bench, and they play better defense. Not to mention they are just about as young as the Thunder are. If they meet the Thunder in a 7 game series, I personally see Memphis upsetting OKC. They are 1-2 against the Thunder this season, but they weren't at full strength in any of those games, and in their most recent game against the Thunder, they won @ OKC without Mike Conley.
        Ranked 4th in the Western Conference are the 35-23 Los Angeles Clippers. They rank 13th in points scored (97.29 points per game), 14th in points allowed (94.98 points allowed per game), and 18th in rebounding (41.72 rebounds per game). They have a 2-1 record against the Thunder, which does lead me to believe the Clippers may have a shot at knocking out the Thunder. The reason why the Thunder should fear them is pretty obvious. Chris Paul is better than Russell Westbrook, and Blake Griffin is a force in the paint. Blake Griffin has scored 22, 7, and 16 points in those three games against Thunder, which means that Serge Ibaka is doing his job against B-Griff. In order to really have a good game in the paint against the Thunder you need to have another teammate who also scores well in the paint. The Clippers only have Griffin which allows him to get doubled and roughed up by Perkins and Ibaka. They need another good force in the paint, and their best option DeAndre Jordan hasn't yet arrived. He still needs a lot of growing to do. Teams like Utah and Memphis have two really good inside paint options that can wear down the Thunder's interior defense. Having just one paint player won't get it done.
           But if there is a reason to believe in the Clippers, here is why: Chris Paul will outplay Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin won't be contained, Nick Young will replace the production of Chauncey Billups, Mo Williams will get hot, and they overall will win because they have a slightly better bench. Like Memphis, they have 6 guys who score in double figures while the Thunder have 3. Teams that have more offensive weapons in totality like the Clippers give the Thunder problems. Plus, Chris Paul knows how to close ball games. Do they knock out the Thunder? I don't see why not. I like their chances for the same reason I like the Grizz. More balanced scoring. However, we haven't seen them take the Thunder to a game 7 like the Grizzlies have, which makes me a little less confident in the Clippers. But I give them good odds at doing it.
             Ranked 3rd in the Western Conference are the 37-22 Los Angeles Lakers. They are 17th in Scoring averaging 96.78 points per game and 11th in points allowed at 94.64 points allowed per game. They are also # 2 in rebounding averaging 46.17 rebounds per game. The Lakers are also 0-2 against the Thunder this season. The Lakers on paper give the Thunder problems because they have Kobe Bryant who averages 28.1 points per game, and two great big guys in Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. They rebound very well and can out muscle the Thunder's post defense. They have been lacking a good point guard, but now they have Ramon Sessions, who is a legit point guard. He is averaging 13.5 points and 7.1 assists per game as a Laker. He seems to have given this team a real boost by helping them address an obvious weakness they had at the beginning of the Season. The Lakers haven't played the Thunder with Sessions at point, so until then, we can't make a fair prediction of how things will go. Will they beat the Thunder in a series? Probably not, but they got the size to do it, the closer to do it in Kobe, and a better point guard now. So, don't count the Lakers out, even though I think the Thunder probably knock them out in 6 games.
           Ranked 2nd in the Western Conference is the 40-16 San Antonio Spurs. They are 3rd in scoring, averaging 101.68 points per game and 17th in points allowed, giving up 96.38 points per game. They also average 42.52 rebounds per game which is 13th in the NBA. They are also 2-1 against the Thunder. The Spurs are a team that the Thunder should be worried about for a few reasons. (A) They have more experience than the Thunder. (B) They are 2-1 against them and Manu Ginobili hasn't played in any of those games. (C) They have a very deep bench and a lot of it is youth. (D) Tony Parker is a great point guard who can match up with Westbrook. (E) They score the ball well. Also, if the Spurs get the #1 seed, then the Thunder could have to go on the road in a game 7. The reason why the Thunder probably beat the Spurs should they meet is they are younger and have the best player on the court. Kevin Durant is better than anybody on the Spurs. Is Russell Westbrook the #2 best player on the court? Probably, but I'm willing to call him and Tony Parker even. So in short, I think the Thunder win that series because they have the best player on the floor. But if this doesn't mean it wouldn't be close. The Spurs have more youth this year and are deeper than last season. Plus, they play very good team basketball. They play as a unit and are very disciplined. If the Thunder trip up at all, the Spurs would be right there to pick them apart. I expect the Thunder to win in 7 games.
                My honest pick to win the West is the Memphis Grizzlies as of right now. I like their depth, size, versatility, and defensive abilities. But the Thunder should still be the favorites. They've been the best team all year out West and they deserve to be the team being chased. While they are really good for all the reasons I mentioned earlier, they are still young, and I'm not sure they are quite ready to take that leap to the NBA Finals. Remember that they nearly lost in 7 games to Memphis last season, and lost in 5 games to Dallas in the next round (conference finals). It's no "slam dunk" they win the west. There are a lot of teams that can knock them out and a lot of teams that very well may represent the West in the NBA Finals. It'll be interesting to see how this all shakes out.

Fresh Power Rankings!!!

Here are my power rankings as of today April 10. Enjoy!

1. San Antonio Spurs (40-15) The Spurs just had their 11 game win streak snapped in Salt Lake City, but that was because Gregg Popovich rested Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan. The Spurs are white hot right now, and with the way they are playing, there is no reason to not think they can't win it all this year. 2.Oklahoma City Thunder (42-15) They currently have the best record out west, and they've won 2 straight after dropping 3 in a row. The Thunder should be the favorites to come out of the west, but if they want to make that happen they need better bench production. They're getting 2/3rds of their scoring from 3 guys. That should worry them with teams like Memphis and San Antonio lurking, who have much deeper benches and more balanced scoring attacks. 3. Miami Heat:40-15 No matter how much of a funk that they've been in, I can't pick the Bulls to over-take them in the East. I just can't do it. The Bulls don't seem to have made enough improvements for me to think things will be different this year, but they still gotta be worried that the Celtics are getting hot. 4. Chicago Bulls: 43-14 If they want any shot of winning the East, they have to get the #1 seed in the East. With only about 9 games left, they're gonna have to pedal to the metal to get that accomplished. Miami wants the top spot, too. 5. Boston Celtics:32-24 They've won 7 of their last 10 games, with impressive wins over the Heat, Sixers, and Pacers. Greg Steimsma has also come out of nowhere off the bench to energize this team. The Celtics are hitting their stride at just the right time. 6. Memphis Grizzlies: 33-23 With solid wins over the Heat, Mavericks, and Clippers the Grizzlies are on a roll, including winning 8 of their last 10. This is with Zach Randolph being eased back into the rotation! The Grizzlies are the sleeper team out west, and everybody needs to be more afraid of these guys. They got the depth, youth, and defensive abilities to win the western conference. 7. Los Angeles Lakers: 36-22 They barely beat the Nets, Warriors, and Hornets. They lost badly to the Suns in Phoenix, and lost at home to the Rockets. The Lakers are sleep walking right now, and Andrew Bynum is acting like a little kid. They better wake up soon, because they are not winning the west if they continue playing like this. 8. Los Angeles Clippers: 34-23 The Clippers have taken a huge step forward as a franchise this season, but they still are a couple of pieces away from contending. Still, if Nick Young gets more comfortable in their system, they could make a deep playoff run. But it would really surprise me if they did. 9.Indiana Pacers: 35-22 They're still a young team with lot of growing ahead of them, but when they play at their best, the can hang with anybody in the NBA. Roy Hibbert is a top flight big man, and he's still extremely young. Look for the Pacers to wreak havoc in the playoffs, but not win the conference. 10. Atlanta Hawks: 34-23 They are 1-5 against the Bulls and Heat this season. Granted, a couple of those losses have been pretty close, but I doubt the Hawks will pose much of a threat in the 2nd round. They have a realistic shot of advancing in the playoffs provided they aren't playing the Heat or Bulls. 11. Houston Rockets: 32-25 The Rockets are playing fantastic basketball right now winning 4 straight games all on the road. @ Chicago, @ L.A. Lakers, @ Sacramento, and @ Portland. The Rockets play like a team with urgency, and they deserve to be in the playoffs. Kevin McHale has his team playing the right way. 12. Orlando Magic: 34-23 They're lucky they play in the East, because if they were out west, they'd be missing the playoffs for sure. With all this Dwight Howard wanting to fire Stan Van Gundy drama, they will be lucky to win a series. 13. Denver Nuggets: 31-26 The Nuggets are a tough team to face because they don't have one clear go to guy or an all-star. But they are a well assembled team of many talented players. Kenneth Faried just had 27 points and 17 rebounds against the Warriors last night. I know it was against the Warriors, but the "Manimal" as he is called is living up to his nickname. If Faried can keep this up, the Nuggets will be a lot better. Faried is such a large young man that he's gonna give a lot of teams trouble. 14. Dallas Mavericks: 31-26 Having to part ways with Lamar Odom is likely the best thing for this team, but it is still a real bummer for the Mavs that they couldn't get Odom to play well for them. Now they have to press on and hope they don't miss the playoffs, which is a real possible. 15. New York Knicks: 29-27 The Knicks roller coaster is on another upswing as they've won 2 games in a row and 7 of their last 10 games. They've beaten Indy twice, they've beaten the Sixer, the Magic, and now the Bulls. They show flashes of brilliance, but the consistency just isn't there. They're 19-10 at home, but 10-17 on the road. That's not gonna cut it in the playoffs. They gotta step it up on the road. 16. Milwaukee Bucks: 28-29 Thanks to the Sixers sliding, they still got a pulse. They are 19-4 against below .500 teams, but they are 9-25 against above .500 teams. They've been beating the teams they're supposed to beat, but they gotta do better against playoff bound teams. 17. Phoenix Suns: 30-27 It's amazing that the Suns are still in the playoff mix with the loss of Grant Hill, as well as the departure of Amare Stoudemire. It really is a testament to how good Steve Nash really is. Marcin Gortat is also having a very underrated season, and has been holding down the fort pretty well in the paint. 18. Philadelphia 76ers: 29-27 They have really gone downhill, dropping 4 games in row to the Heat, Raptors, Magic, and Celtics. The loss to the Celtics was embarrassing, and a clear sign that they are on their way out. They got a young team that still needs to grow. Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand have to step up and pull this young team out of this mess before they miss the playoffs all together. 19. Utah Jazz: 30-28 Paul Millsap said the Spurs resting their starters against them lest night was a "slap in the face" to the Utah Jazz. He said it motivated them to win. But it wasn't as if the Jazz really stomped them. With 2 minutes left, the game was tied. The Jazz should be glad Pop rested Parker, Ginobili, and Duncan. Because if he didn't, the Jazz would have gotten stomped for sure. Thanks to Pop, the Jazz still are alive in the playoff race. 20. Portland Trailblazers: 27-31 The Blazers are clearly "walking dead" at this point. They know they got no shot at the playoffs, and they are really just looking towards the Draft. They have the Nets first round pick (top 3 protected) as well as their own lottery pick which they'll get for missing the playoffs. They're already looking towards next season with an improved roster thanks to this deep draft. 21. Minnesota Timberwolves: 25-33 They've gone 4-14 since Ricky Rubio got hurt, so it's tough to really blame them for their struggles. They got a bright future in the Twin Cities with Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio, and co. But for right now, they're just gonna have to hit the reset button for next season. However, this could be good as they'll get a better draft pick. 22. Detroit Pistons: 21-36 They're 15-12 at home, but 6-24 on the road. Pretty much a telltale sign of a young team. They gotta get better on the road, but as a young inexperienced team aside from Tayshaun Prince and Ben Wallace, struggling on the road is no surprise. As far as I'm concerned, they've had a very encouraging season. Brandon Knight is the real deal. 23. Golden State Warriors: 22-34 They got absolutely mauled by the Nuggets last night. But overall, they've been playing really hard and aggressively. Expect them to play the Mavericks down to the wire on Thursday night, and perhaps even win. The game will be in Oakland. 24. New Jersey Nets: 21-37 Brook Lopez has been shut down for the rest of the season, and they clearly are all eyeballing the summer. Whether or not Deron Williams stays with the team basically determines whether or not they start from the ground up again or not. They just gotta hope he stays. Otherwise that trade with Utah will officially have been a HUGE mistake. 25. Toronto Raptors: 20-38 The loss of Andrea Bargnani has really hurt this team. Especially since they struggle when he's healthy. They got some pieces,but still they are aways away from being a serious contender. 26. Sacramento Kings: 19-38 They should be excited with the way DeMarcus Cousins is developing, as well as the rest of their roster. They're just young and inexperienced. 27.Cleveland Cavaliers: 18-36 Kyrie Irving is still out, and I wouldn't be surprised if they shut him down for the rest of the season. No need to risk further injury to their top pick. Irving already hast the rookie of the year award locked up. 28.New Orleans Hornets: 15-32 Eric Gordon hasn't been healthy all season and Jarret Jack is out for the year. It's been a rough year for the Hornets in the Big Easy. David Stern is meeting with a potential ownership group this week. Getting new ownership that is committed to this franchise long-term would really give this dire franchise a boost. 29. Washington Wizards: 13-44 They've been beating up on the Bobcats all season. Too bad they don't play them anymore! 30. Charlotte Bobcats: 7-48 They've had a rough rough season, including hearing that a college team would beat them. I just hope they get a good draft pick, and pick themselves up. I also hope Michael Jordan stops running them into the ground.

Are The Orlando Magic Done?

The Orlando Magic just had one of the most dramatic weeks in recent NBA history. Stan Van Gundy opened a can of worms by saying that Dwight Howard had asked for him to be fired. He said management had told him this, but that he wasn't at all worried and only cared about winning basketball games. But this didn't stop the media from going into a frenzy. Kendall Gill had some interesting things to say Friday Night on NBA Game Time regarding the drama in Orlando. He compared Dwight Howard asking for Stan Van Gundy to be fired to a situation that happened to the 1994 Seattle Supersonic team that he played on. If you guys know your NBA History, you know that in 1994, the 8 seeded Denver Nuggets upset the 1 seeded Seattle Supersonics in the first round of playoffs, the first time an 8 seed ever beat a 1 seed in NBA history. The Sonics were expected to win the west as well as the championship, but they fell way short after losing in the first round of the playoffs. Kendall Gill says the reason they lost that series was due to an argument that Ricky Pierce and Gary Payton in game 1 of that series. Gill said that the argument divided the team, and was a big reason they lost that series. He feels that this Dwight Howard/Stan Van Gundy drama will have the same affect on the Magic, and he went so far as to say the Magic are "Done", and will not be a factor come playoffs. Gill's words are strong, and come with a lot of weight behind them. But are the Magic really done? Well, it appears as though Gill may be right. The Magic are currently 6th in the East and 10 games out of first place. They just got thumped by the Knicks who are also full of problems, and have had recent losses against the Pistons and Nuggets. Two teams who aren't going anywhere. But I guess to more definitively answer the question about whether or not the Magic are done I'll define what "done" means. If "done" means out of the playoff mix, then the answer is obviously no. They will still make the playoffs, and likely avoid the Bulls and Heat in the first round, which means they can still maybe win a first round series. If by "done" you mean they aren't winning the championship this season, then by all means, yes they are done. The Magic will not come close to winning a championship this season. They may win a series, they may have a close series in the 2nd round, but they won't advance to conference finals and certainly not the NBA finals. Even if you take all this drama out of the equation and just look at them from a pure basketball sense, it is clear that they aren't going to win the title. Dwight Howard is not the same force that Shaquille O'Neal was in his prime. Shaq averaged 29.3 points per game twice in his early days in Orlando, and 29.7 points per game later on with the Lakers. Dwight Howard averages 20. That's a solid scoring average,but he is nowhere near the same level of scoring production that Shaq was, and he is nowhere near the player that Shaquille O'Neal was as a whole. So the whole Shaq/Dwight Howard comparisons just need to stop. Secondly, Dwight Howard doesn't have anybody else really really good around him. Ryan Anderson is having a breakout season, but he's not good enough to propel them to a title. Jason Richardson is on the back end of his career, and Jameer Nelson just isn't all that good. So in short, if you look at the Magic from just a pure basketball perspective, it's clear they aren't cut to win a title. But then when you throw all this drama into the mix, then it makes things even worse, and really sinks the team. Sorry to break it to you Orlando Fans, but your team is "DONE". Better luck next season, and hope your team makes a big signing over the summer. Maybe you nab Steve Nash? Who knows, but for the time being just hope your team can win a series, and not totally explode at the end of the season. At this point, all that Orlando fans can really hope for is that their team doesn't totally detonate and explode making things even worse at the start of next season.

The Orlando Magic: The Jekyl and Hyde of the NBA

The Orlando Magic are the most up and down team in the NBA. Some nights they look dominant and in a position to contend for the Eastern Conference title. Other nights, they look just awful like they did this past week against the Bulls, who drubbed them 85-59 without D-Rose even in the lineup. Their next two games, they went on to slaughter both the Suns and Cavaliers. Granted, those two teams aren't the Bulls. But the Magic looked like a vastly superior team, well ahead of both the Suns and Cavs.
What makes the Orlando Magic so frusturating is the way that they seem to disappear and not show up at certain games. It seems like some nights, the Orlando Magic just mentall check out, and don't even try to give an effort, aside from Dwight Howard. This is why Dwight Howard has considered leaving Orlando. He's not confident his team is all in on being a championship caliber team. But with Dwight Howard now commited for the rest of the season, and also the start of next season, the Magic should be able to put some of that Dwight Howard trade drama on the backburner and just go play basketball. These random occurances of utter apathy need to stop right away. The Magic have the talent with Howard in the middle to give the Heat and Bulls a run come playoff time. But until they get used to playing hard every night, the Magic will get bounced out early in the playoffs. They're way to good to not be a factor in the East. But their attitude has to change. I hope it does, because as an NBA fan, I'm very excited to see what Orlando is capable of doing in the playoffs with the crew that they got.

NBA Trade Deadline Grade Report

The trade deadline has come and gone. Some teams made moves, and some teams did not. But sometimes not making a move is making move in its own way. What I will do is list all teams that made a move on trade deadline day, grade their trades, and also make a list of notable teams that didn't make any sort of move, and tell you all what I think.

Milwaukee Bucks: The Bucks made the first big move of the trade deadline period by trading away Center Andrew Bogut and SG/SF Stephen Jackson to the Golden State Warriors for SG Monta Ellis, C Ekpe Udoh, and
C Kwame Brown. I like this trade for the Bucks for several reasons. (A) They got rid of Andrew Bogut who wasn't playing due to another injury. It was starting to seem like his lack of minutes on the court was a hindrance to their overall growth as a team. Even though Bogut's injuries were due to falling down off a dunk, and other pretty hard physical plays, the reality is Bogut has shown to be injury prone, only playing 12 games this year, and 65 the year before that. In the 08-09 season Bogut only played 39 games. Getting rid of him is a huge relief to Milwaukee fans for that very reason. (B) They got themselves immediate help for a playoff run. The Bucks are currently in the mix for the 8th seed out East, and they just bolstered themselves to practically secure a playoff spot. They've won 5 games in a row, and are getting a boost from this deal at the right time. Ellis will help provide Brandon Jennings with better help in the backcourt than Stephen Jackson did, and it will provide them with a very scary back court. The Bucks now have a pretty legit 1-2 punch in the back court with Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings. They're gonna be a fun team to watch and a scary little team as well.
(C) They got a big back! Yes they may have given up Andrew Bogut, but here's the deal: They are getting Epkeh Udoh in the deal, who is a very promising young Center. Udoh has the potential to be as good as Andrew Bogut should he work hard and continue to expand his game. If he gets anywhere near Andrew Bogut level of production or better, they will have clearly won this trade. The Warriors gave up a big and an elite scorer to get a big. But the Bucks gave up a big to get an elite scorer and another big. Bucks won on this deal big time for sure, and they have to be laughing that the Warriors were so stupid for not asking more for Ellis.
(D) Where were they going with Bogut really? Bogut is a very nice Center, no question about it, but with his solid production, where were they going? They were still not an elite team, and barely sniffing out a playoff spot. Bucks had to make a move, and Bogut was their best asset. Dealing him for a promising young big guy in Udoh, a veteran big in Brown, and an elite scorer in Monta Ellis isn't bad to get back for an injury prone Bogut. Bucks won this deal big time. I give it a solid B+.

Warriors: The Warriors were clearly eager to deal Monta Ellis and get rid of a guy who they felt was "hogging" the ball, and preventing the team from playing more unified. But here is the deal: Monta Ellis is an ELITE scorer in the NBA. That's right, I called Monta Ellis ELITE. Not many guys can create shots like Monta can, and the Bucks just got an elite level scorer. Not only that, but other parts of Monta's game such as his defense, and his ability to distribute the ball went underrated in Golden State. Everybody has viewed him as a poor man's Carmelo Anthony, but that is an unfair label on him. He played his butt off every night, and carried that team on his back every night. The Warriors right now don't have a guy that is comfortable doing that. So to recap, the Warriors dealt an ELITE level scorer, a very promising young Big Man in Ekpe Udoh, and a solid veteran big man in Kwame Brown for a top 5 Center in Bogut, and an aging small forward in Richard Jefferson. They traded Stephen Jackson to the Spurs for Richard Jefferson and retired TJ Ford (for cash purposes). They could have gotten a LOT more back than that. Orlando could have offered Jameer Nelson, Ryan Anderson, Jason Richardson, and possibly a JJ Reddick for just Monta Ellis. I guarantee the Magic would have made that deal, and that would have been a better deal. Or they could have dealt him to the Bulls for maybe Boozer and Noah, something along those lines. The point is, I'm not high on this trade on the Warriors end because they didn't get as much back as they could have gotten. Plus, Bogut is injury prone, and is currently out with a broken ankle. If Bogut plays, this trade may work out, but until he does, the Bucks are for sure the winners of this deal. I give this deal a C for this deal.



Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies dealt Sam Young to the Philadelphia 76ers for the rights to Ricky Sanchez a 6'11 Puerto Rican currently in the D-League and future considerations. Not a whole lot to really say about the Grizzlies other than maybe they were just making a spot for Gilbert Arenas? I give this move a C+ for the Grizz.

Philadelphia 76ers: Sixers give up Ricky Sanchez and future considerations to get Sam Young, a young SG out of Pittsburgh. Still in only his second year, the Sixers are getting a promising young SG to help add depth to their back court. I like the move because of Young's potential to end up being good down the road. I give this move a solid B for the Sixers.

Indiana Pacers: The Pacers made a quiet but good move at the trade deadline, by giving up a 2nd round pick to get G Leandro Barbosa from the Raptors. Good move for the Pacers because Barbosa can add some depth to their back court like Sam Young can for Philly, only Barbosa will actually help them out now. Barbosa is averaging a solid 12.2 points a game. I give this move an A by the Pacers because trading a 2nd rounder to get a guy of Barbosa's caliber is a steal.

Toronto Raptors: Giving up Barbosa for a 2nd round pick was stupid. Not because they need Barbosa, but because they could have gotten more for him. I give this trade deadline deal a C- for the Raps.

New Jersey Nets: They dealt F/C Mehmet Okur, F Shawne Williams, and a top 3 protected first round pick to the Blazers for Gerald Wallace. Not a bad move at all for the Nets if Gerald Wallace decides he wants to stay in Jersey. This gives Deron Williams more help and doesn't put all the burden squarely on his shoulders. Wallace is a good enough player that they should be able to convince Deron Williams to stay with this news. It's good enough to convince him to stay for sure. If he leaves, it'll be because he didn't like Jersey. But at any rate, I didn't think they gave up too much, and the Nets were one of the teams that had to make a move. They made a solid one, and so I'll give them a solid B on this move.

Portland Trail Blazers: On the flip side of this Nets/Blazers deal, the Blazers did get a protected first round pick that is only top 3 protected. So as long as the Nets don't get one of the top 3 picks, it's going to the Nets. The Blazers would be happy with a #4,5, or 6 pick. They need new blood to rebuild that team and revitalize it. Giving up Wallace was not a small price to pay for a draft pick (Okur and Williams were thrown in for good measure). But it may work out in their favor. One thing to keep in mind, the Blazers don't usually make smart drafting decisions. For the time being though, I give them a B-.

Los Angeles Lakers: Lakers dealt Luke Walton, Jason Kapono, and a lottery protected first round pick to the Cavaliers for Christian Eyenga, Ramon Sessions, and the right to swap picks with the Heats 2013 first round draft pick. Overall, I gotta say the Lakers made a good move on this end. Getting Sessions and only giving up Walton and Kapono is pretty good on their part. This addresses their need for a Point Guard and makes them a better team this season for sure. The head scratching move for them though was dealing Derek Fisher and a first round pick to the Rockets for F/C Jordan Hill who is only averaging 5 points a game. I know Sessions can probably do more than Fisher at this point, but giving up Fisher who was a vocal leader on your team is puzzling and a tad disturbing. Something tells me this will create more drama in LA in the ensuing months. But anyways, I really disliked this move for the Lakers. So combining the Sessions deal and the Fisher deal, I give the Lakers a B- overall. The Sessions deal is an A, but the Fisher deal is D, so I'll give more weight to the Sessions deal, and dock the Lakers down a little over a full letter grade.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Dealing Sessions and Eyenga for Walton, Kapono, and the Lakers first round pick? That was a dumb trade. Getting rid of Sessions is fine, since they got Kyrie Irving, but please don't tell me they couldn't have gotten more for Sessions! I give this move a C- because it was smart to deal Sessions, but not for what they got.

Houston Rockets: The Rockets deal Jordan Hill to the Lakers for Derek Fisher and a protected first rounder which the Lakers got from Dallas. But then they bought out Fisher's contract,so now he's free to go wherever he wants. I give this move a B- for the Rockets because of the draft pick. It wasn't like Hill is a budding star.

San Antonio Spurs: The Spurs move at the deadline was shipping out TJ Ford and Richard Jefferson to the Warriors for Stephen Jackson. TJ Ford had already retired, so in effect it was RJ for SJ. Stephen Jackson has played in San Antonio many moons ago, and is familiar with their system. He's a high energy guy that can come in and get hot. He's sort of an older version of J.R. Smith if you will. Richard Jefferson wasn't doing anything for them, and they did need to make a move. Bringing in Stephen Jackson could help spark their bench play and give them enough of a boost to maybe win the west. It's not a move that I think likely pushes them over the top, but it will provide their bench with even another lethal scoring weapon for Popovich to utilize. I give this deal a B- for the Spurs. Not the kind of move they were really in need of (adding a big man), but they did strengthen their bench. It does make them better for sure.

Denver Nuggets: The Denver Nuggets were involved in a 3 team deal with the Clippers and Wizards. What the Nuggets gave up was Nene to the Wizards but in exchange they got Ronny Turiaf (now with the Heat) and JaVale McGee. For the Nuggets, I liked this move. Nene is a nice player, and he's a really solid big guy. But they need something to get them excited for the future, and JaVale McGee has the potential to be even better than Nene, and he's younger. He's a long freakish athletic young man who can swat shots, and get up like few people can. He's basically a more athletic version of Jeremy Evans with better skills. The Nuggets definitely made a good decision here, and I gotta give them a B+ for this move. I'm not going higher than that just because McGee is still young and does have to mature emotionally. Otherwise this likely is an A move for them.

Washington Wizards: The Wizards sent Ronny Turiaf and JaVale McGee to the Nuggets, and also Nick Young to the Clippers. In exchange, they got Nene, Brian Cook, and a future 2nd round pick from the Clippers. Not a bad move for the Wizards either. They are a struggling team with not hardly any veteran leadership. Nene is a solid Center who is a very professional leader on and off the court. He's a real solid citizen. The Wizards need a voice of reason like that in their locker room, and Nene right now is a better Center than JaVale McGee. Giving up Nick Young hurts a bit, but getting Nene for them is worth it. Brian Cook is another big guy who can crash the boards for them and do some dirty work, and getting another draft pick could help them out in the future. But getting a veteran in the locker room who can start and help take some pressure of John Wall is huge. It was necessary for either JaVale McGee or Andray Blatche to get out of DC due to their attitudes. They chose to trade the guy who could give them more in return. I give this move an A-.

Los Angeles Clippers: They gave up a second round pick, and Brian Cook to the Wizards to get Nick Young. The Clippers clearly won this trade in which all teams benefited. They get rid of Cook who was warming his seat on the bench because Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan were getting more minutes in front of him in the front court, and a second round pick to nab a young and talented shooting guard who can fill the role that Chauncey Billups had. Young averages 16 points a game this season, and will clearly give the Clippers offense a much needed Boost. He's not Billups, but not a bad replacement to pick up in a trade. Especially for not giving up hardly anything. The Clippers are the only team involved in this deal with a real shot at winning their conference this season. This trade enables them to now threaten to do that, and so I gotta give this deal an A+ on the Clippers end.

10 Teams That Need To Make A Move Before The Deadline

The NBA Trade Deadline is This Thursday (March 15) at 3 PM ET. A lot of different rumors are out there, and a lot of different teams are in circumstances where a trade could bolster them for their playoff run or future. Here are my list of teams that need to make a move before the trade deadline.

#1. Orlando Magic: Here is the deal, the Magic are being held captive by Dwight Howard, and they seem frozen at the moment and unsure about what they want to do. Do they trade Howard? Do they bring somebody else in? What do they do? The truth of the matter is they can't get frozen here, let the deadline pass and do nothing. If you're planning on keeping Howard, then trade some other pieces like Jason Richardson, Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu, or some draft picks in addition to a few of those guys to add somebody to help Dwight Howard. If they don't get the feeling that such a move like that is realistically going to up their chances of keeping Dwight, then they need to read Dwight Howard's poker face and decide whether or not he plans to stay. If they don't think their chances are higher than 75% that Dwight stays, then the Magic should deal him and take the best offer. But regardless of which route they go (Deal Dwight or Keep Him), they gotta make a trade.
#2. Los Angeles Lakers: I understand that Ron Artest may be waking up from his slumber, which COULD put the Lakers back in the mix to win the west, but the reality is that the Lakers need to make a move. Even if it is to bolster their bench a little bit. They gotta do something. I actually think their best piece to trade for something like that could be Ron Artest. Some other teams may want him, and they could get a couple of solid bench guys back for him. Of course if the Magic are calling, dangling Dwight Howard in front of their noses, they'll have to really consider that at the expense of Gasol or Bynum.
#3. Los Angeles Clippers: They've already made a big trade this season, but now with Chauncey Billups out, they gotta pull one more good deal off. Jamal Crawford would be the perfect addition to them, and they wouldn't have to give up too much.
#4. Portland Trailblazers: This team is snake bit, and they've fallen a great deal from where they were entering this season. Remember those talks of Portland winning the west? Those talks seem like ages ago. But maybe with a good move, they could get back in the picture. The problem is who to deal. In many ways, maybe dealing Gerald Wallace wouldn't be a bad thing if they got something good for him. But I'd be hesitant to deal him. Maybe trading Crawford makes more sense because they wouldn't give up as much. Regardless of what they are thinking, they gotta do something.
#5. San Antonio Spurs: The Spurs are slipping with the retirement of TJ Ford, and the injuries that Manu Ginobili keeps incurring. Spurs are still in the mix, but they better trade for a big real quickly, otherwise, they are out of the race early once again.
#6. Dallas Mavericks: Something tells me this Lamar Odom saga isn't ending very well. Deal Odom to a team not called the Lakers (perhaps the Clippers?) and get something good back for him. The Clippers is where he started off, that'd be a nice place for him to end his career. In the opposite locker room from Kobe.
#7 Chicago Bulls: Let's face it, Rip Hamilton has not delivered the goods for the Bulls. He is old, injury prone, and not producing when in the games. They need to do something to get Rose scoring help in the back court. Kyle Korver is a nice shooter, but he has been shaky all season.They got guys to move, but where will they move them is the question. They don't have to make a push for Dwight Howard, but that would be an awesome duo with Rose and Howard. Miami would sure as hell be in some trouble. They can go big and shake it up, or they can fine tune their team through some smaller trades. But either way, the Bulls need to do something by the deadline.
#8. Oklahoma City Thunder: As well as they are playing, they need to deepen their bench a little bit, or add another good scorer to their bench. Maybe Rip Hamilton would succeed in OKC better, and the Bulls could get some nice young assets in exchange to use in the future. A Bulls/OKC trade smells good to me for both sides.
#9. Golden State Warriors: Is it Curry? Is it Ellis? Which one is it gonna be? I'm tired of hearing all these talks about Stephen Curry/Monta Ellis on the trading block. The reality is they have to make a move and get over with it.
#10. New Jersey Nets: Deron Williams won't stay unless they land Dwight Howard. Period. Nets better get creative with their offers, or they're rebuilding in 6 months.

NBA Power Rankings Week 11: Grizzlies Crawl Into Top 5; Bulls #1

Here are my Power Rankings for Week 11. Enjoy!

(+2) 1. Chicago Bulls (33-9): The Bulls are playing some good basketball, lead by Derrick Rose. They can't be thrilled with how the Rip Hamilton situation has worked out. Look for Chicago to make a deal.
(-1) 2. Miami Heat (30-9): They had a couple tough losses at the end of last week in Utah and Los Angeles. But Chris Bosh was out due to family matters. I think Bosh's absence showed his value.
(-1 )3. Oklahoma City Thunder (31-8): They may be the best in the West, but that bench is still thin. There's a lot of pressure on James Harden to bring the spark off the bench. They need to add another weapon off the bench if they wanna make a serious run at the title.
(+/-) 4. San Antonio Spurs (26-12): The biggest concern for the Spurs is health. Manu Ginobili slipping in and out of the lineup due to his health, etc. The Spurs are younger than last season. But the core has a ton of miles on them. Gregg Popovich is gonna have to manage every minute of his team very carefully down the stretch.
(+8) 5. Memphis Grizzlies (23-15): The Grizzlies have come out of nowhere, winning 5 in a row, and 9 of 10 since Valentines Day. The Grizzlies are rolling, and once Zach Randolph gets back, this team will really threaten to win the west.
(+3) 6. Los Angeles Lakers (23-16): Big win on Sunday against the Heat, but road losses to the Pistons and Wizards cooled things a bit for them. They are not a very good road team at only 6-14, but they are 17-2 at home. They really need to solve their road woes. Also, Metta World Peace's good performance against the Heat really showed how much they need him to wake up.
(-2) 7. Los Angeles Clippers (22-15): Lob City is cooling a bit, and it sounds like they really are looking to deal for a SG to replace Chauncey Billups. Jamal Crawford, Ray Allen, and Kirk Hinrich are names that are being leaked as possible replacements for Billups.
(+/-) 8. Orlando Magic (26-15): Can the trade deadline come any faster? The future of Dwight Howard is on every body's minds when it comes to the Magic.
(-3) 9. Dallas Mavericks (23-17):Lamar Odom better put up or shut up. He needs to be grateful he didn't go to bad team like Charlotte. He's playing for the defending champs, not a lottery team.
(+2) 10. Indiana Pacers (23-14): They are still a dangerous team, but as expected, they've hit some bumps along their journey. Still don't sleep on them come playoff time.
(-1) 11. Atlanta Hawks (23-16): Josh Smith wants out of A-Town, and Joe Johnson has been linked in trade rumors. Change could be coming in Atlanta.
(+5) 12. Denver Nuggets (22-18): Ty Lawson is stepping up as the leader of that team. A leader has so far been what they lack. Their depth is superb, but they need a go to guy in crunch time. Maybe Lawson will be that guy.
(-6) 13. Philadelphia 76ers (23-17): They have really slipped, losing 7 of their last 10 games, but their lead for the division is still secure. Maybe they're just getting complacent.
(+5) 14. Minnesota Timberwolves (21-19): The Wolves are on the rise, and they are definitely a team to watch for in the coming years. But are they ready to make the playoffs is the big question in Minneapolis.
(+1) 15. Boston Celtics (20-18): The fact that these Rajon Rondo trade rumors won't die leads me to think there is something to these reports.
(-2) 16. Houston Rockets (21-19): The problem in Houston is they are ok. Just ok. Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, and Kyle Lowry make up a nice little trio, but nothing to really fear.
(+1) 17. Utah Jazz (19-19): They've won a couple in a row in their road trip, and they got a much needed win at home against the Heat. Utah is an under the radar team that can do some damage. Especially if Devin Harris wakes up.
(-3) 18. Portland Trailblazers (19-20): Remember when we were talking about the Blazers maybe winning the west? It seems like that was eons ago.
(-8) 19. New York Knicks (18-21): They are hitting a rough patch, and are really struggling to gel. Don't be surprised if the Knickerbockers pull the trigger and make a big move.
(+1) 20. Phoenix Suns (17-21): Steve Nash is playing great basketball, but the rest of his team is looking sub-par. They can play great at times, but they aren't consistent enough.
(+2) 21. Golden State Warriors (15-21): At some point, these Monta Ellis trade rumors gotta go somewhere, maybe this is the year they actually deal him. They gotta retool and start over up in Oakland.
(-2) 22. Milwaukee Bucks (15-24): So much talent with Brandon Jennings, Drew Gooden, Eran Ilyasova, and Andrew Bogut. But somehow they don't gel. Losing Bogut hasn't helped either.
(-1) 23. Cleveland Cavaliers (14-23): Kyrie Irving is already playing like a 5 year veteran. The Cavs got a future with Kyrie Irving at the helm.
(+/-) 24. Detroit Pistons (13-26): They still got a ways to go, but I'm encouraged by what I'm seeing from Brandon Knight.
(+1) 25. Toronto Raptors (13-26): I wonder where this team would be if Andrea Bargnani hadn't gotten hurt.
(-1) 26. Sacramento Kings (13-26): This Jimmer Fredette story isn't helping things out, they gotta find a way to develop him and not hurt the team chemistry. Or trade him.
(+/-) 27. New Jersey Nets (13-27): That game winning shot by Jordan Farmar over the Clippers, and Deron Williams' 57 point game has made this a nice post-all star break period of time for the Nets. Landing Dwight Howard could make things even sweeter.
(+/-)28. Washington Wizards (9-29): Last night's victory over the Lakers gave us a glimpse into how good they could be if they were more mature. They do have some pieces that look good. They just gotta develop.
(+/-) 29. New Orleans Hornets(9-30): Next stop Seattle? This team is really looking bad.
(+/-)30. Charlotte Bobcats (5-32): zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz... ok, I'll say something about the Bobcats. All they got to look forward to is the lottery.