Saturday Slam: NBA three-point contest highlights All-Star Saturday

                                     

                                          (Credit: nba-events.com. Click here for source)

   
     Every NBA All-Star weekend it feels as though the slam dunk competition is the big event and everything else just builds up to it. But this year it's the three-point contest that everybody is talking about and the slam dunk competition feels like an after thought. The reason this is so is because in essence, this event is complied of the top eight three-point shooters in the NBA: Marco Belinelli (38.1%), Stephen Curry (39.9%), James Harden (38.3%), Kyrie Irving (41.4%), Kyle Korver (52.3%), Wesley Matthews (39.8%), J.J. Redick (43.6%), and Klay Thompson (44.0%). (Note: Current season three-point percentages are in parentheses)

     In almost any other year, any of these eight players would be the favorites to win the event. But this year, it's way too close to call. Judging by the statistics, one would say Kyle Korver is the clear front runner, but given that James Harden and Stephen Curry take a lot more pull up threes, the discrepancy there isn't as huge as one might think. Still, given that Kyle Korver is a catch and shoot shooter and this is a catch and shoot event, Kyle Korver has to be the favorite to win this event.

     In case you are not familiar with how three-point contests work, there are five racks of five balls that one has to shoot within 60 seconds. The last ball on each rack is typically called a "money ball" that is multi-colored like an ABA ball. Hitting a shot with the money ball is worth two points, so players really want to make sure they make those shots. Three players will advance to the finals and the best out of those three will be deemed the champion. I'm not entirely certain of the format since it sometimes changes from year to year, but my guess would be that each player gets two rounds and the top three from there will advance.

     If  I had to pick two other finalists to go alongside Kyle Korver,  I would have to go with Marco Belinelli and Klay Thompson. Marco because he's the defending champion and has experience with this event, and Klay because he's a catch and shoot shooter. However, I could see any number of possible outcomes happening, which is why this event has so many people buzzing. There really is no favorite and there really is no dark horse. Each and every participant is an accomplished shooter who knows how to hit open threes. I expect the scoring for this event to be through the roof and the bar raised to another level that we have never seen. It should be pretty wild!  (Note: This article also was featured on The Hardwood Nation blog. Click here for a link to the site)

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord   

Bear Territory Thursday: Cal enters Rocky Mountain road trip with a lot of momentum

     Cal's Rocky Mountain road trip starts tonight at Colorado at 6:00 PM PST and concludes Sunday at #11 Utah at 5:30 PM PST. This is undoubtedly the toughest road trip Cal will go on all season, and thankfully they are entering this road trip with a lot of momentum, having won their last four games against Washington State, Washington, USC, and UCLA. Three of those four games were decided by two points or less, but for Cal any win is a good win after the way they started Pac-12 play (1-6).

     Cal's hot winning streak has vaulted them to 7th in the Pac-12 with a 5-6 record in the conference, which is huge just in terms of their positioning for the Pac-12 tournament. A top-four seed and a first round bye in the Pac-12 tournament is now in sight, which in and of itself is a miracle judging by how poor their season started.

     What's better is that the team seems to have a lot of confidence in who they are. In their post-game press conference after defeating UCLA, Jabari Bird said about their turnaround "We're on cloud nine". The confidence can be seen across the board in all players. Dwight Tarwater hit the game winning shot to beat UCLA, Tyrone Wallace hit the game-winning three at the buzzer to defeat USC, and Sam Singer hit the game-winning three to defeat Washington. As for Jabari Bird, against UCLA he posted 16 points and was playing with way more energy, passion, and excitement than we have seen from him all season.

     The player who has undergone the biggest metamorphosis in this four game winning streak is Sam Singer. We've all known how great of a pass-first point guard he is and what he brings on defense, but his shot has been faulty over the course of his young career. But ever since he hit that game-winner in Washington, he has suddenly morphed into a three-point shooting threat, shooting 3-4 from beyond the arc against UCLA. In the post-game press conference after the UCLA game, Singer said "I knew at some point they were going to start falling. It's about keep shooting confidently and keep working hard."

     Singer's transformation is huge for the team because the team has been in desperate need of other guys to score besides Jabari Bird, Tyrone Wallace, David Kravish, and Jordan Mathews. When Cal gets other guys scoring the ball besides their "Big Four", Cal is a very tough and dangerous team. Singer in particular becomes a very dangerous player because he does everything else on the court extremely well.

     With all this confidence and momentum, what can we expect from Cal in this tough road trip to the Rocky Mountains? I think a split is conceivable, but a sweep is highly unlikely. This has much more to do with who they are playing than how they are playing. There are three factors that make this road trip tough: They're on the road, they're playing at high elevation, and they are playing one of the best teams in the country in Utah.

     Utah is ranked #11 at the moment and they haven't lost a game at home all season. Utah fans can get pretty crazy when their teams are doing well, so I anticipate that Salt Lake City will be a fairly hostile environment for Cal. Cal should not at all expect to win that game. As for tonight's game against Colorado, I think odds are good Cal gets the win, especially since they are coming in with a lot of momentum. Colorado is favored by 7 points, but I think the game can be a lot closer than that. Colorado is #9 in the Pac-12 with a 4-6 record in the conference, so there really isn't anything particularly intimidating about them other than the altitude.

      Cal should feel really confident that they can win tonight. If they win tonight, Cal will then be going into Salt Lake City on a five game winning streak, and at that point they can just play footloose and fancy free. All the pressure will be on Utah and none of it will be on Cal. If Cal gets the win at Utah as well as at Colorado, then their season will go from having a faint pulse to make the NCAA tournament to having a legitimate chance.

     Teams do get rewarded for finishing the season strong as well as get punished for finishing the season weak. If Cal gets both wins in the Rockies, they will be in a prime position to finish the season very strong with their next game being at Stanford, a game that I will preview next week.

     In conclusion, Cal basketball is looking a hell of a lot better than it was two weeks ago. They've won four straight games, vaulted to 7th in the conference, and the team is playing with a tremendous amount of confidence. Hopefully they can continue to build off of their success and shock the nation this week in the Rocky Mountains. Go Bears!

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord 

Wednesday Windmill: The Oklahoma City Thunder need to fire Scott Brooks

   
     The Oklahoma City Thunder have to seriously think about firing their head coach Scott Brooks and I'm not just saying this because the team is 10th in the Western Conference with a 27-25 record. I've felt for quite some time that Scott Brooks may not be the man for the job, but now I think a coaching change is needed in order for this team to win a championship with Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.

     The main reason I feel this way is that the team has regressed ever since they reached the NBA Finals. It's not Brooks' fault that James Harden left after the NBA Finals, but he does need to take accountability for the fact that the team isn't progressing towards a championship.

     Throughout the history of sports we have seen teams fail to be able to win a championship under one coach, but able to win one under the next coach. Such examples include Jon Gruden replacing Tony Dungy on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Phil Jackson replacing Doug Collins on the Chicago Bulls, Larry Brown replacing Rick Carlisle on the Detroit Pistons, and Rick Carlisle replacing Avery Johnson on the Dallas Mavericks. There are enough examples to draw from that is reasonable for the Thunder to think that they might find championship success under a new coach.

      Sometimes teams need coaching changes even when the current coach is actually a good coach. In the examples I used, all the coaches that got replaced by another guy are very good coaches. So, the fact that the Thunder may need to move on from Scott Brooks isn't necessarily an indicator that he is doing a bad job.

     Sometimes teams need a new voice and a new philosophy, and the Thunder in my book definitely need that. They need to see what somebody else can do with the Russell Westbrook/Kevin Durant tandem since that's a tandem that should be able to win a championship. Scott Brooks seems to have squeezed out all he can from those two players and judging by the lack of championship success, he clearly hasn't gotten enough out of them.

     Lastly, I don't really think Scott Brooks is all that innovative, creative, or special. He just seems to be a run of the mill NBA coach who is just happy to have two of the top five players in the league on his team. Superstar players need superstar coaches in order to win championships, and Scott Brooks is definitely not a superstar coach. They need somebody who has a serious coaching pedigree and has a resume filled with success in the NBA.

     Some of these possible candidates include Jerry Sloan, George Karl (who likely is heading to the Kings), Doug Collins, Jeff Van Gundy, Avery Johnson, Rick Adelman, and Mike D'Antoni. Jerry Sloan would be the best fit, though given his age and position in the Jazz organization it is unlikely he would take the job. George Karl, who as I have mentioned is likely heading to the Kings, would be a fantastic fit given his history of success with the Seattle SuperSonics and his ability to turn teams around. Everybody else on this list also has a pattern of success worthy of being considered to be the next coach of the Thunder.

     The bottom line is that the Scott Brooks era hasn't produced a championship and the Thunder don't have the time to see if Scott Brooks can deliver them a championship. Durant's impending free agency and the fact that teams around them are getting better makes the need for a new coach a rather urgent need for this team. If I were the Thunder, I would fire Brooks right now and see who I can get as a new head coach. I can guarantee that all of the guys I mentioned above would love the chance to coach the Thunder given the potential they have to win a title.

     The advantage of firing Brooks now is that this season is a lost season anyways, and if the team makes the playoffs it could be beneficial for them to have gone through a series or two with their new coach before the new season begins. The only downside to firing Scott Brooks is that Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are fiercely loyal to him, but that is why players play and general mangers manage. If it were up to the players, a lot of important coaching changes wouldn't happen since they tend to not see the big picture. Looking at the big picture, it's clear that the Thunder need a new coach and they might as well get the ball rolling as soon as possible.

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


   
   

Daily Dunks: February 9, 2015-February 15, 2015

                                                  (Credit: Andy Melton. Click here for source)

Here is the Daily Dunks page for February 9, 2015 through the 15th. Throughout the week this page will be updated with the latest NBA news and scores so keep checking this page until a new Daily Dunks page is created for the following week.

Monday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. Knicks forward Andrea Bargnani was active on Monday (Click here for details).

#2. Grizzlies shooting guard Vince Carter (foot) will be reevaluated after the All-Star Break (Click here for details).

#3. Timberwolves shooting guard Shabazz Muhammad (oblique) returned on Monday and scored 18 points (Click here for details).

#4. The Kings are closing in on a four-year, $16M-$20M deal with George Karl to be their head coach (Click here for details).

#5. The Nets could buyout Kevin Garnett's contract. The Clippers may then sign him (Click here for details).

#6. Pelicans power forward Anthony Davis (shoulder) did not play Monday against the Jazz and is iffy for the All-Star game (Click here for details).

#7. Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (knee) is close to shutting it down for the season and is questionable for the All-Star game (Click here for details).

#8. Clippers power forward Blake Griffin underwent successful elbow surgery and will be reevaluated in three weeks (Click here for details).

#9. Knicks owner James Dolan won't be punished for a nasty e-mail he sent to an angry fan (Click here for details).

#10. Thunder center Steven Adams is out at least three weeks after undergoing surgery for a fractured right hand (Click here for details).

Monday's NBA Final Scores: 

Warriors 89 76ers 84. Jazz 100 Pelicans 96. Hawks 117 Timberwolves 105. Spurs 95 Pacers 93. Wizards 96 Magic 80. Heat 109 Knicks 95. Bucks 103 Nets 97. Clippers 115 Mavericks 98. Thunder 124 Nuggets 114.

Tuesday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. Kings hired George Karl as their head coach. He will take over after the All-Star break (Click here for details).

#2. The 76ers unveiled their new mascot Franklin (Click here for details).

#3. Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (hamstring) is out for the All-Star game. Hawks small forward Kyle Korver is his replacement (Click here for details).

#4. The Timberwolves traded guard Mo Williams and guard Troy Daniels to the Hornets for guard Gary Neal and a second round pick (Click here for details).

#5. The Hawks traded power forward Adrien Payne to the Timberwolves for a future first round pick that is Top 14 protected between 2017 and 2020 (Click here for details).

#6. The Mavericks signed center Bernard James to a 10-day contract (Click here for details).

#7. Clippers shooting guard J.J. Redick (back) says he is good to go for the three-point shoot out (Click here for details).

#8. The Nuggets have discussed trading shooting guard Arron Afflalo with the Bulls, Trail Blazers, and Clippers (Click here for details).

#9. Rockets point guard Patrick Beverly will replace Wizards point guard John Wall in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge (Click here for details).

#10. The Hornets released guard Elliot Williams (Click here for details).

Tuesday's NBA Final Scores: 

Grizzlies 95 Nets 86. Pistons 106 Hornets 78. Bulls 104 Kings 86. Rockets 127 Suns 118. Nuggets 106 Lakers 96.

Wednesday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. Prayers up for Anthony Mason. He just had a heart attack and is fighting for his life (Click here for details).

#2. Gary Neal wants the Timberwolves to buyout his contract (Click here for details).

#3. The Nuggets have signed forward Joffrey Lauvergne from France (Click here for details).

#4. The Salt Lake Tribune is reporting that Jazz center Enes Kanter wants to be traded by the trade deadline (Click here for details).

#5. Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal has a stress reaction in his lower right leg. He'll be reevaluated after the All-Star break (Click here for details).

#6. The Suns reportedly are the front runners to land Amar'e Stoudemire if the Knicks buyout his contract (Click here for details).

#7. The Bucks will retire Bob Dandridge's #10 on March 7 (Click here for details).

#8. Legendary basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian passed away (Click here for details).

#9. Pelicans power forward Anthony Davis (shoulder) will miss the All-Star game. Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki will replace him (Click here for details).

#10. Clippers center DeAndre Jordan had 24 points and 20 rebounds.

Wednesday's NBA Final Scores: 

Warriors 94 Timberwolves 91. Thunder 105 Grizzlies 89. Mavericks 87 Jazz 82. Magic 89 Knicks 83. Celtics 89 Hawks 88. Spurs 104 Pistons 87. Raptors 95 Wizards 93. Pacers 106 Pelicans 93. Cavaliers 113 Heat 93. Bucks 111 Kings 103. Trail Blazers 102 Lakers 86. Clippers 110 Rockets 95.

Thursday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. George Karl's contract with the Kings is 4 years, and approximately $15M (Click here for details).

#2. Tyrone Corbin has been relieved of his coaching duties with the Kings, but he'll remain with the organization in an advisory role (Click here for details).

#3. The Kings are shopping shooting guard Nik Stauskas. The Bucks may be interested (Click here for details).

#4. The Cavaliers have assigned guard Joe Harris to the D-League (Click here for details).

#5. The Pistons have signed guard John Lucas III to a 10-day contract (Click here for details).

#6. Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson has inked a shoe deal with Anta (Click here for details).

#7. The Suns want a first round pick for point guard Goran Dragic (Click here for details).

#8. Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony likely shuts it down for the season after playing in the All-Star game (Click here for details).

#9. The Nuggets are thinking about trading point guard Jameer Nelson (Click here for details).

#10. The Magic are shopping power forward Andrew Nicholson (Click here for details).

Thursday's NBA Final Scores: 

Bulls 113 Cavaliers 98. Bulls point guard Derrick Rose had 30 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists. Cavaliers small forward LeBron James had 31 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.

Friday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. Pacers small forward Paul George (leg) is targeting a March 1 return to practice and a mid-March return (Click here for details).

#2. Cavaliers small forward LeBron James has been elected the vice president of the NBA Player's Union (Click here for details).

#3. The Heat are interested in Suns point guard Goran Dragic and Thunder point guard Reggie Jackson (Click here for details).

#4. The Lakers want Goran Dragic, too. They reportedly are willing to offer him a max contract (Click here for details).

#5. The Pelicans have agreed to sign guard Toney Douglas to a second 10-day contract after the All-Star break (Click here for details).

#6. The Rockets and Lakers are trying to trade for Goran Dragic (Click here for details).

#7. Bulls shooting guard Jimmy Butler is optimistic he'll be able to go in the All-Star game (Click here for details).

#8. The Kings are interested in Arron Afflalo, Reggie Jackson, and Jonas Jerebko (Click here for details).

#9. Kevin Hart won the MVP of the Celebrity All-Star game (Click here for details).

#10. Timberwolves rookie Andrew Wiggins took home the MVP award for the Rising Stars Challenge game (Click here for details).

Friday's NBA Final Scores: 

World defeated USA 121-112 in the Rising Stars Challenge. The West defeated the East 57-51 in the Celebrity All-Star game.

Saturday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. Timberwolves point guard Zach LaVine dominated the dunk contest (Click here to watch his dunks).

#2. Warriors point guard Stephen Curry defeated hist teammate Klay  Thompson and Kyrie Irving of the Cavaliers to win the three-point contest (Click here to watch the final round).

#3. Rockets point guard Patrick Beverly won the Skills Challenge (Click here to watch his performance).

#4. Team Bosh won the Degree Shooting Stars (Click here to watch their performance)

#5. Andray Blatche is strongly considering re-signing in China (Click here for details).

#6. Report: The Suns would prefer to trade Isaiah Thomas instead of Goran Dragic (Click here for details).

#7. Former Suns guard Kevin Johnson has been nominated to be in the basketball hall of fame (Click here for the full list of nominees).

#8. Trail Blazers power forward LaMarcus Aldridge will start the for the West in the All-Star game to replace Anthony Davis (Click here for details).

#9. Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle says Monta Ellis should have been an all-star ahead of Dirk Nowitzki (Click here for details).

#10. Adam Silver is thinking about changing the playoff system (Click here for details).

Sunday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. The Knicks and power forward Amar'e Stoudemire have agreed on a contract buyout. He has been waived and should clear waivers on Wednesday (Click here for details).

#2. Kevin Durant has some words for the media (Click here for details).

#3. The Mavericks, Clippers, Spurs, and Suns are interested in Amar'e Stoudemire (Click here for details).

#4. Bobby Brown's season in China is over. The point guard is in discussion with several NBA teams (Click here for details).

#5. The 76ers have not re-signed shooting guard Tim Frazier to a second 10-day contract (Click here for details).

#6. Cavaliers shooting guard J.R. Smith was flirting with a model during the NBA's fashion show (Click here for details).

#7. The East defeated the West 129-94 in the D-League All-Star game.

#8. Andre Emmett from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants won the D-League All-Star game MVP award with 28 points.

#9. The West defeated the East 163-158 in the NBA All-Star game.

#10. Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook won the NBA All-Star game MVP award with 41 points on 16/28 shooting.


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

Friday's Fresh NBA Power Rankings: February 6, 2015.

                                     NBA Power Rankings

Here are my NBA Power Rankings for Friday, February 6, 2015. Enjoy!

#1. Atlanta Hawks (41-9): The Hawks' 19 game winning streak may have ended, but these guys are no joke. People say they can win the East, but I think we need to be saying they can win the NBA championship. They are that good.

#2. Golden State Warriors (39-8): They had a couple of losses against the Bulls and Jazz, but they've rebounded nicely. Tonight's game against the Hawks is huge.

#3. Memphis Grizzlies (37-12): They've won 8 games in a row, which nowadays isn't much of a winning streak, but in all reality, this streak has been very impressive. The addition of Jeff Green appears to be making a huge difference.

#4. Cleveland Cavaliers (31-20): They've won 12 straight games and have suddenly entered the championship discussion. In my mind, they were always in the discussion, but this streak is making people notice.

#5. Portland Trail Blazers (34-16): Damian Lillard's all-star snub is great news for the Trail Blazers because now he's going to be playing with even more of an edge. Look out!

#6. Los Angeles Clippers (33-17): They have lost three out of their last four games. Sunday's game at OKC is going to be big.

#7. Toronto Raptors (33-17): With the Cavaliers gaining up on them and the Bulls and Wizards hanging around, they suddenly are no longer a lock for a top four seed in the East. They'll need to finish strong.

#8. Houston Rockets (34-15): I've dropped the Rockets because of the injury to Dwight Howard. Not having him for another month is going to make things tough.

#9. Dallas Mavericks (34-18): They are just 5-5 in their last 10 games and Rajon Rondo is out until after the All-Star break. Things are starting to come unglued a bit.

#10. San Antonio Spurs (31-18): They don't appear to be making progress in the standings, but they've won 8 out of their last 10 games. This is usually the time of year the Spurs start to shift into another gear. Teams ahead of them better take notice.

#11. Washington Wizards (31-20): Bradley Beal has a toe injury and they've lost 7 out of their last 10 games. The Wizards better get their act together.

#12. Milwaukee Bucks (27-22): They have quietly won five straight games including a win over the Trail Blazers.

#13. Chicago Bulls (30-20): They are just 4-6 in their last 10 games with three straight losses. Strangely enough, they haven't won since their huge win at Golden State.

#14. Phoenix Suns (28-23): Tonight they get the Jazz at home. Games like tonight are games they have to win.

#15. New Orleans Pelicans (26-23): Huge game tonight against the Thunder.

#16. Oklahoma City Thunder (25-24): The Thunder should strongly consider finding a new coach.  Scott Brooks has to go.

#17. Charlotte Hornets (22-27): They have moved into the #7 spot in the Eastern Conference and have won 7 of their last 10 games. Buzz City is coming alive.

#18. Miami Heat (21-28): Read my blog post on Hassan Whiteside from this past week. He's the only thing they have that should give them any hope for contending in the future.

#19. Brooklyn Nets (20-28): Deron Williams' return won't get them to the playoffs. 

#20. Detroit Pistons (19-31): Brandon Jennings goes down and they still got a pulse. Amazing.

#21. Boston Celtics (18-30): Marcus Smart has been a huge disappointment. Even without Rajon Rondo he still can't find his groove.

#22. Indiana Pacers (18-32): Paul George's return could make them a very dangerous #8 seed if they make the playoffs.

#23. Denver Nuggets (19-31): Woody Paige says the team has quit on Brian Shaw and Brian Shaw has quit on them. Ouch.

#24. Sacramento Kings (17-31): Glad that DeMarcus Cousins made the All-Star team. That's all they can really cheer about at the moment.

#25. Utah Jazz (17-32): Dante Exum looks really raw, but he also looks unfit to play shooting guard due to his poor shooting. Quin Snyder should not be starting him.

#26. Orlando Magic (15-37): They have fired Jacque Vaughn, which means they have waived the white flag.

#27. Los Angeles Lakers (13-36): Don't be shocked if Ed Davis leaves. I wouldn't want to stay on the Lakers if I were him.

#28. Philadelphia 76ers (11-39): They are 3-7 in their last 10 games. That is progress.

#29. New York Knicks (10-39): Amare' Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani could both be gone via contract buyouts. That would actually be smart of the Knicks to do.

#30. Minnesota Timberwolves (9-40): Let's see if Kevin Martin and Ricky Rubio can inject some life into this team.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord 

Bear Territory Thursday: Is there life for Cal?

     Right when it appeared as though their season was over, the California Golden Bears somehow managed to get two gutty wins on the road against Washington State and Washington last week, giving the Cal faithful a flicker of hope that the season could be salvaged. When Sam Singer hit the game-winning three against Washington, not only did I scream at the top of my lungs, I realized that there may be some hope for Cal to turn its season around.

     I understand that I've been talking about Cal needing to "turn its season around" for the past month, but perhaps they finally turned the corner of sorts up in the Pacific Northwest. What makes things so much better is that this weekend they have two home games against USC (tonight) and UCLA (Saturday), so it is certainly conceivable that Cal enters their Rocky Mountain road trip on a four game winning streak. Knowing Cal, it wouldn't surprise me at all if they lost both games, but all the same, a four game winning streak looks like a serious possibility and that should make Cal fans very excited and nervous for this weekend.

     What I'm going to say next is all too familiar for those of you who read my weekly Cal basketball reports: Cal needs to win both games at home this weekend. Like every game for the past month, these next two games against the Southern California schools are must win games for Cal. If they win both games, there is hope for a split in the Rocky Mountains against Utah and Colorado before coming back to the Bay Area to give Stanford some payback. If Cal splits or loses both games this weekend, then all momentum from these last two wins is lost.

     Cal has unfortunately put themselves in a situation where no win really saves them and every loss really hurts them. Even if they win both games this weekend, they will still be 5-6 in the PAC-12 with that horrible loss to CSU-Bakersfield hanging over their heads. What I'm saying is that Cal's NCAA tournament resume is still likely beyond repair, but that doesn't mean they don't have anything to play for. They still have seeding in the PAC-12 tournament to play for as well as securing an NIT bid in the likely event that they miss the NCAA tournament.

     The world of college hoops is certainly an up and down world, and Cal fans got a taste of that this past week when they watched their team get two dramatic wins on the road. What Cal fans can only hope for is some sort of consistency in the direction of winning basketball games. A four game winning streak would certainly be a step in the right direction and a reason for Cal fans to smile in what has overall been a disappointing season.

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

Wednesday Windmill: Do the Miami Heat have a franchise player in Hassan Whiteside?

                                                (Credit: espn.go.com)

     Hassan Whiteside has burst onto the NBA scene like an extra in a motion picture suddenly becoming the star of the film. Whiteside's path to NBA glory has been an usual one with stops in Sacramento, Reno, Sioux Falls, Rio Grande Valley, Lebanon, China, and Iowa. What probably allowed him to keep finding work was his freakish size of 7'0 and 265 lbs. But for whatever reason, Whiteside wasn't able to blossom until this season, four and a half years after he was drafted in 2010.

     Now that he has blossomed into a multi-faceted big man who can score, block shots, and rebound at all-star level rates it is beyond puzzling that so many NBA teams passed on him and that he was actually playing overseas for a time. Still, he eventually found his groove and now is one of the most prized possessions in the NBA.

     The Miami Heat must feel like they've stumbled on a gold mine in Whiteside, potentially having their franchise center for the next decade. In his last five games, he has had games of 16 points and 16 rebounds, 16 points and 24 rebounds, 20 points and 9 rebounds, 11 points and 10 rebounds, and 24 points and 20 rebounds. In these past five games, he has also averaged more than 2 blocks per game, truly making him a one-man wrecking crew.

     What allows Whiteside to be so dominant is that he moves extraordinarily well for a person of his size. He is able to get back on defense really quickly and move laterally to block shots in the paint. In addition to his really good footwork, he has really good hands which allows him to score with relative ease in the paint. A seven-footer with his mobility, footwork, and hands is so hard to come by that if he were exhibiting this type of play coming out of college, he would be a number one overall pick in the upcoming draft.

     Given that he is consistently playing so well, the Miami Heat absolutely have a franchise center in this kid and now they have to do him right by paying him whatever he wants in the offseason, even if it means getting rid of Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Guys like Hassan Whiteside come around maybe once every decade and the Heat have to take advantage of the fact that he's on their roster at the moment.

      Letting him go would be a huge mistake by the Heat and in the process would create quite a bidding war in free agency from multiple teams across the NBA. What's so amazing about his story is that he has gone from being a guy that nobody wanted to a guy that every team in the NBA is desperate to have their hands on. It almost feels like some form of poetic justice.

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