Thirty Thoughts From This Week

The NBA world was filled with crimes of passion, crimes of violence, and crimes of non-action. Between Rajon Rondo filling in for Kim K., The Spurs taking the night off(and still almost winning), Harden's return to his boys, and the Lakers still losing, it was an exciting week of basketball. Here are thirty thoughts from this week; one for each team.(Yes, I even managed to write one about the Suns. Trust me, I'm not happy about it either.)

(Now boys, please play nice.)

1. Despite having the best record in the NBA, the Grizzlies rank just 16th in both assists and rebounds. While Michael Conley is more of score first point guard, it is a bit shocking that they don't rank higher with the likes of Randolph and Gasol. 

2. The fine against the Spurs is ludicrous. Yes, I understand the NBA schedules these games for the fans. And yes, the NBA is a product that they need to sell. But would you rather have a healthy Spurs in the Western Conference Finals when ratings matter the most, or having the promo the lineup from last night for seven straight nights in May? Pop has every right to be upset.

3. The Heat need to be the teensy bit worried that they allowed that Spurs lineup to drop 100 on them. "Stopping Nando de Colo and Gary Neal" usually isn't on the "Keys to a Championship" bulletin board. 

4. The Nets have started off 4-0 in the division, including two wins over the Celtics. For a team looking to gain a strong fan base, beating the Division giant twice in two weeks is a great start.

5. Ok, so Amare says he's alright coming off the bench. If this is true, the Knicks could be even dangerous bringing out a bench lineup of Pablo, JR, Novak, Amare and Sheed. I think there are a few teams who would happily trade their starting lineup for those five. 

 (Amare seems at peace with being a 6th man. Or at least that's what he is telling us.)

6. This is now the third situation in a year where Rondo's emotions caused a suspension. While in the grand scheme of things 2 out of 82 isn't bad, when do the Celtics realize that too much passion can be a bad thing?

7. The chances are looking better and better than Andrew Bynum could actually never play a game for the Sixers. With his current contract up next year, it wouldn't be a surprise from the unpredictable Bynum is he went elsewhere next year. Good thing they already have a future all-star in Jrue Holliday, who has career highs in every major category.

8. The Raptors need to get Ed Davis and Terrence Ross more minutes. They are the future, not Andrea Bargnani. When you are 3-12, you mine as well start looking elsewhere.

9. The Bucks come off the emotional win against the Bulls with a stinker against the Knicks. A team that has shown flashes of brilliance has also showed multiple times how new they are to the big moment.

10.  If Joakim Noah isn't an all-star, the game shouldn't happen. He is averaging just under a double double on a team where he is usually the 4th offensive option and rarely has any plays for him. If only the NBA had a hustle award. (Did I really just praise Noah. God, I'm sorry Boston.)

11. Just like that, the Pistons have five wins. If they are going to salvage the season after the awful start, Kyle Singler becoming a consistent scoring option is a great place to start. Also, could playing Monroe and Drummond at the same time be a nightmare?It could prove dividends for a team looking for a defensive identity.

12. When your coach can literally only compliment one player after a game, it has to show some frustration. But Byron Scott needs to be thinking long term: use the Irving injury to teach the younger Cavs to handle big moments. Phase one of that: not saying they suck.

13. The Hawks are quietly the winners of six straight. Be weary of not giving them too much credit however, the Bobcats(twice), Kings, Wizards, and Magic were all a part of that streak.

14. While Charlotte proved that they are still very much a work in progress against the Thunder, no one, and I mean NO ONE, had them at .500 after 14 games. Six out of the next nine at home is a great opportunity to prove you are worth a second look.

15. Orlando is 3-7 in their last ten. In those ten games, they have averaged just 89.6 points per game, and that includes an overtime period. The Magic need a create on his own shooter if they are going to change how their offense runs.

16. The Curse of Voldemort is over: The Wizards have won a game. Now that the spell is over, this team needs to look into building itself around the John Wall return. The first step should be to fire the coach that never wanted to be there in the first place. Stan Van Gundy, anyone?

 ("Bro, I could see us getting five, six, even seven more of these.")

17. Oklahoma City does not know how to host a friend in return. A dominating performance against the Rockets not only exposed how to beat Harden(run at him like wild men), but proved that this maybe was the right choice. 

18. The Jazz are the Hawks of the East. Nobody watches them, you never see them, yet they are slowly working their way into a groove. They are 7-3 in their last ten after a 2-4 start. 

19. The Nuggets are better than their 8-8 record shows, and the win over the Grizz in Memphis proved that. They have four losses by five points or less. But for a team looking to be more than a first round exit, you have to learn to win those close games now.

20. Kevin Love is back, and Ricky Rubio is doing full contact drills. While the injuries have mounted in Minnesota, they still need to be thinking the time is now. I still fully believe Minnesota is a 7 or 8 seed come playoff time.

21. Is the loss to the Wizards a low point for the Trailblazers? For a team to be 6-9 while having the highest scoring starting lineup in the league, Portland needs to be looking towards their bench to get any kind of offensive production. Maybe more minutes to rookie Meyers Leonard?

22. The Warriors have wins over the Clippers, Nets, Nuggets and Hawks, and only have one inexcusable two point loss to Sacramento. Despite this great start and a first place spot among the Pacific, the news about Bogut has to be deflating. is Festus Ezili good enough to handle a starters role for 82 games?

("Soo....maybe I was more injured than I first told you.")

23. The Clippers finally stopped the skid with a win over the T-Wolves. The question definitely remains: Have defenses figured out Blake Griffin? Deandre Jordan may end up being the better low post option long term.

24. New coach, same problems. The Lakers look lost on defense, and look like they are playing street ball on offense. While Kobe is shooting out of his mind, long gone is the confidence that Pao Gasol was playing with in the Olympics this summer. If anyone goes, it has to be him.

25. I said I had something for them, so here it is. The Suns are currently last in the league in opponents PPG, and are third to last in opposing field goal percentage. This looks even worse when teams like Charlotte, Orlando, and Detroit have all dropped 115+ on you.

26. The Kings aren't getting blown out of games anymore, but still don't know how to play together on offense. For a team who finished 26th in team assists last year at 21 a game, a regression to 18 a game is not going to make this team better.

27. The Rockets have had a tough week emotionally. With no return really in sight for McHale, you want to root for them. They are definitely better than what they showed in OKC. Long plane rides are not, teams have figured out this backcourt. Making Harden handle the ball and turning Lin into a jump shooter is not a good look for the Rockets. 

(We at the Pick and Pop are wishing Kevin McHale and his family the best in this difficult time.)

28. The Mavericks may have found something in getting guys who want to play for something. Could one year contracts be the new trend in free agency? While a blowout loss to the Bulls was ugly, this team is still a "definitely don't want to see" in round 1. 

29. The Hornets are holding their breath that the recent injuries to Davis are bad early luck and not a sign to come. It's hard to tell how good this team can be when Davis hasn't even played half of their games. Ryan Anderson is proving he was worth every dollar, and should be a Hornet for a while.

30. The Pacers win over the Lakers was might have been a bigger win for them than it was a loss for the Lakers believe it or not. Before that win, you have to think they were in dead heat for underwhelming team of the year award with the Celtics. Games at Chicago, Golden State and Oklahoma City in the next week requires the confidence they got from that game.


Until next time, your amazing NBA youtube clip:

-Bford

Do The Spurs Deserve Discipline For Sitting Core Players?

Commissioner David Stern thinks so as he said in a statement that they face "substantial sanctions" for benching Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Many Ginobili, and Danny Green in last nights contest against the Heat. Obviously, this calls into question the integrity of the game as a team pretty much conceded a game (although it ended up being a close game 105-100 Heat victory).  The biggest issue at stake for the league office here is that fans paid good money to go to a game, hoping to see a match-up between two NBA powerhouses.  What they got instead was there hometown Heat facing the Spurs B unit lead by Tiago Splitter, Gary Neal, and Nando de Colo (who?).  While these players fought hard and kept it close until the Heat buckled down in the final minutes, it definitely was not what the fans had hoped for.  This I understand, and from the NBA's standpoint I can understand there frustration, however I side with the Spurs here.

"Count my rings David Stern.  One game in November is not important,  I coach for April, May, and June"

Who's to decide NBA rotations for a team? Obviously it's the teams' coaches.  So Pop could have avoided this by playing his stars for a few minutes coming out of either half, but really, what's the point in that. He made the decision that it was better for his team in the near future (Saturday in Memphis) and in the long term (playoffs) to have his players well rested. I don't think it's for the league office to decide who needs to play and with an 82 game season, one game is just not that important.  The Spurs were playing in their 4th game in 5 nights, there 11th road game in November, and have an aging roster; for Pop it didn't make sense to wear out his guys this early in the season.   

While I understand where the league is coming from, I strongly believe it is the coach that has the ultimate right to make decisions he feels are best for his team if there are vying for an NBA championship.  This is not benching players to get the first pick in the draft, nor did he try and lose this game. I don't doubt Stern will do something, whether it be suspend Pop or fine the Spurs, but from my point of view, any sanction is wrong. You can be sure, that he won't be the only coach to rest his players this season, however i don't know if anyone else will bench 4 of their top 5 players. 

We will let you know once we hear word from the league office on this....more to come.

Power Rankings: Week 5

Thanksgiving gluttony is over, and it's time to get back to work. Here are your delayed Week 5 Power Rankings.

(I've used this picture before, but it's too good. Just some Memphis bros tearing through the league.)

1. Memphis Grizzlies 10-2
-The Grizzlies have wins over the Lakers, Knicks, Heat and Thunder. Even scarier, you could make the case that they should have won both games that they lost.

2. San Antonio Spurs 12-3
-Injuries to starter Kwahi Leonard and 6th man Stephen Jackson? Nahh, that doesn't phase the Spurs. They are 4-1 since the injuries.

3. Miami Heat 10-3
-In a year in which the other superstar team is creating all the headlines, the Heat are quietly going about their business in the East. Well see if that undefeated home record is for real when the Spurs roll into town tomorrow.

4. Brooklyn Nets 9-4
-The battle for New York went to the Nets. This once awful defense hasn't allowed 90 in the past three games, including the OT win over the Knicks and their high powers offense.

5. Oklahoma City Thunder 11-4
-You know Durant and Westbrook circled tonight's game against the Rockets the day Harden got traded. While all eyes will be on Harden, don't be surprised to see Westbrook prove it was the right move too.

6. New York Knicks 9-4
-All of the sudden, the Knicks are 1-3 in the last four, with only a home win against lowly Detroit. Teams might finally be realizing you need to defend the perimeter on this team.

7. Atlanta Hawks 8-4
-Remember these guys? They haven't played a nationally televised game yet, but that's not stopping them from having five guys average double digits.

8. Philadelphia 76ers 9-6
 -The Sixers should have been crushed by the news that Andrew Bynum cared more about the 7-10 split instead of the pick and roll. While a loss to Cleveland hurt, the close wins over Phoenix and Dallas shows this team has alot of fight.

9. LA Clippers 8-6
-Is Del Negro at risk? Four straight losses and rumors that Chris Paul is doing more coaching than Vinny might say yes. A win over the T-Wolves would certaintly help.

10. Milwaukee Bucks 7-5
-Down 27 to the Bulls, ON THE ROAD? That didn't stop the Bucks' bench from going on a 31-4 run and proving that this team is more than an early season fad. The Bucks' last 42 points came from their bench.

11. Golden State Warriors 8-6
-It's tough for this East coast blogger to see alot of Cali's forgotten team. But the Harrison Barnes' dunk was enough to get my attention. I guarantee no one had the Warriors in first in the Pacific after 15 games.

12. Boston Celtics 8-6
-The Celtics still don't fully look like the team everyone is still expecting them to be. A win over the Thunder at home has to do loads for confidence for a team that didn't have a signature win in the season yet.

13. Charlotte Bobcats 7-6
-Had I done the Power Rankings on Monday like usual, the Bobcats had a case for Top 10. Not after that game against OKC, though. Still, this team is no pushover on most nights, and could make a darkhorse run in a weaker East.

(Meet the future of Charlotte. It looks alot bright in the past couple of weeks.)

14. Utah Jazz 8-7
-The Jazz have won four out of the last five, with their only loss coming on a back to back on the road against Sacramento. A nice turnover for a team looking to prove they can make the next step.

15. Denver Nuggets 8-7
-The Nuggets don't quite look comfortable in their own skin, despite being 2nd in the league in rebounds at almost 48 a game. Andre Iguodala needs to prove he can be a clutch scorer or else this team could be searching for answers late in games.

16. Indiana Pacers 7-8
-Indiana may have finally gotten the big win they needed, even if it is over a Lakers' team still searching for their own. George "clutch" Hill is proving he isn't scared of the big moment.

17. Houston Rockets 7-7
-Tonight's game against the Thunder will show the true colors of this team, and how well James Harden can handle a big moment.

18. LA Lakers 7-8
-It is obviously a long way to go, but is their a chance Kobe leaves town is the Lakers didn't get out of the first round, or even worse, miss the playoffs?

(This has been one of the few smiling moments in LA thus far.)

19. Minnesota Timberwolves 6-7
-Now that the T-Wolves have gotten their first win with Kevin Love, they can put a five game losing streak behind them. If they want to be a playoff team, that can't happen again.

20. Dallas Mavericks 7-8
-Carlisle benching two of his starters in Philadelphia let us all know that he isn't happy with what is happening so far. Is an older Dirk going to make it any better in Cubanland?

21. Chicago Bulls 6-7
-The 27 point collapse says it all about this team. They are missing their closer, and he's not replaceable. They just didn't think they needed a 27 point closer. 

22. Phoenix Suns 7-8
-The most boring team in the NBA continues to be that, just average. I'm getting really sick about writing about this team.

(God even he looks bored.)

23. Portland Trailblazers 6-8
-Nicholas Batum and Damian Lillard have come back to earth a bit, and therefore the Blazers have too. It gets a little easier against the Wizards tonight.

24. Orlando Magic 5-8
-The Magic are falling into a lose two, win one kind of season. It might be in their best interest to bottom out with this average roster.

25. Sacramento Kings 4-10
-All of the sudden, the Kings look competent with home wins over the Lakers and Jazz. Maybe their is a future here?

26. New Orleans Hornets 4-10
-While the Anthony Davis show has had alot of intermissions due to injuries, Ryan Anderson is proving that he is also a major part of the future of this team. With Austin Rivers looking as fearless as he was in college, the future looks alot brighter in NOLA.

27. Detroit Pistons 4-11
-How about Detroit basketball?! Wins over the Sixers, Celtics and Trailblazers show their is some life in this previously offense-less roster. Maybe I should run a "when will the Celtics win 60 games?" column.

28. Toronto Raptors 3-12
-The Raptors can't seem to put a fourth quarter together. They have already lost six leads going into the fourth quarter.

29. Cleveland Cavaliers 3-12
-The Kyrie Irving injury sucks for the Cavs, for the league, for my league pass account, and for the city of Cleveland. Who are they going to cheer for now, Brandon Weeden?

30. Washington Wizards 0-11
-Last time I checked they were winning in the 2nd quarter. Otherwise I would have ranked them 31st.


Until next time, here is your NBA youtube Clip!

-Bford

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Early Season Trade Rumors: Josh Smith

I love trade rumors. They give you the opportunity to play arm chair general manager while evaluating talent that you think would make your team better. Whenever my team is struggling the first thing I do to comfort myself is run over to the espn trade machine (http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine) and dream up trades that fix what ails the Celtics. As the season goes along teams develop tendencies, styles and the pretenders are separated from contenders. The more games played, the more information is given,  as to what teams are. As we figure out what teams are, trade rumors build based on team needs. Since I love trades I wanted to go over some players that could be potential targets to move. I'm going to post these as a series with each covering a specific player.

Josh Smith:
 Smith has been in rumors ever since a New York Daily Article said the following:
"Josh Smith has told the Hawks that he isn't going to sign an extension during the season. He'd rather wait to become a free agent, when he can get a five-year deal. An extension would limit him to a three-year deal, according to the new CBA rules. New GM Danny Ferry has upwards of 10 players who could be free agents at season's end
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/lawrence-lin-rockets-bargained-article-1.1182684#ixzz2DGZecC7V

This got shortened to Josh Smith won't sign an extension with Hawks. In actuality J Smoove would be taking less money to sign an extension which was never really an option. Regardless of the reason the Hawks don't want to let him get to free agency with the chance that they will lose him for nothing. Two of Josh Smith's best friends are Rajon Rondo (played at Oak Hill Academy together) and Dwight Howard (both from Atlanta). By coincidence the Celtics and Lakers have been rumored as possible trade destination for Smith.

The Lakers rumor centered around Pau Gasol for Josh Smith and either Kyle Korver or smaller pieces. http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/dime-121116-18/weekend-dime-steve-nash-mike-dantoni-get-second-chance. This trade doesn't make sense because it doesn't fit the Hawks current plan. This offseason the Hawks traded away Josh  Smith and Marvin Williams with the intent of having cap flexibility. They didn't want to consistently have to pay luxury tax with a team that has a ceiling of the 2nd round.  In this case the Hawks would be getting a player that would make them better but not put them over the top. With Gasol's large contract the Hawks would be back to an expensive very good team, but one that would never be truly great.

A deal involving the Lakers and the Hawks does make sense because Pau for Smith is a good trade value wise. This only means that a third team with good young players would have to want to take on Pau. Some possibilities are Houston (previously expressed interest in Pau), Minnesota, Portland.

Josh Smith has went out of his way to praise Boston fans. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPrYKGegnqY. As I said before Rajon Rondo is one of his best friends. Over the summer when Rondo flew all the Celtics out to to California to play flag football Josh Smith happened to be there. Regardless of how you want to read into that it's the type of story that creates rumors.

The Celtics for the first time in a while are sporting some good young players that have value around the league. Avery Bradley showed that he is at the very least an elite on ball defender last year. Jared Sullinger has been good enough that Doc Rivers has introduced him to his rotation almost immediately (something that he pretty much never does). Brandon Bass has shown himself to be a good big at a reasonable price. Courtney Lee is a good player signed at a reasonable contract as well. Could the Celtics put together a package of some of those players and picks together to get in the Smith sweepstakes? With the Celtics being over the Cap next year the only way Smith could come to Boston would be in a trade.

A third team that logically could be tied to Josh Smith is the Houston Rockets. Daryl Morey since he was hired has been gathering assets in an effort to someday package them for a star player. Late in the offseason Morey executed his play in dealing for James Harden. Just because Morey got his star player doesn't mean that he won't try to package his remaining assets to acquire Smith. Houston is stocked at the 3/4 position and could offer players like Patrick Patterson, Markieff Morris or Terrence Jones to replace Smith for Houston. They also have Donatas Motiejunas and Cole Aldrich as good young prospects that they could offer as well as draft picks.

Josh Smith will probably be traded as has become the norm for a player that will not sign an extension with their current team. His talents of athleticism defense and rebounding could be used by any team. His value is higher for teams that would be more likely to retain his services after the year. Due to this the most likely destinations are Boston, the Lakers and Houston.

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Reward Rankings: Part 2

In our first reward rankings a few weeks ago, we found ourselves basically guessing from nothing. With a little more of a sample size, here is an updated list of rewards for the end of the year; as well as our first thoughts on All-Star teams. 

MVP:

1. Lebron James, Miami Heat

2. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

3. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers

4. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

5. Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee Bucks

-There is no reason to drop any of the top 3 from their spots. Lebron is still Lebron, Durant is still scoring while improving his rebound numbers, and Chris Paul is leading a team in LA that looks even more dangerous than last year. But with Kobe above career averages in points, rebounds and assists and Brandon Jennings making the Bucks look like an East contender, you have to add them to the discussion. 

Defensive Player of the Year: 

1. Tyson Chandler

2. Omer Asik

3. Dwight Howard

4. Lebron James

5. Joakim Noah

-Tyson has completely revolutionized the way the New York Knicks play D. In a year plus(really a year with the shortened season) he has a guy like Carmelo committed on the defensive end. That has to count for alot. Omer Asik is doing the same thing in Houston, just to a much smaller extent. Dwight and Lebron are on here because of their freak ability to cover ground, and Noah has been putting up defensive stats better than anyone else in the league(10REBs/2BLKs/1.3STLs).

6th Man of the Year:

1. Jamal Crawford

2.Eric Bledsoe

3. Alexey Shved

4. Mike Dunleavy

5. Ray Allen

-Jamal Crawford has not only been putting starter's numbers, he has been doing it on a winning team. With not only 20 points a game, but a PER of 22.63 proves that last year was an outlier in terms of his ability. His only competition could be his backcourt mate, Eric Bledsoe. His PER of 24.08 is extremely impressive, but it was his five rebounds in the 4th quarter last night that stole a win from the Spurs. While Allen, Shved and Dunleavy have helped teams become winners, this is a two man race right now.

Rookie of the Year:

1. Anthony Davis

2. Damian Lillard

3. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

4. Dion Waiters

5. Alexey Shved

-Davis and Lillard are quickly running away with this award much like the 6th man. The only questions that remain is who is going to win rookie of the month each month. Davis is averaging 16pts, 8asts and 2blks a game; all while dealing with coming back from a concussion. Lillard, meanwhile has been getting comments like "they stole one" and "they have a real future with him" from guys named Kobe and Lebron. While MKD, Waiters and Shved are showing flashes of brilliance, there hasn't been the same consistency that Davis and Lillard have shown.

Most Improve Player of the Year:

1. Brandon Jennings

2. Kyrie Irving

3. Jrue Holliday

4. Anderson Varajeo

5. Omer Asik

-Jennings has been going off in Milwaukee, and more importantly, has been getting others involved as well. the 6-3 Bucks have been benefiting from almost eight assists a game, and are really hoping Jennings isn't playing this hard just because he hasn't got paid yet. Irving is an obvious choice as well, but it is tough to give this award to a 2nd year player; they are supposed to make a jump. Holliday is making all the 76ers fans forget about both Bynum and Iggy, while Varajeo is taking advantage of the Irving effect. Asik is more in hear simply because he has now has an offensive game.

All-Star Teams:

East:
Forwards: Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Joakim Noah
Guards: Rajon Rondo, Kyrie Irving
6th Man: Brandon Jennings

West:
Forwards: Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard, Marc Gasol
Guards: Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul
6th Man: James Harden


Until next time, here is your NBA YouTube Clip!

-Bford

 

Power Rankings: Week 4

(Say hello to your new number one. Zach Randolph will dance with you now.)

1.Memphis Grizzlies 8-1 
-Wins over the Thunder, Heat, Knicks, and Bucks have highlighted the eight game winning streak. Even more impressive; four of the wins have been on the road.

2. Miami Heat 8-3
-The Heat keep on winning despite Dwyane Wade being absent with injury. The question remains though, can they handle a big team like the Grizzlies without any quality big men?

3. New York Knicks 7-1
-The loss against the Grizzlies ends the 82-0 dream New Yorkers once had, but coming right back and getting a win over Indiana proves that this team can come back strong.

4. Los Angeles Clippers 7-2
-The Clippers have quietly proven they are elite while the other team in LA continues to steal all the headlines. Having six guys averaging double figures doesn't hurt either.

5. Oklahoma City Thunder 8-3
-Can you believe win against the Warriors was the first time Kevin Durant had a triple double in his career? Hes averaging 24 and 10 through 11 games.

6. San Antonio Spurs 8-2
-The Spurs quietly go about their business; destroying with a 126 lashing. Even more important, Ginobili looked healthy for the first time all year. 

(If Ginobili starts making more faces like this, the Spurs could be extra scary.)

7. Brooklyn Nets 6-2
-While a win in the division is always good, a Nets/Celtics matchup won't mean much until the Rondo is a part of it.

8. Milwaukee Bucks 6-2 
-Are the Bucks the Arizona Cardinals of the NBA? This team is overachieving, but it is starting to look as though they actually matter. Games against Miami, Chicago, New York and Minnesota will give us more of an idea. 

9. Chicago Bulls 5-5
-The Bulls are surviving without Derrick. Joakim Noah should be a starter in the all-star game, and Luol Deng is showing he can handle the scoring until Rose returns. But who else can help?

10. Philadephia 76ers 6-4 
-Usually the 76ers would be higher, but it's tough with the news they just heard. Andrew Bynum is quickly turning into a huge disappointment and quite frankly, needs to grow up.

11. Boston Celtics 6-5
-Just when the Celtics were going to have a great weekend with solid home winds over the Jazz and Raptors, they go and blow it with an awful loss to the lowly Pistons. Contenders simply don't have these lapses.

12. Los Angeles Lakers 5-5
-The improvement is shown right away. Mike's Lakers looked fluent, comfortable, and scary good on offense. Kobe playing like he's 26 against doesn't hurt either.

13. Minnesota Timberwolves 5-4
-So the T-Wolves have lost two straight. At the same time, they haven't been out of any game. This team could easily be 6-3 or 7-2. Much like the Bulls, it is just hold on.

14. Dallas Mavericks 6-5
-O.J. Mayo has put himself into the all-star conversation. But with yet another team who is waiting for it's star, the Mavericks need to start beating some teams they may see in the playoffs. They haven't yet beat a team with a winning record.

(Mayo is proving that he can flourish in a starting role.)

15. Houston Rockets 4-6
-The honeymoon is over, and now it's team to see how this team fits. Harden and Lin need to improve their team game, and stop turning the ball over so much(combined 8 turnovers a game.)

16. Denver Nuggets 4-6
-The Nuggets started slow, then got hot, and then looked helpless against San Antonio's offense. This team needs to be more consistent before can be considered elite.

17. Utah Jazz 5-6
-The Jazz have looked....average. While the veterans they brought in our helping, Randy Foye and Gordon Hayward need to step up and be the backcourt scorers that this team is lacking. 

18. Portland Trailblazers 5-5
-Damian Lillard looks unreal, and Nicholas Batum is finally filling in on that early promise of being a premier scorer in this league. This team just looks one or two years away.

19. Indiana Pacers 4-7
-The Pacers are falling, fast. Roy Hibbert(8 points/8 boards) needs to start earning that pay day soon or else this team is going to continue to struggle.

20. Atlanta Hawks 4-4
-Coming out of a road trip 2-2 isn't a bad thing, but a four point loss to Golden State where you allowed rookie Harrison Barnes to be the leading scorer is.

21. New Orleands Hornets 3-5
-The Hornets goal this year shouldn't be a championship. It should be finding the right pieces to build around what could be the biggest #1 pick in a long time.

22. Golden State Warriors 5-5
-While the Warriors are 5-5, we at Pick N Pop are treading lightly. They haven't been able to keep their A unit healthy, and it could hurt them with games against teams like Brooklyn, Denver, and Minnesota coming up. Those teams love to run.

23. Charlotte Bobcats 4-4
-Who are these Bobcats?! Even though they almost blew a win in Minnesota, and lost to Memphis this past Saturday; the young guys are showing some spunk. Most importantly, Kemba Walker is finally showing the confidence in his shot that he had in college.

24. Phoenix Suns 4-7
-The Suns are literally the most boring team in basketball. I would rather read Jared Dudley's twitter feed for three hours than watch them play basketball.

(Please cheer for us?)

25. Cleveland Cavaliers 2-8
-If Joakim Noah isn't the starter in the East, Varajeo better be the only other option. He could be the biggest trade piece for a contender if him and Kyrie continue to get absolutely no help.

26. Toronto Raptors 3-7
-The Raptors can't seem to put a complete game together. And while Bargnani showed some willingness to go down low in Boston, he found himself taking jumpers when it mattered.

27. Detroit Pistons 2-9
-Just as we talk about how bad the Pistons are; they go and troll off a couple wins; including ruining a perfectly good weekend game against my Celtics. I still want my money back from League Pass.

28. Orlando Magic 3-6
-Defenses have figured out E'Twaun Moore, they can't decide which big man to play, and Glen Davis continues to think hes a 20 point scorer. It is not looking good in Orlando.

29. Sacramento Kings 2-8
-While the Kings have some promise, it is very faint. They need to decide who the future is, and start to cut the fat to rebuild this program.

30. Washington Wizards 0-8
-Do you think if we wrote a "When will the Wizards win?" they will run off a 20 point victory against the Pacers? Probably not.


Until Next time, here is your amazing NBA YouTube Clip!

-Bford

Beautiful Happy New 2013 Quotes

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Thoughts Through Two Weeks

1. The Jazz will be very good someday soon. Not only do they have very good young players, they crash the boards hard, push the ball as often as they can and play hard nosed defense full of effort. They will only get better as their young players become a more cohesive offensive and defensive team.

2. The Celtics are going with amorphous lineups  that often feature two power forwards two small forwards and a point guard. This allows them to have the ability to create mismatches at most positions. However on the defensive end this has lead to Boston changing how they play defense. This year they are switching on every screen. With this defense every player has to be in sync defending from every position (where as when you do not switch you only have to play defense from your specific position). Understandably that causes more room for confusion. This confusion has lead to breakdowns, which should decrease as the season goes on (he says hopefully)

3. James Harden was worth every player and every penny that it cost to get him in Houston. While leading the NBA in scoring I'm sure his bill payers aren't complaining. With this trade and signing Houston has a buildblock to set the team around and Daryl Morey has kept his job.

4. The Knicks look as good as they have during anytime in their recent Melo era. The key to this is, Carmelo playing as a huge scoring option at the power forward position. It will be interesting to see what happens when A'mare comes back, does he push Melo to the three or come off the bench? No matter what they decide to do the New York media will make sure you hear way too much about it.

5. Kemba Walker has taken a big jump in his second year. Averaging 18.6 points 5.6 assists and 3.2 steals. We shouldn't be surprised that he is exceeding expectations. Heading to college he wasn't the top recruit his high school pedigree would indicate. He continued to improve and ended up leading UCONN to a title. After his rookie year people doubted if he will ever be the elite player his draft status would indicate. This year he is again proving people wrong.

6. The Clippers look great. In order to see why you don't need to look further than DeAndre Jordan. When he talked about an improving post game this off-season I was skeptical. He has developed a solid jump hook to complement his athleticism and strong motor. His ability to small allows others to get more open shots, but more importantly it allows him to stay on the court. With Jordan on the court the Clippers are better defensively.

7. The Grizzlies are finally living up to the promise that everyone heaped upon them after the knocked off the San Antonio Spurs two years ago without Rudy Gay. Last year Zach Randolph was hurt most of the year. For the first time the Grizz have everyone healthy at the same time and are looking great.

8. Brooklyn could end up a team to go far in the playoffs given the right math ups. They are one of the best rebounding teams in a conference where a lot of teams go small. If they run into Boston or Miami in the playoffs this team could give these favorites problems.

9.  The Milwaukee Bucks are looking like a classic Scott Skiles team. They are playing hard, defending and sharing the basketball. If they are truly a typical Scott Skiles team his players will get tired of getting yelled at, stop passing the ball and give no defensive effort by season end.

10. Detroit and Washington look bad. I expected these two teams to compete for the last playoff spot, only two weeks in and I want a redo on that one. John Wall will help when he gets back and Rodney Stuckey won't shoot 28% forever but I still want to say my bad on that prediction.

Twenty Two Thirsty Thursday Thoughts

With my 26th birthday quickly approaching, the state of Massachusetts decided to give me a present this afternoon: sitting in the RMV for three hours waiting to renew my license. Thank you so much Bay State. It did give me time, however to go into full thought and think up some goodies for this week. So while others swore silently to themselves(or out loud, that happened too), here is what popped into my head. 

1. Lebron James, Rajon Rondo, and Zach Randolph are currently tied for the league lead in double-doubles with seven. Not so surprising. What is surprising, is that guys like Kenneth Faried, Marcin Gortat and J.J. Hickson are tied with Chris Paul and Kevin Durant for third with five.

2. Danny Green is finally getting the attention he deserves after that winner in LAL last night. As the 5th option(6th if you include Ginobili) in the Spurs offense he is averaging 11, 3, 1 and 1 in just under 30 minutes a game. It wasn't too long ago he was a 12th man in Cleveland and now is a valuable starter on a contender.

(Calling all Danny Green haters: move aside.)

3. The T-Wolves injuries might finally be catching up to them. A loss to a Bobcats team which was blaitantly trying to give them a win showed how thin they currently are. As a fan of watching them on league pass, I am hoping this doesn't turn into a "what could have been" season. 

4. Bill Simmon's commented about this on his podcast, but Omer Asik is turning into a complete steal for the Rockets because of his salary. Paying eight million a year for the next three and getting what they are out of him(he could easily be the league leader in rebounds at season's end) is looking like quite the investment. 

5. Glen Davis had five shots blocked by Joakim Noah in the Magic's recent loss to Chicago. That is literally the equivalent of me trying to put up shots against my older brother. When I was six. And he was thirteen.

6. Don't call me a genius, but J.J. Redick has been in the starting lineup lately for the Magic, and it looks as though it's going to stay that way as long as he keeps playing well. Redick has had double figures in all but one game, and has had at least six assists in all but two.

7. Looking at the top 10 draft picks right now, there is real no one player that you could say is a complete bust. Terrence Ross(lack of minutes) and Thomas Robinson(suspension) are really the only two who you could consider calling a dissapointment thus far.

8. While everyone is praising Carmelo for his hot start(deservedly so), it is the Knick's defense that deserves credit for the 5-0 start. They are currently ranked first in opponent's PPG(87.8) and seventh in opponent's FG%(.423).

9. Brooklyn has quietly gotten off to a 4-2 start, and is playing a Boston team in a back to back tonight. It could be the most boring 4-2 start ever, and they technically should be 5-1 after blowing a 22 point lead to the T-Wolves.

10. With the King's off to another slow start(2-6), they need to look at seeing what they can get for Tyreke Evans. A first pass point guard and a veteran with some actual value should be at the top of their list.

11. Remember when Tyrus Thomas was going to be the next big thing? He's not even starting in Charlotte anymore, and will probably be out of the league in the next three years.

12. If the NBA did things the BCS way, The Spurs would play the Knicks in a one game playoff. Yeah, I know, it makes no sense right?

13. Jeremy Lamb has been the forgotten man in the Harden trade. Once thought of as a major piece who was going to be coming off of Houston's bench, Lamb has averaged just three minutes a game in OKC.

(Jeremy Lamb hasn't smiled since this picture was taken.)

14. Today in 1960 Elgin Baylor scored 71 points for the Lakers in a win over the Knicks. I learned something today. 

15. Luol Deng currently leads the league with minutes played at 41 a game, with his teammate Joakim Noah not far behind at 39. Lebron James isn't even in the top 20.

16. Andris Biedrins has shot just 71 free throws in the past four years. He's only made 17 of them(24%).

17. If Jason Kidd stays healthy and plays in all 77 of the Knick's remaining games, he will be seventh on the all time list in games played. He only need to play in nine more to crack the top 10. 

18. Kemba Walker is being heralded for his game winning shot last night, but has had a turnover and two crazy hero drives in the last minute to will usually cost his team the game.

19. Predictions I'd like to take back: The Pistons losing to the 76ers. Reverse jinx much?

(This was the scene in Detroit last night.)

20. The Celtics can't rebound at all. Infact, they are averaging a league worst six offensive rebounds a game. 

21. The Royce White story is getting depressing now. For a player who could be a great voice for young athletes with anxiety, he is struggling to find a place and a happy medium as a traveling NBA player. We are all hoping it works out for him.

22. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist does the weird thing when he runs. It's like he is losing control of his arms. It's not lazy, but it's just weird. I searched the internet to no avail, but make sure to watch out for it next time you check out a Bobcats game. It's quite the scene.


Until next time, your amazing NBA YouTube Clip!

-Bford

Best Beautiful Miss You Collection 2012 - Miss You-I Miss You- Missing You

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Jeff Green Posterizes Big AL

Al Jefferson wishes he wasn't on the court for this furious dunk by Jeff Green:

It's great to see Green back healthy after last years heart issues.  When he plays with confidence he is an absolute force out there.

Yours truly will be in Brooklyn tonight to see my hometown team take on the Nets....and I'm hoping for more plays like this. Follow me on Twitter @theNBAninja for in-game assessments.