The MVP Race: Week 2 & 3

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!

I haven't posted a new "The MVP Race" in a couple weeks now.  Sorry, I have just not felt like spending time to write it.  But now I'm back and will be posting the new editions on my website, thebasketballoracle.com.  So, Happy Thanksgiving Day (even though thanksgiving was yesterday) and hopefully everyone had a lot of turkey.

Just Missed Out: Amare Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol, Joe Johnson, Derrick Rose, Brandon Roy

 10. Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks / Team Record: 7-7

Last Edition: 18

Dirk has quietly led the Mavericks back into decency this season.  They started out 2-4, but then Dirk went on a tear and had some huge games.  He brought them back and won the game against the Knicks, and was the reason they had the lead on the Lakers before the Lakers game back and won.

 9. Chauncey Billups, Nuggets / Team Record: 10-6

Last Edition: Not Ranked

Ever since Billups joined the Nuggets, they have been doing great.  He is the defensive-minded veteran point guard that they've always needed.  He isn't shooting great right now, but he is setting up his teammates for easy scores and making them play defense.

 8. Paul Pierce, Celtics / Team Record: 14-2

Last Edition: 13

Pierce has been the leader of the Celtics this season.  He has won them games that they were trailing in and looked like they might lose.  He hit the game winner against the Hawks, and just so happened to get to the free throw line when he got the ball in the clutch.

 7. Chris Bosh, Raptors / Team Record: 7-7

Last Edition: 5

CB4 had been a stats beast this season, but the problem is that his team isn't winning.  Its not his fault, but you can't be higher with a .500 record and some bad games (vs. Celtics).  Once Jose Calderon, Bosh, and Jermaine O'Neal are all together, the Raptors record will improve and Bosh will move up on this list.

 6. Dwyane Wade, Heat / Team Record 7-8

Last Edition: 6

D-Wade has been amazing this season, he has some of the best all-around stats in the NBA, including blocking 1.7 shots per game as a 6-4 shooting guard.  I know I said for Bosh that even with his amazing stats he can't be higher with his teams record, Dwyane Wade has better stats and a worse team than Bosh so he is ahead even though his team has lost 1 more game than Bosh's.

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The Knicks were the most disfunctional and problematic team in the league last season, but after hiring Mike D'Antoni they turned their fortunes around and are 7th in the East right now.  They are leading the league in scoring and 3-pointers made also.  They had an outside change of making the playoffs and for once they were actually looking decent.  But then Donnie Walsh trades their 2 best players for role players and veterans.  First the Knicks traded Jamal Crawford to the Golden State Warriors for Al Harrington.  Al Harrington just keeps shooting and isn't nearly as good as Crawford.  His contract may only be for 2 more years, but he will be fighting for minutes with David Lee while Crawford was the only good shooting guard on the Knicks.  Crawford was also their 2nd leading scorer.  And then a couple hours later, the Knicks sent Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins to the Los Angeles Clippers for Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas.  Randolph has been doing awesome for the Knicks this season, he is near the top of the league in rebounding and has better stats than Kobe Bryant.  But the Knicks traded him away for veterans who won't really help them.  I know they wanted to get rid of his ugly contract, but they could have at least gotten Marcus Camby or Chris Kaman from the Clippers.  Now the Knicks will be stuck with 6-8 David Lee or 6-9 Al Harrington at center.  They did all this to get room sign LeBron James and another star in 2010, but what championship-seeking superstar would want to come to a talent-less team?  Even if it is in New York.  These trades make it seem like the Knicks want to be the Clippers of the East, except for the Clippers will be much better with Baron Davis, Marcus Camby, Zach Randolph, and Chris Kaman.  This move is great for the Clippers because it allows them to trade Chris Kaman for Gerald Wallace like they were planning.  The new Clippers lineup will be decent with Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, Gerald Wallace, Zach Randolph, and Marcus Camby.  The only problem will be injuries.  Who knows, this trade could turn out to set up the Knicks to be championship contenders, but I don't think so.

Some of the teams in the NBA aren't getting any better, and won't get better until they make some moves.  Other teams just need a few more pieces to get them into playoff or championship contention.  I have thought of a few ideas for some teams that need it.

 Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks were once the best team in the league, since then they have traded away their best young talent (Devin Harris) for a declining veteran (Jason Kidd), lost in the first round, and been involved in controversy.  In order for this team to get better, they need to shed the "soft" label.  Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki are both all-stars, but they don't have the right players around them to win.  Nowitzki is not a pure power forward, so he needs to have a strong post presence to play center.  Dampier is not that presence, and neither is Desagana Diop.  Josh Howard is talented, but he has too many problems off the court.  Howard's value has lowered because of his off court issues, but he could still be traded for some good pieces.  Also Jerry Stackhouse has demanded a trade because he hasn't gotten enough playing time.  One option would be to trade Josh Howard and Jerry Stackhouse to the New York Knicks for Eddy Curry and Quentin Richardson.  This would give the Mavs a big and strong center who is a good offensive threat, and a shooter to replace Howard as the small forward.  The Knicks would get a good 6th man in Jerry Stackhouse, and another athletic wing player in Josh Howard.

 New York Knicks

A year ago the Knicks were the most problematic and disfunctional team in the league, now with a new coach they are one of the early playoff teams in the Eastern Conference.  They still have Stephon Marbury, Eddy Curry, and Zach Randolph, but they seem to be doing pretty well with Randolph at center and Marbury and Curry in street clothes.  Curry is a good offensive post player, but he isn't suited well for D'Antoni's run-and-gun system.  One of the trade ideas I have is with the Mavericks.  They could also trade Eddy Curry, Zach Randolph, and Nate Robinson to the Miami Heat for Shawn Marion and Udonis Haslem.  This trade would allow Mike D'Antoni to play small ball and gives him the player who fit perfectly into his system in Phoenix.  This trade gives the Miami Heat size so that they can play Beasley at small forward, Zach Randolph at power forward, and Eddy Curry at center.  Then they have a backcourt of Dwyane Wade and Nate Robinson or Mario Chalmers.  If the Heat didn't want to do the trade then the Knicks could add in Mardy Collins and Marcus Banks so the Heat are getting more financial flexibility in 2010.  The trade also helps the Knicks from a financial standpoint because they would have a total of $54,286,158.00 in expiring contracts.  The trade would make the Heat have less money to spend in 2010, but they would have a really good team so they would only have to resign Beasley and Wade that offseason.  And they would have the money to do that because Blount's contract would have expired.

 Miami Heat

The Heat were the worst team in the league last season, but this season they seem to be turning it around with a healthy Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion, and Udonis Haslem and the addition of rookie Michael Beasley.  The Heat still don't have a good center and they aren't very strong at point guard either.  One of the ideas that could help the Heat would be the Curry, Randolph, and Robinson for Marion and Haslem trade that I wrote about in the New York Knicks section.  Another idea would be to trade Daequan Cook to the New Jersey Nets for Josh Boone.  This wouldn't be a big trade, but it would give the Heat a decent center.

 Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers don't really need change, but Lamar Odom is mad about coming off the bench and if that becomes a problem then he will need to be traded.  If the Lakers want to trade Odom, then they should sign Antonio McDyess for the mid-level exception and then trade Lamar Odom to the Milwaukee Bucks for Richard Jefferson.  This trade would give the Lakers an amazing starting lineup, and their bench would only get a little worse since McDyess and Radmanovic could help compensate for the loss of Odom at power forward.

 Chicago Bulls

The Bulls have the deepest backcourt in the league, but their froncourt is one of the worst in the league.  The only good offensive frontcourt players they have are Andres Nocioni and Luol Deng.  Drew Gooden and Joakim Noah are the power forward-center combo right now, but they only score a combined 13.8 ppg.  They really need help in their frontcourt, and they need to trade some of their backcourt players so that there isn't a problem with playing time.  Since Kirk Hinrich is injured he can't be traded and hopefully the Bulls aren't stupid enough to be thinking of trading Derrick Rose unless it is for LeBron James or Chris Paul.  That leaves Larry Hughes, Ben Gordon, and Thabo Sefolosha.  Larry Hughes' contract will be hard to move, but if a team is looking for cap space in 2010 then they might want him.  The Bulls could trade Larry Hughes and Joakim Noah to the New Jersey Nets for Vince Carter.  Even though this doesn't help their frontcourt, it gives the Bulls a really good backcourt.  The Nets would only do this trade if they want to shed salary and have more cap room in 2010.  Drew Gooden is a decent power forward, but they would need a good center in order to have a good frontcourt.  To get a good center they could trade Ben Gordon, Tyrus Thomas, and Andres Nocioni to the Los Angeles Clippers for Chris Kaman and Cuttino Mobley.

 Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers have never been good and whenever they have a chance to get good, something bad happens like an injury or a missed player signing.  This past offseason everyone thought they were going to become playoff contenders with Elton Brand and Baron Davis, but there was a disagreement in Brand's contract so he went to the Philadelphia 76ers.  The Clippers have talent in B. Davis, R. Davis, Gordon, Mobley, Thornton, Camby, Thomas, and Kaman, but they just can't seem to win games.  The only person that is really tradeable is Chris Kaman.  They could trade Kaman to the Bulls in the trade that I came up with in the Bulls section.  The Bobcats are interested in Kaman, so they could trade him for Gerald Wallace and Sean May.  The Clippers need a major roster overhaul to become contenders.

 Memphis Grizzlies

 Minnesota Timberwolves

 Sacramento Kings

The Timberwolves, Kings, and Grizzlies just need to wait and see how their young talent matures.  If they turn out to be busts then they should make some trades, otherwise they don't need to do many trades except for getting rid of bad contracts when they can.

The MVP Race: Week 1

Stat Line(s) of the Week:

Tony Parker vs. Timberwolves - 55 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds

Amare Stoudemire vs. Pacers - 49 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists

 1. Lebron James, Cavaliers

Last week: 2
Stats: PPG -- 25.8; RPG -- 8.0; APG -- 7.8; SPG -- 2.2; BPG -- 0.6; FG% -- .457; FT% -- .782

The Cavaliers are at a good 4-2 start to the season and Lebron is the reason why.  Against the Pacers he had a near triple-double with 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists.

 2. Kobe Bryant, Lakers

Last week: 1
Stats: PPG -- 24.8; RPG -- 6.3; APG -- 3.5; SPG -- 1.75; BPG -- 0.5; FG% -- .446; FT% -- .816

The Lakers, Hawks, and Jazz are the only undefeated teams in the league.  The Lakers have won by an average of 20 points.  Kobe's stats haven't been great, but he has led his team to an undefeated record and the best defense in the league.

 3. Amare Stoudemire, Suns

Last week: 10
Stats: PPG -- 25.8; RPG -- 9.8; APG -- 2.6; SPG -- 1.4; BPG -- 1.0; FG% -- .696; FT% -- .846

Amare has become the star of the Suns with his stats and dominating play.  He had a 49-point outing against the Pacers, which is why he is this high.

 4. Chris Paul, Hornets

Last week: 3
Stats: PPG -- 21.8; RPG -- 5.3; APG -- 11.8; SPG -- 2.5; BPG -- 0.5; FG% -- .508; FT% -- .857

So far this season Paul has continued to build in his MVP-worthy season last year.  He has similar stats to last season, but this year the Hornets should be even better which will improve his MVP chances.

 5. Chris Bosh, Raptors

Last week: 7
Stats: PPG -- 26.0; RPG -- 10.8; APG -- 3.0; SPG -- 0.75; BPG -- 0.75; FG% -- .514; FT% -- .800

Bosh has led the Raptors to a 3-0 start and created good chemistry with Jermaine O'Neal.

 6. Dwyane Wade, Heat

Last week: 4
Stats: PPG -- 23.5; RPG -- 5.8; APG -- 7.3; SPG -- 3.0; BPG -- 2.0; FG% -- .455; FT% -- .739

He led the Heat to a winning record for the first time in a long time.  The Heat are at 3-2, which is the same record that the championship contender Hornets have.

 7. Joe Johnson, Hawks

Last week: Not Ranked
Stats: PPG -- 28.5; RPG -- 3.7; APG -- 5.7; SPG -- 0.67; BPG -- 0.0; FG% -- .547; FT% -- .889

JJ has proved that he is like a mini Kobe Bryant by leading his team to an undefeated start and getting all around stats while making his teammates better.

 8. Carlos Boozer, Jazz

Last week: 20
Stats: PPG -- 20.8; RPG -- 10.0; APG -- 2.0; SPG -- 0.5; BPG -- 0.25; FG% -- .627; FT% -- .750

Even without Deron Williams, the Jazz are undefeated because of Boozer's spectacular play.  He is averaging 20 and 10 while shooting over 60% from the field.

 9. Tony Parker, Spurs

Last week: Not ranked
Stats: PPG -- 33.3; RPG -- 3.8; APG -- 7.3; SPG -- 0.5; BPG -- 0.0; FG% -- .564; FT% -- .889

Tony Parker and Tim Duncan have had trouble carrying the Spurs while Manu Ginobili is gone, as shown by their 1-4 record.  But Parker gave them their only win of the season with his 55-point outing against the Timberwolves, and it wasn't like he was hogging the ball either because he finished with 10 assists.

 10. Dwight Howard, Magic

Last week: 6
Stats: PPG -- 20.2; RPG -- 13.2; APG -- 1.2; SPG -- 1.4; BPG -- 4.2; FG% -- .609; FT% -- .442

The Magic started off to a disappointing start, but Dwight hasn't.  He is duplicating his stats from last year and once the Magic start doing better, he will be ranked higher.  Expect this to be the lowest he goes this season.

High Riser of the Week: Joe Johnson (+13 or more)

Free Faller of the Week: Deron Williams (-12 or more)

11. Ron Artest, Rockets

12. Brandon Roy, Blazers

13. Paul Pierce, Celtics

14. Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets

15. Danny Granger, Pacers

16. Tim Duncan, Spurs

17. Kevin Garnett, Celtics

18. Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks

19. Jason Kidd, Mavericks

20. Tracy McGrady, Rockets

*All stats and records to not include today's games (Saturday, November 8)

Ubershorty's 2008-2009 NBA Predictions!!!

I already did some predictions over the summer, but things have changed since then and I have different ideas.  I'm going to give my predictions for the standings, playoffs, and award winners.  I will also make up some awards of my own.  I'm not going to give a record prediction because if I wanted to do it correctly I would have to do a bunch of math.

First I will start with the East because it is way less entertaining and competitive.

 

Eastern Conference Standings:

1. Boston Celtics

Last season, the Celtics were NBA champs after a 20-year drought.  This season they are hoping to be the first repeating team since the Lakers did it in 2002.  With the core of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett they will definitely make the playoffs with a top 3 seed, even if one of the big 3 gets injured.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland has been good in recent years, but they haven't had any legitimate 2nd option on the team beside Zydrunas Illgauskas and Larry Hughes, but Hughes had trouble playing his best with LeBron.  This season they will have Maurice Williams, who is coming off a season in which he averaged 17.2 ppg.

3. Orlando Magic

The Magic have one of the top frontcourts in the league, but they also have one of the worst backcourts in the league.  If Jameer Nelson and Mickael Pietrus can do a decent job as a backcourt, then expect the Magic to go far in the playoffs and get a high seed.

4. Philadelphia 76ers

Over the offseason, the Sixers made the huge signing of Elton Brand.  Last season they were a 7th seed and took the Pistons to 6 games, but with the addition of Brand, who is now their best player, they should have a good chance of going far in the playoffs and getting a high seed.

5. Detroit Pistons

Joe Dumars promised to trade a couple of his key players over the offseason, but he never found a deal he liked and they are stuck with the same team (other than the HUGE free agent signing of Kwame Brown).  They are the most balanced team in the league and should be able to win a lot of game in the regular season, but this will probably be the season that their streak ends and they don't make it to the conference finals.

6. Toronto Raptors

They acquired Jermaine O'Neal over the offseason, which should give Chris Bosh a lot of help in the frontcourt.  Along with point guard Jose Calderon and some good role players they should be able to win more games than last season, but still not get a higher seed.

7. Washington Wizards

The Wizards were the best team in the league a couple years back when they had their big 3 completely healthy, but since then they haven't had a completely healthy team.  Last year they did better in the playoffs without Gilbert Arenas, so I think they should have let him walk.  With the money they could have gotten a much better fit for their team in the 2009 or 2010 offseason.

8. Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks were the biggest surprises of the playoffs last season when they took the Celtics to 7 games.  I would have cried with happiness if they would have upset them, but that is a story for another time.  They have some talent in the starting lineup with Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, Al Horford, and Mike Bibby, but after that they don't have much.  If their starters can stay healthy then they will be contenders for the 8th seed.

9. Milwaukee Bucks

The addition of Richard Jefferson should help them on both ends of the court next season, but they don't have any depth and don't play defense.

10. Miami Heat

They will definitely win more games than last season, but that probably won't be enough to get them into the playoffs.

11. Chicago Bulls

The Bulls were a huge disappointment last season.  With lower expectations for this season they may over-achieve and get a playoff spot.

12. Charlotte Bobcats

Even with new coach Larry Brown, they still have the problem of too many scorers and not enough passers or defenders.

13. Indiana Pacers

They got rid of Jermaine O'Neal's massive contract, but they don't have any good big men now and they still have Jamaal Tinsley.  At least they have Danny Granger to build around for the future.

14. New York Knicks

The Knicks will be better than last year, but not by much.  They will be more entertaining than last yera, but they won't have a chance at the playoffs unless players like Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph decide to get into shape and get a better attitude.

15. New Jersey Nets

The Nets are in rebuilding mode now.  They don't have much talent outside of Devin Harris and Vince Carter, and seem more interested in building a team for LeBron in 2010 than winning now.

Western Conference Standings:

1.  Los Angeles Lakers

With a healthy Bynum, the Lakers should improve drastically on defense.  They also have one of the best perimeter defenders in the league in Kobe Bryant.  The Lakers are loaded from the starting five to the 12th man.  Expect to see them in the Finals this season.

2. New Orleans Hornets

 The Hornets were the suprise team of last season, but this season they have championship expectations.    Led by MVP runner-up Chris Paul and David West, the Hornets should be able to make it past the 2nd round this year and possibly to the finals.

3. Utah Jazz

The Jazz have been one of the elite teams in the NBA for longer than the Lakers and Hornets, but they don't play great defense and they foul their opponents a lot.  They are led by the Stockton-Malone-esque duo of Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams, but Booz has a tendency to disappear in the playoffs and Williams can't do it alone.  Outside of them they have a couple really good players like Andrei Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur, then they have role players like Kyle Korver, Paul Millsap, and Ronny Brewer.  After that though they are pretty thin.

4. Houston Rockets

The Rockets acquired defensive stopper and team destroyer Ron Artest over the offseason.  If the experiment works out perfectly and none of them get injured then they will have a high chance of making the Finals.  They are already one of the elite defensive teams in the league, and the addition of Artest should only improve that.

5. San Antonio Spurs

This will probably be the year that the Spurs odd numbered year championship trend ends.  They are too old and too injury prone now.  They won't have Ginobili for the beginning of the season, and only a few of their role players are below 30.

6. Dallas Mavericks

Just two seasons ago they won 67 games.  Since then they have traded away Devin Harris for Jason Kidd, fired Avery Johnson and hired Rick Carlisle, and been eliminated in the first round.  They still have one of the best big 3's in the league with Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, and Dirk Nowitzki.  They have regressed so much in the past two seasons that they will go from championship favorites to one-and-done's in the playoffs.

7. Portland Trailblazers

The Blazers have rebuilt themselves after the Jailblazers era and are now set to compete for championships for the next decade.  With their young core of Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden, Jerryd Bayless, and Travis Outlaw the sky is the limit for the Blazers.  But this season will be the start of their championship contention and they will probably get a low seed and be eliminated in the first round.

8. Phoenix Suns

They used to be the fun, fast, exciting, no-defense contenders of the NBA, but now they are close to being forced into a rebuilding period.  The trade of Marion for Shaq is not a good thing to have on your resume if you are Steve Kerr.  They could have gotten someone better and cheaper or just let his contract run out, but Kerr blew it big time.  But in two seasons they will have a lot of cap room to try and lure a superstar free agent to join Stoudemire in Phoenix.

9. Los Angeles Clippers

They should be better than last year, but after an exciting season they will fall short of the playoffs.

10. Denver Nuggets

With their new "dedication" to defense the Nuggets might be able to make a run at the playoffs, but the difference will be Marcus Camby.

11. Golden State Warriors

The opting out of Baron Davis completely destroyed their playoff chances for now.  The best they can hope for is that Ellis comes back healthy and proves to be an able point guard.

12. Minnesota Timberwolves

The T-wolves looked like fools for trading away Garnett for Al Jefferson and role players, but if Al can become the player they want him to be then they will have a chance for playoff contention in the future, but for now they will continue to be a lottery team.

13. Sacramento Kings

The Kings traded away their own chances of playoff contention last season and during the offseason by trading away Ron Artest and Mike Bibby, now they will have to hope that Kevin Martin can lead their franchise in the right direction.

14. Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies have never been consistently good, but that could change in a few years with their nucleus of O.J. Majo, Rudy ####, Marc Gasol, and Mike Conley.

15. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder will continue to suck in Oklahoma for awhile unless they can get some decent help for Kevin Durant.  If they can somehow lure a big free agent in a couple of years then they may have a chance at the playoffs.

Playoffs:

East

First Round

 1. Celtics (4) - 8. Hawks (1)

2. Cavaliers (4) - 7. Wizards (1)

3. Magic (4) - 6. Raptors (3)

4. 76ers (3) - 5. Pistons (4)

Second Round

Celtics (4) - Pistons (3)

Cavaliers (3) - Magic (4)

Conference Finals

Celtics (4) - Magic (3)

West

First Round

1. Lakers (4) - 8. Suns (0)

2. Hornets (4) - Blazers (2)

3. Jazz (4) - 6. Mavericks (2)

4. Rockets (3) - Spurs (4)

Second Round

Lakers (4) - Spurs (1)

Hornets (4) - Jazz (3)

Conference Finals

Lakers (4) - Hornets (3)

2009 NBA Finals

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics

Game 1: Lakers (100-86)

Game 2: Celtics (97-88)

Game 3: Lakers (121-94)

Game 4: Lakers (86-85)

Game 5: Lakers (127-84)

Finals MVP: Kobe Bryant

Awards:

MVP: Lebron James, Cavaliers

Runner Up: Chris Paul, Hornets

6th Man of the Year: Lamar Odom, Lakers

Runner Up: Rodney Stuckey, Pistons

Defensive Player of the Year: Kobe Bryant, Lakers

Runner Up: Ron Artest, Rockets

Coach of the Year: Nate McMillan, Blazers

Runner Up: Rick Adelman, Rockets

Rookie of the Year: Michael Beasley, Heat

Runner Up: O.J. Mayo, Grizzlies

Most Improved Player: Andrew Bynum, Lakers

Runner Up: Rajon Rondo, Celtics

Scoring Leader: Amare Stoudemire, Suns

Runner Up: Lebron James, Cavaliers

Assists Leader: Chris Paul, Hornets

Runner Up: Steve Nash, Suns

Rebounds Leader: Dwight Howard, Magic

Runner Up: Andrew Bynum, Lakers

Surprise Player of the Year: Patrick O'Bryant, Celtics

Runner Up: Kwame Brown, Pistons