NBA Power Rankings (Week 16)

After another week of basketball, the top remains pretty steady while the middle of the pack continues to get mixed up. The struggles continue for the middle of the road teams in the East, while the top of the east surges. Boston is a team to look out for. They've won 9 of 10 and have taken control of the 3 seed in the East. If Boston is able to acquire the superstar they desire, they have a chance of making a deep run in the playoffs.
The teams out West to look out for are the surging Jazz and Trailblazers. If both teams are able to keep up their high level of play the Rockets might be in trouble. Expect the Knicks, Kings, and Suns to continue to fall in the rankings.
*Numbers in Brackets indicate previous ranking

1. Golden State Warriors (46-4) [1]
2. San Antonio Spurs (43-8) [2]
3. Oklahoma City Thunder (39-14) [3]
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (37-14) [4]
5. Toronto Raptors (35-16) [5]
6. Los Angeles Clippers (35-17) [6]
7. Boston Celtics (31-22) [8]
8. Memphis Grizzlies (30-22) [7]
9. Miami Heat (29-23) [9]
10. Atlanta Hawks (30-24) [11]
11. Indiana Pacers (28-24) [14]
12. Chicago Bulls (27-24) [10]
13. Dallas Mavericks (29-25) [13]
14. Utah Jazz (25-25) [17]
15. Portland Trailblazers (26-27) [16]
16. Detroit Pistons (27-26) [12]
17. Houston Rockets (27-26) [15]
18. Charlotte Hornets (26-26) [20]
19. Orlando Magic (23-28) [23]
20. Washington Wizards (22-27) [18]
21. Denver Nuggets (21-32) [24]
22. New York Knicks (23-31) [19]
23. Sacramento Kings (21-31) [21]
24. New Orleans Pelicans (19-32) [22]
25. Milwaukee Bucks (20-32) [25]
26. Minnesota Timberwolves (16-37) [26]
27. Brooklyn Nets (14-39) [27]
28. Los Angeles Lakers (11-43) [30]
29. Philadelphia 76ers (8-44) [28]
30. Phoenix Suns (14-39) [29]

Midseason Awards

We are now a week away from the All-Star game in Toronto. That means the season is more than halfway over. Now seems like a good time to name the midseason awards for the NBA. At the end of the season I will once again give my picks for the awards and compare them to my preseason and midseason predictions.

MVP
Stephen Curry, Warriors (29.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 6.4 APG, 2.2 SPG)
Curry has clearly been the best offensive player in the league this year. He is the catalyst of the best team in the league, leading the Warriors to a 45-4 record. Curry is in rare territory, as he is on pace to put together a 50/40/90 season (.511/.458/.911). A feat achieved by only 6 players in NBA history. Curry is the clear front-runner for the award and leads the league with a PER of 32.2.
(Preseason Pick: Anthony Davis, Pelicans)

Defensive Player of the Year
Draymond Green, Warriors (9.5 RPG, 1.4 BPG, 1.4 SPG)
There are a bunch of players this year that deserve consideration for this award, but none more than Draymond Green. Green is the linchpin of the 3rd ranked defense in the league. He has the ability to guard nearly every position on the court and when they play the 6'7" forward at center, the defense looks as good as ever. One of the reasons the Warriors defense is so successful is Draymond's ability to switch assignments.
Honorable Mention:  Kawhi Leonard, Chris Paul, Andre Drummond, Jimmy Butler and Hassan Whiteside
(Preseason Pick: Jimmy Butler, Bulls)

Rookie of the Year
Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves (16.5 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 0.7 SPG)
To this point, Towns is the unquestioned Rookie of the Year. The first overall pick in the draft has not disappointed. Towns is putting up massive numbers, night in and night out. The 20 year-old has picked up 26 double doubles in 51 games (6th in the NBA) and has crisp post moves for a player of his age. Towns is scoring well and doing it efficiently (.538/.391/.849). His field goal percentage of 53.8 ranks 6th in the league.
Honorable mention: Kristaps Porzingis
(Preseason Pick: Emmanuel Mudiay, Nuggets)

Sixth Man of the Year
Enes Kanter, Thunder (20.6 MPG, 11.9 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 0.5 BPG)
Kanter's numbers might not blow you away, but he is instant offense off the bench. Kanter is one of the most efficient low-post scorers in the NBA, shooting at 55.8% (4th in the league). He is also an insanely good rebounder. His numbers are limited by his minutes, but his per-36 numbers show how valuable Kanter is to the Thunder (20.7 PPG, 13.1 RPG, 0.8 BPG, 2.3 TO).
Honorable mention: Ryan Anderson, Will Barton
(Preseason Pick: Isaiah Thomas, Celtics)

Most Improved Player
C.J. McCollum, Trailblazers (20.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 4.3 APG, .444/.391/.805)

This is probably the most obvious of all the awards. McCollum is nasty, he just needed an opportunity to prove it. With the departure of four Blazers starters, McCollum was called upon to help Damian Lillard burden the scoring load. After being buried on the depth chart behind Wesley Matthews and Arron Afflalo, C.J. has made the most of his chance this year. Portland has won 5 straight and are currently the 8-seed in the West.
(Preseason Pick: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks)

Coach of the Year
Gregg Popovich, Spurs (41-8)
Coach Pop has led San Antonio to the 2nd best record in the league this season. He has done a great job working LaMarcus Aldridge into the starting lineup and  has used David West as a spark off the bench. Popovich has a way of getting his players to exceed expectations and continue to grow within the organization. While the Warriors have the best record, the midseason coaching change will prevent both Luke Walton and Steve Kerr from winning the award.
Honorable mention: Dwane Casey, Raptors and Brad Stevens, Celtics
(Preseason Pick: Brad Stevens, Celtics)


Grayson Gold-Garvey, Follow on Twitter, @TheGraygo
Curry Image provided by: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
McCollum Image provided by: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Dynamic Duos

This week, Sideline Sports Reports take a look at some of the best duos of the 2000's. There have been a lot of great "teams" since 2000, but some of those teams might not have done as well if it wasn't for two really good or event great players. Here is our list of the best duos of the 2000's.

1. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker (2001-present): These two might be the best of the best. And their resume proves it. They've had seven Finals appearances, winning four titles. They've won 50 games or more every year Parker and Duncan have been together. To say it's impressive what they have done is an understatement but somehow they always fly under the radar as one of the best teams in NBA history. That's okay though, that's how these two like it. 
   
2. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal (1996-2004): Arguably one of the best duos of all-time, Kobe and Shaq might not have painted the prettiest picture of themselves as the years went one, but there was no denying their chemistry on the court. In the beginning of the 2000's there wasn't a hotter team than the Los Angeles Lakers who seemingly breezed through the Western Conference on their way to three straight NBA titles. They had many memorable moments but perhaps none more memorable than when Kobe crossed over Scottie Pippen, drove the lane, and floated a perfect alley oop lob to Shaq for the on-handed finish that sealed the Western Conference Finals in 2000 against the Portland Trailblazers. 
   
3. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade (2010-2014): When you talk about duos in NBA history these two are up there with some of the greats. Much like Kobe and Shaq, LeBron and Wade had chemistry on the floor that was evident from game one. The duo made four straight NBA Finals during their four years together and brought home two championships. A lot was made of 'The Decision' when LeBron decided to head south for the winters but that decision resulted in a combination of two of the greatest players of all time. 
4. Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace (2002-2006): An underrated duo that many people might not think about because of their lack of rings but to go through the Eastern Conference meant you had to go through the Detroit Pistons. Billups and Wallace both came to Detroit in 2002 and brought the energy back to the city. When you talk about defense in the NBA, there were few teams who brought that defense more than Detroit and Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace were the anchors of that defense. 

Stephen Springer, follow him on Twitter, @stephen_springs 

NBA Power Rankings (Week 15)

After a week featuring a lot of inter-league games, the West and the East are starting to even themselves out. The top 8 teams in the East have winning records, while the top 7 teams in the west are above .500. The 8th playoff spot in the West is currently controlled by Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers. The Blazers have been on a recent tear, winning 4 straight and 8 of 10. The backcourt combination of All-Star snub Lillard and running mate C.J. McCollum has been deadly all year, combining for 45 PPG. The Blazers were counted out after losing four starters from last years squad, but have surprised most and have climbed to 16th in this week's power rankings.

The match-up of the week comes on Saturday when the Thunder travel to Golden State to face the 44-4 Warriors. The Warriors have smoked their last three opponents (Cavs, Bulls, and Spurs) in highly anticipated games by 30 points each. The Thunder are one of the hottest teams in the league, having won 4 straight and 9 of 10, but the Warriors are known to kill streaks. This is the first of three match-ups this season between the two teams.

This week also features the Sixers moving out of the 30th ranking for the first time this season. The Sixers have won 3 of 10 and are now ranked 28th, jumping ahead of the struggling Suns and Lakers.

1. Golden State Warriors (44-4) [1]
2. San Antonio Spurs (40-8) [2]
3. Oklahoma City Thunder (37-13) [3]
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (35-12) [4]
5. Toronto Raptors (32-16) [5]
6. Los Angeles Clippers (32-16) [6]
7. Memphis Grizzlies (29-20) [10]
8. Boston Celtics (27-22) [11]
9. Miami Heat (27-21) [14]
10. Chicago Bulls (26-21) [8]
11. Atlanta Hawks (28-22) [7]
12. Detroit Pistons (26-23) [9]
13. Dallas Mavericks (28-23) [15]
14. Indiana Pacers (25-23) [13]
15. Houston Rockets (25-25) [12]
16. Portland Trailblazers (23-26) [20]
17. Utah Jazz (22-25) [22]
18. Washington Wizards (21-25) [16]
19. New York Knicks (23-27) [17]
20. Charlotte Hornets (23-25) [18]
21. Sacramento Kings (21-27) [19]
22. New Orleans Pelicans (18-29) [24]
23. Orlando Magic (21-26) [21]
24. Denver Nuggets (19-30) [25]
25. Milwaukee Bucks (20-30) [23]
26. Minnesota Timberwolves (14-35) [26]
27. Brooklyn Nets (12-37) [27]
28. Philadelphia 76ers (7-41) [30]
29. Phoenix Suns (14-35) [28]
30. Los Angeles Lakers (9-41) [29]

 Grayson Gold-Garvey, Follow on Twitter, @TheGraygo 

Predicting the All-Star Reserves

With the All-Star reserves being named tonight I figured I'd give you my list of the players that should be selected. The East was difficult to decide with so many good big men and emerging point guards like Kemba Walker. Take a look at my selections and see if you agree with them.

 

East

Starters

Kyle Lowry (G - Raptors)
Dwayne Wade (G - Heat)
LeBron James (F - Cavaliers)
Carmelo Anthony (F - Knicks)
Paul George (F - Pacers)

Reserves

Jimmy Butler (G/F - Bulls) Butler is having a career year. Butler is ascending to the top of the player rankings and has clearly cemented himself as the leader of the Bulls. After starting his career as a defensive specialist, Butler has become one of the better offensive players in the league. He is in the discussion for 2^nd best shooting guard in the NBA, behind James Harden.

DeMar DeRozan (G - Raptors) DeRozan is another 2 guard having a career year. Contract years often motivate players to step up their game, but DeRozan looks like he is focused on doing whatever it takes to help the Raptors win games.

John Wall (G - Wizards) Wall is the only thing keeping the Wizards alive. He is single handedly willing the Wizards to a close to .500 record. Wall is a double-double machine, averaging 19.6 points and 9.7 assists per game.

Isaiah Thomas (G - Celtics) Thomas is the best scorer for a good young Boston team. He is averaging a career high in points and assists. Thomas has embraced his role as the team’s main point guard but he also has the ability to play off the ball. He is one of the most fun players in the league to watch and a menace in the pick and roll.

Pau Gasol (F/C - Bulls) The All-Star game seems like home for Pau Gasol. He has been one of the most consistent players over the past 10 years and that has continued this year. Gasol is averaging 16 points and 10.9 rebounds to go along with 2.1 blocks.

Chris Bosh (F - Heat) It is great to see Bosh bounce back after last season’s medical issues. We didn’t know if he was ever going to be able to play again, so seeing him back at an All-Star level is incredible. Bosh is averaging 19.2 PPG.

Andre Drummond (C - Pistons) Rebounding machine. Possibly the best rebounder we’ve seen since Ben Wallace. Averaging 17.3 PPG and 15.2 RPG is no joke.

West

Starters

Stephen Curry (G - Warriors)
Kobe Bryant (G - Lakers)
Russell Westbrook (G - Thunder)
Kevin Durant (F - Thunder)
Kawhi Leonard (F - Spurs)

Reserves

Chris Paul (G - Clippers) The true leader of the Clippers and one of the best at it in the league. CP3 has willed the Clippers to a great record in the absence of Blake Griffin.

Damian Lillard (G - Trailblazers) Keeping the Blazers in it after losing four starters to free agency. Lillard is 6^th in the league in scoring, averaging 24.6 points and 6.9 assists per game.

James Harden (G - Rockets) Harden is an obvious choice. He is 2^nd in the league in scoring and without him that team would have completely collapsed. Say what you want about his defense but dude gets buckets.

Klay Thompson (G - Warriors) Thompson might be the 2^nd best pure shooter on the planet beside the best shooter in Curry. Thompson can light any team up with a 20 point quarter with the drop of a hat and is top 15 in scoring this year.

Draymond Green (F - Warriors) Green is the X-factor for the best team in the league. His all-around numbers are insane and he is a triple-double machine. Green is averaging 14.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 7.2 assists this year, leading the Warriors in rebounds and assists.

Anthony Davis (F - Pelicans) A preseason MVP candidate, things haven’t gone as planned for Davis and the Pelicans. But he is still averaging 23 and 10 and the struggling Pelicans are only a few games back from the 8 seed in the West.

DeMarcus Cousins (C - Kings) Cousins burst on the scene this past week with a 48 point game followed up by a 56 point game. The dude has been on fire down the stretch and is 3^rd in the league in scoring at 27.3 ppg. Add in 11.3 rebounds per game and the fact that the Kings are in playoff position midway through the season and there’s no denying that Cousins is an All-Star.

Grayson Gold-Garvey, Follow on Twitter, @TheGraygo

NBA Power Rankings (Week 14)

This week's rankings had a lot of movement in the middle of the pack. This will likely continue due to the tightness of the Eastern Conference, where if you lose 3 games in a row, you could fall out of a playoff spot. The surging Rockets are also steadily making their way up the rankings and are now, after a 3-1 week, at the 12 spot (their highest ranking this season). The Suns continue to fall, as they have joined the race for Simmons, and the Magic can't seem to win a game and have dropped to the 12 seed in the East.

Among the top teams in the league, The Clippers dropped below the Raptors who have won 8 straight contests. The Clippers were able to put together a rather impressive record with Blake Griffin sidelined by injury, but his latest incident, allegedly punching a member of the equipment staff and breaking his hand, will more than likely keep Griffin on the bench for the next month. The Cavs have a new coach and are trying to push the tempo so we'll have to wait to see what happens there. My Guess is LeBron and Kyrie eat it up, with Love throwing Aaron Rodgers sized outlet passes.

The Match-up of the week was definitely the Spurs at the Warriors. However, Duncan didn't play, the Spurs committed a Sixers amount of turnovers, and the Warriors blew them out. If Curry doesn't play in the 4th quarter, you might need to re-evaluate your game plan. Even with the loss, the Spurs keep a strong hold on the 2 spot. The Grizzlies are also a team to keep an eye on. They've won 7 of 10 and are making their first appearance in the top ten this season.

1. Golden State Warriors  (41-4) [1]
2. San Antonio Spurs  (38-7) [2]
3. Oklahoma City Thunder  (33-13) [3]
4. Cleveland Cavaliers  (31-12) [4]
5. Toronto Raptors  (29-15) [6]
6. Los Angeles Clippers  (28-16) [5]
7. Atlanta Hawks  (27-19) [7]
8. Chicago Bulls  (25-19) [8]
9. Detroit Pistons  (24-21) [9]
10. Memphis Grizzlies  (26-20) [13]
11. Boston Celtics  (25-21) [14]
12. Houston Rockets  (25-22) [15]
13. Indiana Pacers  (23-21) [11]
14. Miami Heat  (24-21) [10]
15. Dallas Mavericks  (25-21) [12]
16. Washington Wizards  (20-22) [16]
17. New York Knicks  (22-24) [18]
18. Charlotte Hornets  (22-23) [19]
19. Sacramento Kings  (20-24) [22]
20. Portland Trailblazers  (20-26) [21]
21. Orlando Magic  (20-23) [17]
22. Utah Jazz  (19-25) [20]
23. Milwaukee Bucks  (19-27) [23]
24. New Orleans Pelicans  (16-28) [25]
25. Denver Nuggets  (17-28) [24]
26. Minnesota Timberwolves  (14-32) [26]
27. Brooklyn Nets  (12-33) [28]
28. Phoenix Suns  (14-31) [27]
29. Los Angeles Lakers  (9-37) [29] 
30. Philadelphia 76ers  (6-39) [30] 

Grayson Gold-Garvey, Follow on Twitter @TheGraygo

2016 Olympic Team

It’s almost time for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil and that means another chance for Coach K and his USA Men’s Basketball team to bring home another gold medal.  I’ll get this out of the way now, no team will be the Dream Team, but there have been some pretty amazing teams. The 2008 team that had all the young talent in the NBA that blossomed into the 2012 team that breezed through all other countries without breaking a sweat it seemed. There is something about watching the biggest collection of NBA superstars go out and just play basketball like they did when they were younger that warms the hearts of all American’s and makes us so proud. This years team will likely be no different, the only name that will be missing and the most glaring is Kobe Bryant. But that means another great NBA player will step in and make his name. Here is the list of 30 finalists for the Olympic team.

LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers), Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks) (both three-time medalists), LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio Spurs), Harrison Barnes (Golden State Warriors), Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards), Jimmy Butler (Chicago Bulls), Mike Conley (Memphis Grizzlies), DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans), DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors), Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons), Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder), Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets), Rudy Gay (Sacramento Kings), Paul George (Indiana Pacers), Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors), Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers), James Harden (Houston Rockets), Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz), Dwight Howard (Houston Rockets), Andre Iguodola (Golden State Warriors) , Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers), Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs) , Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers), Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers), DeAndre Jordan (Los Angeles Clippers), John Wall (Washington Wizards), Russell Westrbook (Oklahoma City Thunder)

That’s a lot of names to choose from and make a 12-man roster. I’d take any combination of 12 players from that list and really like my chances. I picked my own team that to stack up against the rest of the world, here’s what I came up with:

LeBron James, Forward: James is an obvious choice for the final 12-man roster. The best player in the world has won two gold medals and looks to capture his third in what could be his last Olympic Games.

Steph Curry, Guard: Arguably the second best player in the world and the best shooter on the planet will no doubt add firepower to the team. He might average 30.

Carmelo Anthony, Forward: Melo is the type who is going to be on the team because he’s been there and done that. Melo isn’t what he was but in international play you won’t find many better scorers.

Kevin Durant, Forward: Another guy who can claim the title as ‘best in the world’, Durant can drop 30 in the blink of eye like much like Curry.

Chris Paul, Guard: CP3 is probably the most competitive guy on this list and is a leader. You won’t find many on-ball defenders better than the 6-foot Paul.

Anthony Davis, Forward/Center: The next big thing in the NBA, literally, is Pelicans big man Anthony Davis. A post-up player who is now developing an outside shot to go along with his freakish handles for a 6’10” power forward is always good for a 25 and 10 game.

Andre Drummond, Center: The best rebounder in the league is someone not many people know of. Drummond is a walking double-double, just don’t put him on the free throw line.

Kawhi Leonard, Forward: The Spurs forward is a superstar in the making and might have the biggest hands in the NBA. One of the best defenders in the league as well is someone that will bring a lot of outgoing attitude to the team. That’s a lie. He’s a stud.

James Harden, Guard: You won’t see his name on the All-NBA Defensive Team but you will see him casually drop 40 points. His beard also drops 10.

Russell Westbrook, Guard: No one plays the game with more intensity than Russell Westbrook. Almost a walking triple-double, Westbrook might also be the fastest player in the NBA.

Paul George, Forward: Potentially the most underrated player in the NBA, George suffered a gruesome leg injury last year but is in line to play a major role for the 2016 team.

John Wall, Guard: I mentioned Westbrook being the fastest player in the league; John Wall might have something to say about that. He’s been coming into his own and is becoming one of the better guards in the league.

Stephen Springer, follow him on Twitter, @Stephen_Springs