Northwest Division Preview

New kid on the block

Doyle Rader: The Northwest Division looks to be one of, if not the most, competitive divisions in the NBA this season. Last year three teams (the Thunder, Nuggets, and Jazz) made the playoffs. Utah made a late push to secure their playoff berth only to be eliminated by the Spurs in the first round. Denver took the Lakers to seven games in the Western Conference Semi-finals. And the Thunder eventually lost in the NBA Finals. This season the division is only deeper.

Both the Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves were early season darlings to make the playoffs last season with the Blazers’ hot start and the emergence of Ricky Rubio in Minny. What curtailed these teams was the fire-sale in Portland and the injuries that plagued the Timberwolves. However, Minnesota has completely reloaded their roster in an attempt to make a playoff run this year. They just have to wait for Kevin Love to recover from his broken hand.

Travis Huse: What’s remarkable about this division is that each of its franchises is looking toward the future.

Let’s begin with what’s been going on in Denver: the Nuggets’ reload looks really enticing to me, much in the same way that the Pacers have the past couple of seasons. They’re going to play blindingly fast, group-effort basketball, a hard-nosed team approach. What really makes things interesting is Iguodala’s defensive role, alongside his ball handler abilities, which were hidden behind Lou Williams and Jrue Holiday in Philly.

Iggy will have to play the roles of Danny Granger, Metta World Peace, and Lebron James simultaneously, and how successful he is at integrating with George Karl’s style will determine the success of this team. Coupled with the maturation of Ty Lawson and JaVale McGee (seems strange to mention maturity and McGee together), this is a well-built team, with players who complement their teammates’ strengths. Next step: tightening up on defense.

DR: Yes, their pace belies a low defensive effort as they want to be streaking up and down the floor. However, this team has the potential to be quite serviceable defensively and it all begins with Iguodala.

He will be their premier perimeter defensive player and will be tasked with defending the opposing team’s best wing player and even point guards at times. Denver must focus its defensive efforts in transition. This is where the team will be most venerable. In the halfcourt they have the like of McGee and Timofey Mozgov, as well as Kosta Koufos (who I particularly enjoy watching), to anchor the middle with Iguodala patrolling the arc.

Where I think Iguodala will be most beneficial to the Nuggets is when they play the Thunder. It will be his job to guard Kevin Durant. Oklahoma City won this division last year on the back of Durant’s scoring so bringing an elite defender was very important for Denver.

TH: Yeah, OKC is still the hands-down favorite to win this division this year, regardless of whether or not James Harden receives an extension. But next year, who knows? There’s so much young talent on these teams and the stars for each team are about to truly hit their stride.

Damian Lillard running the Blazers could change the entire dynamic of LaMarcus Aldridge’s game, assuming they didn’t handicap themselves too much with Nicolas Batum’s contract. In the Northwest, they’re the furthest away from being a playoff lock, and I could envision this division becoming as competitive as the Southwest was a few years ago. They’re thin as hell as just about every position, but for a rebuilding team, they don’t look to be wallowing in their sorrow for much longer.

DR: You’re right, the Thunder are the class of the division. That shouldn’t change this year and perhaps Kendrick Perkins will actually be useful to them now that Dwight Howard is in the West. Yet, he is still a liability against the more hybrid centers.

As for Portland, Lillard has shown that he is ready to compete at the NBA level. In five games this preseason, Lillard has averaged 17 points on 50 percent shooting while also dishing out six assists per game. Beyond the numbers, he is assertive on the court, even aggressive at times. Against the Lakers he frequently attacked Steve Nash off the dribble, getting to the rim with ease once he became comfortable with the flow of the game. Of course, Nash has never been a good defender but it was impressive to see a rookie go directly at a two-time MVP with little regard for his mythos.

What will hurt the Blazers is their lack of depth. Jared Jefferies will contribute more than anyone knows off the bench, though it may not always show up in the box score. Joel Freeland and Meyers Leonard, the team’s only true center, are major questions who have considerable upside.

Outside shooting will also be an issue going forward. This is a team built around the mid-range jumper. If Aldridge goes down again, this team will wallow in the basement once again.

TH: You’re neglecting Batum here. His contract is so weighty, the Portland front office will push him to fill more of a starring role, and the hiring of Terry Stotts as head coach will also give him more responsibility. If Stotts is able to formulate this team based off what he saw in Dallas, and modify the 2011 championship core of Jason Kidd–Jason Terry–Dirk Nowitzki (Lillard, Batum, and Aldridge, respectively), the Blazers have more than enough skeleton for their squad.

Which means:

Much is spoken on how the NBA’s system favors tanking. But teams are finding creative ways to rebuild without having to ride the lottery hoping for a once-in-a-generation talent. The Blazers are well on their way to rebuilding (only 7 months after blowing their team up), without having to seriously tank.

They were only 8 games out of the playoffs last year, and while this year might be a bit sore, Blazers fans should be optimistic. They managed a sizable reformation in the quietest way possible, and they did it with a vacant GM seat for over a year. Looking at what Neil Olshey created with the Clippers, it will be interesting to see how he fleshes out their roster.

Another franchise attempting a “soft rebuild” is the Utah Jazz, a team that has really reached a crossroads. Swapping Devin Harris for Mo Williams isn’t exactly a game-changer (it’s never a good idea to start a third-string PG from the Clippers), and Raja Bell is as good as gone. They need guard help badly, and the big man logjam finally must give. If the team still cannot decide whether they trust Enes Kanter or Derrick Favors, they need to move them sooner, rather than later. By all accounts, Kanter has an ego, and will not like playing second fiddle to Al Jefferson; but Jefferson’s much too good to move.

DR: If we are going to make a Mavs comparison when it comes to the Blazers, I feel that Batum represents more of a Shawn Marion role. Only his scoring responsibilities will be somewhat equivalent to Marionon the Suns.

As for the Jazz, they have a wealth of big men and they seem to be happy about it. I don’t think it’s a question about if they are willing to move Jefferson, but rather they could lose Paul Millsap. That would truly be a blow to this organization but as you pointed out they have Kanter and Favors.

Last season, Kanter was essentially a non factor. His skills around the rim were unpolished, to be kind, and played mostly during garbage time. So far in the preseason he has been drawing double-teams and averaging a team high 12 points per game. The jazz seem content to run out a platoon rotation in the post which should help later in the season as it allows their stars (Jefferson and Millsap) to rest. Kanter and Favors should garner around 20 minutes a night.

Mo Williams is a completely serviceable point guard. I doubt he can return to the form he showcased in Milwaukee, but he still has the ability to run an offense effectively while also scoring the ball. Like Memphis, Utah runs a lot of post plays but Williams’ outside shooting and ability to dish the ball should open up the floor creating opportunities for shooters like Alec Burks, Randy Foye, Gordon Hayward, and Marvin Williams.

Hayward will be key for the Jazz. He is quietly becoming a good perimeter defender and has gained a considerable amount of muscle since coming into the league. Tyrone Corbin has molded Hayward into a hardnosed, physical defender. It would not surprise me if he was at least discussed as a possible DPOY if his improvement continues. He won’t win, but he making the discussion is always a plus.

TH: I’m not saying that their big man platoon isn’t a bad idea. It’s a great thing to have through an 82-game season. However, both Kanter and Favors are starting-caliber players in the NBA right now. Favors is nearing the end of his rookie contract, a solid producer with room to grow (and a team option for next season). Aside from the solid production at a low price tag, these players are highly desirable for contending teams for many reasons. Kanter is a skilled big body who plays a thin position.

Would the suddenly broke Sam Presti really contemplate letting James Harden go in order to free up cap space? Probably not, but that is not a bad rumor to float.

I can only think of three NBA teams who wouldn’t listen to offers on Kanter, because they are seriously the only NBA teams without concerns in the middle. The Lakers have Dwight now; the 76ers are going to see where Bynum goes as a leader. I had to throw in the Raptors, because, well, they’re in a similar situation as the Jazz; the arrival of Jonas Valanciunas has made Bargnani more than expendable.

You’re also right about Mo Williams: He is a completely serviceable point guard. But with their lineup, the Jazz are one torn ligament away from Jamaal Tinsley and Earl Watson bringing the ball up the floor. The Jazz are lacking roster balance, and their contingency plan is Alec Burks.

DR: My love of the bad boy Pacers has always endeared me to Tinsley and Watson filled in well when Devin Harris was hurt last year. It could be worse for the Jazz.

One team with high hopes for the season is already bemoaning their star being out with injury. As I mentioned above, Kevin Love will miss at least the first month of the season with a broken hand resulting from the oh-so-cool-bro knuckle pushups. Luckily, the Timberwolves have reloaded their roster.

They brought in Brandon Roy, fresh from retirement, bad knees and all and added Andrei Kirilenko and Alexey Shved from Russia. Nikola Pekovic also hails from Russia and is one of the better centers in the league. Despite the number of white guys on this team, the Timberwolves are primed to make the playoffs. Hell, their guard rotation alone is enough to get them there and they are stacked beyond that. Once Love returns they could be dangerous in the West.

It will be interesting to see how Derrick Williams fits into the rotation. He seems to be the odd man out this year despite being drafted so highly two years ago.

TH: With Love out until December, this Timberwolves squad is left without its two young stars in Love and Ricky Rubio. How the team fares without them will be a good litmus test to see how the rest of the rotation fits. But this is also a team that, like you mentioned, added Roy, who’s never been afraid to put his team on his back. These injuries will strengthen the Wolves, and I anticipate one of their wings picking up the scoring slack. There are many questions as to just exactly who will rise, but their depth chart, from 1 to 3 is loaded with talent. J.J. Barea is only one year removed from being an unstoppable blur for the Mavs, and he’s still buried behind Rubio and Luke Ridnour. Shved’s a monster, and should have a fairly easy transition to the NBA with Kirilenko beside him.

And all that is forgetting Chase Budinger, who will be able to fit in much the same way that Wilson Chandler has in Denver, slashing and providing decent outside shooting (believe it or not, he posted a 40% 3-point percentage last season) for the second unit. The whitest of white dudes in the NBA these days, Budinger is often overlooked, but his time spent with Rick Adelman in Houston will give him an early chance to prove himself. He’s dangerous when left in the corner, and when Love and Rubio return, it will be key for them to utilize their passing abilities and wing talent.

Injuries or not, this team is going to be fast and fun, with a healthy amount of competition amongst players vying for minutes. The coaching change should help us to see a bit more specialization of players, as well as championship experience.

Oh, and they got rid of Michael Beasley. Thumbs up on that one.

A Conversation about the Western Conference Playoffs

Maybe next year, Ricky

Doyle Rader and Travis Huse discuss the basketball world, namely the Western Conference playoff picture (We can’t think of a creative name for these segments. Help us out.):

DR: I wrote briefly on the race to get into the playoffs and how cluttered it is yesterday with the knowledge that it wouldn’t be relevant today. It isn’t. In fact, it was smashed to pieces (not really). Right now, though, the West is stacked up from the sixth through tenth seeds and there will be a lot of position jockeying over the next week and a half to see who will actually make it into the postseason. Even the third through fifth seeds aren’t set in stone and the Spurs could win the Western Conference outright. It’s cray, essentially. Tonight the Rockets and Nuggets face off once again as both teams fight to keep their playoff chances alive. Last night Denver came out in the second half and ran rough shot all over Houston, getting out in transition for easy buckets. Corey Brewer, Arron Afflalo, and Ty Lawson were seemingly everywhere. It was an impressive win. If they can do it again tonight, Houston’s chances at making the playoffs will certainly begin to dwindle. How do you feel the West could pan out?

TH: I actually envision the conference standing pat from here until the playoffs, unless a team tanks for better positioning, like the Grizzlies did last year.  The Jazz have been playing fantastically as of late, but they’re still a game and a half behind Houston, and frankly, there’s no way that the Suns manage to squeeze in.  If there is any movement at all, I feel it’ll be upward movement from either the Mavs or the Spurs.  Dallas has been playing much better since the departure of Lamar Odom, which goes to show exactly how poisonous he was to that locker room; in fact, it seems as if the team has been brought together by kicking him out.  So there’s a distinct possibility they can overtake Memphis, in my mind.

In a typical year, San Antonio would be heavily resting their stars, so a few losses this week and next wouldn’t be surprising.  But with the increased workload Tiago Splitter‘s been able to handle, as well as the addition of Boris Diaw, Tim Duncan‘s been kept to 28.4 minutes a game.  Talk about cray.  Gregg Popovich is now in a situation where he might actually increase the minutes for Duncan and Manu Ginobili, to prepare for their roles in the playoffs.  For entertainment’s sake, I really, really, REALLY hope the postseason matchups stay as they are, though.  Clips-Grizz would be one of the most exciting, physical series of all time.  Blake Griffin can dunk over anyone, but if anyone can contain them, the Memphis bigs could.  Posters galore.  Lakers-Mavs would be a wonderful rematch of last year’s stomping, but a Bynum-Haywood matchup could be problematic for Dallas.  Spurs-Nuggets could be a highlight of the importance of depth, with each team being able to run 3 full squads at an opponent.  The 7-game format would be a dream for those interested in NBA coaching tactics, and George Karl against Pop is as close to the best as we can get in the first round.  The 8th seed is going to get reamed, though.  No question.

DR: Yeah, the fate of whoever lands in 8th has had their fate sealed. I hope Utah can sneak in there, though. The Jazz won their last meeting with the Thunder so that gives me the slightest bit of hope that if they make it to the playoffs they won’t be swept. Tyrone Corbin has done a fantastic job with Utah and should be rewarded with a playoff berth.

As for Memphis, doom and gloom is in the air as they head into the postseason. Marc Gasol hyper extended his left knee on Sunday and the entire city of Memphis is holding its collective breath. He will have an MRI today to determine the severity of the injury. For the sake of Memphis, who I see as a “dark horse” (what a cliché term) in the playoffs, I hope he is going to be able to come back quickly.

TH: Derrick Favors! I still love that kid, but he needs a role with a different team, or they need to get a guard out of one of their bigs.  The Jazz will rocket right back into the playoffs in the next season or two, their front office is too smart.  Which team missing out on the playoffs this season do you think will make it next year?

DR: I honestly feel like it’s the Blazers. They have been a steady playoff team over recent years but they blew it up this year. They are rebuilding and if they can get one or two solid players around LaMarcus Aldridge I don’t see any reason why they should miss out on the playoff party next season.

Also, the Timberwolves are right there. When Ricky Rubio went down you could hear that team’s balloon burst. Everything changed. Their defense collapsed, their offense grew stale. Nothing was working right for them except for Kevin Love. He’s the man. If the NBA had an NIT, these two teams would be a lock for it.

TH: See, I’ve got two possibilities, and they hinge on one signing.  If Steve Nash stays in Phoenix, it will signify some roster moves to improve the team.  Therefore, they’ll be able to make the playoffs.  If they don’t, Nash is gone and they’ll be looking at a major rebuilding.  Which, to be fairly honest, might be the best thing long term for the Suns.  In this very-likely scenario, I like the idea of the Timberwolves next year.  That roster is filled to the brim with underrated talent, and Rick Adelman’s already done wonders.  It’s the funniest goddamned thing that David Kahn actually set up a pretty complete basketball team.  Imagine if we’d told ourselves in 2009 (or 2010, or 2011) that it could all fit together.

DR: Well, the Wolves still have their issues. Michael Beasley still has yet to find a defined role on the team and it looks as though he isn’t even going to get a qualifying offer from Minnesota, so he will be playing elsewhere next season, and Adelman just doesn’t seem to like Darko Milicic. What will be interesting to see is how much Nikola Pekovic can improve his game during the offseason and whether Martell Webster will get a haircut. Above all else, they need to stay healthy. Rubio, Love, Barea, Beasley, Luke Ridnour, Darko, and Pekovic all missed serious time this season. No matter how well the team is playing at any given point, injuries are a team’s death knell.

Maybe David Kahn is craftier than we all thought, or maybe he just got lucky. I’m going with the latter.

As for the Suns, BLOW IT UP.

NBA Lockout Day 9: Beef Stew

The stew is served

Nine days into the lockout and a big heaping bowl of Beef Stew will cure what ails you. Now, if only the teams and players would take a helping from the Crock pot we would all be in better shape. Oh well, on with the Stew…

Yao Calling it Quits

As the space shuttle Atlantis lifted off on Friday morning it ushered in a new era in NASA’s history as it will be the last mission flown by the shuttle. Mission control in Houston, as it has done many times before, took over control from the Kennedy Space Center as the shuttle and its rockets climbed into the sky. It was a bittersweet moment as the future of American space travel now has questions surrounding it. On the same day, though not as grand in its scope as human exploration beyond Earth, the city of Houston was met with more bittersweet news.

Yao Ming, the seven-foot six-inch center for the Houston Rockets announced that he planned to retire. The Rockets spend a small fortune acquiring the rights to Yao from the Chinese government and selected him with the number one overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft.

His career will be noted for moments of greatness mixed with nagging injuries that limited and eventually sidelined his career. Yao is one of only two players over seven feet tall to have averaged 20 points and ten rebounds for a season. The other is Shaquille O’Neal, who also retired this summer.

Here at the Beef we were never avid supporters of Yao as we have taken the stance that the breed of player which he was is a dead position in the league. However, his contributions cannot be dismissed. With Yao came the global marketing of the NBA. Yes, there were foreign players before him but none of them had the appeal and marketability that he had. He is responsible for the boom in popularity the league has seen in China over recent years. If it was not for Yao would NBA players regularly sign with Chinese clubs as their NBA careers are dwindling? Would there be talk of a barnstorming tour of China if the lockout persists? No. Yao opened the doors and the NBA is better for it.

Turkey on Rye

With Deron Williams planning to suit-up for Besiktas, Allen Iverson‘s former team, the interest in Turkey has never been stronger especially after the team announced that it would pursue Kobe Bryant as well. There is just one problem though, how does a lower tier Euroleague team have the sway, and by sway I mean money, to lure NBA talent to play for them? Williams’ one-year deal is said to be worth $5 million. However, the team has not released any numbers in terms of compensation. In Williams’ case, Besiktas’ coach Ergin Ataman said that the team’s president, Yildirim Demiroren, would find a sponsor to provide his salary.

When and if Williams touches down in Turkey he will likely not be the only NBA player on his team. Zaza Pachulia, of the Atlanta Hawks, has also structured a deal to play with Besiktas is the lockout cuts into the NBA season. It is always nice to see a friendly face in a foreign country.

Sonny Boy

Sonny Weems was one of the first players to show interest and then actually sign a contract to play overseas when the lockout started. However, it was not announced where he would sign although he already had a one year contract that did not have an opt-out clause. Now we know where he will play. Weems will play in Lithuania next season for Zalgiris Kaunas, the same team that Omar Samhan plays for.

Are they News Worthy?

While players around the league seem to be leaping at the opportunity to play overseas, one player has a different stance. Jonas Jerebko of the Detroit Pistons, though being a Swedish national, has no intentions of pursuing playing time in Europe or elsewhere. He wants to remain in the NBA. Detroit has offered him a qualifying offer of $1 million and will be able to match any offer he receives from other teams, when the lockout is over, as he is a free agent.

Where as Jerebko wishes to remain in the NBA, his teammate DaJuan Summers had different plans. Summers inked a two-year deal to play in Italy when the Pistons did not extend a qualifying offer to him earlier this summer.

Another player looking to play overseas is Adam Morrison. Yes, the same Adam Morrison who was drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats and eventually wore a suit on route to a ring with the Lakers. He did not play in the NBA last season and is looking to take his career elsewhere. Morrison may not have to look across oceans for playing time, however.

Canada’s newest basketball league, the National Basketball League of Canada, is looking to attracted minimum level salary NBA players to join their ranks during the lockout. Chances are this would be appealing to some current NBA players who are currently weighing their options and are not excited about the possibility of playing outside of North America. One has to imagine that the choice to play in Canada would be relatively safe as well, unless they somehow gain the following of the Vancouver Canucks and fail their fanbase horribly.

Can’t do no Wrong

After making it official that Frank Vogel would be the team’s full-time head coach, the Indiana Pacers have hired former Portland trail Blazers’ general manager Kevin Pritchard. He has been brought in a director of player personnel. Pritchard’s duties will include that of scouting and helping the team make decisions in free agency, whenever it eventually takes place. He is best known for turning around the franchise in Portland which was struggling after its “Jailblazer” days in the early part of the millenium.

While most teams have been relatively quiet during the lockout and watching their players sign contracts to play overseas, the Pacers have been making all the right moves to better themselves as an organization. This is a team on the rise in the league and it would not be surprising if they are mentioned as an elite team in the Eastern Conference in the coming years as their personnel and front office decisions have been on-point thus far this summer.

Danny Crawford to Ref Game 2 of Mavericks vs. Blazers

Awesome!

When it comes to the Dallas Mavericks, referee Danny Crawford is as fair and balanced as Fox News. Over the years, Crawford has caught the ire of the Mavericks and their fans for good reason. It seems that Crawford is just a tad biased when it comes to calling playoff games that feature Dallas. Well, only if you believe in math and facts and whatnot. Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas ran the numbers:

The Mavs have a 2-16 record in playoff games officiated by Crawford, including 16 losses in the last 17 games. Dallas is 48-41 in the rest of their playoff games during the ownership tenure of Mark Cuban, who has been fined millions of dollars in the last 11 years for publicly complaining about officiating.

“Not saying a word,” Cuban wrote in an email when asked to comment on the Mavs’ playoff history with Crawford.

An NBA spokesman did not immediately reply to an email requesting comment about whether the league has reviewed the Mavericks playoff games officiated by Crawford or considered not using him in a Dallas series due to a record that is at least a statistical outlier.

Dallas has a six-game playoff losing streak in games officiated by Crawford, which began with Game 3 of the 2006 NBA Finals, when the Miami Heat rallied from a 13-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter. Crawford also worked Game 6 of those Finals, when the Heat won their fourth consecutive game to claim the championship. The Heat had a 71-49 advantage in free throws in those two games.

The Mavs have been called for 2.3 fouls per game more than their opponents in playoff games officiated by Crawford, compared to a nearly even foul differential in their other playoff games since 2001. Dallas has averaged 6.8 fewer free throws than their opponents in playoff games Crawford has worked. Opponents have an edge in free throw differential in the rest of the Mavs’ playoff games, but it’s only by a little more than one attempt per game.

It is clear to see that all the complaining that Portland Trail Blazer’s Head Coach Nate McMillan did after game one reached the highest levels of the NBA. Emperor Stern is sending in the right man to appease the folks from Portland. Congratulation, Nate, bitching and whining still works in the NBA. Even better, McMillan will not even have work over Crawford on the sidelines. The calls will already be there.

It is simply astounding that a professional sports league that values credibility continues to place questionable referee’s on the league’s largest stage. After the Tim Donaghy scandal rocked the league and he exposed how broken and biased the officiating was the NBA should have taken action to prevent in future situation where overt bias plays a role. Instead, the league and Stern, turned the other way, assured the fans that it was merely one individual to blame for the whole mess and that the system is not flawed let alone broken. Teams, players, coaches, and fans complain about officiating regularly. It is their right to voice discontent. The voices seem to be growing louder within the ranks of the NBA. They are met with fines to scare them into submission. Covering up or ignoring a problem instead of fix it always works out well in the end, right?

Numbers do not lie and the numbers that accompany Crawford and the Mavericks are compelling. So compelling in fact that they must have blinded the league. Until Stern and the league fix their problems with officiating and actually take quality and credibility seriously, they will continue to be met with harsh criticism. Stern can only fine those in the league, everyone else gets a free pass. Use it. We all want a better product on the court in terms of the referees. We do not want to see phantom calls ever again. The league must change but it is clear, with Crawford being featured in game two, that it simply refuses to do so.

Western Conference Playoff Predictions: Mavs vs. Trail Blazers

Clash of the titans.

Two of the deepest teams in the NBA will square off in what could prove to be a very emotional series.

3. Dallas Mavericks vs. 6. Portland Trail Blazers

Essentially, this is the matchup that neither team really wants.  Dallas has not beaten Portland since January when things weren’t exactly clicking for the Mavs.  Dirk Nowitzki and Caron Butler were out with injuries and it was one of Dallas’ two wins in 11 games without the big German.  The series was split with both teams winning at their respective homes by the Mavs winning the first two at the AAC and the Blazers finishing it up at the Rose Garden.

The last time the two met was in Portland on April 3 amidst another Maverick’s skid that seemed to define their second half of the season.  Dallas appeared sluggish in what both teams knew but would not admit was priming for the post season.  Both sat at their respective positions in the West at the time but told the media that they were not looking too far into the future.

Portland’s previous win over Dallas was March 15 after the Mavs hosted a loss to the Lakers.  Suffice to say, the Blazers haven’t beaten Dallas in a game when the Mavs were heading full steam ahead.

Marquee Matchup:

LaMarcus Aldridge vs. Dirk Nowitzki

Aldridge has come out of his shell and made a strong case for most improved player this season.  Additionally, he has shown that this is his team as Brandon Roy has settled into a lesser role coming off the bench.  All this does is further increase the depth that Nate McMillan has to work with.  Aldridge has the ability to score really well without a three-point shot at all.  In fact, this native of Dallas has not shot a three all season.  This is especially scary since he’s scored 30 points or more 12 times this season including 40 points against San Antonio on February 1.

Nowitzki is one of the greatest seven-foot shooters of all time.  He can score from essentially everywhere on the court and has developed some better post moves this season.  That is not why Portland should fear him.  This face of an ailing franchise knows that the clock is ticking for both his career and team.  It’s been nothing but disappointment for this All Star and he knows that it’s now or never for the Mavericks.  They proved earlier this season that they can handle the best teams in the league but they slipped.  His injury took the Mavs WAY off course and he knows that it’s going to be up to him to make a successful playoff run for Dallas.

X Factors:

It’s not what he can do to help the Mavs but rather what he can do to hurt them.  All eyes will be on Jason Terry who has been experiencing a bit of frustration on the court as of late.  This sixth man’s hot head could lead to technical fouls, expulsions and even suspensions if it gets out of control.  We saw him punch Michael Finley in the 2006 playoffs and that didn’t help the Mavs out at all.  It’s up to him to turn his frustration into a healthy aggression on the floor that wont lead to fists flying.

Andre Miller had the best game of his career on January 30, 2010 when he lit the Mavericks up with 52 points.  In the first round of last year’s playoffs, he started the series off with a 31-point performance against the Suns.  He can score and run the floor with ease.  The veteran will be key in making sure all of the pieces in Portland fit.  They have a vast array of players of all sizes to throw out on the court including Gerald Wallace and Marcus Camby who are two of the most diverse big men in the league.  If Andre has a good series, the Trail Blazers will be seeing the second round.

Predictions:

Portland will win the series in six games.  Dallas will experience another first-round loss to a lesser seed and no one will be surprised.  There are just too many role players on the Blazers for the Mavericks to handle.  They have the luxury of utilizing Roy as a second option, Aldridge is too hot right now, Miller loves to light up the Mavs, Wesley Matthews is not getting talked about at all, Nicolas Batum can defend and Rudy Fernandez is a prick.  Up front, Tyson Chandler and Brendan Haywood vs. Camby and Wallace will be a good matchup and possibly the best of the series but it wont be enough to sway either team in the right direction.  It’s going to come down to the play of the backcourt.  The Mavs have the spirit but the Blazers have the talent.

Southwest Turning Sour

Some ugly moments from the Southwest Division's season.

The mighty Southwest Division looked like the powerhouse group of teams going into the All-Star Break but a bit of wind has been knocked out of the division since.

Dallas, New Orleans and San Antonio were the teams to beat with impressive win streaks and records against the NBA’s elite teams.  Now, it’s looking like the trio is falling into the playoffs rather than rushing in full steam ahead.

Together they amassed a 51-34 record against teams set to make the post season in both conferences before the All Star Game.  The Spurs built the best record in the league.  Dallas could beat anyone in the NBA and New Orleans had experienced two of this season’s best winning streaks.

Things were going well in the South but things have changed in the last few weeks.

New Orleans has fallen to seventh in the West and is set to square off against the hot Lakers in the opening round of the playoffs. Defense is still their game but no offense has marred their play since they have fallen to 27^th in the league in scoring with only 95 points a night.  They have only scored 100 points or more five times since the break and are 6-20 this season when their opponents score 100 or more.

Ouch.

Essentially, it’s a case of too little depth down in the big easy, which is a problem that can infect every aspect of a team’s play.  Their bench is ranked 19th in the league with only 16 minutes of play a night and are only putting up 28 points a game (17^th in the league).

It doesn’t help that David West tore his ACL against the Jazz on March 24^th.  He was the leading scorer for the Hornets at the time and that’s not saying a lot.  It’s really been a case of Monty Williams opting to start a more defensive lineup there in New Orleans but regardless of what your system is, you need scorers.

Chris Paul is averaging fewer minutes per game than most of his previous seasons but they really lost a lot when Darren Collison left for Indiana and when they shipped Marcus Thornton to Sacramento.

Jarrett Jack is the only other point guard on the squad but to call that depth is a serious overstatement since the rest of the guard core is garbage (Marco Belinelli and Willie Green).

Now, it appears that Paul has tweaked something in his knee and hopefully it won’t turn out to be something serious.

Luckily, Carl Landry is finding his place in NO.  He started his time there scoring in the single digits against some of the NBA’s elite teams but is starting to get comfortable in the offense.

Trevor Ariza is having a very forgettable season in his first year playing for the Hornets.  He has only scored 20 or more points once this season and that was a mere 21 against the Knicks back on December 3^rd (they lost that game).  Call him adjusting or  just call him an overrated player.  Whatever he is, he isn’t helping New Orleans win with his offensive game.

They started the season off 8-0 and on top of every pundit’s power rankings.  Since, they have essentially fallen off the face of the Earth outside of a few impressive stretches.  Don’t expect them to cause an upset in the first round.

They are set to face off against the Lakers who are on fire right now and it’s mainly due to the heightened play of their big men.  Andrew Bynum looks confident and Lamar Odom is providing increased depth for the defending champions.  Emeka Okafor and the rest of the frontcourt will have their hands full defending the big guys in LA.

Let’s move to San Antonio who has the best record in the NBA at 58-19.  Regardless, they have won one of their last seven games.  That just so happened to come against the struggling Suns on Sunday where they entered a must-win situation having lost their previous six.

Yes, Tim Duncan did go down with an ankle sprain and the Spurs were due for their annual injury.  They really lucked out when Tony Parker missed two games instead of two weeks at the beginning of March but their luck really ran out when they lost the four games that Duncan missed and the first two he returned for.

However, Duncan is getting old and it shows.  He is playing fewer minutes than ever before in his career and the season has dragged on for him.   He has only been the top scorer for them once this season and that was only 21 against the Thunder on New Years Day.  This new run and gun San Antonio team has incorporated the big guy well but it’s obvious that they are moving in a different direction that can sometimes leave the NBA veteran huffing and puffing up the court.

It’s interesting to see a team such as the Spurs change the way they play in such a short amount of time and it’s fared well for them so far.  Regardless, it has been shown that this style of play really doesn’t work for an 82 game season and playoffs.  Just look at the team they ended their losing streak against.

The Phoenix Suns faded every season under Mike D’antoni and that was with a team that was in much better shape.  Amar’e Stoudemire and Steve Nash were in their prime.  They had good depth with Leandro Barbosa, Boris Diaw and Shawn Marion as well.

The Spurs have the depth with Richard Jefferson finally finding his stroke, DeJaun Blair getting more comfortable and George Hill developing into a well-rounded scorer.  They are known for building and even rebuilding quickly down there in San Antonio but this one may be too soon.

If the playoffs started today, they would be matched up against Memphis that is experiencing a resurgence of their own.  They split their four games against the Spurs this season by losing the first two in San Antonio before winning the rest at home.

Surprisingly, they are playing very well without their lead man Rudy Gay and it’s mainly due to the heightened play of Zach Randolph and Tony Allen.  Shane Battier’s return to the Grizzlies is helping out a lot as well.

We aren’t saying that the Spurs are going to lose in the first round but the Griz will give them a good run that will further wear them down.  The second round wont be easy at all with possible matchups against the hot Lakers and a Mavericks team that might develop a strong taste for blood.

Additionally, there is a slight chance that they will loose that No. 1 seed to the Lakers that are only two and half games behind them.  The Spurs still have to play the Hawks at home, the Lakers in LA and even face the Suns in Phoenix.  Things could get interesting for this perennial playoff contender.

Next, we have the Mavs.

They look bombed out and depleted.

Injuries have plagued the boys from Dallas and that’s the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.  Caron Butler was looking to have a full season in Mavs to really contribute on a contending team.  Tough luck when he tore his patella tendon against the Bucks on New Years Day.

It was very untimely since Dirk Nowitzki was already missing games at the time with a sprained knee that he suffered against the Thunder on December 27^th.  They lost seven of the nine games he missed and the Mavs lost a key opportunity to catch up with the Spurs by losing to them twice in that time span.  They began the All-Star break without the same determination and energy they had entering the season.

Since, they are 3-7 against teams set to make the playoffs and all of those loses are against teams set to make it in the West.  The Mavs have slipped to the third spot in the conference and they look tired as head coach Rick Carlisle is trying his hardest to get them pumped up.

It isn’t working.

Jason Kidd is looking older and older as his minutes are staying in the 30s per game.  He went 0 for 10 in their last two games from beyond the arc and just can’t keep up at times.  The team has even opted to rest him as much as two of their remaining five games.

Jason Terry is set to play in all 82 games this season but even he is beginning to fade.  His fourth quarter game has slumped and his frustration sparked last week when the Lakers completely embarrassed the Mavs.  A fourth quarter shove by Terry against LA’s Steve Blake attracted a bit of unwanted attention from both Matt Barnes and the media in general.  Since, Dallas has been called soft, a term that shouldn’t be new to anyone on the team.

Even Tyson Chandler himself admitted that the Mavericks were a team that could easily be pushed around and he knows it from his days as a Hornet.  All the fight did was draw criticism and ignite the feud between Dallas and LA, which could carry on into the playoffs if the Mavs even make it to the second round

Right now, they are poised to start the playoffs againstthe Trail Blazers.  An unlikely hero has emerged in Portland with LaMarcus Aldridge making a strong case for most improved player.  He’s averaging 27 points against Dallas this season and we don’t expect that to let up once the playoffs begin.

Dallas will have their hands full against a surprisingly deep Portland squad.  Outside of Aldridge, they will have to game plan against Nate McMillan’s myriad of options.  Wesley Matthews and Andre Miller form a dynamic duo in the backcourt while Marcus Camby and Gerald Wallace offer their own set of problems up front.

Every player on the Mavs will have their hands full come playoffs and their wont be any room to be tired.

Butler has stated that he will be ready for the playoffs but we need not look any further than Portland to see how players with injured knees do once the postseason begins.

Brandon Roy underwent surgery on his right meniscus after he tore it towards the end of the regular season last year.  He returned to Portland’s lineup for game four against the Suns in the first round but was essentially ineffective as Phoenix won the series 4-2.

With Butler, he is returning to a team that has changed a lot since his departure.  His minutes have been shared amongst Peja Stojakovic, Rodrigue Beaubois and Marion.  It might take more time than is available for him to find his place back in the Mavs’ offense.

Eastern teams should be wary of the ides of March

Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils, Shrunk to this little measure?

The ides of March is upon us and there are several NBA teams that have reason to beware, especially when it concerns their playoff fate. Teams around the league are beginning to lock up playoff spots, the East already has three such teams (Boston, Chicago, Miami) because it is still the weaker of the two conferences. Out West on San Antonio has secured a playoff bid as of March 15. These teams need not worry about their post season appearances. The ides of March did not only have serious connotations for Julius Caesar, it also marks just less than a month of the regular season left to play and when teams either rise or get murdered in a coup on the floor of the theater of Pompey. Towards the bottom of the standings is where we find the teams who are looking over their shoulders almost constantly. They hope to not be the ones to utter the words, “et tu playoffs? Then fall, (insert team name here)!”

In the Eastern Conference the jockeying for the final few playoff seeds has been taking a rather disastrous turn for all teams involved of late. The Philadelphia 76ers likely will not drop from their seventh seed anytime soon but their play of late has been marred by unenthusiastic and disinterested displays on the court which has led Doug Collins to use the word terrible when describing his team’s efforts. The Sixers have lost two in a row in stylish blowout and near blowout form (they were down 15 in the fourth quarter to the Jazz) after upsetting the coasting Celtics.

While the Sixers look to lockup the seventh seed, the eighth seed remains wide open. The Indiana Pacers, Charlotte Bobcats, and Milwaukee Bucks are all vying to creep into the playoffs but none of them are by any means as constant as the northern star.

Indiana currently holds a slight advantage over Charlotte for the eighth seed despite the two team’s identical 28-38 records. This is thanks to having defeated the Bobcats all three times the teams have met this season. However, Indiana is currently on a skid which has allowed Charlotte and Milwaukee to think themselves worthy of a playoff bid. The Pacers have only won two of their last ten games, six of their last ten were on the road, and during that span the team has shot only 42.6 percent from the floor while giving up an average of 105.8 points. Indiana’s average total per game during this slump has been 97.2 points. This is not a recipe for success, especially when they only played two top-tier teams over their last ten, both road games, in Oklahoma City and Dallas.

The Pacers’ schedule is not laced with tough teams for the remainder of the season, however, they must face the New York Knickerbockers twice, the Celtics twice, and the Bulls, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Hornets, and Orlando Magic before the regular season draws to a close. Also in that span they must play the Bobcats and Bucks which may turn out to be Indiana’s most important games if they hope to stave off their immediate competition.

Since paul Silas took over for Larry Brown in Charlotte, the Bobcats have gone 19-19. This is a major reason for them being within reach of the playoffs. Over their last ten games they have gone 4-6, with all six of their losses coming in a row. All but one of those losses were at the hands of playoff bound teams. Against the Magic, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, and Bulls the Bobcats mustered an average of 80.6 points on approximately 41 percent shooting while surrendering 101.2 points per game in those five losses and allowing their opponent to shoot 48.9 percent. With numbers like these, Michael Jordan needs to decide if watching his team be swept in the first round is even worth it. This is a team that is primed and ready to be blown up this summer.

What more is there to say about the Bucks after that pathetic performance against the Celitcs where they only scored 56 points. Clearly, the ides of March arrived slightly early for the Bucks. If Milwaukee, and their anemic scoring,  somehow makes its way into the playoffs, both the Pacers and Bobcats should spend next season in the D-League to reflect upon the embarrassment that they brought on the league.

It says a lot about the Eastern Conference that, statistically, the Cleveland Cavaliers are not yet out of the playoff chase. Statistically they could still mike it while in the West both the Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings are out. Now, realistically, the Cavs have no shot at making the playoffs but that should serve to temper the comments that the East is now the dominant conference.

The Western Conference is slightly more complicated, however, the teams currently sitting in the lower playoff spots may be the ones that ultimately make the playoffs. Right now, only four and half games separate the sixth seed and the eleventh seed and each of these teams (New Orleans, Portland, Memphis,  Utah, Phoenix, and Houston) has a record of .500 or better. On top of that, each has won at least five of their last ten games as they know that not just making the playoffs, but playoff seeding is on the line.

Lower seeded Western Conference teams will likely fair somewhat better in the first round of the playoffs as opposed to their counterparts in the East. This is simply because the distribution of talent is not as top-heavy as it is in the Eastern Conference. This is why there has been a better likelihood of an upset in the West over the past several years.

The bottom tier of the Eastern Conference playoff picture has a long way to go if it is to ever become relevant. Teams slipping into the playoffs with a sub-.500 record bring nothing to the table. Sure there are some decent to good players on these teams but in a division that holds the Nets, Raptors, and Cavaliers there is no reason not to find a couple more wins during the season. Outside of the top four teams in the East, there is nothing but teams asking for handouts in the forms of wins. None will see the light of the second round. When beggars die, there are no comets seen.

The NBA Trade Deadline was anything but Dead

Next time you see Perk in the club he will be doing the Thunder Clap

I was away from a computer and Twitter during the final one and a half to two hours before the trade deadline of 2 PM Central Time. When I was finally reconnected with the world of nonstop communication and media my partner here at the Beef sent me this text message, “Bunch of nuts trades went down.” I quickly scrambled to refresh my timeline only to be completely shocked. He was not kidding.

The rundown:

Boston and Oklahoma City

The Boston Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder have orchestrated a deal that sends center Kendrick Perkins to the Thunder along with Nate Robinson in exchange for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic.

This season, Perkins has struggled with injury missing much of the season coming off surgery to his right knee. He has only played in 12 games thus far and is expected to be out for a week again with a sprain in the medial collateral ligament in his left knee. Nonetheless, Oklahoma City got the big man they have been craving since they were ousted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs last season.

Currently, the Thunder sit just two and a half games behind the Lakers, who are in third, in the Western Conference standings. This move is clearly a shot at the defending champs who were quiet as the deadline passed. Now the Thunder have a big man who can and has matched up well against the Lakers should the two teams meet again in the playoffs.

On the Celtics end, the trade means that the team has given up all hope of ever beating the Lakers again. Doc Rivers has always said that the Lakers can never beat his starting five when they are all healthy. Now, they have traded away the key member of the starting five that allowed Rivers to make those claims in the first place.

Jeff Green is having his second best scoring season of his short career. His numbers are bound to slip upon his return to Boston, the Celtics drafted him, as he will be placed in a bench role instead of being a starter. However, with it becoming more apparent that Marquis Daniels will likely miss the rest of the season, it was important for Boston to add another reserve perimeter player to their lineup as they coast into the playoffs.

As presently constructed the Celtics’ center rotation looks like a grab bag of hobbled old pieces from formerly great teams that made the NBA Finals in the early 2000s…because it is. Shaquille O’Neal, Jermaine O’Neal, and Krstic are all liabilities. Boston clearly must have realized that Miami has a terrible center rotation so they could trade their one good piece away and still compete in the East.

Oklahoma City and Charlotte

The Thunder also made another move to bolster their frontcourt depth before the trade deadline. In a trade with the Charlotte Bobcats, the Thunder acquired Nazr Mohammed in exchange for Morris Peterson and D.J. White (we do not know who he is either).

Charlotte and Portland

In another cost cutting measure from Michael Jordan, the Bobcats have traded versatile defender Gerald Wallace to the Portland Trail Blazers. In return the Bobcats will receive two first round draft picks. Hopefully, Jordan will not squander these draft picks as he has in the past.

Initially, Charlotte had been making a push to acquire Nicolas Batum as part of this trade but the Blazers insisted that he was not on the table at anytime during negotiations. Instead, the team settled for Joel Przybilla and Dante Cunningham (no relation to Richie).

The acquisition of Wallace gives the Blazers a lockdown wing and post defender capable of guarding and playing multiple positions. However, Wallace does not like playing power forward any longer and prefers to play small forward. Luckily for Portland that should not be an issue as they have a capable, to say the least, power forward in LaMarcus Aldridge.

For now, though, the waiting game begins. It is only a matter of time before the curse of the Blazers digs its claws into Wallace, or rather his knees. No one wants to see it happen but there is just something rotten in the water up there.

Phoenix and Houston

Aaron Brooks has had some issues with the Houston Rockets this season. That is putting it lightly. As a result, he is no longer a member of the Rockets. Houston shipped Brooks to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Goran Dragic and a first round draft pick.

Dragic made a name for himself in last years playoffs but has failed to follow up that success with any kind of consistent production as he is shooting a mere 27.7 percent from behind the arc. Yuck.

Houston and Memphis

Can anyone legitimately explain this trade? I mean seriously. Houston needs size in their frontcourt but generally speaking just having a tall guy there does not really mean a whole lot (see: Shawn Bradley). The Rockets traded the defensive minded Shane Battier for the absent-minded Hasheem Thabeet. Yes, the same Thabeet that was the highest draft pick to ever be sent to the D-League.

Well done Houston, only you could think of pairing Yao Ming and Thabeet on the same team. Well done. General Manager Daryl Morey generally does a good job about acquiring talent for his ball club but this has to be the singular low point in Rockets history. However, not all is lost. Houston will also receive a first round draft pick from the Grizzlies. The Rockets also sent Ishmael Smith (who?) to Memphis in the deal.

As for Memphis, they get a proven defender in the wake of losing Rudy Gay, who will be out for at least another three weeks with a dislocated shoulder. The team is gearing up for a playoff push as they sit in the final playoff seat in the West. A veteran like Battier will likely serve as a key contributor and locker room presence as the team looks to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 season.

Cleveland Cavaliers, Futility is Thy Name

Cleveland does not rock

Last night the woeful Cleveland Cavaliers lost their 22nd consecutive game as the Indiana Pacers came back to win the game after being down five with about three minutes to play. The Cavaliers futility is impressive and the Pacers should have never been in that position. They are fighting for a playoff spot.

Now, the Cavaliers are staring down the barrel of a very undesirable NBA record. The 1997-98 Denver Nuggets and 1995-96 Vancouver Grizzlies are each tied for the record of longest losing streak in a single season with 23 consecutive losses. Cleveland is one loss away from joining those illustrious ranks.

If it was not for a fluke overtime win against the New York Knickerbockers on December 18, 2010, the Cavaliers would have already trumped all futility marks in the NBA record books. They would have piled up 33 consecutive losses had the Knicks and some would-be MVP candidate beat them.

Cleveland’s next game is on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday February 4. When, not if, they lose that game their course of destiny will almost be fullfilled. They will be one loss away from the single season losing mark and the Portland Trail Blazers will have the opportunity to get them over the hump so that they can achieve futility greatness.

But wait, there is another … statistic they can break that is. The funny thing about the stat is that it was set by the Cavaliers in the early 1980s. Over the course of two seasons, spanning from 1981-82 to 1982-83, the Cavaliers set the all- time consecutive loss mark at 24 games. This year’s team could potentially break that mark. On February 7, Cleveland will travel to Dallas to take on the Mavericks. (One half of the Beef will be in attendance.) It will be up to the Mavericks to sink all hopes of the Cavaliers and clear a path to hopelessness and a 25th consecutive loss. That is if the Grizzlies and Trail Blazers hold up their end of the bargain.

That “decision” that some former Cleveland player keeps looking better and better for him. If this is the team he was going to play with this season who can blame him for leaving? People in Cleveland always will I suppose. Great job on assembling a team, Dan Gilbert.

10 Player Report Card

Back on October 14 I listed 10 NBA players to watch this season based on what they had done in the preseason or at the FIBA World Championships as well as my own personal biases towards some of them. Now that the season is a quarter of he way finished there is no better time than to hand out a report card. Not only is it a nice little grading scale for the players but it also serves as somewhat of a referendum of my choices.

Patrick Beverley | Grade: N/A

About ten days after I declared that you, the Beef readers, should pay attention to Beverley, the Miami heat went and cut him to make room for Jerry Stackhouse. Geez, way to throw egg in my eye, Pat Riley. Therefore, Beverley receives no grade at all. He is currently playing in China with the Shanghai Dongfang Sharks, Yao Ming‘s old team.

Darren Collison | Grade: C

Collison’s first real stint as a team’s starting point guard has not gone as smoothly as he or the Indiana Pacers would have hoped. He has already missed three games due to injury which has thrust T.J. Ford, who is ever-present on Indy’s trade block, into a larger role with the team. Collison is averaging just six minutes more per game than Ford but his average stats, outside of his 13.7 points, are not much better than Ford’s numbers. 2.7 rebounds per game for Collison compared to Ford’s 2.5 and 4.4 assists to Ford’s 3.9. Collison also has an assist to turnover ratio of 2/1. Collison needs to improve his non scoring categories if he and the Pacers hope to see a return of the player that filled in for Chris Paul so wonderfully last season.

Dominique Jones | Grade: Incomplete

Jones has appeared in only nine of the Dallas Mavericks’ 20 games thus far. Because of this, his grade is an incomplete. When he does get time on the court his play is marred by turnovers. This is undoubtedly because he likes to get to the rim in traffic when hands come flying in at the ball from all directions. His lack of minutes is also due to the fact that the Mavericks are unbelievably deep this season, especially at shooting guard. Hopefully as the season progresses, Rick Carlisle will find more minutes for this promising rookie. However, for that to happen, Dallas will need to start blowing teams out more frequently instead of playing somewhat tight games.

Linas Kleiza | Grade: D –

The Toronto Raptors are not as bad as we thought they would be this season but Kleiza is far worse than anyone could have imagined after a quarter of the season has passed. He is a shell of the player he was during the FIBA World Championships this summer. So far, Kleiza is averaging 9.6 points and 3.7 rebounds this season in 23 minutes per game. Gross. He is also shooting an appalling 24 percent from deep. What happened to the fit, muscular Kleiza that we saw over the summer? Apparently he left that side of himself in Turkey. Maybe he should tell Allen Iverson where to find it.

Kevin Love | Grade: A +

“Yeah., yeah, yeah … here he goes again lauding the efforts of Kevin Love. We know, you have loved him for some time now and his numbers a ridiculous this year but you really do not need to keep piling on the love.” (That  is what I can assume your thought process is, if you are a regular reader, when you see Love’s name mentioned anywhere on the site.) He had the first 30-30 game since 1982. He has pulled down 15 or more rebounds in a game ten times this season. No other player has done that more than six times. He leads the league in both offensive, defensive, and total rebounding and leads in total rebounding average with 15.3 per game. This is what I wrote about Love when I said that he was a player to watch this season, “Plain and simple: Kevin Love is the best rebounder in the league.” Looks like I was more than right.

Wesley Matthews | Grade: B +

Matthews stepped into the starting lineup when Brandon Roy went down with an early injury for a couple of games. Since that time he has usurped Nicolas Batum in the starting rotation. He now frequently leads the team in scoring. In the seven games that Matthews has started this season he is averaging 20.9 points, connecting on 2.4 shots from deep, four rebounds, and 1.6 steals. He has topped the 20 point plateau in four of his last five games.  It appears that the money that the Portland Trail Blazers spent to lure Matthews away from Utah has been a good investment.

JaVale McGee | Grade: C +

Both of us here at the Beef want nothing but good things for McGee. He is one of those players who we can just not seem to quit rooting for. McGee is having a decent season with the Wizards this year but he could improve his numbers. Head Coach Flip Saunders wanted McGee to improve his rebounding during the preseason and as McGee is currently averaging 8.5 rebounds there is certainly still room to improve. He should be a double-double threat every night. Where he does not need to improve is with his shot blocking. McGee currently averages 2.6 blocks per game and has a total of 49 blocks this season which ranks him second, in both categories, in the NBA behind, of all people, Darko Milicic. I said in my initial article that McGee edged out Andray Blatche to make the list but it looks like Blatche will have the final word with the season he is putting together thus far.

C.J. Miles | Grade: B

Miles is Utah’s sixth man this season as Raja Bell finds himself in the starting lineup. Obviously, Jerry Sloan knows what he is doing bringing Miles of the bench as an offensive spark. He is averaging 11 points per game but 17.2 per 36 minutes which is better than Al Jefferson. Miles is in there to score the ball and little else. It would be nice to see him improve his field goal percentage which is only 39.7 percent at present. Bringing it up to 42-43 percent is what he needs to shoot for.

Ramon Sessions | Grade: either B – or D depending on the night

Sessions is another one of those players who I just cannot quit. He has flashes of brilliance followed by the dregs of mediocrity. He is averaging 10.7 points and 4.4 assists this season as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ backup point guard who sometimes gets the start. However, his game-to-game numbers are like a roller coaster ride. Here are his point totals through 20 games this season: 14, 4, 21, 7, 9, 6, 15, 14, 17, 7, 16, 2, 15, 3, 13, 5, 14, 11, 18, 2. Twice this season the only points he has scored have come at the charity stripe. His assist numbers remain fairly consistent though which seems to be his most redeeming quality as a player this season and why I am not grading him harsher. Despite his scoring ups and downs, he is the tied with Antawn Jamison for total points on the team with 213 and is just one point behind J.J. Hickson who is third on the team.

Marreese Speights | Grade: D

There are some redeeming qualities for the Philadelpia 76ers this season, unfortunately Speights does not find himself among them. He is averaging only 12.8 minutes per game scoring only 5.3 points and collecting 3.8 rebounds. His per 36 minutes numbers are much better but they do not matter when it takes him three games to log that much time on the floor. Doug Collins cannot seem to find a place for him in the regular rotation with Elton Brand, Thaddeus Young, and Spencer Hawes ahead of him. I said that he needed minutes to see actual dividends in my original article and it looks like those minutes may never come.