The Brooklyn Kid's Midseason Mailbag

By Rico Bautista

Derp of the Day:

      These are the top 5 plays from Shaqtin' A Fool--my new favorite segment on Inside the NBA--dating back two weeks ago, but the one you need to peep is Thomas Robinson tee bagging Tyler Zeller at the 1:01 mark. Priceless. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF2ZjJ-TOAc

     Okay, down to brass tacks. As we approach the All-Star Weekend--the NBA's midway point in the season--there are a number of predictions that myself and other NBA aficionados, writers, analysts, and fans made regarding the 2012-13 season. Some predictions were on par (the success of the Knicks), while others were disastrously inaccurate (the success of the Lakers). We have also witnessed consistency in the form of the always-relevant Spurs, as well as pleasant surprise in the performance of the Golden State Warriors. Here are some of the more interesting questions that have been posed to me by my loyal readers (I see you, Brandon!). 

Now that they've been announced, who would YOUR All-Stars be? Did the fans and the coaches get it right?--Shaun from New York City, NY.

ALMOST. But to be honest, both the fans and the coaches slightly botched the All-Star line-up. Here's where the fans messed up:

East Starting 5:

Rajon Rondo  (Tough loss for Boston losing the league's 2nd best point guard.)

Dwyane Wade  (By default, not because he deserves it. Shooting guards need to step up in the East.)

LeBron James        (Duh.)

Carmelo Anthony  (Obviously.)

Tyson Chandler     (Not flashy, but undoubtedly the best two-way center in the East.)

West Starting 5:

Chris "The Effing Man" Paul (Middle name is self-explanatory.)
Kobe Bean Bryant (Biggest waste of a phenomenal season I've seen in a long time.)

James Harden (He's played at a level where he should be a starter for the West... and he can count as a SF, right? Sure, he can.)

Kevin Durant  (MVP.)

Blake Griffin   (Continues to impress me with his high-assist games.)

Who I bounced and why:

     Kevin Garnett- It is pretty unfortunate the extent to which the fan voting format can turn the All-Star starters into a popularity contest. Yes, Garnett is the most important defensive player on one of the top-10 defensive teams in the league (Boston ranks 7th, giving up 100.3 ppg as per NBA.com). However, Boston is a fringe playoff team playing sub .500 basketball and Garnett's offensive output (15.0 ppg, 7.3 ppg, 2.2 apg according to NBA.com) are pretty pedestrian for a starting forward. Garnett starting in the ALL-STAR GAME? Spare me.

     Dwight Howard- His numbers for this season? 16.5 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 2.4 bpg and is shooting about 58% from the field, as per NBA.com. Do not misunderstand--these are phenomenal numbers. Even with Howard's horrible free-throw shooting. Even with his hobbled back situation. Should he be scoring more? Probably yes. BUT, he is playing on a team that plays at the 4th highest pace in the league at 97.0 and he is doing it with guys like Kobe Bryant and a litany of other players who shoot far more often than they defer to Dwight. The reason he should not be starting has less to do with his personal production and far more to do with the Lakers record, which stands at 19-25. For the life of me, I just don't understand how a team with that kind of record could have two starters on the All-Star team. Kobe is having a year for the ages and completely deserves the spot, but there are far too many forwards and centers who are having both good statistical years and are on teams with winning records in the West (Marc Gasol and Tim Duncan to name a couple) to start Dwight Howard. It just ain't right.

      Now, I admit it is a little strange that with the addition of James Harden to my West's starting line-up, that I have 4 perimeter guys in Harden, CP3, Kobe, and Durant. My defense is this: Durant has played the 4 before and Griffin has seen increased time this season at the center position in the Clippers' smaller line-ups. Also, with a starting 5 as offensively explosive as this one, they have no real need for a true center.

East Reserves:

Luol Deng

Paul George

Kyrie Irving

Jrue Holiday

Joakim Noah

Brook Lopez

Josh Smith

West Reserves:

Russell Westbrook

Stephen Curry

Tony Parker

Zach Randolph

Tim Duncan

LaMarcus Aldridge

Marc Gasol

Who I bounced and why:

     Tyson Chandler- Well, I started him over Garnett. Brook Lopez has replaced Chandler's spot because he is the only player in the NBA averaging more than 18 ppg, 7 rpg and 2 bpg and also happens to be playing on a team playing over .600. 

     Chris Bosh- Are you kidding me? He's one of the Heat's biggest players and spends more time in the paint than any other member of the team, yet is somehow grabbing one less rebound than LeBron James (Bosh is averaging 7.5). Whenever there are news reports of LeBron complaining about members of his team playing as if they're "unmotivated" or "disinterested," Bosh is the first player I think of! It's most certainly not Dwyane Wade, who has simply all but donated his jump shot to the Salvation Army. Josh Smith gets Bosh's spot because the only other player averaging over 16 ppg, 8 rpg, 4 apg and 1 spg, is LeBron James. Smith also gets the spot over Bosh because he just... well, cares. I really wanted to find a spot for JR Smith, but these are unfair times.

    James Harden- I replaced Dwight Howard with The Beard. Marc Gasol gets the nod over Howard on the reserves list because he's the best defender, on the 2nd best defensive team in the league (Memphis is allowing 96.8 ppg as per NBA.com), as well as arguably the best passing center in the modern game (3.6 apg). 

   David Lee- First off, I love David Lee. I loved seeing him blossom on the Knicks and I've thoroughly enjoyed the success he's had since leaving and earning his well-deserved contract. Having said that, it is impossible to argue that Lee has been more valuable for Golden State's success than Stephen Curry. Not only does Curry lead one of the top ranked NBA offenses in scoring with 21.0 ppg and 6.4 apg, he also leads the team in PER with 19.89 and is ranked 30th in the league in that department, as per ESPN.com. Lee--the team's second leading scorer and leading rebounder--has obviously been the Warriors' second most important player, which has left many critics scratching their heads as to why Curry did not receive the selection.

     As an aside, not that it counts for anything but, I call the West winning this year. Just way too much offense for the East to keep up with (though I'll never rule out Westbrook chucking the entire team out of the game). Also, Biggest-Underrated-Feel-Good-Moment of the All-Star Break: Won't it be nice seeing Durant, Westbrook, and Harden teamed up again? How precious.

Which is the best backcourt in the league?--Brandon from Atlanta, GA.

     It's between Deron Williams/Joe Johnson, Stephen Curry/Klay Thompson, and Tony Parker/Manu Ginobili. However, considering that 1) the Spurs have the best record in the league 2) the Spurs are the only team in the league to be top 5 in Pace, Offensive Rating, and Defensive Rating, as per NBA.com, and 3) Tony Parker (8th) and Manu Ginobili (19th) are the only backcourt duo to both be ranked top 20 in PER, I'm going to go ahead and say it's Parker/Ginobili. 

    *Funny observation: When looking up the top ranked players in Player Efficiency Rating, I noticed Brook Lopez (4th) and Andray Blatche (14th) are also top 20 in PER, yet according to basketball-reference.com these two almost never take the floor together. Though they essentially play the same position, considering the 18-foot range and back to the basket moves that both of these players possess, it is somewhat surprising that neither Avery Johnson nor P.J. Carlesimo have attempted experimenting with playing them simultaneously in a high-low basketball scheme. It is rare to have two big men who are exceptional at scoring both on the low block and at the elbows. Teams that implement both (Memphis' Gasol-Randolph combo) usually prove to be a handful in the paint.

     Honorable omissions: Steve Nash/Kobe Bryant and Brandon Jennings/Monta Ellis. Neither the Lakers nor the Bucks have been successful enough to support a claim to these being productive backcourts. Success is determined by the Win-Loss column, not offensive production or efficiency. 

Will the Celtics make the playoffs without Rondo?--Francesco from Guilford, CT.

     Barring a resurgent Andrew Bynum return, yes. But they will not win more than one game in a playoff series against the Heat.

Which team in the East stands the best chance of unseating the Miami Heat's run to the Finals?--College Mike from Chicago, IL.

     Well, "College Mike," you'll be happy to hear its the Bulls. Boasting the 3rd highest defensive rating in the league at 97.6, the Bulls are undoubtedly the team Miami secretly fears running into in playoffs. Chicago is for real: the Bulls' bullish defense combined with Carlos Boozer's rediscovery of his offensive touch and Derrick Rose (arguably the NBA's hardest worker) returning with 10 added pounds of muscle, as well as a more finely-tuned shot... makes me shudder for the Knicks. And you have yet to see a fast break like the one Rose-Robinson-Deng-Gibson-Noah are capable of. If this line-up is never used, it will be a waste of potentially the highest-energy line-up ever. Believe that.

Now that its midseason, which award picks (MVP, DPOY, etc.) do you think you got correct  and which picks do you think you got wrong?--Billy from Woburn, MA.

     MVP: I originally claimed it would be Kevin Durant and I'm sticking with that decision.

     Scoring Champ: In December I said it would be Kobe, but with all of the offensive (pun intended) ups and downs in Lakerland and the recent tear that Durant has been on, I'm going to say that Durant gets it for the 4th season in a row.

     Defensive Player of the Year: Serge Ibaka was my pick, but this one is a pretty tough race--Tim Duncan, Marc Gasol, and Roy Hibbert are all making strong cases. Based on the fact that Indiana is currently the league's number one ranked defensive team and that Roy Hibbert is their most defensive important player with 2.64 blocks per game (good for 4th in NBA, as per ESPN.com), I'm going to say Hibbert gets DPOY. Though I still am pulling for my original pick of Ibaka. The Thunder are the 6th ranked defensive team and Ibaka is 2nd overall in blocks with 2.79 per game. I like the idea of the Thunder's roster notching MVP, the Scoring Champ title, and Defensive Player of the Year. It's a mark of dominance.

     Most Improved: I originally picked Jrue Holiday and now that he has been named an All-Star, I think that only strengthens my case. If you don't believe it, watch these highlights where Holiday torched the Knicks last week, including teaching Pablo Prigioni how to dougie at the 0:48 mark: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWBDCb2j_uY.

    Coach of the Year: Lionel Hollins was my first choice, but now it seems like all of the momentum is behind Mike Woodson and Mark Jackson. Considering Memphis is sporting the 2nd highest rated defense in the league and currently sits at the 4th seed in a much more competitive Western Conference, I'm going to stick with Hollins.

    Rookie of the Year: If you think its going to be anyone not named Damian Lillard, you haven't been watching the NBA. I picked him in December and he hasn't slowed down.

Which team has the best jerseys in the league? I'm talking the total package--both home and away. And which team has the worst? Alternate jerseys don't count since they hardly get worn and are solely for spoiled kids devoted fans with expendable incomes.--Ben from DC.

     First off, I agree with you about the alternate jerseys--they're almost never cool and are almost always obscure. In fact, to this day I still remember the worst/most confusing alternates I've ever laid eyes on: the Wizards' gold jerseys and black shorts that not only made them look like an AAU team from the Bronx, but even graced the cover of the once-respected NBA Live series (when Gilbert Arenas was still relevant). Where is Gil these days by the way? We'll never forget you, Hibachi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm2XO28YRYU.

Best Jerseys: The Golden State Warriors. They're just the perfect combination of old school with the "The City" logo and the fresh colors.

Worst: The Utah Jazz. If they were the New Orleans Jazz, the theme would make sense, but... for a team based in a Mormon city, none of this makes sense/does anything for anyone. Can't we just let the Hornets become the Jazz again, and let Utah be the Pelicans? Or the Utah Polygamists?

Wait, let's run with that idea for a second... The Utah Polygamists' mascot could be as simple as ONE GUY walking around with the cheerleading squad!
Best mascot ever? I think yes.

Bonus Round! Most Boring Jerseys: The Detroit Pistons. It's not that they're bad... they're just so PLAIN. No flair, no insignias, no nothing. "In fashion, we must always take risks... otherwise there is no moving forward."--Said some fashionista... somewhere. The Pistons just play it far too simple and too safe. Personally, I miss the Pistons' era of Grant Hill--remember the little horse insignia?? I LOVED the little horse!

Cheers.

Hired Guns

By Rico Bautista

Derp of the Day: Having any affiliation with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Minnesota Timberwolves currently hold the 8th and final playoff seed in the West, and I'm not entirely sure the Lakers can unseat them; especially as Ricky Rubio gets healthier. Nash has his work cut out for him, to say the least. But honestly... is there any greater satisfaction than watching Mike D'Antoni fail? (Thinking...) Nope, still feels awesome.

     Though the long coveted and highly touted Most Valuable Player award dominates weekly discussion on NBA.com and ESPN, this season's Sixth Man of the Year award has been one of the closer and more fascinating races I have noted in many years. Despite recent surges by the Spurs' Manu Ginobili, make no mistake--this is a three-man race amongst the NBA's two best bad-shotmakers in Jamal Crawford and JR Smith, as well as the league's best good-shot taker in Kevin Martin. Though sharing similarities in purpose, each player brings something unique when coming off of the bench. What must ultimately be decided is which of these Sixth Men is the most essential to his team's success? Let's look at their resumes.

Jamal Crawford: 16.5 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.1 Steals, 90% FT, .352 3P%, 42% FG over 29 Min.

According to hoopdata.com, his PER (Player Efficiency Rating) is 17.05.

Los Angeles Clippers 2012-13 Record: 25-8

JR Smith: 16.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.3 Steals, 80% FT, .352 3P%, 42% FG over 33 Min.

According to hoopdata.com, his PER is 16.29.

New York Knicks 2012-13 Record: 22-10

Kevin Martin: 15.4 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.0 Steals, 92% FT, .450 3P%, 45% FG over 29 Min.

According to hoopdata.com, his PER is 17.32.

Oklahoma City Thunder 2012-13 Record: 24-7

     Quick apologies to Jarrett Jack, but his recent surge does not outweigh the consistently exceptional performances of these other three players, especially in regards to the elite levels their respective teams have reached. Crawford, Smith and Martin are all members of teams in the top 2 seeds of their conferences; while the Warriors sit at the 5th seed in the West with a record of 22-10 (yes I realize this is identical to the Knicks' record). No doubt the Warriors have surprised everyone this season, but they have also had the 2nd easiest schedule in the Western Conference thus far; it is still too early to say how much of their success has been a flash in the pan.

     Now if we were to judge Sixth Man of the Year based solely on raw stats, JR Smith would win hands down. If we were to judge based on the Win-Loss column of their respective teams, Kevin Martin would take home the prize. Martin would also win if we were judging based on Player Efficiency Rating. And Jamal Crawford would win if the award was based off of who makes their individual defender look the most foolish on a consistent basis (oh hey, Ray Allen! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MAkp5BmJnY). That crossover was so filthy, I'm pretty sure it  made Ryan Hollins (Crawford's own teammate) fall as well. Unfortunately, there are no style points in the NBA.

     Although the stats of these three players are very similar, they begin to look a bit different when you compare the average field goal attempts of each player.

Jamal Crawford: 13.2 Field Goal Attempts per game.

JR Smith: 14.8 Field Goal Attempts per game.

Kevin Martin: 10.4 Field Goal Attempts per game.

     Much of Martin's reputation for being highly efficient stems from this statistic as he scores almost on par with Crawford and Smith, while taking 3-4 less shots per game. Martin's shot-selection and efficiency is especially useful for Oklahoma City when considering that Kevin Durant, the team's leading scorer, is often forced to have shot attempts notoriously taken away from him by Russell Westbrook. Though JR Smith averages only 1.2 more PPG than Martin, while taking 4.4 more shots, it should be said that he is the only other Knick besides 'Melo who can create his own shot. Martin is the third/fourth offensive option following Durant/Westbrook/Ibaka (making it easier for Martin to get his shots), whereas Smith is the second option. It is also worth noting that even though Smith shoots the most out of these three, he also leads all three in Assists-Per-Game. Crawford's lofty amount of shot attempts actually hurts his case--out of these three players, Crawford undoubtedly has the most complete team surrounding him (the Clippers' bench is better than many other starting five tandems in the league), and thus should be shooting slightly less and assisting slightly more. In the Clippers' Wins and Losses this season, Crawford averaged nearly an identical amount of Field Goal Attempts (13.2 in Wins and 13.3 in Losses). However, in Wins he averaged 2.9 APG as opposed to only 1.6 APG in Losses--clearly indicating that the Clippers faired better when Crawford got others involved.

     In the end, their cases for Sixth Man of the Year stack up like this:

Kevin Martin:
-Highest Player Efficiency Rating of the three.
-Best team record of the three.
-Most efficient scorer.

JR Smith:
-Best overall statistical performance of the three.
-Second most important offensive player on his team.
-Has hit two game-winning shots this season (I don't know how important of a factor this actually is, but I think it at least deserves to be mentioned).

Jamal Crawford:
-Does this every night, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRNFqs2-ufU.
-Is the NBA's All-Time Leader in 4-Point Plays (really reaching here).

     Ultimately, I believe it will be a coin-toss between JR Smith and Kevin Martin. Martin's overall body of work surpasses Smith's, however Smith's individual performance is more important to the overall success of his team. In the end, following all of the political drama that came with replacing reigning Sixth Man of the Year, James Harden, Martin will most likely get the nod. Though he is certainly not a lock for Sixth Man of the Year, if Smith does not get named as an All-Star reserve that will indeed be a travesty. Of the shooting guards in the East, the only shooting guards outperforming Smith have been Dwyane Wade and Joe Johnson (barely). If the All-Star game is really meant for the entertainment of us as fans, then Smith has not only earned a spot--he's earned Joe Johnson's spot. Believe that.

Merry Swishmas!

By Christian Baber

           Last year at this time, the NBA was nearing the start of a season shortened by lockout. Nearly two months of professional basketball were lost as fans suffered the fallout from the standoff between NBA owners and the NBA Players Association. Opening Day mercifully came on Christmas morning, and the games did not disappoint. Santa spoils us again this year with a fantastic line of games this December 25^th, but I can’t help but shake the boxes early. I want to know what the gifts are already, even if I can’t actually see them until Yule afternoon. With that in mind let’s take a look at five gifts we might be receiving in the five games we will be watching this Xmas, as well as five lumps of coal we might deserve for any naughtiness Santa kept on his list:

12:00pm – Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets

           The Celtics, fresh off a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, will visit the Barclays Center to challenge the Brooklyn Nets. Brooklyn has found itself in a bit of a tailspin since Brook Lopez lost a few games to injury. The Nets have won just two of their last ten games, and the volatile New York media is beginning to voice concerns over the core of this team.

            A multiple-overtime battle would be great gift from this game. Both the Celtics and the Nets are prone to hilariously inept play down the stretch in tight games this season. If you haven’t seen Rondo pulling up from midrange in an attempt to gain the lead at the buzzer or Coach Avery Johnson’s dogged love of isolation in crunchtime despite the passing ability of Deron Williams and Joe Johnson, you have been missing out. Both teams are hovering around .500 basketball right now, and a dogfight barfight between two division opponents makes for great games.

            Deron Williams is the lump of coal here. Williams has been far from a superstar this season, shooting below 40% from the field and 30% from three despite taking 15 field goal attempts per game. That kind of inefficiency ill fits a player considered by many to be an elite point guard. More worrying is the fact that he’s been shooting poorly for a few years now, making it difficult to chalk this up to injury or a cold spell. Brooklyn can’t hope to seriously contend while Williams builds expansive brick structures on the court. His recent implications that the coaching staff isn’t putting him in a position to succeed aren’t helping, either.

3:00pm – New York Knicks at Los Angeles Lakers

       The Lakers get another crack at the East-leading Knicks in a duel between Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony, the two NBA-leading scorers. A hard foul and the subsequent injury held Melo to just under 30 minutes last time these two clubs met, though he torched the Lakers for 30 points on 15 shots in that time. He’ll look to help his team repeat their dominating win over LAL in Madison Square Garden earlier this month.

      The greatest gift we could ask for from this game is a vintage scoring performance from Kobe in Staples Center. Kobe is enjoying the most efficient scoring season of his career at a young 34 years of age and a big scoring night in a revenge game against a strong Eastern conference power will help allay the fears of restless Laker fans. Of course, it will really only matter if the boys in purp’ and gold take home the W. Wins have been in short supply in the disappointing start to the Lakers’ season. Also something to look for: Kobe will be wearing the Christmas colorway of his new Kobe 8 sneakers against New York. The Christmas Kobe 8s will be among the most attractive looks the sneaker will come in, and Bryant will look good no matter the outcome of the game in his signature shoe. Good on you, Bean.

      The lump of coal in this game is definitely Antawn Jamison. I wanted to put Chris Duhon here, but with Nash likely returning to the Lakers’ starting lineup Jamison becomes the more woeful rotation player. The power forward shoots a disappointing 44% from the field and couples that with mediocre rebounding, incessant chucking from the three point line (where he’s shooting 31%), near inability to draw fouls, and possibly the worst big man defense in the league. Asking Jamison to cover a pick and roll is akin to offering your opponent a layup line, as Antawn lacks the athleticism, basketball IQ, and desire to offer even the most basic hedges off screens. Look for Jamison to build upon his -4.6 plus/minus average on the season against the Raymond Felton-Tyson Chandler pick and roll.

5:30pm – Oklahoma City Thunder at Miami Heat

        This has the potential to be the most exciting game of the day. A Finals rematch between OKC and MIA in Miami starring Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. Durant has somehow ascended to a new level this season, and for the first time in years there should be a legitimate debate over who truly is the best player in the world.

        This game is gift enough. What more could you honestly ask for? The only thing I ask for is a close game, leading to a good ol’ fashioned score-off between KD and LeBron. Durant’s improved court vision and LeBron’s ingenious mastery of defense from the paint out to 25 feet are both incredible to watch but we really just want to see these guys outdo each other as scorers. As good as these two teams are, we just may get our wish.

      It’s difficult to find a lump of coal here with so many great players on both sides. I guess there is no coal in this stocking… Oh, wait, here’s Dexter Pittman. Pittman has only played seven minutes of pro basketball this season. The most memorable moment of his professional career was a despicable bush-league hit on Lance Stephenson during the 2011-2012 playoffs. Boo this man.

8:00pm – Houston Rockets at Chicago Bulls

        James Harden and the Rockets head to Chicago to face Joakim Noah and the Bulls. CHI has been surprisingly good this season, winning despite the continued absence of their superstar guard Derrick Rose. Their stellar defense has survived, but it will be tested against the backcourt tandem of Jeremy Lin and Harden.

       Maybe this is just me, but the gift here is clearly watching Harden work on offense. It was absurd to question whether the hyper-efficient scorer deserved a max contract, and he is cementing his status as a star guard this season. Harden’s advanced basketball IQ and athleticism allow him to take the shots he wants from the defense, and he possesses arguably the best step-through drive in the league. Focus on Harden running off screens, gathering the ball, and hopping right past the second line of defense for layups or witness the Beard play off the ball and spot up for three. The choice is yours, and either option is sweet.

       The entire Bulls team is the lump of coal here. Their defense is dominant, but watching Chicago grind out wins can get a little dull. If Harden isn’t able to put on a show here, enjoy watching Chi-town exert their third slowest pace in the league and lack of showtime athleticism.

(An acceptable alternative for this game’s lump of coal is the basketball gods for taking Derrick Rose away from us.)

10:30pm – Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers

       The final game of the evening stands a chance at being secretly the best experience. By 10:30, all those irritating old relatives who think they know hoops better than they actually do will all have gotten the itis and gone to bed.  Those of us able to stay awake will be treated to some of the best athletes in the league taking flight. It doesn’t hurt that these are both good teams as well.

       This game’s gift will be an array of show stopping dunks. Andre Iguodala, Kenneth Faried, JaVale McGee, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, and Eric Bledsoe are all dunk artists. If I was a rim, I would be very afraid of being broken in half during this night’s bout between the Nuggets and the Clippers. Both teams have great passers to set up dunk attempts, so here’s hoping for Andre Miller competing to see if Chris Paul can usurp his title as Best Lob Passer in the NBA (I just made this title up, but Dre’s probably still holding it).

       This game’s coal will almost certainly be Caron Butler. Butler lives on a steady diet of long twos and brussel sprouts. He is among the least fun-to-watch forwards in the NBA. No great athleticism. No deadly handle. No amazing passing ability. No, Tuff Juice just brings his lunch pail, defends a little bit, and takes jumpers. And there is nothing wrong with that, but in a game featuring so many fun players I know he will be among the most boring. Yawn, Caron. I am unimpressed.

      All in all, this looks to be a great day for basketball fans. The NBA scheduled a great set of games for Christmas day and there will be a lot of excitement as the stars collide throughout the afternoon and evening. Grab your egg nog, throw on the TV, and don’t worry about all the relatives upset that you’re ignoring them. You all have cell phones, but Christmas only comes once a year. Here’s to hoops.

#Knickstape

By Rico Bautista

     It was bound to happen at some point. Nobody stays perfect at home, especially without their best player being on the floor. Yet, if there was any NBA team I could make peace with handing the Knicks their first home loss of the season, it is Jeremy Lin and the Houston Rockets. Though the sports world praised Lin last season for giving us the phenomenon of Linsanity, I held a much more practical view of his gift... he got the Knicks into the playoffs. By now we all know the story: over a period of just 26 games, a 3rd/4th string point guard who was constantly looked over in the NBA salvaged a Knicks season that was tainted by injuries, underperformance, poor team chemistry, and even poorer coaching. Subsequently, despite Lin's overwhelming popularity in New York, over the summer the Knicks decided not to match the Houston Rockets' offer of a three-year $25 million deal and suddenly Linsanity had moved on. When this happened, I could not have been happier--we signed both Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd for less money combined. Felton, though coming off of a down season in Portland, had been playing great basketball for the Knicks just two years prior and Jason Kidd, though 39 years old, is a recent NBA Champion with some idea of how to defeat the Miami Heat. On the other hand, Lin saw his numbers dip as Linsanity wore on and teams figured out how to defend him--he couldn't go left and he was an underwhelming long-range shooter. The Knicks' 19-6 start is more than enough proof that the front office made both the best basketball and financial decision for the team. Be that as it may, I will never forget what Lin did for New York last season, but more importantly I appreciate what his departure allowed New York to become this season and this is why I bear no ill feelings towards dropping our first home game to Linsanity. If anything, it feels somewhat appropriate. I like to view this loss as a toll that the Knicks had to pay in order to ascend to the top of the Eastern Conference. And, oh what an ascension it has been. But you see... the truly scary part--for the rest of the league, that is--is that the Knicks still have one more level to jump with the advent of Iman Shumpert and Amar'e Stoudemire.

     First off, no one is concerned with Shumpert's return. He was the Knicks' premiere perimeter defender last season and showed flashes of offensive potential, which he has been honing during his rehabilitation. The real concern is how Mike Woodson will fit Amar'e into the Knicks line-up. It needs to be said that Amar'e must log time at the power forward and center positions. It also needs to be said that the majority of his time will need to come at the power forward position--Chandler logging big minutes at center has simply been too important to the Knicks' success on both ends of the floor to move him. So here is where things get complicated: Carmelo Anthony has been arguably the most difficult player to defend in the NBA when he is playing power forward. When you match Melo with forwards of his size or larger, Melo can take them out to the perimeter and either blow by them or shoot the long ball. Moreover, barring Ray Allen, Melo may have the quickest release on a catch-and-shoot in the NBA. When teams counter Melo with a small, more agile defender, the combination of his footwork, ballhanding, strength, and first step is equally as overwhelming. And if his multitude of scoring options when playing power forward were not enough, Melo has also proven to be an intelligent passer out of the post. Given all of this information, you begin to wonder how a team could possibly sacrifice big minutes at this position to anyone else--even Amar'e Stoudemire. Yet, having said all of this, there still exists issues with playing Melo at the 4 and here is where Amar'e fits in. Despite Melo's effectiveness playing the 4, he has been extremely prone to injury when battling bigger guys in the post. Be it for a rebound or simply a strong drive to the hole, there have been numerous times this season where I have noticed Melo get banged up or thrown to the ground in such a manner that is simply not sustainable for an 82-game season and the playoffs. Melo has been taking hits such as this one all season: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fVIiVhiwQ8. The big difference here is that Dwight Howard knocking you down is going to be a much harsher experience than someone like Brook Lopez. But the risk to injury still remains the same. Regardless of who meets him at the rim, Melo has received significantly more contact than he is used to taking in his career. This has also accounted for the increased amount of technical fouls he has received this season (6) in complaining to referees for failing to call the flagrant, and often dangerous, foul calls he's been earning.
     Either way you look at it, Melo playing at the 4 has been mutually beneficial and risky. Playing Amar'e off of the bench at power forward would cut down some of Melo's constant contact with bigger bruisers, as well as elongate the aging Rasheed Wallace's contributions this season. There are, however, two important questions regarding Amar'e's return at power forward: 1) Will he defend with the same effort Melo has shown? 2) Will Amar'e be able to pass out of the post with the kind of efficiency that has turned the Knicks into one of the best ball-moving teams in the league? The answer to the first question is easy--under Woodson, if you don't play defense then you just don't play. The answer to the second question is a bit more difficult. Let us not forget that this Knicks team is scoring at a historic rate because everyone, including Melo and JR Smith (who loves shooting even more than he loves getting a new ignorant tattoo), has been turning up shots to make the right pass. Moreover, this season's hot three-point shooting from the Knicks is bound to come down--statistically speaking, it is extremely unlikely they'll keep it up. Amar'e's inside scoring ability might just be what wins New York games on nights when the long ball simply isn't falling for them. Barring these unanswered questions, the most surprising "x-factor" regarding Amar'e's return will be the results, or lack thereof, of the time he has spent training with Hakeem Olajuwon this past summer. Players such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James have drastically improved their skill sets from training with Hakeem, but neither of these players were ever natural 4's or 5's the way Amar'e is. And how will Amar'e new offensive skills translate to meshing with the rest of the team? JR Smith and Melo have played great off of one another when sharing the floor, but both have also played for years together back in Denver under a George Karl offense that employed a similar scheme of high volume 3-point shooting. Can Amar'e and JR be as productive together? We also cannot forget that though Amar'e and Melo did not share the floor well together last season, that Amar'e and Felton played extremely well together and now they're reunited for a second run. And most importantly... God help us all if Amar'e decides to bring back the cornrows.

     Oh yeah... And if you thought JR and Steve Novak was an exciting duo, wait 'till JR and Shumpert are on the floor together. A line up of Felton, Iman, JR, Melo and Chanlder/Amare could potentially be the most offensively potent line up in the league. Though poor Ronnie Brewer's minutes  should expect to take a serious hit considering Shump gives you an improved perimeter defense... plus he can make a shot or six.

     The Knicks were a top-10 defensive team last season, but that largely came as a result of having both Tyson Chandler and Iman Shumpert--their best perimeter defender--on the floor. I am not necessarily arguing that Shumpert's return will automatically cause the Knicks to suddenly become defensive stalwarts, but consider this: Melo is putting in work on defense this season, 'Sheed is filling Chandler's defensive role decently off of the bench, newcomers Ronnie Brewer and Jason Kidd have made careers in being savvy perimeters defenders, and Marcus Camby could be playing limited minutes in the future... this Knicks team has a chance to become an excellent defensive club. And if/when that happens... be sure to expect more Iman Shumpert tweets ending in "#Knickstape."

The Brooklyn Kid's First Mailbag.

By Rico Bautista

     Over the past two weeks, I've received a few emails and personal questions concerning this blog. Mostly, they've been questions such as "why haven't you written about the [insert team name here] yet?" or "what do you think of [insert player name here] this season?" The most common question has probably been, "when is OBT (Oh, Believe That) going to do a Power Rankings?" I figured the best way to address all of these questions is to do one big mailbag. So here we go... but before we get there, its time for...

Derp of the Day!
     Being LaMarcus Aldridge. Why? Because you let Byron Mullens of all people do this to you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXuDra2tG7w. Runner up for Derp of the Day: Whoever on the Brooklyn Nets is loosing minutes to 38-year-old Jerry Stackhouse.... Josh Childress? Come on, man.

"Yo, so who do you think the hardest players in the NBA are? If you had to name a starting 5 on a Thug-Star team, who would you pick?"--Jefferson from Memphis.

     Love this question. There are a number of wild characters in the NBA, but if I was creating a starting 5 out of the most hotheaded/intimidating/hardest players, it would look something like this:

     Point guard: Rajon Rondo. First off, have you ever actually listened to [white] NBA announcers try to pronounce Rondo's first name? I've heard everything from Rah-jonn to Ray-jon and depending on which timezone the Celtics are playing in, the pronunciation always seems to change. In my experience, the more heavily influenced by ebonics a player's name is, the tougher the character. Now at 6'1 and 185 lbs. I admit that Rondo is probably one of the least physically intimidating point guards in the league. But what Rondo lacks in size, he more than makes up for in grit and demeanor. I have no recollection of Rondo ever having smiled on camera--and yes, that includes when Boston won the Championship in 2008 (he might've smirked, but I doubt it). Much like the rest of the C's, Rajon Rondo is not a player to be trifled with or rubbed the wrong way. He's one of those rare talents that elevates his game when he's pissed off. We've all seen him do it--he puts on the Rondo-Scowl, locks his jaw in place, plays scrappier defense, gets all kinds of deflections, causes turnovers, and even becomes a better passer (every dime he connects on almost looks like a "fuck you" assist). You also have to respect that despite his size, Rondo will step to anyone. Anyone. Be it Dwyane Wade: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEMu-GLYauA Or Kris Humphries: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-DyyV1pt4k. Or DEMARCUS COUSINS??: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-wbrYhdHxg. Or even the NBA officials themselves: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQgt7U-bhzU. Rondo is no punk... I think playing with the likes of Kevin Garnett (a classic NBA head-case) since your rookie year can have that kind of effect. Runner ups: Jameer Nelson and Eric Bledsoe.

     Shooting guard: Tony Allen. Aside from allegedly breaking a man's eye socket in 2005 and punching out former teammate OJ Mayo over an unresolved gambling debt on a plane, Tony Allen's off-court antics have been generally kept to a minimum. But I'M concerned with his on-court antics. Allen was almost unanimously selected as this season's Player Most Fit for a Straight Jacket best perimeter defender by coaches around the NBA and for good reason. As if playing a harassing, all-in-your-jersey style of defense wasn't enough, Allen is rumored to trash talk and even mutter disturbing phrases to opposing players he's guarding. Rest assured, if the dingo didn't eat your baby, it most certainly could've been Tony Allen... that's a Seinfeld reference for all you noobs out there: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghCTZF61ey0. Runner ups: JR Smith and Stephen Jackson.

     Small forward: Before I reveal my pick, I'd like to give an honorable mention to the man who has always been the King of Cray in the NBA at the small forward position: Ron Artest. Much to everyone's disappointment, Artest hasn't been the crazy, unstable fire-starter we all used to retweet since that 2010 Championship with the Lakers. Artest's unpredictability has always been directly linked to the triggers that get him hyped on-court. These triggers occur when Artest has a good game (rare these days) or when someone gets in Artest's face (even rarer). The lack of these triggers have led to a more docile, more pacified Metta World Peace. Unless Tony Allen karate chops World Peace in the jugular at some point in the near future, I think we'll have seen the last of Ron Artest in that unforgettable post-Championship interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMCeZK3OiKM. This interview was 100x more memorable than the fact that Artest scored 20 points in Game 7. RIP Artest, your fans miss you. 

     Moving on, the man I'd have at this position is none other than Michael Beasley. Is it because Beasley is a notorious trash talker? Nope. Is it because he's known for starting fights? Not in the least. If anything, he seems pretty mellow. The reason I picked Beasley is because he came into the league with the ability to become a left-handed Carmelo Anthony, but never fulfilled his potential because he was either a) always too high, b) just didn't care or c) was just too high to care. Frankly, I'm not talking about the time when Beasley cited for 16.2 grams of marijuana possession during his time in Minnesota, nor am I referring to when he checked into a rehabilitation clinic during his early years in Miami. Rather, I think he literally tokes up before games--if you look at his shot selection, let alone his face, the guy just always looks zooted. Like Marquis-Daniels-zooted. Like Josh-Howard-zooted. Do me a favor: just google "Michael Beasley + drugs" and see what comes up. Runner ups: Josh Smith and Caron "Stank Eye" Butler.

     Power Forward: Demarcus Cousins. He's been top 5 in the NBA in technical fouls for his first three years and is currently tied for 1st in techs this season with Carmelo Anthony. He led the NBA in ejections his rookie season. He has one of the poorest attitudes and is arguably the hardest player to coach in the league--just ask former Sacramento Kings Coach Paul Westphal, who was fired because he and Cousins did not see eye to eye. Yet, none of these reasons are why I have Cousins as the starting power forward on the Thug-Stars. The biggest reason starts with Cousins trash talking Tim Duncan in a game. Like most NBA fans in their 20s, I abhor watching Tim Duncan's old man game. Be that as it may, if there was an Eagle Scouts Club in the NBA, Duncan would be the Founder, CEO, and Lead Scout. "There's no classier player in the NBA"--I've literally heard every NBA announcer say that phrase almost verbatim. So yeah, Cousins trash talks that guy. The story doesn't end there though. Spurs Legend Sean Elliot happened to be announcing the game when he noticed Cousins chirping at Duncan. Always the gentleman, Timmy obviously did not respond, but proceeded to score a few buckets on Cousins and block one of his shots. Here is Elliot's coverage of that exchange (keep in mind that Elliot is a local television announcer for the Spurs, so no one outside of Spurs/NBA fans from Texas heard this--including anyone from Sacramento): "That’s why some humility is in order. You think you’re dominating Tim Duncan, you get it stuffed right back in your face. Timmy doesn’t like to talk trash," Elliot said on the air, via Spurs Nation. "But if guys start talking mess to him, he’s going to respond. All that trash talking was premature. I’m not about to let these guys off the hook. Young ballclub should learn from this. Don’t start talking and flapping your gums against one of the greatest players ever. He’s going to make you pay. Tell me who got the best of this exchange.” Not that bad, right? Just some color commentary from a former pillar of the Spurs franchise defending the greatest pillar of the Spurs franchise against an immature player. What does Cousins do? He hears about the comments and confronts Elliot after the game resulting in a two game suspension without pay. Bravo, Cousins--you're officially the most entertaining big man in the NBA since Rasheed Wallace. Runner ups: David West, Zach Randolph, and Kevin Garnett.

   
     Center: Kendrick Perkins. I mean, just look at him. 

     Bench: Rasheed Wallace (tied for 3rd in the NBA in technical fouls this season despite averaging under 15 min per game. Even so, none of them hold a candle to this classic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=in-W5OuCmS4. You stay classy, 'Sheed.) Gerald Wallace, Reggie Evans (toughest screener in the league), and Alonzo Gee.

"Who are your picks for MVP/Scoring Champ/Defensive Player of the Year/Most Improved/Coach of the Year/Rookie of the Year?"--Christian from Brooklyn (brrap! brrap!).

     MVP: In reality? LeBron James. In my dreams? Carmelo Anthony. But oddly enough, I'm actually going to go with the guy who is leading LeBron in every relevant statistical category with the exception of field goal percentage, assists-per-game, and rebounds-per-game (where their stats are separated by 0.2 boards) Kevin Durant. Have you seen him this season? He's on my fantasy team so I've been able to follow him a little closer and all I have to say is that in his 6th season, KD has become much more than just a scorer. His leadership is affecting all aspects of Oklahoma City's success and with James Harden's departure, it could not have come at a better time. Durant's defense has vastly improved (1.6 steals-per-game and 1.6 blocks-per-game) and his assists-per-game (4.3) are a career-high. It may also be said that these improvements have come as a result of Durant having to perform more of the heavy lifting with Harden being out, but either way it does not make his output this season any less impressive.

     Scoring Champ: Teams have learned to key in on James Harden and aside from Chandler Parsons (who knew?), there is no other player on the Rockets who can really go get their own shot. So it won't be him. I originally had Carmelo Anthony finishing as the scoring champ and if this current Knicks roster remained the same for the rest of the season, he most certainly would get it. But Amare Stoudemire and Iman Shumpert's return will take shots away from Melo, as well as JR Smith, so I don't see him getting it. I'm going with Kobe Bryant because whether the Lakers win or lose, you already know Kobe gon' get  his shots! You can't really hate on him though--like last season, his front court is still a disappointment, but unlike last season, he's at least shooting at a decent percentage.


     Defensive Player of the Year: Serge Ibaka. 'Nuff said. I also think he could beat up anyone who has ever existed, except maybe Willam Wallace.

     Most Improved: It's gotta be Jrue Holiday. He's doubled his assists-per-game from last  season to 9.3 and is scoring 5 more points-per-game while playing only 4.3 more minutes. Other possibilities? Serge Ibaka, but he probably won't get DPOY and Most Improved. Greivis Vasquez has looked like a legit starter now that he's 5th in the NBA in assists-per-game with 8.7. And Anderson Varejao's new nickname should be "Windex." Why? Because he cleans the glass. But seriously, 15.4 rebounds-per-game is monstrous. If OJ Mayo gets the nod I won't be shocked, but I will be furious--he's starting on a Dirk-less Mavs team and is getting significantly more minutes than he did in Memphis. Of COURSE he's putting up more points, who else is going to take those shots with Dirk out...?? Oh that's right--their second best scorers after Mayo are Vince Carter (who is 35 years old) and Chris Kaman (who looks like 35 year old fetus). 

     Coach of the year: Lionel Hollins. However, if the Nets win the Atlantic, it could very well be Avery Johnson.

     Rookie of the year: Damian Lillard. Unless Anthony Davis makes a run, none of the other rookies are even in the same atmosphere right now. 

"Who do you have becoming a first time All-Star this year?"--Jesus from The Bronx.

First time All Stars: 

-Jrue Holiday if there's any justice in the world.

-Jeremy Lin because there is no justice in the world.

-Call me biased as a Knicks fan, but behind Joe Johnson and Monta Ellis (ugh), JR Smith is probably the 3rd best shooting in the East right now.

-Brook Lopez... Although he really should be averaging more than 6.8 boards. Though at least he's getting 2.5 blocks-per-game. 

-James Harden without question. He might even start. 

-Kyrie Irving. And I hope he shows up dressed as Uncle Drew.

-OJ Mayo. 

-Jamal Crawford. Much like JR Smith, even though Crawford has been coming off of the bench he's been one of the best shooting guards in the league and is leading the Clippers in scoring with 17.6 per game.

-Stephen Curry/David Lee. Both guys are putting up great numbers, but I doubt more than one Golden State player gets voted in. I hope its Curry.

-Rudy Gay should get in. And it'll be a damn shame if he doesn't.

"How have you not written anything on the Knicks yet? Seriously."--Jacob from "Fuckin'" Pehlam, NY.

1. Because I don't want to jinx it.
2. I'm waiting for the away game against Miami. Stay tuned.

"When is OBT going to do a Power Rankings? You should get on that."--Ben from "De City" (I think this means D.C.)

     For the record, I haven't done a Power Rankings yet because of teams like the Charlotte Bobcats. The 'Cats started out at 7-5, which is deceiving because they had the easiest schedule in the league for their first dozen games. Now that about a fifth of the season has gone by, there's been an appropriate litmus test for each team and I have a better idea of where they all stand. 

1. Thunder
2. Miami (I know it's "no big deal" that you lost to the Wizards... but you still lost to the Wizards.)
3. Memphis
4. Knicks 
5. LA Clippers (most dangerous team in the league, hands down. Unfairly stacked.)
6. San Antonio 
7. Nets
8. Warriors
9. Hawks
10. Chicago
11. Celtics
12. LA Lakers (LOL.)
13. Philadelphia (probably regretting losing Iguodala.)
14. Rockets
15. Jazz
16. Nuggets (lack of three-point shooters is killing this team.)
17. Timberwolves (going to jump another level when Rubio gets back in 1-2 weeks.)
18. Pacers
19. Mavericks
20. Bucks
21. Trailblazers
22. Bobcats (JR Swish sends his regards.)
23. Magic (I'm mesmerized that these guys already have 7 wins.)
24. Phoenix
25. Pistons
26. Raptors
27. Hornets... I mean, Pelicans.
28. Cavaliers
29. Kings
30. Wizards (I still can't believe I had them making the playoffs. John Wall will not save them.)