Okay, all you casual NBA fans, listen up! Now, you may have been paying attention to your favorite college football team or NFL team the past month, and you may have missed all the NBA action. So here's something to get you caught up...
The STRONGER Rankings
1. San Antonio Spurs (17-3) - Down deep, I just can't bring myself to putting an Eastern Conference team first in the power rankings. I just can't. The Spurs are very, very good this year thanks in large part to the stellar play of Manu Ginobili (21 ppg). Tony Parker (21 pts, 7 ast) and Tim Duncan (18 pts, 9 reb) have also been key contributors to San Antonio's 17-3 start. But they better watch out for the Hornets, who are nipping at their heels at the top of the Southwest Division.
2. Phoenix Suns (16-5) - Amare is healthy again and he's averaging 21 points and 9 rebounds per contest. Steve Nash is playing just the way he always plays with 18 points and 12 assists per game. But you can't forget one of the main reasons Phoenix is so good: Shawn Marion (16 pts, 11 reb). Also worthy of mentioning is Grant Hill's (16 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast) and Leandro Barbosa's (18 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast) play.
3. Orlando Magic (16-5) - Dwight Howard has been unstoppable to date and is a front runner for MVP. What was most impressive was how he shut down Kevin Garnett when the Magic defeated the Celtics not too long ago. Why are they higher than Boston? The beat the Celtics and all of their losses were to quality opponents. (#1 San Antonio and #2 Phoenix to name a few.) I mentioned Howard (24 pts, 15 reb), yet you can't dismiss what Rashard Lewis (19 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast), Hedo Turkoglu (18 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast), and Jameer Nelson (13 pts, 6 ast, 5 reb) are doing out on the court.
4. Boston Celtics (17-2) - Okay, all you Boston Blowhards can just calm down. The Celtics are 17-2 in one of, if not the, weakest divisions in all of basketball. The Big Three are no surprise. Each are averaging great numbers and are doing their part. What is surprising are the role players. Rajon Rondo (9 pts, 5 ast, 4 reb), Eddie House (8 pts, 45% from deep), and Kendrick Perkins (7 pts, 5 reb) have all helped Boston to their great start. Their Achilles' heel? Injuries. Can the older guys on the team hold up for the entire season?
5. New Orleans Hornets (14-7) - If N.O. didn't have Chris Paul they would be doomed, most likely. Paul, who's averaging 21 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals per game, is leading his troops like never before. It's quite impressive that they're playing this well in the rugged Southwest Division, too. David West has popped out of nowhere with his 18 points and 9 rebounds per contest. Peja Stojakovic (14 pts, 3 reb) and Tyson Chandler (12 pts, 11 reb) have also greatly aided the Hornets.
MVPs- 20 Games In
1. Dwight Howard - Maybe I mentioned his 24 points and 15 rebounds a game before? Oh well, I said it again. This guy is playing great right now. Against fellow USA teammate Amare Stoudemire, Dwight had 30 points, 23 rebounds, and 2 blocks in a loss to the Suns. I rest my case.
2. LeBron James - LBJ is the ONLY active player with two games of 30 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists. Well, in the Cavs one-point loss to Orlando, he had 39 points, 14 assists, and 13 rebounds! James has scored 40+ points three times this year so far. But, lastly, LeBron is averaging 31 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists in only his fourth year in the League.
3. Kevin Garnett - Once again, all you Boston natives probably think this is way too low for "your star". Tough luck. Yes, he's averaging 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists but look what he did against a good big guy in Dwight Howard: 14 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 turnovers, 7-13 on field goals. Not to mention he fouled out and didn't get to the free throw line once.
4. Allen Iverson - Guess what? AI is back. He's averaging 25 points per game and...[gasp] 8 assists to go with 3 rebounds per game. He has scored over 30 points four times this year including a 51-point effort against the Lakers. Iverson also has four double-doubles to date.
5. Steve Nash - How could I justify leaving him off? Not only is he averaging 18 points and 12 assists but also he's led his team to the #2 spot in my STRONGER Rankings. Nash is shooting 95% from the line and 46% from three-point land. Also note that he's shooting 52% from the field. In the last four games, he's dishing out 17 assists per contest.
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Showing posts with label Nash. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nash. Show all posts
Monday, December 10, 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
NBA Point Guard Preview
The season is coming. Fast. As a point guard myself, I like to compare players at that position. Some players that flew up since the beginning of last year are Deron Williams, Baron Davis, and Mo Williams. To start this season I will rank the top eight point guards. All the stats are courtesy of 82games.com. The passing rating is a combination of assists, passing turnovers, and bad passes. The 'hands' rating is a combination of offensive fouls, bad passes, and ball handling turnovers. All clutch stats must be in the last 5 minutes of either the 4th quarter or overtime and the game must be within 5 points either way.
1. Steve Nash - He is the greatest playmaker in the game today. Nash makes everyone around him better. This year he will have three new teammates: Grant Hill, Brian Skinner, and Alando Tucker. Yes, he is getting older but with age comes wisdom. He knows what he's doing out there and can still play the game. This year may be the year for the Phoenix Suns. When Nash was on the floor last year, his team got 119 points every 100 possessions. When he wasn't on the court they were getting 106 points every 100 possessions.
Stats: Passing Rating- 22.3
'Hands' Rating- 41.3
Clutch Scoring per 48 min.- 36.4
Clutch Passing- 21.2
Clutch 'Hands'- 39.4
2. Jason Kidd - No matter how old this guy gets he'll still be able to make a difference in games. Last year he averaged 13 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds a game. Kidd hit a career high in rebounds last year and is still racking up the triple-doubles (he is third on the all-time list and had 12 this past season). Because of that, he joined the Big O and Magic Johnson as the only players to ever average 9 assists and 8 rebounds in the same season.
Stats: Passing Rating- 15.1
'Hands' Rating- 30.3
Clutch Scoring per 48 min.- 15.4
Clutch Passing- 14.4
Clutch 'Hands'- 25.4
3. Deron Williams - Last year's breakout star should have another successful season in Utah. Williams raised his assists per game average from 4.5 to 9.3 last year. He also averaged 16.2 points per game. Last season, in clutch situations, he played 94% of all the minutes which is a testament to endurance and fatigue.
Stats: Passing Rating- 14.9
'Hands' Rating- 27.7
Clutch Scoring per 48 min.- 25.7
Clutch Passing- 20.1
Clutch 'Hands'- 36.8
4. Chauncey Billups - He is the "assists-per-turnover-ratio" king. Billups led that category the past two season. Last year, he averaged close to 4 assists for every turnover of his. Also, he was getting 17 points a night. This year, he will have some young legs to work with in the backcourt with the acquisition of Rodney Stuckey.
Stats: Passing Rating- 12.5
'Hands' Rating- 25.3
Clutch Scoring per 48 min.- 34.6
Clutch Passing- 13.9
Clutch 'Hands'- 35.2
5. Chris Paul - He should have a good bounceback year after he battled some injuries last year. Paul was the unanimous Rookie of the Year in the 2005-06 season. Playing for the Hornets, he hasn't gotten much help in making it to the postseason though. However, that should change with a healthy Peja Stojakovic and a new backcourt mate, Morris Peterson.
Stats: Passing Rating- 16.1
'Hands' Rating- 30.1
Clutch Scoring per 48 min.- 26.2
Clutch Passing- 7.7
Clutch 'Hands'- 53.5
6. Tony Parker - He had a breakout Finals appearance but I really don't think he'll be able to sustain the level of play that he was it. If he can, he deserves to be number two or three on this list but that happening is unlikely. Besides, he wasn't outstanding in the regular season last year averaging 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists each game.
Stats: Passing Rating- 8.5
'Hands' Rating- 18.3
Clutch Scoring per 48 min.- 18.8
Clutch Passing- 4.8
Clutch 'Hands'- 10.2
7. Gilbert Arenas - You're probably thinking, "why the hell does he have this guy so low?" right? Well, I'm wondering if he can actually help his team and win games, or is Gilbert Arenas going to just be a sideshow attraction this year and only score points? He's very concentric and can be a ballhog at times which definitely does not fit the description of a point guard. That's why he is where he is right now.
Stats: Passing Rating- 8.4
'Hands' Rating- 19.6
Clutch Scoring per 48 min.- 47.8
Clutch Passing- 1.2
Clutch 'Hands'- 9.8
8. Baron Davis - Can he stay healthy? That is the big question lingering around about Baron Davis. It's been a problem of his in the past. We know what he can do when's he healthy (see first round of 2007 playoffs against the Mavs), but can he play 70 or 80 games in a year? Well, he hasn't played in more than 67 games in a season since his third year in the League.
Stats: Passing Rating- 16.7
'Hands' Rating- 32.0
Clutch Scoring per 48 min.- 34.6
Clutch Passing- 13.3
Clutch 'Hands'- 31.6
That's it. I hope you liked it. If you have any questions just leave a comment and I'll be sure to answer. Also, here's a little something from an up-and-coming point guard, Mike Conley:
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1. Steve Nash - He is the greatest playmaker in the game today. Nash makes everyone around him better. This year he will have three new teammates: Grant Hill, Brian Skinner, and Alando Tucker. Yes, he is getting older but with age comes wisdom. He knows what he's doing out there and can still play the game. This year may be the year for the Phoenix Suns. When Nash was on the floor last year, his team got 119 points every 100 possessions. When he wasn't on the court they were getting 106 points every 100 possessions.
Stats: Passing Rating- 22.3
'Hands' Rating- 41.3
Clutch Scoring per 48 min.- 36.4
Clutch Passing- 21.2
Clutch 'Hands'- 39.4
2. Jason Kidd - No matter how old this guy gets he'll still be able to make a difference in games. Last year he averaged 13 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds a game. Kidd hit a career high in rebounds last year and is still racking up the triple-doubles (he is third on the all-time list and had 12 this past season). Because of that, he joined the Big O and Magic Johnson as the only players to ever average 9 assists and 8 rebounds in the same season.
Stats: Passing Rating- 15.1
'Hands' Rating- 30.3
Clutch Scoring per 48 min.- 15.4
Clutch Passing- 14.4
Clutch 'Hands'- 25.4
3. Deron Williams - Last year's breakout star should have another successful season in Utah. Williams raised his assists per game average from 4.5 to 9.3 last year. He also averaged 16.2 points per game. Last season, in clutch situations, he played 94% of all the minutes which is a testament to endurance and fatigue.
Stats: Passing Rating- 14.9
'Hands' Rating- 27.7
Clutch Scoring per 48 min.- 25.7
Clutch Passing- 20.1
Clutch 'Hands'- 36.8
4. Chauncey Billups - He is the "assists-per-turnover-ratio" king. Billups led that category the past two season. Last year, he averaged close to 4 assists for every turnover of his. Also, he was getting 17 points a night. This year, he will have some young legs to work with in the backcourt with the acquisition of Rodney Stuckey.
Stats: Passing Rating- 12.5
'Hands' Rating- 25.3
Clutch Scoring per 48 min.- 34.6
Clutch Passing- 13.9
Clutch 'Hands'- 35.2
5. Chris Paul - He should have a good bounceback year after he battled some injuries last year. Paul was the unanimous Rookie of the Year in the 2005-06 season. Playing for the Hornets, he hasn't gotten much help in making it to the postseason though. However, that should change with a healthy Peja Stojakovic and a new backcourt mate, Morris Peterson.
Stats: Passing Rating- 16.1
'Hands' Rating- 30.1
Clutch Scoring per 48 min.- 26.2
Clutch Passing- 7.7
Clutch 'Hands'- 53.5
6. Tony Parker - He had a breakout Finals appearance but I really don't think he'll be able to sustain the level of play that he was it. If he can, he deserves to be number two or three on this list but that happening is unlikely. Besides, he wasn't outstanding in the regular season last year averaging 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists each game.
Stats: Passing Rating- 8.5
'Hands' Rating- 18.3
Clutch Scoring per 48 min.- 18.8
Clutch Passing- 4.8
Clutch 'Hands'- 10.2
7. Gilbert Arenas - You're probably thinking, "why the hell does he have this guy so low?" right? Well, I'm wondering if he can actually help his team and win games, or is Gilbert Arenas going to just be a sideshow attraction this year and only score points? He's very concentric and can be a ballhog at times which definitely does not fit the description of a point guard. That's why he is where he is right now.
Stats: Passing Rating- 8.4
'Hands' Rating- 19.6
Clutch Scoring per 48 min.- 47.8
Clutch Passing- 1.2
Clutch 'Hands'- 9.8
8. Baron Davis - Can he stay healthy? That is the big question lingering around about Baron Davis. It's been a problem of his in the past. We know what he can do when's he healthy (see first round of 2007 playoffs against the Mavs), but can he play 70 or 80 games in a year? Well, he hasn't played in more than 67 games in a season since his third year in the League.
Stats: Passing Rating- 16.7
'Hands' Rating- 32.0
Clutch Scoring per 48 min.- 34.6
Clutch Passing- 13.3
Clutch 'Hands'- 31.6
That's it. I hope you liked it. If you have any questions just leave a comment and I'll be sure to answer. Also, here's a little something from an up-and-coming point guard, Mike Conley:
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Deron Williams & the Best Point Guards
This is a copy from another blog I do on FanNation.com. It was posted about 4 months ago. I hope you enjoy it.
I'll start of by saying I am amazed at how well Deron Williams played in his first Conference Finals. I will zero in on Game 3. He became the youngest player in the history of the NBA to have 20 points and 10 assists in a conference final game. He was scoring at will by driving by the labeled "fastest" player in the NBA. Then when Bruce Bowen, the labeled "best" defender in the NBA was on him he made him look foolish by either driving by him or pulling up while Bowen was trying to retrieve his jockstrap. Next, the Spurs defense started collapsing on his drives where he then dished to open teammates for good looks at the basket. He is thriving in Sloan's system. The most important thing is that he can take over and make his teammates better at the same time. Which leads to my ranking of the top 8 point guards in the NBA:
1. Steve Nash, Suns.
2. Jason Kidd, Nets.
3. Deron Williams, Jazz.
4. Tony Parker, Spurs.
5. Chris Paul, Hornets.
6. Baron Davis, Warriors.
7. Chauncey Billups, Pistons.
8. Mo Williams, Bucks.
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I'll start of by saying I am amazed at how well Deron Williams played in his first Conference Finals. I will zero in on Game 3. He became the youngest player in the history of the NBA to have 20 points and 10 assists in a conference final game. He was scoring at will by driving by the labeled "fastest" player in the NBA. Then when Bruce Bowen, the labeled "best" defender in the NBA was on him he made him look foolish by either driving by him or pulling up while Bowen was trying to retrieve his jockstrap. Next, the Spurs defense started collapsing on his drives where he then dished to open teammates for good looks at the basket. He is thriving in Sloan's system. The most important thing is that he can take over and make his teammates better at the same time. Which leads to my ranking of the top 8 point guards in the NBA:
1. Steve Nash, Suns.
2. Jason Kidd, Nets.
3. Deron Williams, Jazz.
4. Tony Parker, Spurs.
5. Chris Paul, Hornets.
6. Baron Davis, Warriors.
7. Chauncey Billups, Pistons.
8. Mo Williams, Bucks.
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