Welcome to the Weekly Wrap-Up, your source for all the happenings and tidbits from the previous week in the NBA, all in rambling bullet-point form.
- As happens every year, writers are putting up a big stink about All-Star game voting. Because of guys like Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady getting high enough vote counts that they will probably start the game instead of more worthy candidates, many have suggested that the voting process needs to change (including BallerBlogger’s fearless leader, Brandon Hoffman). My take on the matter? Let the fans vote. If the All-Star game is for the fans (and it is), then the fans should get to pick who they want to see. It’s as simple as that. If the players put a lot of importance on being named an All-Star starter, that’s their own problem. Let’s be perfectly honest, it’s not like the coaches don’t leave deserving players off the All-Star bench also. The purpose of the All-Star game is to entertain the fans, even (shocking as this may be to consider for us American sports fans) the Chinese fans. If the majority of fans want to see Tracy McGrady start, then I see no problem with it, just don’t confuse being an All-Star with being an elite player.
- Though they lost in overtime Thursday at Chicago, I was really impressed by how the Cavs dispatched New Orleans Friday night. To come out on the second night of an away/home back-to-back, without two starters, and beat one of the West’s best teams in convincing fashion. That’s just impressive. Maybe the most impressive thing to watch was when the Hornets started narrowing the gap a bit in the fourth quarter, drawing to within nine with three and a half minutes left. This is what LeBron did over the next minute:
*Mid-range post up and draw a foul on James Posey.
*Face-up on Posey, jab sequence, bury a deep jumper.
*Start the play guarding David West, switch onto Chris Paul after a screen, double back on West in the post, rebound the West miss.
*Another mid-range post-up, draws a foul on Rasual Butler.
*Buries another mid-range jumper.
And that closed the door. Any glimmer of hope for the Hornets was gone.
- The Orlando/LA game Friday night was one of the best games I’ve watched this year simply because of how closely fought it was, and because of the insight it provided into each of the teams. Just some notes from that game:
* There’s probably no more explosive team in the league than Orlando. They’re streaky, but they space the floor so well, they can almost always get open looks behind the arc for good shooters. Combine that with their great defense, and they’re a 12-0 run waiting to happen.
* Jameer Nelson isn’t the weak link anymore, far from it. His improvement this year really is astonishing. He has a great understanding of where his teammates are going to be when he drives, and he’s become very adept at keeping his dribble alive in traffic. He’s also obviously put a lot of work into his shot, showing a consistent, compact release both off the dribble and on a catch-and-shoot, and it has him shooting a career-high 45.8% from deep (5th in the league).
* When Kobe catches the ball at the elbow, good things happen for the Lakers. Their offense gives him so many options from there, and he’s so adept at exploiting the double-team. Through three quarters, Kobe played basically perfect basketball, taking what the defense gave him and recording a triple-double, but couldn’t come up with the shots in the fourth quarter.
* I’d like Orlando a lot better if I thought they had an answer for LeBron. Rookie Courtney Lee actually did a respectable job on Kobe, and Mickael Pietrus can assume that role as well when he comes back. LeBron is a different animal though. Who’s going to guard him? Hedo Turkoglu? Rashard Lewis? No way. The Celtics can throw Paul Pierce and KG at him, who does Orlando have?
- Keep a close eye on the Sixers for the next few games. The team that made big waves this offseason finally seems to be playing well. They’ve won 6 in a row, with the last 3 being particularly impressive. They won at Atlanta by 15, then beat Portland by 21 and San Antonio by 22. Rookie Marreese Speights is getting more minutes (which he’s making great use of) and Thaddeus Young has really been playing well lately. Elton Brand should be returning to the lineup soon, and how the team reacts could shape not just the rest of this year, but the future of the franchise as well.
- Just wanted to point out, the Thunder aren’t as bad as they seem. After one of the most abysmal starts in league history, they’ve quietly had a respectable stretch recently. Of their last 9 games, the Thunder have won 5, and lost three of the games by 2, 2, and 4 (in OT). Not world-beaters, certainly, but not as awful as they first appeared. Kevin Durant really has been playing exceptional basketball for them. Consider this: before December, Durant had collected one double-double in his career. In the last month and a half, he has seven of them, and he’s averaging eight boards a game. That’s pretty astonishing improvement in such a short time for a pretty young kid.
- I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, just so you remember. I don’t care about their record, watch out for Indiana down the stretch. Their point differential says they should be 3 wins better than their current record. They’ve played 22 road games (to 17 at home). Their opponents’ winning percentage is first in the league. They’ve played 10 back-to-backs so far. Oh yeah, and both their starting point guard (T.J. Ford) and shooting guard (Mike Dunleavy) have missed stretches with injury. There’s really nowhere to go from here but up. It would surprise me if they don’t end up a playoff team.
Maestro Award
The Maestro Award is my recognition of the best performance from the previous week
And the award goes to…Chris Paul, because only one guy has ever recorded a quadruple-double with steals, and Paul came darn close to doing so against Dallas on Wednesday. One of the best lines you’ll ever see a point guard record, Paul had 33 points (on only 24 shots), 10 rebounds, 11 assists, 7 steals, and only 2 turnovers. Oh yeah, and his team won too.
Honorable Mention – The whole Orlando Magic team, for setting the NBA record for most three-pointers made in a game, and trampling poor Sacramento in the process. Now, if Dwight Howard had made a three, then I would be really impressed.
xphoenix87 is a contributing writer for BallerBlogger.com. x is a college student who dreams of one day writing about sports for a living. Since that’s not gonna happen, he’ll do this instead.
