Christmas Day is a time where we give and receive gifts as well as spend time with family and friends, reflecting about the past, appreciating the present and looking forward to the future. This is also the day where the NBA fans get a stocking full of games. We learn a lot about the teams that played and on this Christmas Day.
The day began in Brooklyn, NY between the Chicago Bulls (11-16) and the Brooklyn Nets (9-19), two teams who meet in the playoffs a season ago and have gotten off to rough starts this season.
Just like in the playoffs, where the Bulls as the No. 5 Seed defeated the No. 4 seeded Nets 4-3, took them apart and came away with a 95-78 victory at Barclays Center.
The Bulls were led by Taj Gibson with 20 points off the bench to go along with eight rebounds. Jimmy Butler had 15 points and five boards. Carlos Boozer had 14 points, Mike Dunleavy had 13 points and seven boards. D.J. Augustin, who was signed by the Bulls earlier this month had 13 points and five assists. Joakim Noah, a New York native had 10 points and eight boards for the Bulls, who won their second straight.
The Nets, who lost their fourth straight contest and five out of six were led by Deron Williams with 18 points. Mirza Teletovic had 17 points. Joe Johnson had 12 points for the Nets, who committed 17 turnovers, had just 11 assists and their bench managed just 23 points on just 4 for 30 shooting.
The combination of Andray Blatche, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce managed just 19 points on 4 for 26 shooting.
Coming into their Christmas Day contest with the Bulls, the Nets ranked in the bottom of the league in opponents three-point percentage (39.7-29th NBA), rebounds per game (40.4-29th NBA) and opponents points per game (102.6-25th).
The Bulls, one of the league's worst offensive teams, shot 48.6 percent from the field against the Nets. They out-rebounded the Nets 45-39.
On top of that, the Nets who have been at the bottom of the league in terms of third quarter output so far this season, were outscored 36-20 after intermission, which included a 21-5 spurt that broke the game open.
Earlier in the week, Nets rookie head coach Jason Kidd said about his team's play, "Were kind of getting comfortable with losing and we've got to make a stand with that because when things get tough, do we just give in? And most of the time we do."
It has been a tough season for the Nets, but despite their struggles, they are just three games back of the Toronto Raptors (11-15) in the Atlantic Division, which states how bad the Eastern Conference has been so far in 2013-14.
With that being said though, the Nets, whose road back to being in playoff contention got harder because center Brook Lopez was lost to for the rest of the season due to a broken foot suffered in a 121-120 overtime loss at the Philadelphia 76ers (8-20).
What is going to make this climb even harder for the Nets is the fact that they do not have an identity to lean on.
While the Bulls are struggling to win games right now, they at least know that they have a identity of playing defense and bringing effort and energy game in and game out. That is why their chances of competing for a playoff spot are much better than the Nets.
The second game featured the Oklahoma City Thunder and the New York Knicks. Two teams headed in opposite directions.
On this date back in 1984 versus the Nets, Hall of Fame Knicks' forward Bernard King scored 60 points on 19 for 30 from the field and 22 for 26 from the free throw line. The Knicks unfortunately lost 120-114.
The Knicks (9-19) latest Christmas Day contest was never close as the Thunder (23-5) won 123-94.
All-Star forward Kevin Durant paced five double-figure scorers for the Thunder with 29 points to go along with seven boards and six assists. Serge Ibaka had 24 points on 10 for 14 shooting. Reggie Jackson had 18 points off the bench. Russell Westbrook recorded his first triple-double and seventh of his career with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Thunder, who have won 18 of their last 20 games, shot 53.6 percent from the field. They hit 13 for 24 from three-point range and registered 32 assists on 45 made field goals.
Their victory at the Knicks also snapped 10-game road losing streak on Christmas Day and it was the team's first victory on Christmas Day in franchise history going back to the team's days when they were the Seattle Supersonics.
At this time a season ago, the Knicks were 20-8, on route to winning their first Atlantic Division title as well as a home record of 31-10.
Their 29-point setback on Wednesday was their 11th loss in 15 tries at Madison Square Garden this season. It was also the worst home loss on Christmas Day for a home team in NBA history.
To make matters worse, the Knicks who started wearing orange color jerseys at certain times at home this season are now 0-7 this season. Three of those losses have been by 20-plus point. A 31-point setback versus the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 10 (120-89); 20-point loss versus the Atlanta Hawks (16-13) 110-90 and 41-defeat versus the Boston Celtics (12-17) 114-73 on Dec. 8.
Playing without the second leading scorer in the league in forward Carmelo Anthony (26.3 ppg) because of sprained left ankle he sustained in the 103-98 victory at the Orlando Magic (8-20) this past Monday night did not help the Knicks cause coming into Wednesday's contest. The Knicks were also without starting lead guard Raymond Felton who injured his groin in the aforementioned contest last Monday night.
The Knicks were lead in scoring by Amar'e Stoudemire who had 22 points on 10 for 16 from the field off the bench. Rookie guard Tim Hardaway, Jr. had 21 points off the pine. J.R. Smith was the only starter in double figures with 20 points, but shot just 8 for 22 from the field, including going just 3 for 9 from three-point territory.
The rest of the starting quintet of the Knicks of Andrea Bargnani, Tyson Chandler, Beno Udrih and Iman Shumpert had just 24 points on just 10 for 27 shooting.
Coming into the contest, the Knicks ranked 30th in fastbreak points (7.6); 29th in rebounds per contest at 38.9 and 25th in points per contest at 95.
The Thunder out-rebounded the Knicks 46-42. Out fastbreaked the Knicks 18-8 and held them to 94 points on 42.2 percent from the floor and connecting on just 6 for 23 from three-point territory.
As mentioned earlier, both of these teams who came into this season with championship aspirations have gone in opposite directions.
To bring this point to its appex, the Thunder have post more wins on the road at 10 than the Knicks have total victories with just nine.
The saving grace for the Knicks though, they are like the Nets just 3 games back of the Nets for the top spot in the Atlanic Division.
If they have any chance of making that a reality, they must get back on the winning track at home. Anthony and Felton must get back soon and they have to play with much more effort and energy. You can have all of the talent in the world, but when you play with no joy, concentration and confidence, winning consistently is that much harder.
The third game of the holiday featured familiar foes who have played on this day before in the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles.
This game though did not feature one of the main characters in perennial All-Star guard in Kobe Bryant who is on the shelf because of a fractured lateral tibial plateau in his left knee.
The Lakers (13-16) without their lead man held their own against the Heat for much of the game thanks to their ability to connect from three-point range as they went 14 for 36 from three-point range.
The team was paced by Nick Young, who scored 20 points off the bench. Jodie Meeks had 17 points. Xavier Henry had 14 points and Pau Gasol had 13 points and 13 rebounds. Wesley Johnson had 12 points.
Despite their efforts, the Lakers fell for the sixth time in as many tries on Christmas Day to the Heat (22-6) 101-95.
Guard Dwyane Wade, last week's Eastern Conferene Player of the Week, led the way with 23 points, six boards and seven assists. Chris Bosh also had 23 points to go along with 11 rebounds. Reigning back-to-back Most Valuable Player LeBron James had 19 points and eight boards. Ray Allen contributed 12 points going 4 for 5 from three-point land.
The Heat, who won their sixth game in a row, their seventh victory in as many chances against the Western Conference and their 19th consecutive overall against the West.
If there is anything that this game showed is the value of having stars on the court. When this contest was in the balance, the Heat were able to get seven layups that allowed them to get separation from the Lakers.
That is because the Heat had the "Big 3" of James, Wade and Bosh on the court in clutch time. That resulted in the likes of Allen, Norris Cole and Mario Chalmers to get easy shot attempts throughout the game and especially at crunch time.
The Lakers without Bryant on the court did not have the focal point that we draw the attention of the Heat defense.
What also helped the Heat in this contest is they had the kind of focus necessary to take care of business against an opponent without their star player. When you are a back-to-back champion which the Heat are, you have seen virtually every single system situation possible.
They also understand that a game like this can bite them in the rear if they were to fall, especially since the only other true contender in the East the Indiana Pacers are ahead of them for the best record in the Conference at 23-5.
"We knew were going to play against a team that was going to come out and going to give us everything. Obviously their main guy down with Kobe, but they got guys that is highly capable," Wade said to ESPN's Heather Cox after the game.
The next to last contest featured Texas rivals in the Houston Rockets and the Spurs.
The Rockets (19-11) lead wire to wire as they defeated the (22-7) for the second time this season 111-98.
James Harden paced the Rockets with 28 points to go along with 6 rebounds and six assists. Terrence Jones had 21 points to go along with 14 rebounds and three blocks. Chandler Parsons also had 21 points on 8 for 14 from the field, including 5 for 9 from three-point range. He also had six rebounds and six assists. Dwight Howard registered his 20th double-double of the season with 15 points and 20 boards to go along with two blocks. Jeremy Lin had 13 points and eight assists for the Rockets, who had lost seven straight to the Spurs prior to their two victories in as many chances versus the Spurs this season.
The Rockets were able to prevail against the Spurs again because of their ability to take care of business on both ends of the court.
At the offensive end, the Rockets, who scored 40 points in the first quarter, shot 52.3 percent from the field, went 12 for 24 from three-point range, outscored the Spurs in the paint 50-44, outscored them on the fastbreak 17-12 and registered 28 assists on 45 made baskets. The Rockets starters outscored the Spurs quintet 98-45.
Defensively, the Rockets held the Spurs to 40.7 percent shooting, including going 5 for 20 from the field. They out-rebounded the Spurs 50-46.
Despite recording his ninth to the double-double of the season of 11 points and 14 rebounds to go along with five assists and six block shots, Tim Duncan shot just 4 for 12 from the field.
Manu Ginobili led the Spurs with 22 points on 8 for 17 from the floor. Kawhi Leonard was the only other player in double-figures with 13 points with seven boards.
The combination of Leonard, Tiago Splitter, Tony Parker and Duncan went just 15 for 44 from the floor.
After leading after the first period 40-25, the Spurs outscored the Rockets 50-43 over the next two quarters, the Rockets outscored the Spurs 28-23 in the fourth. Harden scored 16 of those 28 points in the fourth quarter going 6 for 7 from the field.
"My teammates needed me. The first three quarters, I was just trying to be a facilitator. Making sure the ball moved well and in the fourth quarter, I just tried to be a creator and make some shots," Harden, who is seccond in the league with a 7.2 point per game average in the fourth quarter, said to ESPN's Israel Gutierrez after the game on Wednesday.
Despite leading the Rockets by three and a half games in the Southwest Division, there is cause for concern in Spurs camp.
They have gone 0 for 6 against the Portland Trail Blazers (24-5), Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers (20-11) and Rockets. Dating back to last season, the Rockets have beaten the Spurs three straight times after losing the previous seven in a row.
Overall the Spurs have lost two of their last three contest and have gone 3-3 in their last six games. On top of that they are just 3-6 in recent contest against teams over .500.
While their is cause for concern, we got to remember, these are the defending Western Conference champs. They are going through a rough stretch, but they will bounce back that is a promise.
The last game, the most entertaining one of the day featured a budding rivarly between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors.
It was just a few years ago that these two teams could only dream of playing on Christmas Day. Two days ago that dream became a reality and for the Clippers (20-11), it was the second year in succession they have played on Christmas Day. They won versus the Denver Nuggets a year ago 112-100.
They did not get the same result this time around at the Warriors (17-13) who defeated them 105-103, taking revenge against the Clippers, who defeated them 126-115 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA back on Halloween night.
David Lee and Klay Thompson each had 23 points to lead the Warriors. Lee registered his 18 double-double of the season as he had 13 boards to go along with his point total. Stehpen Curry also recorded a double-double, his 13th of the season with 15 points and 11 assists. Harrison Barnes had 14 off the bench and Andrew Bogut had a double-double of his own with 10 points and 14 boards.
The Clippers were paced by Chris Paul who had his 24th double-double of the season with 26 points and 11 assists. Blake Griffin registered his 23rd double-double of the season with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Jamal Crawford had 19 points, while DeAndre Jordan had 13 points, 13 rebounds and six block shots. Darren Collison had 11 points off the bench.
The Warriors came through with the victory despite shooting just 42.1 percent from the field because they managed to hit 10 three-pointers in 24 tries. They out-rebounded the Clippers 49-38 and outscored them 52-38 in the paint.
The Clippers lost for just the third time this season in 22 chances when taking a lead into the fourth quarter, which they did at 77-74 late Wednesday night. It was also just their third setback of such kind in 11 tries on the road.
These two teams over the last couple of years have grown a serious dislike for one another. That went to another level in this past contest.
At the end of the third quarter Warriors forward Draymond Green got into a scuffle that resulted in Green getting ejected for a flagarant two foul from throwing an elbow. Griffin drew just a technical foul.
In the early stages of the fourth quarter, Griffin got into it with Bogut drawing his second technical foul resulting in his ejection. Bogut drew just a flagrant one foul as well as a technical foul.
Without their inside presenec on the court, the Clippers were unable to close as they missed many shot from in close in the closing stages of the final period.
When the game ended, players from both teams got tangled near the tunnel that lead to the Clippers' locker room, which resulted in security personnel stepped in. In the middle of all this was former Warrior swingman Stephen Jackson.
While both of these teams have had risen from the ashes of the basement in the NBA standings, both head coaches of Clippers Glenn "Doc" Rivers and Mark Jackson of the Warriors, both former players in the league say this is a long way from being a rivalry, especially since both teams are far from being perennial championship contenders.
One thing is for sure, they are very entertaining high scoring teams, who will meet for the third of four meetings back at Oracle Arena on Jan. 30 on TNT.
There are a number of things that can be taken away from the games that took place on Christmas Day. For starters four of the five teams that won today were the away teams, the Bulls, Thunder, Heat and Rockets. The Nets and Knicks who have the No. 1 and No. 2 highest payrolls in the league respectably prove that you cannot buy victories in the league. The Rockets if they can play at the level they did on Wednesday night, they can be in the conversation as a title contender. The Warriors, who had a breakthough season a year ago, have learned that going from pretender to contender is not easy. However, if they play with the kind of effort and energy they did on Wednesday night on both ends, they have a chance of making the playoffs again. The biggest lesson on this day was demonstrated by the Bulls. A team that has not been the same since losing the 2011 MVP in Derrick Rose to a season ending knee injury, is that when you have a identity and you stick with it, competing to win games is easy and proving you are more than just one player is even easier. That is especially the case when you have a coach in Tom Thibodeau that demands it from the practice court to gameday.
Information, quotations and statistics is courtesy of www.espn.go.com/nba/statistics/standings/schedule; 12/26/13 1 a.m. edition of "NBA Tonight" on ESPN 2 with Alfredo Lomeli and Tim Legler; 12/26/13 6 a.m. edition of NBATV's "Gametime" with Matt Winer and Steve Smith;
Friday, December 27, 2013
Monday, December 23, 2013
J-Speaks: Lakers' All-Star Guard is Down Again
On Apr 12, the Los Angeles Lakers won versus the Golden State Warriors 118-116. They unfortunately lost their perennial All-Star guard Kobe Bryant to a torn left Achilles and was lost for the playoffs. Like any accomplished player, he went right to work rehabing the Achilles and was able to return to the court on Dec. 8 versus the Toronto Raptors. While it was a struggle for Bryant for much of this, was showing signs that he was returning to his Hall of Fame form. At the Memphis Grizzlies six days ago, he was regaining his form as he had his best outing since his return. Unfortunately that great performance will be the last for his comeback.
In the 96-92 win at the Grizzlies (11-15) six days ago, the five-time champion sustained an injury to his knee, which he thought at first was just a tweak and that he hyperextended it. He was able to finish the game and scored 21 points, including hitting a key three-pointer late to helps the Lakers (13-14) close out the Grizzlies.
The next day however, it was revealed in an MRI that the 15-time All-Star sustained a fracture in the lateral tibial plateau in his left knee. He is expected to be out six weeks.
In the six games that Bryant played, he averaged 13.8 points on 43 percent shooting in 29.6 minutes. It is a far cry from his 27.3 average a season ago, which was third in the league.
The Lakers went 2-4 scoring scoring just 97.2 points per game and giving up 105.5 points per contest in the games Bryant played.
In the first 19 games the team played without Bryant, the Lakers averaged 101.3 points per contest and surrendered 102.8 points per night.
"He was making great steps and you defintely see him making progress since he has gotten back," Lakers' forward/center Pau Gasol, who also had 21 points and nine boards at the Grizzlies, said this past Thursday to the media.
"He's been working extremely hard, playing extremely hard, so I'll miss him a lot."
To put the short term prospects of what Bryant's injury means to the Lakers into perspective, the Lakers face the prospect of not having Bryant for the next 22 games.
In that period of time, 10 of those opponents have an above .500 record. The Lakers will also embark on a seven-game road trip, where they will face the likes of the Phoenix Suns (16-10), Boston Celtics (12-17), Chicago Bulls (10-16), New York Knicks (8-18) and Miami Heat (20-6).
On top of that, the team is not just missing Bryant, they are currently without all three of their point guards. Starting lead guard Steve Blake (9.8 ppg, 7.7 apg-leads team) is currently on the shelf and will be gone for up to five weeks because of a serious elbow injury. Back-up guard Jordan Farmar (9.2 ppg, 4.4 apg) has been sidelined in recent games because of a hamstring injury. He is expected to return soon. Last season's Steve Nash (6.7 ppg, 4.8 apg), who has played in just six games this season has been out because of back problems and there is no timetable for his return.
The more larger cloud that is hanging over the Lakers with this setback by Bryant is that back on Nov. 25, he signed a two-year $48.5 million contract extension back on.
If you count all of the minutes that the 2008 Most Valuable Player (MVP) and two-time NBA Finals MVP has garnered in the regular season and postseason in his 18-year Hall of Fame career, Bryant has played the fifth most minutes in NBA history with 54,208. The 220 playoff games that Bryant has played in is the eqiuvalent of 2.7 seasons. The four other players who have played more minutes are the late Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlin (55,418), Nets current head coach Jason Kidd (56,199), Hall of Famers Karl Malone (62,759) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (66,297).
It is hard to imagine that Bryant is at the end of his career and that he may not be able to finish it out on his own terms.
Coming into last season, Bryant had dreams of one more run at another title. Those dreams became difficult when the additions of center Dwight Howard and Nash did not work. They won just 45 games and they just snuck into the playoffs. Their reward, a date with the San Antonio Spurs and it ended in a four-game sweep.
This past summer, Howard bolted to the Houston Rockets in free agency and the injuries have made Nash a shell of himself in his short time as a Laker.
Currently, the Lakers are on the outside of the playoffs looking in and the prospects of them even making the playoffs do not look good.
Even if Bryant, the NBA's 4th all-time leading scorer at 31,700 points does come back in the exact time of six weeks, will he comeback in time to prevent the Lakers missing the playoffs for the first time since 2005 and for just the third time in the last 21 seasons.
"He'll do what he needs to be ready," Lakers head coach Mike, D'Antoni said this past Thursday.
"I think he'll be back in six weeks and he'll be hunting for some bear."
Information, statistics and quotations are courtesy of 12/19/13 6 p.m. edition of ESPN's "Sportscenter" with Karl Ravech and John Anderson; 12/19/13 TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by Autotrader.com with Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley; www.espn.go.com/nba; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_Bryant.
In the 96-92 win at the Grizzlies (11-15) six days ago, the five-time champion sustained an injury to his knee, which he thought at first was just a tweak and that he hyperextended it. He was able to finish the game and scored 21 points, including hitting a key three-pointer late to helps the Lakers (13-14) close out the Grizzlies.
The next day however, it was revealed in an MRI that the 15-time All-Star sustained a fracture in the lateral tibial plateau in his left knee. He is expected to be out six weeks.
In the six games that Bryant played, he averaged 13.8 points on 43 percent shooting in 29.6 minutes. It is a far cry from his 27.3 average a season ago, which was third in the league.
The Lakers went 2-4 scoring scoring just 97.2 points per game and giving up 105.5 points per contest in the games Bryant played.
In the first 19 games the team played without Bryant, the Lakers averaged 101.3 points per contest and surrendered 102.8 points per night.
"He was making great steps and you defintely see him making progress since he has gotten back," Lakers' forward/center Pau Gasol, who also had 21 points and nine boards at the Grizzlies, said this past Thursday to the media.
"He's been working extremely hard, playing extremely hard, so I'll miss him a lot."
To put the short term prospects of what Bryant's injury means to the Lakers into perspective, the Lakers face the prospect of not having Bryant for the next 22 games.
In that period of time, 10 of those opponents have an above .500 record. The Lakers will also embark on a seven-game road trip, where they will face the likes of the Phoenix Suns (16-10), Boston Celtics (12-17), Chicago Bulls (10-16), New York Knicks (8-18) and Miami Heat (20-6).
On top of that, the team is not just missing Bryant, they are currently without all three of their point guards. Starting lead guard Steve Blake (9.8 ppg, 7.7 apg-leads team) is currently on the shelf and will be gone for up to five weeks because of a serious elbow injury. Back-up guard Jordan Farmar (9.2 ppg, 4.4 apg) has been sidelined in recent games because of a hamstring injury. He is expected to return soon. Last season's Steve Nash (6.7 ppg, 4.8 apg), who has played in just six games this season has been out because of back problems and there is no timetable for his return.
The more larger cloud that is hanging over the Lakers with this setback by Bryant is that back on Nov. 25, he signed a two-year $48.5 million contract extension back on.
If you count all of the minutes that the 2008 Most Valuable Player (MVP) and two-time NBA Finals MVP has garnered in the regular season and postseason in his 18-year Hall of Fame career, Bryant has played the fifth most minutes in NBA history with 54,208. The 220 playoff games that Bryant has played in is the eqiuvalent of 2.7 seasons. The four other players who have played more minutes are the late Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlin (55,418), Nets current head coach Jason Kidd (56,199), Hall of Famers Karl Malone (62,759) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (66,297).
It is hard to imagine that Bryant is at the end of his career and that he may not be able to finish it out on his own terms.
Coming into last season, Bryant had dreams of one more run at another title. Those dreams became difficult when the additions of center Dwight Howard and Nash did not work. They won just 45 games and they just snuck into the playoffs. Their reward, a date with the San Antonio Spurs and it ended in a four-game sweep.
This past summer, Howard bolted to the Houston Rockets in free agency and the injuries have made Nash a shell of himself in his short time as a Laker.
Currently, the Lakers are on the outside of the playoffs looking in and the prospects of them even making the playoffs do not look good.
Even if Bryant, the NBA's 4th all-time leading scorer at 31,700 points does come back in the exact time of six weeks, will he comeback in time to prevent the Lakers missing the playoffs for the first time since 2005 and for just the third time in the last 21 seasons.
"He'll do what he needs to be ready," Lakers head coach Mike, D'Antoni said this past Thursday.
"I think he'll be back in six weeks and he'll be hunting for some bear."
Information, statistics and quotations are courtesy of 12/19/13 6 p.m. edition of ESPN's "Sportscenter" with Karl Ravech and John Anderson; 12/19/13 TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by Autotrader.com with Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley; www.espn.go.com/nba; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_Bryant.
Friday, December 20, 2013
J-Speaks: The Hot Starts by the Pacers, Spurs and Trail Blazers
When you fall one game short of reaching the NBA Finals like the Indiana Pacers did, one game short of winning another title like the San Antonio Spurs did or when a 13-game losing streak to close the season that ended the smallest chance of just making the postseason like the Portland Trail Blazers did a season ago, the question is how will you bounce back the next season. In the case of these three small market teams, they have comeback in a big way.
After losing in the Eastern Conference Finals in seven games to the back-to-back champion Miami Heat (19-6) a season ago, the Pacers (20-5) came into this season with a chip on their shoulder.
They have used that to fuel them to the best record in the East so far this season. Their nine straight wins out the gate is their best in franchise history, which dates back to their days in the American Basketball Association.
Their success has been predicated on three things. First their amazing ability to play great defense night in and night out.
The Central Division leading Pacers lead the league in points allowed per game at 90.2 and field goal percentage allowed at 41.5 percent. Opponents have shot just 33.6 percent from three-point range against the Pacers, ranked 6th in the league. The Pacers have the 6th best rebound differential in the NBA at a plus 2.8 and they are 10th in the league in total boards per contest grabbing 43.7. They are 4th in block shots per conetest at average 6.2 block shots per contest and starting center Roy Hibbert (12.6 ppg, 8.6 rpg) is second in the league averaging 2.9 blocks.
The second reason the Pacers have gotten off to their amazing start this first month of the season is the continued emergence of their star player swingman Paul George.
The first-time All-Star and the Most Improved Player a season ago has taken his game to an even higher level this season averaging 23.8 points per game, which is ranked 7th in The Association, to go along with 5.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.0 steals per contest.
To put George's start to the season into context, in the Pacers aforementioned first nine games of the season, all wins, George scored 20 points or more in all of them. That is the best start individually for a Pacers in franchise history, surpassing Hall of Famer and NBA on TNT color analyst Reggie Miller, who did it the first six games of the 1990-91 season and former Pacer and CBS College Basketball analyst Clark Kellogg who did it the first seven games of the 1985-86 season.
It is not just the fact that George has established himself as the Pacers best offensive player, he has become their go-to scorer when the game is on the line.
He demonstrated that poise ability to come through in the clutch on national television at the New York Knicks (8-17), when he scored 21 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter and overtime in the Pacers 103-96 win on Nov. 20 at Madison Square Garden.
What makes the performance even more incredible is that he was the complete opposite in the Pacers first loss of the season four days prior. He registered just 12 points on 3 for 14 shooting in the 110-94 loss at the Chicago Bulls (9-16), more on them later.
He had a tough performance last Saturday 99-94 win versus the Charlotte Bobcats (12-14). George had just 10 points on 2 for 12 shooting.
While George has been the pillar on offense for the Pacers, the team is not where they are today if not for a couple new editions and the improvement of a couple of key cogs.
One of the weaknesses of the Pacers a season ago was their inability to get consistent production from their bench as well as the inconsistency of the starting backcourt of Lance Stephenson and George Hill.
The Pacers addressed their bench this off-season by acquiring veteran forward Luis Scola (8.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and guard C.J. Watson (6.3 ppg) who have been a solid edition and has added depth to the frontcout of the Pacers.
Stephenson and Hill have gone from players who showed up here and there to ones that have come through game in and game out. In the case of Stephenson, he is averaging career-highs of 12.9 points, 6.6 boards and 4.9 assists per contest.
In fact he is the only player to have multiple triple-doubles this season. His first came in a 95-79 win versus the Memphis Grizzlies (10-15) on Nov. 11 where he had 13 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists. Stephenson's second triple came in a 97-82 win at the Celtics (12-15) 11 days later, where he registered 10 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to go along with four steals.
In the aforementioned win the Pacers had last Saturday versus the Bobcats, Stephenson came close to his third triple-double of the season with 20 points, 11 boards and seven assists. Hibbert registered 18 points and 11 rebounds. Forward David West had 14 points and eight rebounds. Hill had 13 points.
With the emergence of George, an improved bench, consistent play from Hill and Stephenson and a identity around playing strong defense, the Pacers have shown going 15-1 in November, that if they do meet the Heat, who have been great themselves to start this season, the games they play during the regular season, will have major implications in the standing and will serve as notice of what could happen if they meet in the postseason this spring.
They won the first of their four meetings this season 90-84 five days ago, to improve their mark to 5-2 to start the month of December. One of those losses though was at the Oklahoma City Thunder (21-4) where they lost 118-94, their largest margin of defeat of the season.
In their 24-point setback, the Thunder, who scored the most points in a game against the Pacers this season, shot 61 percent from the floor, where out-rebounded 46-29 and the dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were remarkable. Durant had 36 points, 10 rebounds and five assists and Westbrook had 26 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds.
They have had lost their last two games however. The first was their first setback at home to the Detroit Pistons 101-96 this past Monday. That was followed by a 97-94 loss at the Miami Heat, where they blew a 15-point lead in the second half.
While the Heat are the "Top Dogs" of the East as well as the entire league, the Pacers have shown that they are for real. With that being said, the season is still young and head coach Frank Vogel and his squad have to continue to improve so that if they do meet in the Eastern Conference Finals, they can have that Game 7 if it comes to that on their home court.
While the East has one contending team trying to get to where they Heat finished a season ago, another team trying to recapture that glory is the Southwest leading Spurs (21-5).
After last season's disappointing finish in the Finals where the Spurs blew a 3-2 series lead to fall to the Heat in seven games, main thought that the Spurs chances of contending for a fifth title were down the Alamo River.
They have proven once again that underestimating themis a big mistake. They once again are in the thick of the Western Conference.
They went 14-3 in the first month of the season, which included an 11-game winning streak from Nov. 5, to Nov. 25, which unfortunately came to an end two days later when they were defeated by the Thunder 94-88.
With that being said, the team has played great led by the amazing "Big 3" of forward Tim Duncan (14.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg-lead team, 1.7 bpg-leads team), guards Tony Parker (17.5 ppg-leads team, 6.0 apg-leads team, 51.7 FG%-lead team) and Manu Ginobili (11.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 4.7 apg).
The word that describes the Spurs as a team is consistency on both ends of the court. They are 8th in the league in scoring at 103.1 points per game and their second in assists per game at 24.8. They rank fourth in points allowed at 94.7 and tied for sixth in field goal percentage allowed at 43.4 percent.
This consistency on both ends is not just a product of the great coaching from Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich and the remarkable greatness of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, but the stellar play from the likes of starting small forward Kawhi Leonard (12.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.8 spg-leads team), who is getting better and better by the day.
Guards Danny Green (7.4 ppg, 40.6 3-Pt.%), Patty Mills (8.4 ppg, 43.4 3-Pt.%) and Marco Bellinelli (10.2 ppg, 53.2 3-Pt.%) are big reasons why the Spurs rank third in the league in three-point percentage at 40.2 percent.
Starting center Tiago Splitter (8.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg) has been very steady for the Spurs in the paint and on the glass and forward Boris Diaw (9.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg) whether starting or coming off the bench provides steadiness on the perimeter or inside.
While they understand that they need to be peaking in the months of March and April as playoff time approaches, they understand that getting off to a solid start is just as important and their strong beginning in the first month of the season. As mentioned they went 14-3 in November and have 7-2 mark so far in December proving once again that they are a title contender and they are still a force for the likes of the Thunder and the Los Angeles Clippers (18-9) to deal with.
With their stellar mark through the first 23 games of the season, that would be enough to put them a top of the West. That is not the case because the aformentioned Thunder are a top the West and right behind them is the real surprise of the Conference and the league so far this season, the Portland Trail Blazers (22-5).
Last season, the Trail Blazers had a surprising start to the season going 20-15 in the first 35 games. The team unfortunately finished 13-34 to finish this season, which includes a 13-game losing streak to close the season.
A big reason for the slide is the fact that Trail Blazers' had a stellar starting five, their bench averaged just 18.5 points per contest, ranked dead last a season ago.
This offseason, the Blazers front office went to work to take care of the team's main weakness and added a huge missing piece that solidified the starting five.
This summer, the Trail Blazers signed guard Mo Williams (9.3 ppg, 4.5 apg, 37.0 3-Pt.%) and forward Dorell Wright (5.1 ppg, 39.2 3-Pt.%) and acquired forward Thomas Robinson (5.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg). In the draft, the team selected at the No. 10 spot C.J. McCollum out of Lehigh, who is yet to play this season because of a broken foot and they drafted in the second round (No. 31 overall) swingman Allen Crabbe out of University of California, who has shown flashes of what he can do when he has been given the chance to play.
When last season's starting center J.J. Hickson (12.7 ppg, 10.4 rpg last) turned his stellar season into a three-year, $15 milllion contract with the Denver Nuggets, their was a major void in the starting center spot.
In a three-team deal with the Sacramento Kings and the New Orleans Pelicans, the Blazers acquired center Robin Lopez. While the numbers have been solid, 9.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, they have been worth their weight in gold, in particular to his starting front court mate LaMarcus Aldridge.
With a true center alongside him, the eight-year veteran out of the University of Texas Aldridge is having a break out season leading the Blazers with career-highs in scoring at 23.3 points and 11.1 rebounds on 47.9 percent from the field. He has had 16 double-doubles (points and rebounds) so far this season, tied for 5th in the league with Houston Rockets' center Dwight Howard. Lopez has recorded 11 double-doubles so far this season.
When the Trail Blazers drafted their starting lead guard Damian Lillard at the No. 6 spot a season ago out of Weber State, not many did not know what to expect out of him. Well all he did was win Rookie of the Month every month last season and his amazing season where he averaged 19.0 points per outing and 6.5 assists earned him Rookie of the Year.
He has continued that amazing play in his second season as the Trail Blazers second leading scorer at 21.3 points per contest, 5.9 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game on 42.8 percent from three-point range.
He especially this season has shown a boldness to make shots in the closing moments that break the heart of the opponent.
At the start of the week, Lillard hit a fade away jumper in the closing seconds of overtime that gave the Blazers a 111-109 win at the Pistons. The Blazers' lead guard had 23 points and seven assists to go along with three steals.
Lillard followed that up by hitting the game-winning three-pointer in the closing moments two nights later giving the Blazers a 119-116 win at the Cleveland Cavaliers (9-15). Lillard nearly had a triple-double with 36 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists going 11 for 23 from the field, including going 8 for 12 from three-point range. He out played the other emerging lead guard in the Cavs Kyrie Irving, who had 25 points and 10 assists.
The stellar play of Aldridege and Lillard and the presence of Lopez has allowed the wing players of the Trail Blazers starting quintet in small forward Nicolas Batum and Lillard's backcourt mate in Wesley Matthews to have break out seasons themselves.
Each year that Batum has been in the league, he has grown by leaps and bounds and this season is no different. He is averaging the second highest point production of his young career at 14.1 points to go along with career-high averages of 6.3 boards and 5.2 assists, which is second on the team. He is shooting 47 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from behind the three-point line.
After a one season with the Utah Jazz where he played very well averaging 9.4 points, Matthews, who was not drafted back in 2009 when he came out of Marquette University, signed a very front loaded five-year $34 million offer sheet with the Blazers on July 10, 2010. Being a restricted free agent, the Jazz had seven days to match the offer. Four days later, they decided not to offer a matching contract and Matthews became a Trail Blazer.
In his first three season in the Pacific Northwest, Matthews averaged 15.9, 13.7 and 14.8 points per contest on 40.7, 38.3 and 39.8 percent from behind the three-point arc respectably. This season, he has shattered those numbers averaging a career-bests 16.2 points per contest on 50 percent from the field and 44.2 percent from three-point range.
The balanced attack from the starting five to the reserves is why the Trail Blazers are leading league in scoring at 108.3 points per contest; 5th in assists per contest at 23.5; 10th in field goal percentage at 45.7 percent and No. 1 in three-point field goal percentage at 41.1 percent.
In their game this past Saturday nigit, a 139-105 win at the Philadelphia 76ers (7-19), the Trail Blazers went 21 for 37 from three-point range. The 21 three-pointers made, set a new franchise record and were two shy of the NBA record set by the Orlando Magic in the 2008-09 when they hit 23 three-pointers in a game at the Sacramento Kings.
The 139 points the Blazers put up are the most in a road game since 1992. The Blazers got 60 points from their bench with Wright leading the way with 15 points on 5 for 5 from three-point territory. Williams had 14 points and Robinson had 10.
The Trail Blazers took over this game in the third quarter where they turned a seven-point lead at intermission, 71-64 into a 111-79 lead after three. They outscored the Sixers 40-15 in the third period, going 7 for 12 from the three-point line, garnering 13 boards to the Sixers eight and accumilating 14 assists to the Sixers 2. The Blazers had 41 assists for the game, falling eight shy of the team record that was set in a game versus the Denver Nuggets back in the 1990-91.
The victory was the team's ninth versus the East and so far they have had 11 wins in 11 tries against the rival Conference.
A season ago, the Trail Blazers were one of the worst defensive teams in the league ranking 21st in points allowed at 100.7; next to last (29th overall) in field goal percentage allowed at 47.4 percent and 24th in the league in rebounding at 40.8 boards per game.
While they still rank at the bottom in points allowed at 101.9 per game, they are ranked 16th in field goal pecentage allowed giving up 45.3 percent shooting and they are 4th in the league in rebounding per game at 46 boards per contest and are 3rd in rebounding differential at a plus 3.3 per game.
To put the Trail Blazers supreme start into perspective, their 20-4 start through the first 24 games is the second best in team history. They went 22-2 in their first 24 games to start the 1990-91 season. Of their first four losses, two came at the hands of the Phoenix Suns (14-10), who have defeated the Trail Blazers two of the three meetings this season. Their third loss came at home on Dec. 7 versus the Dallas Mavericks (15-10), when guard Monta Ellis hit the game-winner at the buzzer to give the Mavs a 108-106 win.
Their most recent set back was a 120-109 defeat at the Minnesota Timberwolves (13-13) on Wednesday night. It was the back end of a back-to-back and the fourth game in five days for the team.
In the early part of this season, especially during their 11-game winning from Nov. 8 to Nov. 25, the Trail Blazers were able to rise to the moment when called on to do so.
Their overcame a 21-point deficit to defeat the Bulls 98-95 on Nov. 22 in a game that will be remembered as the one that Bulls' guard Derrick Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee that will keep him out the rest of the season.
Despite a poor performance by Aldridge who went just 4 for 20 from the field scoring just 12 points, Matthews had 28 points on 12 for 19 from the field, including going 4 for 8 from three-point range. Lillard had 20 points and six assists. Batum added 17 points, eight boards and five steals and Lopez had 13 points and a career-high 16 rebounds.
The next night at the Golden State Warriors (14-13), they used a 42-22 run that turned a 12 point deficit into a 113-101 win. The run also came on the heels of a scuffle between Warriors starting center Andrew Bogut and Trail Blazers' center Joel Freeland. Matthews and Williams also got involved in the scuffle and were ejected as a result.
Following a 120-106 loss at the Suns on Nov. 27, which ended their 11-game winning streak, the Blazers finished the month at 13-3. The questioned coming into December is how would they fair against tougher competition.
After a 114-108 win at the Los Angeles Lakers (11-12) to start the month, they pulled a 106-102 victory over the East leading Pacers on the back end of a back-to-back. Aldridge lead the way with 26 points and 10 boards. Lillard also had 26 points.
After scoring just 20 points in the first period, the Trail Blazers put up 25, 27 and 34 points the next three quarters and overcame a 43-point performance by George, who hit 7 for 15 from three-point range.
Two nights later, the Blazers registered another comeback as they trailed by as many as 12 versus the Thunder and an 11-point deficit at intermission to a 111-104 win.
Aldridge was spectacular again scoring 38 points on 17 for 28 from the field to go along with 13 boards, five assists and two steals. Batum had 14 points and six rebounds. Lillard also had 14 points. Matthews had 13 and Lopez had another double-double of 12 points, 10 boards and four block shots.
They followed that big win, with a their largest margin of victory, a 130-98 one versus the Utah Jazz (6-20), where they went 17 for 23 from three-point range, setting a new NBA record for three-point percentage at 73.9 percent, according to Basketball-Reference.com and at the time set a new franchise record for triples made.
Following the aforementioned loss at the buzzer versus the Mavs, they won at the Jazz two nights later 105-94. Three days later, they defeated the Houston Rockets (16-9) 111-104.
Aldridge had a game to remember with 31 points, 25 rebounds, two steals and two blocks to lead the Blazers. He registered his fourth 30-plus point and 20-plus rebound game of his career, which is also a new franchise record. He also registered his fourth 20-point, 20-rebound game of his career, tying the father of Warriors' guard Klay Thompson, Mychal Thompson for the most in franchise history. Sidney Wicks has the second most 20/20 games in franchise history with six and Hall of Famer Bill Walton has the most with eight.
Matthews had 18 points. Lopez had another double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds to go along with two blocks. Batum had 15 points, six boards and six assists. Williams had 13 points off the bench for the Blazers, who scored 100-plus points for the 10 straight contest, which is the most since the 1993-94 season, where they scored 100-plus points for 13 consecutive contests. Earlier in the week, they have surpassed that streak and have scored over the century mark for 14 consecutive contest. They have gone 11-3 in this stretch.
The Trail Blazers have gone from the bottom of the West to the very top so far. When this month concludes, head coach Terry Stotts team will have a clear idea of where they are at as they will face the Clippers the day after Christmas on TNT. Two days later, they will face the back-to-back champion Heat and on New Year's Eve will be at the Thunder.
A year ago, the Pacers were at the door of making the Finals, but fell in Game 7 at the Heat. The Spurs seconds away from winning their fifth title in franchise history, but could not close the deal in Game 6 and ultimately fell in Game 7. The Trail Blazers missed out on the playoffs all together because of their unproductive bench. The Spurs and Pacers have comeback this season on a mission to get back to where they were a season ago and finish the deal. The Blazers are trying to just get back into the postseason, where they have not been since 2011 and see what they can do.
While these three small market NBA teams are at different stages in terms of their expectations, they have three things in common. First they have identities that have helped them win a high level of games. Second, headline players that have made their teammates better and third they have made smart decisions in terms of personnel. They have the right coaches who have put their respective players in a position to perform at high levels. The headline players are all about winning and the role players on each team know their roles and play them to perfection.
The Heat are back-to-back champions and look every bit the part of a team trying to win a third consecutive NBA championship. The two opponents who they defeated on their way to the title in the Pacers and Spurs are priming to meet them again and trying to take them down. The Trail Blazers have shown to this point that they are among the best in the West. The season is still very young and they have a lot to prove.
Information and statistics are courtesy of the NBA statistics, standings and team section of espn.go.com; www.basketball-reference.com/teams/POR/2013.html; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Portland_Trail_Blazers_seasons; 11/21/13 1 a.m. edition of "NBA Tonight" on ESPN 2 with Cassidy Hubbarth and Avery Johnson; 11/23/13 1:30 a.m. edition of "NBA Tonight" on ESPN 2 with Cassidy Hubbarth and P.J. Carlesimo; 11/24/13 2:30 a.m. edition of "NBA Tonight" with Alfredo Lomeli and P.J. Carlesimo; 11.24/13 9 a.m. edition of NBATV's "Gametime" with Jared Greenberg, Dennis Scott and Mike Fratello; 12/7/13 2 a.m. edition of NBATV's "Gametime" presented by State Farm with Vince Cellini, Steve Smith and Mike Fratello; 12/13/13 1 a.m. edition of TNT's "Inside the NBA" presented by KIA with Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley; 12/14/13 8 p.m. contest between the Portland Trail Blazers versus Philadelphia 76ers; 12/14/13 7 a.m. edition of NBATV's "Gametime" presented by State Farm with Vince Cellini, Steve Smith and Isiah Thomas; 12/15/13 7 a.m. edition of NBATV's "Gametime" presented by State Farm with Matt Winer, Dennis Scott and Isiah Thomas.
After losing in the Eastern Conference Finals in seven games to the back-to-back champion Miami Heat (19-6) a season ago, the Pacers (20-5) came into this season with a chip on their shoulder.
They have used that to fuel them to the best record in the East so far this season. Their nine straight wins out the gate is their best in franchise history, which dates back to their days in the American Basketball Association.
Their success has been predicated on three things. First their amazing ability to play great defense night in and night out.
The Central Division leading Pacers lead the league in points allowed per game at 90.2 and field goal percentage allowed at 41.5 percent. Opponents have shot just 33.6 percent from three-point range against the Pacers, ranked 6th in the league. The Pacers have the 6th best rebound differential in the NBA at a plus 2.8 and they are 10th in the league in total boards per contest grabbing 43.7. They are 4th in block shots per conetest at average 6.2 block shots per contest and starting center Roy Hibbert (12.6 ppg, 8.6 rpg) is second in the league averaging 2.9 blocks.
The second reason the Pacers have gotten off to their amazing start this first month of the season is the continued emergence of their star player swingman Paul George.
The first-time All-Star and the Most Improved Player a season ago has taken his game to an even higher level this season averaging 23.8 points per game, which is ranked 7th in The Association, to go along with 5.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.0 steals per contest.
To put George's start to the season into context, in the Pacers aforementioned first nine games of the season, all wins, George scored 20 points or more in all of them. That is the best start individually for a Pacers in franchise history, surpassing Hall of Famer and NBA on TNT color analyst Reggie Miller, who did it the first six games of the 1990-91 season and former Pacer and CBS College Basketball analyst Clark Kellogg who did it the first seven games of the 1985-86 season.
It is not just the fact that George has established himself as the Pacers best offensive player, he has become their go-to scorer when the game is on the line.
He demonstrated that poise ability to come through in the clutch on national television at the New York Knicks (8-17), when he scored 21 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter and overtime in the Pacers 103-96 win on Nov. 20 at Madison Square Garden.
What makes the performance even more incredible is that he was the complete opposite in the Pacers first loss of the season four days prior. He registered just 12 points on 3 for 14 shooting in the 110-94 loss at the Chicago Bulls (9-16), more on them later.
He had a tough performance last Saturday 99-94 win versus the Charlotte Bobcats (12-14). George had just 10 points on 2 for 12 shooting.
While George has been the pillar on offense for the Pacers, the team is not where they are today if not for a couple new editions and the improvement of a couple of key cogs.
One of the weaknesses of the Pacers a season ago was their inability to get consistent production from their bench as well as the inconsistency of the starting backcourt of Lance Stephenson and George Hill.
The Pacers addressed their bench this off-season by acquiring veteran forward Luis Scola (8.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and guard C.J. Watson (6.3 ppg) who have been a solid edition and has added depth to the frontcout of the Pacers.
Stephenson and Hill have gone from players who showed up here and there to ones that have come through game in and game out. In the case of Stephenson, he is averaging career-highs of 12.9 points, 6.6 boards and 4.9 assists per contest.
In fact he is the only player to have multiple triple-doubles this season. His first came in a 95-79 win versus the Memphis Grizzlies (10-15) on Nov. 11 where he had 13 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists. Stephenson's second triple came in a 97-82 win at the Celtics (12-15) 11 days later, where he registered 10 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to go along with four steals.
In the aforementioned win the Pacers had last Saturday versus the Bobcats, Stephenson came close to his third triple-double of the season with 20 points, 11 boards and seven assists. Hibbert registered 18 points and 11 rebounds. Forward David West had 14 points and eight rebounds. Hill had 13 points.
With the emergence of George, an improved bench, consistent play from Hill and Stephenson and a identity around playing strong defense, the Pacers have shown going 15-1 in November, that if they do meet the Heat, who have been great themselves to start this season, the games they play during the regular season, will have major implications in the standing and will serve as notice of what could happen if they meet in the postseason this spring.
They won the first of their four meetings this season 90-84 five days ago, to improve their mark to 5-2 to start the month of December. One of those losses though was at the Oklahoma City Thunder (21-4) where they lost 118-94, their largest margin of defeat of the season.
In their 24-point setback, the Thunder, who scored the most points in a game against the Pacers this season, shot 61 percent from the floor, where out-rebounded 46-29 and the dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were remarkable. Durant had 36 points, 10 rebounds and five assists and Westbrook had 26 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds.
They have had lost their last two games however. The first was their first setback at home to the Detroit Pistons 101-96 this past Monday. That was followed by a 97-94 loss at the Miami Heat, where they blew a 15-point lead in the second half.
While the Heat are the "Top Dogs" of the East as well as the entire league, the Pacers have shown that they are for real. With that being said, the season is still young and head coach Frank Vogel and his squad have to continue to improve so that if they do meet in the Eastern Conference Finals, they can have that Game 7 if it comes to that on their home court.
While the East has one contending team trying to get to where they Heat finished a season ago, another team trying to recapture that glory is the Southwest leading Spurs (21-5).
After last season's disappointing finish in the Finals where the Spurs blew a 3-2 series lead to fall to the Heat in seven games, main thought that the Spurs chances of contending for a fifth title were down the Alamo River.
They have proven once again that underestimating themis a big mistake. They once again are in the thick of the Western Conference.
They went 14-3 in the first month of the season, which included an 11-game winning streak from Nov. 5, to Nov. 25, which unfortunately came to an end two days later when they were defeated by the Thunder 94-88.
With that being said, the team has played great led by the amazing "Big 3" of forward Tim Duncan (14.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg-lead team, 1.7 bpg-leads team), guards Tony Parker (17.5 ppg-leads team, 6.0 apg-leads team, 51.7 FG%-lead team) and Manu Ginobili (11.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 4.7 apg).
The word that describes the Spurs as a team is consistency on both ends of the court. They are 8th in the league in scoring at 103.1 points per game and their second in assists per game at 24.8. They rank fourth in points allowed at 94.7 and tied for sixth in field goal percentage allowed at 43.4 percent.
This consistency on both ends is not just a product of the great coaching from Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich and the remarkable greatness of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, but the stellar play from the likes of starting small forward Kawhi Leonard (12.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.8 spg-leads team), who is getting better and better by the day.
Guards Danny Green (7.4 ppg, 40.6 3-Pt.%), Patty Mills (8.4 ppg, 43.4 3-Pt.%) and Marco Bellinelli (10.2 ppg, 53.2 3-Pt.%) are big reasons why the Spurs rank third in the league in three-point percentage at 40.2 percent.
Starting center Tiago Splitter (8.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg) has been very steady for the Spurs in the paint and on the glass and forward Boris Diaw (9.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg) whether starting or coming off the bench provides steadiness on the perimeter or inside.
While they understand that they need to be peaking in the months of March and April as playoff time approaches, they understand that getting off to a solid start is just as important and their strong beginning in the first month of the season. As mentioned they went 14-3 in November and have 7-2 mark so far in December proving once again that they are a title contender and they are still a force for the likes of the Thunder and the Los Angeles Clippers (18-9) to deal with.
With their stellar mark through the first 23 games of the season, that would be enough to put them a top of the West. That is not the case because the aformentioned Thunder are a top the West and right behind them is the real surprise of the Conference and the league so far this season, the Portland Trail Blazers (22-5).
Last season, the Trail Blazers had a surprising start to the season going 20-15 in the first 35 games. The team unfortunately finished 13-34 to finish this season, which includes a 13-game losing streak to close the season.
A big reason for the slide is the fact that Trail Blazers' had a stellar starting five, their bench averaged just 18.5 points per contest, ranked dead last a season ago.
This offseason, the Blazers front office went to work to take care of the team's main weakness and added a huge missing piece that solidified the starting five.
This summer, the Trail Blazers signed guard Mo Williams (9.3 ppg, 4.5 apg, 37.0 3-Pt.%) and forward Dorell Wright (5.1 ppg, 39.2 3-Pt.%) and acquired forward Thomas Robinson (5.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg). In the draft, the team selected at the No. 10 spot C.J. McCollum out of Lehigh, who is yet to play this season because of a broken foot and they drafted in the second round (No. 31 overall) swingman Allen Crabbe out of University of California, who has shown flashes of what he can do when he has been given the chance to play.
When last season's starting center J.J. Hickson (12.7 ppg, 10.4 rpg last) turned his stellar season into a three-year, $15 milllion contract with the Denver Nuggets, their was a major void in the starting center spot.
In a three-team deal with the Sacramento Kings and the New Orleans Pelicans, the Blazers acquired center Robin Lopez. While the numbers have been solid, 9.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, they have been worth their weight in gold, in particular to his starting front court mate LaMarcus Aldridge.
With a true center alongside him, the eight-year veteran out of the University of Texas Aldridge is having a break out season leading the Blazers with career-highs in scoring at 23.3 points and 11.1 rebounds on 47.9 percent from the field. He has had 16 double-doubles (points and rebounds) so far this season, tied for 5th in the league with Houston Rockets' center Dwight Howard. Lopez has recorded 11 double-doubles so far this season.
When the Trail Blazers drafted their starting lead guard Damian Lillard at the No. 6 spot a season ago out of Weber State, not many did not know what to expect out of him. Well all he did was win Rookie of the Month every month last season and his amazing season where he averaged 19.0 points per outing and 6.5 assists earned him Rookie of the Year.
He has continued that amazing play in his second season as the Trail Blazers second leading scorer at 21.3 points per contest, 5.9 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game on 42.8 percent from three-point range.
He especially this season has shown a boldness to make shots in the closing moments that break the heart of the opponent.
At the start of the week, Lillard hit a fade away jumper in the closing seconds of overtime that gave the Blazers a 111-109 win at the Pistons. The Blazers' lead guard had 23 points and seven assists to go along with three steals.
Lillard followed that up by hitting the game-winning three-pointer in the closing moments two nights later giving the Blazers a 119-116 win at the Cleveland Cavaliers (9-15). Lillard nearly had a triple-double with 36 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists going 11 for 23 from the field, including going 8 for 12 from three-point range. He out played the other emerging lead guard in the Cavs Kyrie Irving, who had 25 points and 10 assists.
The stellar play of Aldridege and Lillard and the presence of Lopez has allowed the wing players of the Trail Blazers starting quintet in small forward Nicolas Batum and Lillard's backcourt mate in Wesley Matthews to have break out seasons themselves.
Each year that Batum has been in the league, he has grown by leaps and bounds and this season is no different. He is averaging the second highest point production of his young career at 14.1 points to go along with career-high averages of 6.3 boards and 5.2 assists, which is second on the team. He is shooting 47 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from behind the three-point line.
After a one season with the Utah Jazz where he played very well averaging 9.4 points, Matthews, who was not drafted back in 2009 when he came out of Marquette University, signed a very front loaded five-year $34 million offer sheet with the Blazers on July 10, 2010. Being a restricted free agent, the Jazz had seven days to match the offer. Four days later, they decided not to offer a matching contract and Matthews became a Trail Blazer.
In his first three season in the Pacific Northwest, Matthews averaged 15.9, 13.7 and 14.8 points per contest on 40.7, 38.3 and 39.8 percent from behind the three-point arc respectably. This season, he has shattered those numbers averaging a career-bests 16.2 points per contest on 50 percent from the field and 44.2 percent from three-point range.
The balanced attack from the starting five to the reserves is why the Trail Blazers are leading league in scoring at 108.3 points per contest; 5th in assists per contest at 23.5; 10th in field goal percentage at 45.7 percent and No. 1 in three-point field goal percentage at 41.1 percent.
In their game this past Saturday nigit, a 139-105 win at the Philadelphia 76ers (7-19), the Trail Blazers went 21 for 37 from three-point range. The 21 three-pointers made, set a new franchise record and were two shy of the NBA record set by the Orlando Magic in the 2008-09 when they hit 23 three-pointers in a game at the Sacramento Kings.
The 139 points the Blazers put up are the most in a road game since 1992. The Blazers got 60 points from their bench with Wright leading the way with 15 points on 5 for 5 from three-point territory. Williams had 14 points and Robinson had 10.
The Trail Blazers took over this game in the third quarter where they turned a seven-point lead at intermission, 71-64 into a 111-79 lead after three. They outscored the Sixers 40-15 in the third period, going 7 for 12 from the three-point line, garnering 13 boards to the Sixers eight and accumilating 14 assists to the Sixers 2. The Blazers had 41 assists for the game, falling eight shy of the team record that was set in a game versus the Denver Nuggets back in the 1990-91.
The victory was the team's ninth versus the East and so far they have had 11 wins in 11 tries against the rival Conference.
A season ago, the Trail Blazers were one of the worst defensive teams in the league ranking 21st in points allowed at 100.7; next to last (29th overall) in field goal percentage allowed at 47.4 percent and 24th in the league in rebounding at 40.8 boards per game.
While they still rank at the bottom in points allowed at 101.9 per game, they are ranked 16th in field goal pecentage allowed giving up 45.3 percent shooting and they are 4th in the league in rebounding per game at 46 boards per contest and are 3rd in rebounding differential at a plus 3.3 per game.
To put the Trail Blazers supreme start into perspective, their 20-4 start through the first 24 games is the second best in team history. They went 22-2 in their first 24 games to start the 1990-91 season. Of their first four losses, two came at the hands of the Phoenix Suns (14-10), who have defeated the Trail Blazers two of the three meetings this season. Their third loss came at home on Dec. 7 versus the Dallas Mavericks (15-10), when guard Monta Ellis hit the game-winner at the buzzer to give the Mavs a 108-106 win.
Their most recent set back was a 120-109 defeat at the Minnesota Timberwolves (13-13) on Wednesday night. It was the back end of a back-to-back and the fourth game in five days for the team.
In the early part of this season, especially during their 11-game winning from Nov. 8 to Nov. 25, the Trail Blazers were able to rise to the moment when called on to do so.
Their overcame a 21-point deficit to defeat the Bulls 98-95 on Nov. 22 in a game that will be remembered as the one that Bulls' guard Derrick Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee that will keep him out the rest of the season.
Despite a poor performance by Aldridge who went just 4 for 20 from the field scoring just 12 points, Matthews had 28 points on 12 for 19 from the field, including going 4 for 8 from three-point range. Lillard had 20 points and six assists. Batum added 17 points, eight boards and five steals and Lopez had 13 points and a career-high 16 rebounds.
The next night at the Golden State Warriors (14-13), they used a 42-22 run that turned a 12 point deficit into a 113-101 win. The run also came on the heels of a scuffle between Warriors starting center Andrew Bogut and Trail Blazers' center Joel Freeland. Matthews and Williams also got involved in the scuffle and were ejected as a result.
Following a 120-106 loss at the Suns on Nov. 27, which ended their 11-game winning streak, the Blazers finished the month at 13-3. The questioned coming into December is how would they fair against tougher competition.
After a 114-108 win at the Los Angeles Lakers (11-12) to start the month, they pulled a 106-102 victory over the East leading Pacers on the back end of a back-to-back. Aldridge lead the way with 26 points and 10 boards. Lillard also had 26 points.
After scoring just 20 points in the first period, the Trail Blazers put up 25, 27 and 34 points the next three quarters and overcame a 43-point performance by George, who hit 7 for 15 from three-point range.
Two nights later, the Blazers registered another comeback as they trailed by as many as 12 versus the Thunder and an 11-point deficit at intermission to a 111-104 win.
Aldridge was spectacular again scoring 38 points on 17 for 28 from the field to go along with 13 boards, five assists and two steals. Batum had 14 points and six rebounds. Lillard also had 14 points. Matthews had 13 and Lopez had another double-double of 12 points, 10 boards and four block shots.
They followed that big win, with a their largest margin of victory, a 130-98 one versus the Utah Jazz (6-20), where they went 17 for 23 from three-point range, setting a new NBA record for three-point percentage at 73.9 percent, according to Basketball-Reference.com and at the time set a new franchise record for triples made.
Following the aforementioned loss at the buzzer versus the Mavs, they won at the Jazz two nights later 105-94. Three days later, they defeated the Houston Rockets (16-9) 111-104.
Aldridge had a game to remember with 31 points, 25 rebounds, two steals and two blocks to lead the Blazers. He registered his fourth 30-plus point and 20-plus rebound game of his career, which is also a new franchise record. He also registered his fourth 20-point, 20-rebound game of his career, tying the father of Warriors' guard Klay Thompson, Mychal Thompson for the most in franchise history. Sidney Wicks has the second most 20/20 games in franchise history with six and Hall of Famer Bill Walton has the most with eight.
Matthews had 18 points. Lopez had another double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds to go along with two blocks. Batum had 15 points, six boards and six assists. Williams had 13 points off the bench for the Blazers, who scored 100-plus points for the 10 straight contest, which is the most since the 1993-94 season, where they scored 100-plus points for 13 consecutive contests. Earlier in the week, they have surpassed that streak and have scored over the century mark for 14 consecutive contest. They have gone 11-3 in this stretch.
The Trail Blazers have gone from the bottom of the West to the very top so far. When this month concludes, head coach Terry Stotts team will have a clear idea of where they are at as they will face the Clippers the day after Christmas on TNT. Two days later, they will face the back-to-back champion Heat and on New Year's Eve will be at the Thunder.
A year ago, the Pacers were at the door of making the Finals, but fell in Game 7 at the Heat. The Spurs seconds away from winning their fifth title in franchise history, but could not close the deal in Game 6 and ultimately fell in Game 7. The Trail Blazers missed out on the playoffs all together because of their unproductive bench. The Spurs and Pacers have comeback this season on a mission to get back to where they were a season ago and finish the deal. The Blazers are trying to just get back into the postseason, where they have not been since 2011 and see what they can do.
While these three small market NBA teams are at different stages in terms of their expectations, they have three things in common. First they have identities that have helped them win a high level of games. Second, headline players that have made their teammates better and third they have made smart decisions in terms of personnel. They have the right coaches who have put their respective players in a position to perform at high levels. The headline players are all about winning and the role players on each team know their roles and play them to perfection.
The Heat are back-to-back champions and look every bit the part of a team trying to win a third consecutive NBA championship. The two opponents who they defeated on their way to the title in the Pacers and Spurs are priming to meet them again and trying to take them down. The Trail Blazers have shown to this point that they are among the best in the West. The season is still very young and they have a lot to prove.
Information and statistics are courtesy of the NBA statistics, standings and team section of espn.go.com; www.basketball-reference.com/teams/POR/2013.html; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Portland_Trail_Blazers_seasons; 11/21/13 1 a.m. edition of "NBA Tonight" on ESPN 2 with Cassidy Hubbarth and Avery Johnson; 11/23/13 1:30 a.m. edition of "NBA Tonight" on ESPN 2 with Cassidy Hubbarth and P.J. Carlesimo; 11/24/13 2:30 a.m. edition of "NBA Tonight" with Alfredo Lomeli and P.J. Carlesimo; 11.24/13 9 a.m. edition of NBATV's "Gametime" with Jared Greenberg, Dennis Scott and Mike Fratello; 12/7/13 2 a.m. edition of NBATV's "Gametime" presented by State Farm with Vince Cellini, Steve Smith and Mike Fratello; 12/13/13 1 a.m. edition of TNT's "Inside the NBA" presented by KIA with Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley; 12/14/13 8 p.m. contest between the Portland Trail Blazers versus Philadelphia 76ers; 12/14/13 7 a.m. edition of NBATV's "Gametime" presented by State Farm with Vince Cellini, Steve Smith and Isiah Thomas; 12/15/13 7 a.m. edition of NBATV's "Gametime" presented by State Farm with Matt Winer, Dennis Scott and Isiah Thomas.
Monday, December 9, 2013
J-Speaks: Sharpshooting Swingman Breaks NBA Record
Nearly two decades ago, 15-year NBA veteran guard of the then Seattle Supersonics (now Oklahoma City Thunder), Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics Dana Barros had a streak of 89 straight games of hitting a three-point field goal. The streak lasted from Dec. 23, 1994 to Jan. 10, 1996. This past Friday night, one of the best shooters in the league today surpassed his record.
With his first connection from three-point range at the 5:30 mark of the first quarter in s 108-89 versus the Cleveland Cavaliers (6-13), Atlanta Hawks (11-10) swingman Kyle Korver, who had 10 points on 4 for 6 from the field, including going 2 for 3 from behind the three-point line, hit a three-pointer for the 90th consecutive game, surpassing Barros' record.
He also surpassed during this streak former NBA guard Michael Adams, who made a three-pointer in 79 straight games; Former Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns' swingman and current NBATV analyst Dennis Scottt, who made a three-pointer 78 straight games and Indiana Pacers Hall of Fame guard and current NBA on TNT color analyst Reggie Miller, who had 68 consecutive games with a three-point connection.
To put this amazing streak of Korver's in persepctive, which started on Nov. 4, 2012 to this past Friday, Korver shattered the Hawks' team record for a three-pointer made in consecutive games, which was 42.
During this streak, the 11-year veteran of Creighton, has gone 235 out of 502 from three-point range, a percentage of 46.8 percent. The former 2nd round pick, 51st overall has averaged 11.3 points per contest during this streak. Maybe the most important statistics during this streak that Korver mentioned after the game on Friday night is the Hawks' 51-39 during this stretch.
"I really view this as a team streak," Korver said after the game.
"I'm not out there creating these shots. I got teammates setting screens and passing me the ball. They were all pulling for me in this. This streak meant a lot of people in different ways."
Korver's accomplishment is a great example of what it means to have developed an amazing skill, shooting the ball and using that skill to build a long career that has him continue to play.
A career that took him from Sixers for five seasons, three seasons with the Utah Jazz, two seasons with the Chicago Bulls and the last two seasons with the Hawks. This off-season, he signed a new four-year $24 million contract and his shooting has allowed the likes of starting center Al Horford and starting power forward Paul Milsap the ability to operate inside as well as starting guard Jeff Teague to operate the Hawks offense on the perimeter.
On top of that, Korver's streak is an example of what hard work and committment to get better at one's craft can lead to.
When you are a late second round pick like Korver was, you may have only one shot to prove that you belong. His dedication to become one of the best three-point shooters in the game has allowed him the chance to not only play, but be a major part of the teams he has played on.
"The NBA is the best of the best. The NBA has been going on for a long time, so anytime you have the opportunity to be part of a record is a really special thing. I don't take it for granted," Korver, who has been part of the playoffs teams the last eight seasons, said after the game last Friday.
Korver's amazing streak has been truly amazing. It is one thing to have a great night of shooting the ball. Any player, especially in the pros has one of those amazing nights. It is the players, who put in the time and committment to become great at their craft that give themselves a chance to make history that Korver did this past Friday. What it also takes is having teammates that believe in you and appreciate and respect the great skill that Korver has and will do the little things like setting great screens to get you open so that amazing skill can be put on display.
How long this streak will last, nobody knows. What is very clear is that Korver has shown how great of a shooter he has made himself into. How much respect his teammates have for the great skill he puts on display night in and night out. More than anything, Korver's ability to shoot the ball, especially for long range makes the other player's ability to perform on the floor easier and the chances of winning that much higher.
Information, statistics and quotes are courtesy of 12/6/13 7:30 p.m. contest between the Cleveland Cavaliers versus Atlanta Hawks on Sports South with Bob Rathbun and Dominique Wilkins; 12/7/13 2 a.m. edition of NBATV's "Gametime" presented by State Farm with Vince Cellini, Steve Smith and Mike Fratello; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dana_Barros.
With his first connection from three-point range at the 5:30 mark of the first quarter in s 108-89 versus the Cleveland Cavaliers (6-13), Atlanta Hawks (11-10) swingman Kyle Korver, who had 10 points on 4 for 6 from the field, including going 2 for 3 from behind the three-point line, hit a three-pointer for the 90th consecutive game, surpassing Barros' record.
He also surpassed during this streak former NBA guard Michael Adams, who made a three-pointer in 79 straight games; Former Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns' swingman and current NBATV analyst Dennis Scottt, who made a three-pointer 78 straight games and Indiana Pacers Hall of Fame guard and current NBA on TNT color analyst Reggie Miller, who had 68 consecutive games with a three-point connection.
To put this amazing streak of Korver's in persepctive, which started on Nov. 4, 2012 to this past Friday, Korver shattered the Hawks' team record for a three-pointer made in consecutive games, which was 42.
During this streak, the 11-year veteran of Creighton, has gone 235 out of 502 from three-point range, a percentage of 46.8 percent. The former 2nd round pick, 51st overall has averaged 11.3 points per contest during this streak. Maybe the most important statistics during this streak that Korver mentioned after the game on Friday night is the Hawks' 51-39 during this stretch.
"I really view this as a team streak," Korver said after the game.
"I'm not out there creating these shots. I got teammates setting screens and passing me the ball. They were all pulling for me in this. This streak meant a lot of people in different ways."
Korver's accomplishment is a great example of what it means to have developed an amazing skill, shooting the ball and using that skill to build a long career that has him continue to play.
A career that took him from Sixers for five seasons, three seasons with the Utah Jazz, two seasons with the Chicago Bulls and the last two seasons with the Hawks. This off-season, he signed a new four-year $24 million contract and his shooting has allowed the likes of starting center Al Horford and starting power forward Paul Milsap the ability to operate inside as well as starting guard Jeff Teague to operate the Hawks offense on the perimeter.
On top of that, Korver's streak is an example of what hard work and committment to get better at one's craft can lead to.
When you are a late second round pick like Korver was, you may have only one shot to prove that you belong. His dedication to become one of the best three-point shooters in the game has allowed him the chance to not only play, but be a major part of the teams he has played on.
"The NBA is the best of the best. The NBA has been going on for a long time, so anytime you have the opportunity to be part of a record is a really special thing. I don't take it for granted," Korver, who has been part of the playoffs teams the last eight seasons, said after the game last Friday.
Korver's amazing streak has been truly amazing. It is one thing to have a great night of shooting the ball. Any player, especially in the pros has one of those amazing nights. It is the players, who put in the time and committment to become great at their craft that give themselves a chance to make history that Korver did this past Friday. What it also takes is having teammates that believe in you and appreciate and respect the great skill that Korver has and will do the little things like setting great screens to get you open so that amazing skill can be put on display.
How long this streak will last, nobody knows. What is very clear is that Korver has shown how great of a shooter he has made himself into. How much respect his teammates have for the great skill he puts on display night in and night out. More than anything, Korver's ability to shoot the ball, especially for long range makes the other player's ability to perform on the floor easier and the chances of winning that much higher.
Information, statistics and quotes are courtesy of 12/6/13 7:30 p.m. contest between the Cleveland Cavaliers versus Atlanta Hawks on Sports South with Bob Rathbun and Dominique Wilkins; 12/7/13 2 a.m. edition of NBATV's "Gametime" presented by State Farm with Vince Cellini, Steve Smith and Mike Fratello; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dana_Barros.
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