Do Any Teams Down 2-0 Have a Chance to Win Their Series?

The NBA Playoffs have lived up to the billing thus far, with --- games going into overtime through two games in all of the series. Some series have gone back-and-forth, but there are also a couple teams are staring down 0-2 holes. 85 percent of teams go on and win once they open up a 2-0 lead; only 16 teams have come back from an 0-2 deficit in an NBA playoff series, most recently being done by the Memphis Grizzlies last season against the Los Angeles Clippers. Will any of the teams facing that deficit become the 17^th team to do it? Here are their chances of breaking through and taking control of the series.

Chicago Bulls – The Bulls came into the playoffs riding high, as they rode their chemistry and defense to the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Both things have abandoned the Bulls in the postseason thus far, as they are in an 0-2 hole to the Washington Wizards, despite having the home court advantage.

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Coming into the series, many people believed the Bulls held a serious advantage in the paint, as the trio of Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer and Taj Gibson has been the backbone of the team all season. No one told the Wizards this, as they have actually been the ones benefiting from the play of their big man, with the resurgent Nene leading the way. Nene has gone for 24 points, eight rebounds, three assists and 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists in the first two games. He has been able to affect the game of Noah, disrupting Noah with his brute strength.

The Bulls should still feel comfortable that in the end Noah and their other big men will get the most of the Wizards bigs, but the problem they face then is slowing down the Wizards perimeter players. John Wall and Bradley Beal make up one of the best young backcourts, and are thought of by many as potentially the best backcourt in the NBA within the next few seasons.

Wall has yet to get going, combining for only 10 field goals in the two games, while turning the ball over eight times. The Bulls will regret not getting at least one, if not both of these games at home, as they cannot pin their playoff hopes on Wall putting up underwhelming games four more times.

Not in the Bulls favor is that Beal looked much more comfortable in Game 2, leading the way for the Wizards with 26 points. He made big time shots in the fourth quarter as well, canning two of his four three point makes to keep the Wizards deficit at a manageable margin in the fourth quarter. Beal, like Wall and Nene, give the Wizards a player that create offense for himself and get a basket when they need it most. That is something the Bulls lack, as D.J. Augustin was the player keeping them in the game tonight.

Even worse for the Bulls, the Wizards are now heading home with all of the momentum and a 2-0 lead. The Bulls have proven they play well in the face of adversity, but this is a task that seems too tall to climb. The Bulls became the 24^th team in NBA history to go down 0-2 starting the series at home, and only three teams previously came back to win the series. The Bulls should avoid the sweep, but becoming the fourth team to come back from that kind of series deficit does not look to be in their future.

Charlotte Bobcats – The Bobcats gave the Miami Heat everything they could in Game 2, yet the result was the same as Game 1; a loss. The end score was closer, but in the postseason morale victories are useless, and that is all the Bobcats came away with from the first two games of the series is a morale victory.

Lynne Sladky-AP Photo

When you get 22 points from Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who hadn’t scored more than 11 in game since November 15^th, you are thinking positively. Add in the fact that Al Jefferson had 18, Kemba Walker with 16 and Gerald Henderson scored 15, and you would say the Bobcats had a pretty good shot at the victory.

Unfortunately for them, the Heat have the best player in the world in LeBron James and he put up a monster game of his own, scoring 32 points with eight assists and six rebounds.

With big man Jefferson injuring his left foot in Game 1, the Bobcats miniscule chances of pulling off the big upset became nonexistent. Couple that with the fact that the Heat are a perfect 17-0 against the Bobcats since James and Chris Bosh joined Dwayne Wade, getting a victory in this series would be something to celebrate for the Bobcats. A win on their home court in the playoffs would be nice for the fans, and the best they should expect, as the Heat have the Bobcats number and the Bobcats are without a lot of firepower with Jefferson hobbled.

Houston Rockets – Coming into the postseason, this was a series circled by many to be the most entertaining of the first round. Matched up with the Portland Trail Blazers, this was a series many people picked to go seven games. Both teams were extremely similar, posting identical regular season records and playing similar styles. Unfortunately for the Rockets, they do not have LaMarcus Aldridge.

USATSI

Aldridge has been a monster through two games, scoring 89 combined points between Game 1 and 2. The Rockets have had no answer for Aldridge, as he has dominated all over the court. He is 17-26 from the paint, 16-31 from the rest of two point shots, and 2-2 from three point line. These are not all open shots, but Aldridge has supreme confidence right now and does not look like he will be slowed down anytime soon. He is the reason why the Blazers are up 2-0 in a playoff series for the first time since 1977, coincidentally the same year they won their only championship.

The Rockets blew a golden opportunity to tie this series up, as Aldridge was the only player who shot the ball well for the Blazers in Game 2, and Dwight Howard finally showed up. He scored 32 points to go with 14 rebounds, yet that was not enough to get the Rockets a victory. Houston even dominated the paint, outscoring the Blazers by 38 in the paint, yet they still found a way to lose the game.

Things are not looking up for the Rockets right now, and have the deck severely stacked against them. The one thing that can get the Rockets back on track is James Harden. All season they have relied on Harden to lead their up-tempo attack, but through two games in the post season he has struggled. The struggles have caused the Rockets to change how they play, running the offense through Howard on the interior in Game 2 instead of getting out in transition.

The Rockets need Harden to play how he played throughout the regular season if they are to have any chance of making this a series again. With how similar the teams are, the Rockets have the best chance of coming back from the 2-0 deficit they face of any team on this list. That is not saying much, as teams down 2-0 are in a big hole, but when you have firepower of the level of the Rockets anything is possibly. It just is not very likely, but for the fans sake hopefully they get it going as the two games in this series have made for the most entertaining series thus far in the post season.

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What we've learned from the 1st-round of the NBA Playoffs

The NBA regular season is entertaining due to seeing all 30 teams put out their best effort day-in and day-out. With that being said during the 2014 NBA Playoffs we've begun to learn that the regular season isn't as important as we first thought. In hindsight, teams aren't as formidable and players are gaining respect on a national level. Class is in session and we've learned a lot about multiple teams and players through week one of the postseason.

Predicable?

For years we've heard people call the NBA playoffs predictable because traditionally the higher seed would decimate the lower seed and it's always easy to have an idea of which franchise will be holding the Larry O'Brien Trophy late into June. The thoughts of predictability led viewers to prefer the NCAA Tournament, NHL Playoffs and NFL Playoffs as they aren't predictable.

Surprisingly, the 2014 NBA Playoffs have been far from predictable with multiple games ending in over times, 4-point plays that make you rub your eyes asking yourself “Did he just do that?”, star performances and more. What no one predicted or saw coming was road teams winning 9 of the first 16 games with two sweeping the first two games on the road (Washington & Portland). Also it's the first time in NBA history road teams are 9-7 through the first two games of the postseason.

Superstar players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Chris Paul are expected to put up insane stats but it has yet to happen however Portland Trail Blazers All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge is averaging 44.5 PPG and 13.0 RPG on the road. No one expected him of all people to breakout this early in the playoffs — his 89 points through two games the most since Allen Iverson's 90 points through two games in the '01 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. It took eight years but Aldridge has finally received a invitation to join the "elite players" group which wasn't expected. 

Regular Season Impact: 

San Antonio Spurs Head coach Gregg Popovich won the Coach of the Year Award after leading his team to a regular season best 62-20 record.  It's Popovich's third time winning the award joining Pat Riley and Don Nelson as the only coaches to receive the prestigious award that amount of times.

Now it's great for Popovich to win the award, it shows that more coaches can regularly rest their players during the regular season as he did in San Antonio with not one player playing 30 minutes per game. Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra did pick-up Popovich's method and rested his "Big-3" throughout certain points of the season. Popovich winning C.O.Y is going to promote more teams to rest their key players throughout the regular season and looking at it from a fans perspective, it's going to suck seeing million dollar sitting on the bench healthy, especially if your a season ticket holder.

The consistent winning of the road team is a NBA record and raises the question, Why compete during the regular season? The 2014-2015 NBA Season could be in jeopardy because teams like the Indiana Pacers put in max effort for 82-games to secure homecourt throughout the East section of the playoffs just to lose in Game 1 to the only playoff team with a losing record which was the Atlanta Hawks.

Early Collapse?

Ever hear the song "Started from the Bottom" by Drake? Yea well a few teams have started at the bottom and are staying because their whole team isn't there. The Oklahoma City Thunder, Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers have been exposed for their weaknesses which could lead to their demise.

The Chicago Bulls entering the playoffs were thought of as "The team you don't want to face" but right now with the way they are playing against Washington Wizards, that assumption by many has become invalid. Chicago is known for their great defense and were thought by many to be able to put the clamps on the Wiz's offense. Bill Russell said is best, "It's all about getting buckets" and the Bulls can't do that. It doesn't matter how good your defense is, if you can't put the ball in the hole then expect to be bathing in the sun early. No disrespect to D.J. Augustin and Kirk Hinrich, but they should not be your leading scorers through two games in the NBA Playoffs. Along with their lack of offense, Chicago has been exposed for their lack of depth as their starters are over played; most notably Jimmy Butler who played all 53 minutes in Game 2 and has only had a 4:54 minute break through two games.

You've heard the cliche "If it ain't broke don't fix it", but apparently Kevin Pritchard and Larry Bird saw a mistake in something perfectly good. When long-time Pacer Danny Granger was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers it made us say two of the Ws "what and why" because it was a shock as Evan Turner came to town. Andrew Bynum came to town also and fast forward to today and the championship hopes in Indiana are becoming as slim as the Charlotte Bobcats' chances to eliminate the Miami Heat. The panic button for the Pacers should've been hit repeatedly because now they have problems with Evan Turner and Lance Stephenson reportedly getting into a scuffle, Roy Hibbert doing his best Kwame Brown impersonation, Andrew Bynum having knees worse then a 80-year old and Paul George's off the court issues.

The Houston Rockets were chosen by many as championship contenders with the pairing of Dwight Howard and James Harden as they were thought of the second coming of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. While they might achieve something close to Shaq and Kobe, both Howard and Harden have issues they need to resolve. Harden is struggling through two games as his shooting woes have led him to 29.8% shooting and 26.3% from the 3-point line but as for his sidekick Dwight Howard, well he's been dominate averaging 29.5 points, 14.5 rebounds and 4.0 rebounds through two games. You'd think with Howard making a mockery of his opposition that Houston would lead or at least tie the series, but Harden's insufficient shooting is the reason why the Rockets have a huge problem being down 0-2. Houston should not be running their offense inside-out because it's hindering the success of others. Also worth noting is that Harden's temper is as thin as Mohawk when he verbally attacked a reporter after Game 2.

Since 2011 we've talked about Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Their relationship reminds me of a married couple that has so many flaws but for someone they stay together. Both are great players at their respective positions but they will not a championship by living outside the paint. Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal have said it the best, "You don't live by the jumper you die by the jumper" and right Westbrook is digging OKC's grave next to other teams that thought they could win a ring by consistent shooting. In Game 2 Westbrook and Durant combined for 56 shot attempts (28 a piece). Now Durant can take 28-shots but Westbrook can't and that might seem like a double-standard but it's true. Durant is a 4x scoring champ and likely MVP for a reason and Westbrook is just a sidekick with great athletic ability. OKC may go far but they won't win it all unless Westbrook learns that his hand isn't always hot.

Show some respect:

Respect is earned not given and Al Jefferson has earned it rightfully from us all. A few minutes into the Charlotte Bobcats' playoff game, Al Jefferson heard a pop in his foot and was diagnosed with plantar fascia. Plantar fascia is a painful injury according to those who have had it and "Big Al" Jefferson is a 7-foot burly man who is currently playing through it. Jefferson hopped his way up and down the court against Miami because he's determined to get Charlotte their first ever playoff win. The injury was so bad that Jefferson needed to take a injection to even walk but had the heart of a champion to keep fighting. 

Jefferson entered AmericanAirlines Arena the same way he left which was in a boot for Game 2. Before tip-off he needed to take another shot to play and did and just like in Game 1 he was hobbling up and down 94-feet. Jefferson has earned the respect from anyone following the series because he could easily be shutdown for the season with that injury but refuses to go down without a fight.

Wrap-up:    

In general we've seen a great start to the NBA playoffs with nothing turning out as many expected it to with teams becoming exposed for their weaknesses and collapsing at the wrong time. As we get deeper into the 1st-round their are just so many questions; Will the Chicago Bulls get swept by a young Wizards team? Will the Indiana Pacers have the biggest collapse in NBA history? And can Russell Westbrook realize that OKC won't a ring with him shooting 20+ shots? These are all feasible questions to think about as we progress to crowning a champion.

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5 Players With Most to Prove: Western Conference

The NBA Playoffs are finally upon us, and there are some teams and players with something to prove. Younger players making their much anticipated first appearances in the postseason and even some veterans that still have something to prove in their stored careers. There are plenty of viable picks that could be made, but here are my top five players and teams that have something to prove in the postseason in the Western Conference.

Stephen Curry, Point Guard, Golden State Warriors: Curry has quickly become one of the top point guards in the NBA, combining a lethal jump shot with high basketball IQ to turn him into a trusted floor leader. With this come heightened expectations.

Jeff Chiu/AP Photo

Curry is the leader of one of the more up-and-down teams this season in the Warriors. Injuries plagued them throughout the year, as starting big men David Lee and Andrew Bogut both missed time throughout the season. That complicated things for the Warriors, who are thin up front when Lee and Bogut are healthy. Lee is going to be available for the playoffs, but Bogut will already miss some time with an injured rib.

The onus will then fall upon Curry to carry this team in the postseason. Being the face of the franchise, the loss will be placed on his shoulders more than any other player. A loss in the first round could also equal the end of Mark Jackson’s tenure as head coach of the team.

It will take a strong effort from Curry to keep that from happening. He will have to bring his A game against a Los Angeles Clippers team that has plenty to prove themselves.

Dirk Nowitzki, Power Forward, Dallas Mavericks: How could a player who already has an NBA championship and MVP trophy be under pressure to perform in the postseason you ask?

Jonathan Bachman/AP Photo 

Nowitzki, along with the Mavericks, had been written off by plenty of people. After blowing up their championship team and hoping to build through free agency by adding Deron Williams and Dwight Howard, they came up with nothing in the first year and missed the playoffs in 2013. This season they were able to spend a little of that money, and out of it came quite possibly the most dangerous eight seed in NBA history.

The additions of Monta Ellis and Jose Calderon have helped jump start the team, but everything with the Mavericks starts and ends with Nowitzki. They will go as far as he will take them.

Chris Paul, Point Guard, Los Angeles Clippers: Paul is regarded by almost everyone as a top tier point guard and superstar in this league. But if you say the same thing about Carmelo Anthony, you are met with scrutiny. In all reality, the two aren’t very different. The biggest knock against Anthony is his playoff success, or lack thereof. Paul, for whatever reason, has been able to hide his lack of playoff success, but it is about time he puts it together.

Clippers.com

Paul will be making his sixth appearance in the playoffs, and has only previously advanced the first round twice, losing both times in the second round. Anthony has made it past the first time just as many times, and has a Western Conference finals appearance under his belt, so why Paul isn’t subject to the same criticism raises some questions.

Paul has a chance to quell all of those problems this season. The Clippers are set up well in the Western Conference, getting quite possibly the easiest first round match up against of anyone against a depleted Warriors team. It also helps that this is quite possibly the best team Paul has been with, from a teammates and coaching staff stand point.

If he is going to make it happen, this is the season as Blake Griffin is blossoming and Doc Rivers has gotten the most out of DeAndre Jordan in the process.

Dwight Howard, Center, Houston Rockets: Howard has caused quite a stir the past two offseasons, first forcing his way out of Orlando to the Los Angeles Lakers and then leaving the Lakers this past offseason to join the Rockets. He has gotten everything he has wanted, so it is time for him to show up.

www.sportsinsights.com

Howard is arguably the best center in the NBA, but it is mostly by default. There just isn’t much center talent in par with Howard right now, but his reign could soon be coming to an end. There are some younger big men, such as DeMarcus Cousins and Andre Drummond that will soon be knocking on Howard’s door as the top big men in the NBA. But unlike those two, Howard has a chance to showcase his talent and cement himself as the top center in the NBA.

He handpicked where he wanted to play once again so it is time for him to reciprocate and show up. Howard was dealing with an ankle injury heading into the playoffs, but if he was as good as some people hype him up to be he will show up when it counts the most. Howard will be under the microscope, as the Rockets didn’t miss much of a beat when he was dealing with his ankle injury, as James Harden more easily roams free when there isn’t a center clogging the middle.

If the Howard from 2008-2009 NBA Playoffs shows up, the Rockets will be as difficult as any team to eliminate from the playoffs.

Kevin Durant, Small Forward, Oklahoma City Thunder: When Russell Westbrook went down with injury this season, Durant stepped his game up to unheard of levels. He scored without abandon, ripping off 12 straight games of 30+ scoring and 25+ points in 42 straight.

Sue Ogrocki/AP Photo

His scoring was through the roof, but he also became a good facilitator, averaging 5.5 assists per game. With stats like that, it is very likely that Durant will be the MVP this season. In potentially being named MVP, Durant has added a ton of expectations upon himself. For example, leading his team past the second round no matter who is around him. This season he proved that he could lead a team without his sidekick in Westbrook, so with him in the lineup the Thunder should be unstoppable.

The path to a title is brutal for the Thunder though, as the Memphis Grizzlies are made for the post season with their grind it out, beat’em up style of play. It would not get much easier, as the Western Conference is loaded from top to bottom.

Durant now is on another level of stardom, as he is argued by many as being a better player than LeBron James right now, who he will theoretically taking the MVP trophy away from. The expectations were high for Durant already, but would be sky high with an MVP award. Anything short of an NBA Final appearance will be considered a failure by many.

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Nets Clinch Playoff Berth Against Rockets

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 1st, 2014

Houston Rockets vs. Brooklyn Nets Post Game Recap

Final Score: Rockets 96 Nets 105

The Brooklyn Nets were able to pick up yet another win at the Barclay’s Center, as with the victory against the Rockets on Tuesday night the Nets have now won 14 straight games at home. The win moves the Nets to (40-33) on the season, which is 1.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division, and it also clinched the Nets a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.

Player of the Game: Joe Johnson

nba.com

In the win on Tuesday, the Nets got a huge performance from Joe Johnson, as he notched his fourth 30 point or more game this season. Johnson finished with a game-high 32 points on 13 for 21 shooting, which included him going four of eight from three-point range. In addition to the monster scoring game from Johnson, he was able to record four rebounds, three assists, and one steal to help him have the highest +/- of any player, with +17.

Positives:

Shaun Livingston put together a great game for Brooklyn, as normal he filled up the stat sheet, but on Tuesday he also broke out with big scoring game. Livingston finished only behind Johnson on the Nets in scoring with 17 points on six for 12 shooting. As expected Livingston did more than just have a good scoring game, as he had six rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block.

The bench for Brooklyn continued to be good in the win, as once again they were able to have two players in double figures. Andray Blatche led the Nets bench with 13 points on six for 12 shooting to go along with four rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. Mirza Teletovic also played well off the bench, as he scored 10 points on four for seven shooting, with seven rebounds.

Negatives:

Even without one of the best Center’s in the NBA in Dwight Howard, the Rockets were able to do well on the glass against Brooklyn, as possibly the best backup Center in the NBA; Omer Asik had a big game on the glass. Asik finished with a double-double, as he scored 12 points on five for eight shooting, but most noticeably was the eye-popping 23 rebounds Asik had. The Rockets did win the rebound battle 44-42, which isn’t all bad for Brooklyn, but it is still a work in progress.

Next up for the Nets will be a trip to Madison Square Garden to face the rival New York Knicks and Carmelo Anthony on Wednesday night.

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Knicks Shoot Themselves in Foot, Houston Struggles Continue

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, January 3^rd, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Houston Rockets

Post Game Recap

The Knicks played hard but once again were their own worst enemy as they dropped a heartbreaking thriller 102-100 to the Rockets. The Knicks outplayed the Rockets for three quarters tonight but fell apart down the stretch. Mental mistakes and poor execution doomed the Knicks as they once again showed that they are the lowest basketball IQ team in the NBA. With the loss their struggles against the Rockets and in Houston specifically continued; they have now lost 17 of 18 to the Rockets and nine straight in Houston. As Carmelo Anthony said in his post game interview, the Knicks gave the Rockets the game tonight. They will look to get back in the win column and wrap up the Texas Triangle Road trip on a positive note Sunday night in Dallas against the Mavericks.

Player of the Game: Iman Shumpert

George Bridges/MCT

For the second consecutive night Shumpert was on fire from beyond the arc. After going through the worst shooting stretch of his career that saw him go 6-42 from the field, Shumpert has found his stroke again in the new year. Against the Spurs and Rockets Shumpert has gone 19-27 from the field (12-14 3pt, 3-3 FT) to rebound from that rough stretch. Shumpert was one point shy of his career high that he set Thursday against the Spurs. The back-to-back 20 point scoring games is the first time Shumpert has accomplished that since March 28^th & 30^th, 2012. Against the Rockets Shumpert also added four rebounds, five assists and one steal. His defense one-on-one against James Harden was also outstanding throughout the night. Harden, who gets to the foul line as much as anyone in the NBA, did not attempt his first free throw until two minutes remaining in the first half. Shumpert playing smart defense against him was a big reason why. Shumpert looks to have turned the corner on his season which can only be a positive thing for the Knicks, especially with how poorly Tim Hardaway Jr. and JR Smith have performed recently.

-Positives

Tyson Chandler logged only 27 minutes but he made the most of them, registering a double-double. Chandler finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds on the night. He started the game off strong with five points in the opening quarter to get the Knicks going. Chandler also did a formidable job on Dwight Howard throughout the night, a tall task.

Anthony did not have as efficient a night as he did in San Antonio but he had a good game nonetheless. Anthony ended the game with 25 points and eight rebounds. He also added two assists and did a fine job defending Chandler Parsons throughout the night. Parsons shot 6-13 from the field for 17 points but did lead his team in rebounding with 11.

Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports

Amar’e Stoudemire did not have the big scoring night for the Knicks but he was able to help out on the glass and in help defense. Stoudemire pulled down seven rebounds and had two steals on the night as his play provided Mike Woodson a chance to give Andrea Bargnani, Chandler and Anthony some rest at points in the game. Stoudemire has obviously lost some because of all the injuries but you can count on him to give your team everything he has as long as he is on the court.

Toure’ Murry was inserted into a game as early as he has been in his NBA career and he made the most of it. Murry entered the game with barely five minutes gone in the first quarter and the Knicks went on a run right when he entered. The Knicks reeled off a 12-2 run as the Knicks turned a seven point deficit into a four point lead. When Murry plays in the backcourt with Shumpert or Hardaway Jr. it is a fun thing to watch as the athleticism is something the Knicks have lacked. Murry replaced Udrih in the first quarter and Udrih looked none too happy about it, but he bounced back nicely later in the game. Udrih finished strong and ended the game with 10 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals. What is making Udrih and Murry successful is that both are able to attack and get into the paint to put pressure on the defense.

-Negatives

JR Smith is hurting the Knicks more than he is helping. He augmented a poor game with a boneheaded play in the last 24 seconds of the game. Chandler was able to gain the Knicks another possession with the shot clock off and the ball was worked out to Smith. Smith inexplicably attempted a three pointer, almost a carbon copy of what Bargnani did against the Bucks a couple weeks ago. Udrih compounded the miss by fouling Aaron Brooks in the corner but Smith never should have attempted the shot, especially since Chandler is in his line of view telling him to slow it down and Udrih is doing the same. It was a icing on the cake for a poor game for Smith who is having more negatives than positives for the Knicks. Smith finished the game 3-13 (1-8 3pt, 2-2 FT), zero rebounds, two assists and two steals. It will be hard even for Woodson to show trust in Smith now with how he has been playing and the lack of basketball IQ and awareness he shows on the court. After the game he admitted to not knowing what the score and situation of the game was, just another reason he should be off the court in big situations.

Patric Schneider/AP Photo

With Shumpert starting to play well and round into shape it is disappointing to see Smith crater and give the Knicks negative minutes. He is not the only one doing so as Hardaway Jr. has joined Smith in giving the Knicks poor production. Hardaway has seen his minutes decrease with Shumpert playing well and has done nothing to show the coach he deserves those minutes back that he is losing. For the second consecutive game Hardaway was mostly invisible, playing 11 minutes and scoring only one point. He also added one rebound but finished with a game worst -14 +/- ratio.

Bargnani had been dealing with a stiff neck recently and it seems to be effecting his shooting. The injury has been affecting him for the past 8-10 days and over that span he has been shooting the ball at a 38.9 percent clip. He has shot even worse from the three point line, hitting only 25 percent of his deep shots. He did nothing to help those numbers against the Rockets, shooting 3-10 overall and 0-3 from the three point line. The Knicks need Bargnani to get back in a groove and shoulder more of the scoring load with Smith and Hardaway giving them ineffective minutes off the bench. He did a good job once again defending Howard and battled on the boards, pulling down eight rebounds.

After having Shumpert guard Harden for the better part of first half he went off in the second half with Shumpert no longer shadowing him. Harden scored 27 of his 37 in the second half, with 11 coming in the decisive fourth quarter that saw the Rockets outscored the Knicks 29-19. Harden missed only three shots the whole second half, finishing the game with 37 points (5-10 3pt, 10-10 FT), seven rebounds and six assists.

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W2W4: New York Knicks vs. Houston Rockets; January 3rd, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, January 3, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Houston Rockets

Pre-Game News and Notes

After pulling off a surprising win last night in San Antonio, the Knicks will get right back at it tonight in Houston against the Rockets. This will be the second and final time the two teams face off against each other, with the Rockets taking the first one at Madison Square Garden in thrilling fashion. The Knicks will look to exact some revenge and get a victory tonight on the Rockets home court. Here are some things to keep an eye on during the game.

-Player News and Notes

The Knicks are expected to again be without point guards Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni. Felton has been accompanying the team on the trip but Prigioni has not. Neither player has a definitive return date in place but Felton is aiming for Tuesday at home against the Detroit Pistons. Metta World Peace is preparing for treatment on his knee; in the mean time check out his twitter account to keep tabs on the eccentric forward who is always keeping his followers entertained.

The Rockets are dealing with injuries of their own to point guards. Starting point guard Patrick Beverley broke his hand and had successful surgery last week. He will be out for the foreseeable future. In the meantime former Knick Jeremy Lin and Aaron Brooks will run the offense for the Rockets.

-Going Streaking

The Knicks have been dominated by the Rockets over much of the last decade. The Rockets have won 16 of the last 17 meetings between the two teams, including an impressive eight game streak at home. If the Knicks show up and play tonight like last night in San Antonio there is a very good chance those streaks could end tonight.

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

One thing the Knicks have going for them now is Carmelo Anthony. Anthony led an impressive attack last night as he was more than willing to pass and get his teammates involved in the offense. They responded, especially Iman Shumpert, and led the Knicks to victory. Anthony should have a big game again against the Rockets tonight as he has caused problems with them in recent matchups. In the last two meetings between the teams Anthony has scored a total of 82 points, with a season high 45 in the previous meeting this season.

-Which Iman Will Show Up

Last night the Knicks got a big boost from Shumpert, who poured in a career high 27 points. He showed the confidence and swagger that he possessed prior to the first 30 games of this season when his played seemed to be affected by the trade rumors he was a part of. Shumpert also neutralized perennial All-Star and NBA Finals MVP Tony Parker on the defensive end. Shumpert’s harassing defense virtually shutout Parker down last night as he was unable to dictate the game with the pick-and-roll game he plays so well never getting started.

The Knicks will need Shumpert to keep up the defensive intensity tonight against one of the best scorers in the NBA in James Harden. Harden gets to the foul line and attacks the basket as well as any player in the NBA and Shumpert will have to play him smart to slow him down. In a game recently Harden scored over 20 points making only two shots because of how frequently he visited the charity stripe. In the first meeting this season Harden went for 36 points and nine rebounds. Against the Knicks Harden has played well over the last four games, averaging 30.3 points per game on 53.2 percent shooting from the field and 45-48 from the foul line. Shumpert will have his hands full tonight as he will attempt to put a chillin’ on Harden’s thrillin’ as Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier would say.

-Contain the Perimeter

The Knicks will face a familiar foe in Lin at the point guard position. Lin seems to get up to play against his former team as he has scored 43 points in the last two meetings against the Knicks, the second of those coming off the bench. The Knicks have struggled guarding the perimeter all season but have looked better with Toure’ Murry finally getting some playing time. Beno Udrih will likely start again but it will be interesting to see how long until Murry gets inserted as the Knicks cannot afford to fall behind early against such an explosive offensive team.

On the perimeter the Knicks will also have to deal with up-and-coming Chandler Parsons. Parsons can shoot from the perimeter and put the ball on the floor to get to the basket. He is a willing passer and rebounds well for his position, giving the Rockets a great jack of all trades. He hurt the Knicks in November scoring 22 points so slowing him down will be important this time around.

-Matchup of the Game: Dwight Howard vs. Andrea Bargnani

EPA/Jason Szenes

The Shumpert vs. Harden matchup will be a fun one to watch with Shumpert looking to have gotten his confidence back but this matchup is the one to keep an eye on. In the matchup earlier in the season it was expected that Howard would dominate the overmatched Bargnani. That didn’t happen in the slightest as Bargnani actually dominated Howard on both ends of the floor.

Howard shot 1-5 from the field and turned the ball over five times as Bargnani played him as well as anyone could in a one-on-one situation. On offense Bargnani torched Howard, shooting 9-12 overall (3-3 3pt, 3-4 FT) for 24 points. It is fair to think that Howard will come out with a different aggression and assertiveness tonight to show that Bargnani cannot repeat the performance he put on November 14^th.

Tonight Bargnani will receive help if he needs it as Tyson Chandler will be in the lineup this time around.

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VI

There's only one name that universally comes up as the greatest of all time.  Love him or hate him, he is the standard that all current NBA players want to surpass but how realistic is the thought.  Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, and even Dwyane Wade have been compared to him.  A former teammate of his even proclaimed that one day LeBron James could be better than his Airness but there's only one player that can compare to the greatness that was Michael Jordan.  On April 16th 2003, Jordan scored the last 13 points of his career total 32,292 points.  Jordan spent the last two years of his career with the Wizards but that's not what he's remembered for.  Michael Jordan was and will always be a Chicago Bull and will always be remembered for one number......VI.

For the past 17 NBA seasons we have witnessed the closest incarnation of Michael Jordan that perhaps we'll ever see and sadly he's nearing the end.  Still effective on certain nights, he is considered a relic in this new era blooming in the NBA.  His career blossomed during the time of relics and now he's become one his self.  It's funny because I once heard that as humans we all begin in diapers and most end their lives in them as.  It's a sad but cruel truth that afflicts us all too often and thus the career of an NBA player is no different.  There comes a time when it all ends, the mind wanting to soldier on but the body slowly betraying the wishes of its true master.  It's the moment that every athlete fears, the moment where one question is asked....."What do I have left to give?"  That one singular question has dethroned the greatest athletes, the most fierce champions and now facing his own mortality stand Kobe  Bean Bryant.

What does he have left to Give?

Over 30,000 points scored, 5 MVP Championships, 1 Gold Medal, and 1 NBA MVP.  Kobe Bryant has seen and done it all.  From the moment he entered the league he knew what his destiny would be, there was only one thing that he wanted.  Jordan was the measuring stick and Kobe wanted to surpass his idol at all costs.  The obsession eventually transformed "media friendly" Kobe into the Kobe that most of the NBA world loves to hate, The Black Mamba.  Demanding, foul mouthed, in your face Kobe but I forgot another label........multi-time champion.  With that being said isn't odd that the Mamba has been virtually absent this season?  The production is there, the foul mouth is there but something is missing.  Is it possible that Kobe has given us all that he has?  The endgame is upon us has Bryant himself has already stated that he may walk away from the game in two years once his current contract expires.  When I look at Bryant I see a great player that's 34 years young but in NBA years he's closer to 38 years old, having lived through countless deep playoff runs and multiple knee injuries. At this stage in his career what does Kobe have left to give?

Obsession:  The dominations of one's thoughts or feelings by persistent idea, image, desire, etc

It's no secret that Kobe Bryant is seemingly "obsessed" with becoming the best player that the NBA has ever seen and he has stopped at nothing to achieve it.  There's been feuds with coaches and teammates and some say that Bryant is even responsible to single handed breaking up the last true dynasty in the NBA, the Lakers team that began the millennium.  In his mind Bryant can do no wrong i.e. the departure of Shaquille O'Neal from the Lakers.  During the summer of 2004 Bryant had threatened to leave the Lakers for the Clippers and seemed serious about it.  The relationship between he and O'Neal was fractured beyond repair and once the Lakers moved O'Neal to the Miami Heat, Kobe Bryant signed a 7 year contract with the Lakers the next day.  The timing of Bryant's new contract spoke volumes.  The Lakers had made their choice and good or bad they had to live with it.  Kobe's profile skyrocketed and the "Black Mamba" was born but it was at the cost of several disastrous seasons for the franchise.

Kobe's move to run O'Neal out of town was finally validated 5 years later as Bryant began a string of 3 straight NBA Finals appearances, losing the first and winning the final two.  Not without the help of Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant had once again returned to the throne that he had grown obsessed with; capturing 4 and 5.  The Los Angeles Lakers are used to winning championships in bunches but in the NBA Championship teams/contenders usually only have a shelf life of about 3 years....the kings have their reign and then they die.......

A Thunderous End..............

As they always seem to do, the Los Angeles Lakers have regrouped and added star power but the one constant for the last 17 seasons has been Bryant or what is left of the Bryant that we once knew.  The additions of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash were supposed to propel the Lakers to the top and they still might, these things often take time but that's the very problem that the Lakers are faced with.....time.  Howard and Nash are not 100% and the Lakers are a bunch that are long in the tooth.  They've already endured a coaching change this season and question still remain about their defense but yet Bryant is that constant, trying to will the franchise for his own gain, that elusive number six.  If championship were won on will alone, all great NBA players would have one but sadly that's not the case.  The West's franchises growing in strength as the Lakers are seemingly in decline is no coincidence as the last two seasons the Lakers have been eliminated from the playoffs in embarrassing fashion.  The Lakers currently face great threats from the Grizzlies, Spurs, and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

If the Lakers are to overcome the challengers that were mentioned above will the Black Mamba be able to lead them to victory or will it be a new Bryant, an incarnation of Bryant that we haven't seen before.  Known for being aggressive at all times on the court, Bryant has never come across a shot that he doesn't like but now in the twilight of his career Bryant must do something that he was forced to do early in his career.......he has to become the second option.  Kobe Bryant will have to accept the role of being selfless and defer to the Lakers prized off season acquisition Dwight Howard.  VI is not even feasible if Dwight Howard isn't allowed to take his place among the Lakers greatest centers, Mikan, Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar, and O'Neal.

Acquiring IV would be a great Christmas gift for Bryant and perhaps the final milestone that'll be reached in his career but it's a gift that he'll have to wait until June to capture.  In the eyes of many, IV would be a coronation for Bryant and the cementing of his greatness next to the standard bearer, MJ.  Once his career is over, Bryant will have more points scored, more assists dished out, and more rebounds grabbed than MJ but it is the elusive IV that will truly make the defining statement and bring finality to a Hall of Fame career, one that will leave Bryant on a list of the top 5 players to ever play the game.  What does he have left to give.............................................VI

  

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We can all exhale now: Dwight Howard is a Laker

       Well that didn't take long or did it?  The feeling is that this could have been completed months ago but alas it's finally done; Dwight Howard is a Los Angeles Laker and it's the right choice.  Lets forget about all of the posturing it took from the Magic and other franchises to get to this point and lets focus on the future which is now much brighter for the Lakers and Howard.  Simply put, the Lakers needed Howard to be relative again because we all know that Kobe is slowing down and the Lakers would have simply faded away if they'd stay on the current course that they were on.  This trade will give the Lakers life for years to come and eventually LA
will become Howard's town but he must embrace the greatness and not run from it.

Why run from legacy, face it, own it, add to it, that's the task that Dwight Howard faces now.  Mikan, Wilt, Kareem, and Shaq all made their names and won championships as members of the Los Angeles Lakers and now it's Howard's turn to add championships to his resume'.  For the longest time it seemed as if Howard was running away from his "destiny", not wanting to be called a follower of Shaq but all of that ill will can be erased.  It is said that in order to lead one must learn how to follow and that's another task ahead for Howard now as he must learn what he can from Kobe because soon Kobe will be no more and Howard will have the opportunity to be the dominant force that he's meant to be.

Howard has to understand that the time for excuses is over and that he needs to be what the league needs right now, a dominant big man.  Some may say that Howard is already a dominant big man but the truth is that he has no competition at the position.  If coached right, Dwight Howard has a chance to be far superior to what Shaq ever was on offense and defense but it's a huge if.  Simply put, the pieces are in place and the Lakers will only go as far as Dwight Howard takes them.  This is not the time to make any predictions but I will say this.....those who follow the NBA closely should know what the "money matchup" will be for the NBA Finals.  Will it happen, maybe but there will be a learning a curve.  The Lakers will be a factor in the west again just based on the matchup problems that they'll create but it is entirely too early to pick them as the favorites to win the 2012/13 NBA Championship.

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A Magical Mistake? Dwight Howard & The Orlando Magic

During the summer of 1996 a wave of destruction rocked the city of Orlando, destroying one Florida franchise and giving birth to another.  Shaquille O'Neal devastated the Orlando Magic by leaving for the bright light of Hollywood to join the Los Angeles Lakers.  Just a year prior, the Magic were in the NBA Finals facing the eventual Champion Houston Rockets where O'Neal was outplayed by an older, wiser Hakeem Olajuwon.  He was a budding star, on his way to becoming one of the most dominate big men in the history of the NBA but he was allowed simply walk away.....how did this happen?  Who was responsible for allowing the franchise to just walk away, never to return.  Four NBA Championships,eleven All Star game appearances and one NBA MVP award later, no one really knows the answer.  It was after the finals loss to the Houston Rockets that the seeds for an escape were planted, the Orlando Magic won 57 games that season and the next season they did even better by finishing with 60 wins but
they were defeated by Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.  Allowing Shaquille O'Neal was not the plan for the Orlando Magic and not enough was done to convince him that the franchise could remain a winner, for they had reached the mountain top only to come crashing down.

There's no doubt that O'Neal was smitten by the possibilities that LA offered based on the fact that he'd always dreamed of being more than a basketball player.  Why be just an athlete when you had an opportunity to be a cultural icon and considering that O'Neal spent most of the summer prior to his rookie season in LA with non other than Magic Johnson, the Magic were already in for an uphill battle once O'Neal became eligible to become a free agent four years later.  During the initial negotiations between O'Neal, the Magic and the Lakers, the Lakers offered O'Neal a contract of $120 million with the Magic's final offer being $115 million.  O'Neal publicly stated that the Magic were his first choice however then Magic GM John Gabriel never believed him.  To make matters worse, the Orlando Sentinel ran a poll asking if O'Neal was worth a $100 million dollar contract.  The question was designed to make O'Neal look bad from the outset based on the fact that the majority of Americans would agree that professional athletes, especially NBA athletes earn too much money....no scientific poll needed here, just look at the reactions based on misinformation of the NBA lockout of 2011.  To no one's surprise, 90% of the respondents agreed that O'Neal wasn't worth a contract of 100 million.

Lets dig deeper into this poll and also into the psyche of human beings.  We are selfish by nature, destructive, and judgmental, always has been and always will be in one shape or form.  I've even been guilty of stating that someone doesn't deserve the salary that they earn "Joe Johnson" but I've always blamed to team/owner for such things because athletes don't draw up their own checks, non of us do.  The residents of Orlando have yet to get over the departure of O'Neal nor truly understand why he walked away.  I spoke to a die hard Magic fan almost a year ago who's much older than me at a family function and he explained to me how he still felt pain of the departure every time he saw O'Neal.  Another told me once that he hated the Miami Heat due to the fact that O'Neal arrived there and helped Dwyane Wade deliver a championship in only two years.  How could the same residents who degraded O'Neal's worth turn around and be shocked that he left.  The Orlando Magic eventually matched the Lakers monetary offer for O'Neal but the damage was done.  It was never a money thing for O'Neal, yes LA offered O'Neal easy access to some of the other passions he wanted to pursue i.e. movies and his rap career, but O'Neal left the Magic because he didn't fee appreciated.  He felt that the Magic didn't appreciate him with their first contract offer and he felt as if the fans no longer had his back after the poll results were released.  During his four years in Orlando, O'Neal averaged 27.1 points per game, 12.3 rebounds per game and shot 57.9% from the field but yet he received no love from the organization or fans.  What would you do if you felt unappreciated and unwanted?

A New Hope?

During the summer of 2004, the Orlando Magic drafted Dwight Howard with the 1st overall pick.  Many Magic fans were split on whether or not Dwight Howard should be the pick or Omeka Okafur who had just lead Uconn to the NCAA championship months earlier.  Hindsight is in indeed 20/20 as Howard turned out to be the better choice.  As of the posting of this article, Howard has averaged 18.2 points per game, 12.9 rebounds and has shot 57.8% from the field all the while winning 3 defensive player of the year awards.

During the 2008/09 NBA season, the Orlando turned into title contenders behind the excellent play of Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson, Hedu Turkoglu, and Dwight Howard.  Rookie shooting guard Courtney Lee also added needed versatility to the team as the Magic moved past the Raptors and the Celtics in the playoffs.  The league MVP Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers were the next team to face the Magic as the two teams battled for a trip to the NBA Finals.  Despite an MVP performance from Lebron James, the Cavaliers were no match for Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic as the Magic moved past the Cavaliers in 5 games to reach their second ever NBA Finals.

Waiting for the Magic in the NBA Finals would be the LA Lakers, who were led by Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol.  Having lost in the finals the previous year to the Boston Celtics, the Lakers were on a mission.  Kobe Bryant was on a personal mission to win his first NBA Championship without Shaquille O'Neal.  Five games later the dust settled and it was the Lakers who proved to be too much for the young Magic to handle.  Enduring torture by electing to sit on the sidelines as the Lakers celebrated their victory on the Magic's home court were Jameer Nelson and Dwight Howard, living through a self inflicted punishment that I couldn't even begin to imagine living through personally.  The loss was supposed to be a tipping point for the franchise as they were prepared to dominate the Eastern Conference for years to come but it wasn't meant to be, the basketball Gods wouldn't have it.

Following the humble defeat in the NBA Finals at the hands of the Lakers, the Orlando Magic decided not to pay Hedu Turkoglu the amount of money that he thought he was worth and they let him walk as a free agent.  Trying to fill the void at the small forward position emptied by Turkoglu, the Magic traded promising young talent Courtney Lee and Rafer Alston to the New Jersey Nets for a declining Vince Carter.  In the eyes of many the Orlando Magic had reloaded and were ready to claim the Eastern as theirs but the Boston would have no part of that on their way to a second NBA Finals in three years as they defeated the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals in 6 games.

A shift in the balance of power

The Orlando Magic didn't expect to see their run as the beasts of the East last such a short amount of time, but no one could have foreseen the storm that was brewing south in Miami.  Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh formed a Holy Trinity in the eyes of the basketball and combined their talents as they all signed with the Miami Heat in the summer of 2010.  Soon after the Heat resigned Udonis Haslem and former Orlando Magic wing Mike Miller as the Magic continued to sit idle, Magic management didn't see the Heat's reconstruction as a threat.

"Not concerned" about the storm that was brewing in Miami, the Orlando Magic decided against making any moves in the off-season to counter the Heat deciding that their roster was powerful enough.  A 26 point pounding by the Heat in Miami and a poor road trip performance later, Magic GM Otis Smith made perhaps one of the most costly trades in Magic history by bringing in the mammoth contracts of Gilbert Arenas and Hedo Turkgolu, both of which who were on their last legs and a bit out of shape.

The Magic never found their groove as a team and it was apparent as they finished the season with the fourth best record in the conference which did at least give them the home court advantage in their first round playoff showdown with the Atlanta Hawks.  The Hawks who had been embarrassed by the Magic a year earlier had the Magic's number all season and the playoffs would prove to be the same.  The Hawks defeated the Magic in six uninspired games and that was when the seeds for an exit were planted.  The Heat and the Bulls got better, the Magic regressed.

The Decision Redux

March 14th 2012, the eve before the NBA trade deadline and Dwight Howard was still a member of the Orlando Magic.  The Magic believed all along that they could convince Howard to remain with the team and that belief has apparently paid off in the short run.  Dwight Howard waived his early termination option and will remain with the Magic for at least another year.

The Decision has been made, but only for an additional year.  The leak has been plugged but the pipes still would need to replaced.  The pressure is clearly now on the Orlando Magic franchise to surround Howard with the right pieces that would allow them to take the next step towards a championship.  March 15th saw a short term solution to a long term problem.  Bad management negates star players every time.  The goal is simple, the Orlando Magic must win a championship next season or The Decision Redux will occur all over again.

Dwight Howard stated that he made his decision for love, love over money and admitted in the process that he had more career opportunities in a city other than Orlando, a chance to become a global phenom but end in the end he still chose love....by fulfilling the terms of your contract....love was chosen by remaining with the team for an additional season versus signing a long term deal with the team you love so much.....but Howard chose love over money....does one more season equate to love?  Am I the only person who feels as if Howard fell victim to a guilt trip, choosing to remain with the partner that he knows and in unhappy with versus a new partner?

The Clock is ticking for the Orlando Magic and the entire state of the franchise is at risk.  There's pros and cons for every decision that is made, good or bad, right or wrong.

Tick:

The Orlando Magic will not have cap space until the summer of 2013 to rebuild it's franchise which means that Howard will have to waist a year and a half of productivity if the Orlando doesn't win the NBA Championship this season or next.

Tock:

With Dwight Howard waiving his ETO, what will be the fate of head coach Stan Van Gundy who has yet to properly utilize Howard?

Tick:

What will the future hold for GM Otis Smith who's had a documented rift with Howard over the past year.

Tock:

How much longer will the Orlando Magic allow Dwight Howard to hold the franchise hostage outside of the next year and a half that's guaranteed.

Tick:

Will the Orlando Magic be able to trade away the massive contract of Hedo Turkoglu.

Tock:

I think not!

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