Most Valuable Player: 2011-2012 NBA Season

The end of the season is upon us. The playoffs start this weekend and all the biggest stars are sitting on their respective benches, watching the rookies and bench players finish out the season. In my last post, I gave you my opinion of the coach of the year. This time, I will present to you my opinion of the top 5 most valuable players:

1. LeBron James
Even I am doubting this decision. But maybe I shouldn't? I'm not a big fan of LeBitch but I do think that he is the most valuable player in the league. He has continued to dominate throughout the entire season, hardly missing any games due to injury. LeBron's value can be measured based on his team. Without LeBron, Miami really wouldn't be all that good of a team. James is who makes that team good. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh do not make the Miami Heat title contenders, LeBron James does. However, I still don't think the Heat have what it takes to win it all. Better luck next time. Hand LeBron his third MVP award and let's get on our merry way.

2. Kobe Bryant
Kobe scares me more than any player in the league, even if he is getting old. In crunch time, no player is more clutch than Kobe. He can have a horrible game, but still manage to hit the game winner as if it were any other layup. Although he has been injured for small parts of the season, he has fought through the pain and shown that he can play. He may seem like a ball hog sometimes, but he does make his teammates much better because the opposing team is so concentrated on what Kobe is doing. This has resulted in Andrew Bynum becoming one of the best big men (and almost in my top 5 MVP vote) in the league.

3. Kevin Durant
The "Durantula" is flowering like the most elegant rose the world has yet to see. He will get the MVP next season, mark my word. He hasn't been injured hardly at all, is incredibly consistent, and one of the nicest guys in the league. He never causes any trouble and is never on the negative side of media coverage. Did I mention he is leading the league in points per game (28ppg)? Captain Durant has turned OKC in to a team that no one wants to play against.

4. Rajon Rondo
What would a list of mine be without something Celtics-oriented? Rajon Rondo is the best point guard in the league (sorry, Tony and Chris). He is leading the league in assists this season and has shown that the Celtics are HIS team. He is a very traditional point guard, which is what makes him the best. He knows how to make everyone around him better with his savvy passes and incredible court vision. He is arguably the fastest player in the league, his ability to read the defense is outstanding, and despite what some may think, he can score WHENEVER he wants to. He may not show it, but Rondo has one of the best offensive skill sets in the league. He can post up, shoot the mid-range jumper (far more consistently than he used to), and also blow by defenders going towards the hoop. He also average more rebounds per game than any other point guard. He is a triple-double waiting to happen. In fact, he is leading the league in triple-doubles this season with 5.

5. Tony Parker
Tony Parker is one of my favorite players. He is the opposite of flashy, but the epitome of success. He can do it all. He has led the Spurs to two straight seasons atop the western conference. He can score, defend, pass, and win. The Spurs are by no means young, yet Parker has been the catalyst that has brought the Spurs to where they are today.

Power Rankings 2.0

We are in the final stretch of this shortened NBA season with most teams set to play only 13-15 more games. The playoff race is starting to heat up with many teams playing inspired basketball and others showing that they really don't deserve to play basketball in May. I gave my power rankings earlier in the season and I wanted to see if my opinions have changed at all. There are certainly some differences:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

Russell Westbrook

The Thunder have been my favorites to win it all throughout the entire season. They have played incredible. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have proven that youth and maturity is very possible. They have both been consistent and leaders for the team. Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins, and Nick Collison have showed that they are one of the best front lines in the league. I see them representing the western conference in the Finals this year.


2. Chicago Bulls

Joakim Noah

The only way I consider this team the second best team in the league is if they have the injury-riddled Derrick Rose in the lineup. He's the MVP! His presence is pretty important! To add to that, he's the PG, which is arguably the most important position on the floor. Without Derrick Rose, the Bulls have proven to me that they will not make it out of the eastern conference in the playoffs this year. They're still very good without him, but not good enough to make it past the likes of Miami or Boston. Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, and Carlos Boozer really need to step up to give this team what it needs.



3. Boston Celtics

Kevin Garnett

Again, call me biased but this is one hell of a basketball team. They have been on a tear, having won their last five games and only five losses since the all-star break (second best in the league). Rajon Rondo is playing at another level at PG. He has dished out ten or more assists in his last thirteen games and just yesterday dominated the Miami Heat with his fifth triple-double of the season (leading the NBA). Paul Pierce earned player of the week in the eastern conference this week after a 36 point performance against Charlotte. Since Kevin Garnett has been permanently moved to the center position, he has played better than he has in years. He is rebounding, shooting, and defending the rim very well. Ray Allen has missed six straight games with a sore ankle, which has given second year guard Avery Bradley the chance to prove that he is one of the best defender the league has seen in years. Greg Stiemsma has also been incredible for a rookie. He blocks nearly two shots per game and has been very reliable on the offensive and defensive ends. This team has had a rough year. Jermaine O'Neal, Chris Wilcox, and Jeff Green all had to have surgeries that ended their seasons and the entire team has been filled with injuries. That is, except for one "old" guy that no one ever seems to give credit to anymore. Yeah, Kevin Garnett. He has missed one game all season. I think he is OK. I think the Celtics would give Miami or Chicago a very interesting and competitive seven game series come playoff time.


4. San Antonio Spurs

Tony Parker

This is a team that gets hardly any media attention. They are "boring" to watch, but still somehow win boatloads of games despite their veteran status. Their offense has been incredible all season and has given opposing defenses a very hard time. With Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker leading the way, the younger Spurs such as Gary Neal, Tiago Splitter, Kawhi Leonard, and DeJuan Blair have had the chance to learn from some of the best players in the league. A western conference finals matchup between San Antonio and OKC sure would be fun to watch.


5. Los Angeles Lakers

Pau Gasol

I very nearly put Miami here, but I didn't because I feel that the Lakers' big men separate them from Miami. Miami lacks big men and are not very good at rebounding. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol are an amazing dynamic duo. They compliment each other very well and work well under the hoop. They also have the one guy, Kobe Bryant. He's pretty good. Another big separator from Miami is the aquisition of Ramon Sessions. He has played very well since coming to LA and has filled the PG spot much better than Derek Fisher did. Steve Blake, Matt Barnes, Ron Artest, Troy Murphy, and Josh McRoberts have also given significant time to the success of the Lakers.


6. Miami Heat

LeBron James

I was only going to do my top five power rankings, but I have to throw Miami in here, too. They are a very good team at home having won their last 15 straight. On the road, they seem to struggle. Wade, LeBron, and Bosh have played great all season, but they need more than that. They need a good point guard and they just can't acquire one with all the money they pay their "Big 3". They have great depth on the wings, but they really need a good point guard and better frontline to go with Chris Bosh. Joel Anthony and Udonis Haslem aren't going to get it done. Having said that, I can see Miami quite possibly being in the Finals this year. They're strangely inconsistent, but when they play good, they play great.

OKC vs. MIA....Potential Finals Matchup?

Last night on ESPN was a game that I had marked on my calendar for quite some time. The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Miami Heat would be going against each other in a potential NBA Finals matchup. OKC has been on a tear all season and have barely been contested atop the western conference. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have been playing unbelievable all season and role players like James Harden, Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins, Nick Collison, and Thabo Sefalosha have given the Thunder a solid chance at a first franchise championship.

The Miami Heat have also played great throughout a majority of the season. They've went back-and-forth with the Chicago Bulls atop the eastern conference all season and have proven everyone that they are a potential threat for this year's championship. LeBron is playing a typical MVP season and both Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were all-stars, as well. The recent acquisition of Ronny Turiaf will only help the role players of Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller, Shane Battier, Norris Cole, and Mario Chalmers. 

To say the least, OKC completely outplayed Miami. The Thunder had five players with over ten points, including 28 points from Kevin Durant. Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka proved that they could easily maintain the big men of Miami. Check out the highlights below:

Who WIll Be This Season's MVP?

LeBron James and Kevin Durant engaged in an entertaining back-and-forth where the All-Star Game award exchanged hands roughly 50 times, give or take. Whenever Durant's grip seemed secure on the trophy, LeBron ripped it away. And vice versa. Dunks. Three-pointers. More dunks. More threes. Durant wanted it more. Then James wanted it more. Until LeBron wanted it less.

Kevin Durant and LeBron James

In the end, Durant took top honors Sunday, not so much for what he did in the final moments, but for what another player didn't. The narrative will be LeBron, after putting the East in position to win, waving off three chances for the game-winning shot. One pass went to Deron Williams, who airballed. Another pass was intercepted. Finally, LeBron inbounded the ball to Dwyane Wade, who missed at the buzzer.

For a player who famously faded in the fourth quarters last June, the link between the 2011 NBA Finals and this All-Star Game is just too... delicious. It made you forget that Durant was more invisible than James in the fourth quarter, scoring two points and never being able to hold of the charge from LeBron and the East in the final frantic moments of the 152-149 West win.

Anyway, it was dizzy but mostly good stuff between the finest two players in the league. You suppose these next two months, when they chase the regular-season MVP, might be just as compelling?

Durant and LeBron are pushing their respective conference-leading teams, are among the scoring leaders in the league, and are producing big when it counts. Both scored 36 points on Sunday and therefore, the MVP rested on whose team won.

Both players have been having incredible seasons and it will be interesting to see who ends up winning the MVP award for the entire season. The second half of the season begins tomorrow and in my opinion, Durant has the upper hand right now.

Best Dunks of the NBA Season...So Far

Here it is! My first vlog! I took my favorite dunks from the 2011-2012 season thus far and mixed it all together in to a video blog. Enjoy!

Sprite Slam Dunk Contest...But Without The Excitement

Chase Budinger

Leading up to All-Star Saturday night (on February 25), I am finding it pretty difficult to be excited. Throughout most of my life, I have always been so ecstatic about All-Star Weekend for months in advance at a time. Blame it on the condensed schedule, but this year I am really not all that exuberant. I typically plan my entire weekend around the Rookie Challenge on Friday night, All Star Saturday night, and then the All Star game on Sunday night. This year, I'm already beginning to make plans to go downtown with friends and not even think about the festivities. Sure, the All Star game will be exciting, but it's Saturday night that I'm usually so pumped about and it's the dunk contest that really attracts the viewers. This year, it seems that everyone is talking about who isn't in the dunk contest rather than who is. That's not usually a good sign. There's no Blake Griffin (the reigning champion). And as usual, there is no LeBron James, the player everyone wants to see in the contest.

Iman Shumpert

Instead, viewers are being given players Chase Budinger, Paul George, Iman Shumpert, and Derrick Williams. These guys can certainly thrown down some nasty dunks but what ever happened to the old days when star players actually wanted to be involved in the dunk contest? For example, the days when Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins went head to head were the best years of the contest. The Contest has only been around since 1984, but it has taken a significant dip in recent years. Maybe I am just being pessimistic and the whole weekend will be incredible. I'm certainly hesitant though....

NBA Power Rankings

At this point, the NBA season is about 1/3 of the way done, so I thought it only made sense to supply you with my own personal power rankings at this point in the season. Being a shortened 66-game season, you may be slightly surprised by some teams and not so surprised by others. Before the season even started, it was a pretty safe bet saying Miami, Chicago, and Oklahoma City would be better than most other teams. But who thought Philadelphia would be in my top 5? Check it out:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

Kevin Durant

OKC has been playing very well this season. They are leading the Western Conference and have one of the youngest cores in the league. Not only are they young, they are intimidating and pretty damn good. They've had a couple of head-scratching losses, but I see this team representing the West in the Finals.

2. Chicago Bulls
Quite possibly the team representing the East in the Finals, the Bulls have had a great first third of the season. Currently on top of the East, the Bulls depth is what I love. They have an incredible starting lineup and then have players like Richard Hamilton, Kyle Korver, Taj Gibson, and Omer Asik. These four bench players could easily start on other teams throughout the league.

Derrick Rose

3. Miami Heat
Any team with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh is probably going to be pretty good. Even with Wade missing many games so far this season, Miami has still managed to only lose 6 games so far. LeBron is definitely the best player on the team and is in the prime of his career. I don't see him getting past Chicago in the playoffs again, though.

4. Boston Celtics
I may be a little biased here being a lifelong Celtics fan, but I do really think this team has what it takes to get to the Finals. After a very sloppy start to the season, the Celtics have won 7 out of their last 8 with impressive wins over teams that people say are "better" than Boston. With Paul Pierce being awarded Player of the Week honors in the Eastern Conference, he led the Celtics without the injured Rajon Rondo. Even without the all star point guard, Boston did very well, which shows me a lot about this team. Their experience and will to win will give any team a challenge in the playoffs. Keep your chin up, New England. The Patriots may have lost, but the Celtics are playing some exciting basketball at the moment.

Paul Pierce

5. Philadelphia 76ers
No one saw this coming. Philly is on top of the Atlantic division and basically has a mirror record to the likes of Miami and Chicago. They have the best defense in the league and have been using their young legs to score plenty of fast-paced points. They've beat some very good teams and are showing no sign of slowing down. I just question if they can really handle the pressure of an intense playoff series.

Why Do Fans Get To Pick The NBA All-Star Starters?

The starters for the 2012 NBA All Star Game were announced tonight for both the East and West teams and I wasn't all that surprised by the results. Voted by fans across the world, the starting line ups typically consist of the "superstars" of the league that one generally thinks of when the NBA comes in to mind. For the West squad, PG Chris Paul, SG Kobe Bryant, SF Kevin Durant, PF Blake Griffin, and C Andrew Bynum will be one of the youngest starting lineups that I have have seen in an all star game. For the East squad, PG Derrick Rose, SG Dwyane Wade, SF Carmelo Anthony, PF LeBron James, and C Dwight Howard (the leading vote getting amongst all players) will use their athleticism and experience to give the West team a great challenge. In my opinion, the East is going to absolutely demolish the West. But this is besides the point.
My real concern is why fans even get to vote for the starters in the first place. Yes, I understand the All Star Game is supposed to be a relaxed, fun game that gives fans the opportunity to cheer for all of their favorite players and also a way for players to show their appreciation to players, but it really doesn't make sense to me for one main reason: The general managers of the league get to pick the reserve players, but have no say in the starters. In my opinion, it should be the other way around. Fans should get to pick the reserves and general managers should pick the starters. In too many cases, I have seen players get selected as all stars when they really do not deserve it. For example, washed up players like Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson started for their respective conferences based solely off of their reputations and not by their skill later in their careers. This year is no different to me.