The Inside Scoop

AI and Kobe not in the All Star Game, Rose Hoping to Play

2010-02-11T17:52:00.002-05:00

Due to personal matters, Allen Iverson will be out of Sunday's all star game, meaning everyone now deserves to be in it based on this years stats. It is unknown who will start over him, but David Lee will fill his empty spot. Due to injuries, Kobe Bryant will be replaced by Jason Kidd, and injuries probably prevented 6th-leading scorer Monta Ellis from taking the spot instead. This changes my predictions, but not significantly. I am not sure who will start over Iverson, as Lee is a power forward, so when that comes out I will update that matchup, but Dwyane Wade now wins his matchup over anyone else the West sends at him, giving the East a 3-2 advantage in the starters. However, the big men reserves prediction holds, as the West still has more and better big men. As of now, Derrick Rose is playing in the all star game, but I'll try to keep you posted

All-Star Game Breakdown

2010-02-08T20:10:00.002-05:00

It's finally here, All-Star Weekend 2010. Following my previous article about the various other events headlining this year's all-star weekend, I wanted to breakdown the game and give my predictions.

Here are the matchups for the East and West. The matchups are organized by how good they'll be

Starters: West 3, East 2

Lebron vs. Carmelo: Melo has his coach with him, but he can't beat the King. This is going to be a storied matchup throughout both of their careers, but Lebron will always win it, but not by much

Kobe vs. D-Wade: Kobe gets the edge here. Kobe is the best player in the league, injured or not. Even with his multitude of injuries, his height gives him a slight edge, which would have been bigger if he was healthy, over the dynamic Wade. However, this is still going to be a great matchup

Amar'e Stoudemire vs. Dwight Howard: Another great matchup, but Howard is the better center. Stoudemire will make it interesting, but Howard is undoubtedly the best center in the game

KG vs. Tim Duncan: Like Kobe vs. Wade, this matchup is affected by injuries. However, in this one the injuries make more of a difference. Duncan has been outstanding this year, while KG has been hobbled by injuries. Healthy, I'll take KG over Duncan, but that is not the case, so Duncan gets the edge here.

Steve Nash vs. AI: Nash no question is the better player. A few years ago it would have been the other way around, but Nash is putting up great numbers & AI is only playing because of his fanbase

I'm breaking down the reserves by position, since I might have to end up matching up Paul Pierce on Pau Gasol, which would obviously not happen. Regardless, the reserves match up very well and it will make the game even more interesting

Reserves: West 2, East 1

Kevin Durant vs. Gerald Wallace and Paul Pierce: This is such a difficult match to decide, but Durant gets a slight edge in the closest matchup this year. Durant is having a great all-around season, and Wallace is 6-7 and one of the league's leading rebounders. Injuries aside, Pierce is having a solid season as well. If Pierce was not coming off injuries, this would result in a tie.

Deron Williams and Chauncey Billups vs. Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, and Joe Johnson: This will be a solid matchup, but the East wins it. Numbers aside, Rose and Rondo are blossoming into the 2 top point guards, if Wade is a shooting guard and noting Devin Harris' inconsistency, and Joe Johnson deserves to start over AI. Billups is old and losing his skill, but Williams is a strong player. East wins this because of the great balance they have. Rose and Johnson provide most of the offense, and Rondo provides most of the defense and assists

Dirk Nowitzki, Zach Randolph, Chris Kaman and Pau Gasol vs. Chris Bosh and Al Horford: There are guys in the east who had better stats than Horford, i.e Brook Lopez, but the same goes with Pau Gasol with Al Jefferson having superior numbers. Horford and Pau are still solid big men, but regardless, the West would still win this category, with Nowitzki continuing his brilliance, and Kaman and Randolph having career years. Individually Chris Bosh is the best of all of these, but the east is just overmatched by sheer numbers.

Overall Predition: This going to be a great game, and another high-scoring game, but the West will win by 4, and despite Kobe's 35-point performance, Steve Nash will win MVP with 25 points and 12 assists

All-Star Activities Predictions

2010-02-08T17:43:00.002-05:00

All-star weekend this year is packed with a lot of fun and exciting events. Some will be interesting, some will be blowouts. Here's the schedule and my predictions for the winners of the events.

Celebrity Game: 2 teams of famous people trying to play basketball. It's Dr. Oz, Chris Tucker, Anthony Anderson, Pitbull, Joel Moore, Anthony Kim and 4 Harlem Globetrotters vs. Mark Cuban, Robert Horry, Rick Fox, Chris Mullin, Common, and Nancy Lieberman. The former NBA players are too old to matchup against the young Globetrotters, but they do have a significant height advantage over the 1st team. Basketball is a game of height, but the globetrotters can jump & are younger. Team 1 wins by 6

Dunk-off: I believe this will be at halftime of the Rookie Challenge, but Eric Gordon and Demar Derozan will have a mini dunk contest to see who is the 4th dunker in the dunk contest the next day. Gordon may be the better player, but he just doesn't seem like a high-flyer, & the fact that he's in the rookie game doesn't help much. Derozan will win here to try his luck in the big show.

T-Mobile Rookie Challenge: The Sophmores usually win this game, & this year will be no different. The only 2 sophmores who I do not think will be among the best players in the NBA in the future are Anthony Morrow and Danilo Gallinari, but both can shoot the 3 very well. Although the rookies have an advantage in the backcourt, the rookie bigs do not have the talent to contend with the likes of Brook Lopez, Kevin Love, Marc Gasol and Michael Beasley. Sophmores by 15

H.O.R.S.E: Kevin Durant defends his title at last years inaugural competition against Omri Casspi and Rajon Rondo. Durant started off slowly against OJ Mayo and Joe Johnson last year, and still won. Both of those players have better abilities to create shots than Rondo or Casspi. Durant will win again, Rondo will finish 2nd and Casspi 3rd

Haier Shooting Stars Competition: To kick off All Star Saturday night, NBA players and Legends and WNBA players will team up to try and shoot some tough shots. Texas has Dirk Nowitzki, Becky Hammon and Kenny Smith, Los Angeles has Pau Gasol, Marie-Ferdinand Harris and Brent Barry, Sacramento has Tyreke Evans, Chris Webber and Nicole Powell, and Atlanta has Joe Johnson, Angel McCoughtry and Steve Smith. Texas takes it for the hometown crowd by 3 seconds, with the best-shooting combination among the younger stars

Taco Bell Skills Challenge: Derrick Rose defends his title against some of the best Point Guards in the game today, Steve Nash, Deron Williams and Brandon Jennings. Williams and Nash are both former champs, with Williams setting a course record in 2008. Will anyone beat that record? No, but Nash will beat everyone here, with Rose finishing 2nd.

3-Point Contest: Daequan Cook will have a tough time defending his title in this star-studded field with Paul Pierce, Chauncey Billups, Stephen Curry, Channing Frye, and Danilo Gallinari. Although Cook ran away with the title last year, he has not been close to as hot as the other competitors. In Chauncey Billups will win by 2, but the other great shooters here will make it an interesting competition to watch

Dunk Contest: As usual, all-star Saturday will end off with an exciting dunk contest. With my prediction of Demar Derozan beating Eric Gordon in the dunk-off, Derozan will help Gerald Wallace, runner-up to Jason Richardson in a close 2002 contest and Shannon Brown try to stop Nate Robinson from his 2nd-straight, 3rd ever, dunk contest victory. In a deep field, Shannon Brown will use his 44.5 inch vertical to rise above the competition and be the 7th player to win the dunk contest in his rookie year

Note: There will be a follow-up article about the all-star game

NBA All-Star Starters Announced

2010-01-24T14:30:00.003-05:00

The 2010 all-star starters have been announced:

East:

Guards- Dwyane Wade & Allen Iverson

Forwards- Lebron James & Kevin Garnett*

Center- Dwight Howard

West:

Guards- Kobe Bryant & Steve Nash

Forwards- Carmelo Anthony & Tim Duncan

Center- Amare Stoudemire

*If he is not injured

The reserves will be announced on Thursday, January 28

Nets Get Their 1st Win of the Season

2009-12-05T14:44:00.002-05:00

After starting the NBA season worse than any team in history, the 0-18 Nets got their 1st win with a 97-91 home victory over the Charlotte Bobcats. Courtney Lee came back to the starting lineup in a big way, scoring 27 points and getting 3 key steals. Brook Lopez continued his great season with 31 points and 14 rebounds. The Bobcats played their starters for almost the entire game, using only 3 players from off the bench, which only aided the Nets late surge.

LeBron Not in Slam Dunk Contest?

2009-12-02T20:39:00.002-05:00

LeBron James said today there was a 50-50 chance he would participate in this year's contest.

This is news because it had sounded like he was good to go this year. But it's hard to imagine him risk getting beat by a lesser-known player in the contest, especially after last summer's much ado about nothing over a summer-time dunk.

Sources: rotoworld.com

Brian Windhorst on Twitter

Rookies of the Month

2009-12-01T18:33:00.006-05:00

Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks and Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings have been named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month, respectively.

Jennings leads all rookies in scoring (21.8 ppg), assists (5.7 apg) and three-point field goal percentage (.500). On Nov. 14, Jennings scored 55 points against the Warriors, the most points by a rookie since Earl Monroe netted 56 in 1968.

Evans ranks second among rookies in scoring (18.8 ppg) and leads first-year players in minutes (36.1 mpg). He also ranks second in steals (1.33 spg), fourth in assists (4.7 apg) and fifth in rebounds (5.0 rpg) among rookies

New Coach For the Nets

2009-12-01T18:15:00.003-05:00

The New Jersey Nets have chosen general manager Kiki Vandeweghe as the replacement for fired coach Lawrence Frank.

Vandeweghe agreed to take over for the rest of the season after the Nets agreed to bring in longtime NBA coach Del Harris as Vandeweghe's virtual co-coach.

The Nets finalized the Vandeweghe-Harris plan Monday afternoon and

formally announced the move at a Tuesday morning news conf

Iverson Back to Philly?

2009-12-01T18:10:00.003-05:00

The Sixers offered a one-year, non-guaranteed contract to Iverson on Tuesday, a source confirmed to ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher. Iverson has not yet accepted the deal, according to the source.

Iverson

Iverson, his agent and business manager met with team president Ed Stefanski, coach Eddie Jordan and two other members of the organization Monday during the first formal meeting between the Sixers and their former MVP.

Iverson announced his retirement last week after an ill-fated stint with the Memphis Grizzlies. The 10-time All-Star was NBA MVP in 2001 when he led the Sixers to the NBA Finals.

Source: ESPN.com

NBA Predictions: 2009-10

2009-10-24T12:58:00.006-04:00

Eastern Conference

1: Cleveland Cavaliers: The Cavs spent their offseason getting King James a supporting cast that will motivate him to stay in Cleveland. I think it worked very well. Adding Shaquille O'Neal and Anthony Parker make their starting lineup one of the best in the league, and adding some punch to their bench by getting Jamario Moon and benching Ilgauskas for O'Neal, Cleveland is now probably the best team in the league

2: Boston Celtics: Although using the aging Rasheed Wallace to replace the up-and-coming Leon Powe, they also added swingman Marquis Daniels and forward Sheldon Williams to boost their bench a little bit. As long as Garnett stays healthy long enough to hold off Orlando, the Celtics should edge out the Magic for 2nd in the east

3: Orlando Magic: Although the Carter trade was a great trade for the Magic, gaining a 20 ppg scorer and Ryan Anderson, a young 6'10" forward who can shoot, they lost a young star in Courtney Lee and a solid point guard in Rafer Alston. However, the reason that Boston is better than them is because Carter can't play defense, and Hedo Turkoglu was almost as good offensively and better defensively, but the battle of Boston and Orlando will certainly be an interesting one

4: Detroit Pistons: Detroit had a huge offseason this year, signing Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva, and got Ben Wallace and Chris Wilcox to replace Wallace. They have a versatile set of guys to give other teams headaches, and will push the top teams, but their lack of a true big man besides the aging Wallace will cause trouble and hurt their chances

5:Atlanta Hawks: Adding Jamal Crawford to the mix of Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, and Al Horford makes a deadly starting lineup for them, and their bench is solid as well. They won't beat the Magic, Celts, or Cavs, but with the great young team that they have, they will be dangerous in the future

6: Miami Heat: Beasley's troubles aside, the Heat have a strong supporting cast for their superstar that they want to keep, Dwyane Wade. But unlike the Cavs, they did not get enough support for Wade in the offseason, and thus Wade did not extend his contract. Look for them to push themselves because the Heat would fall apart without Wade

7: Chicago Bulls: Losing Gordon hit the Bulls hard, and the fact that they did not do anything about it is not good. Derrick Rose has proven he can lead this team, but Gordon helped in the clutch a lot, especially in the playoffs. They have a solid team, just the other teams in the east have more great players. In a few years, however, the Bulls will be a force to be reckoned with.

8: Toronto Raptors: Toronto replaced Parker with Turkoglu, a very smart move, but their backcourt is still pretty weak. A big reason that they will edge out Washington for the 8th spot is because their frontcourt is stacked. The frontcourt trio of Turkoglu, Chris Bosh and Andrea Barganani is tough to beat, but this team has been projected to do well in a weak division and not lived up to its expectations.

9: Washington Wizards: Flip Saunders has his work cut out for him given the Wizards reputation of losing, but he has a bunch of stars that makes this team a contender. Gilbert Arenas' injury was a huge reason for Washington's woes last year, but the entire team needs to help him out and step up their game in doing so

10: Indiana Pacers: Danny Granger needs help carrying this team. They have potential, and most of their team has not been in the league very long, but they can be good in the future. They could make a run for the playoffs, but they need big production from everyone else on their team.

11: Charlotte Bobcats: The reason that Indiana will end up beating the Bobcats is that Indiana's big star averages 25 ppg while Charlottes go-to guy, Gerald Wallace, averages around 16. Charlotte has more depth than Indiana, but they will not benefit from replaceing Emeka Okafor with Tyson Chandler. They have a bunch of solid players, but they just don't have enough to make a run yet

12: New Jersey Nets: Lawrence Frank has tried to start orienting the offense to showcase Brook Lopez, which could start an excellent duo of Devin Harris and Lopez and take some of the weight off of Harris' shoulders. They have a young group of guys that need to step up their game to help their team win, like Chris Douglas-Roberts, Bobby Simmons, Courtney Lee and especially Yi Jianlian. The Nets are one of the many teams in the league with a young team with great potential for future success, just they need to prove themselves

13: Philadelphia 76ers: The 6ers have the players to potentially take them far, but they do the best when 1 of their best players, Elton Brand, is injured. Brand is a great and experienced power forward. If he can produce and stay healthy the 6ers can be a solid team, but they definitely need some work

14: New York Knicks: The Knicks have 4 solid players and not much else. Al Harrington, the leading scorer, barely averages 20 points. Without Harrington, Double-Double Machine David Lee and guards Wilson Chandler and Nate Robinson, the Knicks would be nowhere.

15: Milwaukee Bucks: I know I sound like a broken record, but the Bucks are another team with one superstar who needs support from his young supporting cast that has huge potential. The problem is that Michael Redd is the only proven scorer much of his supporting cast are hyped-up players who have yet to elevate their game to the potential they are expected to get. Being in the toughest division in the east doesn't help much either

Playoffs:

Cavs over Raptors (4)

Celtics over Bulls (5)

Magic over Heat (6)

Hawks over Pistons (7)

Cavs over Hawks (5)

Celtics over Magic (7)

Cavs over Celtics (7)

Western Conference

1: San Antonio Spurs: This is going to be one of the closest battles for top seed in history. 2 deep teams with playoff and championship experience fighting it out for top spot. With virtually equal talent in coaching and starters with LA, the best bench in basketball will propel the Spurs to the top of the Western Conference

2: Los Angeles Lakers: The reigning champs added Ron Artest to bolster their defense, but they did not resign Trevor Ariza to do so. Artest is older and more hotheaded, but his skills are still there. They have a balanced team and will go hard, but they will come up just short

3: Utah Jazz: If the team is healthy, and that's a big if, they could even contend with the Spurs of the Lakers, but their history of injuries makes that unlikely. They did not make any new acquisitions in the offseason, but if the Jazz are healthy then they are great just the way they are

4: Dallas Mavericks: The only reason they are 4th seed is because the top 3 seeds have to be division leaders. Shawn Marion will give assist-master Jason Kidd another all-star to pass to, and Drew Gooden and Erick Dampier will team up to make arguably the most formidable center duo in the league, and all this together gives the Mavericks a top flite starting lineup. What is also scary is that they have a great bench to back up their formidable starting lineup

5: New Orleans Hornets: Replacing Tyson Chandler with Emeka Okafor was a great decision for New Orleans. Not only is Okafor a proven scorer, shot-blocker and rebounder, but he will help James Posey on defense and help David West down low. The fast scoring machine of New Orleans now has a solid defense as well. And when a group of scorers is lead by Chris Paul, a scorer who also averages 11 assists, anything can happen

6: Phoenix Suns: A big reason that the Suns missed the playoffs last year was because they lost their go-to-guy, Amare Stoudemire. They did lose Shaq, but Amare should have no problem replacing him. There are a lot of good teams in the west, so Steve Nash will need to pass around to all the Suns' scorers, and this offense-only team needs to lockdown on D

7: Denver Nuggets: The team that challenged the Lakers did nothing to improve their already great team. Getting Ty Lawson from the draft was a good move, especially since Chauncey Billups isn't getting any younger. Carmelo Anthony is nearing his prime, as if he's not great already. They are another team that needs to stay away from injuries. To push further in ahead in the talented west, they need to produce like they did last year and need to keep Nenê and Kenyon Martin healthy

8: Memphis Grizzlies: Putting Allen Iverson on the bench is not a good move, but it really would not make too much of a difference. Bench or not, AI will teach young guards OJ Mayo and Mike Conley jr what he knows and that could improve upon an already excetional guard trio. Their great draft brought in Sam Young and Hasheem Thabeet, who should fit in nicely with the rest of the team. The addition of Zach Randolph was smart because he will use his experience to help better Marc Gasol, Rudy Gay, Thabeet and Young. This is a great, up-and-coming team that could be on top in a few years

9: Portland Trailblazers: Brandon Roy, Rudy Fernandez and LaMarcus Aldridge form a strong and young big 3, but beyond that there really is not much else. Greg Oden was a disappointment, and the other good players that they have are very old. Andre Miller could teach Steve Blake a few things, and this team could really get going. But Oden is a huge factor in how this team fares throughout the season, because the blazers need a big man and he cannot get injured

10: Las Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin has a lot of talented big men in front of him, but he will definitely benefit from them by learning from them and soon become the starter here. They are no longer a doormat for the league and they could make a run for the eighth spot if Oden is injured and if Marcus Camby, Baron Davis, and Chris Kaman stay healthy

11: Golden State Warriors: The Warriors were hurt by Monta Ellis being injured for almost the entire year, and need him to if they want a chance at the playoffs, however unlikely that may be. They do have a solid team, but no men in the middle. They do need Ellis, yes, but the reason for their woes is because they do not have a true power forward and Andris Biedrins needs to improve, and fast

12: Oklahoma City Thunder: The youngest team in the league is definitely moving in the right direction. Jeff Green is adapting to his role as power forward and is becoming a Rashard Lewis type player, a decent-size guy who will give bigger, slower power forwards nightmares with his speed and versatile game. Nenad Krstic will have to be better than he ever has been without Jason Kidd giving him great passes. However, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, James Harden and Green give the young Thunder a sunny and bright future

13: Houston Rockets: Yao Ming out for the season spells trouble for Houston, who will also start the year without Tracy McGrady. They will be hampered by their lack of a center, and need Trevor Ariza, Luis Scola and Shane Battier to carry the team, but it's going to be a long season for the Rockets

14: Sacramento Kings: Kevin Martin is the lone star on this team, but there is some hope for the future. Spencer Hawes and Sean May make a talented tandem at center. Tyreke Evans was a great pick, and coupled with Beno Udrih makes a solid point guard duo as well. The problem is, right now the Kings are the worst team in a solid division, so they will have to wait a while to claim their throne

15: Minnesota Timberwolves: Al Jefforson is the entirety of the T-Wolves' team. They have a promising draft in Wayne Ellington and Johnny Flynn, but they just don't have the firepower to do anything in the west. They are young, however, and could have a good future, just there are so many holes to fill

Playoffs

Spurs over Grizzlies (5)

Lakers over Nuggets (6)

Suns over Jazz (7)

Hornets over Mavericks (7)

Spurs over Hornets (6)

Lakers over Suns (6)

Spurs over Lakers (7)

NBA Finals

Cavs over Spurs (7)

Mock Draft 1.0 (Picks 6-10)

2009-06-06T23:57:00.002-04:00

By: Robert Kivell

6. Minnesota Timberwolves- Demar Derozan

(Needs: SG, C)

The T-Wolves could really use an upgrade at every position. They made a big trade on draft day to get Kevin Love and Mike Miller for O.J. Mayo, but so far it is looking like the Grizzlies got the better end of the trade (when can you ever say that). Minnesota could really use a 2-guard right here who can score points and compliment Sebastian Telfair in the backcourt.

7. Golden State Warriors- Jordan Hill

(Needs: PF, PG)

I think the Warriors could go two ways with this pick. Monta Ellis is looking to be more of a shooting guard than a point guard, so it is possible the Warriors could take Brandon Jennings with this pick or Tyreke Evans if he is left. They also need a big man to hold down the fort with Biendrins, so I like the Warriors to take Hill with this pick. At this point in the draft, some would view the former Arizona Wildcat as a steal.

8. New York Knicks- Stephen Curry

(Needs: PG, C)

I don't know if Steph Curry is the best player left at this point in the draft, but I think he will be able to fit in nicely in the Knicks' run and gun offense. Jennings could once again be a possible pick here, but if the Knicks are going to get "you know who" in 2010, Curry would make a better backcourt companion to LBJ than Jennings would.

9. Toronto Raptors- Gerald Henderson

(Needs: SG, C)

An aging Anthony Parker (33 years old) just will not cut it anymore for the Raptors. Toronto has solid pieces to build around in Bosh, Calderon, and Bargnani, and Henderson would fit in nicely to round out the Rap's starting five. If they could get their acts together, these guys should be able to make a run at one of the lower seeds in the playoffs next year.

10. Miluakee Bucks- Brandon Jennings

(Needs: PG, PF)

An absolute steal for the Bucks at number 10. Jrue Holiday is a possible option here as is Dajuan Blair. The Bucks have a lot of work to do, and Brandon Jennings could be a nice start for them.

Picks 11-15 will be coming later

Mock Draft 1.0 (Picks 1-5)

2009-06-04T11:09:00.003-04:00

By: Robert Kivell

1. LA Clippers- Blake Griffin

(Needs: PF, SG)

Griffin is by far the best player in the draft and would fit right in in L.A. With a starting lineup of Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, Al Thorton, Blake Griffin, and Marcus Camby, the Clips could make a big improvement next year and hover around the .500 mark.

2. Memphis Grizzlies- Hasheem Thabeet

(Needs: C, PG)

The Grizzlies could go two ways with this pick. They can select Thabeet or Rubio. It's all going to depend on how much patience they are willing to have with Mike Conley Jr. If they are ready to label him as a bust, Rubio is the pick. If not, Thabeet is their guy.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder- James Harden

(Needs: C, SG)

I see Russel Westbrook as a better point guard in the future than as a shooting guard. If Thabeet falls to three, he is their guy, but once he is gone I see them picking Harden. I would not be surprised however if they trade this pick with someone who is interested in moving up to take Rubio because he won't be left after the Kings pick.

4. Sacramento Kings- Ricky Rubio

(Needs: PG, SF)

The transition from Mike Bibby to Beno Udrich has not gone so well. If Rubio is left here at #4 it would be a blessing for last year's worst team in the NBA. If not, they could take Tyreke Evans or Brandon Jennings here.

5. Washington Wizards- Tyreke Evans

(Needs: PG, SG, C,)

The Wizards could really use a big man, but the quality of centers after Thabeet isn't good enough. I like Evans to compliment Agent Zero in the Wiz's backcourt.

Picks 6-10 will be coming later.

Finals Predictions

2009-06-02T14:49:00.003-04:00

By: Robert Kivell

Game 1

The Magic won't know what to expect, and the Lakers will. I see the Lakers storming out of the gate in this one to take a double digit lead. The Lakers will be able to maintain that lead throughout the game and win game 1 in a blowout.

Prediction: Lakers by 12 (Lakers lead 1-0)

Game 2

The Magic are going to come out firing three's to take a early double-digit lead, much like the Lakers in game 1. However this time the trailing team won't fade away. Lead by Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom, the Lakers will storm back to win in a close one.

Prediction: Lakers by 5 (Lakers lead 2-0)

Game 3

For the first time in the series the score is within ten at halftime. The Magic are up a little despite shooting poorly from 3-pt range. In a do or die situation in the second half, Dwight Howard takes over. Superman is able to stay out of foul trouble and records a double-double in the third quarter alone. Magic win by big, very big.

Prediction: Magic by 17 (Lakers lead 2-1)

Game 4

A tight one throughout. Kobe Bryant cannot be stopped, but neither can the Magic's three point shooters. Bryant matches Turkaglu, Lewis, and Alston shot for shot, and the Lakers win in a close one.

Prediction: Lakers by 3 (Lakers lead 3-1)

Game 5

Jameer Nelson returns to provide the Magic with a much needed lift. Nelson scores 20 off the bench to propel the Magic to a road victory. Meanwhile, Pietrus and Turkaglu hold Kobe to 30% shooting from the field.

Prediction: Magic by 7 (Lakers lead 3-2)

Game 6

Stan Van Gundy decides to reward Nelson for his outstanding game five performance by starting him over Rafer Alston. Nelson has another gutty performance, but is overshadowed by Dwight Howard's dominance of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. D-Howard puts up 40 and 20, forcing a game 7 in LA.

Prediction: Magic by 8 (Series tied 3-3)

Game 7

The Magic get out to an early double digit lead, but the Laker deficit is trimmed to just a point at halftime.

Stan Van Gundy throws and kicks multiple objects in the locker room to show his disgust to his team. Stan the Man gives his boys one of the greatest pep talks of all time to get them ready for the second half. Meanwhile, Phil Jackson is listening to music in his office while Kobe is getting his team ready for the second half. Halftime result: Van Gundy over Kobe.

The Magic come out fired up and score three 3's to start the third. The game goes back in forth for the rest of the quarter, but the Magic remain on top by double digits heading into the fourth. Nicholson is starting to pull out his hair (or whatever of it is remaining), Shaq, who is in attendance, is smiling and thinking to himself (Hey Kobe, this is how my a** tastes), Lebron is smiling at home because if Kobe loses he can still say he is the best in the league, and Phil Jackson has fallen asleep on the bench.

Time for the fourth quarter, time for JJ Redick. Two three's to start the fourth, and the Magic are up by 16. It's over, right? Wrong! The Lakers have Kobe Bryant. They come all the way back to trail by 5 with 20 seconds left. After hitting one of two free throws, the Magic lead by 6 with 17 seconds left. Kobe dribbles the ball across half court, 14 seconds, puts a move on Pietrus, passes the ball to Shannon Brown? Brown, as surprised as all of the fans throws up a three and drains it. Magic by 3 with 8 seconds left. Lewis is set to inbound the ball, but throws it right to Lamar Odom. Odom has two options, go for the wide-open dunk with 6 seconds left to be down by one (DO IT!!!) or dribble out behind the three-point line and hope to get lucky. On a sugar high from all of his candy he has eaten, Odom decides to do the smart thing, he puts up a layup. Lakers down by one with 5 seconds left.

Magic inbound the ball to Lewis, who gets fouled by Gasol with 3 seconds left. Gasol fouls out. Lewis drains both foul shots, and runs back to his bench after the Lakers call time out. Phil Jackson draws up the mastermind play that has worked every time he has called it over his career and made him the best coach in basketball (some would say). Give the ball to Michael, I mean Kobe, and everyone clear out.

Fisher takes the ball out of bounds and gives it to Kobe. 3...2...1...he puts it up. ITS GOOD. WE'RE GOING TO OVERTIME. GREATEST COMEBACK OF ALL-TIME. But wait why is Pietrus screaming at the ref and pointing at the three point line? He is saying Kobe's foot was on the line. The refs look into the monitor. Pietrus was right. Kobe's foot was on the line. It is only a two. Orlando wins by one. MAGIC WIN. MAGIC WIN.

Revised Playoff Brackets

2009-05-14T20:20:00.002-04:00

Besides the Seed changes, there are some other slight changes I want to make

Eastern Conference Semis

Magic over Celtics (7)

As good as the Celtics are, the Magic are coming off of a 25-point win over Philly with Dwight Howard sitting on the bench. With the injuries hitting the Celtics hard, they just cannot pull it off

Eastern Conference Finals

Cavs over Magic (5)

Yes, the Cavs do not have an answer for Dwight Howard, but LeBron James can score enough to offset that, and Illgauskas can slow Howard down enough to keep the burning hot Cavs rolling

NBA Finals

Lakers over Cavs (7)

Although the Cavs are on fire and the Lakers are stumbling, the Lakers swept the Cavs in double-digits during the season, including handing Cleveland their only home loss, which should not change for LA

Playoff Bracket

2009-04-12T22:25:00.002-04:00

Robert Kivell

Here is my predictions for May Madness in the NBA.

1st Round

(1) Cavs over (8) Pistons in four games.

Too much Lebron in this series. The Pistons were not that great after the Billups-Iverson trade this season, and I do not think they can scratch out a game against the Pistons without Iverson in the lineup.

(2) Celtics over (7) Bulls in six games.

The Bulls have been playing extremely well since the aquisitions of John Salmons and Brad Miller. Similarly to the Hawks of last year, the Bulls have a young team that is very good at home. I think the Bulls will give the Celts a little trouble, but in the end Boston will prevail.

(6) 76ers over (3) Magic in six games

The Magic just are not playing playoff basketball right now. Back to back losses to the lowly Knicks and Nets knocked them out of contention for the second spot in the East. I like the sixers to catch Dwight Howard off guard and upset them in six games.

(4) Hawks over (5) Heat in seven games

Two words, home court. The Hawks have been nearly unbeatable this year at home posting 30 wins at Phillips arena with one more to go. The Tuesday matchup between these two teams should give us some insight into who will win the matchup next week.

(1) Lakers over (8) Jazz in five games

The Lakers are the better team here. The Jazz are very good at home, so I think they can steal one on their home court, but this series is going to be won by the Lakers

(2) Nuggets over (7) Mavericks in five games

Like the Jazz, I think the Mavs can win one on their homecourt, but the Nuggets are clearly the better team. The addition of Chauncey Billups earlier in the year has been the best move by a GM in the lasta 365 days. Too much Billups and too much Melo in this series for Dirk and the Mavs to handle.

(3) Blazers over (6) Hornets in six games

Chris Paul is the best PG in the league, but his supporting cast is not as good as it was last year. Tyson Chandler is banged up and David West is not the same. James Posey was a nice addition to the rotation, but Brandon Roy and the Blazers have way too much depth.

(5) San Antonio over (4) Rockets in six games

Even without Manu Ginobli I like the Spurs in this series. Tony Parker can take over a game whenever he wants and Duncan will be able to neutralize Yao. Although it would be comical if T-Mac's team finally won a playoff series without him, I do not see it happening.

Second Round

(1) Cavs over (4) Hawks in six games

Again I have two words to explain the outcome of a Hawks playoff series, home court. The Hawks have given the Cavs fits in Atlanta this year winning their first meeting back in December and then losing by one in March. The Cavs will win the first two games in this series, lose the next two, and then go on to win games five and six.

(2) Celtics over (6) Sixers in five games

The Celtics will have received a little scare from the Bulls and round one and will get straight to business in this series. KG will be completely back in the rotation and the "Thad-less" Sixers will not have enough to overcome The Boston Three Party (and Rondo).

(1) Lakers over (5) Spurs in four games

Without Manu the Spurs cannot matchup against Kobe and the Lakers. Bryant, Gasol, Odom, and Bynum will be too much for Parker and Duncan. After somewhat of an upset in round one, the Spurs will fall quickly in round two.

(3) Blazers over (2) Nuggets in six games

Brandon Roy will lead the Blazers to their first Western Conference finals since the 90's and Clyde Drexler. Greg Oden will score zero (0) points in this series, but Aldridge will be too much of a presence in the frontcourt. Denver falls in a tough series to the young, up and coming team in the West.

Conference Finals

(1) Cavaliers over (2) Celtics in five games

After today's 31 point beat down of the Celtics the Cavs proved that they are in fact the superior team. Lebron James scores 30 a game in this series and the Cavs dominate KG, Pierce, and the Celtics en route to a four-one series win.

(3) Blazers over (1) Lakers in seven games

It all comes down to the last possession of game seven. Blazers up by 1 with 15 seconds to go and the Lakers come up court. 10 seconds, 9, 8, 7, 6, Kobe drives, 5, 4, 3, puts up the layup, 2, its no good, 1, Bynum tips it up, 0, its good!!!! Lakers win!

Correction: (1) Lakers over (3) Blazers in seven games [Gotcha at first didn't I]

Finals

Game 1: Cavs 98, Lakers 92

The Lakers Game Seven miracle did not last very long. Lebron and the Cavs jumped out to a 14 point lead at halftime. Kobe has a big second half to pull the Lakers within three late, but a three by Mo Williams pushes the Cavs up by 6 with 20 seconds to go and the Cavs go up 1-0.

Games 2: Cavs 101, Lakers 83

The Lakers worse lose all year was by seventeen to the Blazers. The Cavs hope to one up the number of games the Blazers won against Kobe and the Lakers, and one up'ed them in this game. Lebron goes for 40 10 and 8 and the Cavs dominate from the start

Game 3: Lakers 87, Cavs 86

The Lakers finally got to control the tempo and it paid off. King James misses a three as time expires and the Lakers hold on to win a crucial, must-win game three

Game 4: Cavs 99, Lakers 95

Things do not look too bright for the Lakers after Lebron James tears up Kobe for 55 points. Bryant has a very good game too, 35 points and 10 rebounds, but the Lakers head back to Ohio down 3-1 knowing they must win three straight against a team that never lost more than two games all season if they want to be league champions.

Game 5: Lakers 101, Cavs 79

There is life for the Lakers. Kobe comes out determined to shut down Lebron, and does. James is held to 15 points, shooting only 25% from the field as the Lakers coast to a win on the Cavs home floor.

Game 6: Cavs 114, Lakers 88

Just like last year against the Celtics, the Lakers fall big in game six, this time losing by 26. Lebron was back to his old self scoring 30 points and the Cavs are NBA CHAMPIONS.

MVP: Lebron James

Playoff Brackets

2009-04-12T10:58:00.004-04:00

By Josh Sperber

The seeds are basically set in stone, so NBA's version of March Madness can start

Eastern Conference

Cavs over Pistons (4)

Pistons are not great this year, the Cavs are on fire, and LeBron James will have an easy time on Rip, Prince or anyone the Pistons throw at him

Celtics over Bulls (5)

Shaky playoffs last year are gone, especially after clutch performances in the Eastern Conference and NBA finals. A hobbling KG might hurt a bit, but the bulls have no answers for Pierce and Allen and Rondo should be able to keep Rose in check

Magic over 6ers (5)

Orlando may be on a downward spiral, but few centers in the game can play with Dwight Howard, who will outmuscle Dalembert. With enough rest, Turkoglu will be back for the Playoffs, and even without him, Rashard Lewis will help out in scoring to combat Iguodala, but a healthy Turkoglu would seal the deal.

Heat over Hawks (6)

Two words, Dwyane Wade. The size of Joe Johnson means nothing since Wade is a 6'3-6'5 superstar who can do it all. Wade can come up big on either side of the court at any time.

Cavs over Heat (5)

LeBron James can do whatever Wade can, but the King is bigger, stronger, and just as fast as (if not faster than) Wade. The Cavs better bench will overpower the Heat's bench

Celtics over Magic (6)

Garnett will be able to slow Howard down enough so Pierce, Allen and Rondo can takeover. Pierce and Allen are faster and more experienced in the playoffs than Turkoglu and Lewis in the playoffs, and Rondo will prove that he deserved the All-Star Game more than Nelson

Cavs over Celtics (7)

The Cavs are on fire right now, and the Celtics in last years playoffs were helped by James Posey, now a Hornet, because Posey slowed down LeBron enough so Pierce could lead the Celtics. A sweet revenge will send LeBron to the Finals his 2nd time ever

Western Conference

Lakers over Jazz (4)

No team in the league has an answer for Kobe, except maybe the Cavs. This will be a quick and easy series for LA

Nuggets over Mavs (5)

Billups has done a lot for Denver, and old Nets-Pistons playoff games were too long ago for Kidd to repeat his past success against Billups

Hornets over Rockets (7)

A gutsy pick, but Chandler can handle Yao, Posey can handle McGrady, but nobody can handle Paul. Paul and West will be a formidable duo, and McGrady's playoff woes will continue

Spurs over Blazers (6)

Experience will be key here. Oden is not yet good enough to handle Duncan, and the Spurs bench will help Duncan as Parker and Roy cancel each other out

Lakers over Spurs (6)

A typical Western Conference 2nd or 3rd round battle. Again, Kobe will do what he does best to cancel out Duncan's dominance of Pao, and Odom will be too big for Bowen, Finley or Manu

Hornets over Nuggets (7)

Paul will use his age to his advantage as he runs circles around Billups. Chandler will stop Camby, Posey will stop Melo, and West will beat Martin, that should be enough in this close series

Lakers over Hornets (5)

The Hornets will be too worn out to play with the best team in the NBA right now, Paul will take advantge of Fisher, but Kobe will make that meaningless

Finals

Lakers over Cavs (6)

The Cavs will be better than they showed in the Lakers double-digit season sweep of them, but Kobe will outplay LeBron and Kobe's better backup crew will prevail

Better Luck Next Year

2009-03-19T00:50:00.001-04:00

By Willie Stern

The New Jersey Nets enjoyed a successful season this year as they all but secured the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Devin Harris played like an MVP candidate, Vince Carter averaged over 20 PPG and Brook Lopez almost averaged a double double. The rebuilding process for the Nets has gone faster then expected and with a few good draft picks, they will contend next year in the Eastern Confrence.

Player Rankings - New Jersey Nets

2009-03-01T18:29:00.002-05:00

By: Robert Kivell

New Jersey Nets

1. Devin Harris

2. Vince Carter

3. Brook Lopez

4. Yi Jianlian

5. Jarvis Hayes

6. Keyon Dooling

7. Bobby Simmons

8. Ryan Anderson

9. Josh Boone

10. Stromile Swift

11. Trenton Hassell

12. Sean Williams

13. Maurice Ager

14. Eduardo Najera

15. Chris Douglas-Roberts

Western Conference Playoff Predictions

2009-02-21T13:07:00.004-05:00

It's time for our Western Conference Playoff Predictions:

The Favorite:

1. L.A. Lakers

This isn't even a question. The Lakers are by far the best team in the West without Andrew Bynum and will be unstoppable when he comes back. They just have so many ways to beat you: Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum down low, the outside shooting of Derek Fisher, Sasha Vujacic, and don't forget Lamar Odom.

The Next Tier:
2. San Antonio Spurs

It's the big three again. Parker, Ginobli, and Duncan. They just have so much experience and talent here. Look for a big second half for George Hill and Fabricio Oberto to help this team get the second seed in the West.

3. Denver Nuggets

You think the Pistons are having second thoughts about the Iverson-Billups trade right now? Nene, Carmelo, and Kenyon Martin are playing great and Chauncey Billups is just a great disher. This is a very dangerous team. They play the Celtics, Hawks, and Lakers this week. We should learn a lot about Denver this week.

They Could Win it if They Get Hot:

4. New Orleans Hornets

Tyson Chandler failing his physical may be a blessing in disguise for the Hornets. Paul, West, and Chandler can really carry this team. I look for the Hornets to capture last year's magic and take the fourth seed in the West.

5. Phoenix Suns

Even with Amare Stoudamire lost for the year, Alvin Gentry has got this team looking good. The first team since the Trail Blazers in the 91-92 season to score 140+ in three straight games. Look for the Suns to play like last year with Mike D'antoni and take the fifth seed.

6. Utah Jazz

My sleeper team of the West. They have been plagued my injuries early in the year and now are finding their stride. They've got so many stars here with Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur, Paul Millsap, Andrei Kirilenko, and Ronnie Brewer. I think that the Jazz can realy make a run late in the year.

Maybe Next Year:

7. Portland Trail Blazers

They've played well up to now, but I don't think that they can keep it up. Aldridge, Roy, and Rudy Fernandez are young. I think that next year these guys could be a real force in the West.

The End of a Good Run:

8. Dallas Mavericks.

This team is getting old (Kidd), Dirk Nowitzki is going to be a free agent in 2010, and no one else has stepped up. They had a nice run and could have kept it going longer without that horrible trade with the Nets for Jason Kidd. Nevertheless, the Rockets lost Tracy McGrady for the year and traded away Rafer Alston for basically nothing. Their only player is Yao and he is not assertive enough to carry the Rockets. In the end, the Mavs will edge out the T-Mac-less Rockets for the last spot

Player Rankings - Utah Jazz

2009-02-20T18:46:00.003-05:00

UTAH JAZZ

1. Deron Williams
2. Carlos Boozer
3. Paul Millsap
4. Andrei Kirilenko
5. Mehmet Okur
6. Kyle Korver
7. Ronnie Brewer
8. C.J Miles
9. Matt Harpring
10. Morris Almond
11. Ronnie Price
12. Brevin Knight
13. Kosta Koufos
14. Jarron Collins
15. Kyrylo Fesenko

Knicks-Thunder Trade

2009-02-19T17:50:00.002-05:00

By: Robert Kivell

Knicks Get:

Chris Wilcox

Thunder Get:

Malik Rose

I like this trade for the Knicks too. Wilcox is clearly the better and younger player, plus the Knicks are shedding salary on this one. It's a shame that Tyson Chandler failed his physical because the Thunder looked fifty times better at this time yesterday than they do today.

Knicks-Bulls Trade

2009-02-19T17:46:00.003-05:00

Knicks Get:

Larry Hughes

Bulls Get:

Jerome James

Anthony Roberson

Tim Thomas

I like this deal for the Knicks because they finally get rid of Jerome James and his awful contract and get a quality player too. Roberson is never going to be that good and Thomas is getting old.

Player Rankings-Boston Celtics

2009-02-18T21:40:00.005-05:00

By Adam Sperber

BOSTON CELTICS

Kevin Garnett
Paul Pierce
Ray Allen
Rajon Rondo
Kendrick Perkins
Leon Powe
Eddie House
Glen Davis
Brian Scalabrine
Gabe Pruitt
Bill Walker
Patrick O'Bryant
Tony Allen

Play For the Day

2009-02-18T18:38:00.002-05:00

Kryptonite over Superman

Bulls-Kings Deal

2009-02-18T18:09:00.004-05:00

By: Robert Kivell

In a three team, seven player deal, the Bulls and Kings (and blazers) have swapped some good players. Here is the deal.

Bulls Get:

Brad Miller (from Sac)

John Salmons (from Sac)

Kings Get:

Andres Nocioni (from Chi)

Drew Gooden (from Chi)

Cedric Simmons (from Chi)

Ike Diogu (from Por)

Blazers Get:

Michael Ruffin (from Chi)

I like this deal for the Bulls as they get the best two players in this trade. Salmons has the most talent out of all these players and Brad Miller is a good veteran to have down the stretch. It doesn't look like the Bulls will get Amare anymore, but they definitely have a good shot at the eighth seed in the east.

Player Rankings- Miami Heat

2009-02-18T18:06:00.007-05:00

By: Scott Matza

MIAMI HEAT

1. Dwayne Wade
2. Jermaine O'Neal
3. Mario Chalmers
4. Udonis Haslem
5. Michael Beasley

6. Jamario Moon
7. Daequan Cook
8. Joel Anthony
9. Dorell Wright
10. Yakhouba Diawara
11.Chris Quinn
12. Mark Blount
13. Jamaal Maglore

Player Rankings- New Orleans Hornets

2009-02-16T14:50:00.006-05:00

By: Robert Kivell

Sorry for the inconsistency with these rankings lately. We will have at least two up today and try to have another two up tomorrow.

New Orleans Hornets

1. Chris Paul

2. David West

3. Peja Stojakovic

4. James Posey

5. Chris Wilcox

6. Joe Smith

7. Rasual Butler

8. Devin Brown

9. Morris Peterson

10. Hilton Armstrong

11. Julian Wright

12. Antonio Daniels

13. Melvin Ely

14. Sean Marks

15. Ryan Bowen

All Star Weekend Reacations (Friday and Saturday)

2009-02-15T23:00:00.004-05:00

By: Robert Kivell

Rookies vs. Sophomores Game

Maybe the best rookie-sophomore game ever. Kevin Durant showed us that he should have been selected to play in the big game on Sunday. Durant was clearly superior to everyone else on the court. For a while it looked like the rooks were going to pull it out, but in the end the sophs pulled this one out.

H-O-R-S-E

This event was okay. I was expected a lot out of this event, but not much came out of it. Johnson, Mayo, and Durant all hit some nice shots, but at the end of the hour I was a little bored. Maybe next year instead of a playing HORSE, they should have a big game of knock out (like 15 people). That would be cool.

Haier Shooting Stars

Why is this even an event?

Skills Challenge

I think that the players in this event were a little too nonchalant. Derrick Rose's dunk at the end was exciting, but that was it. I would have liked the players to have taken this event a little more seriously though.

Three Point Contest

Daquan Cook? Really? This is always one of my favorite events of the weekend. The scores were a little bit low, but I enjoyed the playoff between Cook an Lewis in the end. Too bad Lewis only got 7, so there wasn't really any suspense.

Slam Dunk Contest

The right man won. Here is how I would have rated each dunk.

J.R. Smith

43, 43

Rudy Fernandez

42, 45 (If he got it earlier I would have given it a 50)

Dwight Howard

47, 48, 50, 43

Nate Robinson

45, 45, 45, 50

That last dunk was crazy. Imagine trying to dunk over a 7-footer.

A Team on the Rise

2009-02-12T19:42:00.003-05:00

By: Robert Kivell

That team on the rise is the Atlanta Hawks. Currently 31-21, the Hawks are fourth place in the East. They just beat the Pistons, who are 5th place in the East, and have won 4 out of 5 with their only loss coming to the Clippers because of an absence of both their starting guards. Last year at the all-star break, the Hawks were 22-28. One might wonder why a team that lost a very good player in Josh Chlidress would be 8 games better 50 games in than they were a year ago. The answer to that question is that their young talent is getting better.

At the core of the Atlanta team is four young studs and one solid veteran. All four young talents are having excellent years, and lately Marvin Williams has showed his scoring potential (recent 29 and 23 point performances). In addition to their young guns improving, Mike Bibby is having one of his best seasons in a long time. Bibby is a big part of the Hawks success and deserving of his spot in the 3-point contest on Saturday.

I can say that I was one of the few who saw the potential in this team. I am a Hawks fan and at the beginning of the season predicted them to win 46 wins (They are actually on pace for 49). Some "basketball experts" had the Hawks finishing 12th in the conference (John Hollinger; His system is flawless. He also had Philly 3rd and Toronto 6th) Atlanta has 3 players participating in 4 events this all-star weekend. Atlanta is finally getting some of the recognition they deserve.

After the break, the Hawks will travel to L.A. for a match up with probably the best team in the league. The Hawks have been dominant so far this year at home, but not the greatest team on the road. I see the Hawks taking a big step forward on the 17th, and beating L.A. led by Joe Johnson.

It will be interesting to see whether or not the Hawks will continue to progress in the second half of the season. As an optimistic fan, I see them finishing with 48-49 wins, the fourth seed, a victory over the Pistons/Sixers/Heat, and pushing Cleveland or Boston to the limit in the second round (possibly winning). The Hawks are a team to watch out for.

All-Star Activities: The Preview

2009-02-12T19:00:00.003-05:00

By:

Josh Sperber

All-star weekend is fun to watch even without the main event: the All-Star game. Here are the three most exciting events to entertain NBA fans in the waiting game for the all-star game, or a whole weekend.

H-O-R-S-E:

A spinoff of the classic backyard game that is going big into its inaugural all-star weekend. Headed by three of the NBA's youngest, and exciting stars, Kevin Durant, O.J. Mayo, and Joe Johnson, this is sure to be a very interesting game as these three stars are known to create and make amazing shots, the point of this game. It is tough to predict a winner, since all of these stars can do it all, however, few in the league can compete with Durant in this category, so he is my pick.

3-Point Shootout:

An all-star weekend classic returns, and with a field with all competitors averaging over .400 3pt.%. The reigning champ Jason Kapono will be challenged by all-star Danny Granger, as well as Roger Mason, Mike Bibby, Daquaen Cook, and Rashard Lewis. It is easy to pick Kapono to win his third consecutive title, after tying a record en route to his victory last year, but Roger Mason leads all competitors with .450 3pt.%, and Kapono is not nearly as hot as Mason. My pick: Roger Mason.

Slam Dunk Contest:

What everyone has been waiting for, the Slam-Dunk favorite of the all-star game, where high-flying stars defy gravity to excite the multitude of viewers. Dwight Howard is looking to win his second straight, but Rudy Fernandez, Nate Robinson, and J.R. Smith look to stop him. Fernandez may be loved by fans, and J.R. Smith was great in 2005 and Nate Robinson won the 2005 contest, "Superman" Howard will find another way to pick up another dunk contest, whether or not he has the superman outfit.

Play For the Day

2009-02-12T18:37:00.002-05:00

This one is a personal favorite

Player Rankings- Oklahoma City Thunder

2009-02-12T18:13:00.004-05:00

By: Robert Kivell

Oklahoma City Thunder

1. Kevin Durant

2. Jeff Green

3. Russell Westbrook

4. Chris Wilcox

5. Nick Collison

6. Nenad Kristic

7. Earl Watson

8. Desmond Mason

9. Joe Smith

10. Damien Wilkins

11. Robert Swift

12. Kyle Weaver

13. Chucky Atkins

14. Mouhamed Sene

15. D.J. White

Tomorrow: Miami Heat

Player Rankings- Toronto Raptors

2009-02-11T14:17:00.003-05:00

By: Robert Kivell

Toronto Raptors

1. Chris Bosh

2. Jose Calderon

3. Jermaine O'Neal

4. Anthony Parker

5. Andrea Bargnani

6. Jason Kopono

7. Jamario Moon

8. Joey Graham

9. Will Solomon

10. Kris Humphries

11. Roko Ukic

12. Jake Voshkul

13. Nathan Jawai

Tomorrow: Oklahoma City Thunder

Player Rankings- Phoenix Suns (a)

2009-02-10T18:25:00.007-05:00

By: Robert Kivell

This is part (a) because it is possible in a few days it might be necessary to do a part b. Here are my rankings.

Phoenix Suns

1. Amar'e Stoudemire (for now)

2. Steve Nash

3. Shaquille O'Neal

4. Jason Richardson

5. Leandro Barbosa

6. Grant Hill

7. Matt Barnes

8. Robin Lopez

9. Alando Tucker

10. Louis Amundson

11. Goran Dragic

12. Jared Dudley

Tomorrow: Toronto Raptors

Player Rankings- New York Knicks

2009-02-09T18:48:00.008-05:00

By: Robert Kivell

Over the next 30 days, along with my co-writers I will be ranking the players on each team based on the value that player has to his team. First up, the best team in the league (sarcasm), the New York Knicks.

New York Knicks

1. David Lee

2. Al Harrington

3. Chris Duhon

4. Wilson Chandler

5. Nate Robinson

6. Quentin Richardson

7. Jared Jeffries

8. Tim Thomas

9. Danilo Gallinari

10. Anthony Roberson

11. Eddy Curry

12. Malik Rose

13. Jerome James

14. Stephon Marbury

Tomorrow: Phoenix Suns

Power Rankings 2-6-09

2009-02-06T13:32:00.003-05:00

By: Robert Kivell

1. LA Lakers

After beating the Celtics in Boston, the only team with an argument to hold this position is the Cavs. When the two play on Sunday we will see who the real number one is. But for now, Kobe and the Lakers are at the top of the league.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers

Lebron's performance at Madison Square Garden was one of the best I have seen in my lifetime. Lebron confirmed t

hat he is the best player in the league, and the Cavs will have a chance to confirm they are the best team in the league with a win on Sunday.

3. Boston Celtics

A loss to the Lakers on their homecourt bumped the Celtics down from number one to number three. Stupid foul Garnett, stupid, stupid foul.

4. Orlando Magic

If the Magic start to lose more with the loss of Jameer Nelson, they could fall out of this top four spot very soon.

5. Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets proved with a win over the Spurs earlier thi

s week that at least for now they are the second

best team in the West.

6. San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs will look to redeem themselves after their loss against Denver @Boston on Sunday.

7. Portland Trailblazers

This team is for real. They are definitely going to push Denver to the limit in the race to be Northwest Division champs.

8. Dallas Mavericks

The one thing this team has, and the two teams below them do not, is their star players are all healthy. Skill wise, the Rockets and Hornets have them beat. But more importantly, health wise, this team is miles ahead.

9. Houston Rockets

With all of their injuries, I have been waiting for them to fall out of the Western Conference race, but they have just been very stubborn, and will not lose on a consistent basis.

10. New Orleans Hornets

I guess Chris Paul is pretty important.

11. Atlanta Hawks

12. Utah Jazz

13. Phoenix Suns

14. Philadelphia 76ers

15. Detroit Pistons

16. Miami Heat

17. New Jersey Nets

18. New York Knicks

19. Milwuakee Bucks

20. Chicago Bulls

21. Minnesota Timberwolves

22. Charlotte Bobcats

23. Indiana Pacers

24. Golden State Warriors

25. Toronto Raptors

26. Oklahoma City Thunder

27. Memphis Grizzlies

28. Washington Wizards

29. Sacramento Kings

30. LA Clippers

Injuries Hit the Stars

2009-02-03T21:27:00.002-05:00

Nearing closer to the all-star game, many huge injuries sideline stars of imminent title contenders, and other teams fighting for a spot. Among the injured stars, Chris Paul strained his groin, Andrew Bynum is back on the injured list due to his knee, and Michael Redd is out for the season with a torn ACL. Among others are Kevin Garnett, who should return to action soon, Andrei Kirilenko, Deron Williams and Monta Ellis. For the Lakers, who made it to the finals and put up a strong fight without Bynum last year, his re-injury should not be too big of a problem, especially since Kobe is catching fire coming off a 61-point performance. However, the main issue for teams with newly injured stars is with the Hornets' loss of Chris Paul, and the Bucks losing Redd for the season. Although Paul is day-to-day, with the Hornets' title hopes hingeing on Paul, they can't take too many chances. While the Bucks' would be 8th in the east, if the season ended now, Redd was a huge part of that, and his loss is terrible for them. They now must rely on the rest of their team, none of whom has ever been the top man on any NBA team. They need huge productivity from their number 2 and 3 men, Richard Jefferson and Charlie Villanueva. The loss of Redd spells trouble for the Bucks' playoff hopes, and is likely to remove any chance of it. The Jazz, with Boozer returning after the all-star break and Kirilenko and Williams injured, are hanging on at 27-22 with their big 3 depleted for almost all of the year. Excluding the Celtics, Lakers and Hornets, assuming Paul returns soon, will probably fair the best of these injury depleted teams. But, the only cure for this injury epidemic is well-executed medical care, and the depleting medicine of time.

Playoff Predictions

2009-01-30T17:06:00.005-05:00

By David Josselsohn

Edited by: Robert Kivell

As the All-Star break approaches, it's time to look at The Inside Scoop's very own David Josselsohn's predictions for the playoffs. Here, we will deal with the Eastern Conference:

Overview: The Celtics, Cavs, and Magic have distanced themselves from the rest of the pack. It is obvious that they will finish 1,2,3 in the conference. The question is who will emerge as the fourth best team in the conference and take home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

The Contenders:

1.) Boston Celtics. The defending champs will find a way to pull out the number one spot in the conference. The supporting cast will do it for them; Leon Powe, Eddie House, Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins are really going to help the big three. The Celtics, Cavs, and Magic all have their all stars, but the Celtics have the strongest supporting cast.

2.) Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cleveland Cavaliers have not lost at home this year. That is a testament to their focus. Lebron James is the best player in basketball, and he will lead the Cavaliers to the second seed in the Eastern Conference. Also, the Cavaliers are more experienced than

the Magic in these situations.

3.) Orlando Magic. Being third to the Cavs and the Celtics is not bad at all. All Stars Jameer Nelson

, Rashard Lewis, and Dwight Howard are doing the right thing with this team. The supporting cast just doesn't match up with the Celtics and Cavs.

4.) Detroit Pistons. This is where it gets interesting. There is a huge drop off here. The Pistons have the most talent out of the other teams in the Eastern Conference. Wallace, Iverson, Stuckey, and Hamilton lead the way for them. They also have a lot more experience in this situation than teams like the Heat or the Hawks do.

5.) Atlanta Hawks. Although they have fallen upon tough times lately, I think that the Hawks will turn it around. They have so much talent in Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, and Mike Bibby. Once Al Horford returns from injury,

they will be a team to be reckoned with. They have a very complete team with Bibby running the point, Johnson at the 2, all

the way up to big men like Zaza Pachulia and Horford.

6.) Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers are streaking, having won eight of their last ten. Th

e tandom of Elton Brand and Andre Miller will pay off big down the stretch. And don't forget about Andre Igoudala, who can light it up at any time.

7.) Miami Heat. Although Michael Beasely is a rookie, there is no denying that the Heat have talent. Dwyane Wade is one of the best players in basketball and Shawn Marion is a very good player. They have too much talent not to make theplayoffs in a top heavy Eastern Conference.

8.) Toronto Raptors. The eighth place will come down to a battle between three teams, the New York Knicks, the Toronto Raptors, and the Chicago Bulls

. The Knicks are an exciting team that can get hot at any time. The Toronto Raptors have three great players, Jose Calderon, Jermaine O'Neal, and Chris Bosh. The Chicago Bulls have a solid team with a great bench. Kirk Hinrich, Tyrus Thomas, Larry Hughes, and Andres Nocioni support a good starting line up. Ultimately, the duo of Chris Bosh and Jose Calderon will lead the Toronto Raptors to the playoffs.

So again, our projected seeds are, 1.) Boston Celtics 2.) Cleveland Cavaliers 3.) Orlando Magic 4.) Detroit Pistons 5.) Atlanta Hawks 6.) Philadelphia 76ers 7.) Miami Heat 8.) Toronto Raptors. My Western Conference Predictions will be coming soon.

Power Rankings 1-29-09

2009-01-29T18:26:00.005-05:00

By: Robert Kivell

1. Boston Celtics

After losing their seat at the top of the NBA, the Celtics put a string together of 9 straight wins and have returned to their early season form. Right now, no one can beat them.

2. LA Lakers

After the Celtics, the Lakers are the most dominate team in the league. Kobe Bryant is playing some of the best basketball of his career and finally has the right cast to support him.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs have won four straight since getting blown out by the Lakers. The Cavs are 21-0 at home and will probably stay undefeated until a big match

up Feb. 8 on ABC.

4. Orlando Magic

The Magic lost two games last week to the Lakers and the Heat dropping them from the conversation over who the best team in the league is. Dwight Howard and the Magic have an important game tonight against the Cavs. A win would put them right back into that conversation.

5. San Antonio Spurs

It seems like the same thing happens every year. You don't think of the Spurs as a domin

ating team in the west for the first half of the season, but then you look at the standings and see they are 30-14 and 2nd in the west.

6. New Orleans Hornets

CP3 is leading the Hornets to another strong season. Pa

ul was just three steals away from a QUADRUPLE DOUBLE the other night. It will interesting to see if he will be able to do it by the end of the season.

7. Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets are 29-13 since the Chauncey Billups deal. Mark Warkentien (that's their GM) can put that one in the win column.

8. Portland Trailblazers

There probably isn't another team in the league with as much youth and talent as the Blazers do. Their last three games have been easy (vs. Was, @LAC, vs. CHA) so the next three games (vs. Utah, @NO, @Dal) should be a good indicator of where this young team is at.

9. Pheonix Suns

The Suns are probably the most up and down team in the league. Sometimes they can beat the best, but they can also lose to the worst. In their last five games, the

y have lost to both the Bobcats and Knicks.

10. Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks are really struggling right now. They have lost three in a row and four out of ten. Atlanta has struggled since their 21-10 start, but the Hawks should get some relief over their next six games until the All-Star break. (NJ, Mil, Min, Cha, LAC, Wash)

11. Houston Rockets

12. Miami Heat

13. Dallas Mavericks

14. Philadelphia 76ers

15. Detroit Pistons

16. Utah Jazz

17. New York Knicks

18. Milwaukee Bucks

19. Minnesota T-Wolves

20. New Jersey Nets

21. Charlotte Bobcats

22. Toronto Raptors

23. Chicago Bulls

24. Indiana Pacers

25. Oklahoma City Thunder

26. Golden State Warriors

27. Memphis Grizzlies

28. LA Clippers

29. Washington Wizards

30. Sacramento Kings

All Star Starters set for Phoenix

2009-01-23T17:15:00.003-05:00

By Adam Sperber

The city of Phoenix is hosting this year's NBA All Star game. The starters for both leagues are set and ready to go. For the East, Allen Iverson will be starting at point guard. Iverson is averaging 17.9 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game. Iverson was traded back to the East in an early season deal between the Pistons and the Nuggets. At shooting guard, Dwayne Wade starts for the East. Wade is averaging 28.8 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.9 rebounds per game. Wade currently leads the league in points per game and is having a stellar season. King James will start at small forward for the East. The King is averaging 27.8 points, 6.8 assists, and 7.2 rebounds per game. As usual, James is leading the Cavs into the top of the Eastern conference and having a phenomenal season. Kevin Garnett, the reigning defensive player of the year, will start at power forward for the East. KG is averaging 16.1 points, 2.6 assists, and 9.1 rebounds per game. The Big Ticket has not had the greatest season of his career this year but he is helping the Celtics to retain their position in the East. Dwight Howard will start at center for the East. Howard is averaging, 19.9 points, 1.4 assists, and 14.0 rebounds per game. Howard is one of the main reasons that the Magic are where they are in the East. For the West, Chris Paul will start at point guard. CP3 is averaging 21.2 points, 11.0 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game. Because of Paul's performance so far this year, the Hornets are near the top of the West. Kobe Bryant will start at shooting guard for the West. Bryant is averaging 26.4 points, 5.2 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game. Kobe's play has allowed the Lakers to climb to the top of the West. At small forward, Tim Duncan will be starting for the West. Duncan is averaging 20.4 points, 3.5 assists, and 10.2 rebounds per game. Duncan has played excellently to this point allowing the Spurs to excel. Amar'e Stoudemire will start at power forward for the West. Stoudemire is averaging 21.3 points, 2.2 assists, and 8.0 rebounds per game. Although the Suns are struggling now, Stoudemire is still able to play at his best. At center, the West will start Yao Ming. Yao is averaging 19.9 points, 1.8 assists, 9.6 rebounds per game. Yao has played well up to this point and is helping the Rockets compete in the West. With this stellar group of starters, the All Star game looks to be an interesting matchup

A Final Farewell for Zo

2009-01-22T21:58:00.002-05:00

By: Robert Kivell

After a 15 year career in the NBA, Alonzo Mourning is finally calling it quits. Zo, as he is called, has made many comebacks throughout his career, but finally decided to call it quits for the last time today. During the prime of his career, Mourning was the centerpiece of the Pat Riley-coached Heat, averaging close to 20 points and 10 boards per game, while dominating the paint. Mourning was always a force down low and was one of the centerpieces in the heated Knicks-Heat rivalry of the late 90's. However, in 2000, Mourning was diagnosed with a kidney disease that forced him to miss five months of the season. Unfortunately, this was the start of the end of Zo's career. Mourning would return to play and make the all-star team during the 01-02 season, but as a result of his condition worsening Mourning missed the entire 02-03 season. After a few years with the Nets, and a few days with the Raptors (He was sent to Toronto as part of the Vince Carter traded) Mourning returned to the Heat hungry for a championship. Mourning's hunger for that elusive NBA ring was fed when the Heat, lead by Shaq and Dwayne Wade won it all in 2006. Last year, on December 19th 2007, Mourning suffered the final injury of his career. In the first quarter in a game against the Atlanta Hawks, Mourning tore his patella tendon in his right knee. Although it was rumored that Zo might make a comeback this year, but Mourning announce today he decided the right time to retire is now.

Scoreboard 1-21-09

2009-01-22T18:37:00.002-05:00

Bobcats 101 - Grizzles 86
Larry Browns tough defense, quick ballmovement, and high percentage shot teachings are certainly paying off for the Bobcats, they stay hot with their fourth win in their last five games.

Pistons 95 - Raptors 76
Rip Hamilton has his first game as a reserve after starting his first 611 games with the pistons, but that is not the story of the night for the pistons, Tayshaun Prince Scored 23 of his 25 points in the second and third quarters allowing his team to run away with the game and come out big on top.

Celtics 98 - Heat 83
Eddie House seems to be an all-star when playing in south beach, he had a season best with 25 points as the celtics tear up another opponent as they make their streak now six straight.

Knicks 114 - Suns 109
After David Lee finished a huge dunk over Amare Stoudemire and drew the foul, Nate Rombinson got too excited, and was pounding his chest, and ventured onto the court, and when Amare tripped over David Lee's legs into Nate, Nate recieved a technical foul. The tech sparked a big run for the Suns late in the first half, but Nate more than made up for it with 20 points.

Hornets 102 - Nets 92
Paul barely missed his fifth tripple-double of the season with 29 points, eight assits, and nine rebounds. His domination lead to the Nets fifth straigh road lost.

Bucks 133 - Mavs 99
Redd's 27, and Villanueva's 32 and 10 were enough to crush the Mavs. Gradzuric who started off with seven straight misses then had a tip in, and then knocked down a three pointer on three straight posessions.

Rockets 108 - Jazz 99
no matter who is on the court, you always know the Rockets and Jazz are going to have a tight physical game. Yao was dominationg until he got his fifth foul, and had to come out, as the Jazz took full advantage and pulled within four. Deron Williams had 32 points, but Von Wafer suck a three near the end of the game to put his team up by seven, and they cruised to the finish from there.

Cavs 104 - Blazers 98
LeBron's 34 points and fourteen assits, along with Mo Williams season-high 33 points, and carrer-high six three pointers were enough to lift the Cavs to another victory.

Wizards 110 - Kings 107
A battle between two teams with two of the worst records in the league. Excellent play by Caron Butler, and Antawn Jamison did the job to earn a rare road win for the Wizards.

Thuder 122 - Warriors 121
Jeff Green hit a turn-around buzzer beater from sixteen feet to earn a rare road victory for the Thuder. Green had 26, Westbrook matched a career-high with 30, and Durant added 27 as the Thunder earned a tough victory.

Lakers 108 - Clippers 97
Andrew Bynum was the first Laker since rhe 1986-87 season not named Shaq to score 40 points and add 15 rebounds. Bynum had a career-best performance with 42 points and 15 rebounds, as Kobe added his career sixteenth tripple-double. The Lakers have now won seven straight against the Clippers, and 14 of their last 15.

Dealing the Details: Hughes For Simmons

2009-01-22T15:51:00.002-05:00

The Nets and Bulls are reportedly close to completing a deal that gives the Nets Larry Hughes and the Bulls Bobby Simmons and possibly Maurice Ager, but the main focus is Hughes and Simmons. The small forward Simmons is 1 year younger and one inch taller than the guard/forward Hughes, who is 4 years more experienced and has better stats. Along with rebounds per game, Simmons has a better field goal and 3-point % than Hughes, who ousts him in every other statistic. Simmons has started and played more games, 37/38 to Hughes' 6/30. Hughes indirectly initiated the trade by expressing anger towards the Bulls when they benched him during Hinrich's absence. The Nets satisfy their need for a veteran, and potentially have a shooting guard if they decide to deal Vince Carter. The Bulls need a bigger body in absence of Drew Gooden. Overall, this would turn out as a better deal for the Nets because they get a better player and more versatile player out of the deal. Hughes would also give Harris another proven scorer to work with, giving the Nets somewhat of a big 3 in Harris, Carter and Hughes. All that needs to happen now is for the Nets to sign off, and the deal is done.

Scoreboard 1-20-09

2009-01-21T16:33:00.002-05:00

Spurs 99 - Pacers 81
Great play from Tony Parker and Tim Duncan allowed them to stay on the bench the entire fourth period, as they watched their team go on to win by 18. Duncan had 27 and Ginobili had 26.

Hawks 105 - Bulls 102
Bibby's season best performance of 31 points, six assits and five steals was enough to earn the victory for the Hawks. Bibby also had a key steal with 40 seconds left in the game.

Nuggets 118 - Kings 99
With Carmelo sidelined with a broken bone in his shooting hand, the Nuggets have had a big contribution from J.R Smith and Linas Kleiza in filling the role of their absent all-star.

Jazz 112 - T-Wolves 107
When the T-Wolves cut the Jazz's large lead to one point, Mehmet Okur was able to step up and be the hero knocking down consecutive three pointers. Paul Millsap and Deron Williams both had monster games, as they were able to over come great performances by Al Jefferson, Sebastian Telfair, and Randy Foye.

Preview: Cavs vs. Blazers

2009-01-20T18:02:00.010-05:00

By Josh Sperber

Edited By Robert Kivell

This Wednesday night matchup could be a big one. The Cleveland Cavaliers are currently sitting atop the Eastern Conference, while the Portland Trailblazers just missed the playoffs last year and are looking to prove themselves with Oden finally healthy. The weak spots of both teams almost perfectly counter each other. The Cavs have LeBron James, arguably the best player in the league, but the Blazers have their own stars in Brandon Roy, Greg Oden and Rudy Fernandez. The Cavs are on the road, where they have lost all 8 of their games while the Blazers have a solid home record at 15-4. The Cavs have betters stats on offense and in rebounding than the Blazers, who have a statistically better defense. LeBron is coming off of a bad night, 23 points on 9-for-25 shooting, while Oden is coming off a career-best night, with career-highs of 24 points and 15 rebounds, but the Cavs played the Lakers while Portland played the Bucks. So far, the Cavs lead the season-series 2-0, with a win on each team's homecourt. I predict the Cavs will win this game by 6.

Potential deal between Raptors and Heat may have an interesting outcome

2009-01-20T17:55:00.005-05:00

By: Adam Sperber

Edited by: Robert Kivell

There is a potential deal between the Toronto Raptors and the Miami Heat involving Jermaine O'Neal and Shawn Marion. Both players are good players that are not having very good seasons. O'Neal is averaging 13.6 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game. Marion is averaging 12.3 points per game and 9.2 rebounds per game. Both players are currently injured and O'Neal has been frequently injured in recent years. O'Neal is a perfect example of a high risk, high reward player. I feel that if the deal goes through, the Raptors will get the better end in the long run because since they already have Chris Bosh, the combination of Bosh and Marion will get the Raptors farther because Bosh is one of the leagues top Forward/Centers right now and Marion's versatility will help ease the load on his shoulders. Right now, Toronto is towards the bottom of the East, but if they completed this deal, the Raptors would be right back in contention for the 8th seed in the East.

Scoreboard 1-19-09

2009-01-19T22:32:00.005-05:00

Knicks 102 - Bulls 98
A battle throughout the game, but Chris Duhon's layup with 31 seconds left in the game was enough to earn the victory for New York

Mavs 95 - 76ers 93
A game filled with spectacular play. The teams played it all the way to the wire, when Dirk Nowitzki's buzzer beater broke the 76ers 7 game winning streak.

Hawks 87 - Raptors 84
The Hawks were able to come up with a clutch victory without the presence of starters AL Horford and Marvin Williams. Joe Johnson was able to hit a jumper with 12 seconds giving his team a 3 point lead, as Jamario Moon missed the game tying 3 pointer a the buzzer

Rockets 105 - Nuggets 103
Kenyon Martin missed two game tying free throws with 2.6 seconds left as the Rockets held on to beat the Nuggets. A few second earlier, the Nuggets felt they had the go ahead basket stolen from them, as Linas Kleiza was called for an offensive foul with 7 seconds in the game.

Spurs 86 - Bobcats 84
The last second stand by the spurs was enough to hold off the Bobcats from winning a fourth straight. Tim Duncan was able to make up for his game winning shot being blocked, as he hustled back to block Raymond Felton's game tying shot.

Hornets 103 - Pacers 100
Chris Paul was the x-factor in this game with 27 PTS 5 REB 9 AST and 1 STL, but it was his game winning 3 pointer in response to Pacer's star Danny Granger's game tying 3 pointer that ultimately was the dagger.

T-wolves 94 - Clippers 86
Al Jefferson and Craig Smith dominated and were able to propel their team to victory over the great play of Eric Gordon, and DeAndre Jordan.

Warriors 119 - Wizards 98
In this blow out victory, the Warriors with good play all around were able to take care of the the battered and banged up Wizards, who are having one of the worst seasons in franchise history, with an 8-32 record the second worst in the league. (Thunder worst 8-34)

Pistons 87 - Grizzles 79
Through a good team effort, the Pistons were able to persevere, and win on a late surge lead by guards Rodney Stuckey, and Allen Iverson.

Celtics 104 - Suns 87
The Celtics suceeded in proving their supremicy, as they crushed a top contender in the west. The Big Three were able to rest in the second half as the team jumper out to a huge halftime lead. This could be that extra confidence booster they need as they now make it 5 games straight after their season's worst stretch of 2-7.

Blazers 102 - Bucks 85
This was a close game through the first three quarters, but the Blazers stepped up and pulled away in the fourth. Greg Oden had the best game of his young career.

Lakers 105 - Cavs 88
It was obvious that Delonte West was missing as Kobe's Lakers proved why they have the best record on the league right now.

The Forecast for the Thunder

2009-01-19T18:57:00.005-05:00

By: Josh Sperber

The Oklahoma City Thunder started off their first NBA season plummeting down to the bottom. They inherited the Sonics, so that might not sound surprising, but they have a good young team and promise for the future. Right now, they are 8-34, dead last in the league. They have some good players: Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green, just to name a few. Green and Durant are great all-around players, they have some strength off the bench with many players like Chris Wilcox and Desmond Mason. And most of their players are young, making the Thunder one of the youngest teams in the league. The problem is their young players have not yet matured and blossomed into their full potential. This has left most of the work to Green and Durant. Since the Thunder are in a division with the Blazers, Nuggets and Jazz, all three of whom have at least 24 wins, Oklahoma City has a long way to go before they will reach the playoffs. Eventually the Thunder may turn into one of the better teams in the league, but for now they are just going to have to wait for a while.

Scoreboard 1-18-09

2009-01-18T22:23:00.002-05:00

Suns 117-Raptors 113

Anthony Parker missed the go ahead 3 with thirty seconds left as the Suns, lead by Steve Nash's 18 assists and Amare Stoudamire's 31 points beat the Raptors in Toronto.

Heat 104-Thunder 94

Dwayne Wade's 32 points and 10 assists were more than enough to overcome Kevin Durant and Jeff Green's 53 combined points in a ten point victory over the Thunder for the Heat.

A Look Foward to the Second Half

2009-01-18T20:50:00.010-05:00

By: Robert Kivell

Last year in the second half of the season we saw the Sixers surge to make the playoffs, the Lakers dominate with their addition of Pau Gasol, and a 48 win team miss the playoffs. We saw Lebron James lead the league in scoring and Kobe Bryant win his first MVP award. The Eastern Conference won the All-Star game in New Orleans and Dwight Howard (AKA Superman) defied gravity the night before. The Hawks and Heat played the same game twice (The Hawks won both times), and Jason Kidd was traded from the Nets to the Mavs. Here is what you should look for during the second half of this season.

Second Half MVP: Chris Paul

Yes. I didn't say Kobe, or Lebron, or even Wade, but Chris Paul. I see Paul performing even better than his 21 points, 11 assists, and 3 steals he averaged in during the first half of the season. Paul will not only end the argument over who the best PG in the NBA is, but the argument will become Kobe vs. Lebron vs. CP3. I see Paul leading his Hornets to a 55 win season and helping New Orleans finish second in the western conference.

Second Half Disappointment: Kevin Garnett

The Celtics tumble from league supremacy to just one of the better teams in the league is a lot due in part to the lack of production from KG. In the month of January, Garnett has averaged just 14.2 ppg during the month of January and the Celtics' recent skid. Look for this lack of production from KG to continue and the Celtics to continue to struggle as well.

Second Half Sleeper: Utah Jazz
The Jazz started the year 5-0, but have not had the same good fortunes since then. Deron Williams started the year injured only to have Carlos Boozer go down as soon as he came back. Once Boozer and fellow injuree Paul Milsap come back, the Jazz will poised to make a run. The Jazz have been able to survive thus far and put up a nice 24-17. Once Utah is healthy again, they will be ready to pounce on the competition and finish in the upper tier of the Western Conference.

Second Half Dud: New Jersey Nets

Right now, the Nets are 19-22 and tied for 8th in the Eastern Conference. These guys just do not have the talent to finish at .500 and make the playoffs. The Nets have had one of the easiest schedules so far this season (SOS=.469) and have had 5 more home games than road games. Their success on the road will not continue and with the 76ers finally finding their groove, the Nets will miss out on the playoffs for the second straight year.

Scoreboard 1-17-09

2009-01-18T11:20:00.003-05:00

By: Robert Kivell

Celtics 105-Nets 85

Ray Allen had 25 points and Rajon Rondo had a near triple double in a blowout win over the Nets

Bobcats 102-Trailblazers 97 OT

Gerald Wallace led the Bobcats with 31 points and 16 rebounds in their thrilling OT victory over the Blazers

Hornets 91-Pistons 85

Chris Paul's 23 points and 14 assists were too much as the Hornets sent the Pistons to their fifth straight loss

76ers 107-Knicks 97

Andre Igoudala had 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists to lead his surging sixers to their seventh straight victory. The Sixers are .500 for the first time since they were 7-7.

Spurs 92-Bulls 87

With 1:40 left in the game, Tony Parker made a driving layup to put the Spurs up 82-81. The Spurs would never look back. Parker had a team high 20 points.

Rockets 93-Heat 86

Yao went a perfect 12-12 from the field leading his Rockets to a win over the Heat.

Mavericks 115-Jazz 108

Dirk scored 39 in a high scoring affair over the Jazz.

Magic 106- Nuggets 88

Dwight Howard had 20 rebounds in the Magic's seventh straight win.

Clippers 101-Bucks 92

The Clippers ended their 12 game losing skid to the Bucks last night. Marcus Camby had 18 points and 11 boards, but left the game late with an ankle sprain.

Halfway Through, A Look Back

2009-01-17T21:01:00.000-05:00

By: Robert Kivell

Through the first half of the season, we have seen some great things and some terrible things. We saw the Celtics win 19 in a row and we saw the Thunder lose 14 in a row on their way to a 3-29 start. We saw the usually faces owning the league (see Lebron and Kobe), but we also saw new guys becoming up and coming stars in the league (see Brandon Roy and Devin Harris). However, as time goes on, teams change and players change too. Since their polar opposite starts, the Thunder actually have a better record (5-4) than the Celtics do (6-7). Here is a look back at what we have seen so far in the first half of the season.

First Half MVP: Lebron James

No surprise here. For the first half of the season,

Lebron James truly has been the king of the league. King James is averaging 27.8 points, 6.7 assists, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.0 steals. James has propelled the Cavs to a 31-7 record, first in the East, and first in the league. James finally has the supporting cast necessary to win a championship. If Lebron can continue to dominate the competition the way he has so far, the Cavs will be able to make a very deep run into the playoffs.

First Half LVP: Elton Brand

When the 76ers signed Elton Brand this offseason to a five year deal this offseason, they thought they would return to the days when they were at the top of the eastern conference. With a lineup consisting of Brand, Igoudala, Delembert, and some young talented guards, the sixers were not crazy to be aiming for a 50 win year. However, Brand has contributed next to nothing for the sixers so far. Elton is averaging career lows in points (15.9), blocks (1.4), and FG% (44.7). To add insult to injury, Brand went down with a shoulder injury 23 games into the season. You know you are having a bad year when you are supposed to be the start on your team and they are 9-14

with you, and 10-6 without you. That five year deal isn't looking so good now if I were a sixers fan.

Most Surprising Team: Atlanta Hawks

This award could go to the Magic, Cavs, or the Blazers, but all those teams were expecting to be top contenders in their conferences going into the season. Going into the season, the Hawks were picked by many to finish 3rd or 4th in the Southeast division and miss the playoffs. Only their coach knew how good they really were. Woodson said his Hawks were going to win 50 games, and Atlanta is on pace to do just that. Phillips Arena has become one of the hardest places to play in the league. The Hawks have posted a 15-4 record at home so far. With key offseason moves including the re-signing of Josh Smith, and a n

ew defense first mentality, the Hawks are on their way to their first winning season since the 1998-99 season. Joe Johnson has become one of the best players in the league, whil

e Flip Murray and Mo Evans have been great acquisitions. I like this team to finish out the season strong, ending up fourth in the East and winning a round in the playoffs.