Oh, and one of the co-creators just happens to be Saving the Skyhook’s very own, Dan Jepperson!

Dan and his friend Jason have created the “2011 Playoff Primer” app for those of you out there who want to brush up on your player profiles and learn a little more about a specific team. And even if you’re a hardcore fan, chances are, you’ll find something informative here that you can use against your buddies as well.

Here’s some specific info on the app: (more…)

Do you remember your preseason picks? I’m sure plenty of people had the Lakers to, once again, come out of the West with the best record. Most commentators and bloggers had the Lakers to have the top seed in the Western Conference. They were just the safe pick. The Lakers roster arguably got better, with the additions of Matt Barnes, Steve Blake, and Theo Ratliff for extra depth. They didn’t lose any significant pieces, so they were early favorites to do what they have done so many times; win the West. (more…)

I am admittedly much more familiar with the Eastern Conference than the West. I’m a Toronto Raptors fan, and most TV stations around here tend to play a ton of Knicks, Heat, and Celtics games. If I’m lucky, maybe I can catch a Bulls game once in a while. The Bulls and Celtics are two of my favorite teams to watch. Whether they play each other, or other teams,  I am looking forward to how these teams fare in the playoffs. Much has changed for the Celtics since last years loss in the NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers. Of course, the Bulls have a completely different lineup as well, but have played very well together, and under the guidance of rookie head coach Tom Thibodeau, have the best defense in the league.

The difference between these two teams heading into the playoffs, is that the Bulls are thriving going down the stretch, while the Celtics are faltering. To be honest though, I wouldn’t read too much into either event, since the Bulls have a very easy schedule headed into the playoffs, while the Celtics are a veteran team, and counting them out at any time would be stupid (remember they were the fourth seed last year). (more…)

The media has a way of spinning things out of control. Let’s face it, every team goes on winning streaks and losing streaks, and every team has ups and downs throughout the regular season. There are a million websites and newspapers that have standings in them, yet we don’t pay attention. If we did we would notice that every team goes on streaks. The media has sensationalized the Heat, and perhaps it is the team’s fault as well, but looking back at their losing streak from a week or so ago,  you will see that they lost to some very good teams. During their five game losing streak, the Heat lost to the Bulls, Blazers, Knicks, Magic and Spurs. All five are playoff teams. All are good playoff teams too, yet we jumped on the Heat. And maybe crying after the losses didn’t help, but they didn’t deserve the scrutiny they received from the media. (more…)

So, will the Heat succeed in the playoffs? I’m going to post some numbers and let you decide for yourself. Their average scoring margin is +6.71, which is second in the league. Their offensive rating is 110.5 which is 6th in the NBA. Their defensive rating is 103.2 which is 5th in the NBA. Their field goal percentage is 47.5% while opponents are scoring on 43% shooting. They have LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, three players who were undisputed number one options on their teams last season. Yet, they have struggled against good teams. Does that mean anything? The main problem with the Heat is lack of depth. In the playoffs rotations tighten, which means more minutes for stars. (more…)

Now, I know the Celtics, Heat and Bulls are good teams, and I guess you can throw the Magic in there too, but look at the West. The Spurs are quietly the best team in the league. So much so, that people can’t refer to the Spurs without saying they are quietly the best team in the league. The Mavericks are pretty good as well. If Dirk Nowitzki wasn’t injured early in the year, they might have a better record than the Spurs. Even with their poor play when Dirk was out, they still have more wins than any team in the East. The Spurs and Mavericks may be the two top teams in the West, but the Lakers are still favored to reach the NBA Finals. (more…)

At this point of the season, the cream rises to the top, and the list of candidates becomes surprisingly thin. So who are these players? I’ve narrowed my list down to three. I cannot realistically see anyone besides these three players winning the MVP. It may shock you to learn, that all three candidates come from the same conference, and that all three play different positions. While I am leaning towards one guy on this list more than the others, websites such as ESPN seem to disagree. So, without further ado, here are the three MVP candidates.

One more thing, you might need to keep THIS page handy, if you aren’t too clear on advanced stats, such as PER, Wins Shares and other advanced stats. Just scroll through that page if you are ever confused on what a stat means. (more…)

TRADE ONE:

The first major trade was obviously Carmelo Anthony going to the Knicks.

TO NEW YORK: Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Renaldo Balkman, Shelden Williams, Corey Brewer

TO DENVER: Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Timofey Mozgov, a 2014 first round pick, and 2012 and 2013 second round picks

TO MINNESOTAA: Eddy Curry, and Anthony Randolph

This trade obviously is huge. Carmelo gets his extension, and gets to play with his good friend Amar’e Stoudemire. He also gets to play under the shining lights in New York. Carmelo had a solid first game in blue and orange with 27 points and 10 boards. Chauncey Billups may be the key to this trade, as he has plenty of playoff experience and a Finals MVP under his belt. He may be the leader that this team needs. Look forward to big things from New York next year, especially if they can land Chris Paul or Dwight Howard in 2012. (more…)

Image from hothothoops.com

• Trades

Trades are what will ignite the most discussion in the next week. The trade deadline (at the time of writing) is 3 days 2 hours and 45 minutes away (thank you NBA.com!) and some big names are likely to be moved. Rumor has it, Carmelo Anthony isn’t exactly happy to be a Denver Nugget. Whether he joins the New York Knicks is yet to be seen, as the New Jersey Nets are still clinging to life in talks, but he will likely be playing for an Eastern Conference team next Friday.  The Knicks have reportedly offered a package of Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, and Wilson Chandler. Timofey Mozgov and Eddy Curry would also be included for salary concerns. The Knicks would receive Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams and either Anthony Carter or Renaldo Balkman. (more…)

(Image from NBA.com)

The first question you could ask about that game on the 30th of January is, did Kobe’s teammates let him down, or did Kobe let down his teammates? Kobe Bryant may have scored 41 points, but he had zero assists. Zero. At least score 81 points if you’re not going to pass. On the other hand, can you really blame Kobe? His teammates shot just 38% from the field. So obviously somebody had to score. Now, I’m not going to talk about Kobe Bryant anymore than I have to, because in the past two weeks or so that’s been done to death.  (more…)

The significance of this game should not be over looked. This will be the game that tells us if the Spurs are legitimate title contenders. This game may also be the last straw in determining whether the Lakers need to make a mid-season trade or not. Currently the Spurs sit atop of the Western Conference, with the Lakers back a comfortable 6 and a half games. While this game won’t mean much for the standings, it can tell us a lot about what will happen in the Playoffs. (more…)

Image from Hoops Collective

1. Ron Artest is complaining about the criticism he’s received playing for the Lakers. Should we expect anything less from a guy who thanked his psychiatrist after winning the Larry O’Brien trophy last June?

2. Sticking with Ron Artest, what team would want any part of that contract? I honestly think he’s almost impossible to move at this point.

3. From one Western Conference team to another, when will the Nuggets trade Carmelo Anthony? I think they may have lost all of their leverage at this point. How many times can you almost trade a guy?

4. Speaking of the Nuggets, wouldn’t JR Smith look good in a Bulls uniform? I know I’ve discussed this already, but with news that the Bulls may be adding Anthony Parker, I think Smith deserves a look. I think his impact would be much greater than Parker’s.

5. Who would do more damage in the playoffs, the Bulls or Magic? I’m still not sold on the moves the Magic made; outside of adding Hedo Turkoglu have they really improved? (more…)

So if you haven’t already heard, OJ Mayo was suspended on January 27th for testing positive for dehydroepiandrosterone (what a mouthful), better known as DHEA. He was suspended for 10 games. Add this to Mayo’s recent troubles this season. Mayo was taken out of the starting lineup, and also got into an in-flight fight with teammate Tony Allen over a card game. Mayo claims that the positive test was due to an energy drink. (more…)

Let’s first look at the facts. Are they really so different? I mean, I don’t remember Chris Bosh getting any MVP chatter during his days in Toronto. Last season, both put up very similar numbers. Chris Bosh averaged 24 points a game, Amar’e averaged 23.1 points. Chris Bosh averaged 10.8 rebounds a game, Amar’e averaged 8.9 rebounds. Amar’e played 12 more games (82 total), and shot 55.7% to Chris Bosh’s 51.8%. So as you can see, both had pretty similar individual numbers last year. (more…)

How about Kevin Martin for example? While guard is a stacked position in the West, what with Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Kobe Bryant at the position, Martin often gets over looked. Averaging the lowest minutes per game (31.3) since his sophomore season, Martin is putting up exceptional shooting numbers. He’s currently fourth in three pointers made, and first in free throws made. All this while averaging 23.5 points should not be overlooked.  What’s more shocking is that Vince Carter, at the last balloting update on January 13th, was ahead of him in votes. While he may not be having a good enough season to make the team, he should NOT be behind Vince Carter in voting. (more…)

The Denver Nuggets wanted their three-time All Star, Carmelo Anthony(notes),to sign a three-year extension this summer, but HoopsWorld reports that the 26-year-old small forward won’t be signing anytime soon.

The deal would have paid him $65 million, so Anthony is walking away from some serious dough if HoopsWorld is correct. If he doesn’t sign an extension, Anthony will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Anthony’s no fool. He saw what happened this summer. He knows that he can get a lot more money next year and can either go somewhere else or stay with the Nuggets; he’s keeping his options open.

The case for signing an extension this summer was that he could guarantee his money with the looming threat of a lockout next year, but he likes the chances the owners and the players work it out (I, too, think the concerns of no basketball in 2011-2012 are entirely premature).

That said, this report only further increases the chances that there’s a new supergroup brewing. He very well could be on his way to New York next year, with Chris Paul not far ahead or behind.

Sources have indicated he’s even tested the market in Europe trying to land one last $10 million payday. But all of that is unlikely. Indeed, the Cavs may consider re-signing Shaq to a short deal that would pay him $5 million-$7 million and wait for a contender to get desperate to match up with the Lakers or Magic.

The thing is, Shaq would have to be OK with taking a lesser role on a rebuilding team and be a good citizen while biding his time. If he’s as motivated to get the money as he seems to be, he might, but it might be a gamble with chemistry for the Cavs.

To be honest, this might be Shaq’s best move. No team over here is even close to awarding him the money and playing time he wants for one last go-’round. Over in Europe, the NBA products of which are traditionally known as softees, Shaq would be a rare physical specimen, and many teams would be happy to have him at center. Heck, he might put up some decent numbers, too.

Source: Yardbarker.com

Ever since the draft, I’ve been anxious to see more of John Wall’s play on the basketball court. Sunday night I got my first exposure to the post-draft John Wall, albeit a day late thanks to a leg injury Thursday that sidelined Wall for Washington’s first Las Vegas Summer League game on Saturday.

After watching him play, he looked very impressive, although I will reserve more definite judgment until he faces a team other than the Golden State Warriors, whose ragtag collection of Summer Leaguers are no better on defense than their NBA counterparts. Still, there were some things to note.

First of all, the significance of Wall’s injury appeared to fall somewhere between negligible and looking like it never happened, as he was very sharp from an athletic point of view. The remarkable speed we’d grown accustomed to seeing from him day in and day out in college was there, and there were no signs of pain when he tried to press on the gas.

The result was a continued exuberance in the open court, slashing up and down in the transition offense looking for quick buckets. It appears that he will have no trouble succeeding on the fast break at the highest level, if this game was any indicator.

One very good sign was Wall’s incredible chemistry with center JaVale McGee, and the two were in rhythm the entire game. Wall looked great off the pick and roll with McGee, putting pressure on flashing big men and either blowing by them or finding McGee as he dove to the rim. He even connected on several alley-oop attempts with the 7-footer over the course of the game, which got a rise out of the small crowd.

Coming into the league, one of the concerns about Wall was his ability to score from the perimeter with his jump shot. In this game, he looked like he had been working on his stroke. In fact, his shots off the dribble looked beautiful. It was his set shot that looked like it still needed some work. Nevertheless, he’s way ahead of the curb in developing his perimeter game.

In the half-court set, Wall did not look as comfortable on offense, struggling to get to the rim on his own. Most of the time, he resorted to passing to an open teammate, and he racked up 8 assists on the night thanks to his willingness to distribute. That said, he’ll need to work harder on blowing by his man and getting to the cup if he wants to be an elite scorer in the league.

Additionally, Wall’s risk-taking in this game was a red flag, but that’s the nature of Summer League basketball. At times he looked like he was running too fast for his own good, and a couple times lost the ball out of bounds off of a bad dribble in mid-stride. He was also very daring on some of his passes, and that resulted in a number of giveaways. The consequence was a sub-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. But like I said, that’s all part of the league. These players are looking to impress and take chances in games that don’t truly matter, and Flip Saunders should enjoy seeing that out of Wall. He’ll need to be an impact player right away for the Wizards, and the more practice he gets at those home-run plays, the more likely he is to convert them come regular season.

After two years of wild anticipation, massive media coverage, various rumors, meetings, summits, and behind-the-curtain discussions, LeBron James has sealed his fate for the next several seasons, and he’ll be spending them in the merciless sun of Miami, Florida, with the Heat.

But that’s not all. The King is joining forces with the two next-best players on the market this summer, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who will also be putting their talents on display in South Beach. With one of the most star-studded teams trios in the history of professional sports, this basketball team is redefining the term “superstar.”

With no doubt, this squad has the potential to be one of the greatest of all time. Putting together three players who do nothing but dominate on the hardwood could yield fantastic results. Each of these guys can beat essentially any defender one-on-one, assuring remarkable offensive efficiency for the Heat. Moreover, all three guys are capable of hitting the big shot, so crunch time will be more like lunch time in Miami. Further, still, Wade and James are widely considered solid defenders, and Bosh is halfway decent, so, assuming they put in the effort, they won’t be giving up many points, either. I foresee many games with astronomical scoring margins.

Since the rumors that LeBron would, in fact, go to Miami began to surface, they were immediately paired with reviews of how they gelled together on the USA National Team in the 2008 Olympics, and that they did. James, Wade, and Bosh sliced, diced, and scored with ease as the team went on to win the Gold Medal in those games, putting their various talents together in a memorable synergy.

Still, there are countless looming concerns that could render this team one of the most disappointing ever.

The most concrete qualm with this scenario is the lack of talent that will fill out the roster. With these three sizable contracts, the Heat have no choice but to fill out the rest of the team with minimum-salary veterans, per NBA rules. Will the overwhelming talent of the Big Three outweigh the palpable ineptitude of the rest of the players on the roster? They have no real point guard (unless Mario Chalmers qualifies) or center yet, and those are, arguably, the two most positions in the lineup. Will Pat Riley be able to scour the market for players who can fill the roles at least somewhat decently? It’s a fair question. The team will also be astoundingly shallow, and Eric Spoelstra is going to have to try his hardest to keep two of the Big Three on the floor at all times to avoid being completely overwhelmed by other teams’ superior second units.

Then there are the possible problems that could arise with injury. Sure, any key player on any team could go down with a health problem, but with the Heat, the talent is so concentrated, that if one (or, god forbid, two) of them goes down, it could cause major problems with the team’s production, as someone would have to fill the void — and it’s entirely possible there won’t be anyone capable of doing so on that team. They’d better invest some good money in the training staff, because it seems like Wade, at least, misses some number of games every season.

Furthermore, there’s the looming question of compatibility. Yeah, they looked good playing together on Team USA, but this is a different scenario. In international competition, preoccupations with money, fame, stats, and alpha-male status are all put on hold for the good of winning in representing the country. In the NBA, without that patriotic passion, the more nitpicky concerns begin to arise. Will the guy who’s getting paid less handle it well? Who’s going to get the ball in key situations? Who will get the most possessions? Who will pass the ball? Who will be the leader? Will winning be the ultimate concern for these guys, or will superstar tendencies take over?

The other argument that people cite in support of this trio of legends is in reference to the 2008 Boston Celtics. “Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce came together to do it. Why can’t these guys?” they say. But realize that this is not the same thing at all. Garnett, Pierce, and Allen all filled different roles. Pierce was the multitalented get-the-ball-in-the-net guy, Allen was the shooting-and-slashing guard, and KG was the tenacious defender, rebounder, and opportune post scorer. Furthermore, their collective egotism certainly wasn’t enough to blow you out of the room like that of the group on Miami. Those guys got it. I’m not sure these guys will.

And moving beyond either of those comparisons, there’s still just the conception of how it will work on the court. Take this into consideration. The median pace factor (number of team possessions per game) last season was 95.0. John Hollinger’s usage rate tracks the number of possessions that a player uses per 40 minutes. Last year, James, Wade, and Bosh all played about 40 minutes a game, and you can expect that to stay about the same or go up in the coming season. Last year, the usage rates for Bosh, James, and Wade were 25.9, 32.2, and 33.2 respectively, for a total of 91.3 possessions per 40 minutes. And that still leaves eight minutes unaccounted for! And that’s without including the other nine (or more) players on the roster. Clearly, there just isn’t enough time for each of them to get his fill.

Accordingly, these guys are going to have to tone down their scoring in order to make it work, and I’m not sure that can happen. If it doesn’t, the results could be catastrophic. They’ll haul totally inefficient shots early in the possession to get more looks, and the team will struggle overall.

All that said, they might get all the chemistry right and take it on to the court and dominate with ease. But combining Bosh, James, and Wade on the same team on the same court could end up being a very dangerous proposition.

Source: Yardbarker.com

Free agency can produce a number of outcomes for the teams that depend on it each year. First, there’s the super-duper-fantastic result, awarding a team with everything it could have hoped for (see the 1996 Los Angeles Lakers). Then there are those teams who get completely shafted, either because of regrettable tactics or because there just isn’t enough to go around (see 2008 Philadelphia 76ers). Further, still, are the teams that fall somewhere in the middle — nothing to scoff about and nothing to pop the champagne for.

The New York Knicks have apparently come to an agreement with inside force Amar’e Stoudemire, and the’ll pay him $100 million over the next five seasons to sport the blue and orange. Don’t get me wrong: in light of the city’s deprivation of even halfway-decent basketball this decade, this move shouldn’t make the Knick faithful drown themselves in the tears they’ve accumulated over the last several years.

That said, given the risky contracts extended to players like Eddy Curry, Stephon Marbury, and Steve Francis in recent seasons, one might figure Donnie Walsh would be slightly more cautious in extending a maximum contract to a player who lacks the ability to transform a down-in-the-dumps franchise.

Stoudemire is a great NBA player. He’s ruthless (borderline unguardable) on the offensive end when he’s got his head right, and his supernatural athleticism puts asses in the seats. In that regard alone, he’s beneficial for the Knicks. Furthermore, inking STAT might slightly increase the odds that the Knicks can bring in a true superstar (e.g., LeBron James or Dwyane Wade) to really transform the team. But honestly, it would have been much wiser to have gone in reverse, as it’s hardly a guarantee either of those guys will join Stoudemire in MSG next season.

And if one of them doesn’t come? Then there are some problems. Considering Stoudemire’s size, strength, and athleticism, he’s really a mediocre rebounder, as he struggles to haul in eight a game. Moreover, he’s virtually absent on the defensive end, tending to avoid midair contests altogether and blocking fewer shots than he should. Hmm … Good offense and bad defense?

Sounds like a guy who played power forward for New York last season — a Mr. David Lee! While Lee might give up a few points to Stoudemire on a nightly basis, he’s just as much of a “defender,” and he’ll rebound the pants off of Amar’e any night out of the year. Wouldn’t it have been better to pursue re-signing Lee and his comparable production at a fraction of Stoudemire’s price?

And who knows? Stoudemire’s offensive production might not even be what it was in Phoenix. It’s quite clear his best moments came zooming off picks on the receiving end of incomprehensible passes from Steve Nash. But Nash isn’t around anymore, and Stoudemire is yet unproven away from the wizard’s side. Who’s going to make those passes in New York? Chris Duhon? I don’t think so. The Knicks better hope Stoudemire can create some more offense on his own, or he could end up being even worse than Lee on the offensive end.

Then there’s the largest problem of all — the injury concerns. Amar’e has possibly the most questionable health history of any of the major players in free agency this July. Two micro-fracture knees and a worrisome retina. An unfortunate poke, an awkward landing, or just too much tread on the tires could confine the $100 million player to an Armani suit sitting in the first row behind the bench.

Now, I started by saying that this deal put the Knicks in the middle ground of free-agency results, and despite my fierce protestation of the decision, I stick by that. First of all, a sidelining injury could happen to anyone. Just because the problems are more noteworthy for Stoudemire doesn’t mean he’s going to ride the pine the whole season.

More importantly, it’s just that the Knicks can’t do any worse. Signing Amar’e instantly propels them to a high-30-win team, and that’s before their subsequent adjustments this summer. With some careful additions from here on in, they might be in sniffing distance of the playoffs, and that’s enough to pique the city’s interest again.

Lastly, should this not work out, the team has a potential security blanket. Layered deep beneath the three-way deal that brought Tracy McGrady to the Knicks was a stipulation that the Rockets have the option to swap picks with the Knicks in the 2011 draft … so long as the pick isn’t No. 1. Highlighting next year’s draft class is UNC freshman phenom Harrison Barnes, who has already drawn comparisons to Kobe Bryant himself. So if the Knicks flop this year and end up with the top pick in the draft, that’ll be another major building block to lay for the years to come.